Mr. Brainwash. World Class, 2009

Mr. Brainwash

World Class, 2009

Thirteen color silkscreen on hand stained archival art paper. Individually finished with spray paint and stencil balloon; unique variant

Hand signed twice on the front; numbered 7/21 Dated 2009 and annotated "Life is Beautiful" with the artist's unique thumbprint on the back

Edition 7/21 (unique variant)

25 × 38 inches

Unframed

Thirteen color silkscreen on hand stained archival art paper. Individually finished with spray paint and stencil balloon; unique variant from the edition of 21
Hand signed twice on the front; numbered 7/21
Dated 2009 and annotated "Life is Beautiful" with the artist's unique thumbprint on the back
Published by It's a Wonderful World, Inc.
Can you recognize all the historical and pop culture figures in "World Class?" Rarely seen on the market, Mr. Brainwash's 2009 "World Class" is one of the most elusive, desirable and iconic works the artist ever created; in fact, it was chosen as the image to promote his career-making "ICONS" solo exhibition in New York as well as Art Basel. This early work was created in an edition of 21, which each one bearing unique finishing with spray paint – and a red balloon situated in a different location in each of the variants. World Class depicts a fictional class photo of some of the 20th century's most famous figures in politics, art, and popular culture, including John F. Kennedy Jr., Madonna, President Obama, Donald Trump (remember this work was created in 2009, during the Obama Administration, so Trump was just a flamboyant real estate and media impresario at that time) Martin Luther King, Jr. John McCain, Mick Jagger, Keith Haring, Andy Warhol, Kobe Bryant, Walt Disney, Prince, Michael Jackson, Dolly Parton, Leonard Nimoy, Debbie Harry ("Blondie"), Cher, Alfred Hitchcock, Marilyn Monroe, Albert Einstein, Jean-Michel Basquiat, the Dalai Lama, Mike Tyson, Bill Gates, Kanye West, Steven Spielberg, Jay Leno, Mr. Clean, Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Brown, David Letterman, Mother Teresa, Muhammad Ali, John Lennon, KISS, Patti Smith, Sigmund Freud, George Lucas, and many more luminaries. Again, "World Class" is the image the artist himself chose to promote his representation at Art Basel Miami in 2010. Hand signed twice on the front, numbered 7/21, signed on the back and dated with Mr. Brainwash's unique thumb print.

More about Mr. Brainwash:
For more than a decade, Thierry Guetta, under his moniker, Mr Brainwash, has been pushing the envelope of contemporary art. The orchestrated collision of street art and pop art has been his balancing act. The tipping point for Mr Brainwash was his groundbreaking footage from the widely-acclaimed documentary, Exit Through the Gift Shop. This Academy-nominated film
demonstrates the evolution of the street art movement with Mr Brainwash, who, alongside Banksy, brings the art to the masses. Navigating between worlds of film, celebrity culture, music, and sports, Mr Brainwash has cemented his legacy in the world of art.

From the very moment he emerged, Mr Brainwash rocked the art world with his innovative and fearless style. He uses elements from pop art’s past and the raw components of his street art beginnings to create larger-than-life exhibitions and collaborations. Mr. Brainwash’s imaginative construction of gallery exhibitions and art shows throughout the world has continued to attract the attention of critics and celebrities alike.

Mr Brainwash has designed album covers for Madonna, Rick Ross, and KYGO. His artwork was featured in films and television productions such as Molly’s Game, Billions, Shameless, and The Kardashians. Mr. Brainwash’s talents are showcased in creative partnerships with powerhouse brands like Hublot, Coca-Cola, and Marvel Comics creator Stan Lee He also collaborated with world-known soccer player Pelé, who joined the artist in splattering paint on select artwork.

Mr Brainwash’s passion extends his commitment to giving back to the community. He continues to donate artwork in support of the Los Angeles LGBT Center, created commemorative 9/11 murals to honor the victims, and partnered with Product RED to raise AIDS awareness. Mr Brainwash also lends his yearly support to organizations such as the Prince’s Trust for the benefit of vulnerable youth. He met with former First Lady Michelle Obama in support of her organization, “Let Girls Learn” which helps adolescent girls attend and complete school.

He was also honored to meet privately with Pope Francis in Rome to raise funds for Scholas, the Pope’s personal foundation to serve the youth of the world.

On December 18th, 2022 Thierry Guetta inaugurated The Mr Brainwash Art Museum, with the ongoing exhibition Enter Through the Museum, a nod to Exit Through the Gift Shop, and the first Contemporary Art Museum in the world created and run by a living artist. As a restless creator and pop culture analyst-catalyst, Mr Brainwash sees the museum as an all-ages art playground, a new platform to express uplifting messages bringing hope, positivity, and beauty to the Beverly Hills community, Angelenos, and world visitors.