Mark Farhall On What D.I.Y. Art Market Is All About

Since 2014 artist Mark Farhall has run the D.I.Y. Art Market, a free bi-monthly event held across venues in London and Brighton that showcases the work of emerging artists, designers and makers. Guided by Mark’s passion for those who show an “innovative and adventurous” approach to their practice, each event not only brings together a community of creatives but also provides visitors the opportunity to discover and take home unique pieces ranging from prints to ceramics. With the D.I.Y. Art Market and Independent Ceramics Market both set to return to Peckham’s Copeland Gallery, from 27-28th May, Something Curated sat down with Mark to learn more about how the market began, his curatorial approach, and what he has in store for this weekend’s event.

Something Curated: How did the D.I.Y. Art Market begin?

Mark Farhall: I set up the D.I.Y. Art Market initially with a few of the artists that had participated in the vintage and independent creatives market I also manage (Hackney Flea Market). I then started to invite artists and independent publishers that I’d met at various zine and illustration fairs, exhibitions or connected with on social media to take part. So it all stems from there really. I was, and still am, inspired by the zine, comic and outsider art festivals I regularly visit throughout Europe.

SC: How have the events grown?

MF: The first D.I.Y. Art Market was a small pop up at Abney Hall, Stoke Newington, with about 28 local exhibitors. That was back in 2014 and since then it’s grown to around six events a year, culminating with last December’s Oval Space two day event, which featured over 144 exhibitors.

SC: What’s the setup for D.I.Y. Art Market – is it just you curating and organising everything?

MF: It’s a solo operation. And Jean-Philippe Breton designs the posters and flyers for each event.

SC: How do you go about finding exhibitors?

MF: The choice of exhibitors is based upon my background in the art world plus my interest in zines, counter culture, ephemera, abstract art and all things outsider. It’s a bit self-indulgent really, I mean, I exhibit people and publishers who I’d like to collect, showcase and just generally find inspiring. I do try to choose artists from a wide range of artistic backgrounds though, all of whom demonstrate an innovative approach to their practice.

I also take submissions. In fact, I have lots to run through everyday, which is great. One of the many pleasures of organising these art events is receiving submissions and having those “wow” moments when you open the link to someone’s website and just love their work. As previously mentioned, I also source emerging artists via social media and would love to have more international exhibitors and outsider artists represented at future art markets.

SC: The events tend to take place in east and south east London – is this a conscious choice or simply a reflection of the creative communities within those areas?

MF: I lived in Hackney for over ten years and was aware of the amazing array of local talented artists and publishers as well as the large creative community who are keen to support and frequent art events. Through hosting the Hackney Flea Market, I was also aware of affordable appropriate spaces in the area, so when I had the idea for the D.I.Y. Art Market it was a natural thing to do.

SC: In conjunction with the D.I.Y. Art Market, you also run the Independent Ceramics Market. What made you want to set this up?

MF: The Independent Ceramics Market grew totally organically out of the D.I.Y. Art Market. I basically began receiving substantially more submissions from ceramic artists than any other discipline. I also became aware through conversations with art tutor friends, of students interest and enthusiasm for ceramic illustration, graphic printed ceramics and lo-fi figures. The first ceramic Christmas pop-up was crazy busy and, much like the D.I.Y. Art Market, just keeps growing in size and attendance with each new event.

SC: What can we expect to see at this weekend’s event in Peckham?

MF: There’ll be 64 exhibitors selling from 44 tables within the Copeland Gallery with items for sale including: art prints, ceramics, zines and independent publications, illustration, risograph prints, lo-fi sculptures, jewellery, sewn items, comics, custom tees, homemade cassettes, screen prints, and artist books. Accompanying the event will be a series of artist-run workshops such as drop in zine making and personalised patch or badge making. The venue itself is located within Copeland industrial park and has an amazing array of pop-up restaurants, street food stalls, cafés and bars. We also have a sound system within the market to keep the vibe up.

SC: Are there any other exciting projects in the pipeline that you can tell us about?

MF: At the moment, I’m in the early stages of planning a publication, which would be a compilation of artists and publishers who have exhibited at the market over the past couple of years. I’m also planning on taking the D.I.Y. Art Market to new locations with more pop ups in Brighton and northern D.I.Y.’s on the horizon.

The D.I.Y. Art Market and Independent Ceramics Market take place at the Copeland Gallery in Peckham this weekend, 27-28th May. Full details of this and upcoming events can be found here.

Mark Farhall’s favourite exhibitors from this weekend’s event to look out for: Cristina Banban, John Molesworth, Bridget Meyne, Edward Cheverton, Markom Line Dot Studio, Jack Mears, Gory Bastard, Aliyah Hussain and Rachel Louise Hodgson.

 

Words by Dale Marshall | Feature image: John Molesworth (Courtesy of Artist & D.I.Y. Art Market)