Featured in The Boston Globe

The Boston Globe

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Living/Arts C7

Section: Names

By Carol Beggy & Mark Shanahan

‘SNL’-inspired work goes full circle

The painting – part of Helena Wurzel’s senior thesis at BU – is called “Girls in a box,” a not-so-subtle allusion to a certain risqué “Saturday Night Live” skit featuring Justin Timberlake and Andy Samberg. “It’s one of my favorite skits,” said Wurzel, whose work often references pop culture. “So I put it in the painting.” She’s glad she did. Serendipitously, Samberg’s godfather, Mark Cohen, happened to walk past the BU gallery where Wurzel’s thesis work was hanging. “I e-mailed the image to Andy and told him, ‘If you like it, I’ll buy it for you,’” said Cohen, who once ran a film and video production company on Newbury Street. “Andy loved it and said he was flattered.” The painting is about to be shipped to New York, where it’ll hang in the “SNL” offices.