Artist David Jones forages for inspiration – in supermarket trolleys.
Other people’s everyday shopping lists are “artistic gold” to David, 72, who studied at Liverpool Art College with the late Beatle, John Lennon.
Now two of his unusual linocut prints are to be featured at a prestigious art exhibition at the Anglesey Show on August 14 and 15.
The diverse and exciting show is part of the North Wales Open Studios Network, created to provide a shop window for the work of artists from across the region.
The Network sees Helfa Gelf/Art Trail, North Wales’ biggest open studios event working in partnership with Anglesey Arts Forum in a co-operation project funded by the Rural Development Plan for Wales.
An ex-art lecturer, David, who lives in Beaumaris, on Anglesey, admits he gets some interesting reactions when he goes to Tesco or Morrison’s on the mainland in Bangor.
For some reason, though, he has never had any luck at the Waitrose supermarket in Menai Bridge just a few miles down the road from his home.
That’s where Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge, does her shopping while she and Prince William live on Anglesey during his tour of duty as a helicopter search and rescue pilot at RAF Valley.
David’s fascination for discarded shopping lists stems from his constant search for artistic inspiration.
He explained: “I’m always looking around for ideas for projects and these scrunched up pieces of paper left in supermarket trolleys are really very interesting because you get a real insight into people’s existence.
“One example was a Christmas present list where somebody called Gary and Steve were getting ‘Cigs’ or cigarettes while Donna was due to get a bag.
“There was a question mark next to the name of Craig – so it would be interesting to know what he got for Christmas.
“People have their own shorthand and it’s quite bizarre that I should take these shopping lists and make pieces of art out of them.
“Funny things happen when you collect the shopping lists. I will spot a scrunched up piece of paper and because of the way supermarket trolleys slot together I have to prise them apart.
“One day when I was doing this at Tesco, I realised that one of the guys who look after the trolleys was standing by my side giving me funny looks.
“The worst thing you can do is to try and explain that you’re doing a series of art pieces – their eyes glaze over and they think you’re a nutter.
“For me shopping lists are fascinating, you get and insight into people’s daily existence – they are artistic gold.
“I have never found any interesting shopping lists in Waitrose in Menai Bridge – I think they must use iPads there.
“My own shopping lists are no good either. My wife is meticulously neat and tidy, all of hers are correctly spelt and they’re in a logical order – that’s often not terribly interesting.
“It’s these spontaneous notes that people write for themselves that I find particularly fascinating.”
David’s other claim to fame is that he was a contemporary of John Lennon at Liverpool Art College in the early 1960s – but they were rivals not friends.
He recalled: “In those days I played clarinet in a jazz group called Climax Jazz Band and the Beatles were our support group at the Cavern Club before it became a rock and roll venue.
“They already were building up a following so our slot got shorter and their slot got bigger and within a couple of months we were turfed out.”
Although he occasionally still plays in a band, David has enjoyed more success as an artist and is delighted his work will be on display at the Anglesey Show.
The exhibition is being organised by North Wales Open Studios Network Project Co-ordinator Sabine Cockrill and Mike Gould, Chair of the voluntary Anglesey Arts Forum Committee.
The work being featured has been chosen by Alfredo Cramerotti, the highly respected Director of the Mostyn art gallery in Llandudno.
Other artists on show include David White, Rebecca Gould, Barbara Larking, Alison Craig and Sonia Benskin-Mesher.
Alfredo Cramerotti said: “The selection of the artists for the show engaged me a lot and led me to fruitful considerations.
“I’m interested in the idea of ‘translation’ in its most interesting forms – from one ‘system of knowledge’, a book, or a shopping list, to the other, a visual art form, or a theatre play.”
Sabine Cockrill was delighted with the work selected for the exhibition at the Anglesey Show.
She said: “David’s work is an example of the fantastic array of artistic talent in North Wales and our mission is to raise their profile by giving them a platform to display their work.
“As well as exhibitions like this, there will be an opportunity for the public to see the artists in their own environment though the Helfa Gelf/Art Trail and Anglesey Arts Weeks.”
Mike Gould added: “This diverse and exciting exhibition of local artists is a preview of Helfa Gelf and Anglesey Arts Weeks, the North Wales Open Studios events which invite the public behind the scenes to experience first hand how arts and crafts in the region are created.
“It is a fantastic opportunity for us to work together and learn from each other, while retaining our unique identities.”
The project is funded through the Rural Development Plan for Wales 2007-2013 which is funded by the Welsh Government and the European Agricultural fund for Rural Development.
Photograph: Shopping for inspiration…artist David Jones
