Bobbi Brown and Endless
Copyright EVOLUTION_18 taken by Melanie Dunea
Bobbi Brown’s office with Endless artwork on wall
Endless with his Bobbi Brown inspired artwork
She’s the American cosmetics queen and entrepreneur, whose work has graced the covers of Elle and Vogue. He’s the London-based street artist whose hip works deal with celebrity, wealth, sex and religion. Together they creatively inspire one another as Behiye Hassan discovered . . .
Bobbi Brown has been a fan and collector of Endless’s artwork since 2016 when she first flagged up his artwork on her Instagram account. Her views on the beauty industry chime with the messages Endless conveys throughout his artworks, and Endless has since created a piece which includes quotes by Bobbi. They’ve been in conversation ever since, and although they’ve never met (“We had arranged to, but travel restrictions with Covid meant that we have to rearrange,” says Endless) they’re looking forward to eventually meeting up either in London, or New York. Here, they discuss what they mean to one another.
Meet The Leader: Bobbi, how did the connection between you both come about?
Bobbi: I first saw the work of Endless in the London gallery, after spotting his advertisement pasted on a billboard. I bought my first piece there and have bought a few more since. My favourite piece is of the pink Queen, whom I’m obsessed with. She’s wearing the Louis Vuitton logo, pearls, and is juxtaposed against a neon pink background — it’s eye candy.
Endless, how did you first find out Bobbi was a fan?
Endless: Bobbi showed interest in a piece of my work which I exhibited in my first London solo show, in 2016. She ended up purchasing an early ‘Lizzy Vuitton’ artwork of mine, which is contemporary portrait of the Queen, adorned in a designer shawl. Since then, Bobbi has shown great support for my work on Instagram and in real life. My artwork hangs on her walls which is nice to see when she makes posts.
Why do you think there is such a strong link between fashion and art world?
Bobbi: There’s always been a strong synergy between the two. Creative minds get inspiration from each other, so it makes sense. Creatives see opportunities where others see boundaries — to them, art and fashion aren’t separate worlds but extensions of creativity with endless potential.
Endless: I have always viewed advertising as the original street art and have been drawn to the graphics and aesthetics of fashion advertising as an art form. I am also interested in how people interact with advertising and the media in general and how they are influenced by it. These concepts led me to create my own work, using brands to draw the eye, whilst portraying compelling and relating messages throughout the artwork.
Endless, do you feel street art is more accessible / reach more of an audience than exhibitions in galleries?
Endless: Street art will always reach a wider audience, because it can be seen by people as they go about their normal lives. People who choose not to attend an exhibition or enter a gallery can still experience the power of art. Street art has a follower base and is deeply connected to social media, which has an amplifying effect. Museums and galleries will always be important to artists and art buyers, as this is the place to give artwork credibility and longevity.
How did the artwork with quotes from Bobbi come about? And why those quotes?
Endless: My work often reflects the way in which society reacts to the media and popular culture, which is particularly true of my recent magazine cover style collection, where the central figure is collaged from magazine cuttings, layered with photos I’ve taken around London, representing the unachievable aesthetics of a ‘media perfect’ cover model. The street-aesthetics in this image bring home the message of seeing beauty in otherwise un-inspiring surroundings and imperfections. In this time when more people are at home and online, social media becomes the new reality and it's important to recognise that images can be manipulated in the pursuit of perfection – the world of media in general is not always as real as it seems. Bobbi echo’s these sentiments with quotes she often shares such as, “The secret to beauty is simple. Be who you are”, and “Beauty is a lifelong evolution”. The piece I created contains quotes by Bobbi and genuine media headlines, which provide the same message. It is unique that someone in Bobbi’s position in the beauty industry champions inner beauty as much as outer.
Bobbi, how do you feel about the negative aspect social media has had on people's self-image and worth?
Bobbi: It definitely exists. I get it — it’s easy to see someone tall and skinny, in an exotic location or at a fabulous party and feel bad about yourself. The good news is that there are plenty of cool real people and influencers out there… fill your feed with those accounts. I always urge people to focus on what’s right, not what’s wrong about themselves. It’s human nature to focus on what’s not working, but usually you see imperfections about yourself that no one else sees. Don’t criticize yourself based on other people’s retouched and filtered Instagram posts.
How can you both work together to try to help to counteract that?
Just by being real and posting real content. I posted an Instagram story of my messy pre-dinner kitchen the other day — not because of the aesthetic but because it was the true behind the scenes footage of a beautiful meal that my kids cooked. It’s just how it is – there’s always imperfection behind the picturesque.
For my information on Endless please go to www.criscontinicontemporary.com