Wolf Dé Roses' latest piece, "FAME," is a striking and thought-provoking exploration of the darker aspects of human ambition and the cost of fame. The mixed media piece, which incorporates relief sculpture, clay, plaster, and adhesive, is a bold and striking visual representation of the artist's unique style, fusing elements of expressionism, urban influences, and abstract art.

 The focal point of the piece is a gold relief sculpture of a figure that evokes the iconic style of Jean-Michel Basquiat's "SAMO" graffiti, which is surrounded by the bright red of the canvas. The use of the iconic "SAMO" style in "FAME" is a nod to the artist's exploration of the darker aspects of human ambition and the cost of fame. The "SAMO" graffiti, which was created by Jean-Michel Basquiat in the 1970s, was a commentary on the commodification of art and the role of the artist in society.

The crown, which is sculpted into the canvas in a similar style, serves as a visual representation of the empty promises and illusions that fame and success often hold. It is a commentary on the way fame and success can be both alluring and destructive, luring individuals with the promise of glory and success, only to ultimately lead to their downfall. The crown serves as a reminder of the price that must be paid for glory, and the dangers of becoming consumed by the allure of fame. 

The figure is adorned with gold awards, which are stuffed inside the body of the sculpture, adding a sense of grotesque and visceral quality to the piece. The gold paint from the crown and the gold figure drips into the red canvas in a graffiti style, creating a sense of chaos and movement. The use of cracks and textures made from plaster adds to the raw and unpolished feel of the piece.

 The use of the number 13 in the piece, specifically the 13 gold awards in the body of the gold relief sculpture, is a reference to the 13th chapter of the book "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald, where the narrator reflects on the idea that "there are no second acts in American lives." The 13 awards represent the false promises and fleeting nature of fame and success. The three red roses around the outside of the gold figure are a metaphor for the fleeting nature of fame and success, and how it withers and dies just like a rose.

The piece also features an abstract crown sculpted into the canvas, a nod to the artist's exploration of the darker aspects of human ambition and the cost of fame, and the crown is a metaphor for the empty promises and illusions that fame and success often hold. The crown also serves as a visual representation of the idea of "the crown of thorns" a symbol of Christ's suffering and the price that must be paid for glory.

 Wolf Dé Roses' "FAME" is a powerful and thought-provoking piece that delves into the darker aspects of human ambition and the cost of fame. The artist's use of mixed media and relief sculpture, combined with his striking use of color and imagery, creates a visually striking and emotionally charged work that is sure to provoke and engage audiences. As the artist himself states, "Fame is a dangerous game, it can be addictive, it can be destructive, but it can also be the very thing that keeps us going."

There is an old tale, whispered across time, that asks: What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet lose his soul? A question, simple in its form, yet labyrinthine in the depth of its meaning. It is a riddle I have turned over in my heart as one turns soil before planting a seed. My latest work, FAME, is born from this question, a mirror to the gilded and grotesque saga of ambition and the cost it exacts.

This is no mere painting, but a story told through form and texture, each element a chapter in the cautionary tale of a young dreamer who dared to reach for the stars—and found himself scorched by their fire. Gather close, and I shall tell you his story.

Once, in the alleyways of a bustling city, a child was born whose gift burned brighter than the lamps lining the streets. He possessed the soul of a scribe and the vision of a prophet, and his hands moved with a feverish brilliance, sketching crowns and codes that no one fully understood. His works were a language unto themselves—symbols, lines, and words that spoke of royalty reclaimed and a world untamed. The streets were his first canvas, and he scrawled upon their stones not merely images, but declarations: I exist.

As a youth, his genius caught the eye of the world’s great cities. Courtiers of culture and patrons of renown flocked to him, their hands heavy with gold and their tongues dripping with praise. They called him a king, though the crown they offered was forged of illusions. He accepted it, believing it would lift him higher. But it weighed upon his head, digging deep, even as it gleamed in the light. In my work, this crown is sculpted into the canvas, jagged and abstract—a diadem of thorns, its brilliance hiding the pain beneath.

And yet, the crown was not enough. The boy who had once scrawled upon stone found himself in palaces adorned with gilded frames, his name whispered in awe. But the gilding masked a cruel truth: every accolade he won became another hunger he could not satisfy. His works were displayed not as reflections of his soul, but as trophies of those who sought to own him.

I rendered this hunger within my work—the figure’s very form stuffed with golden tokens, a grotesque idol of ambition. The gold drips like blood upon the red canvas, each streak a scar upon the artist’s spirit. He whispered to himself in the quiet of his studio: “Is this the price of greatness? Must I lose myself to find the world?”

In time, he became a symbol, crowned not with laurels but with a mark of his own making—a jagged crown, crude yet defiant. It was his statement to the world: he would be king, but on his terms. And still, he burned. Three roses bloomed in his tale, vibrant and red as his relentless heart. They shone for a time, admired by all who beheld them. But fame is no caretaker, and the roses soon withered under the scorching gaze of the world.

I have placed these roses around the figure, fragile against the chaos of the canvas. They remind us that even the most radiant glory is fleeting, and all beauty must fade. He saw the roses crumble in his hands and murmured, “Where has the time gone? Was it worth the bloom for this decay?”

At last, he stood before the mirror—a mirror fractured and cruel, reflecting not the man he wished to see but the shadow he had become. The boy who had written his existence into the stones now stared at himself with eyes hollowed by ambition. In one hand, he held the crown, dulled by time and betrayal. In the other, he held his heart, bleeding and raw.

In this moment, I rendered the mirror’s jagged truth. Its shards glisten, each a fragment of the self lost to fame’s insatiable appetite. His final words echoed in my mind as I worked: “What was it all for?”

And so, dear viewer, I offer you FAME, not merely as an artwork but as a parable. In the crown, the awards, the roses, and the mirror, you will find echoes of a tale that spans time and place. It is a story that belongs to no one and yet speaks to all who dare to chase the shimmering mirage of renown.

May it serve as both caution and inspiration, a reminder that the brightest lights cast the darkest shadows.

In pursuit of truth and art eternal,
Wolf Dé Roses