Former Glasgow art student turned world-renowned artist, Jonathan Monk, is blowing the whistle on the boundaries between art and football by creating his own unique giveaway for Partick Thistle fans.
The third in a line-up of artist collaborations with the club, Jonathan has created a yellow card fans can take away and use during the match, giving a nod to both the sporting and artistic worlds.
Fans are encouraged to get their new cards out whenever the referee does, ensuring plenty of fun and engagement throughout the match. The idea isn't that the cards get discarded with the empty pie wrappers ticket stubs on the full time whistle though. Monk is keen for supporters to take them away and use them, as they see fit, in their everyday lives in order to spread this unusual work of art to as many people as possible.
Jonathan, said: “Everyone knows what a yellow card represents in football, so I knew this would be a great way to not only appeal to fans, but create something with my own influence. I knew if I designed the card to be housed in a red envelope, it would look a little bit like the Thistle jersey, so I just ran with the idea.
“When I lived in Glasgow years ago, I did go and watch Partick play a few times, so it’s great to be part of a match day in a way where I can bring my passion for art, to the lives of people so passionate about football.”
Jonathan, who lived in Glasgow during his studies, attended several games at Firhill back in the 80s and 90s, but his career, focusing on both conceptual and minimal art, saw him move to Berlin. However, when the opportunity arose to collaborate with the club, he jumped at the chance.
Combining art and football to create something for lovers of both was the brainchild of California-based Mike Wilkins, managing partner of Jags’ main sponsor Kingsford Capital Management.
Mike said: “Working with Jonathan Monk has been an interesting process, a process which has created the chance for football lovers and art lovers to come together. This project is particularly interesting as it allows those who attend the game to become part of the project by using the cards to interact with the match itself.
“The past few months at Partick Thistle has seen lots of change, not just in terms of playing, but off the pitch too, so to be able to create a unique concept like this, that will give fans a lasting memory of their day at the match, is great.
“We look forward to surprising fans over the next few months with more collaborations and hopefully welcome some new fans to cheer on the club as a result.”
Jonathan designed the yellow card using the club’s colours, red and yellow, making the card mimic the design of the club’s shirt.
Ian Maxwell, Managing Director of Partick Thistle, added: “It is incredible how popular these giveaways have been and I can only thank Kingsford for backing and helping to organise them. I think it goes to show what an impact doing things differently can have. Just because no team has done something before doesn’t necessarily make it a bad idea. We’re always looking for new ways to get fans to games, and initiatives like this certainly can’t hurt.”
The first 2000 fans through the turnstiles will receive the limited edition collectibles to take home with them for free at the Dundee United match on the 30th of January.
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