Artists including Chapman brothers make pub signs
Detail from The Headless Woman pub sign by Charles Avery
From a portrait of a beefeater to a large metal cricket ball dangling outside, pub signs have existed since Roman times when a wreath of vine leaves was hung outside each drinking hole.
And now an impressive list of artists, including Jake and Dinos Chapman and Charles Avery, have created one-off pub signs to be sold to raise funds for East London gallery Space In Between and its ongoing programme which supports emerging artists.
Over 20 original pieces illustrating pubs such as Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese and The Camel are on display at Londonnewcastle Project Space on Redchurch Street, alongside beer mats and wine bottles sold from a pop-up pub.
Artist Jennifer Bailey has been involved in Space In Between for the last two years. Her collaboration with Tessa Lynch features a laser cut illustration of a contraceptive coil as her pub sign.
“I’ve been thinking recently about objects that support or supplement the body, mostly in terms of simplifying one’s lifestyle,” she says.
“I chose the pub name Cross Keys as I was thinking of coils as comparable to objects like keys – part of something else, but also separate things in their own right.”
Space in Between founder Hannah Hooks says all artists involved have worked with the gallery or, in the case of the more famous ones, knew the gallery and were happy to support the event.
“In many cases they also liked the idea for the show, and choosing the name of a pub that they were fond of or had a personal story attached to it.”
Hooks and her co-founder Laura McFarlane started the gallery in 2009 to provide a platform for emerging artists and have since worked with 50 artists and collectives from across the UK.
She adds: “We have always tried to grow with our artists and work for the mutual benefit of one and other, working on both a project-by-project basis and on curated group shows and programmes, which allows us to remain artist-led.”
Until 14 December at Londonewcastle Project Space, 28 Redchurch Street, E2 7DP.