TV presenter Anthea Turner has revealed her lockdown passion – the love of British punk artist Mark Sloper.
The broadcaster was introduced to the controversial artist’s work by her fiancé Mark Armstrong two years ago and now she is a major collector of his work.
Anthea says the artist brings out the ‘punky’ rebellious spirit in her and has embraced the anarchic style of his creative works which are sold around the world.
Punk artist Mark is currently touring the UK after a successful Saatchi exhibition and has a New York show dedicated to legendary crooner Frank Sinatra.
The artist is famous after HRH The Queen saw her painting and asked that her punk portrait changed, as she didn’t like the tattoo on her neck.
Artist Mark Sloper created the image of Her Majesty with blue hair, a nose ring and the love heart inking. The monarch, 95, found the artwork ‘hilarious’ but asked for the tattoo of husband Philip’s name to be altered to show her royal crest.
Anthea, 61, said: “When I was younger and presented Top Of The Pops I never particularly liked punk rock, but as I’ve got older I really get the punky rebellious spirit that’s in all of us and I think Mark’s art says it all which is exactly how we are all feeling right now. I’ve always liked art but as you get older I think you appreciate it more, you find out what you like and what you don’t like.
“I went to Mark’s launch at Castle Fine Art in St Christopher’s Place in London and was immediately struck by how he has made Amy Winehouse, Marilyn Monroe and of course The Queen into all these punk icons. He has the ability to bring all the cool rebels under one punk umbrella through his art eyes.”
Anthea added: “When I first saw Mark’s art at the Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea a few years ago I thought this is just great. The whole Saatchi audience had gathered around his exhibition and it was more of a party than an art show.
“I bought one of Mark’s punk Queens and all my friends loved it so much that I ended up buying several so that I could gift them to friends. My hairdresser now has one and loves me for it!
“I’ve commissioned a neon artwork from Mark entitled “always the sun” (a Stranglers track) which is in my kitchen and another piece for my boyfriend.
“Mark is currently making me one of his signature pieces ‘Queen in residence’ which all of us ladies are when at home, just like her majesty!
“I love the way Mark takes bits from the past, like his royal palace and World War 2 flags and updates, upscales them to make them relevant today and keeps his punky feel to everything.
“Even his prints are unique, every one of them hand embellished with gold, silver and jewels. I have a massive pink rainbow punk Queen in my study/office and it makes me smile every time I look at her. The work is so intricate and engaging.”
Mark Sloper, 56, said: “I first met Anthea at one of my Saatchi shows in Chelsea and she was talking to my great friend Hugh Cornwell of the Stranglers who was there to support me. He and I found it a little odd that she knew so much about punk music and knew all of The Stranglers’ songs.
“But then I realised, despite looking so young and pretty, she was there back in the day, and there’s us punks thinking Miss Turner would be an Abba fan when really she loved our naughty loud music as well!”
Mark’s work is collected by celebrities including Sir Elton John, Sting, Boy George, Danny Dyer, Anthea Turner, John Terry and Sex pistol drummer Paul Cook.
