Preview: The Kutz exhibition, It’s All 2 Much

This month, Cheltenham Road’s street art mecca It’s All 2 Much is presenting a snapshot of the finest stencil art currently being produced around the UK and beyond. The Kutz 2015 Finalists, beginning on Sat 6, is an open-submissions exhibition of contemporary stencil art, with the final selection having been made by two experts in the art form.

Gallery manager Mark Hoddinott explains the show’s genesis. “Local stencil artist Lemak approached us early last year with the idea of holding a stencil art competition, as he was not aware of any other such competition in the UK at that time: and so The Kutz Stencil Art Awards were born. We have had a very encouraging response to the inaugural competition, receiving entries not only from the UK but also from as far afield as Japan, Canada, Russia and Turkey.”

Entrants were asked to submit high-resolution images of up to three of their works, together with a brief explanation of the methods used to create the stencils. The only limitations were that the works had to be predominantly stencil-based, no more than 18 months old, no more than one square metre in size – and not previously exhibited. The final roster features some 17 artists, 10 of them from the UK (and three of these from Bristol).

During the exhibition’s opening Saturday afternoon, judges (and Bristol stencil artists) Cheba and Lemak will select a winner of the inaugural Kutz Awards, who will then be presented with the prize of £1,000. The exhibition will then continue throughout February, with all works for sale.

Did any particular themes – politics, humour, fashion – come through strongly among the final selection? “The diversity of the entries was what made the judging so difficult,” Mark reveals. “I am pleased that the works selected for the final represent a wide spectrum of themes; we have humour, political comment, photorealism and portraiture as well as more abstract-oriented pieces.

Mark continues: “Stencil art appeals to me personally because I come from a scientific background and I appreciate the precision involved; the efficient breakdown of an image into layers, the skill in creating those layers which often involves very precise cutting, and the careful assembly of the layers into the final piece. There are images that definitely suit a stencil rendering, where the almost crude shades of colour imparted from the layers can create a unique style that is impossible to achieve any other means.

Mark and co. intend to make The Kutz an annual event, offering additional awards and introducing categories for younger artists. “To many people the word ‘stencil’ conjures up memories of a simple childhood activity. Often, in fact, stencil work is of such high quality that people don’t even realise that it was created using stencils. Also, it is difficult for people to appreciate the amount of effort that goes into creating a stencil artwork if they have never seen the processes involved in creating one. We hope, via these awards, to promote stencil art as an acceptable, intriguing art form.”

The Kutz 2015 Finalists Feb 6-28, It’s All 2 Much, Cheltenham Rd. For more info, visit www.itsall2much.com/exhibitions/the-kutz-2015-finalists

Pictured top: The Last Thing You’ll See by Just Stencil The World (Germany)