Concrete Jungle Screen Print Collection
I created a series of screen prints inspired by lockdown walks and finding beauty in my local surroundings of Stockwell, South London. The collection, comprising three prints, combines my fascination with architectural forms and passion for wildlife. The ‘Concrete Jungle’ series evolved from a set of skate decks designed for a self-initiated project in my illustration portfolio, to a capsule collection of fine art silk-screen prints, hand produced by myself.
The UK lockdowns were the initial starting point of this project. Usually spoiled in London with a wealth of galleries and museums to visit for a quick injection of creativity, during lockdown I found myself looking to my local surroundings, including the building I live in, for a source of inspiration. Always fascinated by the post-war tower blocks that dominate the skyline in and around Stockwell and Oval, I started to photograph these buildings on daily walks. The patterns created by layers of staircases and the repetition of windows and walkways captured my imagination.
The illustrations in the collection portray an imagined world where the sprawling concrete structures of South London become a jungle canopy for flora and fauna. Creating analogue collages using my own photographs is an important part of my way of working and the initial compositions for the artworks were formed using this technique. I embrace an element of chance in my process by randomly enlarging my images using a photocopier to see what new forms might be revealed. The collaged compositions are then digitally combined with hand drawn illustrations and textures.
In the final print collection, I have honoured the initial driving force behind the body of work by staying true to the size ratio of a standard skateboard deck. Each print is a limited run of 30, silk-screened by hand onto heavyweight fine art paper in my Brixton studio. The prints range from six to eight colour layers each, with all colours created using water-based inks mixed by eye.
The full ‘Concrete Jungle’ print collection is now available to buy directly from my online shop. The series has been featured by Creative Boom and you can read the full article here.
