Photos and words by Ken Valenti
WESTPORT–Was that an artist’s reception at Clarendon Fine Art in Westport last night, where pop-art icon Mr. Brainwash introduced his Van Gogh-inspired collection, or was it a celebration of something larger?
The champagne, wine and charcuterie said reception, but then there was Thierry Guetta — Mr. Brainwash – with his fedora and salt-and-pepper facial hair exuding energy, chatting with everyone who asked him to sign books and the backs of paintings and eagerly taking group selfies with fans.
“Whenever Mr. Brainwash is in town, it is an absolute explosion of love, energy and excitement,” said Eve Gianni, manager of the gallery at 22 Main St. “Everybody wants to be ‘Brainwashed’ with positivity.”
DJ Marv (Marvin Parsons) spun tunes for the event.
Guetta flew in for the two-hour reception, but the exhibition will remain on display at the gallery through May 3. He said he wished he could stay a while.
“When you see so many people and so much love and happiness, I want to come back and see more,” he said. “There is something incredible here. You can find in this town a little magic. A little surprise everywhere.”
Fans admired the upbeat, sometimes chaotic look of the works that blended Van Gogh’s paintings and the works of others with bright paint, cultural references and phrases such as “Follow your dreams” and “Life is beautiful.”
“The energy is so positive, which is what I think the world needs,” said Katy Blake, an East Norwalk resident.
Guetta’s works toss together disparate images. A painting shows Café Terrace at night, as Van Gogh did, but with a red car at the curb, next to parking signs. In others, Van Gogh himself drives a racecar on a starry night. And Albert Einstein, sometimes standing next to Charlie Chaplin, holds a sign that reads, “Love is the answer.”
Other images featured include the boy and girl from Americana master Norman Rockwell’s “Puppy Love,” pop artist Keith Haring-style figures, Snoopy from the Peanuts cartoons and the street artist Banksy’s girl with a heart-shaped balloon. There’s also a chimp with a shirt that reads, “Let’s be un-real.”
Westport resident Mary Jo Kinser, a retired TV producer, who became a fan of Mr. Brainwash through her 19-year-old granddaughter, admired the way Guetta’s works were transforming Van Gogh’s art by “adding the modern influences in the vein of what I think Van Gogh would like.”
In many, paint in bright colors spattered beyond the canvases, onto the ornate frames.
“I love how the frame is incorporated into the artwork,” said Michael Abreu, a Westport resident, who was planning on buying one of the pieces.
Other works included paint-spattered model cars, sculptures of the positive phrases, even a fire extinguisher covered in words and images. Fans at the reception had similar feelings about it all.
“It’s happy. It’s cheerful, it’s joyful,” said Dr. Deborah Bayazit, a veterinarian. Looking around, she added, “This is joy.”
Mr. Brainwash
Clarendon Fine Art Westport
22 Main Street, Westport, CT
Daily 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
Through May 3, 2026
Ken Valenti
A career journalist and lifelong resident of the New York City region, Ken Valenti has enjoyed decades of reporting local, regional and national news in New York and Connecticut. Topics of special interest are development, the environment, Long Island Sound and transportation. When not reporting, he’s always on the lookout for the perfect coffee shop or used book sale.
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