A celebration of the unexpected, where worlds collide in controlled chaos to distil a spirit of adventure.
Our bold and fresh collab with New Zealand brewers Garage Project needed a distinctive label to match. So we enlisted the talent of Tasmanian artist Joel Crosswell to adorn our bottles with four unique (and highly collectible) works of art, vivacious and full of energy like the single malt inside.
Known for his darker work exploring the human experience, Crosswell has opted for a brighter approach here for our Fresh IPA Cask. A kaleidoscope of colour splashed with pineapples and kiwis, where topless beer breaks on the hood of a Camaro amongst a menagerie of cross-continental Antipodean summer. Garage Project devotees can hunt for hidden easter eggs, pieces of art from the four GP beers that went into seasoning our single malt barrels.
“It’s kind of like a puzzle without a plan, that’s my way of looking at it,” says Joel. “There’s so many different layers - there’s urban, sea, country, sunset, all these tones that run through the backdrop of it. It’s chaos and it’s mess, that’s what it is.“
The impressive original Crosswell piece was translated from a master collage into these four vibrant labels, and his original artwork can be viewed at The Still in Hobart, where you can also get a taste of this fresh and fruity dram.
Why we chose Joel:
We wanted to lean into the essence of Garage Project’s creative and unique labels by working with a local artist - someone who could create a vision of a world where whisky, beer and culture collide. Joel was suggested to us by a local gallerist Michael Bugelli who introduced us to the incredible mixed media work that Joel had recently exhibited in Hobart. It was a match made in whisky and beer heaven.
About the artist:
Joel Crosswell is one of the most diverse contemporary artists in lutruwita/Tasmania. While drawing and sculpture are often central to his practice, he is keenly experimental with his process and his material vernacular is broad.
“I’ve been creating and dabbling in all sorts of mediums. Collage, drawing, installation, sculpture, a little bit of performance work,” says Joel. “I’m a little bit of a showbag when it comes to making art.”
Joel has exhibited all over, locally and interstate in solo and group exhibitions. In 2022, Crosswell presented Anthropoid, a significant immersive installation as part of Dark Mofo.
Behind the collage
“Lark is a Tasmanian institution, and I’m born and bred Tasmanian,” says Joel. “I felt humbled and privileged to do something for Lark, just playing around and having a bit of fun with this.”
“My inspiration for Worlds Collide was doing something different. It’s spontaneous, it’s fun and exciting and vibrant. And I think that’s what reflects back out when looking back on these labels. It’s like a moving film reel, or a still image reel. There’s some funny, silly things going on and some serious stuff going on. I love the chaos.”
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Check out Joel’s sensational original artwork at The Still in Hobart, and his work online here . Get your hands on a bottle (or four) of the very limited LARK x Garage Project Fresh IPA here
