It’s all about dots! We all know The Dotmaster, an extremely talented artist, and we all love his impeccable art with a strong element of satire aimed at the absurdity of everyday life. Absolutely brilliant! But today, we break down 10 (un)known facts about this fine English gentleman and above all truly extraordinary artist.
When we look at his life and art, one can only conclude the man sure hasn’t led a boring life. Despite being in the art world for decades now, there are some things that you might not know about The Dotmaster and his brilliant art. So, let’s get this party started – Here are 10 facts you probably didn’t know about The Dotmaster (but were afraid to ask).
1. The Dotmaster is a British street artist known for his stencil-based art and the use of halftone in his pieces.
2. The Dotmaster’s real name is Leon Seesix, and he was born in London in 1967 – The name comes from a project by c6.org, an anonymous art group that he started in 1997. The Dotmasters project was a series of well-known artworks made into halftone stencils sprayed on the front of famous galleries around the world.
One of his amazing projects worth mentioning was ‘Man in a Box’. This was a performance piece in a 7-foot by 7-foot by 7-foot box, where young Leon spent 7 days in a lit box with no food and 15 liters of water. Absolutely bonkers.
3. He started his career as a graffiti artist in the early 1990s and gained recognition for his signature style of using dots and stencils to create his pieces.
4. The Dotmaster’s work often explores themes of consumerism, advertising, and popular culture, and he uses his art to make social commentary on these topics.
5. A driving force behind the Nuart festival in Norway, The Dotmaster has collaborated with grassroots activists, luxury brands, the Glastonbury festival, weirdos, developers, and dropouts.
6. His pieces have been displayed in galleries and exhibitions worldwide.
7. The Dotmaster was invited to participate in Banksy’s Waterloo ‘Cans Festival’ and feature in the Oscar-nominated ‘Exit Through the Gift Shop’ documentary.
8. His most famous piece is probably Indigo from the “Rude Kids,” series which features a group of children making rude gestures or defacing The Dotmasters’ halftone works and has been reproduced on t-shirts and other merchandise.
9. The Dotmasters used to VJ for musicians and has worked with Phil Harnoll, (orbital) The Buzzcocks, Steve Ignorant, Irvine Welsh, Andy Weatherall, Positive sound systems, Fat Boy Slim, and Chuck Palahniuk to name a few.
10. The Dotmaster is the art director of Glastonbury’s Unfairground, which he has been part of since its creation. This year is the 11th year that this crazy late-night field in the naughty corner of Glastonbury opens its doors.
Over the years The Unfairground has hosted some of the biggest names in the graffiti world, Ben Eine, Herakut, Inkie, Chu, D-Face, Fanakapan, and of course The Dotmasters.
11. Obviously, we had to throw in a bonus fact – The Dotmaster has the cutest dog ever, called Captain Sparkle Pantz, who carefully monitors all his work.
Images: The Dotmaster
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