The Christophers | compelling key work in Soderbergh drama from Cornwall artist

Creating authentic cutting-edge art for a film is no mean feat. Especially when that art takes centre-stage, the director is Steven Soderbergh and the film is The Christophers, his buzzy latest critic and crowd-pleaser. Enter Newlyn-born-and-based painter Iona Sanders for the ‘ghost artist’, whose paintings became the signature work for Michaela Coel’s character.

The Christophers features Ian McKellen as a retired, cynical artist, Julian Sklar, whose estranged children, played by James Corden and Jessica Gunning, hire a talented, reclusive painter (Michaela Coel), to secretly finish his abandoned masterpieces for financial gain.

A painter from West Cornwall

Iona Sanders is a contemporary painter from West Cornwall whose work is influenced by the Cornish coast, domestic interiors, native landscape, family members and everyday objects. Pleasingly, her involvement in the film is rooted in the county’s vibrant arts community.

Set decorator and fellow artist Kimmy Hussey first met Iona through the renowned St Ives School of Painting and Penwith Gallery. When Kimmy was contracted to work on The Christophers, alongside the film’s production designer, Antonia Lowe, she was instructed to find a ‘real’ artist to create all the key pieces for the film, as well as background studio art, rather than using a traditional art provision company, as is the norm

Colourful and contemporary

Artist Barnaby Gorton, who provided paintings for the Harry Potter film series, was selected to provide the main protagonist Julian Sklar’s work, including ‘The Christophers’ themselves. However, for the character of Lori Butler, played by Michaela Coel, the producers were seeking a more colourful and contemporary artist.

From a selection, Soderbergh picked Iona Sanders to provide the paintings that appear as Lori’s work throughout the film. Soderbergh chose pieces from her back catalogue and commissioned a larger version of an abstract piece called Untitled #7, which is a key feature of the character’s work throughout the film.

The set decorators also came and took photos of Sanders’ Newlyn studio to use as inspiration for the character’s working space.

They also invited Iona to the set in London and to use her own painting kit, overalls, pots, tablecloths and accessories to ‘dress’ Lori’s studio space for them. She spent the day in the space, writing on the chalkboard and creating a major number of sketches and in-development pieces on paper and on the walls, creating the lived-in quality of her own working artist’s environment in West Cornwall.

Creatively inspiring

“This whole process has been so creatively inspiring, exciting and quite thrilling and I am so grateful to my fellow artist Kimmy Hussey for putting me forward for this unique opportunity,” Iona said.

“To be selected was so exhilarating, not only to have my work in the film, but because of the authenticity commitment of Steven Soderbergh, Antonia Lowe and the team to the detail of real working artists and their creative practices.”

The detail of real working artists

She said: “To be given the opportunity to ensure that ‘my’ Newlyn studio was fully recreated was also a major opportunity. To take my own paints, paintbrushes and studio set-up to London, and actually create sketches on the walls and respond to the set decorator’s brief in the space was such an enjoyable experience.”

The Christophers is on release now throughout the South West. Peer through What’s On This Week

top image: Cornwall artist Iona Sanders in her studio

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