We caught up with Ian to find out how the artwork came together, why he chooses to work with cassette tapes, and what might be coming next.

Creating an Angel from Cassette Tapes

For Ian, the idea had been sitting in the back of his mind for quite some time before it finally became reality. "I make art from cassettes and reclaimed canvases, always based around musical themes," he explains. "Music connects people back to moments, memories and emotions, so it's a natural source of inspiration for me." The challenge was figuring out whether the concept would actually work. After spending seven hours arranging, moving and re-arranging tapes across the canvas, the design finally clicked into place. "It involved a lot of head scratching," Ian laughs. "I had the vision in my mind but wasn't sure if I could pull it off. Eventually everything came together."

A Lifelong Connection to Eurythmics

Although Ian considered several songs before settling on There Must Be An Angel, he admits the track was always competing for his attention. "This song was constantly rattling around in my head. It was really just a case of finding the right lyric to build the piece around." His connection to the song stretches back decades.

"I remember buying the 12-inch single when I was about 13 years old. Back then any money I had went on records. The opening vocal from Annie is incredible and I've always loved Stevie Wonder's harmonica on the track."

Like many fans of the era, Ian was captivated by Eurythmics from an early age. "There was something about Annie's orange hair that felt rebellious. Even now I still play Sweet Dreams on vinyl. It's one of my favourite songs and it genuinely feels like it could have been made yesterday."

Some fans noticed similarities between the artwork and Annie Lennox's angelic appearance during the Queen's Golden Jubilee celebrations. However, Ian says that connection was completely accidental. "To be honest, that wasn't an influence. It was only after I posted the artwork that friends started sending me pictures of Annie and pointing out the similarities."

Why Cassette Tapes?

In an age dominated by streaming services, Ian remains passionate about physical music formats. "I've always loved cassettes and vinyl. There's something special about them that digital music can't replace." He speaks fondly of the warmth of vinyl records, the imperfections, crackles and rich bass tones that instantly transport listeners back to another time. His artistic journey began with framed album covers, which proved popular with music lovers looking for distinctive gifts or statement pieces for home offices, studios and music rooms. Wanting to push the concept further, Ian began experimenting with the cassette tapes themselves. "I started wondering if I could use the cassette, rather than the music it once carried, as the artwork."

That idea led to his first cassette heart inspired by Joy Division's Love Will Tear Us Apart, followed by a piece based on Madness' It Must Be Love. The Eurythmics artwork took the concept in an entirely new direction. "One day I had this image of angel wings made completely from old cassette tapes. That became There Must Be An Angel (Playing With My Heart) and, if I'm honest, I think it's my strongest piece so far."

Music as Emotional Archaeology

The deeper philosophy behind Ian's work is rooted in nostalgia and memory. "Songs and recordings become containers for our lives," he says. "They hold memories of relationships, moments in time and the people we used to be." He recalls the era of homemade mixtapes, when every song choice mattered. "Many of us remember making tapes for someone we liked, carefully choosing each track and hoping they'd understand what you were trying to say."

By repurposing obsolete cassette tapes, Ian believes he's giving new life to objects that once carried people's favourite music and memories. "It's not just recycling. It's transforming something that already has an emotional history into something new."

Finding the Raw Materials

Ironically, despite being considered outdated by many, cassettes are becoming increasingly collectible. "The value of tapes is rising quite quickly, especially albums," Ian explains. His collection comes from a variety of sources including charity shops, online auctions and donations. For this particular piece, many of the tapes originated from a collection of around 100 carefully catalogued classical music radio recordings. "I love the fact that something that had already been preserved and documented has now been given a completely different purpose."

Building the Artwork

Unlike many contemporary artists, Ian prefers a hands-on approach rather than relying heavily on digital design tools. For the Eurythmics piece, the process was largely trial and error. "I laid everything out freehand on the canvas and worked out how the tapes connected visually." Early versions used multiple layers of cassettes, but that quickly created problems.

"The piece became too heavy and the design didn't really work, so I had to rethink the approach." Creating one wing was difficult enough. Replicating it on the opposite side proved even more challenging. "Once I'd worked one side out, I had to build the other to match as closely as possible, all by eye."

The finished piece uses approximately 90 cassette tapes and took around 72 hours to complete. Ian also credits graffiti artist Astek, a regular collaborator, for helping with some of the finer painted details. "He's incredibly talented and always seems to understand exactly what I'm trying to achieve."

From Lockdown Hobby to Artist

Ian's artistic journey began during lockdown. "It started as something to do with the kids, really." While the children eventually lost interest, Ian found himself becoming increasingly absorbed in the creative process. One early piece remains particularly memorable. "It featured three hummingbirds feeding among brightly coloured paint running down the canvas." Unfortunately, it's also one work he wishes he had never sold.

What's Next?

Ian's cassette art collection is still in its early stages, but he already has ambitious plans. "I'm only four pieces into this collection and it feels like I've only just started."

His next project will be inspired by The Specials, with specially created black-and-white chequered cassettes reflecting the iconic Two Tone aesthetic. "I'm really excited to see how that one develops." And there may be another Eurythmics-inspired creation on the horizon too.

"A cassette heart featuring the lyric 'Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This' could work really well. I'd better write that idea down before I forget."

For anyone hoping to view the piece in person, the artwork is currently displayed in The Bearsted Gallery, Kent. The large-scale work measures approximately 1200mm by 900mm and is currently available for purchase. "I've had a bit of interest already, which is very flattering," Ian says. Even the gallery's website throws up another intriguing picture, also including Annie Lennox seated and the Eurythmics Touch album cover, along with Prince, Freddie Mercury, Alice Cooper and Adam Ant among others. 

More of Ian's work can be found online via Instagram at @rewindart.1.