While shooting an avant-garde rock video, a south-coast production company that mixes art with business has unearthed an ironic difference between Southampton and Portsmouth.
Southampton based Still Moving has recently started employing painters and artists to create images and navigation for company web sites.
“It is very important for us to be ethical in our approach to business and using an illustrator not only gives websites a unique look and feel but also helps support an artist,” explained Still Moving’s co-founder Martin Davis. “Following the reaction of our clients we’re convinced the paintbrush is mightier than the mouse.”
Nova & Isabel Amber Ewen
Their latest collaboration is an entry to a competition to make the video for ‘Fires’ the next single by Southampton rock group Band of Skulls: the most recent south-coast act to gain major recognition in Europe and America.
vist and vote at: http://genero.tv/watch-video/10194/
“This challenge is an ideal way of introducing art into the ‘Moving’ aspect of our plan,” confirmed the other half of Still Moving, Isabel Amber Ewen, “and although there are many great street artists in Southampton, once we saw Nova’s skull designs we knew who we wanted.”
Southampton street artist Nova uses stencils to spray multi-layered images on walls. Recently he was invited by the Portsmouth art collective P.A.M to add his creations to the alley-ways around Fratton Park.
“They have a much freer attitude towards street art in Portsmouth and they’ve opened up many walls,” he said “but the artists have to responsible and professional or this opportunity will disappear.”
Stencils and wall
The designs around the stadium have become so respected that Portsmouth football club is planning to invite P.A.M to create murals inside the ground.
With every creative aspect of this production based in and around Southampton the irony of shooting in Portsmouth is not lost on the video’s co-director Xan Phillips. “Although Southampton is famous for it’s walls, the city’s street artists have no where so public to express themselves.
Everyone who walked past Nova told him how good the art he and P.A.M have created. It definitely inspires rather than repels.”
Although the ‘Band of Skulls’ video competition has a £3000 cash prize and global exposure Isabel, who shot and edited the whole promo, is ambivalent about winning: “Every element of the project slotted into place so well that we’re already delighted with our achievement. The win would be very helpful but this video is already a great demonstration of how local art can work as a promotional device.”
NOTES
The video can be seen here http://genero.tv/watch-video/10194/
Closing date for public voting on the video – 11.59pm GMT, July 21
Winner announced: July 26, 2010
Example of a web site with local artist illustration: www.magpie-shop.co.uk
Nova can be found here: http://www.novaindustries.co.uk/
Still Moving: http://www.still-moving.co.uk/
Showcase UK: http://www.showcaseuk.tv/
P.A.M – the meaning of the acronym has not been released.
Band of Skulls www.bandofskulls.com
The single Fires will be released September 13th 2010 see http://www.nme.com/news/band-of-skulls/51147
