The K Project: Bisto Kids Gone Wrong (red), 2023
Archival print on paper
42 x 58 cm
16 1/2 x 22 7/8 in
16 1/2 x 22 7/8 in
Edition of 25
Copyright The Artist
Part of a body of work created between 2011-12. Also entitled Ketamine and K-Project: Bisto Kids Gone Wrong. As with most of Shaw’s work, what initially appears ‘fantastical' is more...
Part of a body of work created between 2011-12. Also entitled Ketamine and K-Project: Bisto Kids Gone Wrong. As with most of Shaw’s work, what initially appears ‘fantastical' is more often than not based on observed reality.
“The origins of this work start with the The Big Chill Festival which my Scottish friend Graham and I attended in summer 2008.
We travelled from London to the festival managing to acquire tickets en route. The tickets were free and even better, they were VIP tickets. There was however one obstacle overcome - The two journalists whose tickets had been given to us, could not attend and therefore, we had to pretend that we were them.
When we arrived at the box office it took half an hour for security to let us through. Essentially, they did not believe who we said we were but eventually persistence wore them down. We got through and parked the van in the VIP area then took a bit of time to unwind from the stress of having to lie about our identity.
It was at this moment I randomly asked Graham - 'what was ketamine like?’ Just as those words landed on Graham’s ear weird, wonderful, and bizarre vision appeared as if on cue. Two youngsters dressed as elves with elongated pointed hats appeared - dancing, staggering out of nowhere and out of control yet somehow managing to enact some weird benediction. A boy held out a long ladle with a tiny spoon on which white powerful was heaped upon. A girl bent forward in the midst of some mad chaotic dance lowered her nose to the spoon and hoofed the dust - with all the skill and precision of a honey bee reaching into the flower with its proboscis to sup nectar from the plant. Those two naughty elves were now certainly very high!
Graham and I looked at each other. He said in his heavy Glaswegian accent - that’s what Ketamine is like…..The words 'Bisto Kids Gone Wrong.’ then followed from my mouth as we both creased over with laughter. That whole weekend, those elves kept appearing and reappearing in my mind and my stomach was sore from laughter.
On our return, I stopped at the local shop to buy a can of Bisto gravy. When I got home and opened the bag to look at the can, I was shocked and surprised to find that the two bistro kids had disappeared from the can. Someone in the branding department of Bistoland had decided to erase the cheeky kids from the Bisto can.
I said to myself - The Bisto Kids Have Gone………Gone Where ?……Gone Wrong ! This gave birth to the work.."
Two limited edition maquettes exist of the ' K’ kids in action. They were then transformed into an immersive installation, a room with chickens, turf and the K Kids.
The K prints Blue and Red arose from experimental work with LED coloured light that was shone onto the two figures. The very subtle movement of LED lights projected onto the figures created the most wonderful shadows onto the wall behind, which in turn was photographed.
“The origins of this work start with the The Big Chill Festival which my Scottish friend Graham and I attended in summer 2008.
We travelled from London to the festival managing to acquire tickets en route. The tickets were free and even better, they were VIP tickets. There was however one obstacle overcome - The two journalists whose tickets had been given to us, could not attend and therefore, we had to pretend that we were them.
When we arrived at the box office it took half an hour for security to let us through. Essentially, they did not believe who we said we were but eventually persistence wore them down. We got through and parked the van in the VIP area then took a bit of time to unwind from the stress of having to lie about our identity.
It was at this moment I randomly asked Graham - 'what was ketamine like?’ Just as those words landed on Graham’s ear weird, wonderful, and bizarre vision appeared as if on cue. Two youngsters dressed as elves with elongated pointed hats appeared - dancing, staggering out of nowhere and out of control yet somehow managing to enact some weird benediction. A boy held out a long ladle with a tiny spoon on which white powerful was heaped upon. A girl bent forward in the midst of some mad chaotic dance lowered her nose to the spoon and hoofed the dust - with all the skill and precision of a honey bee reaching into the flower with its proboscis to sup nectar from the plant. Those two naughty elves were now certainly very high!
Graham and I looked at each other. He said in his heavy Glaswegian accent - that’s what Ketamine is like…..The words 'Bisto Kids Gone Wrong.’ then followed from my mouth as we both creased over with laughter. That whole weekend, those elves kept appearing and reappearing in my mind and my stomach was sore from laughter.
On our return, I stopped at the local shop to buy a can of Bisto gravy. When I got home and opened the bag to look at the can, I was shocked and surprised to find that the two bistro kids had disappeared from the can. Someone in the branding department of Bistoland had decided to erase the cheeky kids from the Bisto can.
I said to myself - The Bisto Kids Have Gone………Gone Where ?……Gone Wrong ! This gave birth to the work.."
Two limited edition maquettes exist of the ' K’ kids in action. They were then transformed into an immersive installation, a room with chickens, turf and the K Kids.
The K prints Blue and Red arose from experimental work with LED coloured light that was shone onto the two figures. The very subtle movement of LED lights projected onto the figures created the most wonderful shadows onto the wall behind, which in turn was photographed.