Bono’s Paintings ‘Wolfed’ Up at Auction

BONO is really flying the flag for Ireland here in New York these days. This past Monday he attended the U.S. premiere of the new Jim Sheridan movie In America – you’ll read about that elsewhere in this issue – and on Friday night he was the star attraction by far at Christie’s auction house for the sale of the 16 paintings he created with his daughters Jordan and Eve.

The work, as we told you in this space last week, is Bono’s interpretation of the children’s tale Peter and the Wolf, and the paintings accompanied a soundtrack on the same theme made by Bono’s best buddy Gavin Friday. The paintings, in a bound book, and the CD are available for purchase at www.peterwolf.org, and all proceeds go to one of Bono’s favorite charities, the Irish Hospice Foundation.

The 16 originals were for sale on Friday at Christie’s, raising $368,000 in total, and if the Mona Lisa was on offer it wouldn’t have generated as much excitement. There was a cocktail party and viewing of the works before the actual auction got underway, and Christie’s rolled out the red carpet for the A-list arrivals.

Who did we see? Lots of stick-figure model types for sure. Sex and the City star Kim Cattrall was there, looking casually chic in a pair of tight-fitting jeans. Celebrity photog Patrick McMullan was walking around the party doing his thing, safely away from the mosh-pit of paparazzi outside waiting for the arrivals.

Familiar Irish faces were few and far between. Hotelier John Fitzpatrick was there, as were Aine Sheridan from Flannelly Promotions and Maeve O’Malley, who does everything over at Enterprise Ireland.

When Bono and his wife Ali arrived, pandemonium broke loose. Bono, trademark shades in place, stopped to sign autographs and talk to the reporters about his work with the Hospice Foundation. 

“You know, usually when you see me at these kind of events, I’m talking about really serious things like third world debt and the Africa AIDS emergency, but tonight it’s much more fun,” he said.

“I’m here to talk about my dead father. My father – I loved him very much – I am actually here to talk about him. He’s the reason that I did these paintings. He died of cancer a couple years ago. Hospice offered to look after him. They’re angels, really. 

“And I did this for my kids. It was fun to do. I wanted to do something that would make me laugh but also make me cry a little bit.”

Once he made his way into Christie’s, the reception was just as crazed. He’s like a magnet really, but he had a nice word for all who approached before he was whisked away to the auction room upstairs.

There were a good 400 invite-onlys there, some of whom were heavy hitters quite prepared to part with lots of cash to own a Bono original. Before the festivities got underway Irish Hospice Foundation director Marie Donnelly addressed the audience to stress the importance of her group’s work, and how appreciative they are of the collaboration between Bono and Gavin Friday.

Speaking of Mr. Friday, if he ever decides to give up singing he’ll have a nice career as a comedian. He had the crowd in stitches all night, especially during the auction when he urged one woman, with his deep, sexy voice, to increase her bid with the promise that he’d stick his tongue in her ear. “And I have a big tongue!” he revealed.

What else did Mr. Friday have to say for himself? He told a story about himself and his buddy before bidding began. “Once upon a time in an ancient and old land called Hibernia, in a dirty little town called Dublin, there lived a man whose name was Bono. This man was very talented and much loved. So loved, it was rumored by some, ‘Could he be God?’”

Friday continued, “Bono had a friend, a dark and mysterious man named Mr. Friday. So dark and so mysterious was this man, it was rumored, ‘Could he be the devil?’”

“Mr. Friday had a friend, a musical giant, Mr. Seezer – so tall, like a big oak tree, he had much problems with dogs. Together, these three people – Bono, myself, and Maurice – believed that through music and through art, you can make a difference.”

Bono then spoke for a few minutes, and poked fun at himself in the process.

“My name is Bono and I’m a rock star. And where would we be without rock stars and their delusions? Rock stars who think they can sing – it’s okay. Rock stars who think they can dance – I’m not sure. Rock stars who think they can act – oh, dear Lord! 

“Rock stars who think they can drink the Hudson and stay out later than anyone else – possibly. Rock stars who think they can save the world – spare me that one! But right at the top of the list of rock star delusions has got to be the rock star who thinks he can paint. And I came here to say that I am too much of a fan of art and artists to ever claim that these are more than marks on paper,” he said.

He did pay himself one compliment, though. “I came into Christie’s today and I walked in the door and I saw all the paintings, hung up, and I thought, ‘Did I really do that? They’re really great!’”

The audience agreed. Bidding was fast and furious on all the works, which were framed and signed by Bono. Bids went from $5,000 to $13,000 and onwards at a dizzying rate. 

U2 manager Paul McGuinness was there, and he forked out $20,000 for a painting entitled “Study of Wolf II.” New York businessman Howard Koeppell, who with his partner famously offered shelter to former Mayor Rudy Giuliani during his marital spat, paid $32,000 for “Study of Wolf III.”

But the biggest get of the night was $60,000 for what Bono describes as a self-portrait. “Study of Peter I,” a geeky looking teen with a shirt inscribed “Baked Bean Boy.”

“Age thirteen, I had a head like a baked bean, a formless ellipse until a nose appeared. I was frightened,” Bono said. Obviously, the boy has changed an awful lot!

It took less than an hour for the punters to ante up the $368,000 total, and the dedicated folks from the Irish Hospice Foundation couldn’t have been more pleased. Again, for those wanting copies of the book containing Bono’s paintings and the Gavin Friday/

Maurice Seezer CD, go to www.peterwolf.org.