The Wonder Years

The artists as young men

The day was a grey one when they both met at the same play school. Both only three and a half years old they were young but not to be messed with. Darkboy cried as his mother left him at play school every day. Shoddy had amazing days thrashing around on his tricycle. These were by no means easy days, they were both busy creating at this very early age, finger painting, scrawling on walls and soiling their pants. It was all about milk, rusks and sticklebricks.

They both trundled along to the same primary school where the soiling of their pants seemed to continue for a while, they kept it up for 'arts sake'. Already they had mastered performance art with their tantrums. Painting and drawing was second nature to them but primary school brought messier mediums such as clay, papier-mâché and that horrible pva glue. The curse of pva glue haunted most class room carpets. The pots seemed to get spilt everywhere, leaving the carpet matted and crusty making it a gauntlet of mayhem at reading time to try and find a nice space to sit.

Darkboy and Shoddy remained the best of friends moving on to the same secondary school. The usual things happened, they lost there squeaky rat voices and gravity started pulling on certain area's. They both kept up with the biking, warriors with wheels, both arms and legs covered in scabs and grazes from their tight escapes from gnarly downhill single track. Creating still remained their main focus in life so when the opportunity to go to Paris and Amsterdam came up as school trips they couldn't turn them down. They both made the most of these two trips, broadening their palettes while their teachers looked on cursing and wishing they had never planned these trips.

7.30 am in the freezing cold one September morning waiting for their crazy bus driver Ronnie was his name. He took them on a winding tour over fen and heath from the fragrant city out to their beloved art collage. The stone built market town had clean air to breathe, an astonishing amount of churches, the best fish n chips in the east and god gave that town a wonderful girl's school. Darkroom antics, tea breaks, international waters, rollies, band practice. losing a bus seat, Friday fry ups, minidiscs, 50p cans(RRP 35p), missing the coach, vardis, life drawing period, overnight epileptic ferry, pot noodle machine, squares, meadows and distinctions.

Decisions were made, first steps taken and a long summer to prepare.

They arrived in two cities to start a fresh independence. Old friends had been left behind and new experiences were there to be discovered. Following a pristine road map to the studio it had been trodden by many before but what route would these undergraduates take. From beginning to end, three years plenty of time to learn and grow. Work shops, Culture, self direction, Making ones bed, art history and critiques opened their eyes to what had to be done. It hit the realisation. Time to move on, one more city needed to added to Darkboys story. Rob, Jeff, Techno man and Paul RIP. Dennis I wasn't scared of you either but thank you all.

BEEPBEEP-beepbeep-BEEPBEEP-beepbeep

They wake up, join forces, make ends meet, spawn fresh stuff and kill a few shows. 9 to 5 is irrelevant creating and educating is their destiny, we are Darkboy and shoddy.

art market was born...

Art market was born

0600 we awake to load the van. It's a pitch black freezing cold February morning. Drills "check", hammer "check" , nails "check", carpet tiles, fireplace boards and chairs. Shoddy says with frosted breath, "it's a tight squeeze. This is gonna take two trips". An hour later time to get busy matt our resident technician comes down to lend a hand setting up. Market folk arrive following a pink bear logo they stumble across a couple of crazy artists who have invaded their local market. It's not what they expected to find on stall 22.

As the day brightens up passers by, students, fellow artists, crafts people, designers, shoppers have all seen the fliers and posters and venture down to take a peek. The feed back is excellent everyone is pleasantly surprised to see an art show sporting customs, skulls and doodles all situated in a staged sitting room. The press turn up to interview and do a photo shoot the big boss of the market even came to see what the commotion was all about. 1630 its all over sales have been made contacts, sales and a show offer. how to follow it? Well a few months later we were ready to come back harder with private & confidential again at stall 22. The market had a real good vibe that day.

Keep an eye open and you ear to the ground because Darkboy and Shoddy will see you around...