Everyone’s favourite author/poet/wise-guy, Oscar Wilde, once said, “One should either be a work or art, or wear a work of art”. Lucas Grogan’s latest collaboration with Sydney-based accessories boutique, SKARFE, allows you to feed your right-brain, art buff desires and do just that.

The collection features three exclusive prints designed by Grogan silkscreened onto luxurious sheets of lightweight cotton in his signature blue and white hues and comical markings. And just when you thought this collaboration couldn’t sound anymore optimal, they throw Byron Spencer into the mix to capture the collection in a series of images best described as art, on art, on art.

We had a few words with Lucas about the collaboration, how bad decision making at 16 can benefit your future, and why bogans are people too.

Suzannah: How did the collaboration with Skarfe come about?

Lucas: I had been following Skarfe on Instagram for a while and had been thinking about doing something on scarves for a while. So one night out of the blue I emailed him and the rest is history! 
 
S: This isn’t the first time you’ve done a collaboration like this (i.e. Rittenhouse, 2012). What keeps you coming back to the creation of wearable art?

L: When I was 16 I had a (terrible) fashion label and would train it into Newcastle to sell at this really awesome store Spare Parts Industries (that’s no longer there). So making things that people can wear has always been a part of what I do. Its exciting to see your work transformed into something people can actually use and as long as I can maintain my creative freedom and do what I want than I'll continue to keep doing it. 
 
S: There’s something sinister about the motifs and images in these prints. What’s the reference behind this? 

L: I guess I am interested in the hold ideas like the supernatural, death and destruction have on us. Though I always try to give it a real facetious and humorous treatment. Hopefully this sort of liberates us from the things we're most afraid of. Additionally I wanted to see scarves that were not just really really pretty or just feminine or 'wow thats an awesome repetitive print', but something a little darker and unique. 
 
S: As opposed to your public art or gallery exhibitions, how does it feel to offer your audience a keepsake piece of your work?

L: I think its terrific. The other day I saw a girl walking down Gertrude St wearing one of our ghost scarves and I yelled out to her. Looking back it was pretty embarrassing, but I just got so excited seeing all our hard work wrapped around someone's neck, that I didn't know, looking amazing. 
 
S: You work across a number of art disciplines— I’m guessing your studios pretty animated. Describe it to me.

L: Imagine everything is just about blue and white, half finished and very full. I love my studio- but I spend too much time here. 
 
S: Your art has a ‘blue only’ policy. What’s that about?

L: The blue only thing? mmm I started doing blue and white works when I moved to Melbourne in 2009. Beforehand I only made black and white works. I just thought it would be a good change, its pretty universal and it solves my problem with colour. I'm more into the patterns and details that go onto the works. Plus it lets me move across any material or technique I like, but unifies it and hopefully lets people know its my work. Ok fine I just really love it. 

S: Where does one wear their LUCAS GROGAN x SKARFE accessory?

L: EVERYWHERE.


Photography / Byron Spencer @ DLM
Words / Suzannah Snow

http://www.lucasgrogan.com

http://www.skarfe.com

LUCAS GROGAN x SKARFE is available instore at SKARFE and online at SKARFE.com. You can also catch Lucus’ solo exhibit at the Hugo Mitchell Gallery, opening on the 20th of November.