A selection of elephants by Paul Shinn
Allow me to introduce you to Marjorie, web picture below. She’s one of 258 fibreglass elephants in and around London decorated by some of the capital’s most prominent artists, more about designers and image makers.
Clare Bassett’s Marjorie (#81)
It’s London’s largest outdoor art event and it’s creating quite a stir in the capital. From people like John Shinn, who’s trying to photograph them all on Facebook, to work colleagues printing out lists of the elephants and checking them off, it seems that they’ve gripped London like nothing before.
So, where to start? Well, the aim of this project, whilst cheering up many a London street, is a simple one. It’s to raise awareness for the plight of the Asian elephant, dangerously close to extinction. Created by father and son duo Mike and Marc Spits, all the revenue from sponsorship and the auction of the elephants will go to the Elephant Family charity.
Here’s some you should see, and some you can just see here.
A range of fashion designers have applied their own style to the elephants, including this creation by red carpet luminary Julian McDonald.
It’s fun, no? It’s not the best one by a long shot, and I question the ethics of decorating one endangered animal in the beautiful coat of another, but I’m sure this is totally off McDonald’s radar. It’s suitably camp and stands perkily out Liberty, and this clump of Italian teenagers certainly seemed to enjoy it.
Other fashion names include Issa, Diane von Furstenberg, Matthew Williamson and Sir Paul Smith (one of my favourite elephants so far)
The Paul Smith Elephant by Sir Paul Smith (#173) at The Royal Exchange
The beauty of the project, besides raising awareness in a super fun way, is that you never know when you are going to bump into one of these creatures. They are literally everywhere – hell, they’d have to be to fit 250 of the buggers in our city. Just as you put your camera away after photographing one, you turn a corner and there’s another!
Illustration by Gemma Milly
Illustration by Matt Thomas
The Cartier elephant (#107) at the Royal Exchange by Rachel Liddington
The City in the Elephant by BFLS Architects (#255) illustrated by Lisa Billvik
This beauty is pretty simple on the outside, but peer inside any of its small transparent domes and inside you’ll see an incredible model of London featuring teeny tiny elephants, too!
Photograph by Paul Shinn
Thammakit Thamboon’s Polkadot (#12) at More London by Jenny Robins
Helen Cowcher’s Hornbill (#116) at More London by Naomi Law
Illustration by Eben Berj
Of course, this art project wouldn’t be complete with a good ol’ dash of politics. ‘Anonymous’ has created three elephants dressed in boxing gloves and silk shorts in the colour of the three main political parties – appropriately titled ‘Mr Brown’ ‘Mr Cameron’ and ‘Mr Clegg’. The Elephant Parade haven’t yet confirmed, however, if they’re to remove ‘Mr Brown’, or indeed move ‘Mr Cameron’ and ‘Mr Clegg’ together so they can whisper sweet nothings to each other.
Photograph by Paul Shinn
So, go out and enjoy some fun art right on the street. Tweet your pics @AmeliasMagazine !
A selection of elephants by Paul Shinn
Allow me to introduce you to Marjorie, website picture below. She’s one of 258 fibreglass elephants in and around London decorated by some of the capital’s most prominent artists, this web designers and image makers.
Clare Bassett’s Marjorie (#81) at More London
It’s London’s largest outdoor art event and it’s creating quite a stir in the capital. From people like John Shinn, who’s trying to photograph them all on Facebook, to work colleagues printing out lists of the elephants and checking them off, it seems that they’ve gripped London like nothing before.
So, where to start? Well, the aim of this project, whilst cheering up many a London street, is a simple one. It’s to raise awareness for the plight of the Asian elephant, dangerously close to extinction. Created by father and son duo Mike and Marc Spits, all the revenue from sponsorship and the auction of the elephants will go to the Elephant Family charity.
Here’s some you should see, and some you can just see here.
A range of fashion designers have applied their own style to the elephants, including this creation by red carpet luminary Julian McDonald.
Bertie by Julien McDonald (#139) on Foubert’s Place
It’s fun, no? It’s not the best one by a long shot, and I question the ethics of decorating one endangered animal in the beautiful coat of another, but I’m sure this is totally off McDonald’s radar. It’s suitably camp and stands perkily out Liberty, and this clump of Italian teenagers certainly seemed to enjoy it.
Other fashion names include Issa, Diane von Furstenberg, Matthew Williamson and Sir Paul Smith (one of my favourite elephants so far)
The Paul Smith Elephant by Sir Paul Smith (#173) at The Royal Exchange
The beauty of the project, besides raising awareness in a super fun way, is that you never know when you are going to bump into one of these creatures. They are literally everywhere – hell, they’d have to be to fit 250 of the buggers in our city. Just as you put your camera away after photographing one, you turn a corner and there’s another!
Illustration by Gemma Milly
Illustration by Matt Thomas
The Cartier elephant (#107) at the Royal Exchange by Rachel Liddington
The City in the Elephant by BFLS Architects (#255) illustrated by Lisa Billvik
This beauty is pretty simple on the outside, but peer inside any of its small transparent domes and inside you’ll see an incredible model of London featuring teeny tiny elephants, too!
Photograph by Paul Shinn
Thammakit Thamboon’s Polkadot (#12) at More London by Jenny Robins
Helen Cowcher’s Hornbill (#116) at More London by Naomi Law
Illustration by Eben Berj
Of course, this art project wouldn’t be complete with a good ol’ dash of politics. ‘Anonymous’ has created three elephants dressed in boxing gloves and silk shorts in the colour of the three main political parties – appropriately titled ‘Mr Brown’ ‘Mr Cameron’ and ‘Mr Clegg’. The Elephant Parade haven’t yet confirmed, however, if they’re to remove ‘Mr Brown’, or indeed move ‘Mr Cameron’ and ‘Mr Clegg’ together so they can whisper sweet nothings to each other.
Photograph by Paul Shinn
Eko by Paul Kidby (#195) in Green Park, illustrated by Rachel de Ste. Croix
So, go out and enjoy some fun art right on the street. Tweet your pics @AmeliasMagazine !
Cameron and Clegg in bed together, mind by Antonia Parker.
Who watched the joint press conference given by David Cameron and Nick Clegg from the Downing Street back garden on 12th May 2010? Who else boggled at the back-slapping camaraderie of this sudden coalition? Within the space of just one week Cameron and Clegg have gone from flirtatious – or so it now seems, buy looking back – bickering to full on coitus. Watch them chuckle at each other’s jokes like old mates! See them smile lovingly at each other! Yes, I feared that a hung parliament would produce my least preferred coalition, but I never for one moment anticipated this classic bromance.
Lib-Con Love by Sandra Dieckmann.
And I can’t help but think – how on earth is this love-in actually going to work? How many concessions will the Cleggeron make to keep the spark alive? These are interesting days, to be sure.
The opportunity to put out an open brief to picture this unholy union was just too irresistible. This then, is a blog devoted to the brilliance of illustrators. Enjoy.
The tandem by Bex Glover.
The Cleggeron by Lazarou Monkey Terror.
Illustration by Abigail Daker.
Camerlegg by Colourbox.
Bathtime by Louise Rowland.
Krankies by Mel Simone Elliot.
Illustration by Reena Makwana.
Cleggcam by Tom Dench-Layton.
Surprise!! by Simon Wild.
Illustration by Pearl Law.
Illustration by Nikki Pinder.
If you fancy getting involved in my open callouts the best thing to do is follow me on twitter and get stuck in. Until the next one…
Categories ,Abigail Daker, ,Antonia Parker, ,Bex Glover, ,Bromance, ,Cleggeron, ,Coalition, ,Colourbox, ,David Cameron, ,Downing Street, ,General Election, ,Hung Parliament, ,illustration, ,Lazarou Monkey Terror, ,Louise Rowland, ,Mel Simone Elliott, ,Nick Clegg, ,Nikki Pinder, ,parliament, ,Pearl Law, ,politics, ,Reena Makwana, ,Sandra Dieckmann, ,Simon Wild, ,Tom Dench-Layton, ,twitter
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