ARTISTIC IMPACT
INVEST IN ONE OF THESE EXCLUSIVE NEW LIMITED EDITION PRINTS BY THE CONNOR BROTHERS, AVAILABLE ONLY AT RUNWAY GALLERY
One of the latest artists to join Runway Gallery, The Connor Brothers spent two years under the guise of Missouri-born twins, Franklyn and Brendan Connor, brought up within a cult which they escaped from age 16. In 2015 they revealed their true identities – childhood friends Mike Snelle and James Golding. Their latest work includes two limited edition prints created in collaboration with Country Homes & Interiors’ parent company TI Media and Runway Gallery.
We actually never set out to be artists at all We both share troubled pasts; Mike has suffered from severe depression, while James has battled anxiety and addiction. We moved in together in 2012, during which time we talked about very difficult personal things. We began making collages out of counter-cultural comics from the 1970s and Mills & Boon covers. It was a distraction; we were making each other laugh.
Ideas start as conversations Normally we will talk about something and then that distils into a single concept, a single sentence. Only after that will we look for the image, it’s secondary to the words – witty texts that capture the preoccupations of our millennial world. Our work explores the boundaries between truth and fiction, and raises questions about how we construct meaning from experience.
Our style is a mix of dark humour and philosophical insight There’s something about expressing yourself and trying to connect with others through art that feels meaningful. It’s a form of therapy for us. When we revealed our identities, we were able to use
The Connor Brothers’ name to highlight issues surrounding mental health and other topics.
Our collaboration with TI Media was a fascinating process. We were invited to plunder the company’s archives for images that we could refashion. We focussed on illustrations that had been printed using lithography; there’s something a bit more real, more visceral, maybe, about this style.
The best way to display art is not to imitate Artwork hung in the home should express something about the owner as well as the artist, so stay true to yourself and arrange pieces in a way that appeals to you.
The Connor Brothers’ new limited edition prints in collaboration with TI Media and Runway Gallery are available to buy at runway-gallery. com. There are only 25 of each, so head online now to secure yours.