For the second curatorial outing by MPIA, illustrator Christopher Wright brings the crazy world of Turbo Island to Leeds in his debut exhibition – another ‘first’ at Outlaws Yacht Club.
Showcasing illustrations, prints and his famous tees for an 8 week stint from 20 November, Christopher Wright has made sure that his psych-art brings out our inner oddball, stating that Turbo Island is “focused on creating colourful and cocky t-shirts for the music geeks amongst us.” The team loved his quirky Balearic scenes so much they’ve asked him to do the latest t-shirt for the venue. His work features monthly in Crack magazine too, and even Jamie Oliver took a shine to one of the tees. Chris Akabusi is apparently next on the target list for pun-based celebrity stunts.
Born in Kent, but making art in Bristol, like a colourful music focused Viz cartoon Chris’s work under Turbo Island is inspired by a suitably colourful array of things from life in general; pop culture, new tech, food, jokes, the Frenchman he shares a studio with, memories, misfortunes and music. His recent return to clothing sees characters Billy Onyeabor and Happy Cello brandished on tees to satisfy his own need for light-hearted raised-brow audio-based themes. It’s better than branding.
Having always been a fan of the music tee, launching the Turbo Island brand seemed the obvious way to combine his art with garment-based imagery. Seeing music tees as “opportunities for creativity to flourish” Chris gives what could otherwise be standard promo screen prints a fun but surreal spin, confronting brands like Reebok and E45 (yes, the moisturiser).
Taking the name of the project from a famous central reservation in his home-town of Bristol, Chris has harnessed a moniker that rings familiar with the punters. Think Desert Island, River Island and Stone Island. Not necessarily a handful of Island instances you’d want to put together but you’d not generally put a raisin playing a keyboard on a tee so why not. Anything is possible in the crazy world of Turbo Island.
And here’s a word from Esteban Peabody (Chief facilitator, department of enablement of public sales allurement)
As the famous Chinese proverb goes: “Beauty is in the eye of the tee-holder”. And never before has such a wise adage rang more true than with Turbo Island Tees, perhaps the most beautiful of all tee shirt companies ever to have entered into anyone’s eye.
The primitive utopianism of life on Turbo Island is far removed from the Western experience, its inhabitants perpetually suckling on the fertile teat of creativity offered up by their homeland. The Turbo Islanders whittle their time away producing fanciful tees in orgies of creative excess, thronging the land all day long with song and thrusting sopping gobs of indifference at the outside world.
The just-don’t-give-a-jot attitude of the Turbo Islanders is reflected in their music tastes, which they regularly decorate their wares with. Harking back to a time when music was better, they smatter the topography in a who’s-who of musical tee shirt heroes: Kraftwerk, Billy Onyeabor, Philip Glass, Can, Manuel Göttsching, Ron Hardy, Arthur Russell and many more. Who knows how these artists ever came to be known in such a remote land? Perhaps Turbo Island was once a desert island disc destination for the world’s most happening deejays.
So, Turbo Island tees make a great choice of clothing for Westerners looking to capture the utopianism and cultures of those exotic climes. For example, vintage fashionistas can mash them up with accessories and tattoos hijacked from bygone eras to emulate the spirit of lost and more exciting times.
Never forget what a wise old saying “Beauty is in the eye of the tee-holder” is. If you’re a music fan wanting both beauty in your eye and to be a tee holder, there’s worse things you could do than take a trip to Turbo Island. Tees for sale in the souvenir shop, in between the bookmarks and the clotted cream fudge.
See what we mean….
Opening Thursday 20 November // Launch party 6pm // Brooklyn Brewery take-over
Outlaws Yacht Club
New York Street
Leeds
For more info on this craziness, take a look at: