In conversation with…The Connor Brothers
The Connor Brothers are London-based artists whose work challenges the boundaries between truth and fiction. Best known for their Pulp Fiction series, their collaboration with APOTHEM showcases artwork featuring British model Pippa Melody from their True Fiction series, the first time the duo have used real models, rather than found materials.
How did you become ambassadors for CALM and what does this mean to you?
Partnering with a mental health charity is something that we’ve always wanted to do, after both suffering from mental health challenges over the years. The focus for CALM is on preventing suicide and that's a very personal topic for us; it is something that has touched our lives multiple times. We feel passionately that openness and support are two of the fundamental keys to reducing the frightening number of men who take their own lives every year. CALM offers both of those things and we knew immediately we wanted to support their work.
What are you hoping that this campaign will achieve?
We are hoping that the campaign will bring wider awareness of CALM and its services and ultimately encourage more of an open dialogue when it comes to mental health. This is particularly vital right now: CALM’s helpline and webchat has been busier than ever, with a real increase in outreach during the pandemic
What was the reason behind using this particular piece of artwork for this collaboration?
The image used for this campaign is from our new series, True Fiction, and the quote comes from a short story that Mike wrote. ‘Call me anything but ordinary' is about accepting ourselves and not trying to conform but embracing our eccentricities and differences.
Can you tell us about the creative process for this collaboration and getting to the end result of the Hex Box art pieces?
Combining art with products has countless inherent complications and we see this object neither as artwork or a product but something that sits in-between. Fortunately, the design team at APOTHEM were so incredible and understanding that we were hopefully able to do justice both to our artwork and the product to create something that we think is very special.
How do you view creativity and self-expression in line with overall wellness?
For us personally, creativity and self-expression is an essential part of staying in good mental health. We advise anyone, struggling or not, to find a means of self-expression.
Huge thanks to The Connor Brothers for being the dream partners for APOTHEM in this meaningful collaboration for CALM.
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