02 May Stolen Space Exclusive Interview: The London Police
SS: Your upcoming show, ‘It’s All Fun & Games Until Someone Gets Hurt,’ at StolenSpace Gallery is about sports, youth and nostalgia. Were you athletic kids, big fans…both? What does ‘sport’ represent to you today?
TLP: WE WERE BOTH VERY SPORTS ORIENTED GROWING UP. BOB WAS UNDER 15’S MID-ESSEX BADMINGTON DOUBLES CHAMPION AND CHAZ COULD HAVE PLAYED FOR WEST HAM AS A YOUTH IF HE HAD BEEN ANY GOOD AT ALL AT FOOTBALL.
I GUESS THE CHALLENGE FOR US WAS TO SUCCESSFULLY COMBINE THE POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC CHOICE OF MIXING ART AND SPORT. ITS A SUBJECT THAT IS MUCH OVERLOOKED IN THE ARTWORLD. PROBABLY FOR THE GOOD REASON THAT THEY HAVE VERY LITTLE TO DO WITH ONE ANOTHER. HOWEVER THEY DO OVERLAP IN SOME WAYS. THERE IS A CERTAIN ARTISTRY TO SPORTING DISCIPLINES, LIKE WATCHING THE FIRM-THIGHED OLYMPIC COLLOSUS SIR CHRIS HOY BOLT AROUND A CYCLING TRACK, WITNESSING A BEARDED IAN BOTHAM SPRAY 4’S AND 6’S AROUND LORDS CRICKET GROUND OR THE GRACEFUL LEAP INTO THE CROWD OF ERIC CANTONA BEFORE HE KUNG FU KICKED SOME GOBBY BLOKE IN THE FACE.
SS: TLP is involved in other projects alongside street and fine art, such as creative writing and video art. We have been particularly intrigued by you latest foray into music and live performance with your catchy ‘Dog Songs.’ Can you describe this conceptual direction, is music something we can expect to see more of?
TLP: MOVING FROM MAKING ART INTO SINGING SONGS ABOUT DOGS JUST SEEMED AN OBVIOUS STEP REALLY. WHO WOULDN’T SEE THAT AS THE WAY FORWARD. WE HAVE AT LEAST THREE MORE ALBUMS WORTH OF DOG SONGS SO EXPECT TO SEE PLENTY MORE FROM ‘THE TLP DOG SINGERS’ IN THE NEXT 8 YEARS OR, IF YOU LIKE, 56 DOG YEARS OR , IF YOU’RE A DOG, 56 YEARS.
SS: You guys have been working together for quite some time now and your styles have remained completely distinct of one another. We feel that this quality adds an exciting tension to your work. Do these different styles reflect your different personalities in any way?
TLP: WE WOULD DEFINITELY AGREE THAT THE DIFFERENT STYLES REFLECT OUR DIFFERENT PERSONALITIES AND THERE IS AN EXCITING TENSION WITHIN THE WORK. ALTHOUGH THERES CERTAINLY NO TENSION BETWEEN US…
CHAZ: BOBS COMPLEX ARCHITECTURAL STYLE AND ILLUSTRATIVE PORTRAITURE CONJURE UP AN IMAGE OF A TWO DIMENSIONAL MAN WITH MANY PERSONALITY ISSUES AND PROBABLY A SHORT STACK OF PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS.
BOB: CHAZ’S SMILEY FACED SIMPLE CHARACTERS ARE PROBABLY VERY REFLECTIVE OF HIS PERSONALITY AS HE TENDS TO ALWAYS BE SMILING LIKE SOME PROPER SIMPLE TWAT.
SS: Chaz, everyone is dying to know: How does one learn to draw a perfect circle? Is it something you must be born with or does it take years of training, practice and dedication?
CHAZ: PRACTICE, PRACTICE, YEARS OF TRAINING, DEDICATION, PRACTICE, MORE PRACTICE, DEDICATED PRACTICE AND SOMETIMES SOME CIRCULAR TEMPLATES HELP AS WELL.
SS: It is good to have you back in London, do you have any plans to paint any new walls while you are here? Where are you off to next?
CHAZ: THANK YOU VERY MUCH. ALWAYS GOOD TO COME HOME AFTER MANY YEARS GRAFTING IN THE DEBAUCHED ADULT PLAYGROUND OF AMSTERDAM.
ONE OF OUR PIECES IN THE SHOW WILL BE A FRAMED PAINTING ON A VINTAGE MONOPOLY BOARD. WE WILL VISIT EACH VENUE ON THE BOARD AND LEAVE SOME ART IN THAT PARTICULAR STREET OR PLACE. IF THERES TIME AND THE POSSIBILITY WE HOPE ONE OF THESE VENUES WOULD BE A BIGGER WALL BUT LETS SEE. EVERYTHING WILL BE DOCUMENTED AND DISPLAYED IN THE GALLERY AT THE SHOW.
AFTER LONDON ITS STRAIGHT OFF TO BRATISLAVA FOR A BIG FAT MURAL AND LOTS OF RIDICULOUSLY STRONG SCHNAPPS FLAVOURED IN THE STYLE OF ROCKET FUEL. WE ALSO HAVE AN ANIMATION PROJECT IN THE WORKS AND LOTS OF SUMMER DATES FOR ‘THE LONDON POLICE DOG SINGERS’ INCLUDING BRIAN FERRYS NEPHEWS BAR MITZVAH. LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL!!
