THE EXHIBITION
To celebrate 2019 Manchester Pride, London Pop Artist and DJ Sina Sparrow’s brand new exhibition ‘PoppyCock’ features vivid colour portraits of some of his favourite Divas, autobiographical zines and illustrations of dead male adult film stars.
THE ARTIST
Sina Sparrow is an Iranian Pop Artist and DJ based in Hastings. Born in Manchester, Sina’s family moved home to Iran before settling back in London after the 1979 Iranian revolution. Always an outsider, he sought escapism through drawing Zines before becoming a Pop Artist and illustrator. In 2010 has launched London’s infamous “Debbie” nightclub, which he still runs, and in 2018 designed a perfume range with Bella Freud and Liberty
EXHIBITION PHOTOGRAPHS
ARTIST INTERVIEW
“My career has been quite diverse over the last 20-years so for my first UK exhibition I’ve concentrated on three of my most popular works; ‘Divas’, ‘Zines’ and ‘Dead Gay Porn Stars’.
I’ve been a big fan of female pop stars since I was a small boy, and when I came out aged of sixteen I discovered the concept of the ‘Diva’, a pop and film Goddess worshipped by gay men for her strength and beauty.
Of course ‘Divas’ aren’t just idolised by gay men, from the Virgin Mary in the Catholic church to ancient Goddesses, the symbol of a a strong independent woman is central to many cultures. For this exhibition I’ve drawn a brand new portrait of Ariana Grande, who for many young gay men is as popular as Madonna was for me back in the 1980s.
‘Divas’ remains central to my life as both an artist and DJ, particularly at “Debbie”, my London nightclub devoted to female vocalists (it’s named after Debbie Harry, naturally). And art is very much a part of “Debbie” too – I love seeing people at the club wearing my art on their bodies.
The New York artist Keith Haring was a huge inspiration to me, by putting his collectable art onto t-shirts he became the first gay artist to make his work both accessible and affordable.
As well as Divas I’ve also spent 20-years drawing Zines, which are hand-made graphic comics. At school I was bullied for being an outsider so I quickly found that making Zines gave me an outlet to create a gay world I could only dream of.
I’d always loved superhero comics, especially Marvel and DC, so I created my own fantasy world. Whether I’m drawing Atash (my gay superhero) or creating more autobiographical stories and images for my comic ‘Art Fag’, it’s a way of sharing something both gay and personal with my audience.
And finally I wanted to include a series of drawings I made of gay porn stars from the 1980s. It was a difficult time for gay men working in the adult industry and many died from AIDs or HIV-related illnesses. 30-years on it remains a dangerous profession only nowadays many die from accidental drug overdoses or by taking their own lives.
So I wanted to look back at my youth and celebrate the gay porn stars of my day by revealing the real lives behind the sultry scowls. And by drawing them in soft pastel shades it evokes the spirit of the 1980s ‘Athena-style’ art and reveals a tender side hidden behind their macho exteriors.
The Indecent Displays (Control) Act 1981
Due to the explicit nature of Sina Sparrow’s exhibition, the Weavers Factory is agreed to comply with the ‘Indecent Displays (Control) Act 1981’ by introducing a minimum age limit for visiting Sina Sparrow’s “PoppyCock!’ exhibition. The 1981 Act of Parliament dictates that to comply with the law and ensure an offence is not committed, obscene or indecent matter must not be visible from the outside of a public building and people under 18 years of age must be excluded with a warning notice. We appreciate that our compliance with the law may disappoint some of our gallery customers, but it is important that we get the balance right between protecting our artists whilst giving them freedom of expression in a creative environment. We thank you for respecting our decision.