The upcoming Pop Culture: Then & Now online auction will feature Artist Rubber Larry's original painting. Bidding starts on December 5th through 15th 2023.
HOLLYWOOD, Calif., Nov. 30, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Animal rights organization PETA to auction off the iconic "The Bullfighter Dies" by provocative artist Rubber Larry at Bonhams auction house. The upcoming Pop Culture: Then & Now online auction will feature Artist Rubber Larry's original painting. Bidding starts on December 5th through 15th 2023.
This original painting entitled 'El Bull-a-dor' was donated to PETA by artist Rubber Larry aka Larry Torro and is estimated at $10,000 – 15,000. Since its release in 2011, the painting depicts a Bullfighter's last moments at the hands of a bull and has become one of the most iconic animal rights artworks ever. The image has been taken down from social media sites several times before it went viral, garnering tens of millions of hits globally. It has since spawned countless tattoos, prints and clothing thanks to PETA and singer/artist Morrissey, who projected it on a jumbo screen as he performed his protest song "The Bullfighter Dies" starting with his 2014 world tour.
To view "The Bullfighter Dies" Video: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/R4OqqNnqv04
To view the auction item and bid: Rubber Larry (b. 1962) The Bullfighter Dies Original Painting
Rubber Larry's love for animals motivated him to create animal revenge art, as a protest of worldwide animal abuse. He originally intended the painting to be a kind of a protest flag to hang in public. One plan was to gatecrash a Bullfighting arena and hang it in plain view, but in hindsight that would not have ended well. He ended up keeping it, photographed it, and shared it with the world. In 2015 Larry amended the title of the painting to 'The Bullfighter Dies' to honor Morrissey. In a written statement, Larry wrote "This would not be the iconic piece that it is, if it weren't for PETA's tenacity and unstoppable passion and compassion. They are relentless and fight like hell for the well being of animals. It was PETA who brought Morrissey and the painting together and it was Morrissey who made it indelible by marrying it with beautiful music".
About Artist and Sculptor Rubber Larry
Art is in his blood. Born into a long line of European artists, California native Rubber Larry aka Larry Torro was a prodigy since he could crawl. With no formal schooling he was sculpting, sketching, and selling stunning portraits at age 9 thanks to his father's coaxing. In his late teens he was producing prototypes for licensed merchandising companies, creating t-shirts, Halloween masks, and corporate logos. He created the successful Miami Mice parody t-shirt.
He landed at Warner Bros. Studios for the next few years lending his talents to such projects as Batman Returns, Full House, The Office, Hawaii 5-0, and Lethal Weapon2. He eventually left and went freelance but is still a hired gun for the studio system and Hollywood talent including Disney, Clint Eastwood, The Lakers, Lucasfilm, and Apple TV. He made headlines when he created a mask of then Senator Barack Obama, who ended up wearing it himself as he made his entrance on the infamous Saturday Night Live Halloween episode. Not one to shy from adventure, the performance artist Larry will occasionally punk crowds at public events with his realistic masks posing as celebrities.
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is the largest animal rights organization in the world, and PETA entities have more than 9 million members and supporters globally. PETA works through public education, investigative newsgathering and reporting, research, animal rescue, legislation, special events, celebrity involvement, and protest campaigns to advocate in behalf of animals who are used and abused in laboratories, the food industry, the clothing trade, and the entertainment business. The organization also works on a variety of other issues, including the cruel killing of rodents, birds, and other animals who are often considered "pests" as well as cruelty to domesticated animals.
"For more than a decade, Rubber Larry's iconic painting has encouraged viewers to see a bullfight from the victim's perspective and consider how it would feel to be lanced, stabbed, and killed in front of a screaming crowd," says PETA Foundation Senior Vice President Steve Kehrli. "PETA and animals are lucky to have Larry's tremendous talent and generous support on our side."
Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world's largest and most renowned auctioneers, offering fine art and collectables, collectors' cars, and a luxury division, which includes jewellery, designer fashion, watches, wine, and whisky. In 2021 and 2022, Bonhams made a number of important acquisitions which form the wider Bonhams network. These include: Bukowskis, Bruun Rasmussen, Bonhams Skinner, Bonhams Cornette de Saint Cyr and The Market by Bonhams.
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With a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 22 countries, Bonhams offers advice and valuation services in 60+ specialist areas.
To view the auction and bid: Bonhams : Pop Culture Then & Now
Media Contact
Mark Politi, Bonahams and PETA, 1 4242487250, [email protected], https://www.bonhams.com
SOURCE Bonahams and PETA
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