The World As We Know It (2019) - Sarah Maple As part of the Look At This exhibition #skipgallery (at Arts Building) https://www.instagram.com/p/B2J-NhtnHtG/?igshid=vms132zf95ec
An Interview with Skip Gallery @ Hoxton Square 02/08/17 - Meg + Lucy
Like 'Behave.' SKIP plays with the idea of the unconventional - providing an alternative space to access and view art. Our Meg Fatharly had the pleasure of interviewing the co-founder, Catherine Borowski.
How does working collaboratively enhance the way you create?
I love working collaboratively, it comes naturally to me. I love bringing in people with other skills - whether is other artists, technical producers, composers, curators, builders, skip contractors, warehouse staff, security personnel, council workers, tarmac gangs, carpenters - you name it. It really expands my creative reach and it means that I’m not restricted to working within my own personal skills - it helps me to do things that I could never achieve if I was working completely solo. I also love the dialogue and discourse that goes with collaboration.
Who are the creatives that inspire you?
Artists I get inspired by:
Martin Creed - ‘Work No. 227, The Lights Going On And Offf’ is one of my favourite pieces of work ever, it gives me goose pimples
Jeremy Deller
Braque
Tadeo Ando
Richard Serra
Teshima Art Museum, Japan – never had an experience like it, this place moved me to tears
Christo and Jean Claude - I went to Lake Iseo last year to see Christo's Floating Piers installation and it was truly amazing. He self-funds most of his work through the sale of drawings (as do i so far) and when I learnt that he self-funds it kind of made me realise that the way I work is valid and I think I previously held back, feeling that you’re not really a proper artist if you’re funding it yourself - but that’s not true. There’s something strong about putting your own money where your mouth is. As in I’m not just waiting for a commission before I make something happen
David Shrigley
Edwin Wurm’s work as well - really funny
Grayson Perry - such a brilliant social commentator
Why did SKIP want to work with David Shrigley?
David Shrigley turned out to be a generous star. Lee Baker stuck a note through his door (a lot of courage was plucked up) telling him about SKIP and asking if he’d be up for doing a piece. He said yes. Shrigley was great because he instantly “got” SKIP - he understood it contextually and he understood the potential for humour, we knew that if he agreed to do a skip he’d make something spot on. Even the invite to his PV was great.
What was the response at London Art Night when people saw you were doing life drawing in a skip?
People understood it. The Art Night organisers and Curator Fatos Ustek were instantly supportive and gave us the thumbs up. I then had to meet the head master of Sir John Cass Foundation School to pitch the idea to him because we wanted to site the SKIP in his school playground. I was really nervous about pitching the idea to him but he loved it, he got it straight away and didn’t bat an eyelid. It was so great. He then invited us to stay for the week and provide daily drawing workshops for the school children for the whole of the following week. The workshops were a real hit with the children. The idea of attending a life drawing class inside an actual skip was completely unique and we sold out of tickets in a day. It makes me feel so excited when I think about this piece.
What is next for skip gallery?
We’ve been approached by well known YBA artist who has made a piece for SKIP but I don’t think I’m allowed to say who yet. That’ll be in Oct during Frieze (SKIP was originally conceived as a response to the locked doors of the art world during Frieze). We’re also doing an installation in September with an unknown artist whose day job is selling car insurance - for me that just adds to the narrative, I love it. I can’t wait to tell you about that piece because it combines sculpture, drawing, performance, installation, street art (literally) and a commentary on class and social mobility. We’re also in talks with Space 7 about a collaboration for the Folkstone Triennale - really exciting.
But first, we need some money. We’ve spent all of our money making SKIP happen so we now either need a sponsor or to do some crowd funding.
If you’d like to read more about SKIP and their projects head on over to:
https://www.skipgallery.com
With thanks to Catherine Borowski and fellow co-founder Lee Baker
