LEYTONSTONE: Maverick artists help pay Cartrain's Hirst debt (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)

LEYTONSTONE: Maverick artists help pay Cartrain's Hirst debt

11:20am Thursday 26th February 2009 in

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A GROUP of artists have raised money for a Leytonstone teenager who was threatened with legal action by Damien Hirst – by selling their own works which parody Hirst’s art.

The Brit Art pioneer threatened to sue 17-year-old graffiti artist Cartrain over an unauthorised use of his iconic work, For the Love of God.

Cartrain, who styles himself on Banksy, incorporated pictures of Mr Hirst’s famous diamond-encrusted skull sculpture, into a series of his collages. He later settled out of court and paid Mr Hirst £200.

Now a group of artists called Red Rag To A Bull, who campaign against heavy-handed copyright control, have created their own art works based on Mr Hirst’s sculpture, and have sold copies of them online.

The sales of the works have raised £200, which they have handed back in “compensation” to Cartrain.

James Cauty, a former member of legendary 1980s pop duo The KLF and also known for later burning £1m with the K Foundation, was at the forefront of the artists’ exercise.

He said: “I just think lawyers should not be involved in the creative process.

“What Cartrain was doing is something that all artists have done.

“He fancied using a bit of Damien Hirst’s work but added to it himself. If it was a case of simply bootlegging Mr Hirst’s work then it would be different.”

Cartrain, who has never revealed his true identity, said: “James Cauty inspired me to become an artist along with Banksy – I am amazed he would want to help me out."

Red Rag To A Bull says the creation and sales of the works were not intended as a crusade against Mr Hurst, but were intended as a “creative exercise” to mock the “overbearing, thoughtless approach to copyright control.”

Other members of Red Rag To A Bull include punk album designer Jamie Reid and artists Billy Childish and John LeKay.