The King As Art

December 30, 2002 2:49 PM

The King As Art. Artist Naoki Mitsuse writes, "I remember reading an article in the morning paper about a local teenage girl who had thrown herself out of a balcony of a tall apartment building, leaving a note that said something like, 'now that Elvis is dead, I have nothing to live for and goodbye.' This had a profound impact on me and I realized then, that Elvis was a very powerful man." So the artist created two series of Elvis paintings that are way better than any Elvis on black velvet you might find on eBay.
posted by VelvetHellvis (10 comments total)

what a moron.
with bad taste to boot.
posted by Espoo2 at 3:21 PM on December 30, 2002

Are you kidding? The Elvis with bananas thing is pure genius.
posted by raysmj at 4:09 PM on December 30, 2002

I'm with ray. Favorite.
posted by slipperywhenwet at 4:53 PM on December 30, 2002

And to think I thought I wasn't talented enough to be an "artist".
posted by treywhit at 5:07 PM on December 30, 2002

Well treywhit - whether you think you are or you think you aren't, you're right.
posted by willnot at 5:26 PM on December 30, 2002

I kinda like Steamboat Elvis, myself. ;)
posted by dejah420 at 6:15 PM on December 30, 2002

Wait, a local TEENAGE girl realizes that "Now that Elvis is dead"??? NOW?? Um, either she knows something we don't or she must have been pretty weirded out by something that happened BEFORE SHE WAS BORN. Or is there one hell of a delay on the newspaper delivery in that part of the world?
posted by kaemaril at 7:19 PM on December 30, 2002

I concur with slippery, I want to have the Uri Geller one.

Kaemaril, have another cup of coffee.
I was about 11 and living in Singapore when Elvis died in 1977. I remember reading an article in the morning paper about a local teenage girl who had thrown herself out of a balcony of a tall apartment building, leaving a note that said something like "now that Elvis is dead, I have nothing to live for and goodbye." This had a profound impact on me and I realized then, that Elvis was a very powerful man.
posted by planetkyoto at 7:52 PM on December 30, 2002

So Espoo2, who do you contend is the moron, me for posting or the artist for creating?
posted by VelvetHellvis at 8:06 PM on December 30, 2002

These are hilarious, like pages from a very deadpan children's book.

Thomas could have a visitor.

Thanks, VelvetHellvis.
posted by mediareport at 9:24 PM on December 30, 2002