Gauntlet Gallery — Invader Print Index
Low Res Mona Lisa
Summary
"Low Res Mona Lisa" is a 2014 silkscreen by Invader, published by Gallery Target at 50 x 30 cm in a signed edition of 50. It reduces Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece to a deliberately coarse, pixelated grid, a hallmark Invader gesture that reframes a canonical painting through the low-resolution logic of early digital imagery.
Why It Matters
The "low res" treatment is one of Invader's most conceptually pointed motifs, and the Mona Lisa is its most recognisable target. Published by Gallery Target in an edition of 50, this print distils the artist's ongoing dialogue between fine-art history and pixel culture into a single, widely legible image with strong collector recognition.
Collector Perspective
Collectors value the concept as much as the object: the Mona Lisa rendered in blocky pixels is instantly readable and emblematic of Invader's practice. The edition of 50 keeps it scarce, and the Gallery Target Japanese provenance is clear. The 50 x 30 cm vertical coordinates with its sibling prints, while signature and condition govern desirability on the archival sheet.
Historical Context
Invader has long applied a "Low Res" filter to art-historical icons, translating oil paintings into the coarse grids of early screen graphics. This 2014 Gallery Target release targets Leonardo's Mona Lisa, arguably the most reproduced painting in history. The gesture extends the appropriation lineage of Duchamp and Warhol into a distinctly 8-bit, digital-age idiom.
FAQ
What is the concept behind the print?
It reinterprets Leonardo's Mona Lisa as a deliberately coarse, low-resolution pixel grid, a signature Invader device.
How large is the edition?
A signed edition of 50.
Who published it and when?
Gallery Target, Tokyo, in 2014.
What are the dimensions?
50 x 30 cm, printed vertically as a silkscreen.
About the Artist
Invader (born 1969, France) is a pseudonymous French urban artist known for installing mosaic works inspired by 1970s-80s arcade video games, most famously the aliens from Space Invaders. Since the late 1990s he has "invaded" cities worldwide, cementing tile mosaics onto walls and mapping each installation as part of a global game. His studio output extends the pixel aesthetic into prints, "Rubikcubism" works made from Rubik's Cubes, aluminum pieces, and alias-signed editions. He remains anonymous, appearing publicly only masked.
Collecting Invader at Gauntlet Gallery
What Invader works can I collect?
Beyond street mosaics, Invader releases signed, numbered editions — screenprints, giclées, aluminum and Rubikcubism works — plus his "Invasion Kits." Signed and numbered studio editions are the collectible core. Gauntlet Gallery focuses on complete, well-preserved impressions with documentation.
How is an Invader piece authenticated?
We sell Invader works with documented provenance and the edition's signature and numbering. Each piece is photographed exactly as it ships, including signature and edition details, so you can verify before buying.
What drives value?
Medium (unique Rubikcubism and aluminum works over open prints), edition size, iconic imagery, condition, and provenance all shape price. Hand-made and low-numbered pieces command the strongest premiums.