Adam West is an actor probably most famous for playing Batman, and voicing himself on Family Guy. But in his spare time, West likes to paint, and his newest subjects are the villains from his days on Batman.
West will be debuting a new art exhibit at the Gilman Contemporary in Ketchum, Idaho (where the actor lives). The theme of the exhibit is “Criminals on Canvas”, an “homage to the show and all the wonderful stars and characters we had,” West explained to the Idaho Mountain News. Judging by some of the paintings (which are viewable on the Gilman Contemporary Facebook page), West seems to have a very distinct memory of his time as Batman.
“Batman was a colorful and wild ride. My paintings capture the humor, zaniness and depth of the Batman villains as well as the Freudian motivations of Batman as an all-too-human, venerable and funny vigilante superhero.
Colorful and zany might be an understatement here. Drawn in a style that could only be described as “avant-garde”, West re-imagines the Batman villains in an abstract style that seems almost melancholy.
Some of the characters West has painted for the exhibit include The Riddler, Mad Hatter, the Penguin, and a $7,000 portrait of the Joker titled, “Joker in Evening Make-Up”.
While hardcore Batman fans might love to own a Riddler painting drawn by Adam West himself, many of these paintings don’t come cheap — West is selling framed prints for nearly a thousand dollars, and the original pieces for multiple thousands.
Still, if you’re in the Idaho area from December 21st-22nd, consider stopping by the Gilman Contemporary to peer into Adam West’s artistic vision.
