The desire of a successful London artist to open his art gallery ran headlong into the uncompromising era of Covid-19. He turned resistance into opportunity and opened his gallery online, using social media to draw the attention of other contemporary artists.
A popular graffiti artist whose murals now adorn the happy walls of multiple London venues, Marc Craig says he always wanted to own his own art gallery — but Covid-19 turned the art world on its head.
Artist Marc Craig opened his art gallery as a virtual entity and used social media to attract ... [+]
“The gallery idea has been sleeping, but very much an active entity in my psyche,” Craig explains. “Artists had shows cancelled. Galleries closed. Even my studio space closed down. Suddenly, the creative world seemed very small.”
After the initial shock of lockdown, Craig went into proactive mode and created a project called “The Full Adam.” In that series of works, male life models worked with the artist in creating unique collaborative art pieces that mixed their craft with Craig’s doodles. The teams shared individually the revenue on any sales of prints. Successfully showing those pieces reignited Craig’s passion for his own gallery.
“Online is the new normal,” he says. “People are buying online, so I found a company that offered a 3D virtual space, and I just launched into it. As is always the case with these things, I am growing into the experience.”
The result is the Chopperchunky Gallery, and it’s presenting Craig the chance to meet new artists and creatives while expanding collaboration potential. Now, selecting the artists with whom to work becomes the next key question.
“For me though it is all about narrative. Without a narrative, the art becomes difficult to connect with, so — when I first become acquainted with someone’s art and I find myself immersed in the narrative — then that is the art I would like to have on show. I would like to represent people who are passionate about their story, who are inclined to collaborative ideals and who are searching for the upgrade in what they are experiencing creatively.”
Works from "The Full Adam" are featured in the first exhibition from the online Chopperchunky ... [+]
As social media becomes more essential during the Coronavirus limitations, Craig uses Facebook and other channels to connect with artists who could join in the Chopperchunky creative environment. One creator scheduled for a future appearance is The Ox, an anonymous American artist who looks forward to working with Craig.
“With one exception, every gallery my work found a way into so far was virtual,” The Ox says. “That was a growing trend before the virus, and it’s only growing now. Virtual venues like Chopperchunky are leading the trend.”
Craig describes himself as someone who backs the underdog, and he sees these online talents lacking the opportunity to have a platform to show their work.
“I especially appreciate artists who come under the umbrella of the often-coined term outsider art. They can be insiders at Chopperchunky.”
