Music to our ears
Twelve years ago, Mick Rooney, RA, painted a diptych called Playing the Ukulele as the Ship went down and, shortly afterwards, a neighbour built him his own instrument. Naturally, he found it a tempting surface and painted it himself. Then he suggested to Gemma Peppe, organiser of the Art on a Postcard scheme in aid of the Hepatitis C Trust, that artist ukes could be auctioned in the same way.
Now, he has organised 27 colleagues, ranging from RAS to street artists, to join him in a show and live auction at long & Ryle, london Sw1, on September 21. Before that, the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain and the group Clean Bandit will play the instruments—seven of which have been specially made by the great luthier Pete Howlett—at the Jazz Café in Camden. Artists include Bill Jacklyn, Allen Jones, Cathie Pilkington, Ramiro Fernandez Saus, P. J. Crook, Norman Ackroyd, Anne Desmet, George Underwood, linda Sutton, Charlie Calder-potts and Fipsi Seilern (left).
As Mr Rooney says: ‘The ukulele can be put in a kitbag, taken to the pub, the end of the pier, on charabanc excursions or off to war. This humble artifact is the most well travelled portable instrument in the world. Although these particular ukuleles have been treated by the most contemporary creative spirits, with the utmost tender loving care, they somehow remain nobly humble, the people’s instrument.’
Concert: September 12, Jazz Café, 5, Parkway, london Nw1 7PG, tickets £35. Auction: September 21 at long & Ryle, 4, John Islip Street, london SW1P 4PX. Online bidding is via www.artonaukulele. com and proceeds go to The Hepatitis C Trust. Huon Mallalieu