The acclaimed queer artist on life, inspiration and Andy Warhol
Mark Wardel, otherwise known under his artistic pseudonym TradeMark, creates visually arresting pieces, that decorate the walls of some of the world’s most renowned galleries and cultural centres.
Erotic, defiant and unapologetically modern, Mark’s pieces explore the subject of identity and portraiture, specifically within club and urban sub-cultures. So basically they’re about SEX AND DRINKING. We love!
We’re kidding, it goes far deeper than that. The subject matter of Mark’s art says a lot about our inherent behaviours, and the socio-political state of our world.
Ahead of his upcoming collaboration with KU Bar, we spoke to Mark about porn, Warhol and urinals.
Hey TradeMark! Tell us how you got started with your art.
My art ‘big bang’ moment was really when I finished art school in Liverpool in 1978 and moved to London. I gravitated towards the club scene, and as soon as I set eyes on the habitués of the Blitz club – Boy George, Steve Strange, Princess Julia and others – I just thought that apart from Bowie they were the most amazing looking humans I had ever seen. In that instant, I knew I had found the subjects for my art. I painted their portraits, they became friends, they commissioned me to paint record covers, design club flyers and disco-decor etc. We’ve exhibited together and as with (for instance) Boy George, we still collaborate on projects to this day.
What kind of stuff are you inspired by?
I’m totally fascinated by people…. faces and bodies…especially people who make a strong visual statement with their look, people who create a persona for themselves. It all stems back to the Ziggy-era Bowie ethos of not having to fit in with how society expects you to be. You can recreate yourself as whoever you want….act out that part….become that character.
Some of your art is qui
te erotic…what do you think about the distinction between art and porn?
I love art and I love porn, and I think the only distinction is in the purpose. We use them both for different purposes. Art for one thing….and we all know what we use porn for! Who can define art anyway? Art can be porn and porn can be art. It’s all in the context.
Do you like Andy Warhol?
Of course! Who doesn’t these days? But the great thing for me was that Andy Warhol actually liked me… or at least he liked my artwork enough to commission me to paint a t-shirt for him. He did that after he saw the one I was wearing when I met him in ’86. His signature alongside mine on my painted t-shirt is, along with my letter from Bowie, one of my most treasured possessions. I told him I wanted to come and work for him in New York. He said ‘we’ll try and set it up’ but then tragically, he died.
What’s the strongest reaction you’ve ever had to a work of art?
Wow, that’s a tough one to answer. My favourite artists are mostly figurative painters. I’d say that the artwork that affected me most in a metaphysical way, was Richard Wilson’s sump oil installation which has been on permanent display at the Saatchi gallery for many years. To walk over that glossy pool of infinite blackness is mind-blowing.
Who, in your opinion, is the greatest artist alive today?
The greats are all dead, and my opinion on the living changes like a traffic light. But currently I would say Kehinde Wiley. He has just been commissioned to paint Barack Obama, and I can’t wait to see what he does with that…but next week someone else will probably be my ‘greatest’.
Do you think Duchamp’s “Urinal” was a valid creation?
Yes, valid in that it opened the door for conceptual art and the idea that anything can be art depending on context. It is still the major influence and the model of how the art world is to this day.
Tell us about your pieces in Ku Bar!
My pieces in KU bar reflect a series of TradeMark images from the iconic years of my work with Trade, Heaven and The Village etc. I was passionate about the idea of club flyers as a democratic art form. An art that was collectable and accessible to anyone. Even if they had no money, some kid could pick them up in a club and build a collection…which a lot of people did. So my paintings became flyers and my flyers later became paintings, like a circuit repeating.
And tell us about the Tattoo event you’re working on them with.
I’m fascinated by the tattoo phenomenon and how all kids these days are tattooed. I’m blown away when I hear of someone who has had one of my images done as a tattoo. NYC drag queen Eileen Dover recently did one on her arm and so, inspired by that, the ‘KU Tattoo’ event (a fund raiser for diversity role models) will be giving out temporary tattoos based on my painting so customers can wear a piece of art on their bodies and be photographed on the night. The insanely handsome (and topless) KU bar staff will also be sporting the tattoos on their pecs and biceps, so the event promises to be a real feast for the senses.
Finally…what’s in store for the future?
I’m currently painting an official portrait of Marc Almond, which will be part of an upcoming exhibition of photographs, record covers and artworks to celebrate his 60 years on the planet. I’m also working on a book of reminiscences and anecdotes from my experiences on the London scene over the years. That will feature artworks, polaroids and encounters with everyone from club monsters to pop royalty, Warhol to Hockney, Grace Jones to Bowie to Liz Taylor and beyond. I plan to tie the book in with an exhibition of art and photographs relating to these characters and events so watch this space.
TradeMark is at Ku Tattoo on Saturday 28th May, Ku Bar, 30 Lisle Street, WC2H 7BA
TradeMark prints, posters and wearable art are available at TRASHDNA.COM
