Discover 'JJ's Hidden Gems' Inside 'A World Of Pure Imagination' - The New Collection!

Discover 'JJ's Hidden Gems' Inside 'A World Of Pure Imagination' - The New Collection!

One thing we absolutely love about JJ Adams artworks are all the little details and hidden messages in each and every piece, you only really see when you get up close! So we thought why not 'get out the magnifying glass' and delve further into the incredible new collection 'A World Of Pure Imagination' to reveal all of 'JJ's Hidden Gems'. 
'Harrods' 
First is the amazing 'Harrods' , which is a sensational mix of the old and the new. The transition from a very 'Victorian' style into modern day is an obvious reference to the history of the long standing department store - which was established in 1834.
Harrods was the first department store to acquire a 'Moving Staircase' or an escalator as we now know them today and JJ also makes light of this in a poster in the window.
There's a number of humorous references to the more 'extravagant' items that Harrods have on display- but the most extravagant in all of it's history would have to be the sales of exotic animals to the rich and wealthy from their pet store, until it closed in 2014. And we don't mean exotic animals like lizards and parrots... we mean lions, elephants and panthers!
As this work is another addition to JJ's incredible 'Rule Britannia' series, you would of course expect to see the Queen peeking in at the store front, Churchill in his taxi giving us his 'V for Victory' sign - which is from a previous piece 'Jolly Holiday' , and, if you look closely enough, the ghost of Diana appearing in the top right window. There is also a note on the shop front over to the left which states 'Ol Jack Twas Ere' - a mention to Jack The Ripper.
There's also reference to some of JJ's other works including an 'Oxo Cube' poster stuck on the side of the taxi, which also appears on R2D2 in a previous work -and of course if you are a BIG JJ Adams fan you'll have spotted a much earlier piece 'Dave' the in the bottom right shop window! 
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'Kylie Minogue'
Next, we delve deeper into JJ's tribute to one of today's biggest Pop Icon's - 'Kylie Minogue'!
The lady herself turned 50 this year and this classic tattooed portrait really encompasses all of her success over the years, and the many things that have come to make her the world famous pop we now today - so let's inspect the hidden details a little further!
Kylie's tattoos might look at first glance like decoration - but we know that in true JJ form they are all related in some way. The first is a red devil tattooed across her left shoulder - a reference to her hit 'Better The Devil You Know' released in 1990. The rose tattoo's on her right shoulder relate to her hit with Nick Cave 'Where The Wild Roses Grow' released in 1996. She is also sporting a microphone on her forearm - for obvious reasons! One of Kylie's top selling hits is the catchy 'I Should Be So Lucky' and this is illustrated in a 'Lucky' tattoo on her wrist and if you look closely enough you will also see her date of birth appear just below her hand 28.05.1968.
There are also some very cleverly located references to Kylie which may not be so obvious at first. You'll probably be so busy gazing at this beautiful portrait that you might not see what appears in the background behind her? 'Ramsay Street' sign posted - the famous street from Neighbours. Of course you had to give a nod to the place where her career all began as Charlene Robinson! 'For All My Lovers ' appears tattooed on her finger - and 'Lovers' is the term Kylie has sweetly nicknamed her fandom! Below this tattoo is a huge disco ball-esque style ring... and we all know Kylie loves a disco!
The G-A-Y tattoo on her hand also makes light of all the incredible work that Kylie has done for Pride charities over the years and her massive following from the LBGT community. Some would even call Kylie a 'Gay Icon' and this year she performed at the G-A-Y nightclub in London for their 25th Anniversary. She also performed there way back in 1993 when the club first opened!
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'Every Little Helper'
We dive into JJ's wonderfully wacky 'Every Little Helper' to reveal all the hidden details of this incredible work.
As the name suggests, this is an obvious play on a very well known supermarkets famous slogan - but with a 'Willy Wonka' style twist! As we know, Wonka's endearing little helpers are affectionately named 'Oompa Loompa's' and you will spot one peeking out behind the main man himself!
There are also a number of references to the films nutty story line, with probably the most recognisable being the copious amounts of sugar and chocolate that are being sent through the Self-Scanner, and if you look closely you'll also spot a 'Wonka Bar' hiding in his shopping basket too. As always, JJ injects a truck load of humour into this work with mentions to the classic movie, including a 'Golden Ticket' being rejected as payment by the machine and a poster on the left alerting staff that Wonka is only allowed to buy a limited number of the sweet stuff (He's obviously cleared their stock out more than once, huh?!)

The box of 'Blueberry Wheats' will serve as a reminder to scene from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, where Violet Beauregarde turns into a blueberry, the colour tv notice which should call to mind the scene when Mike TeaVee gets zapped into a television, and there is even an 'Everlasting Gobstopper' appearing down in the right hand corner!

Some will spot that Wonka is wearing a 'Tufty Club' badge too - which is actually JJ's badge from when he was a child himself, and features of a previous work 'Please Stand By'. The Dairy Milk poking out from Wonka's pocket might also be shedding a light on the confectionery giant Cadbury's - who are basically the real life equivalent to Wonka's Chocolate Factory! Actually, Roald Dahl was greatly inspired by Cadbury's when he wrote the book, which led to this film and it's storyline.

We absolutely love that JJ kept it classic and paid homage to the incredible Gene Wilder - everyone will remember their childhood watching him play the cooky Willy Wonka, and now that memory can live on by securing your very own 'Every Little Helper' today!

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'School Walker'

We took a more detailed look at probably one of the most intricate works of the new collection - 'School Walker'! So sit back and enjoy all the hidden messages and details in this one, because this is jam-packed with them.

Star Wars fans will rejoice everywhere to see this work as part of JJ's latest series... as it has been quite some time since he worked on a piece which is inspired by the cult - and boy is this a good one to come back with! The image illustrates a little boy strolling through an estate, deep in thought - but as you begin to inspect closer it all starts to become more obvious. Recognise the boy? Well he also appears in 'Britannia Row' and also you will find him sitting on the top deck of the bus in 'Route Master'. You may also notice Yoda chilling on his backpack and... is that a ball he's kicking along the road? No, it's BB8!

The boy is dreaming up the most iconic scene in all of Star Wars history - when Luke meets his dad for the first time. And almost like he knows exactly what's on this little boy's mind .. you will spot Darth Vadars Tie Fighter creeping up from behind the wall.

Of course this can't be a JJ Adams Star Wars piece without a few Storm Troopers, can it? And you will see them appearing in both the corners of the image. As we move along the image you will spot a light saber on the pathway - and signs like 'No MIND Games allowed in this area' . There is also a graffiti stencil of Leia posting a letter into an R2D2 post box, plastered to the wall - relating back to a print that JJ gave-away to all of his buyers at the Manchester Buy Art Fair in 2014.

In the center of the image you will see the door to the 'Estate Office', but all is not as it seems.... Someone has cheekily scored out the sign saying 'Polling Station' and altered it to 'That's no moon...It's a Station' A big clue as to what is really lurking behind. The hall way leading from the door looks familiar too, and all this seems to be leading us into the Empire’s ultimate weapon: a moon-sized space station with the ability to destroy an entire planet - the Death Star!

As we move over to the right of the image we see Emperor Palpatine, probably scheming away in the corner. Many may wonder why Palpatine is wearing a 'Mercedes-Benz' chain around his neck, which might relate back to May 2017 when Mercedes Japan released two limited Edition Star Wars themed CLA cars! There is also a stamp of Mickey Mouse on the wall which symbolizes Disney - who bought over the Star Wars franchise back in 2012 for a whopping $4 billion!

There is also some nosey parkers peeking out of their windows getting a glimpse of the scene unfolding. We couldn't resist asking JJ who these ladies were behind the blinds, to which JJ replied 'The old lady is “Iris” who maintains my website ( from a remote station in the outer rim) and the other is a secret '

There is soooo much in this image it's just impossible to cover everything - but we have tried our best to get through all the very best bits we can find in this incredible work!

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'Wonder Woman'

Let's look at all of 'JJ's Hidden Gems' in the brand new 'Wonder Woman' print, available in both black and white and colour versions, and all the details in this image definitely pack a right good punch!

First thing to jump out at us right away is the tattoo on her right arm - a portrait of a man. The closer you look the more you will see - the blue and red outfit he's wearing and the slicked back hair.... It's Superman of course. This correlates perfectly with the brand new lenticular 'Is It a Bird, Is It a Plane..' where you will see Chris Reeves as Superman sporting a full length tattoo of Wonder Woman on his forearm also. The two characters have typically been depicted as love interests throughout their history, as they share similar superhuman traits which both elevate and isolate them from normal humans. This is not the first time JJ has suggested a romantic link between two characters in his artwork - in 'The Morning After' you will find He-Man adorning some familiar bunny ears and on his chest you can read 'Call Me, Jessica' below a kiss mark. Who's Jessica?! Well.. if you take a closer look at Dirty Disney II you will see Jessica Rabbit wearing those very same bunny ears! This very much suggests a romantic link - or at the very least a wild night out between the two!

There are the more obvious tattoo's like a huge KAP-OW! sign on her hand and 'BACK OFF' spelled out on her knuckles which are clear references to her superhero characteristics. You will also spy the beginning of a 'PowerPuff Girls' inking on her arm. Again, these are another trio of bad-ass cartoon girls who fight crime and were role models for lots of kids out there. In the cartoon 'SuperFriends' the Powerpuff Girls' actually save Wonder Woman and Aqua Man from a very sticky situation - so their paths have crossed before too!

The famous 'Spider Web' tattoo that you will spot here and also in so many of JJ's works - including 'The Morning After', his very first Audrey Hepburn creation and 'Spiderpool' to name but a few. The Tattoo always appears on the elbow because it is in fact one of JJ's very own tattoo's around his own elbow!

She is also sporting a tattoo under her cuff which you can just make out to be the word 'Perfect' - this could be because Lynda Carter really has been praised as the perfect Wonder Woman - so much so that she's even received her own Star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame.

The last thing we want to discuss is Wonder Woman's cuffs and headband - which JJ has given a little upgrade to designer, and Louis Vuitton to be exact. Luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton and Givenchy, along with mass-market retailers have all created products inspired by the 75-year-old character. Wonder Woman is a pioneer in many ways including being a fashion icon because of her strong associations with female empowerment and resilience!

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Dirty Disney IV

Finally, We are delving into JJ's naughty but nice new addition to the 'Dirty Disney' series 'Dirty Disney IV'! 

This edition features the famous Jasmine from Aladdin, Belle from Beauty and the Beast and Aurora the Sleeping Beauty - but not at all as you know them! No, these Disney Princesses have had a bit of a makeover, JJ style... Say goodbye to the damsels in distress and hello to these cheeky female rebels!

We'll start with Belle - of course she has a tattoo the 'Beast' on her shoulder and 'Chip' written on her collar bone - Mrs Potts teacup cute little son in the original film. 

Beside her you have Jasmine the Arabian Princess, who is also rocking some funky piercings and tattoos. On her arm you can read the quote 'Today's Special Moments Are Tomorrow's Memories' - a quote from the film made by the Genie - It simply means to enjoy where you are and to live in the moment as it won’t last forever! She also has a tattoo on her ribs stating 'Aladdin Sane' - this wording relates to the obvious, Jasmines love interest in the films... but it also makes reference to the late great rock legend David Bowie's 6th album title, which was released in 1973. The name of the album was actually a pun on "A Lad Insane". Behind Jasmine you will also spot a tiger lurking behind, who is Rajah - a character also from the film.

Lastly to the left of the image we have Princess Aurora- and you will spot some 'ZzZzZ' tattooed on her arm - an obvious reference to that snoozy nature that she is well known for! Then there is a tattoo of the Brown Owl that appears in the film - but he does have the word 'Hooters' embellished on his chest. The Owl also appears on a very risque chain of American restaurants with the same name - famous for their 'Hooters Girls'. The wording on her collar bone reads 'Sleep When I Am Dead'- referencing the well known song by legendary Rock Band Bon Jovi. Again, on Aurora's elbow you will see JJ's very own spider web tattoo which has cropped up in many of his works over the years. 

This is an absolutely amazing addition to the collection as these beauties join the likes of Cinderella, Ariel, Snow White, Tinkerbell and many many more to join the dark side!

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To purchase any of the works please go to JJ's full collection section on our website by clicking here

 

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