Daft Punk fans rejoice! On May 18, San Francisco’s Gauntlet Gallery is opening an exciting new art show inspired by the electronic music duo. It may be hard to believe but it’s been over eight years since Daft Punk’s last album, Humans After All. On May 21, Daft Punk, the group known for their incredibly entertaining live performances, will release their fourth studio album, called Random Access Memories, which will consist of 13 new recordings.
To help celebrate their long-awaited return to the spotlight, this new art show will feature over 40 paintings, sculptures, and photos inspired by the group’s colorful yet mysterious persona. For those unfamiliar with Daft Punk, the duo usually wear helmets to hide their appearance. Though their identities are well-known (Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo), their faces are not. In fact, very few official photos of their actual faces exist.
In regards to fame and stardom Bangalter once stated, “We don’t believe in the star system. We want the focus to be on the music. If we have to create an image, it must be an artificial image. That combination hides our physicality and also shows our view of the star system. It is not a compromise.
“We’re trying to separate the private side and the public side. It’s just that we’re a little bit embarrassed by the whole thing. We don’t want to play this star system thing. We don’t want to get recognized in the streets. Yes. Everyone has accepted us using masks in photos so far, which makes us happy. Maybe sometimes people are a little bit disappointed but that’s the only way we want to do it. We think the music is the most personal thing we can give…”
Now, courtesy of the Gauntlet Gallery, here’s your sneak peek of their upcoming art show.
Above: Art by Jason Ratliff
Art by Dave Greco
Photo by Dan Almasy
Art by Jen Rome
Art by Johannah O’Donnell
Art by Scott Listfield
Art by Andre DeFreitas
Art by Sam Ho