Le Gun are an illustration/design collective, who periodically produce a satisfyingly chunky magazine/book collating their own warped illustrations and those of countless contributors. I heard about them in my first year when I went to a lecture by two core members, Neal Fox and Chris Bianchi, whose dedication and refreshingly laid-back, gin-soaked approach completely won us over.
Our relationship with Le Gun was maintained through workshops with Bianchi, illustrator/grand-master bookbinder Billy Bragg, designers Matt Appleton and Alex Wright, and the inimitable Robert Greene. When Billy called for assistance in building a 100%-cardboard living room/arts club for their latest show, we couldn't pass it up.
We went to their Hackney studio to build fully-functional armchairs, sofas and tables using heavy-duty card, tape and many dodgy glue guns, before moving into the gallery to construct what was to become one of the exhibition's highlights.
The exhibition/launch party kicked off on Wednesday August 27th, attracting a huge number of people who drank the bar dry, packed out the gallery space and lounged happily around the cardboard living room. A raucous parade, complete with marching band, guided the masses to a heaving after-party at Cargo, Shoreditch.
It's been a bizarre, insane, disturbing, exhausting pleasure to be part of it all. Special thanks to Billy for letting us get involved to such an extent.
Le Gun links:
LE GUN Official Website
LE GUN Blog
Le Gun on Myspace
"The Family" links
Michele Panzeri's photographs of the exhibition
Eye magazine: Le Gun feature
Review of 'The Family' for The Londonist by Oliver Gili
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