Quirky Belladrum poster features lovebirds
From blue elephants and tigers wearing sunglasses to psychedelic Highland cows, the quirky Belladrum Festival posters have become an integral feature of the event.
This year is no different with two lovebirds struck by Cupid’s arrows sitting on a piano to depict this year’s theme - Love.
Apart from the first year, the Belladrum posters have been created by Highland-based Michael Forbes whose work has attracted celebrity supporters such as singer Madonna, comedian Ricky Gervais and Monty Python's Terry Gilliam whose daughter, Holly, curated and organised a private exhibition of his work at The Club at the Ivy in London.
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Born in Dingwall, self-taught pop surrealist artist now lives in Maryburgh and had known Joe Gibbs and his wife, Leonie, an artist, for years before the Belladrum Festival started.
Michael was approached following the inaugural event about doing the artwork the following year - and has been doing it ever since.
“I am not a graphic designer,” he said. “I am a fine art painter and exhibit in galleries.”
His style also lends itself to festival imagery.
“My style is quite zany.” he explained. “I am influenced by Monty Python - it has a very Monty Python-esque vibe.”
He said that sometimes when he works with clients he has to encourage them to be braver and perhaps try out more far-out ideas and expand their expectation.
“Joe was always very positive - he would go even crazier, “ he said..
He is particularly pleased with this year’s poster as it is painted artwork while in the past it has featured photomontages.
He has also created a painting of Sophie Ellis-Bextor who is appearing on the Hot House Stage tonight.
As well as producing the artwork for Belladrum, Michael is a long-standing fan of the festival.
“I have never missed one,” he said. “I have been them to them all.
“I went when the kids were small and took them as toddlers and as they grew up as teenagers they lived for Belladrum. They have gone pretty much every year.
That’s what I like about Belladrum. It’s very much a family festival.
“I have always been pleased to be a part of Belladrum. It is a great thing for the area.
“It is always a surprise when someone says I have never been. They have no idea what they are missing out on.”
He recalled seeing singer songwriter Ed Sheeran playing one year in one of the smaller tents.
“He was an up-and-coming musician at the time,” he said. “Obviously he is stratospheric now.”
Early this month, Michael hit the headlines when he painted over some of his artwork in protest against what he says are negative impacts of Artificial intelligence (AI) on art.
He said AI was saturating the internet with images, and also harvesting artists' work to create new pictures without any acknowledgement of the source material.
He also reached a global audience in 2017 when his painting of the then US President-elect Donald Trump as King Kong was shared online after being posted by singer Madonna who opposed Trump's election campaign,
Madonna was depicted as the Statue of Liberty in the artwork which also featured American comic book hero Superman,
But although his work may have a worldwide reach and been exhibited in international galleries including New York, he is is very much rooted in the Highlands.
“I am a Highlander. I live and breathe the Highlands,” he said.
“I have never been tempted to move away.
“I am very aware of the possibility of being more successful if I lived nearer galleries and cities.
“But how do you measure success?
“Success for me is being allowed to paint and live in the Highlands.”
