CHAGFORD artist Mel A has just completed his most unusual commission so far ? painting a 10-ft tall fibreglass model of a Gibson guitar to a design conceived by former Blur guitarist Graham Coxon. And now the artist has set to work on a second guitar, this one life-sized, which will be painted with his own design, based on various works by Picasso and then signed by members of rock band the Kaiser Chiefs. Both projects are part of a fundraising initiative organised by Gibson Guitars, in which 60 artists from around the country have painted either regular-sized or giant fibreglass models of the iconic instruments. ?I think the basic idea was based on the fibreglass cows that were around London a few years ago,? Mel said. ?Gibson thought, if you can have cows, why not guitars?? Each fibreglass guitar has been designed in association with a musical artist, including figures such as Ronnie Wood, Paul Weller, Ozzy Osbourne, and Noel Gallagher. Mel said: ?Graham Coxon is quite an artist so he had definite ideas about the design of the guitar. He came up with a basic sketch which it was easy for me to blow up and adapt.? The Kaiser Chiefs, on the other hand, were happy to go along with the ?Pablo?s Party? design which Mel himself proposed. Mel first became involved in the project when he saw a competition for community artists advertised on the internet. The closing date was just two days off ? but in that short time he was able to come up with the bold Picasso-esque design and send in his entry. ?I normally work in oils, but I had to send in my entry in pastels, ? he said. ?Something in oils just wouldn?t have dried in time.? His two works will be exhibited as part of the ?More London? display near Tower Bridge They will be displayed there alongside guitars painted by the political cartoonist Gerald Scarfe, the sculptor Andrew Logan, and pop art maestro Peter Blake, who designed the Beetles? Sergeant Pepper album cover. After ten weeks on display to the public, the guitars ? each signed by the musicians involved in their design ? will be auctioned, with the proceeds split between the Prince?s Trust, Nordoff-Robbins Music Therapy, and the Teenage Cancer Trust.
