CAROLINECOON
By the time Coon left art school in 1968 figurative painting was deemed 'dead', but she avoided fashion and 'cool' and continued to work figuratively in oils on canvas with a brush. She was not interested in painting in new ways or working with 'new' materials but in seeing and interpreting the word anew. Her painting is 'hot', highly individual, bears the imprint of Pop Art, Feminist Art and the politics of sexual liberation. In contrast to society's acceptance of the female nude, Coon's honest depiction of the male nude has been considered shocking - in 1995 the Tate Gallery banned her 'Mr Olympia' painting because it showed an erect penis. Recently Coon has been painting her Ladbroke Grove neighborhood in a series of narrative urban landscapes, including 'The Brothel Series'.
CUNST ART. Cunst Art is the ongoing feminist art/performance project publishing provocative THORNS, most recently 'The Woman=Whore Questionnaire', 'Black is Gay', 'Abort The Pope' and 'It Is Women's Duty And Right To Hate Religion'.
The Cunst Art pamphlet 'Calling Women Whores Lets Rapists Go Free' by Caroline Coon and barrister Amber Lane sets out the urgent need to legalise prostitution. See NEWS page for details.
Punk Rock. Caroline Coon's design work can be seen in the look, make-up and style of The Stains and the musicians in the cult movie 'Ladies and Gentleman, the Fabulous Stains' (Paramount 1982) on which she worked as special consultant. She designed the Global Revolution poster for The Clash second album 'Give 'em Enough Rope' (CBS 1978). Coon's photographs are published around the world and her sleeve covers include The Clash's first hit single 'White Riot' (CBS 1977), The Police's first hit single 'Roxanne' (A&M 1978) and Babyshambles 'Janie Jones/Strummerville' (B-Unique Records 2006). '1988: the New Wave Punk Rock Explosion' by Caroline Coon (Omnibus Press edition published in 1982) is her inside 'as it happened' story of punk, with musicians and fans speeking for themselves.
In the 1960's, Caroline Coon was the inspiration for Bob Dylan's song 'She Belongs To Me' and Robert Wyatt's song 'O Caroline'. In 1977 the New Musical Express stated that the Strangler's song 'London Lady' was written about Caroline Coon. Whatever, the song is a woman-hating fantasy indicative of what clinicians call 'small penis anxiety' and damning evidence of sexism and misogyny that contaminates the male dominated music industry to this day. See: Caroline Coon's interview with Hugh Cornwell in '1988: The New Wave Punk Rock Explosion'.
Summer of Love. In 1967, while a student of fine art at Central St Martins College of Art, Caroline Coon founded RELEASE, the 24 hour 'underground welfare service'. The 'Peace Dove' logo that Caroline Coon designed for Release in 1967 is the Release logo to this day. See: Chapter 13, 'The Unsung Sixties: Memories of social innovation' by Helene Curtis and Mimi Sanderson, Whiting & Birch Ltd 2004. For 'The Plight Of Release', see NEWS for October - November 2007
In 1966, Caroline Coon modelled nude for the great photographer George Harrison Marks. She stared in 'Amour', his black and white Nuevelle Vague influenced film about the emotions of two people making love.
The first painting Caroline Coon sold in 1967, aged 21, was 'My Beautiful Cunt' (1966) - to Clive Goodwin, the husband of Pop Artist Pauline Boty.
Political activity. Caroline Coon campaigns for international justice and human rights, especially for women. She continues to campaign to end prohibition of illegal drugs, including cannabis - bringing all illegal drugs within the law, licenced and controled, like alcohol, nicotine and gambling. Don't Demonise Dealers, Licence Them! Caroline Coon occasionally uses cannabis for pleasure and as a medicament. She occasionaly grows her own, but has yet to find an effective organic solution to spider mite.
For further artworks and information : www.axisweb.org/artist/carolinecoon
For artworks
at Saatchi Gallery site: www.saatchigallery.com/yourgallery/artist/details.php?id=6327