With celebrity customers such as DeNiro, Bono, Whoopie Goldberg, Collin Farrell and Sly Stalone in his pocket, it’s no wonder that the humble “down-to-earth” artist Graham Knuttel was commissioned to do a piece to be permanently displayed at the authentic Irish pub and restaurant Raglan Road at Downtown Disney.
Known for his bold, bright canvases of stylized figures, Knuttel’s Raglan Road painting is based on a poem, “On Raglan Road,” written in 1946 by lovesick poet Patrick Kavanagh and recorded in song by Ireland’s greatest folk musician, Luke Kelly. The pub scene in the painting pops with more than two dozen unconventional Knuttel figures that include Kavanagh, Kelly, Irish rockers Bono and The Edge and writers James Joyce and Brendan Behan. Looking closely, admirers may discover a photo of a child wearing mouse ears.
In the top left corner of the painting Knuttel worked in his U2 friends Bono (aka Paul David Hewson), the EDGE and Ali Hewson (Bono’s wife). Knuttel also told a story about the leprechaun in the painting. Apparently he didn’t paint the mischevious creature. The leprechaun merely showed up after the artist had been away for a few days. Can you spot him?
More of Graham Knuttel’s work displayed at the pub…
Barb Nefer got a great interview with the artist…
You can check out Graham Knuttel at Knuttel.com as well as on Facebook.
