The Joyful Bewilderment is an international group exhibition at London's Rough Trade East, brought into being by a bunch of sickeningly talented illustrators including Stranger contributors Simon Peplow and Marcus Oakley. "Like a slice from a big art themed cake!"

[The Joyful Bewilderment exhibition is currently showing at Rough Trade East, until 27 November]

Why did you decide to do this show?

Simon: There is an interesting movement of like-minded art makers tinkering away in the present, all over the globe, who all share an essential motivation - to explore the possibilities of enhancing everyday life by making magic from the mundane. Many of the artists in The Joyful Bewilderment had not shown in the UK previously,  so the exhibition acted as a platform for getting all these artists together and their work out to a wider audience.

Marcus: The first reason I decided to co-curate the Joyful Bewilderment was because of friendship and an enthusiasm for art. We were interested to try and make an overview of what is happening now - which actually is impossible - so I guess the exhibition was like a slice of cake from a big art themed cake.

What's the best thing about doing your own show?

Simon: Working with my buddies, watching an idea bloom and be realised, a sense of purpose.

Marcus: The creative freedom to do what you like when you like.

Worst thing/biggest challenge?

Simon: Not securing a beer sponsor, watching my savings dwindle and getting all the work in on time.

Marcus: It can be a little bit stressful being responsible for other people's artwork. The biggest challenge is always making sure everything is ready for the opening.

Hardest aspects of working outside a conventional gallery space? Any disaster stories?

Simon: You're limited as to where you can put the work, so you have to be a little more creative in that sense.  

Marcus:  Sometimes I've had to deal with buildings that don't have any heating or electricity, so these things can eat away at a budget very quickly. At one exhibition I worked on the roof was full of holes and so it leaked when it rained and pigeons could fly in and crap on the artwork.

How long did it take to get everything up? Lots of sleepless nights?

Simon: It took Lawrence a day to install all of the artwork. The majority of the works were mirror plated, which meant an obscene amount of drilling/raw plugging was required.  The exhibition had been in the pipeline for over a year but things pretty much got off the ground in the final two months leading up to the opening night.

Marcus: From start to finish it took a year to prepare for the exhibition, there where indeed a few sleepless nights, and many chats about artists and what kind of typography to use on the flyer.

How much work do you normally sell at something like this? Or is it more about raising the individual artists' profiles?

Simon: The latter

Marcus: I have been curating various exhibitions for the last eight years and none of them have ever been financially successful. I just do it because I love art.



What would be your dream space/ location put on an exhibition in?

Simon: An underwater gallery would be interesting, or a zoo in the middle of the lion enclosure! People would have to prove how genuinely they wanted to see the artwork, by pitching their wit against the big cats.

Marcus: I don't think anybody has had an exhibition on the moon yet? A boat could be good, as then you could sail around all around the world showing art to all sorts of people.