Craig's Cupboard Door: The Story of an Unwitting Artist

Many children put stickers on their bedroom furniture, but few examples are preserved. This cupboard door, which featured in our 2019 exhibition Cut and Paste: 400 Years of Collage, is from the Lowe family house at Polmont, near Falkirk.

The stickering of the door was begun by Craig Lowe in about 1987, when he was five years old. He began in the centre, with the stickers of Edinburgh Zoo and Snoopy, before the collage grew out, with stickers from promotional giveaways, yogurts, breakfast cereals, charities and the dentist!

As Craig grew taller he was able to reach the last free area of space at the top of the door. The last stickers were added around 200, when he left home to go to university.

Craig joined us in the Cut and Paste exhibition to see his old cupboard door hanging proudly in the gallery. In the video below he talks about some of the stickers, and also reveals his feelings about being an artist exhibited by the National Galleries of Scotland!

We have been inspired by Craig to create an interactive retro sticker quiz. How's your 80s/90s pop culture knowledge - do you know your Ren from your Stimpy? Your Tinky from your Winky?! This quiz will test your memory!

Also inspired by Craig, we have recreated his cupboard door on the gate at the entrance/exit to the grounds of Modern Two. Each visitor to Cut and Paste was given an exhibition sticker, which they were encouraged to pop onto the door as they left.