Kicks n Canvas is a sneaker and canvas art exhibition incorporating some of the worlds best street artists, illustrators, and sculptors and it's on NOW in east London, so we caught up with the organisers to find out more.
Dale Parr is the founder and managing director of SoleHeaven, which is a UK based online sneaker store and Anthony Chrisp is one of the creators of the Zero Cool Gallery and together they are the driving force behind Kicks n Canvas...
How did this project come about?
Dale: The show came about because of the Custom Kicks Series we run at SoleHeaven.We've been commissioning sneaker customisers to produce a series of one-off customs that showcase their creative ability. We always given them full control over the design brief and this produces amazing work guaranteed! Kicks n Canvas is basically an extension and a natural development of that series, but this time we’ve introduced street artists and graffiti writers into the custom sneaker scene to get a glimpse of what they think a custom sneaker should look like. I was hooked up with Anthony by one of our mutual friends, the artist Hush, who knew Zero Cool were in a perfect position to become involved, as at that time they were making plans for 2010 and this would be something different to get involved with.
What do you guys do outside of this event?
Dale: I'm the founder and managing director of SoleHeaven. We sell all the leading brands and provide a slice of urban culture with every purchase.
Anthony: I'm one of the creators of Zero Cool and we had strong opinions on the way we saw the art world, as we had all either worked in the industry or were collectors. We had all grown bored with how the scene we know and love had become over saturated with people jumping on the bandwagon to make a quick buck, so we decided to set up a gallery that we would like to see. So we represent artists who we love, no matter which genre they fall into and all our profits are ploughed back into exhibitions and events.
Why did you choose to hold this event in London?
Dale: London seemed like the natural home for such an event; Shoreditch is synonymous with street art and has a fantastic creative scene. As it’s the first event it seemed wise to host it here.
Anthony: It’s always good to come down to London, as you are exposed to so much more art and culture, both in galleries and on the street. Zero Cool will have a show in our home city of Newcastle upon Tyne, but at this moment London is where we need to be.
What have you learnt about doing this project?
Dale: It’s been a learning experience from start to finish. It's taken five months of planning and almost daily meetings to keep it all on track and on budget. The most challenging part for me has been managing the artist's expectations and time frames.
Anthony: I personally have learnt to be much more organized and how to work with a more commercial venture. Zero Cool has never claimed to be or has ever wanted to be the most professional of setups, although we do get things done, but they're done in our own special way. Eight a.m. meetings were a bit of a culture shock!
Red Bull have a strong relationship with the artists Inkie, Insa and the Monorex crew. All three are exhibiting work at the show. How did they get involved?
Dale: I've respected Insa's work for many years and always wanted and dreamed of getting him involved in a SoleHeaven project and this was my chance. I'd been to a couple of Secret War events where Inkie & Monorex were involved and loved the scale of the wall battles they did. The gallery space we're using for Kicks n Canvas was large enough to have our own battle and that was between Disco Teck & Hicks. SoleHeaven & Monorex have worked together before on a youth project called Sneaker Seeker, based in Slough. It was a project to get 11 to 21-year-olds creative and give them an opportunity to learn how to customise trainers. SoleHeaven provided the trainers and Monorex did some workshops. It was a wonderful project that inspired the kids. They all took it really seriously and learnt additional skills like photography and event organising.
Anthony: I first met Inkie when he was painting at Upfest and we had been looking for a project to work with him on ever since and knowing he is a massive sneakerhead this show was a perfect fit! Insa is the first name you think of when you think of customised kicks and he was the first name on our wishlist when planning the show (he was also the last to sign up). Finally I have known about the work of Monorex from the Secret Wars events and again Kicks ‘n’ Canvas was a perfect fit for what they do.
If you could do the event differently next time, what would you change?
Anthony: That’s a tough question as I’m writing this the day before we open... so let’s be optimistic. I would have a much bigger venue as is was sad to see the thousands of people outside who couldn’t get in.
Why are cultural event like Kicks N Canvas so important for the art scene in not only the UK but as a whole?
Anthony: I think it makes art accessible. There are so many people who are intimidated by the idea of stepping foot into an art gallery. People worry that they will look silly if they don’t know enough about what they are looking at. I think the mix of fashion and art opens it up to a whole new audience, which can only be a good thing.
Have you been surprised by how much of a positive response you have received over this project, be it in the press or word on the street?
Anthony: We knew this project would grab people’s attention due to the artists involved and the range of styles... contemporary, pop, street art, writers, sculptors. They all bring a fresh take to the idea of sneaker customisation – but know we never thought it would get as much attention as it has.
Do you have plans to do something like this again?
Dale: Yeah, we plan to make Kicks n Canvas an annual event.
Anthony: It’s been fun, so yeah we would be down for doing it again.
Kicks n Canvas is on now until April 18 at The Gallery in Redchurch Street, London E2. Find out more at the official site.
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