Amelia’s Magazine | Ken dumps Barbie: Greenpeace’s Indonesia Deforestation Campaign

Barbie and Ken by Claire Byrne
Barbie and Ken by Claire Byrne

Ken dumped Barbie. Over trees and endangered tigers. Seriously. You probably already know this, web since the Greenpeace campaign that first revealed this earth-shattering piece of news has been all over the Internet in the last two weeks.

Barbie Crying by Claire Kearns
Barbie Crying by Claire Kearns.

But it’s time to wipe those tears off your keyboard. Not only has this traumatic event turned Ken into quite the eco-warrior and provided some great moments of Twitter comedy, seek but Amelia’s Magazine illustrators have responded, buy information pills providing the greatest collection of illustrations of a chainsaw-wielding Barbie you might ever see in one place.

Barbie with chainsaw by Claire Byrne
Barbie with chainsaw by Claire Byrne

Barbie was dumped by Ken after Greenpeace discovered that her maker, Mattel (and other toy companies like Disney), use packaging produced by a company called Asia Pulp and Paper, part of a huge conglomerate called Sinar Mas, accused of major deforestation in Indonesia. This deforestation is pushing critically endangered species like the Sumatran tiger ever further towards extinction.

Barbie Deforrestation by Anna Blachut
Barbie Deforrestation by Anna Blachut.

This particular Barbie campaign actually only scratches the surface of an investigation into how global toy manufacturers are complicit in Indonesia’s deforestation problem. Watch this brilliant graphicy animation video for an explanation of Greenpeace’s findings:

Toying With Deforestation
YouTube Preview Image

It was a wise move to link the broad issue of deforestation in toy packaging and manufacture to the most famous toy (read ‘most mass produced gender-conditioning piece of plastic’) in the world. It even topped Creative Review’s ‘Nice Work’ list for advertising on the 10th of June. It’s a shame Ken hasn’t embraced his inner rebel enough to more openly blame Mattel rather than his ex over this, but I suppose that’s the job of Greenpeace. Ken is still finding his voice, as his heart wrenching twitter updates show, and I have a feeling he’s gradually unleashing the hitherto dormant revolutionary within. Equally shameful is the fact that the feminist within me finds images of Barbie wielding a tool instead of a handbag strangely satisfying. Let’s just hope that Barbie sees the light, joins Ken and decides to become an eco feminist or something asap.

barbie by karla-perez
Barbie by Karla Perez.

The fact that we live on a planet where rainforest destruction and species extinction is contributed to in even the smallest way by the packaging for a plastic toy is, quite frankly, weird. How did it come to this? Despite a huge movement to increase our awareness of the environmental impact of fashion and food, toys haven’t been touched upon with the same momentum. And yet toys are associated with our most formative years, so an awareness of what goes into their production is essential.

Barbie by Liz Rowland
Barbie by Liz Rowland.

One of my all-time favourite books is Mythologies by Roland Barthes. It was included in the Guardian’s recent 100 Greatest Non Fiction Books list last week, one of only three chosen for the culture category. It investigates the hidden political, economic and cultural ideologies behind everyday aspects of mass culture – from washing powder, to the burlesque dancer, to cars, wine, cheese and plastic.

Barbie logging truck by Claire Byrne
Barbie logging truck by Claire Byrne.

My favourite essay is the one on Toys, where Barthes explores our increasing obsession with plastic toys, as opposed to simple constructions and tools made of natural materials.

Barbie by Novemto Komo
Barbie by Novemto Komo.

The way I understand it, right from childhood we are taken further and further away from the process of making and creating. From day one we’re encouraged to be mindless consumers of complex finished products, emotionally and physically removed from how they were made, who made them and where the materials came from.

Barbie by Zofia Walczak
Barbie by Zofia Walczak.

This is something we could easily continue into adulthood, through the dreamy lifestyle mythologies in fashion and technology advertising. To me this Barbie campaign is an attention-grabbing antidote to this broader cultural issue, as well as a solid evidence-based environmental campaign.

You can check the Greenpeace UK blog for various ways to get involved, the latest of which involves rating and reviewing Barbie’s ‘dirty deforestation habits’ on Amazon (brilliant, do it!).

Categories ,Anna Blachut, ,Asia Pulp and Paper, ,Barbie, ,Claire Byrne, ,Claire Kearns, ,Creative Review, ,deforestation, ,Disney, ,Greenpeace, ,Guardian, ,Illegal, ,Indonesia, ,Karla Perez, ,Ken, ,Liz Rowland, ,Mattel, ,Mythologies, ,Novemto Komo, ,Plastic, ,rainforest, ,Roland Barthes, ,SInar Mas, ,Sumatran Tiger, ,Toys

Similar Posts:






Amelia’s Magazine | This week’s Art listings

creative%20review%20ma%20show.jpg

This week’s arts happenings, as recommended by Amelia’s Magazine.

Tonight until Thursday

Creative Review Graduate Show

This “graduate show” has a difference as, rather than graduating from a school, these are new artists who have already been featured in the pages of the learned Creative Review. There are six contributors:

Tom Lovell
Mark Boardman
James Callahan and Joe Kiers
Tomomi Sayuda
Eilin Bergum
Matt Robinson and Tom Wrigglesworth

james%20callahan%20joe%20kiers.jpg

The exhibition is on at Mother London until Thursday September 10.

nine_ninety_nine.jpg

Wednesday
$9.99 @ the onedotzero festival

Onedotzerois known for bringing an eclectic but well-edited mix of cinema from film-makers of many nationalities, dealing in shorts, animation, documentary and music video. New filmmakers and established artists show alongside one another, but all work is brand new and there is an almost overwhelming amount and variety to see. Amelia’s is intrigued to see the animated film “$9.99”, based on the short stories of Etgar Keret. Based on what one has read in his books “Kneller’s Happy Campers” and others, it promises to be full of sex (as you can see from the screenshot, above), slightly bleak but also very funny and clever, and sometimes even poignant when it comes to family and the failings of one’s parents.

ross%20sutherland.jpg

Friday 11 September, 7.30pm, free

Salon Closing Night ft. Ross Sutherland & The Sunday Defensive

The closing night party for the pop-up arts project Salon London features writer Ross Sutherland, whose collection of poems “Things To Do Before You Leave Town” got him onto the Times’ list of Top Ten Literary Stars of 2008. His star is still rising, so hear him read at Salon, and while you’re listening to his wordplay, think up some clever heckles to throw at The Sunday Defensive, a comedy duo just back from the Edinburgh Fringe and therefore no doubt ready with a witty comeback.

mother%20courage%20fiona%20shaw.jpg

All week 9-30 September
Mother Courage and Her Children

Fiona Shaw takes the title role in this influential play by Bertholt Brecht. It’s the story of a woman wheeling and dealing her way to profit while her children fall sacrifice to the war machine. Recent world history has shone a light on the toll in young lives that war takes while the older generation look on and, in some cases, profit. The show also features new music from The Duke Special. The magnificent Shaw starts her run as Mother Courage from Wednesday September 9.

Categories ,art, ,Bertolt Brecht, ,BFI Southbank, ,Creative Review, ,Etgar Keret, ,Fiona Shaw, ,graduate show, ,listings, ,Mother Courage, ,National Theatre, ,onedotzero, ,Ross Sutherland, ,The Sunday Defensive

Similar Posts:





Amelia’s Magazine | Review: Tweet-a-Brief Exhibition at 71a Gallery and an Interview with Handsome Frank’s Jon Cockley

Handsome Frank Tweet a Brief

The Church of London Gallery 71a where Handsome Frank held their debut exhibition Tweet-a-Brief

If only all briefs could be confined to just 140 characters. Imagine that? The East London illustration agency, Handsome Frank, struck gold with their first exhibition and made this happen. How? Soon after seeking exhibition brief advice from their followers on Twitter, it was quickly realised, they’d found their answer. Handsome Frank watched as their Twitter account exploded with ideas, and Tweet-a-Brief was born. Plus, as a lucky follower to have had mine selected, I had to hear about the phenomenon that was #hftab from co-founder Jon.

Handsome Frank was co-founded by you and your cousin Tom, such a nice story that you named your company after your Grandfather. How long have you been up and running?
We set the company up in the summer of 2010 so we’re only two years old. A lot has happened in a short time!

What background have you and Tom come from?
I spent the last decade working in publishing for the design and advertising titles Creative Review and Design Week. Essentially it was media sales and I ended up as a Commercial Director at the company. So my experience has always been on the commercial side of things but within the creative industry.

The Handsome Frank logo as a neon light designed by Malika Favre for the brief All things bright and beautiful

The Handsome Frank logo as a neon light designed by Malik Favre for the brief All things bright and beautiful

Tom has a creative background working for advertising agencies such as Ogilvy, Chemistry and LBi as a digitial designer. When I had the idea to launch an illustration agency, I approached Tom to ask if he could build me a website on a small budget. The more we discussed the idea the more we realised it made sense to work together on it. Between us we had a good mix of skills with my business and publishing experience and Tom’s knowledge of the creative process and how agencies operate.

Sounds like an ideal creative pairing indeed. Can either of you draw?
I was the best drawer in my class at primary school but I don’t think that early potential really developed. Tom is definitely a better bet when selecting Pictionary teams.

Illustration by Stephen Cheetham in response to the brief 140 characters

Illustration by Stephen Cheetham in response to the brief 140 characters, very clever indeed

Who was the first illustrator on your books?
We decided we would launch the agency with ten illustrators and set about finding some talent. To our eternal gratitude we convinced the first ten people we approached to come on board and at that point we had little to show for ourselves apart from a lot of enthusiasm and ambition. Our first signing was Emma Kelly, who remains one of the most popular illustrators on our books.

How many do you represent right now, two years on?
We’re up to 26 illustrators in size and although we wouldn’t rule out the possibility of a couple more signings, we feel we’re operating at an optimum size now. We’re big enough to offer a great selection for commissioners, but small enough to have strong relationships with everyone on our books.

You work pretty closely with Paul Pensom of Creative Review and the guys at Church of London. You work together to put on various talks and use the new 71a Gallery in Shoreditch. How were these relationships founded? Are they like mentors to you?
Paul is someone that I know from my CR days and a very talented chap. We represent his agency StudioPensom, who specialise in magazine and editorial design. The Church of London were actually our first ever client. They commissioned Tony Easley to create a portrait of Jean-Michel Basquiat for HUCK magazine and that’s where it all started really. We kept in touch since then and when I saw their plans for developing the 71a gallery I was convinced it was the perfect venue for our first show. Rob Longworth and Paul Willoughby are a big inspiration and great guys to work with.

Handsome Frank Tweet-a-Brief exhibition 71a Gallery Private View

Handsome Frank Tweet-a-Brief exhibition 71a Gallery Private View

I have a Willoughby screen print I treasure very much. So #hftab, the Handsome Frank Tweet-a-Brief idea is genius. Was it one of those ‘on the back of a beer mat in a pub’ ideas or more a slow burner? I know you wanted to showcase the talent you had on your books, but how did you decide Twitter was right for this?
We’re big fans of Twitter. We’ve always had a strong following and we’ve always embraced it as a place to ask questions, seek advice and treat as a sounding board. We get a lot of musical recommendations from Twitter. When it came to doing a show, we bounced around a few themes but they were all a bit obvious… Olympics anyone?! One day I decided to ask Twitter and see if anyone had any bright ideas, so I tweeted “what should our exhibition be about?” Almost as soon as I pressed ‘send’, it dawned on me that that WAS the theme.

Did the name Tweet-a-Brief come easily? What others did you cast aside?
The credit for the name very much goes to Tom. My suggestion was probably something really snappy like ‘Send-us-an-idea-and-our-illustrators-will-draw-it’.

The legend that is Tim Burgess from the Charlatans submitted a brief. You must have been thrilled! Any other celebs as such? I hear you had over 200 briefs…
Yes, I’m a bit of an indie kid at heart, so I was chuffed when Tim got in touch. I knew he was really into Twitter so thought he was a good bet. A couple of other celebs were approached but to no avail. Shame on you Jonathan Ross!

Illustration by Emma Kelly for Tim Burgess of the Charlatans brief Blue Monday

Illustration by Emma Kelly for Tim Burgess of the Charlatans brief Blue Monday

Shame on Ross indeed. Heard that before. Was it more successful than you imagined? Handsome Frank #hftab was trending!
We trended? Wow, I didn’t know that. Chuffed.

Did you and Tom sit down and pick your favourites, or did you let your illustrators decide their own briefs?
There was a lot of debate as to the best and fairest way to distribute the briefs. In the end we decided to send a document containing all of the briefs to all of our illustrators and ask for their first, second and third choices. As it turned out there was not much overlap. Most of the guys had a very strong idea of what they want to do and thankfully most of them wanted different briefs.

Illustration by Alexandra Bruel of Kubricks brain

Artwork by Alexandra Bruel of Kubricks brain

Phew! I was so thrilled Helen Musselwhite picked my brief “a strong urge to see wallpaper coming to life in a doll’s house”. I was blown away when I saw it at the Private View. WOW. It was the star of the show for me.
I’m glad you liked what Helen did. It was a bit of a show stealer wasn’t it. Really lovely.

Artwork by Helen Musselwhite in response to my brief of wallpaper coming to life in a doll's house

Artwork by Helen Musselwhite in response to my brief of wallpaper coming to life in a doll’s house

Everyone obviously worked their socks off. Your collection of illustrators have done Handsome Frank proud. Are you already thinking up the next idea to get them all working together?
Funnily enough we had an idea on the day of the Tweet-a-Brief Private View. It won’t be until next summer though. We need to concentrate on some other projects first.

I’m sure Sunday will be a sad day when you have to take the exhibition down. Do you have to return the work back to the artists or will it stay up on the walls of Handsome Frank HQ?
The plan is to tour the exhibition around a little. We’ve had interest from a couple of agencies who would like to hang it on their walls. I’d also like it to move around the UK and possibly take it overseas.

The Tweet-a-Brief exhibition runs until this Sunday (22nd July) at 71a Gallery, Leonard Street, London EC2A 4QS.

Categories ,#hftab, ,26 illustrators, ,71a Gallery in Shoreditch, ,Advertising, ,Alexandra Bruel, ,Church of London, ,co-founders Jon and Tom, ,Creative Review, ,design, ,digital, ,East London, ,Emma Kelly, ,First exhibition, ,Handsome Frank, ,Helen Musselwhite, ,HUCK magazine, ,Illustration Agency, ,Jonathan Ross, ,Kubrick, ,Malika Favre, ,Paul Pensom, ,Paul Willoughby, ,publishing, ,Rob Longworth, ,Stephen Cheetham, ,StudioPensom, ,the Charlatans, ,Tim Burgess, ,Tony Easley, ,Tweet-a-Brief exhibition, ,twitter

Similar Posts:






Amelia’s Magazine | Jessica Simmons’ Vintage Cake Diet!

Popular education is based on values such as a commitment to transformation and freedom.  This means that rather than learning about the world and climate/social issues, pharmacy participants empower themselves to actually transform their environment.  Unlike traditional education, historical learning is focused on the history of the majority of the world (often socially excluded), and not just that of political and military leaders.

Popular education also aims to blur the relationship between teachers and students, instead creating an equal level at which everyone is learning from and supporting each other.  Social change is encouraged through developing critical awareness about the world and promoting social and environmental justice over economic gain, but debate is stimulated by encouraging free-thinking rather than dictating facts.

Past Trapese workshop topics have included: Migration, Food (history of industrial agriculture and understanding food crisis), Climate justice, Consensus decision making and non-hierarchical organising, Reclaiming space (setting up a social centre and keeping it running), DIY and Understanding the Economy (exploring the meaning of capitalism, recession and realistic alternatives).

TOOLSFOR SOCIAL CHANGE COURSE
diytrapesecollective

Providing an educational answer to the need for more grassroots social/ climate justice activity, Trapese have organised a weeklong course starting in March.  The course will aim to answer the questions: how we can move towards a more effective climate justice movement, how can we build more resilient communities and how can we achieve system change instead of climate change?

The course will provide training in grassroots organising, including tools for direct democracy, facilitation, using consensus, popular education techniques and how to plan, communicate and implement effective campaigns. It will explore how these tools can be used to set up community initiatives and ecological and social projects. 

No previous knowledge is necessary, but organisers ask that participants be committed to working co-operatively and respecting diversity.  Time to share ideas, work on practical technology projects around the farm, discuss current political debates, watch films and enjoy food together are also planned as part of the week.

The course draws on the ‘Do It Yourself Handbook’  and Trapese’s work since 2004, including their events at KlimaForum in Copenhagen.

Facilitators will include  Paul Chatterton, (MA Activism and Social Change, Leeds; www.paulchatterton.com) Kim Bryan, (Press Officer, Centre for Alternative Technology) Alice Cutler, (Freelance teacher/ activist, Bristol).

 To register interest or with any questions email trapese@riseup.net and they will send you further information.

Essential details:
Applications must be received by 12 noon Saturday February 27th 2010 at the latest.
Deposit of £50 to secure a place will be requested with full amount payable before the start of the course.
Cost range from £175 – £350 depending on income

 For more information about Trapese or to download a chapter of the book see www.trapese.org
Who:  Trapese Popular Education Collective
When:  27th March 2010  to 3rd April 2010
Where:  Ragman’s Lane Farm, pilule Forest of Dean, viagra near Gloucester.
Applications must be received by 12 noon Saturday February 27th 2010 at the latest.
Cost:  Deposit of £50 to secure a place will be requested with full amount payable before the start of the course.
Cost of course ranges from £175 – £350, hospital depending on income.

——————————————————————–

Trapese is a not-for-profit UK-based popular education collective.  Through workshops, film nights and training they aim to enable people of all ages to explore social and climate issues and develop practical alternatives and solutions. 
trapeseeimage2

Popular education is based on values such as a commitment to transformation and freedom.  This means that rather than learning about the world and climate/social issues, participants empower themselves to actually transform their environment.  Unlike traditional education, historical learning is focused on the history of the majority of the world (often socially excluded), and not just that of political and military leaders.

Popular education also aims to blur the relationship between teachers and students, instead creating an equal level at which everyone is learning from and supporting each other.  Social change is encouraged through developing critical awareness about the world and promoting social and environmental justice over economic gain, but debate is stimulated by encouraging free-thinking rather than dictating facts.

Past Trapese workshop topics have included: Migration, Food (history of industrial agriculture and understanding food crisis), Climate justice, Consensus decision making and non-hierarchical organising, Reclaiming space (setting up a social centre and keeping it running), DIY and Understanding the Economy (exploring the meaning of capitalism, recession and realistic alternatives).

TOOLSFOR SOCIAL CHANGE COURSE
diytrapesecollective

Providing an educational answer to the need for more grassroots social/ climate justice activity, Trapese have organised a weeklong course starting in March.  The course will aim to answer the questions: how we can move towards a more effective climate justice movement, how can we build more resilient communities and how can we achieve system change instead of climate change?

The course will provide training in grassroots organising, including tools for direct democracy, facilitation, using consensus, popular education techniques and how to plan, communicate and implement effective campaigns. It will explore how these tools can be used to set up community initiatives and ecological and social projects. 

No previous knowledge is necessary, but organisers ask that participants be committed to working co-operatively and respecting diversity.  Time to share ideas, work on practical technology projects around the farm, discuss current political debates, watch films and enjoy food together are also planned as part of the week.

The course draws on the ‘Do It Yourself Handbook’  and Trapese’s work since 2004, including their events at KlimaForum in Copenhagen.

Facilitators will include  Paul Chatterton, (MA Activism and Social Change, Leeds; www.paulchatterton.com) Kim Bryan, (Press Officer, Centre for Alternative Technology) Alice Cutler, (Freelance teacher/ activist, Bristol).

 To register interest or with any questions email trapese@riseup.net and they will send you further information.
Good-housekeeping-biscuitsAll photographs courtesy of Camilla Blackie except where otherwise stated

I’ve just spent a snowy weekend in my friend’s country kitchen, page elbow deep in flour, cost spice and all things nice. It’s for my vintage cake-spot. Here, I bake and blog, throwing some of the best and most well-loved cake recipes of the last century into the mixing bowl.

Lemon-Buns-in-spotty-case

I mixed my ingredients for a classic marmalade pudding (sourced from The Constance Spry Cookery Book,1956) in a small, glass basin. After wrapping this in a clean tea-towel, I left it to gently steam on top of the Aga. Three hours later the pud was a picture of dome-shaped perfection; all steaming suet and glinting orange rind. This was going to be a good baking day.

Lemon-Buns

Constance Spry, described as the ‘Martha Stewart of mid-century Britain’ joins a long list of bakers, homemakers and celebrated authors who’ve left a lasting legacy in the culinary world. As a girl who’s partial to the sweeter side of life, I became fascinated by one legacy in particular – the cake.

Small-jess

As writer for the Women’s Institute membership magazine, WI Life,  my research began in earnest. Lunch breaks were spent in the national archives, dusting off leather-bound periodicals dating back to 1919. Economy cake, plum pudding, and gingerbread were just some of the suggestions listed in the H.H.H. (handy household hints); a modest few lines of recipes printed in the then WI membership magazine Home and Country.

Flapjacks

By the time I’d test-baked a batch of spiced buns, my mind was made up. My good friend Camilla came on board as cake-spot photographer and we haven’t looked back. If I’ve got the nose for burning crumbs, she’s got the eyes to weigh up a perfect cake shot.

Valentines-Biscuits-2

Baking, and blogging about it, is fast becoming my number one past-time – not forgetting the odd ‘tweet’ as part of the global PR cruise. Yes, I was inspired by Julie and Julia – who wouldn’t be charmed by a French-talking Meryl Streep? – but the vintage cake-spot is more than show and tell. These are real cakes using classic, trusted recipes. And they’re tasty, too.

Tiled

Jessica-6

The good news is, everyone loves cake. But while the red-velvet iced delights of Portobello Road still cause a stir for hungry Londoners, I must stay true to my recipe books. If a slice of dripping cake’s not to your fancy, look away now. This is no time for counting calories.

Small-Yorkshire-teacakes

The blog has opened my eyes up to a new London. East-end antique stores and charity shops have taken on a whole new dimension, many harbouring the battered old cook-books held so precious for women now and during the last century.

Small-baking-equipment

Cake is one of life’s pleasures and I don’t think there’s ever been a better time to celebrate the fact. If my blog can inspire anyone to grab an apron, some pantry essentials and get baking, I’m a happy girl.

Coffe-cake

JessicaJessica Simmons photographs courtesy of Peter Schiazza

What Jessica likes:

Places: Whitby in North Yorkshire. It’s got high cliffs, a beautiful old abbey and probably the best fish and chips you’ll ever taste (www.magpiecafe.co.uk). There’s also a fun caravan site called La Rosa and you can get your fortune told in a little shack on the pier

Food: A nice fish pie (see above)

Drink: Chambord and lemonade, whisky macs

Website: Find delicate hand-picked teas and a very inspiring lady

Music: Blondie, Moloko, Pink Floyd, Jay-Z, the Doors

Books: Shadow of the Wind’ by Carols Ruiz Zafon. I’m currently reading ‘The Short Life and Long Times of Mrs Beeton’ by Kathryn Hughes for inspiration

Film: Far from the Madding Crowd

Shop: Hemswell Market in Lincolnshire. It’s an antiques wonderland. I also can’t resist cos on Regent Street for a bit of office-glam.

Small-dripping-cake

Categories ,Antiques, ,cakes, ,charity shop, ,Cooking, ,craft, ,Creative Review, ,Creativity, ,Culture, ,cupcakes, ,Entrepreneurship, ,film, ,handicraft, ,handy household hints, ,Home and Country, ,Jessica Simmons, ,Meryl Streep, ,photography, ,vintage cake-spot, ,women

Similar Posts:






Amelia’s Magazine | Jessica Simmons’ Vintage Cake Diet!

Popular education is based on values such as a commitment to transformation and freedom.  This means that rather than learning about the world and climate/social issues, pharmacy participants empower themselves to actually transform their environment.  Unlike traditional education, historical learning is focused on the history of the majority of the world (often socially excluded), and not just that of political and military leaders.

Popular education also aims to blur the relationship between teachers and students, instead creating an equal level at which everyone is learning from and supporting each other.  Social change is encouraged through developing critical awareness about the world and promoting social and environmental justice over economic gain, but debate is stimulated by encouraging free-thinking rather than dictating facts.

Past Trapese workshop topics have included: Migration, Food (history of industrial agriculture and understanding food crisis), Climate justice, Consensus decision making and non-hierarchical organising, Reclaiming space (setting up a social centre and keeping it running), DIY and Understanding the Economy (exploring the meaning of capitalism, recession and realistic alternatives).

TOOLSFOR SOCIAL CHANGE COURSE
diytrapesecollective

Providing an educational answer to the need for more grassroots social/ climate justice activity, Trapese have organised a weeklong course starting in March.  The course will aim to answer the questions: how we can move towards a more effective climate justice movement, how can we build more resilient communities and how can we achieve system change instead of climate change?

The course will provide training in grassroots organising, including tools for direct democracy, facilitation, using consensus, popular education techniques and how to plan, communicate and implement effective campaigns. It will explore how these tools can be used to set up community initiatives and ecological and social projects. 

No previous knowledge is necessary, but organisers ask that participants be committed to working co-operatively and respecting diversity.  Time to share ideas, work on practical technology projects around the farm, discuss current political debates, watch films and enjoy food together are also planned as part of the week.

The course draws on the ‘Do It Yourself Handbook’  and Trapese’s work since 2004, including their events at KlimaForum in Copenhagen.

Facilitators will include  Paul Chatterton, (MA Activism and Social Change, Leeds; www.paulchatterton.com) Kim Bryan, (Press Officer, Centre for Alternative Technology) Alice Cutler, (Freelance teacher/ activist, Bristol).

 To register interest or with any questions email trapese@riseup.net and they will send you further information.

Essential details:
Applications must be received by 12 noon Saturday February 27th 2010 at the latest.
Deposit of £50 to secure a place will be requested with full amount payable before the start of the course.
Cost range from £175 – £350 depending on income

 For more information about Trapese or to download a chapter of the book see www.trapese.org
Who:  Trapese Popular Education Collective
When:  27th March 2010  to 3rd April 2010
Where:  Ragman’s Lane Farm, pilule Forest of Dean, viagra near Gloucester.
Applications must be received by 12 noon Saturday February 27th 2010 at the latest.
Cost:  Deposit of £50 to secure a place will be requested with full amount payable before the start of the course.
Cost of course ranges from £175 – £350, hospital depending on income.

——————————————————————–

Trapese is a not-for-profit UK-based popular education collective.  Through workshops, film nights and training they aim to enable people of all ages to explore social and climate issues and develop practical alternatives and solutions. 
trapeseeimage2

Popular education is based on values such as a commitment to transformation and freedom.  This means that rather than learning about the world and climate/social issues, participants empower themselves to actually transform their environment.  Unlike traditional education, historical learning is focused on the history of the majority of the world (often socially excluded), and not just that of political and military leaders.

Popular education also aims to blur the relationship between teachers and students, instead creating an equal level at which everyone is learning from and supporting each other.  Social change is encouraged through developing critical awareness about the world and promoting social and environmental justice over economic gain, but debate is stimulated by encouraging free-thinking rather than dictating facts.

Past Trapese workshop topics have included: Migration, Food (history of industrial agriculture and understanding food crisis), Climate justice, Consensus decision making and non-hierarchical organising, Reclaiming space (setting up a social centre and keeping it running), DIY and Understanding the Economy (exploring the meaning of capitalism, recession and realistic alternatives).

TOOLSFOR SOCIAL CHANGE COURSE
diytrapesecollective

Providing an educational answer to the need for more grassroots social/ climate justice activity, Trapese have organised a weeklong course starting in March.  The course will aim to answer the questions: how we can move towards a more effective climate justice movement, how can we build more resilient communities and how can we achieve system change instead of climate change?

The course will provide training in grassroots organising, including tools for direct democracy, facilitation, using consensus, popular education techniques and how to plan, communicate and implement effective campaigns. It will explore how these tools can be used to set up community initiatives and ecological and social projects. 

No previous knowledge is necessary, but organisers ask that participants be committed to working co-operatively and respecting diversity.  Time to share ideas, work on practical technology projects around the farm, discuss current political debates, watch films and enjoy food together are also planned as part of the week.

The course draws on the ‘Do It Yourself Handbook’  and Trapese’s work since 2004, including their events at KlimaForum in Copenhagen.

Facilitators will include  Paul Chatterton, (MA Activism and Social Change, Leeds; www.paulchatterton.com) Kim Bryan, (Press Officer, Centre for Alternative Technology) Alice Cutler, (Freelance teacher/ activist, Bristol).

 To register interest or with any questions email trapese@riseup.net and they will send you further information.
Good-housekeeping-biscuitsAll photographs courtesy of Camilla Blackie except where otherwise stated

I’ve just spent a snowy weekend in my friend’s country kitchen, page elbow deep in flour, cost spice and all things nice. It’s for my vintage cake-spot. Here, I bake and blog, throwing some of the best and most well-loved cake recipes of the last century into the mixing bowl.

Lemon-Buns-in-spotty-case

I mixed my ingredients for a classic marmalade pudding (sourced from The Constance Spry Cookery Book,1956) in a small, glass basin. After wrapping this in a clean tea-towel, I left it to gently steam on top of the Aga. Three hours later the pud was a picture of dome-shaped perfection; all steaming suet and glinting orange rind. This was going to be a good baking day.

Lemon-Buns

Constance Spry, described as the ‘Martha Stewart of mid-century Britain’ joins a long list of bakers, homemakers and celebrated authors who’ve left a lasting legacy in the culinary world. As a girl who’s partial to the sweeter side of life, I became fascinated by one legacy in particular – the cake.

Small-jess

As writer for the Women’s Institute membership magazine, WI Life,  my research began in earnest. Lunch breaks were spent in the national archives, dusting off leather-bound periodicals dating back to 1919. Economy cake, plum pudding, and gingerbread were just some of the suggestions listed in the H.H.H. (handy household hints); a modest few lines of recipes printed in the then WI membership magazine Home and Country.

Flapjacks

By the time I’d test-baked a batch of spiced buns, my mind was made up. My good friend Camilla came on board as cake-spot photographer and we haven’t looked back. If I’ve got the nose for burning crumbs, she’s got the eyes to weigh up a perfect cake shot.

Valentines-Biscuits-2

Baking, and blogging about it, is fast becoming my number one past-time – not forgetting the odd ‘tweet’ as part of the global PR cruise. Yes, I was inspired by Julie and Julia – who wouldn’t be charmed by a French-talking Meryl Streep? – but the vintage cake-spot is more than show and tell. These are real cakes using classic, trusted recipes. And they’re tasty, too.

Tiled

Jessica-6

The good news is, everyone loves cake. But while the red-velvet iced delights of Portobello Road still cause a stir for hungry Londoners, I must stay true to my recipe books. If a slice of dripping cake’s not to your fancy, look away now. This is no time for counting calories.

Small-Yorkshire-teacakes

The blog has opened my eyes up to a new London. East-end antique stores and charity shops have taken on a whole new dimension, many harbouring the battered old cook-books held so precious for women now and during the last century.

Small-baking-equipment

Cake is one of life’s pleasures and I don’t think there’s ever been a better time to celebrate the fact. If my blog can inspire anyone to grab an apron, some pantry essentials and get baking, I’m a happy girl.

Coffe-cake

JessicaJessica Simmons photographs courtesy of Peter Schiazza

What Jessica likes:

Places: Whitby in North Yorkshire. It’s got high cliffs, a beautiful old abbey and probably the best fish and chips you’ll ever taste (www.magpiecafe.co.uk). There’s also a fun caravan site called La Rosa and you can get your fortune told in a little shack on the pier

Food: A nice fish pie (see above)

Drink: Chambord and lemonade, whisky macs

Website: Find delicate hand-picked teas and a very inspiring lady

Music: Blondie, Moloko, Pink Floyd, Jay-Z, the Doors

Books: Shadow of the Wind’ by Carols Ruiz Zafon. I’m currently reading ‘The Short Life and Long Times of Mrs Beeton’ by Kathryn Hughes for inspiration

Film: Far from the Madding Crowd

Shop: Hemswell Market in Lincolnshire. It’s an antiques wonderland. I also can’t resist cos on Regent Street for a bit of office-glam.

Small-dripping-cake

Categories ,Antiques, ,cakes, ,charity shop, ,Cooking, ,craft, ,Creative Review, ,Creativity, ,Culture, ,cupcakes, ,Entrepreneurship, ,film, ,handicraft, ,handy household hints, ,Home and Country, ,Jessica Simmons, ,Meryl Streep, ,photography, ,vintage cake-spot, ,women

Similar Posts:






Amelia’s Magazine | Creative Review Tweetup at the Design Museum: An insider’s perspective

crtweetup_exhibition_opens_at_the_Design_Museum_Space_photobyHali_O
Photo by Halima O.

Last Thursday the first ever Creative Review tweetup took place at London’s Design Museum. As Amelia had so many other engagments – what with it being both London Fashion Week and the London Design Festival – she asked me to report back on how things went.

FlickrTwitter_mashup_ap_by Nice Agency_photo by ShantyUK
A twitter mashup, page photo by ShantyUK.

I’ve been tweeting for Creative Review for about sixteen months now, and it’s always been obvious that there’s a community made up of a particular type of creative person that uses the network; generally the friendly type keen to share news of things that interest them. The tweetup was a chance for them to come together, no matter what their creative discipline, but the bulk of guests comprised illustrators and graphic designers.

Collaborative_doodles_Photo by ShantyUK
Collaborative doodles. Photo by ShantyUK.

Proceedings kicked off at seven in the Museum’s lobby, with guests enjoying a free drink courtesy of the only commercial sponsor of the evening. The Design Museum had kept its shop open and a cash bar was operating too. The event was partnered by Moleskine and the LEGO group, and as well as the drink, on arrival each guest received a little CR branded Moleskine sketchbook.

Collaborative doodling
Collaborative doodling.

Activities started with a bit of sketching too. There was a ‘never-ending’ 2 x 8 metre roll of 200gsm sketchpaper covering a large square table that fit about a dozen people around it, and a load of fibre-tipped pens, pencils and charcoal for filling it up with scribble. Several people seemed to spend most of the night immersed in this one activity, but they missed out on the rest of what the museum had to offer. After a couple of drinks, a bit of a chat and a doodle, most went on to explore the rest of the space, arriving first at the impressive BRIT Designs of the Year exhibition, which will soon be coming to an end. As well as featuring some impressive sustainability projects.

Communal LEGO building
Communal LEGO building.

For many, the main event took place on the very top floor of the Museum, in the just opened John Pawson exhibition. This exhibition is one of pristine minimalism, with a beautiful reproduction of a Japanese monastery, a hall-spanning bench made from Douglas fir and a floor embedded with materials product design arranged with as much care and forethought as a feng shui-inspired garden. Very few of the guests would have been able to enjoy this peaceful impression however, as by the time most of the more sociable crowd arrived on the third floor, the space had been taken over by cross-legged adults attempting to build representations of their ideal homes from LEGO.

CR_Lego
A LEGO installation.

When it came to the time for me to announce that LEGO play was almost at an end and the evening’s piece de resistance was about to be unveiled, there were more than several looks of disappointment. Still, everyone got to keep the LEGO that they hadn’t made use of, which was not an inconsiderable amount. The final stage of the evening was an impromptu exhibition put together by Creative Review staff that was comprised of individual pieces of work the guests had brought along with them. Here’s a look at some of the work that was done on the night: with photos taken by various attendees.

Illustration by Jitesh Patel_Photo by ShantyUK
Illustration by Jitesh Patel. Photo by ShantyUK.

All in all most people seemed to get a kick out of the evening, and there’s been plenty of talk at Creative Review about putting on something similar in the future, perhaps looking north though, to Birmingham, Manchester or Scotland. In the meantime you can follow me on twitter @NeilAyres.

Categories ,Creative Review, ,Design Museum, ,Jitesh Patel, ,John Pawson, ,Lego, ,Moleskine, ,Neil Ayres, ,ShantyUK, ,Tweetup, ,twitter

Similar Posts:






Amelia’s Magazine | Creative Review Tweetup at the Design Museum: An insider’s perspective

crtweetup_exhibition_opens_at_the_Design_Museum_Space_photobyHali_O
Photo by Halima O.

Last Thursday the first ever Creative Review tweetup took place at London’s Design Museum. As Amelia had so many other engagments – what with it being both London Fashion Week and the London Design Festival – she asked me to report back on how things went.

FlickrTwitter_mashup_ap_by Nice Agency_photo by ShantyUK
A twitter mashup, photo by ShantyUK.

I’ve been tweeting for Creative Review for about sixteen months now, and it’s always been obvious that there’s a community made up of a particular type of creative person that uses the network; generally the friendly type keen to share news of things that interest them. The tweetup was a chance for them to come together, no matter what their creative discipline, but the bulk of guests comprised illustrators and graphic designers.

Collaborative_doodles_Photo by ShantyUK
Collaborative doodles. Photo by ShantyUK.

Proceedings kicked off at seven in the Museum’s lobby, with guests enjoying a free drink courtesy of the only commercial sponsor of the evening. The Design Museum had kept its shop open and a cash bar was operating too. The event was partnered by Moleskine and the LEGO group, and as well as the drink, on arrival each guest received a little CR branded Moleskine sketchbook.

Collaborative doodling
Collaborative doodling.

Activities started with a bit of sketching too. There was a ‘never-ending’ 2 x 8 metre roll of 200gsm sketchpaper covering a large square table that fit about a dozen people around it, and a load of fibre-tipped pens, pencils and charcoal for filling it up with scribble. Several people seemed to spend most of the night immersed in this one activity, but they missed out on the rest of what the museum had to offer. After a couple of drinks, a bit of a chat and a doodle, most went on to explore the rest of the space, arriving first at the impressive BRIT Designs of the Year exhibition, which will soon be coming to an end. As well as featuring some impressive sustainability projects.

Communal LEGO building
Communal LEGO building.

For many, the main event took place on the very top floor of the Museum, in the just opened John Pawson exhibition. This exhibition is one of pristine minimalism, with a beautiful reproduction of a Japanese monastery, a hall-spanning bench made from Douglas fir and a floor embedded with materials product design arranged with as much care and forethought as a feng shui-inspired garden. Very few of the guests would have been able to enjoy this peaceful impression however, as by the time most of the more sociable crowd arrived on the third floor, the space had been taken over by cross-legged adults attempting to build representations of their ideal homes from LEGO.

CR_Lego
A LEGO installation.

When it came to the time for me to announce that LEGO play was almost at an end and the evening’s piece de resistance was about to be unveiled, there were more than several looks of disappointment. Still, everyone got to keep the LEGO that they hadn’t made use of, which was not an inconsiderable amount. The final stage of the evening was an impromptu exhibition put together by Creative Review staff that was comprised of individual pieces of work the guests had brought along with them. Here’s a look at some of the work that was done on the night: with photos taken by various attendees.

Illustration by Jitesh Patel_Photo by ShantyUK
Illustration by Jitesh Patel. Photo by ShantyUK.

All in all most people seemed to get a kick out of the evening, and there’s been plenty of talk at Creative Review about putting on something similar in the future, perhaps looking north though, to Birmingham, Manchester or Scotland. In the meantime you can follow me on twitter @NeilAyres.

Categories ,Creative Review, ,Design Museum, ,Jitesh Patel, ,John Pawson, ,Lego, ,Moleskine, ,Neil Ayres, ,ShantyUK, ,Tweetup, ,twitter

Similar Posts:





Amelia’s Magazine | An interview with photographer Andrew Meredith

stomach Cuba 2009″ class=”aligncenter size-full wp-image-21008″ />
Havana, buy information pills Cuba 2009

How do you define good travel photography? I’m not sure what other people think but for me, it’s an image that beckons with its infusion of colours, seduces with its ambience and caresses with an intriguing subject matter. It’s not so much about capturing something divinely exotic as it is about viewing an unfamiliar and mystical part of the world through the window of a photographer’s lens. I’ve always been allured by such landscapes which is why I recently found myself trekking across London on a constipated District Line in the blistering heat, to check out photographer Andrew Meredith’s new exhibition, ‘Excursions’.

I came across Andrew’s work a few months ago when I was writing up my Pete Fowler interview, which he kindly provided the images for. A nosy parker by nature, I couldn’t help but Google stalk him. The search results threw up an impressive website, with an even more impressive portfolio.


Santiago, Chile 2008

Counting big names like Selfridges, Chanel and Anya Hindmarch as his clients, The Falmouth College of Art graduate has worked on numerous projects, including one entitled ‘The Slaughtermen’ for OnOffice Magazine, featuring a day in a life of an abattoir worker. This subsequently led to Andrew winning the 2008 ‘Best in Book’ Category for the Creative Review’s Photography Annual. Amongst other photography award nominations, Andrew’s credits include Kanye West’s Late Orchestration album cover and his work has been featured in The New York Times, Vogue Russia and Frame Magazine amongst several other well-known magazine titles.


Santiago, Chile 2008

Having exhibited at galleries across London over the past eight years, Andrew’s latest project, ‘Excursions’, spans two years’ of travels across the Americas and the Caribbean. Now before you start visualising cheesy smiles in front of Machu Picchu, bottom shuffling down Chichen Itza or staring moodily into the distance with a vintage Cohiba in the Plaza de la Revolución a la Che, the photographer has decidedly taken a less conventional approach by capturing less familiar, deserted and occasionally dilapidated landscapes in favour of popular picture perfect landmarks.

Describing the exhibition’s theme, Andrew explains: “Excursions is a photographic journey through Chile, Argentina, Mexico, Cuba and America to document every day scenes that are far removed from our own. The route I took was mainly by road, impulsive and unplanned and avoiding all the obvious tourist traps along the way.”

The result is an honest and raw photographic essay that pitches the beauty of nature amongst rugged urban landscapes. Having developed a deep bond with Chile, Andrew will also be auctioning signed and framed images of the Santiago stills, with all proceeds going towards the Global Givings Relief Fund for Earthquake in Chile to help rebuild regions that were hit hardest by the earthquake earlier this year.

On a balmy summer evening, we caught up with the photographer at a private view of his exhibition to find out more about his travel encounters…


Santiago, Chile 2008

Your new exhibition is entitled ‘Excursions’. Is there any particular reason why South America is the focal point of these excursions?
I originally went to Chile for my friend Erwin’s wedding in Santiago, but couldn’t help feeling excited about exploring the city. It reminded me of scenes from Alec Soth’s book ‘Dog Days in Bogata’ where he finds himself in Colombia’s capital, waiting to adopt his first child. As he found himself with time on his hands, he decided to document his surroundings as a future reminder of his new daughter’s birthplace.

Based on this idea, I too felt compelled to start documenting the trip and pretty soon we started going off further south of Santiago to places like Chiloe, Pucon, Osorno, Villarrica and Temuco. The fact it was South America was a complete accident; I was merely a traveler passing through. We went off the beaten track and immersed ourselves in the exploration, finding skeletons in forests and tiny villages along the way as well as those impressive cityscapes too. We had some time to fly out to Buenos Aires where I found other types of landscape, greyer than in Chile – a lot more concrete and crumbly. It struck me that the further we went, the more differences we were exposed to and before my eyes, a project started to unravel and evolve the further we traveled.


Buenos Aires, Argentina 2008

Did you literally stumble across your subjects or did you have an idea of what you wanted to shoot beforehand?
I had no preconceptions about Chile and Argentina. I had seen some beautiful holiday pictures taken in the southern parts of the countries, but they were never the kind of images I would like to have captured myself. What I found most interesting were the ramshackle and crumbly parts of the city, with power cables overflowing to the far corners of the buildings. That impressed me the most in a downtrodden dirty kind of way!

Where Cuba was concerned, we all have stereotypical ideas of what Havana looks like; the fine 1950s cars, gents smoking cigars, and a city that is crumbling faster then one can refurbish – I wanted to avoid all of that. My first night in Havana ended up being in this huge hotel which was pretty horrible. However, at about midnight when I looked out of the window, there was this incredible view of darkness with vibrant streams of light blazing through it. It was a beautiful moment as the night sky appeared as if it were on fire.


Pucon, Chile 2008

Your photos are mainly of landscapes opposed to people – was this a conscious decision?
I get a real sense of calm from observing landscapes and cityscapes. Being able to view it from up high above, looking down is endlessly interesting to me. At that distance, you cannot see people’s faces or their problems; all you can see are things moving around in the distance unaware that they are being photographed. I guess I’m sort of a voyeur, although not in a pervy sense! There was definitely an element of escapism for me around capturing images of landscapes. Hopefully through viewing my work, my audience might also join me in feeling that way too.

You mentioned that you wanted to avoid tourist traps – other then the landscapes being less recognisable, what were you hoping to portray in these photographs?
As a tourist, you are often only shown certain things. As a result, I end up feeling as if I’m being led around on a lead most of the time. I don’t like the idea of tours only passing by the attractions which people assume you’d be most interested to see. By avoiding all the tours and tourist traps, I was able to encounter landscapes less manipulated by mankind, which was much more appealing to me. My surroundings seemed to possess a purer beauty.


Tulum, Mexico 2009

Were there any challenges you faced whilst shooting abroad?
The first few days in Havana were incredibly hard work where everyone just seemed to be after your money. I guess it comes with being a tourist but I experienced this more in Havana than anywhere else I’ve ever been. I know that people just need the money so they can work towards a better life than what the Communist government will hand to them but it felt abusive at times. I just knew we had to get away from there and go further afield to avoid the tourism.

Other obvious challenges were language barriers and differences in culture. I have a basic grasp of Spanish so I could get by some of the time. Luckily I have a few fluent Spanish speaking friends who were able to help me along the way, although mostly they were useful for teaching me offensive Spanish phrases and swear words!

Was there a country in South America which really stood out during your travels? If so – why?
Most of the countries I shot during this project were so different. For example, Tulum in Mexico was initially like a paradise until you walked a mile around the coast to find, what seemed like, an invisible gate to a much more deprived and semi-built landscape. There were dirty beaches with truck tyres and rubbish washed up on the sand and shelters abandoned half-way through being built.

Overall, my favourite country was Chile. It was my inspiration for the whole project and I saw some wonderful places and met some amazing people. It gave me access to some of the most impressive landscapes I’ve ever captured due to the sheer diversity and scale. Another reason for it holding a special place in my heart is the fact that I was able to see and document Chile before the earthquake in February and it saddens me to think of the landscape being so different now. I feel incredibly strongly about trying to give something back to the people and the landscape that allowed me to capture those images in the first place, which is why some of the stills will be available for auction.


Santiago, Chile 2008

What’s next for you?
I would love to explore other South American countries such as Brazil, Bolivia, Venezuela, Guyana, Peru and the Falkland Islands. The next chapter of ‘Excursions’ will happen at some point.

The next place on my list though that I am keen to visit has got to be Hong Kong. I love the landscape, the tall buildings, the light, the thick air and the density. Running alongside this, I would also like to visit the Svalbard Islands deep in the Arctic Circle, miles off the Norwegian coast. It’s the most northern town in the world and one of the least populated places in the world. I think I can draw on some pretty interesting contrasts between Hong Kong and Svalbard…

‘Excursions’ by Andrew Meredith is running until 10th July at The Riverside Studios, Crisp Road, London W6 9RL.

A very limited edition, signed and framed Santiago, Chile 2008 portrait will be autioned with all proceeds going to Global Givings Relief Fund for the Earthquake in Chile. For more information, see here.

All photographs courtesy of Andrew Meredith.

Categories ,Alec Soth, ,Andrew Meredith, ,Anya Hindmarch, ,Arctic Circle, ,Argentina, ,Bolivia, ,brazil, ,Buenos Aires, ,chanel, ,Che, ,Chichen Itza, ,chile, ,Chiloe, ,Cohiba, ,Creative Review, ,Cuba, ,Dog Days in Bogota, ,Falkland Islands, ,Falmouth College of Art, ,Frame Magazine, ,Global Givings Relief Fund, ,Guyana, ,Havana, ,Hong Kong, ,Kanye West, ,Kat Phan, ,Manchu Picchu, ,mexico, ,New York Times, ,OnOffice Magazine, ,Osorno, ,Peru, ,Pete Fowler, ,Plaza del la Revolucion, ,Pucon, ,Santiago, ,Selfridges, ,Svalbard, ,Temuco, ,The Slaughtermen, ,Tulum, ,Venezuela, ,Villarrica, ,Vogue Russia

Similar Posts:






Amelia’s Magazine | An interview with Illustrator Andy Rementer

Andy Rementer PENCIL
I discovered the colourful and imaginative work of US based Andy Rementer at the Pick Me Up show last year. Since then he’s stayed in touch with me about new projects, and I’ve been delighted to receive the occasional surprise package in the post: sometimes good old snail mail really is the best possible way to keep in touch. After all, printed matter is my first love and there’s nothing like a gorgeous postcard, poster or zine. From window displays and animations for Kiehls to comic strips for Nobrow and duck t-shirts for Lazy Oaf, this innovative illustrator is engaged in loads of interesting projects that are bringing him to a wider audience in the UK.

Andy Rementer BANANA
What kind of feedback did you get from exhibiting at Pick Me Up last year?
The feedback and response from Pick Me Up was huge. I got a lot of positive words of support from other creatives and fans. After the show, Gavin Lucas from Creative Review wrote a nice piece about my work. Also, I have started a relationship with Nobrow, who invited me to be in their 6th issue, and am working on more projects with them as we speak. As another positive note, my work on display sold out, which hopefully means people liked it.

Andy Rementer SKITSCH_01
Andy Rementer SKITSCH_02
Andy Rementer SKITSCH_03
Andy Rementer SKITSCH_04
Tell us more about your illustrated Skitsch catalogue, how did that come about and where did your Mr. Bello character come from?
The Skitsch catalog was a project made in collaboration with Apartamento magazine. I worked with them previously on a coloring book for their 4th issue, so they were familiar with my work. Skitsch approached them to create a character and narrative around their products and designers. I think they liked my style and color palette, so they chose me to illustrate a small booklet. The Apartamento team along with Skitsch developed the idea and character traits of Mr. Bello, and I worked on the look, feel and development of him and his world. There was a lot of back and forth concerning the way everything looked, but it was worth it and I’m very happy with this project that had a lot of exposure in Milan and London.

Andy Rementer KIEHLS_01
Andy Rementer KIEHLS_02
I love Kiehl’s – but I wouldn’t necessarily put your drawing style together with the cosmetics brand. And are you a Keihls man? tell the truth now… what’s your favourite guy beauty tip?

Yes I am a Kiehl’s man! Love the shaving cream and hand cream—important to keep the drawing hand moisturized. Kiehl’s incorporates a lot of illustration actually, so while my work may be surprising at first, I feel it fits in well. The campaign had a very big response worldwide, and I received a lot of fan photos from Malaysia to Berlin. It was really exciting to collaborate with a brand that I admire so much like Kiehl’s, and I was amazed at how respectful and supportive they were with my work.
 
Andy Rementer NY TIMES_02
Andy Rementer NY TIMES_01
Work for the New York Times.

What were your favourite projects of 2011 and what are you looking forward to in 2012?
Participating in Pick Me Up was a major highlight of 2011 and for my career in general. Being part of something so big, and along with so many talented people was insanely awesome. I met some heroes there like Tom Gauld, NoBrow and the It’s Nice That crew to mention a few. Rob Ryan even picked up a piece of mine!

Andy Rementer MADAMA_01
Andy Rementer MADAMA_02
Another great project I enjoyed doing was a comic interpretation of Madama Butterfly. It was made for the Bavarian State Opera House‘s magazine Max Joseph, which is the coolest opera publication imaginable. They gave me four spreads and free reign to interpret Puccini‘s classic play in my own style and visual world. The project entailed quite a bit of research and translating as the final story was in German, and even if I can’t read it, I’m very happy with the final result.

Andy Rementer BLOOMBERG
Andy Rementer BALLIN
This year, I am really looking forward to participating in Pictoplasma Berlin. I will be giving a talk and showing some work as well. I was a part of the NYC version last year and it was a blast.

Andy Rementer GET_REAL
How would you describe your drawing style?
Fun on the outside, slightly dark on the inside.

Andy Rementer EAT
What are the bonuses of working pastel colours? 
I am naturally prone to using brighter colors in my work. I am technically color blind and have a difficult time distinguishing between muted tones. However in certain cases, I really like the contrast of my clear line style paired with pastel colors, and it’s a nice way to break out of my color comfort zone.

Andy Rementer CITY
What are the good and bad things about living in Philadelphia?
Good thing is the location, with an International Airport. There are plenty of good art stores too, so that is a major plus. Bad thing is it’s a bit of an anachronistic city.

Andy Rementer NIEVES_01
Andy Rementer NIEVES_02
Why are books so good?
Books are the best. They smell good and the tactile quality is irreplaceable.

Andy Rementer NIEVES_03
Andy Rementer NIEVES_04
Where can folks in the UK find your work, other than online?
Good Press in Glasgow sells my latest zine with Nieves (above). Nobrow features my work in issue #6. I have a full page in the first issue of Cagoule published by Present Joys.

Andy Rementer LAZY_01
Andy Rementer LAZY_02
And Lazy Oaf sells some T-shirts I made.

In the future I hope to have an even bigger presence in the UK! *so do we!* Check in with the latest work by Andy Rementer on his website.

Categories ,Andy Rementer, ,Apartamento, ,Bavarian State Opera House, ,Cagoule, ,Creative Review, ,Good Press, ,It’s Nice That, ,Kiehls, ,Lazy Oaf, ,Madama Butterfly, ,Max Joseph, ,Mr. Bello, ,New York Times, ,Nieves, ,Nobrow, ,Pick Me Up, ,Pictoplasma Berlin, ,Present Joys, ,Puccini, ,rob ryan, ,Skitsch

Similar Posts:






Amelia’s Magazine | An interview with Ana Jaks: Amelia’s Colourful Colouring Companion featured artist.

ANAJAKS-FigurePracticeInspiredbyHoliday_Season
I found Ana Jaks at New Designers, where she was also discovered by the likes of Creative Review. She contributes a bold design for Amelia’s Colourful Colouring Companion inspired by recent holidays.

ANAJAKSDRAWING
What did you learn and how did you develop as an artist at university?
I’m a recent graduate who studied illustration at Falmouth University which was probably one of the best environments anyone could ever ask to develop in. Before going to university I already had a very set drawing style which was mainly black and white and was all done in fine liner with barely any colour – it had more of a fine art feel to it than illustration, and being at Falmouth meant I had to break that down, strip everything back and start again. This did prove to be a massive struggle for me and at one point I didn’t think I was good enough to continue the course but the tutors there are honestly some of the most supportive I have ever been around and they really taught me how to use colour and not be afraid to take risks and so I really embraced my time there and I honestly don’t think I could have developed the style I did if it wasn’t for being there.

ANAJAKS-NY
What was the best part about studying at Falmouth Uni?
The best part about being there meant going to New York and showing massive clients like Vice and 3×3 your work, where you would get really focused feedback and as soon as I got back to the UK I took it all on board and tried to really bring my work together a lot more and realised how inspiring architecture is, which is why I created my New York piece. This piece of work really felt like a landmark for me, it was finally something that I thought “yes this is how I want my work to look to an audience.”

ANAJAKS-theselfiephenomenon
ANAJAKS-CreativeReviewBillboard2
I found your work at New Designers, what was the most exciting bit to come out of your show there?
The Selfie Phenomenon, which was a project I showed at both New Designers and New Blood, and was fortunately lucky enough to be chosen by the Creative Review and JCDecaux’s Talent Spotting Showcase 2015 where 20 graduates got chosen to have their work shown nationwide. I thought I would include this in the images I have sent to you because it was one of the most exciting things to have happened straight after finishing my degree and seemed somewhat unbelievable. 

ANAJAKS-EcoCallobforToteBag
What recent projects have you been working on?
Recently I have been working on an image for a collaborative project to do with helping the environment and focuses around the idea of stopping people from using plastic bags and so instead are selling tote bags for a pound in order to get people to help the environment. I was invited to design an image for the tote bags which involved me drawing animals which is really something I never do and so it was quite interesting for me I suppose? I usually stick to buildings, figures and environments as it’s something I much prefer but this was actually really fun!

`ANAJAKS-Inspiredbyrecentholiday
What areas of illustration do you hope to work on in the future?
My main interests lie in editorial because I always think you manage to get the most interesting images out of them. I also really love fashion and so the idea of being able to work on advertising campaigns with some sort of fashion house would be my absolute dream. Anything that I can apply bright colour, pattern, shape and an element of design to is perfect for me and I’ve even found that children’s books (although not what I had originally expected to like) are something I could really see myself enjoying.

ANAJAKS-CommissionbyFTMagazine2
ANAJAKS-CommissionbyFTMagazine
How did you become a member of YCN and what have you been commissioned for as a result of being on the website?
I am currently a member of YCN and am lucky enough to have my portfolio showcased on their website which has meant I am able to say my first ever commission was for the Financial Times Magazine which was amazing. It was an article about Gastropubs and so I had to draw pubs and food which was bloody great as they are both things I love! This was really important for me as it really gave me a taste of how the professional world worked in terms of being a freelance illustrator.

`ANAJAKS-dblepg
What inspired your double page for my book?
My colouring book pages for you were inspired by my summer holiday I had in summer. I wanted each page to contain an element I enjoyed most about the holiday, which is obviously why there is just one page full of people lying down doing nothing because I felt like I’d been on my feet for a full 3 years doing my degree and being able to do nothing for 2 weeks was bliss haha. When I was drawing this image it was the first time in quite a while that I had actually gone back to hardcore drawing and it was really good for me because it meant I pushed myself a lot on what I was doing. The other half of the image that is in black and white of the buildings is supposed to be the part I enjoy most which is walking around and discovering things – I actually much prefer this page and can’t wait to see how people colour it in!

ANAJAKS-FigurePracticeInsipredbySeasons
How does your interest in social media materialise in your work?
Being on holiday also inspired me to draw other images like tourists flouncing around trying to maniacally take pictures of everything but not really looking at anything. Social media is a big thing for me and my work and a lot of focus tends to lie around it. It’s interesting because we are obviously in a day and age where it can be detrimental to a creative’s career, but then you see how much it takes over some peoples lives and I love trying to wrap my head around it and create solutions to it through illustration.

ANAJAKS-FigurePractice
How do you try and evolve your style?
I am constantly trying to recreate and evolve my style because I think it’s incredibly important not to get stuck or comfortable in what you’re doing and so I always try and develop the way I draw the figure. Fashion has a huge influence on how I create my pictures and so I always try and do portraits just as little fun experiments! It’s also good to do just to let everyone know you are still working, because I want the world to know I am still drawing and I am still enjoying it and that I am really serious about it all and not just getting lazy, but it does get hard difficult running out of inspiration.

ANAJAKS-CreativeReviewBillboard3
What are you working on next?
I have plans for an upcoming project which I don’t want to reveal just yet but I feel like it’s something a lot of people my age can relate to. I tried for ages to think about something that would be “cool” or “appealing” or about something I love. It’s hard to stay inspired straight after your degree and I think it’s a really important time to keep pushing – especially when you are just working a job you don’t want to be to pay the bills. Ideally I would love to work freelance and be working within a company too.

You can colour Ana Jaks‘ art in Amelia’s Colourful Colouring Companion alongside that of 40 other international artists. Funding on Kickstarter now! Make sure you grab a copy or two, it makes a fantastic Christmas gift!

Categories ,#ameliasccc, ,Adult Colouring, ,Amelia’s Colourful Colouring Companion, ,Ana Jaks, ,Coloring, ,Colouring Book, ,Creative Review, ,Falmouth University, ,Financial Times Magazine, ,Holiday, ,illustration, ,interview, ,JCDecaux’s Talent Spotting Showcase 2015, ,New Blood, ,New Designers, ,The Selfie Phenomenon, ,YCN

Similar Posts: