Edward Monkton is the alter ego of Oxford University graduate, Giles Andreae. Giles began his artistic career as the creator of the enormously successful cartoon character, Purple Ronnie. Sales of 80 million greetings cards and 5 million books have made him Britain's best-selling living poet and an icon of contemporary popular culture.
His Edward Monkton persona, which evolved five years ago, reveals a deeper, more philosophical approach to life and packs much greater emotional impact.
Monkton's work is as simple as it is profound - as philosophical as it is decorative. He takes on the big subjects that have fascinated artists and writers through the centuries… love, happiness, truth, beauty, the struggle of the soul to create meaning out of life, and gives them his own unique twist. Wry humour, resonant, evocative wording and a bold, graphic visual style are the hallmarks of this wistful, playful artist/poet.
“I like to use strong linework and blocks of colour to create simple, iconic shapes. These, combined with my words, work as a kind of symbology that can render complex ideas in a very direct way. It also allows for a more immediate and instinctive reaction in the viewer.
It's important to me to be able to connect with people through my art. It's all about the recognition of shared experiences and feelings, whether they are joyful, tragic, funny or - as is so often the way with life - a mixture of all three. I believe my work appeals most strongly to people with profound spirits… yet playful hearts.”
Monkton's work has already been widely reproduced on greetings cards and in books on both sides of the Atlantic. The medium of large fine art silkscreens, though, with their refined materials and bespoke finishes, has given him even more creative freedom.
"Like the director's cut of a movie, these editions have enabled me to showcase my most lyrical and emotional work in a way that, so far, I have only been able to imagine."
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