David Barton's art can only be fun

Who said that art can’t be fun? Certainly not David Barton! With his work he is not making fun of works by ‘old masters’ but rather gives a new life and meaning to them by using contemporary icons, widely recognisable by anyone. In this way he actually makes art more approachable to the wider audience; rather than hailing the ‘iconic paintings’, the ‘masterpieces’ - terms widely used when referring to the work of Van Gogh, Seurat and Monet among others - he takes a brave step by actually using this much celebrated paintings and recontextualising them in modern day society. By all means, this doesn’t lessen his talent, but rather shows some qualities that not every artist is in possession of; wit and humour.

Whether you enjoy this type of approach and ‘rediscovery’ of masterpieces in modern terms or not, one thing is certain; David Barton’s works put a smile on your face! So, we won’t put into a dilemma of choosing which work you like - the initial painting by Van Gogh, Seurat etc. or David Barton’s; just enjoy art!

The Expert's View series features articles examining the art exhibited on USEUM. Klairi Angelou is an art historian holding a BA (Hons) degree and a MA degree in the field, the latter from the Courtauld Institute of Art in London. She is now a PhD candidate in History of Art at the University of Bristol.