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Chapman Brothers Draw on Hitler

By ARTINFO

Published: May 30, 2008
LONDON—For their latest exhibition, Young British Artists Jake and Dinos Chapman have made use of 13 watercolors done by Hitler, the Times (London) reports. The duo have painted rainbows, psychedelic skies, and floating hearts and smiley faces onto the backgrounds of Hitler's pictures for their exhibition at White Cube gallery which runs today through July 12, titled "If Hitler Had Been a Hippy How Happy Would We Be."

The gallery purchased the works from collectors around the world for a total of £115,000 ($226,000), remaining anonymous so as not to inflate the value of Hitler's work. The group of Chapman pieces is now available all together for £685,000.

The brothers insist they are not profiting from Hitler's notoriety, rather using the works to explore the psychology of the artist. Tim Marlow, the director of exhibitions at White Cube, commented, "These are very bad paintings — abject paintings — and Jake and Dinos have now annihilated them."

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