Just completed the design and hand-drawn typography (image by Ros Shires) for the upcoming SweetTalk event. (more…)

So a new exhibition has just opened in the Old Harcourt building on Hatch St, Dublin to celebrate 25 years of Audi in Ireland. Myself, Chris Judge, MASER and Hugo Thompson were asked to contribute our spin on the Audi brand.

Ill be at Giddy Studios on Saturday 18th October to do some live picture making with Joven Kerekes.

Giddy Studios is a new endeavour run by Helena Murray (ex Image Now) where kids and adults can spend some time getting creative by painting on pottery. Should be fun, launch is from 2pm-5pm

This Tuesday 16th Sept sees the opening of a new show in VERSUS, pitting the poster designs of Tiny Little Horse [IRL] against Lil’ Guy Al  [USA]. The show features screen printed gigposters (mostly) for bands such as CSS, Feist, Battles, Ministry, Butthole Surfers, Warlords of Pez, Liars, Melvins, The Raconteurs, Modest Mouse, The Kills, The Dwarves, QOTSA, Mudhoney, Billy Bragg and many more.

Doors open at 6:30PM and posters start from €25.

WOW!

What can we say? The work was incredible and the turnout last night was a suitable tribute to it. Thanks so much to everyone who participated in what turned out to be an AMAZING show and opening night. We were thrilled at your response to our call and to the response to the work last night.

I’d also like to thank Richard for asking me to help with this show. You are already a legend! I can’t imagine what life would be like without Richard and Aidan and The Candy Collective! So thanks to you!

To the contributing artists…Take a bow everyone, YOU ARE ALL HEROES!

CANDY loves you all!!!

Go to our Flickr page for some photos of the opening night as well as all the work involved.

As curator of this show it might go some way to explaining why I’ve not been updating the blog too often lately but I have to say it’s been a brilliant experience. Keeping a project of this size (70 contributing artists) moving along has been more of a pleasure than a pain. Here is the blurb and some info…

In a time where digital music sales have outstripped physical formats like cd or vinyl, thereby shifting the focus from browsing cover art in your local record shop to high budget videos and clever marketing, CandyCollective wanted to celebrate the ever declining art of sleeve art.

‘CandyKaraoke’ sees us collaborate for the first, of hopefully many, times with Monster Truck Gallery on Francis Street and RHA to invite over 70 of Ireland’s leading designers, artists, photographers, illustrators, musicians and original creative minds to reimagine their favourite album covers. All artworks produced will be original 1-off 12” square works which will be sold for only 300 euro each. (more…)

Finally, after a much needed break, the first of 2 new issues of CANDY is now online and available to download at CandyCollective. The above image is ‘Trust Us’ by Sarah Knight who is one of the many illustrators, designers, photographer etc featured in this issue.

The second installment will be up really soon so that gives you enough time to get stuck into this one!

See you all at Thursday’s Sweettalk!

In other CANDY related news, anyone who’s interested in seeing Non-Format and Stefan Sagmeister at a special Sweettalk event in June, we’ve now sold over half of the tickets so get your skates on if you haven’t already got your ticket!

Really great show on in the George Bernard Shaw inDublin, run by Derek and John from Bodytonic. 24 artists were given a 2×2 white board with a drawing by Chris Judge (see img on left) then we could draw/paint/stick/spray over it anyway we wanted (see img on the right). all the pieces were then brought together on the opening night and assembled for the first time.

For more info you can read a report by Mario Sughi on SCAMP here and look at some more pictures here.

This image was selected by the Semi-Permanent Design Conference in Sydney for publication in their annual book for 2008.

You can view the full illustration here.

Outside the CANDY dome

The build up seemed to last months but in the blink of an eye it was all over. As we drove through the night towards home I think overall the CANDY COLLECTIVE can be happy with the result of their biggest event yet, SWEETNESS & LIGHT at Electric Picnic. (more…)