"THE ONLY PAIN IS CHAMPAGNE"
Maximilian Wiedemann was born in 1977 in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. After working in advertising for ten years he was left with the knowledge that art is a powerful and relevant medium with which to communicate to a modern world. Wiedemann carefully researched and created a special technique that allows him to combine graffiti-style art with the glossy images of corporate brands and popular culture on a traditional canvas. As an artist he is known for subverting culturally iconic images by slyly and provocatively revealing truths belied by popular marketing and advertising. Max states, “I love to combine street context with fashion and luxury, I always felt that was a powerful combination as the rawness of street art and hip hop creates an edge in the high end fashion world and luxury market.” Maximilian believes he, in turn, is reversing the Warholian principle of taking every day objects and turning them into art by, instead, taking art and placing it in advertising; and by this, he is hopefully shaping the future of how we view popular culture. The artist lives and works in London and Miami.
Maximilian Wiedemann’s work examines the perplexities of grand industry against the trials and tribulations of the less advantaged. In other words, he is the modern day Robin Hood of Art; knowledge and access to the world of the rich and famous, coupled with his biting wit and natural born sarcasm, has given him a unique vision and voice in the art world. His artwork is a commentary on the modern day world, making art an accessible medium in which to appreciate beauty and irony simultaneously.
Maximilian is commissioned by some of the most exclusive brands to display his art at the hottest addresses in the world. He sees himself as a 'camera lens for celebrities' and documents the habitat that surrounds us in the 21st century much as a 19th century painter would do, but using spray cans instead of oils. His work is highly influenced by fashion and celebrity, high end brands and Vogue are his main influences alongside Haring and Basquiat. Karl Lagerfeld introduced Max to the Editor of French Vogue, Carine Roitfeld at a restaurant in Paris, when Karl Lagerfeld bought a painting, he thrust Maximilian into the art spotlight.
Maximilian is constantly evolving with new materials such as neon, found item sculpture, photography and film. What remains constant is his razor sharp wit and incisive humour, always pointed at the vanities of the rich and beautiful, but only enough to keep them on their toes, for Wiedemann himself inhabits this world that he documents.
Wiedemann has exhibited around the world, mainly in major art cities such as London, Paris, New York, Miami and Los Angeles. His collectors reach from the entertainment and fashion elite such as Bono, Lagerfeld, Elle MacPherson, Kate Moss and Carla Bruni to the key players in financial markets, many HNWI's and is represented in some of the most influential collections in the world.