Business was brisk—and especially with your correspondent—at the Peckham, south London, launch of Art Licks Trading. Ten young artists have made functional household items to generate funds for the annual Art Licks Weekend festival in London, which takes place every October. I am happy to report that Casa Buck is now well equipped with an utterly irresistible chunky little JCB-yellow bottle opener from James Capper; an especially appropriate “champagne socialist” sickle n’flute tea towel created by Pio Abad; two of Catherine Aitken and David Murphy’s coat hooks—which are far too beautiful to cover with garments—and a pair of Miriam Austin’s gorgeously vegetal vases.
Then as if that wasn't enough, just as she was toasting her purchases with a frothing flagon of (thankfully free) Peckham pilsner, the beady journo’s eye then spotted The (Starving) Artist’s Cookbook, on offer for a mere tenner. Closer scrutiny revealed that the author of this highly informative and beautifully designed—not to mention useful—tome full of gastronomic art history is none other than Stephanie Willats, mother of the Art Licks founder and director Holly Willats. The latter accurately pointed out in the book’s introduction that “most artists are really interested in food, eating and drinking; and many are great cooks too” with the exception of Michelangelo who apparently ate more out of necessity than of pleasure, and Van Gogh whose menu du choix was bread and cheese. But with recipes such as Walter Sickert’s chicken soup, Bloomsbury-ite shepherd’s pie, and Diego Rivera’s guacamole, it is doubtful whether any of today’s Art Lickers will go hungry. And then there’s always the champagne socialist tea towel to assist with the washing up. If you can’t make Art Licks Trading’s pop-up front room—in the splendid dereliction of Safehouse 1 just off Peckham’s Rye Lane—this weekend, all the artful goods can be bought online at artlicks.bigcartel.com
