Curated for Ad's Sake #5: Agatha O’Neill & Sarah Lisgo
🪞Mirror, mirror on the wall...What gems will we find in this dynamic duo's haul?!
Great people in and around advertising have great taste in art.
I wanted to know what turns them on, so I asked them about their artistic fascinations and inspirations.
🧑🎨 You’re welcome.
Sarah and Agatha met at ad school and immediately clicked. Together they wrote and produced a gospel song about reproductive rights and saving the environment, illustrated and wrote a comic about how ridiculous advertising can be and created chocolates out of our recent prime ministers to raise money for charity. Here are some of the things that inspire them.
Let’s get it 🍫
📽️ Short Films
Generally, short films are a true inspiration. They have to be impactful and emotional and everything in between - a true art form that the best ads have to ultimately copy. We have recently become particularly obsessed with the Straight8 film competition and their entries. There are good, bad and absolutely amazing examples. This one is a favourite…
💥 Comics
We’re both totally obsessed with comics, hence why we decided to create our very own.
Agatha grew up in France where comics and graphic novels are central to the culture there. One of her favourites is ‘les culottees’ by Penelope Bagieu. It’s great and hilarious, and important.
Ghost World by Daniel Clowes is such a special comic. Sarah’s best friend bought it for her when they were 16. It encapsulates coming-of-age teenage angst in the best possible way. The film with Steve Buscemi and Thora Birch is also one of her absolute favourites.
We recently got commissioned to create a comic for Campaign magazine which is a dream come true.
🪞Selling a mirror
Have you heard of this account? If not, you’re welcome. The internet as we all know is full of wonderful hilarious stupid stuff. We’re here for it.
💁♀️ Mad Women
The ad industry is notoriously bad for gender equality. Currently only 12% of UK CDs are female - something which we of course are hoping to change. This docu-series is amazing, and we are very lucky to be friends with a few of these very inspiring women, particularly Alex Taylor who is one of the funnest, kindest people we have the pleasure to know.
👶 Proof of youth card
We both love ideas that are funny whilst highlighting important issues. We recently realised that most of adland’s competitions have under 30s, under 27s, under XX rules which mean that we can’t enter (Agatha is in her 30s). It is ageism in its simplest form, and is outdated. We really feel it needs to change, and believe that experience is more important than age so we created this idea:
🎎 Laurie Lipton
A recent discovery, Laurie Lipton is an extraordinary artist, but her story is even more so. Watch LOVE BITE. This is a must-see documentary about her and her work. It is profoundly tragic but made such a huge impact.
🖌️ Abstract: The Art of Design
These short documentaries (available to watch on Netflix) are amazing. They really capture the intricacies of the creative process, from all aspects. Nike’s Tinker Hatfield is incredible, as is Paula Scher.
👑 🐦 Le Roi et L’Oiseau (The King and the mockingbird)
You know how children’s films can be the most messed up and traumatising things you’ll ever see? Yeah this one is that. But it’s also so beautiful and weird and magical.
🦁 1920s rubber hose cartoons
🐊 Peter Beard
An incredible collage artist, photographer, diarist - Peter Beard lived his life in Africa and hung out and photographed all the A-list celebrities of his time. His art is brutal and full of life. Love.
✝️ Monty Python, The Meaning of Life
Everything Monty Python is pretty epic. All the films of course, and their beautiful insane collages. The Meaning of Life is so ridiculous and at times a bit traumatising, so it lives in my brain always. Watch it. Immediately. On another note The Life of Brian has the funniest scene of all time (see below)…
Far from being a New York aficionado (having been there precisely the one time), I discovered a shop called Quimby’s Bookstore. And it had everything.
It was the ultimate kitsch. Candles of Prince, Divine, Cher. Sinister prints of Victorian porcelain dolls murdering their children.
Zines upon zines upon zines about everything from veggie recipes to Dolly Parton. A portrait of John Waters on the wall.
Oh, and a gorgeous cat called Gracie.
Thanks Sarah & Agatha 🐈 You can follow their comic book adventures on IG and visit their timeless work on their timeless website.
Who would you like to see curate one of these? Don’t be ashamed to suggest yourself…
DMs are open! 💌
Follow along on Instagram 💅
Here’s a smidgen of other morsels that I had a viddy at recently:
🚲 It’s not a TV, it’s a bike.
🤮 The Internet is rotting.
🗣️ English; evolved.
🚰 Drink water.
🏋️♂️ A curious history of weights and measures.
Thanks for reading!
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😘 Jonathan