And, as part of what he describes as his ongoing Capital of Culture series, Corina has created another mock classic based on the Mona Lisa theme for all four Beatles. It shows the Fab Four reunited for one last gig at the legendary Cavern Club. It also marks the club’s 50th anniversary.
Corina hopes that it will enthral the hundreds of thousands of Beatles fans from all over the world who make annual pilgrimages to Liverpool and the Cavern to pay homage to their heroes.
While he agrees that the first Lennon picture was rather amusing, this one of the four Beatles, depicted in a scene from the 1960s Cavern stage, is much more spiritual.
“It is darker than Mona Lennon in many ways, as I think it reflects the atmosphere of the Cavern which I believe has almost a religious significance – like a temple – for the fans who come to see it, particularly during the Beatles Convention every year.”
The works will be available as limited edition prints on sale at around £200 to £250 each – see the website: alexcorina.com
Corina – now 57 – studied art at Bradford College and then with a pressing need to “get a proper job” went to work for the Home Office. He landed up in Liverpool in the early 1990s as head of the Government’s drugs prevention team whose aim was to stem the rising tide of heroin abuse.
“But I had always harboured a yearning to be a full-time artist. So, after suffering heart failure ten years ago I reviewed my life, left the Home Office and took up an arts course at Wirral Metropolitan College,” commented Alex, who says he owes it a huge debt of gratitude.
His works have certainly hit the headlines. Apart from the Mona Lisa, he has created other limited editions such as The Three Graces. It is a rather saucy re-interpretation of the Pier Head’s architectural glory in the form of three scantily clad females in the classical reclining pose in front of the Albert Dock.
It has a humorous slant, says Alex, showing the three women looking very incongruous on the waterfront setting. The scene was lifted, he reveals, from a painting in the Walker art gallery.
A RETROSPECTIVE of Alex Corina’s work can be seen at the new Lark Lane Artelier gallery until June 2
