The Artboxes are coming! London is about to be swamped by 80 crafty creations as BT's Artbox project hits the streets for a month in the London streets. A whole herd of amazing artists have been commissioned to take the iconic London telephone box and turn it arty for the 25th anniversary of the NSPCC's Childline.
Each artist is customising a full-sized, fibreglass replica of Sir Giles Gilbert Scott's original K6 telephone kiosk, which was introduced in 1936 to commemorate King George V's Silver Jubilee. They are HUGE.
The Artboxes are due to hit the streets on Monday June 18th (with a sneaky peek at a few in Trafalgar Square on the 15th) and will be turning up everywhere from Trafalgar Square to St James' Park.
Amongst the 80 artists are celebrities and some of the art worlds big guns: Giles Deacon, Zandra Rhodes, Turner Prize winner Keith Tyson, The Prodigy's Maxim Reality, Timmy Mallet, sculptor David Mach, Duran Duran's Nick Rhodes, Heaven 17's Martyn Ware, oh and Lauren O'Farrell!
Yes, your Crafty Crafty editor has spent the last month making her biggest knit yet. A giant woolly artbox which goes by the name Dial M for Monster (you can call him Muncher).
I'm tweeting @deadlyknitshade and posting pics on Facebook from behind the scenes. You can check out my Dial M for Monster Artbox here and see my Artist page here too. I'm so excited I may explode in a cloud of acrylic yarn.
At the end of their time outdoors, the crafty creations will be auctioned off at a VIP gala to raise funds for ChildLine. A warm fuzzy feeling all round.
Spending time in the Artbox Studio Warehouse, I've been able to watch many of the Artboxes being created. This is an exclusive gallery of sneak peeks before they hit the street (often featuring my friend Cooey the Pigeon). Enjoy! And let us know if find them when they're out in the wild!
Found a favourite BT Artbox? Tell us all about your love in the comments below.
[All images © Lauren O'Farrell]
