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Jen Barnett interviews Bristol artist Adam Mclevey as he finished his third day of his exhibition The TV Show at Room 212 on Gloucester Road, Bishopston.

 

 

First off, tell me about the concept of the TV Show.

 

The TV Show came about because  I wanted to get the MCL pieces out and have a show just for them. Since the success of the sales of them through my site, the demand has gotten so high that I felt they really deserved a place on the walls.

 

I also wanted to do a show that was an experiment as a working studio and gallery. I wanted the gallery to live and evolve over the week, and then come to the point on the last day where everything would be all together.

 

 

You describe the art here as ‘MCL pieces’.  What do you mean by that? How are they different from your other work?

 

MCL is an abbreviation of Mclevey. The name came about as I looked at the pieces in relation the more formal Mclevey pieces. Those are usually bigger, more serious, and much more expensive.

 

The MCL work is far more relaxed. There’s a lot of work involved in them, but half the price of a Mclevey piece, with half the seriousness.  It’s almost a Jekyll and Hyde thing. Mclevey is the grumpy bloke sitting in the studio that I don’t like people to see, but producing the big work. MCL is the fun version that shows up on the street, on a canvas, on a mug, on a shirt…

 

 

You have names for all of the characters. How did they come about and what are they?

 

As the characters grew, so did the need for a name. There are pieces that other artists have done that people have given their own names to. I figured if I don’t name them, somebody else will.

 

The Steves got named on a drunken night in with some friends. I was doing some of the pieces, and Steve was in the room, so the guys got named Steves.

 

The mice are named Ed, after a certain art connoisseur and friend. The birds are Kerry, for reasons I won’t go into. The latest is the Andy, named after one of my favourite Bristol artists. He’s the first Steve to don glasses, and is looking pretty slick.

 

I’m also going to add a squirrel to the mix, who is currently unnamed. I’m thinking about opening the naming up to the online public, and give something away for the best name.

 

 

How did the characters and MCL pieces first come about?

 

I’d wanted a character that I could do for street pieces as well as for studio work. I’d done some other characters in the past, but they didn’t really interest me anymore.

 

Meanwhile, as I was working on Mclevey pieces, I would doodle in a figure instead of going all out every time. Every piece is born out of many, many sketches, so I’d just do a stand-in figure. That figure slowly became the focus of some of the skteches, and I was doing more and more of them.

 

I thought I’d put a few out in the ‘£1, One Stamp’ release last year, just to see how others responded to them. I expected I’d get a few people liking them, and sell maybe 30 cards, tops. I sold a lot more than that, and the demand for the characters got so high I couldn’t keep up with the orders.

 

Since then, the characters have grown over time, and been shortened. They used to have arms and legs, and now they only have limbs when they need them. They’re little morph characters that have taken on a life of their own.

 

 

Are the pieces in The TV Show all for sale? What kind of prices are they?

 

All the pieces are for sale, but they’re selling fast. Today I finished a piece and it was sold within ten minutes. I think the pain was still wet, but don’t think the buyer noticed.

 

The prices start at £10 and will be capped at £100. I’m not making any kind of statement with the cap. It’s just that they’re all fun, bright characters and they deserve a place on everybody’s wall.

 

The televisions are available, but aren’t being pushed. The whole idea is entertainment, and I wanted to keep it light-hearted and enjoyable. They’re here as much for me as for others. Right now I’m watching a movie I’ve never seen, and have had all sorts of films and music videos on all week.

 

 

The pieces seem to show a bit of mixed emotion about TV. How do you feel about TV? What’s your favourite show?

 

I watch as much as possible. If I’m not in the studio, I’m watching TV. (My favourite show is King of Queens.) I do have mixed emotions about it, though. Some days I love it and some days I hate it. I think it depends on my mood, and that gets reflected in the pieces.

 

The Big Brother piece was done while I was watching it, and that’s how I felt like a TV was being smashed into my head. I can’t wait for Big Brother to be over.

 

But then being away from TV this week, I think the pieces are getting more sympathetic as they go on. It’s like a spouse. When you’ve been apart for a bit, you start to miss them.

 

 

A lot of the pieces have a certain nostalgia to them and reference shows from the 80s. Does this lead to a slightly older audience being attracted to the show?

 

It really has appealed to an older audience. Along with the Flintstones-type boulder TV, the Evil Edna gets the most looks and comments, with people saying they remember that show or asking what it was from.

 

Everything in that vein is selfish. It’s stuff I wanted to do, but couldn‘t before. They’re pieces that I couldn’t do as Mclevey pieces, and that wouldn’t make sense just as an MCL piece on their own.

 

I’ve wanted to do things like a drippy ALF or ET with a spray can, and this show is the perfect excuse.

 

The test card was a big part of my childhood. I woke up to that so many times. So it was fun to play around with it and do a few pieces based on that.

 

 

You mentioned that it was all leading up to last day. What’s happening then?

 

On Friday, I’ll be working as normal from 11 to 5. Come 5 o’clock, it will be the end of the show’s development and it’ll be time to celebrate the start and end of it all. We’ll be having a drinks reception with classic films, music, and plenty of booze.

 

For those who can’t get to the venue on Friday night, we’ll also be open for a few hours on Saturday. People can also view the pieces on the show’s website, and can buy work through there, too.

 

 

What’s next for you after this show closes?

 

There’s always something in the pipeline, but first and foremost I’m going to get a good night’s sleep with the alarm clock turned off!

 

The TV Show is at Room 212 (212 Gloucester Road, Bishopston, BS7 8NU) through Saturday afternoon. The drinks reception is open to the public from 5 pm to 9 pm on Friday.

 

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