London-based fine artist James Mylne has unveiled a humorous depiction of a party loving Boris Johnson to announce his upcoming summer exhibition in London. The Battersea based artist specialises in photo-realism through using ballpoint pens on paper and is considered a pioneer in the field. In 2019 he hit the headlines when his Joker Johnson image of the PM in the guise of arch villain The Joker went viral and was featured everywhere from anti-Brexit march placards to the front cover of German current affairs magazine Stern.
The new piece, which James painstakingly produced over 122 hours, is titled Party Boi, in a nod to the Partygate controversy surrounding the illegal gatherings at Downing Street during Lockdown. It is released as it was announced that the Metropolitan police intend to issue both Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak with fixed-penalty notices amid the probe into lockdown parties at Downing Street. It depicts Johnson in full party mode, complete with party hat, glass of wine, comedy glasses and topped off with a sparkly gold star wand.
“The country remains appalled at the behaviour of its Prime Minister and the whole Partygate scandal. The ‘one rule for them, one rule for us’ mentality adopted by this government has really hit a nerve and I wanted to do my own interpretation of Johnson and his attitude towards following the rules. This is one of the new pieces that will form part of my next exhibition this summer.”
Using a normal Bic ballpoint pen (or biro) James can spend up to 450 hours working in intricate detail to create beautiful black & white drawings often combining the careful use of spray paints to add colour backgrounds & additions.
Mylne’s incredible, unique ballpoint works have been likened to ‘beautifully painted canvases’ and are often mistaken for photographic prints, such is the incredible detail and likeness to his subjects. Mylne says Biros appeal to him due to the huge level of concentration required to complete each drawing. Mistakes cannot be rectified, and the slightest error can result in the artist having to start the piece again.
Often featuring divisive political figures such as Johnson, Trump and Jair Bolsanaro, Mylne’s work during the past decade has also focused on the topics of celebrity, notoriety and the focusing of our gaze towards instantly recognisable figures. Kate Moss and Audrey Hepburn have featured in some of his most popular and enduring works as well as influential cultural figures from Steve McQueen to The Notorious B.I.G. Consumerism, status and luxury lifestyle are often present in Mylne’s artworks, with fashion brands and luxury goods being scrutinised and their influence questioned, their almost disposal status being immortalised in these complex pieces that take hundreds of hours to produce.
“Ballpoint pens are everywhere,” says Mylne. “Scattered over desks at work or school, on counters at your post office or bank, and under your sofa. No one owns them really, ubiquitous, disposable, and pretty much free. The simple engineering and design behind them is so efficient and durable that they haven’t needed a design change in decades… I remember the moment, aged about 15 or 16 when I figured out how to use them for creating soft tones and effective shading. It was a bit of a eureka moment. Up to that point I’d loved using the pens, but it was mostly just for sketchbook work. It made satisfyingly sharp, bold lines, crisp outlines and comic like graphics and imagery.”
Although he often works from old photographs to create his fine drawings, James has also collaborated with famous photographers such as Terry O’Neill, ex Rolling Stones guitarist Bill Wyman and Roger Eaton. Influenced by both urban and contemporary art Mylne’s work has been exhibited alongside Street Art legends such as Shepard Fairey, D*Face, Banksy, Mr. Brainwash etc as well as YBA artists such as Damien Hirst & Gavin Turk. His first solo exhibition was at The Conningsby Gallery, London, in 2008 which was the first exhibition to showcase photo realistic ballpoint artworks. His last solo exhibition was a 2019 retrospective, A Decade of Shady Business, the highlight of which was Joker Johnson.
