← SELECTED PROJECTS

NOVEMBER 2008–JANUARY 2009

Better Than Christmas

James Connelly · Leila Redpath

If you could have anything you wanted for Christmas, what would it be?

In 2008, we asked 1,000 people one simple question. Then we painted their answers.

EXPLORE THE ORIGINAL PROJECT
A blue-and-brown drawing of people around a collapsing house of cards, with the words wake up behind them
No. 41People to wake upLeila Redpath

01 / THE IDEA

Some wishes were objects. Others were impossible.

People wished for warmth, health, love, justice, a purple reindeer, a sailing ship and a camera to hold onto their friends. Art made room for every answer.

READ THE STORY OF THE PROJECT ↗

02 / SELECTED WORKS

A wish, made visible.

A painting of a pale dog and a ginger cat touching noses
No. 65

A CAT SNOGGING A DOG

James Connelly

A narrow blue painting of the mast, rigging and red flags of a tall sailing ship
No. 83

A giant sailing boat - like a ye olde tall ship- with its own driving bell and glass bottom

James Connelly

A painted portrait of a man in a black hat and dark coat with a tan fur collar
No. 89

Jake Gyllenhaal

James Connelly

A painting of a small black car with a red learner plate at night
No. 98

I wish I could Drive and to have a car

James Connelly

“There are limits to satisfaction in the real world. In a picture, the possibilities are limitless.”

— From the original project notes

With thanks

Better Than Christmas was made possible with funding from Arts Council England.

Arts Council England