Back at the very start of 2020 Christopher Spencer, otherwise known as artist Cold War Steve, was about to set out on a nationwide tour of pubs, hairdressers, village halls, libraries, shops and front rooms as part of his unique You, Me and Cold War Steve do-it-yourself downloadable exhibition. With almost 100 participating locations around the world stretching from Falkirk to the Falklands it was to be a celebratory tour to cheer people up a bit post Jan 31 and the start of the country’s free fall into our Brexit Future.
Then Covid 19 hit and it all went tits up . .
Since 2016 Cold War Steve’s Twitter account (with almost daily posts) has been a lifeline to many in these dark times. Hailing from Birmingham, Chris specialises in surreal, satirical and hilarious collages originally made on his phone. Three solo exhibitions, books, and commissions for the National Galleries of Scotland, the Whitworth in Manchester, the Birmingham Museum and Gallery, a giant billboard installation at Glastonbury Festival and an international TIME magazine cover have all followed in the last few years.
During lockdown plans started to emerge for a new idea to leave the house and meet the outside world again. This September and October Cold War Steve is about to unveil four ambitious new outdoor artworks. Jumping in his motorhome and visiting Medway, Coventry, Liverpool and Bournemouth all four pieces will be out in the open, Covid safe installations and free for everyone to visit. The artist of our time has taken his compositions off the small screen, brought them into the real world and gone massive.
A wildlife reserve, canal and beach will be the backdrops for these extraordinary new works. Join us as Cold War Steve puts down his phone and puts on his hardhat and high vis!