Collaborations spark bizarre art

Some caption. Photo: Emily Jupp

Artist collaborations produced interesting works, including this miniature cityscape. Photo: Emily Jupp

If You Could is the brainchild of London art directors Will Hudson and Alex Bec, and sees them work each year with established designers and illustrators to produce an art show.

This year’s theme ‘If you could collaborate’ creates some unexpected artist partnerships – with intriguing results.

Interaction is the common theme of the exhibition, but little else links the pieces, which range from wooden calligraphy depicting song lyrics to a miniature cityscape made from neon-coloured perspex. The artists, unrestrained by any definite theme, have created some colourful, interesting pieces which invite examination.

With Associates, a digital design agency, was paired with product designer Anthony Dickens. Their piece is an interactive clock where exhibition visitors are filmed speaking the time.

Mathew Wilson of With Associates, said: “We wanted to collaborate with Anthony [Dickens] for ages and this gave us the opportunity to finally do it. Working with him got us thinking in new ways. We got thinking about the nature of time itself.”

A live human corn doll was the product of artist Ian Wright and illustrator Riitta Ikonen’s collaboration, and designers James Gilpin and Helge Fischer produced an interactive glass sculpture which emits sound.

‘If you could collaborate’ is at A Foundation Gallery at Rochelle School on Club Row, from 15-23 January 2010, between 12-6pm, and open late on 21 January till 9pm.

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