COMBINE AND CONQUER

TEN4 investigates the perks and pitfalls of working in a creative collective.

The arts have never been the sole preserve of the individual. Convergence, collaboration, discourse and debate amongst peers can often help to ferment the creative process, and a number of creative collectives are flourishing.

The benefits are clear: pitching for contracts becomes easier, broader palettes of media become available, and the likelihood of fulfilling a remit is increased by the breadth of ideas.

Financial advantages are also plentiful - costs of studio space are shared, as are those of exhibiting, and client bases and contacts are pooled. Other tangible ticks in the plus column include passing on skills and collective brainstorming.

Of course, difficulties can arise. Whether those utopian ideals are shattered by an impassioned debate over a point of principle or by a sinkful of dirty dishes, relationships can become strained, as the founders of legendary anti-establishment magazine The Modern Review discovered when Toby Young shut up shop overnight behind Julie Burchill's back after an almighty spat. She didn't find out the magazine had been shut down until she read about it in next morning's papers, and the pair didn't speak for ten years.

But despite the potential pitfalls, a common factor for all the collectives over the next few pages is a strong sense of like-mindedness and camaraderie that keeps those creative juices flowing.

PEEP AND YOU SHALL FIND: PEEPSHOW

Click onto the slick website of the Peepshow collective and their diversity is immediately clear. Take a second glance and their swathe of contracts and clients demonstrates their quality. Toyota, Nike, BBC, Diesel, Selfridges, Coca Cola and Channel 4 are just a sample of their ad campaigns, while their work on books, magazines and exhibitions covers just as broad a spectrum.

The brainchild of six illustration graduates from Brighton, the collective was established in 2000. Members have come and gone leaving the present "good solid ten" - Lucy, Andrew, Miles, Chrissie, Marie, Andrew, Spencer, Elliot, Jenny and Pete. All of them are enviably multi-disciplined. Illustration; set design; animation; editorial; t-shirt design; even "making things out of card" is covered.

Peepshow established a permanent HQ in 2004, where the majority of the collective reside day to day. Tucked away off the beaten track in Bethnal Green their studio is breezy with activity. Their tranquil industry puts one in mind of the Bagpuss mice, albeit with better haircuts.

The modus is a relatively simple one: each member will work individually on their own projects and collectively on group commissions. Everyone will play some part: "even if an individual is not involved in the specifics, we will all be involved in the ideas process." Fees are divvied up amongst the individuals working on a project, with 15 percent going into the pot for promotions and similar costs. For each contract a project manager will be appointed, providing the client with one point of contact.

When discussing the pros and cons of their setup Peepshow unsurprisingly believe the former far outweigh the latter. Cost savings through shared studio space, equipment and client base are all acknowledged benefits, and "if someone wants to see a folio, they've got ten to choose from." Another clear advantage is the huge knowledge base available - some admit they learnt their craft in pre-hi-tech computer days, but as Marie points out, "if you don't have the skills yourself, there's always someone to teach you."

Luke and Lucy admit that on occasion cabin fever can creep in - "being cooped up is the one disadvantage, for research and reference. It's nice to get out and about." Claustrophobia aside, Peepshow are excited about future ventures, with an online shop planned, a commission secured to design a window installation for Saatchi & Saatchi's Charlotte Street gallery (paid for, like all promotional endeavours, out of the group pot) and they will once again be manning a stall at the V&A annual fete.

In these ventures again there is interaction with other inventive friends - Tatty Devine, Scarlet Projects and onedotzero are all warmly acknowledged. An excursion into the comedy world provides another string to the bow, with animation provided for BBC3's broadband-only show Cowards. Andrew and Luke sum up their future succinctly, maintaining "I think that it's dangerous to think much further ahead than a year; we just wanna keep on doing fun projects."

MONSTROUS TALENT: PETE FOWLER

Integral to Welsh space-rockers Super Furry Animals are the curious visuals running throughout their album art, props and videos. Creator of that world is serial collaborator Pete Fowler.

Pete may not strictly be a member of any collective per se, but he has his fingers in a good range of artistic pies. A freelance illustrator, his influence is felt far and wide via his Monsterism universe, which comprise a vast assembly of creatures, each with individual personalities and traits, depicted in a post-modern cartoon style. They've recently moved off the page, becoming a hugely successful range of designer toys - and are about to take a step further.

"I've been working on an animation project for the last four years, which draws on the world of Monsterism," Pete explains. "We signed a co-production deal with Baby Cow Productions to help turn Monsterism Island into an animated comedy series to present to broadcasters. I've been working with animators, writers, producers and actors to get the idea from sketchbook to screen."

On working in a team, Pete admits, "I've craved the idea of working with a team for some time but always thought I should work on my own to chase my dream, retain my individuality and keep the quality of my work high." But he's lately come round to the collaborative way of thinking: "Such partnerships and collaborations are the only way to take your work to the next level."

Pete has come a long way since art school, accumulating a raft of blue-chip clients en route, but it seems he gets an increasing buzz from combining forces. "As long as it's a balanced collaboration, and the parties can work together to make something that wouldn't get made working individually, it's a good thing," he asserts. "You have to be prepared for your ideas and work to be taken in a different direction."

Under these circumstances Pete believes collaborations work and can be more than the sum of their parts, but he's thankful never to have been burned as a result of working collectively: "I've been pretty successful with most of my collaborative projects, so I've not experienced many cons in that area. I've been lucky to work with like-minded people and don't think my projects would have worked otherwise."

Pete's respect for the work of others is evident: "I like the Scrawl collective, and how the artists have worked together. It's amazing when you see artists just click and work almost as one; Will Barras and Mr Jago for example. I've had the pleasure to paint with them several times and have found myself standing back and just watching it happen."

Pete closes our interview by offering fans a tantalizing hint of the future: "I have a side project with Mark James that we're developing at the moment for release later in the year, drawing from both our individual strengths, that I hope will be very interesting and different to what I've done before. I don't want to give too much away, but the items designed will be available to buy and will involve some work by the customer to realise them. Say no more."

HAND TO MOUSE

Whilst retaining the 'collective' tag, Scrawl bring a fresh approach. Central to everything is Ric Blackshaw, the sun around which the many other talented satellites orbit. A mellow and engaging chap, he was originally behind the influential 1999 book Scrawl: Dirty Graphics and Strange Characters, and its subsequent follow up, Scrawl: Too Much Dirt.

The Scrawl journey began in earnest after Ric's first book was published. During its creation Ric encountered three Bristol-based artists who were later to become founding members: Will Barras, Steff Plaetz and Mr Jago.

Over the years their number has grown organically, and now numbers over fifteen. Ric's is the role of middle-man in this collection of both new and established creatives; he maintains the website whilst curating and arranging shows involving their burgeoning roster of talent.

Over the years it seems Ric has been gifted with a Pied Piper-like knack of meeting the right folk on the way and asking them to join him - Scrawl has grown organically and messily. "I just seemed to find people like Kid Acne, through the book. Cat, she came to do work experience after Will Barras recommended her folio, then there are e-mails, referrals, and Sam just turned up..."

This expanding bevy of artists is both UK based and international. "One of our artists, Hampus, lives in Sweden; another Italy, Spain - it's an international scene, so it becomes possible to go to say, Sao Paolo for work." Ric is the sole presence in the Soho office. "I translate what the client wants," he explains.

E-mails, meetings and the phone keep the network connected: "If one is struggling for inspiration they can be lifted in our support mechanism. Sometimes ego can come into play - some can have them the size of Everest, but it's all based on friendship."

There are no salaries at Scrawl, with Ric taking 25 percent of the profit for any collaborative effort and the rest being split equally between whichever members of the collective happened to work on the project. Exhibition costs are covered by sponsors, which helps keep the group free of contracts for the most part - they try to focus on common interests and common sense as much as possible.

Although a great deal of their output is digital, Scrawl's motto remains "hand b4 mouse" - reflecting their belief in the superiority of their hand-drawn approach, which Ric describes as "a doodly kind of look; less hard-edged. The Scrawl books were never about graffiti; it was about latent talents."

The website shows this talent at work. A truly stunning array of silk-screen prints flutter their eyelashes at your credit card, and a long list of projects and exhibitions show just how a collective can riff well; murals involving multi input, together with individual exhibitions from relative newcomer Danny Sangra, Phlash and others catch the eye through sheer balls-out talent and creativity.

Ric speaks happily of past times - mural painting barns in the US with the Barnstormers is recalled with a smile, as is working with Pete Fowler in Japan, but it's the future that motivates: "We want to grow the company. Commercial work is the bread and butter but not as much fun; it's all the better if you can make and sell work on your terms. It's in its infancy, but we'd like to make the website the instrument for that - an online gallery."

SO OUT, THEY'RE IN

Welcome to the Outcrowd: the collective that isn't really a collective, which rejects the in-crowd while producing quality work in touch with the zeitgeist. Confused? You won't be. As founder Lawrence Roper, aka Log, explains, it's really all very simple.

"Well, we call ourselves a collective, although I was discussing this with master Peplow, trying to define what we are and how we operate, and I think personally I prefer the term 'crowd' like a looser, less formal gathering," Log says of his burgeoning Birmingham-based band. And it's all about change: "A crowd can change with the ebb, flow and mood of an event, which is how we like to work."

The Outcrowd started in early 2004, although their roots go further back. Lawrence was running a little coffee shop gallery at Birmingham's Custard Factory, where he offered a show to Simon Peplow and Vaughan Baker, his old skate artist buddies.

"It was one of their first shows, so they kinda tweaked out over the dubious prospect of filling a gallery space by themselves," he recalls. "They didn't feel they had enough work, and so invited some more friends along." In the end, the group set about taking over and filling the large Custard Factory exhibition space as well as the Coffee Shop.

That first show, self-titled The Outcrowd, was the birth of something they describe as "very different from the pretentious drivel being forced on the unsuspecting retinas of the public at that time." Simon Peplow came up with the name because he felt no desire to be affiliated with the 'in-crowd' of artists in and around the Midlands at the time, and as a reflection of the eclectic background of the group members, from newly-graduated students to successful freelancers.

Their defiant stance outside the mainstream was borne out down to the smallest detail, with cider and various live bands taking the place of wine and canapés at the exhibition opening.

As it stands, the Outcrowd's loose line-up includes Peplow as "the legitimate front man" and Ben, "an absolute grafter" as head of product design - "the steady one between mine and Peplow's wobblers," as Log puts it.

Other core members comprise serious designer Lee Basford, "web tickler, tech rock star and dad," Stef Grindley, Tsz Wan, "the realist, keeping our whimsical fantasies in check and knitting all our Outcrowd beanies", Will Murray, "web support and all-round gentle soul," Vaughan Baker, pro-skater "spreading the gospel of Crowd like a missionary on wheels" and Chris Bourke, "old-school technician, master of all things craft-based, and our in-house tattooist."

As their skills allow, different members of the core eight and looser twenty-odd members will contribute to the group's projects, which include web design, installation, screen printing, illustration, animation and framing.

Log tries to make sure the group's work maintains its integrity and quality. "Neither myself or Peplow would keep schtum if a fellow Crowder submitted a piece of work that we felt brought the rest of their work or indeed the whole show down. We'd have no problem telling that individual to leave it at home."

While we're on the negative side of his role, what's the greatest difficulty Log encounters? "Curating shows is a giant bollock ache, getting everyone together in one space, collecting work and all that." Bollock aches aside, Log is keen to leave us with one message: the rewards outweigh the negative aspects ten-fold.

LINKS

www.peepshow.org.uk
www.monsterism.net
www.scrawlcollective.co.uk
www.outcrowdcollective.com

Text: Tony Doyle
Photography: Dave Remes and Jamie Kelly