Like many creative pursuits, Hen’s Teeth had humble beginnings. What started out as discussion at a kitchen table rapidly evolved into an innovative collective which facilitates, sells and creates art in all its colours and guises.
Speaking to The University Times, Trinity alumna and Hen’s Teeth co-founder Rosie Gogan-Keogh describes how the company define themselves: “We work with brands to help connect them to culture.” The network it has built over the past three years is expansive, having worked with a plethora of artists and labels. “It’s the ultimate showcase of anything we can do for a brand from running events to pop-ups to working with artists”, says Gogan-Keogh. Artistic branding, though the phrase may imply an oxymoron, is essential nowadays. Branding is no longer the act of selling your soul and watching creative dreams float away into the ether of corporate advertising.
In the basement of their Fade St headquarters lies the epicentre of the magic. Their design and fine art printing studio provides a service which allows artists to distribute their own works. Co-founder Greg Spring admits in an interview with The University Times that ‘‘the more stuff we do for us, invariably the more interesting the stuff with brands becomes”. The lines begin to blur between commissions and their own personal ventures. An example of this was The Hennessy Sound Lounge last July, a week-long series of events which Hen’s Teeth curated. “It was a dream project for us”, says Spring. The transformative nature of the space allowed them to flip it from an art gallery to a Japanese inspired 70’s sound lounge, with acts including David Kitt and Ships as well as collaborations with artists such as Irish Renaissance man BP Fallon, whose first solo exhibition is being held in the gallery this week.
The two founders stand by the importance of choosing the right brands and maintaining control. In this vein, Spring applauds Lisbon born artist Bráulio Amado who has collaborated with the collective on a number of occasions. One of the most sought after graphic designers as of late, Amado has released a campaign with Adidas Originals in which his psychedelic punchy visuals are channelled the into the essence of a high-street brand. Yet, there is no sign of forgoing artistic integrity in the process. Branding isn’t everything, but it is a lot. This is especially true when labels are savvy enough to look towards microcosms of those directly connected to emerging culture. Gogan-Keogh points out that “there’s been a shift from the traditional agency model and we just landed at an interesting time where brands are evolving from that”.
Collectives such as Hen’s Teeth are on the rise. They require a symbiotic relationship between those involved and aim to emulate the collaborative, immersive quality of the creative experience. The store itself is a gorgeous enclave of fresh and familiar art works from Irish and international artists. When asked about the curational process Spring says, “the artists share a similar sensibility to us, we want it to be accessible and affordable too. People go to art fairs and affordable is 5000”. Gogan-Keogh comments “the reality is people will be renting for a lot longer, so to own a piece of art is a nice way of making a space yours.” There is certainly a growing market in that sense, not to mention how refreshing it is to step into an art dealers as a student and actually comprehend buying something.
Some of their best-selling works are prints of socially conscious Dublin street art such as that of Maser or Joe Caslin. There is something compelling about a temporal art form by nature made permanent. The means of freezing what is inherently an act of spontaneity and a visceral emotive response to current issues is especially significant in light of the barriers artists face with respect to the contentious bureaucracy of the Dublin County Council planning laws. It is perhaps a small victory in that regard.
Hen’s Teeth emanates dynamic ambition and accessibility all at once. No doubt, its niche archetype as a sort of mediator between artist, label and consumer will subsequently be emulated. The collective’s contemporary structure satisfies the compulsion to make brands cool again but also gives artists autonomy, scope and a distinct platform. There’ll be no more cutting out the middleman: the middleman is having a moment.
