Alice Cooper Addresses Gene Simmons’ Latest Interest In Painting

Alice Cooper spoke to Artnet News and opened up about his perspective toward Surrealism on stage. Also, Cooper shared his ideas and thoughts about Gene Simmons by drawing attention to his recently surfaced interest in painting and his upcoming exhibition.

As you may know, Cooper gained great fame and commercial success thanks to the Alice Cooper band’s iconic songs and unforgettable stage shows, including performances with pyrotechnics, guillotines, electric chairs, fake blood, and reptiles. Initially, most of the audience found the band’s style very unusual, even frightening, but it was later appreciated.

During his recent interview, Cooper revealed that he studied art and wanted to combine Surrealism and music with his stage performances. Therefore, his live shows became an embodiment of horror films, vaudeville, and garage rock. Even though The Godfather of Shock Rock believes that music and art are inseparable, he stated that musicians and actors have finally started defining themselves as artists.

In addition, Cooper mentioned KISS bassist Gene Simmons’ paintings, which the musician created during the global pandemic and started to be exhibited on October 22, in the Animazing Gallery in The Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian and The Palazzo. Cooper revealed that he’s created eight paintings but doesn’t know who owns them now.

In Cooper’s words, he said:

It feels like every musician or actor is an artist today—I’ve just heard that Gene Simmons makes art. There are eight paintings I’ve done out there. I gave them all away so I couldn’t tell you who owns them now.

When I started the band with my bass guitarist Dennis Dunaway in the 1960s, we both came from studying art and our intention was to do something similar to the Surrealists on stage.”

Alice Cooper has always aimed to make the rock stage a place where art, music, and drama are combined while performing live concerts since he founded the band with bass guitarist Dennis Dunaway. Apparently, he achieved this dream with the help of working hard and being bold enough to use extraordinary techniques.