Holly Willats of Art Licks

As Londoners, we’re frequently told that we’re living in one of the most creative cities in the world. It’s a place where people come to create, exhibit and perform in one of any number of galleries, museums or arenas. Yet for most of us, those who have to put in a 9 to 5 routine, this whirl of spectacle and artistry can feel a little estranged. It’s great having the National Theatre and the British Film Institute on the South Bank, but if the only time you see them is when travelling on the 68 bus over Waterloo Bridge on your way back to West Norwood, you’re going to feel a little removed.

However, London’s art world is not just confined to retrospectives and exhibitions in grand museums. It is spread throughout the city in the form of artist’s studios and off-the-beaten-path galleries. An organisation that aims to open up this side of London’s art world is Art Licks. Not just content with producing a quarterly magazine with contributions from up and coming artists, they also organise art tours around areas such as Peckham, Hackney and Clapton, providing access to the various local art scenes. The London Word caught up with Holly Willats from Art Licks to find out more about what it does.

What is the idea behind Art Licks?

‘After university, I moved back down to London and was working in a commercial art gallery. I found it very easy to find out what was going on in the commercial galleries in the area. But I found it really difficult to find out what was happening with the other side of the art scene – what young artists were up to, people who had just graduated, and new galleries and project spaces. I decided to set up the website, Art Licks, as a weekly listing of exhibitions and events around this side of the London art scene to provide a focused listing, that supported them by promoting their work, and also supplied the information to the wider public. So the idea behind it is to promote artists, but also curators, art writers, new galleries and artist-led initiatives.’

How did you convince people to come on board?

‘Before I launched it I did some investigation work, asking various galleries and project spaces if it was the kind of thing they would be interested in using – I didn’t want to launch it and then find that nobody wanted to list anything on it! But they were very positive about it as there wasn’t a website that was offering them this opportunity already.

‘To start with, the website was focused on the listings. Then from that we built up a reputation about who we are, and what we are doing and I think people recognised that there was no hidden agenda – we really are genuine in what we are doing. From that we then met more artists and we started the magazine a year ago, which focuses on the individuals – whether it be the artists or the curators, the people behind the galleries and space that we list on the website.’

Do you think more and more artists are making use of the internet?

‘It’s a fantastic tool and it’s free. It’s a great opportunity for an artist to present their work. They retain control over it if they design the site and anyone can look it from all around the world. It’s a brilliant chance to spread the word, their ideas. There are some problems with it but the opportunity is fantastic.’

What’s your background in the art world?

‘I didn’t study fine art, I studied English Literature. But since graduating I worked in a few galleries and on some artist’s projects.’

The Art Licks Tours take in places in London that are favoured by artists such Peckham and Hackney. What do you think makes places like these popular with artists?

‘I think you need to look at what the places were like before the artists moved in. Artists generally gravitate to places where there are cheap rent and studio spaces – 15 years ago Hackney was the place to go. Artists regenerate an area and this happened in Hackney, galleries started popping up and it became the hot place to be. It’s a victim of it’s own success – everyone picked up on it and moved in, and so now it’s so expensive for the actual artists who were there in the first place. So artists started to move out. Some are still there but a lot have moved and gone on to the next place, areas like Peckham. And so south London has recently got a lot of attention, but there’s always been a lot going on down there.’

Do you find that those coming on the tours have changed their preconceptions about modern art at all?

‘The thing with the tours is that we have a focus in terms of visiting artist-led initiatives and galleries, not for profit spaces and project spaces. So we get people who may know Hackney in terms of Vyner Street but may not realise that there are other pockets around it that are non-commercial spaces. So in a way we are trying to show what’s there that they might not have noticed. I’ve worked in a gallery so I know what it’s like to sit through all of Saturday and just get just five people coming in. So it’s great to take a big group of people in at once and there’s a real energy to that. We also arrange for the artist/curator to meet us at each space, to introduce the current exhibition so you get a much more personal experience.’

Are you thinking of doing Art Licks tours in other areas of London?

‘Yes, we’re about to start a Clapton and a Brixton one, we just need to get our arse in gear! We’re just trying to show people other places that they might not know because they’re quite new.’

What exhibits have you enjoyed recently?

‘It’s hard to say as we’re just coming out of summer and so it’s been quite quiet. But I’d say the PAMI (Peckham Artist Moving Image) Festival. In Peckham, all the galleries decided to get together and do a festival over four days in early September. Each gallery put on an exhibition for this festival and there were talks and screenings in the evening. It had a really good vibe and all the galleries made a really big effort. I think with Peckham, it’s got a really great community spirit. The galleries aren’t competitive and they join together to make things happen.’

Who do you think are the artists who will be making the biggest impact in the next couple of years?

‘I feel that’s a bit of a difficult question for me to answer. But I think the artists that we’ve worked with in the magazine, they’re all really onto a good thing. With each issue, we invite an artist to make a work especially for the magazine as I like the idea of anyone being able to own a piece of work. So the last issue we had Aaron Angell who has just graduated from the Slade. He made a poster that was an insert and could be folded out. He’s just had his first solo show at Focal Point and his next show opens at SPACE next week, so he’s someone who is doing well to name one. I think all the artists in the magazine are very interesting, their work is very inspiring and that’s why we invited them to be involved.’

As for yourself, are you originally from London?

‘Yes, I grew up in Paddington. People only think that there’s a station there so whenever I tell people where I’m from, I get this glazed look coming over their faces.’

How do you plan to develop Art Licks in the future?

‘We’re carrying on with the magazine, with Issue Six coming out in January 2012. Each year we’re planning to slightly redesign it to keep it fresh and feeling new. It won’t be so different as to be unrecognisable but just slightly different to keep it interesting and not too predictable. I think the thing we would like to do is to do more organised events but at the moment we’re just focused on trying to do what we are already doing, as well as we can.’

To find out about the Art Licks tours and the Art Licks magazine visit: http://artlicks.com.