"This Cod Came to Party" by Kent Stetson

Medium: digital print, paint, vinyl, crystal

Size: 19" x 8"

Artist Statement:

Why blend in when you can stand out? If I'm going to make a fish it's going to be flashy, flamboyant, and fun. Taking my signature "Splash!" digital art print that I notoriously created, cut up, and crafted in to a handbag 20 years ago, here fashioning it in to the skin of our fabulous fish. Scales are crafted from clear vinyl, embellished with shocking pink Swarovski crystal and edge-paint to add elements of texture and sparkle.

Artist Biography:

20 years ago I transitioned from wall-accessories to fashion accessories when I cut up a bunch of artworks and fashioned them in to dress-up handbags. Since then my career has involved making, marketing, and selling my signature clutch styles and a novel range of more traditional styles globally through several hundred retailers and popup events. My pieces are enjoyed by a range of A-list celebrities, tons or reality TV personalities, influencers, and a very loyal cult-collector following. A fixture on the Marblehead Festival of the Arts Artisan Marketplace for nearly 10 years, I have enjoyed my work finding its way under the arms of many of Marblehead's most-fashionable residents and passers-by. This is my first year participating in the Cod Auction. I believe that you can interact with the world around you the same the way you would a piece in a frame or on a pedestal. When looking at something I have created, my hope is that it beckons a smile.

Artist Website: kentstetson.com

Hosting Business: "This Cod Came to Party" is on display at Irresistables, 39 Atlantic Ave., Marblehead, MA