Who is the painter and urban artist Invader?
Invader is a graffiti and urban artist who lives in Paris, France. Most of his artwork are public installation pieces, mosaics that are inspired by early video game sprites from the 1970s and 1980. His work often incorporates a scavenger hunt-style element to it where viewers are able to buy guidebooks and maps by Invader to find his pieces out in the world. He pioneered the use of modern-day technology like QR codes so that is pieces take on another element of interactivity.
Why is the artist Invader famous?
His “invasions” (a term Invader uses for his installation of mosaics) have occurred in cities around the world, often in places that are considered already culturally significant. Perhaps his most famous invasion was on the letter D of the Hollywood Sign in LA. Invader has also dabbled in film, creating the piece Art4Space which was a documentary depicting his attempts to launch his art into space using a weather balloon. Many of Invader’s installations have become a prized possession of collectors and as his stock in the art world has risen, so have his prices commanded at auction. While his identity is still unknown, his art has never been more popular. This bodes well for anyone lucky enough to own a piece by Invader.
What kind of art does Invader make?
Invader makes sculptures, short films, and installation art. They often co-opt popular cultural iconography, from 1980s videogames to Star Wars characters to the Pink Panther. These images often interact with their environment (a dollar sign may appear next to a real-world bank, etc). These pieces often depict a sense of humor and subversion, a common aesthetic among many urban artists working today.
Perhaps the most impressive element of Invader’s art is its sheer scale. Invader often takes weeks to pepper a city with multiple installations, using invasion maps to let viewers know where they can hunt for glimpses of the work. His pieces are often hard to reach to try and discourage removal by building owners and the public. He’s mounted solo exhibitions across the world.
How did the artist Invader get started?
Obviously inspired by pop culture from their youth, Invader supposedly grew up in Paris. He is allegedly the cousin of fellow artist, Thierry Guetta (also known as Mr. Brainwash) and shares many aesthetic similarities with other urban artists of his generation. He has appeared in the Banksy-produced documentary Exit Through the Giftshop and has been written about by fellow luminary, Shepard Fairey. He is alleged to have graduated from Ecole Des Beaux-Arts, a prestigious french art school sometime in the 1990s.
How much are Invader’s paintings worth?
For an anonymous artist, Invader has a relatively large auction history (over 200 as of 2020). His pieces have sold for over a million dollars but typically go in the six-figure range. His highest selling painting was for TK_119 (2014) which sold for $1,220,000 in 2019. This was nearly ten times the high estimate. The painting depicts the popular Japanese anime character, Astro Boy.