Rich & Famous

 

Stained Glass Window of Madonna, 1985

1500mm x 750mm

 

I did this is when I was 19, I love Madonna. My father thought I was completely wasting my time and then six months later he did an Andy Warhol pastiche of Dame Edna. I put Madonna up for the Royal Academy Summer Show, It was accepted but not hung. I sent a photo to Roy Lichtenstein to see if he wanted to make stained glass with me. I got a polite letter back saying that he didn't have plans for Stained Glass at that moment but he would keep my details and be in touch if he did.

 

I tried to get myself in a gallery in New York a polite gallery owner told me that maybe I should have a bit of work in SoHo New York & not Soho London as gallery owners were lazy and didn't want to go to go far to look at piece of work. It's tough being 19.

 

A few years later I tried to sell it directly to Madonna. I had a card that Geoff Baker had given me (Paul McCartney's assistant) the card was to Clay Tave Madonna's chief of security. I got as far as her room Clay looked at the card, looked at the photograph and then threw me out. It's tough being 23.

 

I swore I'd never sell her, then I was really broke and a gold dealer offered me £3000 for her, I took the money. Sometimes it's a real pain being an artist.