Creative Space
Sounding the death knell for dull drawing groups everywhere, Art Macabre was founded to make a morbid spectacle of still life
We visit Art Macabre: London.
Walking cadavers. Hitchcockian birds in gilded cages. A whodunit hosted by film-noir inspired femme fatales. Art Macabre is nothing if not adventurous.
The London-based salon was founded to “inject a lethal dose of theatricality and the macabre” into art groups. Each meet has a new theme and setting, with costumes, props and multimedia tools. And nudity. Lots of nudity.
“There’s a tradition of the nude form,” says founder Nikki Shaill, “contrasted with skeletons, skulls and symbols of mortality. Memento mori artwork assists people in reflecting on the beauty yet fragility of life. We aim to update this tradition, with a twist.”
Back in 2010, Nikki ran a special Halloween edition of her more traditional art group. It proved so popular she decided to pursue the death-drawing theme, and Art Macabre was born. Past events have had titles such as Midsummer Night’s Scream, Kiss of Death and Hot Cross Bunny Boilers.
The sessions are open to all, with the aim of helping people gain confidence in mark making, developing their skills and “pondering death in a different way.”
Death Drawing has gone from strength to strength, with a string of future events lined up in and around London, but it’s with some trepidation Nikki welcomes a landmark on the horizon. “I’ve said that I’ll take the plunge and pose nude for the very first time at Art Macabre’s 100th event. Which I may regret, as it is approaching quite swiftly.”
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