There has long been an association between art and alcohol. From the moment humans could create art - and concoct alcohol - there has been a myriad of artistic characterisations of drink, from mythology, religion and morality to human emotion, social and cultural representations. Throughout the ages, alcohol has been simultaneously commended and condemned, saluted and savaged, loved and lambasted on canvas. At Modern Art Distillery (M.A.D) however, we don’t pass judgement on the virtues or vices of alcohol: quite simply, we love spirits and we love art - and we have found a way of drawing them together.
M.A.D was set up by two old university friends, Caroline Harrison and Catharine Russell, and launched in April this year with a range of flavoured spirits featuring the work of three emerging British artists on the bottle labels. Cardiff-based Chris Pompa, Scottish artist John Goldsworthy and Devon-based Alice Bulmer were commissioned to create artworks for our first series of spirits: Blueberry & Bergamot Gin, Strawberry & Honey Spiced Rum and Watermelon & Thyme Vodka. The spirits are premium craft distilled and it was important to us that the high quality of the contents was reflected on the exterior of the bottle through the label artwork.
Sourcing suitable artists was also our biggest headache and our greatest pleasure. Where to start? We had an idea for a series called ‘Connections’ and had devised the flavours for our spirits, so it was on this basis that we began our search. We scoured online for art clubs and centres, university degree shows, galleries and arts organisations, and visited local exhibitions and arts events for inspiration.
Through a series of email exchanges and video calls we eventually made our final choice. The artists’ diverse approaches have allowed for an eclectic mixture of styles and mediums -
Chris’ mixed media collage abstracts, John’s figurative watercolours and Alice’s acrylic botanical art have together produced three bottle labels that present a striking, eye-catching and complementary collection.
What is more, the artists have gone above and beyond the original commission by attending our product launch, sending us images and video for publicity, being active on our social media and in short, being our ambassadors.
So how did they feel when we first approached them and what were the first steps for their designs?
John Goldsworthy says he was “flattered, honoured, valued, intrigued and excited” with the idea of designing artwork for the rum bottle label. He immediately made a connection with music for his early designs: “Rum invoked a fragrance of Caribbean dance, a tropical beat. It provided a perfect energy for my art, which is inspired by music and people.” He began with an idea for a solo dancer which evolved into an “amorous dance couple seductively positioned on the seam of the bottle”. He then added cartoon images of strawberries, drummer bees, piano keys and flamingos to introduce a playfulness to the party vibes of the finished image, titled 'The Rhythm of the Rum'.
For Chris Pompa, his first thoughts “were ones of excitement and possibilities: to have such an interesting, clear and concise brief and to have artistic control over the process was very liberating”. With his mixed media mosaic collage, Chris first sought to “paint the flavours and capture the taste” in relation to the Blueberry & Bergamot Gin bottle. He used photography and painting, crushing blueberries mixed with paint to create purples, while “faces and characters were added to create a sense of good times and friendship”. The result is his distinctive abstract work Simpatico.
Alice Bulmer felt the same sense of excitement about the project as the other artists, and that her artwork “would be a good fit for this kind of project”. Alice’s acrylic painting Hibiscus Kiss was inspired by the bold colour combinations that characterise the red tones of the Watermelon & Thyme Vodka: “I used this as a starting point and went with colours I thought would complement this, like the light teal background. The watermelon and thyme ingredients lend themselves nicely to a tropical theme.”
The artists have taken much pleasure in seeing their work on the bottle labels. John comments: “Whenever I see an Instagram picture of the bottles I always go ‘wow, that’s amazing’. All three bottles complement each other so well. They may be tiny canvases but huge in what they have to achieve.”
For Chris, “it’s wonderful to have my artwork on such a beautifully crafted bottle. To know it’s travelling the four corners and beyond is a fantastic feeling for any artist.”
Alice regards it as a process of validation: “Seeing my artwork out there validates the hard work I've put into building my style and my brand and creating a career out of something I enjoy more than anything.”
All three artists agree that the nature and uniqueness of the project has had an impact on their working practice. For Alice, “it has given me great experience in working in product illustration and opened up the possibility of licensing my artwork for other companies,” while for Chris, “it’s been a hoot!” He adds: “It's always a joy to work with like-minded people with a passion for what they do. That's always inspiring.” John has found an opportunity to explore new ideas within music and art. He says: “My artwork is not mainstream, nor may never be. Other styles are more fashionable but the fact that folk are liking the image on the label is fabulous. That matters way more than being mainstream, and fuels the fire to continue to explore new ideas within music and art.”M.A.D's aim is to produce new art collections and spirits flavours at regular intervals, with the bottles promoted as collectable items, and associated merchandise - such as prints of the artwork, sunglasses and t-shirts - also available here.
Comments