Dazzling color limited edition 42 x 71 screenprint diptych by Peyton Scott Russell, entitled 'His Royal Badness,' numbered 7/7, signed in the lower border in pencil by the artist, "Peyton," and marked with a copyright date of 1993. The colorful work depicts Prince with an afro based on Robert Whitman's iconic 1977 portraits, and he is shown in four different colors—yellow, blue, orange, and purple—in the same vein as Andy Warhol's celebrity prints; the image is overlaid with hearts and the symbols of peace and Prince are seen in the upper left. Each individual sheet of the two-piece diptych measures 42 x 35.5. In fine condition.
Peyton was one of the featured artists during the last few years of Glam Slam Night club where he created several works of art for display. This screen print edition of Prince was made just for showing at Glam Slam, however Prince did not approve it and he ordered it to be removed just after it was hung for Peyton’s first exhibition at the club 1993. The assistant manager immediately purchased that print. The print in this auction is the last numbered print of the series and did not hang in the club. The rest of the editions have not been shown anywhere since the closing of Glam Slam.
To see print and size reference go to: https://blog.thecurrent.org/2017/04/glam-slam-art-in-storage-for-two-decades-returns-to-view-in-minneapolis/
Minneapolis-based graffiti artist Peyton Scott Russell first met Prince during the 1990s, and was given the opportunity to exhibit his work at Prince's Glam Slam nightclub beginning in 1993. In 1996, Peyton was commissioned to help redecorate Paisley Park for Prince's 1996 wedding to Mayte Garcia. Peyton's impressive large-format prints were designed specifically to stand out on the walls of the Glam Slam club, and offer a fusion of Warhol-esque technique with a distinctly 90s aesthetic.
For more info on Peyton’s Experience with Prince, Paisley Park, and Glam Slam go to: http://mspmag.com/arts-and-culture/the-man-who-made-it-gold/
In an interview with Minnesota Public Radio's The Current, Peyton describes his experience in attempting to exhibit one of these 'His Royal Badness' prints at Glam Slam: "I hung the entire show, and Prince walked in. When I was done I was walking around, admiring and making sure the frames were straight, and he walks in. It was the first time I had seen him since I was into him now, and I was like: 'Oh my God, there he is! He's looking at my stuff.' And he walks around for a good 15 minutes. He stopped at each piece, and he stopped at his piece…[Prince] looked at it for quite awhile, and then he walked out. About five minutes later, the assistant manager walked out and she said: 'This piece has to come down.' I was like, 'What? That's the piece!' 'It's the Afro piece, he's not into that at the moment. It hasn't been approved, so you have to remove that.' I was heartbroken, obviously. Out of all the pieces, he Xes that one. The assistant manager, she said: 'I want it. How much would you sell it to me for?' It was a bittersweet thing: I sold a piece, but I couldn't exhibit it. Up until last year, I hadn't shown it since."
