June 20th, 2006
Irish Independent
Putting down roots in south Tipperary
Mercedes the daughter of art provocateur Gottfried Helnwein
The apple certainly didn't fall far from the tree for Austrian/Irish artist Mercedes Helnwein. The daughter of art provocateur and performance artist Gottfried Helnwein, whose controversial collaborations included works with Marilyn Manson and Sean Penn, Mercedes soon discovered creativity was flowing freely through her veins too.
Drawing by Mercedes Helnwein
After initial attempts to disconnect herself from the canvas in favour of a literary future writing fiction, she re-examined the power of the pen in terms of fine art.
Borrowing from a list of influences as varied as southern blues, turn-of-the-century Russian literature, and Sixties comic book artists, Helnwein's work has a distinctive connection with Americana and it has been garnering high praise indeed from even the most inured critics. — Intricate and emotional, her detailed sketches have been quickly snapped up by the elite Los Angeles art collectors.