slang for a sticker used by graffiti artists
2. a sharp blow or smack
Crohn’s 1. A crohnic inflammatory disease of the intestines
2. An illness that deserves a slap
GCASFM is a collaborative project founded by Matt Strutt aka Cheffo31, to raise awareness of Crohn’s disease, with the help of some of the world’s most prolific graffiti artists, street artists and illustrators. Armed with a stack of 2000 USPS labels for artists to draw on, our aim is to turn these artistic interpretations of the title Give Crohn’s A Slap From Me, into a limited edition book which will raise money for Crohn’s & Colitis UK. With over 70 artists involved, a successful live art event under our belt and growing coverage of the project, we’re already slapping Crohn’s left, right and centre.. and we’ve only just begun. The disease
Crohn's disease is an illness affecting around 1 in 1000 people, caused by inflammation in the lining of the digestive system. Sufferers struggle on a daily basis and are often on long-term medication or require surgery to manage the symptoms, which range from pain, diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss and joint pains. At the moment there is no known cure, but raising awareness will help to prevent misdiagnosis and allow the general public to gain a better understanding of the condition. You can find out more at www.crohnsandcolitis.org.uk
The idea
The project started when Matt received a parcel from a friend in Los Angeles containing 2000 USPS postal labels. As a sticker collector and avid documenter of graffiti and street art in London, he’d always been drawn to artworks from American writers on these labels. After much deliberation about what to do with the labels, he decided to send them to artists around the world with the brief of designing a sticker (a slap!) to raise awareness of Crohn’s disease, an illness he’s battled with for 22 years. The result
With the help of Moose & Yeti, a fantastic UK illustrator based in Portugal, who has designed a logo and dedicated webpage for the project (currently under construction), the world will soon have an insight into GCASFM and the artists involved. The artists’ sticker submissions will eventually be turned into a limited edition book, which will both raise awareness of the disease and showcase some of the world’s most talented artists. The book will be sold to raise money for the Crohn’s & Colitis UK charity and an auction of the stickers will take place at a London exhibition. In the meantime we’ll continue to expand the project to include live art and music events, whilst raising awareness in a unique and creative way. The response and support for the project has been amazing so far, the power of Instagram has enabled us to reach out to people around the world, who also suffer from the illness and have a passion for art in the street.
2015 has seen two new team members climb aboard the GCASFM ship, Ro Elfberg and Jack Shearring. We’re going to keep on slapping and hope you’ll help us spread the word. You can follow the progress via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
www.givecrohnsaslapfromme.com coming soon. Thanks for the support!
