Six reasons to be excited about #LondonMixup

I recently wrote about The Mixup, a global collaboration project involving 50 artists from seven cities around the world. The way the project works is that 6-10 artists in each city work in three steps to co-create work – where each artist works on the start, the middle and the end of a piece – and each artwork will be worked on by three artists. Much like The Airmail Project.

When the project is done we will do a series of global shows. Here are six reasons to excited about the London leg:

1. ROSIE COOPER – the painter

Along with being a formative force in the whole project and the London co-host, Rosie is a wonderful painter. I’ve always enjoyed her very considered, typographical landscapes. She also did precision finishing of one of my favourite Airmail Project pieces.

2. MATTHEW MCGUINESS – the murals

I met Matt as he was transforming the Camberwell Post Office from dump to dynamic large scale story of community life and have been hoping to collaborate since. But I have only since discovered that before his murals came collage – and the whole project is a kind-of-collage.

 

3. NICK WILLIAMSON – the engineer

There is no one who does more interesting creative projects than Nick. He works at the interface of design, engineering and art – often collaboratively – and has had his handiwork on view in some of the worlds great art and design institutions. His work is normally objects so interesting to see where he goes/takes us.

  

4. CLAUDINE O’SULIVAN – the pencils

I was captured by Claudine’s work at first sight.  She has a distinctive style that manages to capture dynamism and life in her subjects – and look at those colours. Very chuffed she is joining in.

5. AMANDA HOLIDAY – the questioner

I met Amanda at one of her openings, as part of Camberwell Arts Festival – where Airmail Project was also showing. We had a really interesting conversation about the down-sides of the process – how at each stage work can get worse as well as better. This made me want her to join in even more and she said “Of course, although I might get a little crazy and want to tear up others’ contributions“. Could well be true for all of us.

6. ERICA PARRETT – the fabrics

Erica is one of Rosie’s favourite artists – they worked on some projects together at Dulwich Picture Gallery where Erica was artist in residence. So when the project started Rosie set about getting her on board. Luckily she didn’t take too much persuading, and I have taken to her use of fabrics and forms quite strongly.

 

I’m excited to be participating alongside such a wonderful bunch – here is my first phase of the project – a self portrait.