Jim Mitchell with one of his original works included in the exhibition Rubber Soul. Photo / Supplied
Jim Mitchell with one of his original works included in the exhibition Rubber Soul. Photo / Supplied
A retrospective exhibition of Mambo sketches, prints and posters from the hyperactive imagination of New Zealand-born artist Jim Mitchell is on from the beginning of July at Boyd-Dunlop Gallery.
100% Mambo launched in Redfern, Australia, in 1984, and owed much of its success to a group of independent artists whohelped translate the passion for surf, art, music and humour into wearable products beloved by many, and still coveted by Millennials and Centennials raiding their dad’s wardrobes. One such artist was Mitchell.
The exhibition, Rubber Soul, will consist of highly sought-after and never-before-exhibited works to purchase from Mitchell’s personal collection. The collection includes his entire set of original poster art, painted between 1994 and 2000.
Securing the poster brief for each collection was considered the most prestigious commission and the artistic competition stepped up accordingly.
Several of the artworks featured in this exhibition are working drawings, which were step one of a creative process for art to be approved for a graphic story or range, and find its way onto a T-shirt, loud shirt, swing tag or poster.
A core group of artists was invited to contribute ideas to each range; this method of sourcing art had the effect of creating intense competition among the artists, with the ultimate effect of extracting the most original, collectable and controversial artworks.
These visuals were created before Photoshop was widely used, and therefore include literal cut-and-paste (tape) as Mitchell tweaked his layouts. Pantone swatches and coffee stains are bonus extras.
Also featuring in the exhibition are limited-edition screen prints of iconic works, new-release limited-edition digital prints, and special one-off print proofs for T-shirts.
