Recording artist and contemporary fine artist Billy Morrison and world-renowned photographer Mark "Weissguy" Weiss will come together for one weekend only - September 19, 20, and 21 at the iconic Motor Cars LA Showroom in Hollywood, CA - to showcase a series of paintings by Morrison, based on the images photographed by Weiss. Billed as “A Moment In Time,” the event is presented by X5 Podcast and Motor Cars LA. See a few images below.
There are 12 unique canvas pieces from Morrison, and high-end editions of the same photographs from Weiss, with a special 13th painting and prints going to support mental health, suicide prevention and trauma counselling through the Above Ground charity spearheaded by Morrison and Dave Navarro, Jane’s Addiction’s guitarist.
The public viewing is set for September 21, to be preceded by the VIP Preview on September 19, and RSVP Party and Live X5 Podcast on September 20 which will feature a Q&A from both artists and an intimate acoustic performance from Morrison. There will be a complete livestream of the whole weekend from the X5 Podcast team. At this event, Rock N Roll and Fine Art collide with multi-million-dollar supercars in the entertainment capital of the world. See the event details - and read an illuminating Q&A with Morrison and Weiss - below.
Billy Morrison has developed successful careers in multiple genres, as a rock guitarist (with Billy Idol for the past 15 years), a solo recording artist, and as a contemporary fine artist. Self-study and experimentation are the essence of Morrison’s process, working with oil paints and spray in a Warhol-esque aesthetic. Morrison’s iconic style mimics the effects of multilayered screen printing through a street art approach with the use of stencils.
Mark "Weissguy" Weiss is a world-renowned photographer who has traveled the globe photographing legends from Van Halen, Ozzy Osbourne, Aerosmith, and Mötley Crüe to Metallica, Guns N’ Roses, Bon Jovi, and KISS. Weiss’ inimitable photographs helped craft the visual imagery of rock and metal in the 1980s.
Keith Richards, photo by Mark Weiss (1981)
Keith Richards, painting by Billy Morrison (2024)
Tom Petty, photo by Mark Weiss (1985)
Tom Petty, painting by Billy Morrison (2024)
Billy Idol, photo by Mark Weiss (1984)
Billy Idol, painting by Billy Morrison (2024)
Thursday, September 19, 6-9 PM:
- VIP/Press Night
Friday, September 20, 7-10 PM:
- RSVP Party and Live X5 Podcast
- An exclusive and intimate acoustic performance from Billy Morrison and a Q+A from both artists
Saturday, September 21, 11 AM-5 PM:
- Open Viewing
Motor Cars Los Angeles Showroom
953 N. Sycamore Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90038
Q&A with Billy Morrison and Mark "Weissguy" Weiss:
Q: What inspired this collaboration of photography and art?
Billy: "As a fine art painter, there are certain rules about using images from photographers and in fact, some extremely interesting and high-profile court cases surrounding certain images. So when the opportunity was suggested to both of us by Charlie Reece (X5 Podcast) that Mark and I could close that gap between photographer and artist by doing a collaborative show, we both jumped at the chance."
Mark: "When Charlie presented this opportunity to collaborate with Billy on creating new life for 12 of my classic photographs, I was ecstatic. Billy is bringing an added dimension and new appreciation to a dozen of my favorites. I spent the eighties hopping from one tour bus to another, shooting press photos and creating album covers, having a blast. Whenever I photographed a band in the ‘80s, it was like gaining a bunch of new friends. 40 years later, it feels good to get that feeling again with Billy."
Q: Billy - maybe you can isolate a few of the paintings and tell us your thoughts about them?
Billy: "Obviously painting my boss, Billy Idol, is quite intimidating! You don’t want to get that wrong! But Mark’s photograph of Billy during the Rebel Yell days is so iconic and so widely used, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to paint it. Tom Petty is another painting that was quite intimidating to paint, as we shared management and there are a bunch of ties between the Idol camp and the Petty camp. Finally, the Ozzy Osbourne painting obviously felt strange to do, considering my multi-decade friendship with the man, but I chose a very different and endearing shot that Mark took, Sharon has seen the finished painting and approved, and you will have to come to the show to see it!"
Q: Mark - perhaps you can give us some words about the final results of the collaboration…that is, seeing your photographs painted?
Mark: "When deciding which images he would work on, we both seemed to gravitate towards the same ones. Billy's close friendship with the Prince of Darkness makes this extra special, as Ozzy and Sharon had taken me around the world and welcomed me into their family when I was starting my career. I am looking forward to the gallery event when I, too, will see the paintings for the first time!"
Q: Your collaboration has cultural relevance, noting that photographer Lynne Goldsmith recently won her lawsuit against the Andy Warhol Estate. So it’s terrific to know that there is a collaboration in this scenario between the photographer and the painter. Can you share your thoughts about this?
Billy: "I completely understand that a photographer owns the copyright to that image, but I believe there are many ways that the subject of that image, as well as artists like myself, can collaborate and create more effectively with the photographer. Iconic images will always be a subject of creativity, and I believe that by teaming up with Mark, we are showing what can be achieved with co-operation, creative dialogue and a desire to share those images in different ways with the world."
(Top photo - Michal Pellicone)
