Can you believe it’s been 45 years since John Travolta first cavorted across that light-up dancefloor in Saturday Night Fever?
Photo: Paramount Pictures, The Associated Press
Originally released on December 14th 1977, the film quickly took on cult-classic status, shooting Travolta to superstardom and earning him an Academy Award nomination, while cementing the success of British band, The Bee Gees, and their rightful place in disco history.
Art has long been inspired by popular culture, so it’s no surprise disco sparked (night) fever in the art world.
On the day that we celebrate the anniversary of the film, we’re taking a look at some of the disco-inspired pieces that we have on the walls at Enter Gallery…
Oli Fowler
Oli Fowler is a London-based artist known for joyful typographic works that celebrate popular culture – most often, the music that provides the soundtrack to our lives.
Given how many disco-inspired artworks Oli Fowler has under his belt, we’d be surprised if he doesn’t have a Travolta-esque white suit of his own at home.
Fowler pays homage to disco in multiple pieces, whether he’s saying what the genre means to him in pieces like Disco is the Perfect Love Affair or Disco Club, or immortalising the lyrics of ‘Queen of Disco’, Donna Summer, in I Feel Love or Love to Love You Baby.
Mark Vessey
When you think of disco, one of the first places that springs to mind is New York's legendary Studio 54. With a guestlist of stars like Cher, Andy Warhol and David Bowie, horses being ridden across the dancefloor, free drugs and mass orgies…no nightclub has every achieved such legendary status.
In Studio 54, Brighton-photographer, Mark Vessey, captures the iconic doors of the nightclub, covered by shutters. The giclée print is from a rather appropriate limited edition of 54.
This isn’t Vessey’s only nod to the disco-genre – the Funk n’ Soul edition from his coveted Collections Series features records from some of Disco’s biggest stars including Earth, Wind and Fire, Sister Sledge and Barry White.
Pure Evil
Here, street artist, Pure Evil, depicts Grace Jones, who not only brought us classic disco tracks like Pull Up to the Bumper and Slave to the Rhythm but was also a regular reveller at Studio 54.
While Jones’ music went on to transcend genres, her work with legendary disco record producer, Tom Moulton, put her on the map. As well as producing Jones’ first three albums, Moulton, or ‘the father of the disco mix’ as he was better known, produced Disco Inferno by The Trammps and More, More, More by Andrea True.
Fanakapan
Street artist, Fanakapan, has an enormous following of international fans who just can’t get enough of his life-like recreations of balloons.
His mind-bending works, which appear real until you’re right in front of them, have earned him the moniker, ‘the pioneer of balloon graffiti.
Party Heads was created for ‘Pulling Faces’ his solo show at Enter Gallery in 2022. The piece depicts two smiling mirror balls, basking in the lights of the disco, atop the kind of illuminated dancefloor that remains synonymous with Saturday Night Fever.
Projeto Nightclub – Leda Catunda
While not strictly disco-themed, these unusual works by Brazilian artist, Leda Catunda, were inspired by the movement and energy of a nightclub dancefloor.
Her 2014 Projeto Nightclub collection is a series of eight colourful and alive polymer-gravure block prints. To create the unusual patterns and textures that characterise her works, Catunda paints over soft fabrics.
To discover more artworks inspired by music, explore our Legends and Lyrics collection.
