Charles Bronson’s ‘Dirty Dozen’ artwork includes nightmarish depictions of prison life and is themed around some of Britain’s most notorious criminals, such as Fred West and Harold Shipman. The collection was sold to an Islander, who wishes to remain anonymous, for £545,000.
The 12 drawings include written references to the most ‘evil people’ Bronson has met behind bars – such as ‘Beast of Jersey’ Edward Paisnel. They are signed by thumb-prints from a nosebleed suffered by the violent criminal in jail.
Bronson, who is currently serving a life sentence in HMP Wakefield, has been in jail for the last 43 years – 37 of which he has spent in solitary confinement.
The former bare-knuckle boxer was originally convicted for planning an armed robbery but repeatedly had his sentence increased for assaulting prison guards and taking them hostage. A film of his life, starring Tom Hardy, was released in 2008.
Epic Pictures, the sellers of the collection, said that Bronson received no profit from the sale of the artwork, which he sent to someone he was in contact with outside prison, who wishes to remain anonymous.
Director George Bamby said that the artwork was unique and generated a lot of interest from overseas collectors.
‘He’s actually a very good artist. Some of the attention to detail is amazing. Every time I look at the paintings I see something different in them.’
Bronson has turned his hand to art in recent years and even changed his surname to Salvador in tribute to Spanish painter Salvador Dali.
The ‘dirty dozen’ referred to in the drawings are moors murderers Ian Brady and Myra Hindley, serial killer Fred West, Milly Dowler’s killer Levi Bellfield and East End gangsters Reggie and Ronnie Kray, killer doctor Harold Shipman, Yorkshire Ripper Peter Sutcliffe, rapist and murderer Malcolm Fairley, murderer Donald ‘Black Panther’ Neilson and serial killer Patrick Mackay and Edward Paisnel.
When asked whether she would be interested in exhibiting Bronson’s work, Sasha Gibb of Jersey’s CCA Galleries said that he was ‘not an artist they work with or represent’.
