Inside the eccentric world of the Concrete Hermit
One of my favourite things happens to be my noble Sunday outings in Brick Lane with a ‘pit-stop’ at the Spitalfields market, and a stroll along the Truman Brewery dressed in my crumbled hangover attire. I always walk up till the end of the road, richly rewarding myself with a brave fishbowl at Casa Blue or a coffee at the Swedish Fika with an angelic bagel next door. One daring afternoon which happened to be my morning after an eventful night out, I managed to gather some energy to proceed to the Red Church Street, where I found a brilliant store called Concrete Hermit, managed by a lovely bloke, Chris Knight. After having studied fine art in Glasgow and worked in the Tate Modern bookshop, Chris started off with an online retail website for graphics, t-shirts, and illustrations. In 2007, he opened this awe-inspiring space which is a snug amalgam of a shop, gallery, and a working studio.
According to Chris, Concrete Hermit is not really affected by specific ongoing consumer or design trends. It is refreshing to see originality not becoming a subset of a bar graph of a business Powerpoint (which is really why we love Shoreditch, no?). Rather, the internet, and historical art and design archives adulterated with a personal reflection are the sources he gets his inspiration from. Being a designer myself, I am always fascinated about where and how people get inspired in the process of creative manifestation, and find that intruding into these intimate glimpses of someone’s creative process is almost like sneaking in to see someone’s sock drawer.
Hermit sells screen prints, many of which are artists’ editions (both established and upcoming). The clientele vastly consists of graphic artists, designers, advertising and media tribe who treat this as a point of access to not-so-known artists. It is a reflection of the idea behind the shop and people they work with. They have also collaborated with likes of Kid Acne, whose screen print of a Japanese girl with a fox at her back is among my favourites of Hermit’s offerings. As well, strategically placed inside the shop is a centre table with a motley assortment of interesting finds, from a penny round collar chambray shirt to quirky figurines, books, and unique jewellery. A range of contemporary graphic t-shirts, which are hung on the finger of a wooden hand on the wall also seemed really interesting, and the white wooden planks with monochrome walls stay true to the store’s nomenclature.
I often wonder about what graphic art needs to survive – be it in a rundown gallery in Brooklyn or on the upcoming Red Church Street in Shoreditch. It is not just about a pretty frame hanging in the shop with a price tag – it’s also about the aspirations of so many artists who want to continue doing what they are passionate about. However, as Chris rightly concludes, it is essential to be ‘seen by enough people, or you shall become so fiercely underground that no one will ever buy your art ‘.
Concrete Hermit
5a Club Row
London E1 6JX
www.concretehermit.com
www.hermiteditions.com
www.thehermitstore.com
