The Story
Size:21 x 16 in.
The Classics IV is a 17" x 12" mixed media work that showcases The Connor Brothers’ trademark blend of nostalgia, satire and philosophical reflection. A line of weathered paperback spines sits almost weightlessly against a pristine white background, their creases, stains and faded colour blocks evoking the tactile romance of vintage pulp fiction. Yet the titles, sharply humorous and disarmingly candid, disrupt the illusion of familiarity: “Why Fit In When You Were Born To Stand Out”, “I Drink To Make Other People More Interesting”, “Every Saint Has A Past And Every Sinner Has A Future”. Each invented book becomes a fragment of contemporary consciousness, equal parts confession, rebellion and social commentary.
Scattered coffee rings, pencil notes and faint sketches intrude upon the composition, reinforcing the idea that the artwork is not a polished final statement but a thought in progress. The scribbled phrase on the right, “Call me anything but ordinary / How to make it big in the art world (working now titles)”, exposes the play between authenticity and performance that sits at the heart of the duo’s practice.
The Connor Brothers – the artistic identity of Mike Snelle and James Golding – first emerged through a fabricated biography, a deliberate fiction that questioned the art world’s hunger for narrative truth. Their work continues to blur the line between reality and invention, inviting viewers to rethink what is believed, what is assumed, and what is constructed. Through wit, appropriation and the language of nostalgia, they remind us that stories – even false ones – often reveal more than facts ever can.
Details & Craftsmanship
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Description
Size:21 x 16 in.
The Classics IV is a 17" x 12" mixed media work that showcases The Connor Brothers’ trademark blend of nostalgia, satire and philosophical reflection. A line of weathered paperback spines sits almost weightlessly against a pristine white background, their creases, stains and faded colour blocks evoking the tactile romance of vintage pulp fiction. Yet the titles, sharply humorous and disarmingly candid, disrupt the illusion of familiarity: “Why Fit In When You Were Born To Stand Out”, “I Drink To Make Other People More Interesting”, “Every Saint Has A Past And Every Sinner Has A Future”. Each invented book becomes a fragment of contemporary consciousness, equal parts confession, rebellion and social commentary.
Scattered coffee rings, pencil notes and faint sketches intrude upon the composition, reinforcing the idea that the artwork is not a polished final statement but a thought in progress. The scribbled phrase on the right, “Call me anything but ordinary / How to make it big in the art world (working now titles)”, exposes the play between authenticity and performance that sits at the heart of the duo’s practice.
The Connor Brothers – the artistic identity of Mike Snelle and James Golding – first emerged through a fabricated biography, a deliberate fiction that questioned the art world’s hunger for narrative truth. Their work continues to blur the line between reality and invention, inviting viewers to rethink what is believed, what is assumed, and what is constructed. Through wit, appropriation and the language of nostalgia, they remind us that stories – even false ones – often reveal more than facts ever can.
