MCM has collaborated with five innovative artists in the UK edition of its Upcycling Project.
Marking the 45th anniversary of MCM, each UK-based artist has created unique and exclusive pieces based on the concept of identity, culture and the process of upcycling the classic cognac Visetos Stark backpack.
Each statement artwork is on display at MCM’s London flagship store and will be sold in a charity auction to support the creative arts.
The five artists are:
Jess Cochrane: Cochrane’s work questions the relationship between society, consumerism and pop culture. Her focus is on feminine beauty, illustrated through the application of paint over photographic images. Cochrane reflects upon insecurity and perfectionism in the modern age. Connecting the history of art, design and advertising, she plays on the idea of pop culture and its roots that are planted in both displaying and disguising parts of ourselves. Her MCM work is seen below:
Ted Le Swer: Le Swer lives and works in London, having graduated with a BA in Fine Art from Chelsea College of Art and Design in 2017. His work formally combines moving image and sculptural processes that employ computer-generated imagery and the fabrication of props. His work examines how contemporary society values its relations to ecology, and how these diverse relations materialise and reveal themselves. His videos, which merge digital animation and live-action improvisation, use narrative as a means of negotiating the various realities and relations of the human and non-human agents in his films.
Imogen Frost: The London-based set designer studied Spatial Design at Chelsea College of Art & Design, where she developed her love of manipulating materials. She seeks inspiration from nature and the abundance of texture, shape and colour it provides. Her often tactile aesthetic is underpinned by attention to detail and paired with a touch of playfulness to create harmonious compositions.
Denzel Currie: “Curriegoat” is a multidisciplinary artist and content creator based in London. Working with rug making, painting, leather craft and bookbinding, his work explores mythology and surrealism with the goal of telling old stories in new ways.
Joe Sweeney: Sweeney is a conceptual artist working with a visual language created through British idiosyncrasies, everyday references and the banal, commenting on our fast-changing times by elevating the throwaway. Through quick observation, the artist encourages a pause for thought on the daily interactions that we don’t always pay attention to. Playing with Britain’s passion for nostalgia, he often creates morbid but humorous work through sculpture, print and installation.
MCM’s Creative Director Dirk Schoenberger can be seen in conversation with the five artists in the latest MCM Creative Minds video at https://www.instagram.com/p/CWfpHttq-dI/.
