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How Britain Went Bonkers

13 of 13 portraits of Cilla Black

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Art Fund Popular Portraits Collection. Photo: © National Portrait Gallery, London

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How Britain Went Bonkers

by Coldwar Steve (Christopher Spencer), published by Time Magazine UK Ltd
colour offset lithograph magazine cover, published 17 June 2019
10 7/8 in. x 7 7/8 in. (276 mm x 201 mm) overall
Purchased, 2019
Reference Collection
NPG D48909

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Satirical artist Cold War Steve has rapidly gained attention in the last year for his online collages which blend UK politics with pop culture to reflect the country’s current political climate. In 2019 he was commissioned to illustrate the cover story for Time magazine's international June edition on Brexit. Working for a largely American audience, he has used images synonymous with the UK's political capital: the Palace of Westminster and a red London bus crashing into the Thames. The bus is populated with internationally recognisable figures, including members of the royal family and leading politicians and actors, as well as lesser-known quintessentially 'British' figures who represent the idea of 'Everyman' – the actor Steve McFadden in his role as Eastenders character Phil Mitchell, and TV-presenter Cilla Black.

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