Inner Child

Depp was born in Kentucky in 1963, but his family moved dozens of times during his childhood. New towns, new schools, new faces… Drawing became an escape for Depp, a haven and a constant against the ever-changing backdrop of his life. Depp’s pictures reveal another constant: his own features. Depp has often scrutinised himself, and in so doing has created an eloquent body of self-portraits. A number of these recall the raw graffiti energy and calligraphic elegance of Jean-Michel Basquiat, an artist whose works Depp collected. They provide insights into Depp’s own moods and memories. So too do his word paintings: some of these are witty, some angry, some poetic. They are exhortations to the viewer. They have been composed with a combination of spontaneity and care, recalling the works of Depp’s friend Ralph Steadman, who had illustrated many of the works of Hunter S. Thompson, including Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. When Depp starred in Terry Gilliam’s adaptation of it, Steadman created the poster.