"I Love Charlie"

Homage to Charles Saatchi

words by Darren Coffield

Artist's statement delivered for the unveiling of the portrait of Charles Saatchi at the Guy Hilton Gallery, London.

Contrary to recent newspaper reports it is a matter of fact that Charlie has been a huge dynamo for political, social and cultural change in our society.

Charlie is now widespread throughout our country, a force to be reckoned with.

Many of course, protest that Charlie is a force for bad not good, and undoubtedly there are many examples to support their tenuous case.

The rise of Margaret Thatcher to power on the back of Charlie's work is usually used as a case in point. However just because Margaret Thatcher was partial to a bit of Charlie is no reason to condemn the phenomenon of Charlie out hand in such a dismissive way.

We, the Artists, are more than partial to the hedonism and entertainment that Charlie provides us all. We fully recognise the potent, all pervasive force of Charlie saturating all levels of the media and Art World and we can do nothing more than be subservient to the power of Charlie.

Lets face it, Charlie fuels us all, keeps us going through daily drudgery of life, in plain English Charlie keeps our pecker up!

Without Charlie we would never have had the pickled shark or Tracey's tent. Just think of all the crazy ideas and thoughts fuelled by Charlie.

Charlie invokes a blizzard of publicity wherever he is found and culturally ingested.

Our true and loving acknowledgment of Charlie should not be taken lightly or snorted at.

If collecting is a drug then our Charlie has done us proud.