Chicken

TV producer and art collector Connal Orton asked us to rework an amusing family anecdote for his Storyboard commission. Connal told us that his mum has a memory of seeing a photograph of him in a bar, wearing a novelty chicken suit - Connal insists that the photograph doesn't exist and that he's never worn a chicken suit in his life...

 

We used this contested memory as the inspiration for the fictional film Chicken where the lead character Connal Orton is accused of an appalling crime, based on doctored evidence created by the real perpetrator. Connal’s mum Babs (a retired barrister) then goes to work to prove the image is a fake to exonerate her son. The storyboard drawings represent a pivotal moment in the film where Babs reveals the truth to a shocked courtroom..

 

Connal gave his mum the commission for Christmas. He said: “WITH TV is absolutely brilliant. The final drawings are better than I could have hoped for and the hilarious accompanying letter is such an integral part of the work. Utterly surprising, really great fun. Honestly, I could not be happier”