Killing off Greta Thunberg and Dolly Parton? The artist creating fake obituaries of cultural stars
The blown-up newspaper pages displayed through the windows of an otherwise sparse, all-white gallery space in London’s busy Mayfair district stop you in your tracks.
“Greta Thunberg, who has died aged 19, enjoyed a meteoric career as a climate activist,” begins one, the text surrounding a photograph of the young campaigner speaking into a mic; on the wall facing her is Formula 1 star Lewis Hamilton, one hand on heart, the other held aloft in a triumphant fist. “Sir Lewis Hamilton, who has died aged 38, was the greatest British racing driver…”
Dolly Parton, Grace Jones, Sadhguru, Marc Almond and David Hammons are also immortalised. The text is there in black and white, past tense, matter-of-fact, next to images of their instantly recognisable faces.
Pic: Lucy Dawkins courtesy Gagosian
Like the horrible moment you see your favourite celebrity trending on Twitter for no apparent reason, the incredibly real-seeming works evoke a panicked double-take. But don’t worry – these obituaries are in fact hypothetical, the latest works by artist Adam McEwen, featured in his first solo exhibition in London.
The great equaliser, death is one of art’s most prolific subjects – “the biggest subject”, McEwen says – but forecasting the inevitable so intricately and so specifically for very real, very much alive human beings, makes these faux newspaper articles rather uncanny.
While some might consider the works morbid or even distasteful, McEwen sees them as celebratory, though not uncritical. Similar to the introduction these subjects might get should they appear on Desert Island Discs or This Is Your Life, they are warts-and-all markers of a life well lived; a lifetime of experiences and personal qualities distilled into roughly 1,400 words.
The works are homages to “people I love”, McEwen tells Sky News. What links Parton, Thunberg, Lewis and the other figures featured is a thread of “tension”, he says, or triumph over adversity; they have played by their own rules and won.
“These people are demonstrations that despite it appearing life is very difficult – if not impossible – to negotiate, you in fact have more choices and freedom than you realise.” McEwen points to Parton, a performer who has written thousands of songs and who has revelled, according to his artwork, in “subverting expectations about large-breasted, big-haired women” from the American South.
“You look at the story of Dolly Parton and she demonstrates it. And Lewis Hamilton, let’s say; [it was] almost impossible to be a young black man who wants to be a Formula One driver, if not impossible. But he shows it is possible.”
Thunberg’s rapid rise from unknown schoolgirl to the world’s most famous environmental activist is one that fascinates McEwen. “Apart from her youth and her conviction,” he writes in her fake obit, “her ability to strike a chord lay in the power and simplicity of her message: older generations had left the young to suffer the consequences of their consumption. Everyone knew it; now the young weren’t going to let them ignore it anymore.”
From Malcolm McLaren to Kate Moss, Rod Stewart and Bill Clinton
Adam McEwen’s previous works were part of The George Michael Collection sale at Christie’s in 2019. Pic: Nils Jorgensen/Shutterstock
As a young artist in the 1990s, McEwen subsidised his passion working part-time as an obituary writer for the Daily Telegraph. The idea to turn the form into art was born from a group show he was taking part in in 2000. “Everyone was given a Vivienne Westwood muslin shirt, a straitjacket, and we were told to do whatever we wanted. I decided to write Malcolm McLaren’s obituary… it was a homage to Malcolm and it had a kind of dark, slightly punk sensibility that made sense.”
Further fake obituaries to stars and notable figures followed, featuring everyone from Nicole Kidman, Kate Moss and Macaulay Culkin to Rod Stewart, Jeff Koons and Bill Clinton. Some would read differently now should he be starting afresh in 2023.
“They won’t be updated,” says McEwen. “Also, they function differently later. Let’s say, Macaulay Culkin, the actor. In 2004 he had a certain stature and a certain story; he was in Home Alone… 20 years later, we see it from a different position… You see this artwork now and it’s like, that’s not how I think about Macaulay Culkin anymore.”
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McLaren, the former Sex Pistols manager and partner of Westwood, later came to hear about his own obit. “I met him once and told him,” McEwen says. “He was sort of initially nonplussed and then he laughed.”
He says Koons was also aware of his. “It’s a funny relationship, but it’s not… people have said to me, why don’t you do Trump? Kill him! They’re not really getting the point.”
‘This isn’t a morbid wish – death is a fact’
Adam McEwen. Pic: Andisheh Avini
McEwen says he doesn’t worry about how his subjects might react to seeing the stories of their lives told through their made-up deaths. “The only thing I know about Greta Thunberg, for real… the only thing I know for sure about Nicole Kidman or Bill Clinton, is that they are going to die. I’m not using it as a morbid wish. It’s a fact. For me also, I’m going to die.
“I don’t think [it’s] upsetting. Apart from anything else, these things exist in filing cabinets, or in digital filing cabinets, already for famous people. For Dolly Parton, there are already obituaries written for her, because they have to be. All I’m doing is appropriating something that’s already there.”
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When he worked for the Telegraph, McEwen wrote obituaries in reaction to sudden deaths – including for John F Kennedy Jr in 1999, when he died alongside his wife and sister-in-law in a private plane crash – as well as planned pieces.
Just like a real newspaper article, there may be errors to look out for in his artwork, he says. “Typos, sure. Maybe factual errors. I mean, exactly like a newspaper. It’s 6pm. It’s got to go to press. We do the best [we can] and then the next morning, ‘Oh f***, we’ve missed that typo’. It’s the same. I’ve done them when they go, ‘in 19XX…’ and I was going to find the date [but forgot], and then it’s done and it’s in the exhibition. ‘Damn, I didn’t see that.’ But it doesn’t matter, because it’s the same. It’s all part of it.”
Adam McEwen’s exhibition of fake obituaries dedicated to living celebrities is showing at Gagosian’s Davies Street gallery in London until 11 March
Three men and a woman have been jailed for at least 20 years for the brutal murder of a much-loved son.
Steven Hutton, 43, was hit with a hammer and stabbed in the heart during a late-night home invasion at his flat in Dundee in March 2024.
He was taken to the city’s Ninewells Hospital, but died the following day.
Brian Miller, 29, Scott Henderson, 40, Barry Murray, 45, and Carri Stewart, 44, were on Monday found guilty of murder following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow.
Brian Miller. Pic: Police Scotland
Scott Henderson. Pic: Police Scotland
The killers were each handed a life sentence, and will spend at least two decades behind bars.
In her sentencing statement, Judge Lady Haldane said the evidence provided a “compelling picture of a plan to inflict serious violence upon Mr Hutton in his own home”.
Barry Murray. Pic: Police Scotland
Carri Stewart. Pic: Police Scotland
The judge described it as a “frenzied assault”, which in part was sparked due to a “missing packet of Pregabalin medication”.
‘Callous’ behaviour
Lady Haldane stated: “Steven Hutton lost his life in these horrific circumstances, compounded by the fact that not one of you sought to seek assistance for him as he lay dying until you were all well clear of the property.
“That is behaviour that can only be described as callous.”
Read more from Sky News:
Public inquiry to probe how killer evaded justice for 19 years
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The judge paid tribute to Mr Hutton’s family and friends.
She added: “Those close to Mr Hutton, in particular his mother, have attended faithfully every day of this trial, and their quiet dignity throughout what must have been at times harrowing and distressing evidence stands in stark contrast to your behaviour.
“Mrs Hutton has in addition provided a detailed and moving account of her relationship with Mr Hutton, her only son, and the impact his loss has had upon her.
“I thank her for taking the time to prepare this thoughtful document, and I have taken all that she has said into account.”
Detective Inspector Richard Baird said the killers “now face the consequences of their actions”.
He added: “This was an unprovoked attack that cost Steven Hutton his life. We hope this conviction brings some form of comfort to Steven’s family.”
A new report into the activities of the top British spy inside the IRA during The Troubles has said that he “committed crimes of the worst possible kind”, including torture and murder, and should be publicly named by the UK government.
It’s widely accepted that the late republican Freddie Scappaticci was the agent, codenamed “Stakeknife”.
He headed the IRA‘s so-called “nutting squad”, a notorious internal security unit tasked with hunting and executing informants, but was himself operating as a mole for British intelligence.
The final report of a seven-year investigation named Operation Kenova has found that “there is a compelling ethical case” to reveal the agent’s identity.
Operation Kenova live: ‘Stakeknife’ spy inside IRA committed ‘worst possible’ crimes
Head of Kenova Sir Iain Livingstone said that “it is in the public interest that Stakeknife is named”. He urged the government to depart from its “neither confirm nor deny” (NCND) policy on the grounds of public interest.
It’s understood that the government believes Stakeknife cannot be officially named at this time due to some outstanding legal issues. Sky News has approached No 10 Downing Street for comment.
Freddie Scappaticci died two years ago denying that he was the agent, but all sides in Northern Ireland accept his denial was false.
Freddie Scappaticci. File pic: PA
The report also found a “significant failure” by MI5 in its late provision of materials to the investigation. “The further material revealed MI5 had earlier and greater knowledge of the agent than previously stated,” the report says.
Sir Ian Livingstone added that “further investigative opportunities were undoubtedly lost”, and that the confidence of the communities in Northern Ireland was undermined. Sky News has approached the security agency for comment.
Stakeknife produced a “vast” amount of intelligence. 3,517 reports from the agent were discovered, including 377 from one 18-month period. But the report found the intelligence was not shared with those who could have used it to save lives.
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Last year, Operation Kenova’s interim report found the security forces were frequently aware of imminent abductions and murders but failed to protect those at risk.
Today’s report found his army handlers even took Stakeknife out of Northern Ireland for two holidays, at a time when he was sought by police for murder and kidnapping. He was flown on military aircraft and given military ID.
As a result, preventable deaths occurred with the security forces’ knowledge and those responsible were not brought to justice and were instead left free to reoffend.
Investigation lead Sir Iain Livingstone and Northern Irish police chief Jon Boutcher speak at a conference following the report
‘Wholly unjustified criminality’
The 2024 report also concluded that Stakeknife was involved in “very serious and wholly unjustifiable criminality”, including murder, and claims his intelligence saved “countless” or “hundreds” of lives were exaggerated. It found that the number of lives saved by his spying ranged from the high single figures to low double figures.
This contradicted claims that Scappaticci had saved hundreds of lives during the years he was active, with a former defence chief describing him as “the goose that laid the golden eggs”. The interim report found that claim to be “inherently implausible” and “a comparison rooted in fables and fairy tales”.
The 2024 report also called on the UK government to apologise to bereaved families, given that many murders were avoidable.
‘Each evil act being the epitome of cowardice’
There was also a call for an apology from republican leaders for “the most shameful and evil” actions of the Provisional IRA (PIRA). “It was PIRA that committed the brutal acts of torture and murder, each evil act being the epitome of cowardice,” the report stated.
No prosecutions connected with Stakeknife will take place, prosecutors in Northern Ireland have already decided.
Families of IRA victims associated with Stakeknife will give their response to the Kenova report in a news conference later today.
They want Scappaticci to be officially named, and many are seeking an apology from the British government.
UK
Emma Caldwell: Public inquiry formally under way which will probe how killer Iain Packer evaded justice for almost 20 years
A public inquiry into the murder of a woman is now formally under way and will examine what went wrong in the police investigation that allowed a serial rapist to evade justice for almost 20 years.
Iain Packer murdered Emma Caldwell, 27, in 2005.
In February 2024, he was ordered to serve a minimum of 36 years behind bars after being convicted of a string of violent offences.
Alongside double-murderer Andrew Innes, it is the second longest sentence ever handed down by a Scottish court, behind the 37-year minimum jail term given to World’s End killer Angus Sinclair in 2014.
Iain Packer. Pic: Police Scotland
Packer was found guilty of 33 offences following a trial at the High Court in Glasgow, including Ms Caldwell’s murder, 11 rapes and multiple sexual assaults against other women.
Following the killer’s conviction, Sky News heard testimony from several former sex workers who raised concerns to police about his dangerous sexual behaviour years before Ms Caldwell was murdered.
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Police interviewing Packer following his arrest over Ms Caldwell’s murder
The Scottish government last year ordered a judge-led public inquiry into the police handling of the case, which will be chaired by Lord Scott.
In an update on Tuesday, Justice Secretary Angela Constance announced it has now been formally set up and work is under way.
The inquiry will examine the investigative strategy and decision-making by what was then Strathclyde Police, including the direction given by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS).
It will probe what steps could reasonably have been taken that might have resulted in Packer being apprehended and prosecuted at an earlier stage, and any other factors relevant to the circumstances of the investigation and related prosecution.
The inquiry will also examine if any failings in training, procedures, operating models or systems of working contributed to any failures in the police and COPFS case.
The subsequent findings and any recommendations will be reported to Scottish ministers.
Justice Secretary Angela Constance. Pic: PA
Ms Constance said: “My thoughts continue to be with Emma Caldwell’s mother Margaret and her family, who have suffered unimaginable heartbreak.
“The public inquiry will look at what went wrong in the investigation of Emma’s murder and I hope it will provide the answers that the family need and deserve.
“I consulted with the chair, Lord Scott, on the terms of reference for the inquiry and also met the Caldwell family and other parties to discuss the inquiry’s remit.
“While these terms do not feature all of the issues raised with me during discussions, I am satisfied that they are both well focused and sufficiently flexible and broad enough to allow the chair to examine wider issues he may consider relevant to a robust, efficient and effective inquiry.”
Ms Caldwell. Pic: Family handout
Ms Caldwell vanished in April 2005 just days after telling her mother about her hopes to defeat a heroin addiction, which began after her sister’s death.
She went missing in Glasgow while working as a sex worker. Her body was discovered the following month in Limefield Woods, South Lanarkshire.
During Packer’s trial, jurors were taken to the forest where Ms Caldwell’s body was dumped. Pic: Sky News
Investigating officers interviewed Packer that June but he was not convicted until almost two decades later after cold case detectives re-examined the case in 2015.
Police Scotland apologised to Ms Caldwell’s family and Packer’s other victims for how the original inquiry was handled by Strathclyde Police, saying they were “let down”.
Margaret Caldwell, Ms Caldwell’s mother. Pic: PA
Margaret Caldwell, Ms Caldwell’s mother, has never given up on her pursuit of the truth.
Solicitor Aamer Anwar, the family’s lawyer, said: “The reference to Strathclyde Police in the terms of reference may be interpreted by some to mean that the inquiry can only deal with the police force up until, but not beyond when it became Police Scotland.
“Strathclyde Police ceased on 1 April 2013 when it merged into a single national service, as Police Scotland.
“If this inquiry is to pursue the truth, then it must look not only at Strathclyde Police, but what happened when Police Scotland took over responsibility.”
Solicitor Aamer Anwar (centre) alongside Ms Caldwell’s family earlier this year. Pic: PA
Mr Anwar said Packer’s survivors “deserve their place at the heart of this inquiry”.
He added: “A toxic culture of misogyny and corruption meant the police failed so many women and girls who came forward to speak up against Packer.
“Instead of receiving justice and compassion, they were humiliated, dismissed and in some instances arrested, whilst the police gifted freedom to an evil predator to rape and rape again.”
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