The Art Newspaper

The Elton and Gary shower saga

By The Art Newspaper. From In The Frame
Published online: 01 March 2010

UK singer Elton John's plans for an in situ piece designed by Brit artist Gary Hume for a shower room at home did not, at first, proceed smoothly. The rock star commissioned the artist to design a work specially for his wet room, but Hume told UK newspaper The Independent: "I said to him, 'of course, what a nice idea,' but inside I was thinking: 'Are you f****** mad? Of course I don't want to make anything for your shower. How insulting!' After that, every time I saw him he would say, 'how's the shower piece going?' and I'd say, 'fine.' Then, after about two years, he said: 'Look, Gary, what's happening?' So I said that I didn't want to do it after all. So he said: 'Well, why don't you get a can of spray paint, write, 'Elton's a c***' in my shower, and I'll buy it.'" Hume made a William Blake-esque work for Elton in the end—but still wrote the aforementioned swear word on the back.