A new era in food shopping could have dawned a few weeks ago as The People’s Supermarket in Holborn opened its doors for the very first time.
It’s ultimate aim? To bring an end to the big supermarket chains one potato at a time of course! At least that’s what team ‘People’s Supermarket’ believe; chef, onlinevisitArthur Potts Dawson — already known for his Acorn House restaurant in King’s Cross and London’s first eco-restaurant, the Waterhouse Restaurant in Hackney; retail consultant, Kate Wickes-Bull; and self proclaimed social entrepreneur, David Barrie.
So what’s so special about The People’s Supermarket (TPS)? Well, modeled largely on the Park Slope Food Coop in Brooklyn, established in 1974, it will work as a totally nonprofit venture. Run fully by teams of volunteers, all profits will be invested back into stocking the shop with great food at minimal prices and TPS hopes to help families and low income groups in the community along the way by providing work experience, training, and low cost shopping. A sign outside listed the number of members as 124 on my trip but I can imagine this will soon start to rise, and anyway Potts Dawson reckons they need at least 300 members for the shop to actually become a sustainable business. Anyone can shop at TPS but the team hopes that as customers visit this unique project and see the quality of produce and with the added incentive of getting great discounts they might become a member — pledging to work at the shop for a few hours every month and paying a £25 annual membership fee. The website promises, in Marxist-like terms, a supermarket that is “run by the people for the people, selling the best food at the lowest possible prices.”
Located on Lambs Conduit Street near Russell Square tube, TPS doesn’t stand out as exactly being a glamorous shop, nor has it in anyway been made to look trendy as I was half-expecting — seeing that this is the natural habitat of posh delis, coffee shops and boutiques. Instead TPS doesn’t appear to look much different to the private local supermarket that went before it, and originally belonged to the enemy — Tesco. Now the place has been spruced up by an army of helpers — all volunteers of course, but the main decoration is the addition of posters to the walls – which, although sadly lacking images of Lord Kitchener, famous for appearing in YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU posters – appeal to customer’s philanthropic side, stating in block capitals, “The people’s supermarket needs you, join today”. All this does go to show, however, that TPS is serious about saving money. Instead of investing in funky counters and arty light fittings, TPS has clearly poured all available funds back into stocking the shop with the best produce.
The fruit and vegetables, which are laid out on old second-hand tables like in a market or old-fashioned green grocers, are sourced from some of the best farmer’s markets around. There are also selections of handmade breads and cakes as well as most of the usual foodstuffs you would expect to find in a small local supermarket. But if it turns out that there is something that isn’t available customers can simply scribble a note of it up on the blackboard for the managers to see — grapefruit juice, curry powder, lentils and ghee were among the omissions when I visited on Saturday 5 June.
Todd was store manager when I made a trip to TPS on Saturday. Delighted at how quickly word of the store was spreading Todd said they had been really busy since the shop opened on Tuesday 1 June, so he was quick to make an appeal for more staff — then he could have a decent lunch break, he told me jokingly. Todd was also happy about TPS’s reception in the local area too, saying that he really felt the whole community was getting behind the project.
Which is good because the setup will make the greatest difference to those who live or work near the shop who will be able to use it fairly often and make the most of the discounts, after paying the £25 membership fee of course. There might be another reason why people will volunteer to work for free at TPS though — an added bonus for some maybe? The running of the shop is to become the subject of a new prime time Channel 4 documentary, which I’m sure will put a shine on the prospect of volunteering for any self-promoting types out there. There are also plans for a cookbook, packed full of recipes for dishes made with ingredients from the shop. I guess lentil curry is out for the time being then!
Perhaps the best thing about TPS though, is the whole ‘niceness’ of it all. There has been a wealth of comments on the twittersphere about the enthusiastic staff, the smiling customers, and the general buzz in the air that something new and exciting is happening. Certainly while at university I used to pop along to a small fruit and veg cooperative each week and I remember the more grass roots approach to buying and selling food being an enjoyable experience. And it seems the tweeters were right — the same pleasant atmosphere is already in full swing in Holborn. Katie, a student from the nearby University College London, spotted me taking some pictures outside, “It’s great isn’t it?” she said, “I think it’s the atmosphere which is nicest, I came in on opening day and people were chatting to each other. Chatting to complete strangers — I mean that doesn’t happen in London very often does it?”
Chatting to strangers, volunteering in a supermarket and reaping the benefits and all while being filmed for Channel 4 — I don’t think that happens anywhere very often.
I will not tell a lie – I first encountered Robin Ince only last month, clinic when I attended his School for Gifted Children at Bloomsbury Theatre. Yes. I’m a comedy novice. But I do remember that the comedy and literary tents were the very best thing about Latitude when I went two years ago. I really want to go again this year, visit so it seemed a very good idea to catch up with Robin Ince, website like this a Latitude staple since the beginnings of this ever popular Suffolk festival.
Hi Robin, can you tell me how long the Book Club has been involved with Latitude?
We brought the Book Club to Latitude in it’s very first year when it was much smaller and there were not as many things going on. It didn’t have a reputation at that point so it was very quiet and the organisers must have lost a fortune but then everyone left and told their friends how great it was and things grew from there. This is now the 5th year we’ve been going to Latitude.
Did you ever imagine that the Book Club would be so successful?
To start with the it was a bit of an experiment – and in fact when it became a phenomenon so early on it became a bit of a problem. Lots of journalists said very nice things about how it was at the forefront of the “new alternative” scene that had splintered from the mainstream clubs which meant there was a lot of pressure right from the start and if one performance didn’t go well I would worry that I was tarnishing the image of a whole movement. It was sort of the same thing as happened in the 1980s: if one female comic was bad all women comedians suffered reprisals. Soon there were lots of other shows with a similar agenda and I didn’t feel that ours was up to the standard it had been. It got so bad for awhile that I stopped doing the Book Club except at Latitude and as a solo show, and replaced it with the School for Gifted Children series, which brought together scientists and journalists to celebrate great ideas, rather than laughing at weird books such as Mills and Boon from the 1970s. Nowadays the School for Gifted Children has become the main thing I do but I’d like to turn the Book Club into a more regular show again, although I need to think of a new idea.
How do you find the Bloomsbury Theatre as a space to perform? I found the lack of toilets hard work because I had to miss part of the performance.
Yes, I’ve heard they’re a bit short on loos for ladies – maybe we should do a fundraiser for extra cubicles?! But I really like performing there because the people who run it are so nice and I get asked to do things in other odd places like the Tate Modern and the British Library. I like good spaces to work in – we did a run at the Museum of London last year and we had ten different things going on all at the same time. There was someone sitting in an Anglo Saxon hut singing and playing the lute whilst someone was performing in the Lord Mayor’s carriage, and so on.
Who can we expect to see performing at the Book Club at Latitude this year?
I have very little idea so far apart from the usual group of people, which includes comediennes Josie Long and Joanna Neary, the singer songwriter Robyn Hitchcock and Kevin Eldon – who did the Big Train sketch series and works with Chris Morris a lot. Steve Pretty will be there with his brass band the Origin of Pieces and we will be joined by other musicians as well. We try to keep it as loose as possible although we usually have themes, for example I am sure there will be a late night section about pulp novels. Last year Robyn Hitchcock instigated an impromptu hour long musical about crabs on the rampage, featuring a trumpet, violinist, and opera singer. It was the first time I worked with him but I think there will be something similar this year.
How do you pull everyone together? Is it a case of grabbing performers at the festival?
I like to encourage people to work together and festivals offer those rare occasions when you’re all sitting behind a marquee then one person has an idea which can be created on stage with 5 or 6 performers, but can’t be replicated again elsewhere. I love working with such a disparate group of people – musicians, poets, mime artists, people who hang off trees…. it means we can build a performance around lots of different skills. I hope to meet new people each year; sometimes someone will just come up to me as I’m wandering around the fields and we’ll sit down briefly, have a chat and put on a show. I feel like what we do is in the grand tradition of Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland – we put on a big show just like they did in the 1940s.
How many shows will the Book Club put on at Latitude?
In the first year at Latitude we did far more performances, but we usually end up doing it five times a day now because more and more people want to perform at the festival so we’ve lost control of the literary tent! But I will be bouncing back and forth, running around the site. I tend to get to bed at 4am after finishing the last show at 3am, then wake at 6am because the sun is turning me into a baked potato in the tent. So I usually get about two hours sleep and then I forget to eat so my blood sugar is really low.
Does your two year old make matters even more hectic?
No, he is such a ray of joy. He’s been to every single Latitude festival since he was born and he loves it. My wife looks after him whilst I’m performing and every now and again he starts to wander towards the stage but she won’t allow him near it – she’s seen what it’s done to me and she doesn’t want it for our child! He loves to do a bit of dancing though.
What acts are you looking forward to seeing at Latitude this year?
Well, I haven’t seen Belle and Sebastien live for a few years and I absolutely love Kristin Hersh, who is ex Throwing Muses. Last year Nick Cave played an absolutely blinding set on Sunday evening. I’ve never seen Laura Marling but I hear she’s very good live so I’ll try to see her this year, and I want to find out if Dirty Projectors are good or just make an annoying cacophony. In the cabaret tent I look forward to Frisky and Mannish who are an entertaining musical act, and Laura Solon who does a really good character act and won the Perrier (in 2005) This year I’m on the look out for some good dance acts because I don’t feel there’s enough in my own performance. I love that the Bush Theatre and the Royal Shakespeare Company have a presence at Latitude, though I never have enough time to see them. I try not to go and see lots of things I know unless they’re very special and because I don’t feel under pressure to get my £150 worth of fun I like to shift around the corners of festivals, which is something I learnt very early on at Glastonbury. I like wandering into a tent and discovering something new or being drawn to a noise in the woods. Because I go to so many festivals I usually have the chance to see a performance in another field in Cornwall or Wales if I miss it first time around. It’s great – there used to be three festivals during the summer and all the comedy clubs closed down, but now there’s so much going on.
Are you going to Glastonbury this year?
I’m only spending two days at Glastonbury this year, Saturday and Sunday. For a moment I was a bit worried when U2 cancelled because I thought they might be replaced with a band that I actually like (on Friday night). But I’m not too excited by the Gorillaz so that’s okay.
At this point dear reader I was able to persuade Robin Ince to join us at the Climate Camp tripod stage whilst he is at Glastonbury! Don’t forget to come and visit us above the Green Fields to find out when he will be performing over the weekend. This inevitably led to a conversation about Climate Change.
What are your feelings about promoting the issues behind Climate Change?
I’m not tremendously well informed like someone like Marcus Brigstocke, who’s been on trips around Cape Farewell and seen the evidence face to face – so I have to be quite careful what I say because I don’t know as much. I know that (generally) alternative thinking is very under represented in mainstream media and whilst large numbers of journalists will follow a carefully run PR campaign it’s not the same amongst scientists.
There are obviously things that I worry about, and things that annoy me in life, and I try to address these without giving hectoring lectures. I don’t think there are any grand solutions so I’m not about to say “now I know the truth” but I hope that my style of a performance can open up an idea. I guess part of my agenda is to make people question things, to open up a dialogue – because if you hear about something from someone who is passionate about it you might then be inspired to go down to your local bookshop and find out more. Whether it is about particle physics, evolutionary biology or whatever.
What about the comedy/liberal/science community that you seem to be so much a part of – do you all hang out together outside of performances?
Yes, we all get on, and for instance I will pop around to Ben Goldacre‘s flat to talk about stuff – but one of my favourite things is when we are all backstage in the green room and everyone is excited to learn things from everyone else. It’s just so great to have people like cartoonist Alan Moore and the musician Darren Hayman (who was featured in Amelia’s Magazine fact fans) handing out with all the scientists. One of the best things about what I do is learning new stuff, and I love the cross fertilisation that happens. It can be quite bleak as a comedian but the positives definitely outweigh the downsides and it’s far better than a “real job” because you can make your own opportunities. I hate that within most forms of art the main aim is fame, which is about the most negative aim you can have; you must love what you do first of all – for example Josie Long has got more and more passionate about the importance of feminism.
So, twitter. I know you’re a big user, and a lot of comedians seem to be. What is your view on the power of the tweet?
Well, you can easily become accidental friends with people and then end up meeting up with them, which is great. It’s very good for getting ideas out there, for instance every single day the people I follow post articles that I would have missed, but I think that people should be careful when campaigning against something, and make sure it is an important issue or twitter will cease to become a good tool of rebellion. I also think it’s easy to get a very partisan view of things on twitter because we usually talk to those who are like minded so it’s easy to think that everyone agrees. Essentially I’m all about ideas so I like to be bombarded with them every single day so that by the time I go to bed I am thoroughly confused.
You can read a previous review of the School for Gifted Children here, and catch Robin Ince off on tour around the festival circuit this summer, including of course Latitude and Glastonbury. You can book tickets for his next School for Gifted Children performance on 14th July at the Bloomsbury Theatre here.
Written by Amelia Gregory on Monday June 14th, 2010 6:33 pm
“Hello! Erm…Welcome!” says Johnny Flynn as he takes to the stage for this homecoming show, and the Sussex Wit’s biggest ever headline gig. This is definitely the politest gig I’ve ever been to. The air of restraint is only reinforced by the fact that, due to the Shepherd’s Bush Empire’s cloakroom having reached it’s maximum capacity of bags, I am forced to carry a Marks & Spencer carrier bag for the entire gig.
However Amelia’s Magazine favourite Mr Flynn is nothing if not a captivating performer, and the whole crowd is mesmerised as he starts the gig with the low-key Lost and Found, a highlight from second album Been Listening. One thing that’s immediately obvious is how good his band are. They’ve been on the road pretty much non-stop since the summer festivals and it shows. During a blistering Been Listening, they chug away like vintage-era The Band, adding a real live punch to the powerful honesty of Johnny’s voice and guitar.
So much so, that when they play the afro-beatish single Kentucky Pill sans its main trumpet riff, it’s hardly noticeable. And this is the order of the day – although the live renditions often differ considerably from the recorded versions, Johnny and the Wit always do justice to the songs, in true troubadour style. On the magnificent Hong Kong Cemetery, Johnny switches between a trumpet in the choruses and a guitar in the verses. Later the horn section parts of Cold Bread are approximated with a flute. Throughout the night Johnny will also play the mandolin, banjo and the fiddle.
“This is my sister Lily, she just got here”, he says, signalling the first of two guest appearances, as his younger sibling takes the stage to sing backing vocals. “Now we have ginger symmetry”, he jokes, standing flanked by Lily, and the equally raven-haired keyboard player James Mathe, who later admits “We need to work on our banter”.
Then Johnny whips out, like, an electric guitar! Is this going to be his Bob Dylan “Judas” moment? Not quite, but he does inform us “You can bop to this one if you like”, before breaking out into an almost calypso-tinged version of the lovelorn Churlish May, which does indeed get the crowd moving.
The more traditionally folky songs from debut album A Larum generally receive the biggest responses, with stomping singles Leftovers and The Box provoking medium-scale hoedowns. But the most enduring moment comes from an unexpected guest appearance from old friend Laura Marling. The crowd, which up to this point has been pretty reserved, goes bananas. Delicate and pale, the almost ghostly spectre of Marling adds to a haunting rendition of The Water, Johnny’s paean to H2O.
I’m actually surprised at how many people are here, but as I look around the sold-out Empire, it’s clear that Flynn has a strong and adoring fanbase. During a rare quiet moment a girl behind me shouts “I love you Johnny!” – a couple of seconds of silence pass and then the man next to her shouts “I love you as well, Johnny!”
Flynn, playing in front of a patchwork backdrop based on the trees from the cover of Been Listening, ends the set with a breathless version of the banjo-led Eyeless in Holloway. After only a couple of minutes he returns to the stage with Lily, saying “Did we do that right – the going off and coming back on bit?” It’s this kind of bafflement with the rituals and clichés of rock and roll that makes his approach so endearing.
After a tender and stripped down duet with Lily on Amazon, the rest of the band come back on. “We’re gonna play one more, and then everything else happens…like life and stuff”, he says, before ending with rapturous fan favourite Tickle Me Pink. I leave the venue, Marks & Spencer bag in hand, feeling like I’ve witnessed something truthful and blessedly untainted by cynicism.
When the folk resurgence started a few years ago, Johnny Flynn seemed like the boy most likely to. However in terms of sales, he has since been outstripped by the world-beating sound of Marling and the ubiquitous Mumford and Sons. But while Marling and Mumford may have the arena tours and Mercury nominations, it’s clear from tonight that Johnny still has the heart and soul, and vitally, the sense of humour.
Written by Rob Harris on Monday December 13th, 2010 3:25 pm
In autumn nature is vibrant, storydrug but also gently muffled, dosagethere as it whispers within the trees and slowly looks away from the warmer month’s naivety and brash explosions. These later, brown, red and golden months are melancholic and self defining. The blurriness of the previous heated moments become filed in nostalgia and glorious knitwear is exposed. The perfect music to announce this new phase, both outside your window and inside your stirring consciousness, is sweet, sensitive and yet, triumphant. Determination backing you up like a personal yoga instructor. Sea of Bees is the music you long for. Trust in Californian, Julie Ann Bee, to drift over in her ship and sail you away to a reflective, inspirational paradise.
Sea of Bees is ethereal in her folk sound. Her pitch is high and her instruments hark out in a manner less like ho-down festivity, more like modest little eruptions. There is an element of Decoder Ring, Laura Marling and Joanna Newsom in Julie. This is mixed with a distinct Californian, hippie edge. Despite a voice of sweeties personified (flying saucers), she has more bite than a girly girl, achieving this impression through her guitars, drums and confidence in her flowing notes. She’s that girl you see dancing with her eyes closed, oblivious, absorbed in her own thoughts and allowing her feelings to be shown like the cider in her hand.
Julie Ann Bee.
She must do this because Sea of Bees lyrics are so full of raw emotion, it’s like listening to someone’s heart beating, particularly, It Won’t be Long and Skinnybone. She is wistful, glorious and powerful. Just crack on Marmalade right now, I implore you, (available as a free download right here) and embrace the birth of something marvellous.
The new album Songs for the Ravens is out now on Crossbill Records in the USA and Heavenly Recordings in Europe. Sea of Bees is currently touring in the USA. You can check out her myspace here.
Written by Helen Martin on Tuesday October 19th, 2010 10:37 am
Mary Katrantzou A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory
Illustration by Laura Godfrey, ed LG Illustration
I know that folk music isn’t all organic, this web whole foods, and love – or indeed deep lust – buried in a haystack. Happy all day, before campfires and passions at night. No, folk musicians don’t spend their days wearing slightly grubby lumberjacks or floaty, ethereal frocks. See evidence: Grizzly Bear aren’t happy all the time and Bon Iver is a delightfully melancholy chap. And then just listen to Nick Drake and young Laura Marling. To be honest I’m not really sure where I got the skippy, clappy, dancing in the hazy afternoon sunshine vision from. Perhaps it’s because folk artists tend to sing about the earth, nature and love in one breath. There is no chat of ‘honeys’ or ‘bling’. Gah, And of course, folkers may be generally creative and appreciative of the natural world, but it in no means leaves them exempt of sadness, hurt and darkness. I wonder, does it in actual fact make them more open and adept to describing their feelings than the blingers? Regardless, folk is often as rhythmic and warming as the grandfather clock that my 40s’ Grandpa chopped the bottom of, to fit in his house. Tick, tock. Folk is cosy and true, which is why it feels so pure – which is why it makes me want to reside in a yurt.
Let me introduce you to Emily Jane White. The PR sheet in-front of me says that her album is: ‘a collection of ten opulent, uncluttered and captivating ballads.’ A friend asked me other day, “If you had to only use one adjective for the rest of your life, what would it be?” If I was a news writer, I would say: “Peh, what even are adjectives?”. As a PR I would pass out. Whilst as a writer of my own devices, I would say – ‘blissful’. Then I could put ‘anti’ in-front of a word perhaps. Awkward. Anyway, off on a tangent again: Emily Jane White’s music is BLISSFUL.
See:
She is melancholy. But in the way that makes you feel perhaps strangely, very contented. Maybe it is because in a sense Emily is making peace with herself and her thoughts through the act of writing her music. She said that she found writing her latest album, Ode To Sentience, out now on Talitres Records, cathartic to write: “They speak to the emotional simplicity and complexity of human relationship. I chose to call the record Ode To Sentience because it is the capacity to feel that creates a share human experience of music. We all share the potency of music by having the capacity to feel, and I found the simplicity of this fact very beautiful.”
Her album is about leaving home, her’s was California – I Lay To Rest (California) – the drawn out strings longing to leave. The sharper notes; the sadness of leaving it. Clipped Wings is ghostly and full of yearning, reflections of love’s passed. The Cliff holds classic American twangs, whilst Oh Katherine, is a string filled heaven of a song. Her voice is as soft and delicate as a peach, whilst her fearless approach to singing from the darker depths of her consciousness matches the strings perfectly.
She is much like a Californian Kate Bush, but less obviously ethereal and screaming. Or she could be a gentler Alela Diane or singular Mountain Man. Black Silk has to be my personal favourite. The Law is guitar based, slow and… actually quite a lot like my Grandpa’s Grandfather clock. It wraps you up. Says it’s all ok. For a little bit of this, here we have ‘The Law’, for you to download for free: here. Download it now.
Tarradiddle-exhibition
Kids With Guns by Lauren Mortimer.
Last week saw the opening of Tarradiddle, doctor an exhibition showcasing the combined talents of nine artists of the recently founded all-female collective ‘Martha’, approved each exploring an experimental mode of story-telling through their work. The private view took place on 7th June 2010 opposite the Hackney City Farm in London’s East End, viagra and saw the pop-up gallery space full to bursting with people over two floors who came for an eclectic mix of art (and the amazing hand made biscuits!). There was a real collective feel to the show as the works themselves sat in harmony alongside one another, a variety of mediums from paintings, illustration, through video and sculpture.
Open Closed by Sorcha O’brien.
I got a real sense of a dark, almost menacing undercurrent throughout this exhibition with a subtext to each piece that I’m keen to discover. What I found infectious was the way this tone is transformed into an uplifting experience right through the artwork on show.
Swing Cannon by Lauren Mortimer.
Upstairs had work ranging from the beautifully playful, yet disturbing illustrations of Lauren Mortimer depicting children in typical childhood scenarios with a sinister twist, her subject’s childhood naivety contrasting brilliantly with the haunting, ethereal subjects of Linda Hemmersbach’s paintings. Zosienka Gibb’s work continued in a similar character driven vain with a series of portraits depicting characters from ‘The Master and the Margarita’, the novel by Mikhail Bulgakov, her images smattered with traces of symbolism and influenced by an African, British and Eastern European childhood.
Art by Linda Hemmersbach.
Work from Zosia Gibbs.
I found Marina Rees’ work captivating, adding variety and depth to the show through a combination of sculpture and images made using a host of unusual natural materials, that examine the human relationship with animals.
Polar Mask by Marina Rees.
The lower level was dedicated entirely to moving image, and was split between the work of Jade Mortimer and Sarah Blaszczok. Jade’s work dominated the centre of the room with set pieces accompanying a sumptuously shot film depicting two character’s mysteriously ominous encounter, based around some unique pistol shaped decanters marketed in the 1960’s by Avon. Sarah’s film was similarly intriguing with it’s wordless narrative showing events unfold as the characters carry out mundane and repeated acts, the result was in equal parts both sinister and ridiculous.
New World by Jade Mortimer.
The show’s biggest appeal lay in the sense of an unspoken story being told throughout the exhibition, and an incentive to pay close attention to all the work that was on show. My own desire to explore what I saw here stemmed not only from a visceral reaction to the art itself, but to make my own sense of the ambiguity within each piece. It was an exhibition cohesive in themes and ideas, and was undoubtedly a rewarding overall show. The word Tarradiddle means a concocted story or fib, and it’s definitely one I whole heartedly recommend trying to debunk.
Kids With Guns by Lauren Mortimer.
Last week saw the opening of Tarradiddle, site an exhibition showcasing the combined talents of nine artists of the recently founded all-female collective ‘Martha’, recipe each exploring an experimental mode of story-telling through their work. The private view took place on 7th June 2010 opposite the Hackney City Farm in London’s East End, information pills and saw the pop-up gallery space full to bursting with people over two floors who came for an eclectic mix of art (and the amazing hand made biscuits!). There was a real collective feel to the show as the works themselves sat in harmony alongside one another, a variety of mediums from paintings, illustration, through video and sculpture.
Open Closed by Sorcha O’brien.
I got a real sense of a dark, almost menacing undercurrent throughout this exhibition with a subtext to each piece that I’m keen to discover. What I found infectious was the way this tone is transformed into an uplifting experience right through the artwork on show.
Swing Cannon by Lauren Mortimer.
Upstairs had work ranging from the beautifully playful, yet disturbing illustrations of Lauren Mortimer depicting children in typical childhood scenarios with a sinister twist, her subject’s childhood naivety contrasting brilliantly with the haunting, ethereal subjects of Linda Hemmersbach’s paintings. Zosienka Gibb’s work continued in a similar character driven vain with a series of portraits depicting characters from ‘The Master and the Margarita’, the novel by Mikhail Bulgakov, her images smattered with traces of symbolism and influenced by an African, British and Eastern European childhood.
Art by Linda Hemmersbach.
Work from Zosia Gibbs.
I found Marina Rees’ work captivating, adding variety and depth to the show through a combination of sculpture and images made using a host of unusual natural materials, that examine the human relationship with animals.
Polar Mask by Marina Rees.
The lower level was dedicated entirely to moving image, and was split between the work of Jade Mortimer and Sarah Blaszczok. Jade’s work dominated the centre of the room with set pieces accompanying a sumptuously shot film depicting two character’s mysteriously ominous encounter, based around some unique pistol shaped decanters marketed in the 1960’s by Avon. Sarah’s film was similarly intriguing with it’s wordless narrative showing events unfold as the characters carry out mundane and repeated acts, the result was in equal parts both sinister and ridiculous.
New World by Jade Mortimer.
The show’s biggest appeal lay in the sense of an unspoken story being told throughout the exhibition, and an incentive to pay close attention to all the work that was on show. My own desire to explore what I saw here stemmed not only from a visceral reaction to the art itself, but to make my own sense of the ambiguity within each piece. It was an exhibition cohesive in themes and ideas, and was undoubtedly a rewarding overall show. The word Tarradiddle means a concocted story or fib, and it’s definitely one I whole heartedly recommend trying to debunk.
Kids With Guns by Lauren Mortimer.
Last week saw the opening of Tarradiddle, pilule an exhibition showcasing the combined talents of nine artists of the recently founded all-female collective ‘Martha’, viagra buy each exploring an experimental mode of story-telling through their work. The private view took place on 7th June 2010 opposite the Hackney City Farm in London’s East End, and saw the pop-up gallery space full to bursting with people over two floors who came for an eclectic mix of art (and the amazing hand made biscuits!). There was a real collective feel to the show as the works themselves sat in harmony alongside one another, a variety of mediums from paintings, illustration, through video and sculpture.
Open Closed by Sorcha O’brien.
I got a real sense of a dark, almost menacing undercurrent throughout this exhibition with a subtext to each piece that I’m keen to discover. What I found infectious was the way this tone is transformed into an uplifting experience right through the artwork on show.
Swing Cannon by Lauren Mortimer.
Upstairs had work ranging from the beautifully playful, yet disturbing illustrations of Lauren Mortimer depicting children in typical childhood scenarios with a sinister twist, her subject’s childhood naivety contrasting brilliantly with the haunting, ethereal subjects of Linda Hemmersbach’s paintings. Zosienka Gibb’s work continued in a similar character driven vain with a series of portraits depicting characters from ‘The Master and the Margarita’, the novel by Mikhail Bulgakov, her images smattered with traces of symbolism and influenced by an African, British and Eastern European childhood.
Art by Linda Hemmersbach.
Work from Zosia Gibbs.
I found Marina Rees’ work captivating, adding variety and depth to the show through a combination of sculpture and images made using a host of unusual natural materials, that examine the human relationship with animals.
Polar Mask by Marina Rees.
The lower level was dedicated entirely to moving image, and was split between the work of Jade Mortimer and Sarah Blaszczok. Jade’s work dominated the centre of the room with set pieces accompanying a sumptuously shot film depicting two character’s mysteriously ominous encounter, based around some unique pistol shaped decanters marketed in the 1960’s by Avon. Sarah’s film was similarly intriguing with it’s wordless narrative showing events unfold as the characters carry out mundane and repeated acts, the result was in equal parts both sinister and ridiculous.
New World by Jade Mortimer.
The show’s biggest appeal lay in the sense of an unspoken story being told throughout the exhibition, and an incentive to pay close attention to all the work that was on show. My own desire to explore what I saw here stemmed not only from a visceral reaction to the art itself, but to make my own sense of the ambiguity within each piece. It was an exhibition cohesive in themes and ideas, and was undoubtedly a rewarding overall show. The word Tarradiddle means a concocted story or fib, and it’s definitely one I whole heartedly recommend trying to debunk.
Feelin’ hot hot hot… we arrived at the field with a blanket and straw hat, pharm and headed straight to the bar. Queuing for what felt like a life-time in the blistering heat, sounds of Johnny Flynn drifted through the air along with the smells of barbecued sausages. Queuing aside, we were happy.
Ciders in hand we weaved through camping chairs and stepped apologetically over blankets, occasionally catching the odd sandaled foot or splashing a little cider over a resting head… all part of the joy of festivalling, we found a spot, lay the blanket on the ground just in time for Laura Marling to take to the stage. ‘Afternoon everyone!’ Laura’s soothing voice echoed over the masses, ‘what a day!’…. people woo’d and clapped and cheered. In two years, Marling’s voice and lyrics have matured from pretty ditties to soulful folk… and her performance this weekend reeled in an eclectic crowd. Folk of all ages stood, eyes fixed and humming and Marling’s voice resonated. Songs from Marling’s latest album I Speak Because I Can mixed with original tracks from My Manic and I had us reminiscing, spinning around and singing-along.
Between sets we ate, drank and lay gazing into the brilliant blue ether… catching a bit of celebrity football, Mumford & Sons giving it their best. Seasick Steve was next up, and took to the stage with crowds-a-roaring. Unfortunately, due to minor sunstroke, we weren’t around for the whole set, but from what we saw, as always Seasick gave a cracking performance.
Mumford & Sons belted out there emotive country-inspired folk, now well-known from their vast radio coverage, and had the audience fixed. Looking and sounding the part, and slotting in perfectly to the Hop Farm scene.
Whilst queuing for a lamb kofta and chatting to a wonderful lady who lives on a pig farm in Cambridgeshire, who told me stories of her days as a festival queen in the 70s… (she was so small she used to crouch on the loo seat, feet on the seat – to avoid sitting on it… little ladies – take note!) Ray Davies performed and it came as pleasant surprise to hear the well-known Kinks records: Lola, You Really Got Me and all the rest. At the age of 66, Ray’s voice carried across fields, still very much in tact.
Last but not least, good old Bob Dylan appeared on stage, his (very) husky tones hooking the expectant field of fans, and taking them on a tumultuous journey through a plethora of songs steeped in sentiment.
Finally, an incredible set from Devendra Banhart ensued; no longer the long-haired folky-dolky guy that once plucked at our heartstrings, Devendra has completely reinvented his style: short-back-and-sides, checked shirt and long yellow cardie buttoned up; the sounds were funky and playful, his voice endearing and still with that jagged edge that made him famous. Even a few Roxy Music covers were thrown in to get us grooving. We danced until the cows came home.
Alternative Fashion Week Day 5 2010 Viveka Goyanes
All photography by Amelia Gregory.
Kim Seoghee may not be Flemish (I’m gonna bet he isn’t) but his work sure as hell feels the touch of Belgium. With a team of skinny stoney faced pretty boy models and ethereal girls, visit web Kim showed us a classic example of the sulky European genre. Eyes emphasised with kohl, visit this the models lined up to show Another 7th Day, prescription a pick ‘n’ mix collection in black, grey and cream. Amongst the upbeat surroundings of Alternative Fashion Week their cool collective attitude stood right out, but they’d fit right in at Paris or London fashion weeks proper.
Kim Seoghee with his models.
Laura Panter showed a clever collection – ‘This collection cries adolescent’ – God knows what being a teenager had to do with it though. The clothes were a curve enhancing mix of pastel chiffon and wool with bondage inspired straps and belt features.
Laura Panter.
She was followed swiftly by the work of another Laura. Laura Fox had put together a cute series of outfits inspired by ‘British Heritage, Harris Tweed and Oilskin’ – with the aim of promoting manufacturing in the UK. Her love for classic British designers such as Christopher Bailey for Burberry were clear in what I thought was a sweet and mature collection, and that was before I discovered that Laura is wheelchair bound. She has a good web presence with a Carbonmade website and a twitter feed so she clearly hasn’t let a little thing like a disability stop her from keeping busy. And my friends over at Creative Boom have also blogged on her here. Dead impressed.
Laura Fox had business cards to hand: the way it should be done!
Sarina Hosking showed a couple of pieces titled Beauty and the Beast. I have to say I’m not surprised by the title – during a week when titles often bore abstract relevance to the collections they were attached to (at best), this did exactly what it said on the tin. The girl that really got all the photographers salivating was a sexy grown-up version of Little Red Riding Hood, complete with red lacy veil. An elegant gent in wolf mask looked on. They were a distraction from the rest of the collection but heck, why not mix and match your fairytale references? According to her myspace Sarina is principally a theatrical designer, so it all begins to make sense.
Transform by Elizabeth Wilcox was described as ‘Sportswear creating capsule wardrobe’. It was certainly sporty but I am not sure I was feeling the marl grey highlighted with neon sculptural thing.
Viveka Goyanes put together cutesy cream printed shirts with carefully styled black and white tailoring to present a mature collection called Brummella the Dandella. I particularly loved all the little touches, like the ripped and accessorised socks. It always pays to look down!
The first festival I ever had the fortune to attend was Latitude 2007. Still a fresher at university, page still fresh-faced and just a little naïve; a small hatchback, viagra order four friends, and every nook and cranny jammed with our camping equipment. We were green, and we didn’t know that you wouldn’t need six sets of clothes, nor a full foldable mattress, nor (as one of our group, bizarrely, thought) a full set of crockery. It was only due to our general keenness that left us arriving early and managing to snag a camping spot both close to the site entrance and (crucially) within 600 yards of the car park. That was, I discovered, exactly the limit of my stamina for being able to carry my own weight in paperbacks and camping stoves (three!) and several pairs of shoes. Oh, idle youth! These days I can take five nights of living in muddy squalor like a medieval serf in my stride, but that’s only down to training myself; I had to ween myself off such modern luxuries as soap, razors, and fresh underwear.
But I digress – this is meant to be a preview of Latitude 2010. The background: Latitude occurs every year in July in Southwold in Suffolk, and operates under the banner of Festival Republic (formerly Mean Fiddler), that gargantuan promotions company with fingers in many pies and still perhaps best know for the carnival of the damned that is the Reading and Leeds Weekender. Latitude is something of a pet project for Festival Republic, who felt that British festivals had lost track of what made them so culturally important in the first place – not just the bands but the atmosphere, the vibe, the performers on stilts and the chance meetings in the dark under the boughs of some off-to-the-side willow. Glastonbury has become something of a behemoth, but it used to be a small and intimate affair; Latitude’s raison d’être is to mimic what Glastonbury is suppose to once have been. My verdict, taking my experiences of 2007 into account, is that they have succeeded admirably, though it would be churlish to say that it’s exactly as the same. Many of those ideals that the hippies celebrated at the solstice three decades ago – appreciation of the earth, appreciation of humanity – have arguably seeped into the larger (regular) festival-going public, but these days we’re much, much better at recycling.
Capacity is relatively small, as far as festivals go these days, capped at 25000 since 2008, and the wondrous thing about Latitude is that you can go the whole weekend without seeing a single band. There’s a strong lineup of comedy acts, theatre performances, literature talks and other cultural oddities that mark it out as unique in the British festival scene. I’ll run through some of the things to look forward to this year, for those that are going, and if you’re not then be quick, because it’ll sell out soon.
Move across to the second stage and you’ll find the Word Arena, headlined by the National, the xx, and Grizzly Bear. The first is one of the best bands in the world, without question, and if you go you’ll probably find me there too, undergoing some kind of trembling transcendental spasm attack. I love that band. Oh god how I do. The xx are an interesting choice of headliner as their music, so heavy with meaning and yet so utterly minimal, might struggle to hold a headlining slot on a festival stage. I’ve seen them live before and they were bloody fantastic, so I’m sure they’ll be fine; I won’t be seeing them at Latitude, though. My reasons involve a broken heart, a worn mixtape, and shattered promises – I won’t burden you any further than that, but know that it was horrid. Grizzly Bear are sick, and will absolutely suit the beautiful site that Latitude is situated within. Also playing the Word Arena are Wild Beasts, Richard Hawley, the Horrors, and Yeasayer, etc. etc..
Then you’ve got your Lake Stage, which is (no surprises here) situated next to a lake, as well as the Sunrise Arena deep in the woods on the edge of the site. Exactly who shall be playing where on these stages hasn’t been announced yet, but what is know is that artists and bands such as the Big Pink, Black Mountain, Girls, These New Puritans, Tokyo Police Club, and a bunch of others. I’ve been looking back through past years and Latitude 2010 looks like being potentially the best ever with regards to the music acts (though 2009 was also pretty sick – Nick Cave!). But it’s not all about the music, of course, otherwise it wouldn’t be quite as sweetly unique as it is.
In the Comedy tent there are sets from Richard Herring, Emo Philips, Rich Hall, Phill Jupitus, Mark Watson, but also many smaller acts such as Mark Oliver and Doc Brown. In previous years this tent has had a propensity towards overcrowding when the bigger names have appeared, but hopefully they’ll have ironed out the creases there. We’ve already covered the Literature tent on Amelia’s Magazine, somewhat, but I’ll add that Jon McGregor is also giving a talk. He’s the author of If Nobody Speaks Of Remarkable Things, a novel that is in itself extraordinarily remarkable and one of the finest examples of prose-poetry I’ve read in the past decade. Also of note here is that Dan Kitson, who probably blushes when he gets described as, “perhaps the finest standup comic of his generation,” all time, will be telling a story for an hour every night at midnight on the Waterfront Stage. His work is rarely available on video as he doesn’t like the idea of his shows being pirated, so please take this opportunity to see him in the flesh.
John Cooper Clarke is in the Poetry tent – one of the towering figures of modern performance poetry in this country should be reason enough to raise some curiosity there, but there are also appearances from important figures on the British poetry scene like Luke Wright and John Stammers. Eddie Argos, of Art Brut fame, will also be doing a set – if you’re familiar with the man then you’ll know that’s an intriguing prospect.
I’ve barely scratched the surface here – there’s a Cabaret tent that parties on into the early hours of the morning, there’s the Film & Music Arena showcasing some unique new audiovisual shows (as well as more irreverent stuff from the likes of Adam Buxton and the Modern Toss crew), and there’s also a chance to wander into the woods to find both the opera performances and the In The Woods area, a woodland clearing set up for late night raving. There are numerous plays put on at the Theatre Arena, including performances from the Royal Shakespeare Company and Everyman Playhouse. There’s a huge childrens’ area that’s almost like a playground.
Hell, the whole thing is like some gaudy carnival from the middle ages transported through time for our enjoyment. There’s a parade at some point, there’s giant painting projects, you can row boats in the lake, you can watch a jazz band play all day on a floating stage on the lake, and so on, and so on. The beauty of the site just completes the package, and thankfully the Latitude team are very good at maintaining it. They’ve got a well-developed set of environmentally-friendly policies that have managed to recycle most of the waste from past festivals, including designated recycling bins, bags handed out to campers for sorting their recycling, and everything you can buy on site is sourced so that it won’t damage the environment both getting there and if it’s thrown away. Sorted.
So that’s Latitude 2010. Three days almost doesn’t seem enough, does it?
Written by Ian Steadman on Wednesday April 28th, 2010 5:45 pm
Sometimes I can imagine a Laura Marling height chart on my wall. I’ve seen her as just a girl, more about the fresh-faced ponytailed pinnacle of the human pyramid she posed in for her first feature in Amelia’s Magazine way back in Issue 5 (always the first to spot them, this right?). And I can still see her later, buy information pills when she cut it to the blonde elfin crop that accompanied the release of debut album ‘Alas I Cannot Swim’ and her relentless touring of festivals across the country. Now my height chart is nearing completion as Marling stands proud, and newly brunette, one foot firmly in womanhood with the release of ‘I Speak Because I Can’.
She’s come far in a short time but in a seemingly alternative parallel to a Disney teen queen (though with much less terrifying results), matured with a spotlight fixed on her. God forbid anyone should see the diary of my seventeen year-old self, let alone find it encapsulated on record forever. Was Marling’s choice to leave a song as popular as “New Romantic” off her debut, with its naturally youthful realism but occasionally awkward heartbreak over the guy that was ‘really fit’, her own attempt to leave the past behind? Despite audience calls for a live rendition, Marling has seldom appeased them. A stoic and determined diminutive figure would instead pick up her guitar and let silence fall as she let the charms of ‘Alas I Cannot Swim’ wash over eager spectators. Standout efforts such as “Ghosts” and “Cross Your Fingers” showcased Marling’s capacity for creating songs that proved that a soft combination of pop and folk were a winning formula. Their galloping rhythms and sweet melodies were the perfect accompaniment for Marling’s now more abstract musings on matters of the heart, whilst her earthy, mesmerising voice drew comparisons to a younger Joni Mitchell and her ability to knit together the rhyme of her lyrics with such ease had you drawn in in a matter of minutes.
The accompanying success for such achievements could have easily short circuited the minds of most eighteen-year-olds. But Marling seems to be cut from a different cloth. The interim between releases saw Marling retreat from the so-called nu-folk scene dominated by artists such as Emmy the Great, Johnny Flynn and Noah & the Whale (her former band fronted by former boyfriend Charlie Fink) and begin work on a record that would mark her out among her contemporaries. ‘I Speak Because I Can’ does not necessarily have the same bouncy singalong charm of its predecessor but is a darker offering that shows Marling’s growth into an assured and headstrong artist.
Seemingly rising from the ground in a chatter of instruments tuning themselves to a perfect pitch, and faraway, fleeting glimpses of swelling calls, shouts and whispers are the heady introduction to “Devil’s Spoke”, the album opener. The stamping, hearty rhythm thunders with the power of Marling’s guitar, banjo and a booming devilish voice that proves Marling is truly the new powerhouse of her folk scene. “Devil’s Spoke” is a thundering overture that whips you into its whirlwind and is a perfect preamble to Marling’s adventures in her riveting world rich with images of lush English countryside and folklore tales. She hasn’t lost her touch for soaring vocals even amongst the rattle and hum grittiness, but as she advocates the curious joy of, “ripping off each other’s clothes in a most peculiar way,” we come to realise that the Marling on ‘I Speak Because I Can’ has learnt a few new things at the University of Life.
Marling doesn’t necessarily ever make it easy to work out what she’s saying; her imagery floats among a menagerie of characters, times and places all inextricably bound by the eternal dilemma of the feminine. With a transcendental quality akin to the writings of Virginia Woolf, Marling leads us from the damaged but resilient daughters (“Hope in the Air”) to the recovering lovelorn (“Rambling Man”). Her stories seem timeless in the context of her wholesome, charming melodies and bewitching lyricism. The strength of her strumming guitar beats out her message that, “I was who I am,” throughout “Rambling Man”, a song which seems to be the next evolution of Marling, the same strapping echoes of riffs, tumbling banjos and female vocals but with a more robust outlook that doesn’t seem to wallow in the helpless naivety that ‘Alas I Cannot Swim’ tended towards. Plucked strings and tiptoe basslines give way to a ritualistic waltzing on “Alpha Shallows” and a woman who lets her words fly out in the pronouncement that she, “wants to be held by those arms”. Meanwhile, “Hope in the Air” presents Marling as our very own Sister Grimm, her song rising from a murky water of booming piano and plump ominous notes spilling from her guitar: “There is a man that I know/Seventeen years he never spoke/Guess he had nothing to say.” Marling’s voice rises in a battle cry for the losing battle of female emancipation, “There’s hope in the air/There’s hope in the water/But no hope for me, your last serving daughter”, that presents a dramatic urgency to her troubles. It can all seem a tad too much but if you let yourself become susceptible to the hypnotic and transportive quality of Laura Marling then you are, for a few minutes, taken somewhere else.
“Made by Maid” is a fine canvas for Marling to spread her art upon; a simple guitar that twists and turns on itself and her own silky but deceptively deep voice are the only tools she needs to showcase a talent that has come so far in the little time we have known her. A track that will undoubtedly become a cornerstone of Marling’s gorgeous live performances, “Made by Maid” is a touching postcard from the heart, floating through woods, river and from birth in a sweeping ride through the pastoral imagination. “Goodbye England (Covered in Snow)” takes us on the same trajectory in proud display of strong violins, gentle and delicately placed piano and bass that seems to melt the chill of the picture Marling paints. More hopeful and a nod to the fast-paced lyricism of the girl of the past, she lets her voice dip and soar over chipping riffs like a springtime bird. Similarly, “Blackberry Stone” is a chance for Marling to take centre stage to scorn those who, “never let her be.” A fluttering guitar and long warble of the violin back her add a delicacy and gentle hum to a story of sadness but smouldering, eternal strength.
Don’t worry though, Marling hasn’t entirely turned her back on the shimmering and catchy melodies that earned her a significant fan base; penultimate track “Darkness Descends” is a bouncy summer bike ride that you can ‘ohh’ and ‘ahh’ to in all the right places. Perhaps not entirely letting her hair down, Marling keeps a rein on things as, “the sun comes up…too bright for me,” but lets the pace slip back and forth at a rate that can only invite your toes to start tapping.
The title itself, ‘I Speak Because I Can’ is a statement of Marling’s headstrong autonomy and independence. Solitary reflection is the impetus of her new music rather than any kind of inflated sense of self associated with the kind of appraise Marling has received in recent years. Mercury Prize-nominated and a darling of the music press, Marling had every opportunity to produce an album that capitalised on the expectant audience clutching at the straws of ‘Alas I Cannot Swim’. Marling is brave for releasing a darker, reflective and at some points polemic album such as ‘I Speak Because I Can’, but this move can only help cement her reputation as a stalwart of English folk. Her delicate birdlike nature has bolstered itself to a heady mix of feminine charm and attack; she still has the gentle appeal but there’s suddenly a lot more substance. In her final incarnation and title track of the album Marling becomes the author of the retelling of the Greek tale of Odysseus and his wife, her imagination and ability to traverse time and space allows her to maintain a perceptive and warm comment on the most eternal of situations: heartbreak. Whilst ‘I Speak Because I Can’ showcases the same beguiling markings of her previous effort, Marling presents a record to be proud of because of its differences, its refusal to play to formula and its explosive creative expression. Perhaps part of me will miss the breathless rhymes and skippy beats but Marling was always going to grow up. Never giving too much away and trying on a variety of different personas, ‘I Speak Because I Can’ is proof that despite the long, sometimes painful and sadly always public journey, Marling has found a place in her powerfully evocative imagination to let us sit comfortably for a while and listen to what she has found.
Written by Nina Joyce on Friday March 12th, 2010 5:42 pm
So London Fashion Week is officially in full swing. It couldn’t have kicked off with a nicer day on Sunday as fashion folk of all shapes and sizes donned their finest and turned up at the various venues around the capital to see what’s in store for Spring/Summer 2009. Of course Team Amelia couldn’t possibly miss out on the chance of spotting new talent, medicaltry so putting all thoughts of Sunday roast firmly to the back of our mind, more about we joined the rest of the fashion community at some of the weeks opening shows.
Now in day 4, price my highlights would have to be the eccentric desert tribe meets punk-rocker collection presented by Horace; a breathtaking show by Quasimi which opened with a dancing violin playing duo and ended with a couture clad Erin O’connor; an exotic Hawaiian themed collection from Antoni and Alison complete with beach scenery, deck chairs and complimentary coconuts, and finally the beautifully detailed range of sculptured metallic shift dresses, oversized caps and two-piece suits from Bernard Chandran.
According to this weeks reoccurring trends, delicate pastels and neutral shades are set to dominate our wardrobes next summer alongside layered ruffles on just about everything. Don’t bother to ditch your gladiator and patent heels too fast because it looks like eccentric heels are set to stay for another season.
That’s all for now, but keep checking the website for detailed reports and pictures from each of the each of the shows.
Horace
Horace
Musicians at Qasimi show
Finale at Qasimi show
We should have seen the nipples coming, viagra order really. After all, we were greeted on the door by the most exciting clipboard wielder I’ve ever laid eyes on. A taste of what was to be expected…he checked our names off the list showing not one sign of embarrassment over his outfit (nor should he! He was fabulous, dahling), an ensemble that consisted of Russian army hat atop blue hair and teeny shorts held up by Union jack braces. And nothing on top. So, if we had had our wits about us, we should have known that nipples would be on the menu for the night.
We were, of course, at the Under/Current Magazine launch at Cafe OTO in Dalston. All the cool kids were in attendance (tired of heading West for Fashion Week, presumably) with many guys rocking the Giles Deacon/Terry Richardson big glasses look. There were some not so cool ones, too; we were rather put off by a guy who’s jacket was covered in dead foxes – not big, not clever. Still, we averted our eyes by taking a sneak peek at the first, ‘Dynasty’ issue of the new arts and fashion magazine. After taking in the beautiful cover shot by Babette Pauthier we had a good flick through. It’s a lovely size (30cm x 23cm, to be exact), full of avante garde fashion photography and I’m sure it’s set to become a firm favourite of mag junkies like myself. Lot’s of pictures, not so many words – just the way I likes ‘em.
On to these nipples then. As we watched a few members of Cleckhuddersfax setting up, we noticed a rather foppish guy step on the scene and begin disrobing. ‘How alarming! Would there soon be nudity?’ we whispered amongst ourselves. Alas, no, as we soon realised that this was the lead singer, rather than some strange streaker, and he was only taking off his top layers to reveal his official stage outfit. Suitably under-dressed, and giving us no time to prepare ourselves, Cleckhuddersfax got stuck in.
Cleckhuddersfax describe themselves as sounding like ‘Fake-Prog Musique Con-cretin’ on their myspace page. Erm… yep, it’s actually a fairly good description. From the looks of the band (excepting the lead singer, of course) long hair and beards had led us to believe that things would be getting pretty old school rock, and we were not disapointed. Cleckhuddersfax also have a bit of that mental operatic thing going on, which did feel pretty prog, but on top of this there’s keyboards and voice warping devices a-plenty.
Cleckhuddersfax make the most alarming noises; it’s as if Wyld Stallyns had found a Korg and got into Devo. Perhaps it all sounds a little strange, but it was very fun and definitely dance-able with much toe-tapping taking place at the front of the crowd.
Toe tapping wasn’t enough for the tango-ed front man, however. Seen below giving it his all in front of a video-projection by Adham Faramawy, he rampaged his way into the first few layers of crowd, shouting into audience members faces and daring everyone to dance. Many were glad to take him up on his offer, and things got a little messy in the front row.
After getting all hyped up by Cleckhuddersfax, it was unfortunate that we had to take our leave. Ahh, well, I suppose Fashion Week is about cramming in as many parties as possible and, to be honest, I think I’d seen quite enough nipples for one evening…
The Greengaged event organisers (left to right) Sophie Thomas (co-founder, erectile thomas.matthews), price David Kester (CEO, Design Council), Sarah Johnson of [re]design and Anne Chick (Director, Sustainable Design Research Centre, Kingston University)
As the girls were busy planning their outfits and getting their hair done I grabbed my notepad, A-Z and sandwiches and off I trundled in seek of the Design Council. I won’t bore you with the details of my nightmare journey, but all I will say is that London Transport and I have been the least of friends this week. My galloping through Covent Garden and colliding with dawdling tourists payed off and I eventually arrived at my destination to be greeted with a sticky name badge, coffee and biscuits. I poured myself a quick fix and pulled up a pew in the rather minimalist, swish function room (what else was I expecting?!).
Simon Terry of Anglepoise
With pen and paper poised I sat and listened attentively as the first speaker opened the lecture on the sustainability of Product and Fashion Design. As the managing director of the lighting and manufacturing company Anglepoise, Simon Terry stressed the importance of that “a product should be a pleasure to use” not purely an aesthetic beauty. When addressing the query of how they as designers of the future can help to change the conscience of a consumer Terry spoke of the term ‘world view.’ Within this he outlined that it is not possible to make a consumer conform, instead you must enter their awareness (or world view) through their own agenda.
Cressida Granger, founder of DeWeNe a product design company mirrored these thoughts with their motivation in creating designs consumers ‘need’ not purely desire. Designs are based on utility and function over the ‘look’ of a product, very different to her background career with lava lamp company Mathmos. ‘Hook and Go’, one of their more popular product lines works with the current climate of shopping bag reduction, using a recycled steel trolley with wheels to transport shopping. Carrying up to 8 bags (32 kilos) of produce this design aims to reduce our carbon footprint, decreasing the need to use the car around town.
Hook…. and go
A future addition is the ‘eco cooler’ worked on by David Weatherhead of the Royal College of Arts. Working with a terracotta dish and bowl, water is dispensed into the dish below which then evaporates and acts to cool the contents of the bowl. Designed for the preservation of our fruit and veg, Granger hopes that this will encourage consumers to use smaller fridges, thus dramatically cutting down our demand on energy. Keen to work with an ethically friendly product line, Granger has set up two places of manufacture, allowing the customer to decide for themselves what is high on their agenda. The cheaper option is made in India and imported, whereas the more expensive same design is constructed in Wales by the social project Crafts for All which employs people with physical and mental complaints.
The eco cooler by David Weatherhead
Closing this talk was Tom Fishburne of the Method product company. The brainchild of an American product designer and scientist, this product line has only recently cropped up on British shores. They have quite a charming story behind the birth of their cleaning product company…. once upon a time Adam (the scientist) considered why we are encouraged to use registered pesticides (which in turn pollute) when we clean? Meanwhile the product designer was shopping and realised the disgusting array of nasty shaped and coloured cleaning products and began making thoughts on how to develop these. I am a little sceptical of the story (it is a bit cheesy and convenient) but, there is no doubt Method have found a gap in the market with 95% of current cleaning products refusing to bridge into the 21st mentality of green products. Non toxic and sourcing natural ingredients is absolutely the way we should be cleaning.
The natural ingredient Method product line
In much similarity to the ideas expressed by Terry and Granger, Fishburne spoke of the need of how to shape clients. You can’t make the consumer consume less, instead you have to make them smarter. They are certainly achieving this, with product lines established in John Lewis, Tesco’s, Sainsbury’s and of course online.
Carianne Laguna may look like a fresh-faced intern entering a building standing among lofts owned by fashion models in Manhattan’s NoHo neighborhood. However, unhealthy the 28-year-old is Vice President and General Manager of Blackheart Records, viagra a label that rock legend Joan Jett helped create in 1980. Laguna, drugs who resides in Brooklyn, tirelessly commutes to her office, where she signs new artists to the label, including punk acts like Girl in a Coma and The Cute Lepers. Not only does she spend days promoting artists, but she manages the “I Love Rock N‘ Roll” rebel. In the music industry – where few women take behind-the-scene roles in impacting listeners, Laguna does it all with a toothy grin. Yet, she wouldn’t have been crowned queen of indie music management if it wasn’t for her family.
The Cute Lepers
Her father is Kenny Laguna, a music producer who, in 1980, began managing a 17-year-old Jett. Despite Jett joining a band when she was just 15 and befriending Sid Vicious, 23 music labels turned her down, causing her manager to sell demos from the trunk of his car. Consequently, the duo started Blackheart Records, one of the first music labels owned by a woman. Jett would go on to sell millions of albums, becoming one of rock’s top-charting females in history. Laguna, who grew up traveling around the world as Jett performed for thousands, would later carry on her father’s legacy. She graduated from the University of Colorado in 2001, where she took several internships to fully understand the business of music. “When I got to Blackheart Records, I said ‘I’m going to do this, but I would like to sign a lot of new bands that are in it for the music and not the fame,’” she says.
Joan Jett
Laguna did just that, all while proving herself. “People tend to dismiss you if you’re a girl,” she reveals before groaning at how few females are leaders in the music business. “People think it’s just a fabulous thing to look as young as an intern, until you have to be taken seriously.” After many frustrations from Devil Wears Prada archetypes, she chose to keep moving without ever looking back. She takes a deep breath before gushing about her love of finding overlooked musicians and giving them a chance. “It just makes me feel good that I’m spreading their music. That beats out all those days when people would look down at you just because they had their own hang-ups.”
Just like her father perfected, Laguna is still applying the DIY method. From designing all the artwork, to selling merchandise during Warp Tour, Laguna isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty. At times, she would even pass out Cds in bars, restaurants, and any place that plays music. Yet, it’s this technique that’s going to help save the suffering music industry. “This is a great time for indie labels and artists to get their art out there,” she explains. “A lot of people are discovering bands on the internet. You have to hit all the networking sites and play live as much as you can. There’s just no better way of finding new music.”
Speaking of upcoming hits, Laguna happily shared some exclusive news, including of Girl In A Coma and The Dollyrots going to the studio this fall. If that isn’t enough, she also revealed that Lana Davies, daughter of The Kinks founding member Dave Davies, was recently signed to the label and will be recording soon. It’s certain that as long as this bubbly brunette keeps challenging the all-male club known as the music industry, good music, with a woman’s touch, will always prevail.
The Dollyrots
Appointed with the responsibility of covering London Fashion Week’s opening show – Dublin born and well established Paul Costelloe, there I had dreamt about providing a fabulous and detailed write up complimented by stunning pictures taken with my Canon 5D camera that I’d managed to get in without a hint of a bag search. I was rather perturbed, click as you can imagine then, to find that my review button didn’t work, which meant I couldn’t delete any photographs. From a FULL memory card. So whilst I struggled trying to get it to work, the show started. As guests including Erin O’ Connor and Hilary Alexander enjoyed the show, I went into panic mode in a desperate attempt to fix it. The poor guy sat at the side of me, clearly unsettled by my constant rummaging in my bag with beads of sweat pouring down my face, slid as far across the bench as he could. Before I knew it the show was over, I’d looked up 3 or 4 times, and the delighted audience were clapping while I clacked my teeth and painfully giggled at the irony of Fashion Week’s head sponsor – Canon.
This opening show whizzed by in seconds, or so it seemed, but what I saw of it through the tears in my eyes looked fabulous. With a colonial and uplifting soundtrack, models were adorned in sharp tailored suits (the designer’s signature) nipped in at the waist with a hint of military (just enough, not overdone) first in neutral beige and navy and then in stunning vibrant yellows and hot pinks. Shape here was key – hoods and shoulder emphasis was a fine element and reinforced the female silhouette – as did a combination of a-line and tulip skirts. The third segment displayed even more military flavour along with elegant yet discreet floral patterns. The shoes, supplied by ALDO, were understated and complimented each of the looks.
You’ll be glad to know that my camera is still under warranty, it seems to be working, and I’ll be covering shows later in the week. I do hope I can redeem myself.
Images courtesy of www.catwalking.com
FELDER • FELDER are German twins Daniela and Annette Felder. They first launched their womenswear line in 2007 whilst studying at Central Saint Martins.
A folksy guitar track begins the show, web complimenting the altogether floaty and feminine look of the first few dresses to hit the runway. High neck lines add to the modesty of these dresses whose natural spectrum includes greys, website like this beiges, sickness mosses and mints. Waterfalls of ruffles flow across the body of each dress, which hang loosely from the tighter fit around the top. Multiple chiffon layers give weight and movement.
The hues soon turn darker, pebble moving to slate, and ruffles move on to shoulders and skirts. As the music moves to an electro beat we are surprised by a pale teal coloured dress that reveals a bright aqua flash within its ruffles. More shocking is the entirely turquoise piece, a definite ‘neon pastel’, the hot new hue that everyone’s banging on about.
The music begins to pound as a track from The Duke Spirit breaks out of the sound system and Felder Felder fall in to their stride showcasing a more rock chick look. This is an area that the duo became confident in with their AW08/09 collection that featured black fur, gold studs and leather. For SS09 leather embellishments, short shorts, cropped jackets and cuffs translate their harder edge to become more wearable in the more temperate months. Chiffon overlays soften the look.
This bandage dress was the real stand out piece of the collection. In an interesting turn, dresses began to emerge on to the catwalk that were made up of shimmering oyster bands of fabric. Much clingier, these dresses accentuated the body and glittered like scales as the models moved. The tops of these dresses were tighter, cut more in the style of a biker vest, again falling into the rock chick category. Bright coral chiffons provided another splash of colour in this segment.
With this show I was left in two minds about Felder Felder’s direction. I felt the loose silhouettes with frills over the front were unremarkable and perhaps included to fulfil a feminine sensibility associated with the Spring season. However, I enjoyed the self assured woman who later appeared in Felder Felder’s work summoned in by edgier styling and bolder colours.
Watch the show for yourself here.
10.15am may not be early in the real world, mind but in the world of London Fashion Week (especially on Thursday, ailment this is day 5 of 6 for gawdsakes!) 10.15am may as well be dawn. Skip that, I’m sure most fashionistas were still partying at dawn with ‘Mr Diamond-head’ or ‘The Turban Woman’. But, well, you get what I mean.
By Thursday I was already scraping the bottom of the little pot of Benefit ‘EyeCon’ that had come in a goody bag earlier in the week. With eye bags suitably smothered I yawned all the way to the Royal Academy of Arts for the Romina Karamanea show. I was greeted by a very small crowd of hard-core fashion enthusiasts and a helpful girl who told me the show would be starting at least half an hour late. Late? But this is the first show of the day! Oh well, I suppose the later the start the more hung-over LFW visitors they were be able to round up.
When we were eventually allowed to take our seats I was excited to see the whole first 4 rows decorated with goody bags (surely a reward for all those dedicated enough to get out of bed), each one complete with a bottle of Sabai Wine Spritzer and a packet of vodka filled chocolates. Hair of the dog, anyone?
But of course, goody bags aren’t enough to prise a gal out of bed. No, the crowd was eager to see what Karamanea, a St Martins graduate who has worked with leading designers such as Clements Ribeiro, Robert Cary-Williams and Preen, had to offer us. And with the knowledge that Karamanea impressed the late, great Isabella Blow (she reportedly took a shine to an ‘origami dress’ from the SS07 collection) we were expecting a lot.
The feel of the show was utilitarian, yet sexy. Karamanea has admitted in past interviews that she is influenced by the functionality of the Bauhaus movement and this showed in her SS09 pieces. The clean simplicity of cut brought uniform to mind, indeed it often felt that we were being presented with visions of ‘uniforms of the future’. I don’t really want to reference Star Trek, but I might have to…
Karamanea’s sculptural style that had been apparent in her origami creations of old came to the fore once more in her new works with almost absurdly boxy shoulders. The often harsh shapes were tempered down, however, with varying techniques. The occasional flash of neon blue found its way underneath garments, whilst sunglasses and Doc Marten boots punkified outfits to give a youthful edge. A very of-the-moment translucent softly flowing tangerine dress even cropped up in the collection.
More flowing shapes were evident which, twinned with geeky brogues and shades, gave the look of a studious bad girl or an art teacher with a naughty past.
Slightly less forgiving than the more flowing silhouettes were the tight playsuits, which I imagine the average woman would steer well clear of for fear of the dreaded camel toe.
Front row fashion is, of course, one of the other spectacles of Fashion Week. Romina Karamanea’s show saw one guest robed in a rather revealing yellow dress, only hiding her modesty by covering her head with the biggest, pinkest hat I have ever seen. I captured her below in some sort of hat stand-off between herself and a model sporting a large black mesh visor. Which one will win in the style stakes?
Karamanea’s jewellery was note-worthy, with plastic neck pieces that almost looked like ammo straps. High waisted shorts also found their way into Karamanea’s collection, yet another clue that we can be sure that they will feature heavily in our SS09 wardrobes.
The styling of the models was definitely a hugely interesting part of the show. With hair that was slicked back at the sides but flowed in waves down the back (a look that nodded to Alice Dellal, surely) the girls looked cool and androgynous. Femininity was never girly; even the chosen heels were the brogue-ish Rosie shoe from B Store, their clever sculpted heel adding to the modernist feel. Clever uniforms accompanied by a sound-track that included a tune that told tales of motor cycles setting you free, this truly was a show for the bad girl with brains.
I really enjoyed viewing Karamanea’s daring pieces and the whoops of appreciation that came at the end of the show meant that I definitely wasn’t alone. I look forward to see the shapes she will create in the future.
Watch the show for yourself here and here.
In 2005 Helen, page Myra and Cathy, online three graduates from the London College of Fashion, decided to join forces (and the first two letters of each of their names) to become Hemyca. With their first show at London Fashion Week, we were promised a ‘Dream Of Time’, and the show was chimed in, quite literally, by the trilling, ticking and whirring of clocks.
The ‘Dream of Time’ soon transpired not to be a dreamy Alice in Wonderland style flight of fancy, but rather the modern dream everyone shares of having more time; with models in sharp tailoring marching business-like around the catwalk. Pleats a-plenty softened and added interest and made sure the sillhouettes were anything but straight-laced.
Catching our eye on the front row of this show was the (now almost legendary) Mr Diamond Head. I wonder if he was a fan of the Hemyca high-waist?
Well, the high-waists in this collection really caught my eye, with the ensemble below being a particular favourite. Simple and smart, with an elegant attitude, the wide, loose trousers flowed beautifully as they moved and looked hot teamed with the racer back white vest. Inspiration for this collection had apparently come from the idea of a broken clock and garments were printed with illustrations along the same theme. The ensembles were topped off with wire mesh hats by Monique Luttin.
Just as I was becoming comfortable with the show and enjoying the interesting shapes before me, I was a little bit shocked by some rogue brightly coloured pieces creeping in. ‘Neon Pastels’ is a palette that we’ve been warned to expect from SS09, and many designers have showcased lemon sorbets, candy pinks and aquas with aplomb. Hemyca, however, had concentrated on the ‘neon’ side a wee bit too much, sending a couple of warm canary yellow pieces down the catwalk. This was later followed by a cold, acrid lime coloured dress. The colours felt confusing, as I can’t imagine the two sitting together very well on a clothes rail. The miss-match felt like a curdle in the collection.
I also can’t claim to be a fan of Hemyca’s use of bright blue tartan. My only explanation for the inclusion of the two tartan pieces was perhaps an over-exposure to Henry Holland. I can’t fathom, however, why yellow ruffles had crept in to one of the tartan dresses. The result was an unfortunate cheapening of some actually well cut dresses.
After this acidic hiccup the rest of the show carried on as before, demonstrating Hemyca’s love of interesting shapes. Cocooned hips made their way back into the Hemyca catalogue (a hark back to their last SS collection, entitled ‘Secret Garden’), with some lovely jumpsuits. Yes, jumpsuits again! Seen at Olanic and Jacob Kimmie, amongst others, there’s no doubt these will be part of the idealised 2009 wardrobe. And if I’m going to have to struggle in and out of one of these bad boys every-time I need the loo then only the black, bodice topped Hemyca jumpsuit will make it all worth it. Seriously, I heart it.
On the subject of wearability, that old conundrum the playsuit made yet another appearance on the LFW runway. Of course it looked amazing on the Amazonian model with legs up to her armpits, but how it would translate on the average woman? I just don’t know.
With their last offering, Hemyca showed us that they can also do full on glamour. A beautiful, billowy, draped dress flowed down the catwalk, embellished with strings of jewels and metallic pieces reminiscent of a watch’s inner workings. Cog like embroidery over the back was a delicious, delicate touch.
I know I will be keeping an eye on Hemyca, as I really love their interestingly structured garments. I do hope, however, that in the future they will stick to their more restrained colour palette. Either that, or take control of their own colours and not feel pressured by trend forecasts that predict ‘neon pastels’ or way too much tartan.
See the show for yourself here, or take a peek backstage here.
We’re rather taken with London based Turkish designer, cialis 40mgBora Aksu, physician here at Amelia’s. Not only was he featured by us way back in issue 1, but his ongoing collaboration with fair-trade fashion pioneer People Tree has got him into our good books AND our forthcoming issue 10. Needless to say, we were looking forward to see his Spring/Summer 09 collection debut at the British Fashion Council Tent.
It looked like the designer has been partaking in one or two viewing sessions of The Sound of Music as we were greeted by a girl in a white dress and satin sash as the show began. Okay, so the sash was pink, and not blue, but girlish dresses did seem to be amongst Aksu’s favourite things for next Spring/Summer.
The femininity presented at Aksu’s show was not all young and frilly, however, with wonderfully tailored pieces (cropped jackets, high necks and puffed sleeves) giving an assured and womanly aspect to the collection. The head wear veered between youthful oversized bows and grown up Sunday-best hats (both by milliner Misa Harada).
Aksu’s colour palette was spot on for the season; with frosted peaches, pistachios and lemon tones gracing the runway at the start of the collection. With talk of pastels (from candy colours right up to neon hues) being a big part of our warmer-month wardrobes next year, Aksu’s collection looks set to be bang on trend. Personally, I’m a little hesitant to go all out sugar-sugar with my own attire next Spring, so I was relieved to see daring combinations of purple and black further in to the show.
The striking thing about many of Aksu’s creations was the Art Nouveau style embellishments that drew attention to the contours of the wearer. Ribbon like piping ran across the garments, mapping out curves and acting like the leading in a stained glass window; it was a technique that allowed Aksu to bring in panels of new colour and texture.
There has been much talk of ‘the modesty dress’ this London Fashion Week, the term referring to a trend for enveloping unforgivingly skin tight body-con dresses with billowing translucent over dresses. The double dresses were seen at Issa, Graeme Black, Aquascutum and, of course, on the Bora Aksu catwalk. Aksu’s take on the modesty dress involved anything from pink chiffon capes cinched in over dresses to Grecian style draping of fabric pieces that concealed choice areas.
The stand out piece, for me, was a bubbly black party frock. A bustier front over a body of black mesh was both modest and sexy in it’s half revelation of back and shoulders, but this simplistic top soon burst out into an eruption of petal-like layers in the skirt. The movement of this skirt was flighty and fun, being especially voluminous at the back. Can you spy my favourite frock at the rear of the model queue?
Romantic and whimsical, Aksu’s fairytale collection was the epitome of Spring/Summer 09 style. In a show backed by floaty folk and violins, ruffles and pleats took centre stage and won our hearts.
Watch highlights of the show for yourself here. And look out for our profile of Aksu and People Tree in our forthcoming Issue 10!
Soft pastel patterns, pill ruffles and high-waisted shorts filled the Trinity Building near Regents Park last Sunday as Poltock & Walsh featured their Spring/Summer 09 collection at London Fashion Week. Think French Riviera in the 1930′s, which is what designers, Fiamma Poltock and Katie Walsh used as inspiration to create this line of elegant, wearable womenswear.
High-waisted shorts seem to be back for yet another season, and Poltock & Walsh paired them with silk three-quarter length blouses and jackets. The shorts were slimmed for a flattered silhouette, but the tops used ruffled sleeves and square cuts to enhance shape. While the overall appearance may be a bit simple, they’ve accessorized it with just the right block belts to give it enough excitement to perk my interest.
The ruffles and enhanced shapes continued to be the trend in their lively cocktail dresses. Cut graciously to show off the legs, some were slimming to show off curves, and others hung freely for a looser fit. I also caught a glimpse of print designs in blue and yellow pastels, inspired by the Art Deco movement of the 30′s.
The duet met while studying fashion design at Kingston University and formed their label in 2006. Although fairly new, they already have quite a portfolio with a successful showing of their Spring/Summer 08 collection at Style 360 during New York Fashion Week. They have since returned to the homebase of London for Autumn Winter 08/09 and this latest show. Already discovered by Vogue as one of the new designers to keep an eye on, they are sure to be a hit in the seasons to come. Their collection is available for purchase at Sefton if you fancy splurging for the look of Poltock & Walsh.
Olanic‘s collection took inspiration from the British summertime, stuff or lack of it as is often the case. The unpredictability of Spring/Summer09 resulted in a collection of geometric shapes blown sideways. The weather theme was further worked upon within the fabrics, a collaboration with Scottish textile companies. Designed by Niki Taylor the fabrics used abstract weather symbols executed in clashing colours.
Summery colours of pink, green and blue, were mixed with muted tones more associated with the rainy days a British summer is famed for. Simple silhouettes of shift dresses, blouses and shorts were given a breath of fresh air with subtle details. These simple shapes were adorned with plaited necklines, shoulder wing-tips and fabric bows.
The jumpsuit, which seems to be a firm favourite with designers for next summer, was reworked into an elegant evening wear piece. Only revealing its shorts form when the model strode down the catwalk. Sequins were sprinkled over a ladylike bustier, a pair of leggings and a cropped tux jackets. Other highlights included balloon tapered trousers in silk styled with an upside ballet wrap draped top, both in jewel colours.
Olanic almost trademarked punkish Edwardian overtones were also present, the blues and greens gave way to red and black. Vertical striped spray on trousers, striped tux jackets and a marching band style red cape sashayed down the runaway in quick succession.
Creating highly wearable designs (often ignored in fashion), Olanic showed an accomplished collection which will only strengthen the label’s ‘one to watch‘ status.
I’m hardly the biggest fan of metal, but Rolo Tomassi are something else. I haven’t heard a band so forward thinking in ages and i think a live show would be very exciting.
‘Rough Gem’ is one of those songs that has stayed in my favourite, despite frequent listenings, and although none of their songs have really matched up to it again, they’re still an ace band.
I know it’s been long since Bestival, advice but I’ve literally only just finished cleaning the mud off me. Seriously. Okay, viagra dosage maybe not. But it did take a long time and I have also sadly reached the conclusion that perhaps I am not as young as I used to be because it took me a good three days to properly recover from three days of fun, mud, music and random happenings. Still, that doesn’t stop me from wanting to buy my early bird tickets for Bestival next year.
So, after my copious amounts of fruit smoothies and milk thistle tablets to get me on the mend, I can finally positively reflect on what was a bloody awesome weekend. After a comic session of wading through the mud-river that was the road to the campsite and then setting up our tents in an equally hilarious manner (to any onlookers not hiding in their tents) we gave up hope of ever being dry and warm, and sat and got drunk on rose boxed wine instead.
Friday night started off poptastically perfectly with Alphabeat, and continued with Chromeo. We were gutted when Sam Sparro and Black Kids had cancelled, however. Something about the BBC Introducing stage being too muddy – um, what? Why not cancel the whole festival then? Bloody squares. (I later found out that Sam did do a set to a small crowd at the X-Box tent, but with no way of communicating this to the crowds, we all missed out.) Anyway we tottered along to CSS instead who were awesome, (although I think the sound technician was on acid) and then we headed to the Bollywood tent for a DJ set.
Saturday was never going to be dry so we decided to hide in the Restival section instead and after a few games of Shithead, we were treated to some brilliant poetry performances from Hammer & Tongue. Seriously, if you live in London or Brighton or somewhere where they perform regularly, check them out. It’s a night you won’t forget.
Why I even bothered wasting my time going to see Amy Winehouse on Saturday, I don’t know. Hot Chip were awesome and well worth pushing our way to the front for, but after that we had over an hour of waiting for Miss Amy should-go-to-Rehab-immediately Winehouse to pratt about on stage and manage to sing about 4 recognisable songs. It was pretty funny at the time, but looking back, it meant that I was so knackered after standing around in the cold I had no energy left to dance.
Miracle of miracles, it didn’t rain on Sunday and we made the most of it by finding all the places we hadn’t been to. Bramble FM was a highlight – a seemingly imaginary radio station which appears at all the festivals and gets the crowds dancing around in a circle or cheesy tunes – true story. And actually, it was awesome fun. Which is what festivals are all about – being just plain silly sometimes.
We kept our blood pumping after a brilliant set by Six Nation State by heading to the ‘come dancing’ tent and showed ourselves up by being the only ones dancing to RnB. After the organisers realised that no true festival goer lowers themselves to enjoying RnB music, let alone dancing to it, they started a dance lesson, teaching us the ‘cha-cha’. That got everyone on the dance floor and after working up a suitable sweat, we watched a powerful performance by thecocknbullkid.
As it had finally stopped raining, we actually managed to have a meal outside our tent for the first time all weekend, and refuelled we headed to the main arena, having a bit of a boogie in the X-Box tent (Bournemouth clubs come to Bestival – hurray! – please note the sarcasm) and then checked out the Cockney Knees Up tent, which was supposed to have some drag acts on, but was actually just a bunch of transvestites dancing around to eighties music. Not really what we were looking for.
The Rizla arena was awesome, and we ended the night in true Bestival style by meeting some randoms and bringing them back to our tent for pointless conversation and more alcohol.
Getting off the island was less than pleasant – after a muddy session of packing up our tents we struggled with our backpacks up numerous mudslides and eventually made it back to land of solid ground.
Monday 22nd Museum of Brands, online Robert Opie Collection: Until 31st May 09
2 Colville Mews, off Londsdale Rd, W11 (£5.80, concs £3.50, kids £2) Robert Opie‘s 12,000 original items from his collection moves to Notting hill after seventeen years in Gloucester. Think back to the good ol’ days of vintage postcards, Skippy chocolate bars, cadburys toffee buttons. O.k. you may not be old enough to get too nostalgic but the collection of toys, posters and magazines ensure even the most cynical will get doey eyed at the past as consumer culture is revealed decade by decade. In short, this is a retro lover’s heaven on earth.
(Adults £5.80, Children (7-16) £2.00, Family £14.00, Concessions £3.50. Group discount 10% (groups of 10 or more, pre-booking appreciated).
Tuesday 23rd
The Gallery at BFI Southbank, London, ‘The all seeing Eye’: An installation by Pierre Bismuth and Michel Gondry: until 16th November
BFI Southbank, Belvedere Rd, London, SE1 8XT
A mesmerizing video installation by the inventive French duo Pierre Bismuth and Michel Gondry, celebrated for their Oscar award winning Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. The installation consists of a well furnished apartment involving a central camera revolving around a room where the room spins, armchairs, magazines, houseplants, rugs, mirrors and a dining table appear only to disappear during successive rotations until the apartment is stripped bare. First conceived and shown in Paris in 2005, this new version of The All Seeing Eye has been commissioned and specifically conceived by Bismuth and Gondry for the Gallery at BFI Southbank. A series of films selected by Pierre Bismuth and Elisabetta Fabrizi, BFI Head of Exhibitions, on the theme of erasure has also been included.
Wednesday 24th BISCHOFF/WEISS: ‘Our Immortal Souls’: Maya Hewitt: Until 1st November
95 Rivington Street?London ?EC2A 3AY
British born Hewitt juxtaposes childish fantasy with an adult perspective in intricate pieces loaded with symbolism and iconography. Characters are displaced from their original context from the past and placed in the present, allowing for an ambiguous and eerily surreal landscape.
Thursday 25th Transition Gallery, ‘Mime 1′ Mimei Thompson: Until 5th October
Unit 25a Regent Studios, 8 Andrews Rd, London E8
Recent RCA graduate Mimei Thompson‘s work depicts dark, mutating cosmic worlds, populated by clouds, probing eyeballs and cartoon brains. Surreal portraits including alien beings connects the real with imagined worlds, evoking questions such as death, decay and regeneration.
Jaguar Shoes, ‘Horse Tears’: Matthew Hodson: Preview Show
32 Kingsland Rd, London, E2: 25th September: 7pm till late
Why not join us to the preview show of Hodson‘s weird, melancholic and rude illustrations and comic books? Hailing from a small village in Yorkshire Dales, Hodson was soon drawn to the mean streets of London, although he still retains a soft spot for wind, dogs and trees. Although he adopts a simplistic style, do not be tricked into thinking all his work is as sweet as pie-With contemporary references and dark undertones, Hodson allows us to be kept on our toes.
Friday 26th The Photographers’ Gallery, ‘Soho Archives: 1950s &1960s’: Until 16th November
5 & 8 Great Newport St, London WC2H 7HY
Three archives from Jean Straker, David Hurn and the Daily Herald newspaper documents Soho in the 1950s and 1960s. They capture a Soho that provided a haven for those dissatisfied by Britain’s provincialism. Also a place known for it’s criminal activity and creativity, as well as scandal and sexuality, images document the vibrancy and eroticism of the time.
Saturday 27th Paradise Row, ‘The Day Nobody Died’: Adam Broomberg & Oliver Chanarin: Until 26th October
17 Hereford St, (off Cheshire St) London, E2 6EX
In June of this year Broomberg and Chanarin traveled to Afghanistan along with the British Army units on the front line in Helmand Province. What results is strange abstract passages and patterns of black, white and variegated hues – all modulated by the heat and the light invites us to question the nature of violence, culture, politics and morality.
Hamiltons Gallery, ‘Bokuju Kitan/ Marvelous Tales of black ink’: Nobuyoshi Araki: Until 19th October
13 Carlos Place, London W1K 2EU
Born in 1940 Nobuyoshi Araki’s photography, heralded as Japan’s foremost contemporary photographer blurs the line between art and pornography. He selects 88 images from over 30 years worth of Kinbaku work (bondage art) and hand-painted calligraphy on each photograph. His erotically charged pieces are both lyrically beautiful and steamy, without being brash. Phwaorr indeedy!
It doesn’t take much for the East End glitterati to migrate West, generic so a good old fashioned strip show had them flocking in their dozens last night. The reason: the opening of the latest Coco de Mer store in South Kensington in conjunction with London based design duo Fleet Ilya.
Fleet Ilya are son of Russian sculptor Ilya Fleet (see what he did, physician there?) and London gal Resha Sharma. Together they are a ‘taboo-breaking accessories label’ who create stunning, pilule exotic, erotic leather goods, from luggage to, er, strap ons.
The lusty store on Kensington’s chic Draycott Avenue wasn’t too difficult to find. The pummelling music (Studio 54 meets Miss Chuckle Cherry) and flashing lights instantly drawing attention, and quite a crowd of bemused onlookers too. It was hardly Fort Knox: ‘Hi, we should be on the list’
‘Oh, really? Oh, just say who invited you, that will do.’
‘Er, Ilya?’
‘Oh, sure!’
I think if my companion had said we were pals with Coco (de Mer), we’d have been granted access.
Inside the store
Inside was quite the occasion. The music loud, the lights low, packed to the foundations – punters spilled out into the street or into the changing rooms just for a gasp of air. Canapés were creatively supplied by Passion Organic (an apt title for even the caterers) and pink champagne was aplenty – so much so that just another glass and I might have been tempted to slip into a harness myself. Not that I was without action – whipped and tickled as we all were.
Clockwise from top left: a Coco de Mer girl; the Dj; Coco de Mer lingerie; A Fleet Ilya harness and corset; An erotic bust, part of the store’s merchandising; Fleet Ilya girls
At the beginning tension was high, you could feel it, and it was down to some very liberated male and female performers with sizeable attributes to get us in the mood for an outrageous romp. Fleet Ilya’s ladies wore constructivist themed black soft leather conical bras, off white corset style belts, brown ponies tails at the rear and harnesses with a nod to equestriana. They carried whips, wore handcuffs and brandished other quintessential bondage paraphernalia. A rotund gent, clearly a professional in the art of erotic movement, gave what can only be described as an eye-watering performance, which I’ll keep censored so you can use your own imagination, but the baying raucous crowd certainly enjoyed his fruitful achievements.
Models show off Fleet Ilya in the window
The model who ‘spoilt’ us with his one man strip show
CdM aint no Ann Summers – it’s a tasteful exploration of erotic merchandise and has something for everyone. If you’re not in the market to make a hardcore purchase, then, well, shame on you frankly – but you could be tempted by something from their decadent soft furnishings range, or a discreet title from their vast collection of literature – maybe Tickling or Flogging or The Complete Guide to Cunnilingus. Just suggesting.
Fleet Ilya aren’t just about erotica – their Classic and Concept lines deal in luxury leather goods including oversized luggage and accessories. There wasn’t much of this on show this evening but it’s definitely worth looking out for and you can see a full range of their products on their website – but only click into the Restraint area if you can handle it…
The Coco de Mer girls
Make up
The Fleet Ilya girls
Pictures by Matt Bramford
Back in the mist of time now, stuff well…namely a fortnight ago, viagra order Sarah and I had a rather arty night of mischief and mayhem. First we ventured to the ‘Drawn to each other’ event where I got to go back to A level art years. After drawing various colourful characters with charcoal and also getting my portrait done, see we were in the mood for another dollop of fun. So we went to 93 feet east where ‘Laser fingers’ had an event called ‘Do you want fries with that?’ Unfortunately we didn’t get a serving of fries but we did get to view some cool zines and talk to some art collectives.
My first pit stop was Middleboop , a graphics collective headed by Gordon Reid and Simon Stroud. They describe themselves as ‘two designers who enjoy moaning about the state of art, design, film and music at the moment.’ If you’re a graphics-head check out their blog and let them know what you think.
Next I talked to ‘Laser Fingers’ Collective who organized the whole affair. The team from Hertfordshire consists of Sophie Buckle (Graphic Design) and two illustrators, Nikki Hemmings and Ella Tamplin-Wilson. With a colourful array of designs and fresh faced illustrations, they are creating quite a buzz within the art collective scene.
sarah having fun with a ‘laser finger’ pizza box
derv modelling a felt sandwich badge by ‘laser fingers’
Unkle Baxta is a fashion design label and this girl loves what she’s doing as she pipes her creations are ‘original, unique and they look boss!’ It’s not exactly my cup of tea but if you’re into your bold designs, and indie rock prints have a peek.
One zine that caught my eye was called ‘the smell of the wild’ by Gareth Brookes. Delicately drawn and with poetry recording the ageless beauty of the countryside, the zine both tickles and delights. It sure is worth the £1.50. Gareth Brookes also contributes to the banal pigs publications.
Another favourite was Sally Faulkner‘s beautifully naïve zine, English Grub-filled with pastel coloured sprinkled cakes and whippy ice creams. Just graduated from Kingston Uni, and with a recent illustration in the Guardian Magazine; she is definitely one to watch.
cute badges
So all in all a good night! After all this creative mingling-it was time for a tipple at the bar.
Starting their catwalk show with a video piece of models contorted into letters of Annalisa Dunn’s and Dorothee Hagerman, label name. Cooperative Designs set the tone for their soon to be paraded original designs .
To celebrate their offerings Anna Lou of London and Laura Lees held a party in the heart of the West End. Needless to say that the muttering of a party had a sizable group of the Amelia’s lot heading West.
Party times
We were welcomed by a tasty cocktail – it had things like ginger and berries in it, patient as well as Courvoisier cognac, which was new to me. Problem was it took an age to queue for a beverage, as the guys behind the bar were those cocktail professional types that throw everything around a bit before they pour it. Obviously though, the drinks were not supposed to be the main highlight.
The fashion pose
The highlight for me was a guy who had turned up with a shaved head covered in diamonds. Though completely impractical (I can imagine your chances of getting mugged on the way home would increase dramatically), it made him look like a disco ball – and nothing says party like coming as the disco ball. I now know that if you want to get you spotted, covering your head in something really shiny is a good way to start.
Try and spot the diamond head man
Being music editor, it didn’t take me long to take notice of the DJ. He was pumping out a nice mix of James Brown and DJ Shadow, my only problem being his occasional experiments in scratching – a technique that should really just be left to world DMC championships nowadays. The crowd was also obviously far too cool for dancing, although as the liquor began to diminish there was a little more movement on what I assume was the dancefloor.
I think it’s fair to say fun was had all round, even if I personally left a little puzzled as to what the whole event was all about.
A central St Martins graduate, visitScott Ramsay Kyle made his debut at Vauxhall Fashion Scout with his S/S09 collection. Scott took inspiration from The Queen of Hearts‘ henchman from Alice in Wonderland and Grace Jones’ iconic strong style.
Jumpsuits, mind playsuits (surely a double whammy of all-in-ones spells a HUGE trend for next season), shift dresses and tunics were Tabard shaped. Not since the animated cards of Alice in Wonderland did a pack of cards look so appealing. Peek-a-boo sides lead the eye down to embroidered embellishment in metallic shades, that Scott had harnessed during his time at legendary label Biba, adding extra decoration to the sharp clean lines. Scott also used heavier embroidery, with beads and tassles, as focal points on the front of tabards, giving these designs a military-esque feel.
Once again, as seen at many shows, bright colour took a back seat to neutrals and more muted shades. Scott took this to a more extreme level than I had previously seen, harnessing creations in only three colours. White, Beige and Black were the colours to march down the catwalk under Scott’s watch. Laudable in his use of boring beige, Scott gave the much lambasted colour a style injection complimenting it with shimmering gold. This restrained use of colour flattered the structured shapes.
The sophisticated collection had a real summer in city feel to it. Helped by a ‘beep beep’ traffic noise song featuring on the playlist (much googling has not revealed what song this is, if anybody knows please do share). With many of the looks suitably for office wear, well fashion offices anyway. That said some of the more structured tabard shapes may prove a bit difficult to make the skip from catwalk to high street. Easier to wear looks, included the knee-length more relaxed all-in-one’s and tunics worn with 90′s style cycling shorts.
Steve J and Yoni P who hail from Central St Martins and London College of Fashion respectively, pharmacy have been consistently causing a flurry of excitement in their past three seasons at LFW. Bagging a Best Menswear Award (CSM BA graduation show 06), stuff Samsung Fashion Design Fund (07/08) and opening their diffusion range at Topshop; has only gained them more attention. Yet it is their trademark style of modern quirkiness, case with luxurious fabrics and tailored cuts that has ensured their individuality remains intact.
Walking into the Korean Cultural Centre in West London on 16th September, I was greeted by a charming floaty voice and harp. Along with Japanese rice snacks, this created a relaxed yet classical ambiance. With this mood we were taken to our places.
the harp playing woman with no head
The duo interpreted sculptural elements such as metals and structured blocks into a cool modern look. Being influenced by Danish abstract painter Asger Jorn; they used simple colours such black and white, orange, pinks, blues and whites, with silver and gold as an accent colour.
Neutral whites initially dominated the catwalk, with tailored tops accompanied by geek glasses and bulbous headgear playing with proportions.
some creams cropping in
Pencil skirts teemed with see-through tops followed.
cute head-wear!
Little-bow peep and bow head bands also played a big part in the collection. English wool with Italian silk mixed together to juxtapose the casual and luxurious was also used along with architectural transparent dresses.
.. and back to the simple staple black numbers
Along with black simple hugging dresses, neutrals such as peach and pink popped up. Intricately draped pleating gave pieces a dreamy quality. With models hugging oversized Japanese bedtime toys, this only made the audience swoon.
Three sets of ballet dancers dressed in blue and white with oversized bride veils stood on top of white blocks. Each cutting the string which held the veils in place, they individually tottered and spinned onto the catwalk performing graceful fluttery movements. Their performance emphasized the fragility and quiet classicism of the collection.
Next came more architectural works of metallics and draped pleating. Origami-esque folding, baby doll dresses, fitted pencil skirts with pleat front jackets followed.
On talking about the collection Steve J and Yoni P have said that were inspired by ‘the surrounding environment, particularly constructive architecture and the linear, almost endlessly repeats of design details in both buildings and supporting structures.’ The catwalk was positively teeming with unique pieces as well as off kilter accessories such as oversized glasses, bows, butterflies and bulbous head dresses. Combining architectural metallics and see through dresses with soft colours and detailed pleats ensured that the duo delivered a collection full of charm, wit and whimsy.
For their second season at London Fashion Week, viagra approvedAminaka Wilmont’s “Perfect Imperfection” collection took the stage for the BFC Tent’s final show on Friday. Maki Aminaka Lofvander and Marcus Wilmont were inspired by the eyes of modernist architects, recipeJean Nouvel, Richard Rogers and Frank Gehry, which translated to the catwalk means soft, feminism pieces with a powerful, industrial edge.
Featuring silk trimmed with leather, and chiffon dresses paired with geometric gray and blue graphic prints, the collection has a futuristic feel to it. The color palette combines soft neutral tones with blacks, grays and blues, coinciding with those colors found in cement, metals and steel.
The most striking design of the show I found to be the shoes. Binding only to the heel, this leather and wooden device left the sole of the foot completely exposed to the ground below. I question how this would work out on the street, but for the purpose of the avant garde look this design duo desired, this so-called shoe definitely exemplifies the collection.
Aminaka Wilmont is most notably recognized for being Fashion Fringe’s 2007 winner. You can check out more of their line at net-a-porter.com.
Robots In Disguise are perhaps not the best way to start an evening. They are usually a band I try to avoid, more about but I was making the effort to try and get a good spot for These New Puritans – who I’ve been desperate to see all year. Robots In Disguise play a set of mediocre, there yet still somehow quite grating, electro/indie/mash-up. The best bit was the guy (or girl) in the big robot mask.
After a break for refreshments, it was time for These New Puritans to take to the stage. Two things that stood out immediately were the overly cool expression the female synth player was sporting (making her look like the most bored person ever) – and the chain mail shirt the lead singer had donned for the occasion. Not only was it fun to look at, but I can also imagine it to be quite practical when walking home through unsafe areas late at night.
They begin their set with the brash intro to ‘Swords Of Truth’. Their sultry vocals, and gothic strut should seem pretentious and dislikable, but something allows them to get away with it. They’re the pinnacle of what so many modern bands aim to do, but they do it the best – so it’s okay.
The highlights of their set were tracks like ‘Elvis’ and ‘Numbers’, which revert against their attempts to be so freakin’ avant-garde. There are moments where they create new wave genius, and the 3-minute psych out feedback marathons in between actually do build the intended suspense. As a live show their music and musicianship would struggle to be beaten, but their stage manner is at times slightly cringing.
I thought it would be almost impossible for me not to really, really enjoy a Young Knives gig. That was until I saw them play a set of less than stand out album tracks. I know they must have grown tired of playing the same tracks over and over, but they’re the most popular songs for a reason. People like the songs, that’s why they’ve come to see them live.
In all fairness, I missed about 5 minutes of the beginning of their set – but literally the only song I recognized was ‘The Decision’. Unless they filled the first five minutes with an impressive mini mix of ‘Terra Firma’, ‘She’s Attracted To’ and ‘Weekends And Bleak Days’. It was necessarily a bad gig, it just seems like they’ve given up on pleasing their fan base.
After watching a slightly disappointing Ossie Clark show, adiposity I felt I really needed to see a collection that stepped out of the chiffon and floral-patterned safe zone, cost and started London Fashion Week off with a much needed bang. Much to my delight, this came in the form of design duo Horace, who I have to say, managed to impress me the most on Sunday afternoon.
According to their press release, the story behind Horace’s spring/summer 09 collection is ‘a futuristic tribe living in the heat of the desert.‘ With an adventurous teaming of soft black leather and studs with laddered knits and linen, what has transcribed is an interesting punk rocker meets Arabian villager type collection, which was just the edge our senses needed on a Sunday afternoon.
Designer’s Adam Entwisle and Emma Hales have used a neutral palette of blacks, whites, greys and creams, to create a range of oversized vests and jersey tops alongside figure skimming leather bottoms and socks to create an unusual, but striking collection of day to evening wear.
I wasn’t surprised to find out the label had caught the eye of Kate Moss and Agyness Deyn, as the clothing effectively captures that unique element of effortless chic for which both the models are renowned.
Let’s Wrestle, The Late Greats, Sound Of Guns and Scholars – Metro, London
Bridgette and Ezra Band And The Hot Machine – St Moritz, London Foreign Beggars and John Robinson – Cargo, London Nevereverland – The Presets, Shy Child, Ladyhawke and Van She Tech – The Coronet, London
Boy Crisis and Plugs – Proud Galleries, London Swn Festival – Paul Hawkins & Thee Awkward Silences, Cats In Paris, Jay Jay Pistolet, Golden SilversHigh Contrast, Chipmunk, Das Wanderlust, The Boy Least Likly Too, It Hugs Back and more – Various Venues, Cardiff
For the past 25 years Jon Young has taught groups and individuals how to create a positive vision for the future through a deeper sense of community and connection to nature. To say I am excited about the opportunity to spend a week learning mentoring skills from Jon Young alongside fellow teachers, Mark Morey and Evan McGown, (a nature based poet and musician who co-authored The Coyote’s Guide to Connecting With Nature with Jon Young) would be an understatement.
I got to meet the sparkly eyed Jon Young – who like me is a big fan of barn dancing as a way of bringing people together – when he visited London a few months ago to give a talk in a darkened room at the top of a pub in north london.
Nature connection works best in a community setting.
Many of us have lost touch with animals and the earth but it’s easy to trigger subconscious feelings of connection. This is not about passing an ecology literacy test because everyone loves trees on an energetic level… but the woods can be scary so we need people with us along the way. How can we recreate these communities?
Greetings customs and rituals matter.
Greetings have been profoundly important for many eons of humanity – sometimes being so elaborate they could take days. Even though you are lucky if you get much of a greeting in New Jersey they have become more careful, sincere and authentic since 9/1, even from those you might expect to be grumpy. Everyone feels that needs to be welcomed and able to express themselves without pressure.
It is possible to create new rituals to suit us today.
The youth today carry the subconscious weight of their woes in over-sized clothes, but Jon has mentored both privileged and deprived children and all of them thrive when given space to express themselves. He recounts the story of a scholar from the best family and school in town, forever struggling to stay the best in his class, and thoroughly depressed as a result. After a few months of mentorship with Jon he tearfully declared that he was finally able to be himself and went on to became a mentor to the younger kids. Greeting customs can forge strong bonds and that is why the elaborate bonding rituals of gangs are so successful.
Everyone needs to feel recognised and blessed, at every age.
Young people need affirmation but so do their parents, many of whom will have missed out on it themselves as youngsters. If all generations are not cared for there are likely to be cultural gaps that can cause problems; for example a whole generation can feel threatened or alienated, and the worst outcome of this could be the sabotaging of change.
Maple Syrup as teacher.
When Paul’s family makes maple syrup they thank the trees with a special ceremony before boiling up the sap. This is a delicate operation that takes 2-3 whole days of pan-watching, for if the sap burns it will spoil, which is tantamount to violating the laws of nature. If this happens it will haunt you, but you will learn. As such it is an ideal teaching tool, especially for young men.
Remember to leave the seeds behind when picking morel mushrooms.
Paul lives life by the seasons, and has just two short weeks to pick morel mushrooms from a special place in the woods – unfortunately it’s impossible to keep his spot secret in a small community. He carries the mushrooms home in knitted orange bags that allow the seeds to fall to the ground; that way ensuring a crop for the following year. So much ancestral knowledge has been lost that some of the kids make huge amounts of noise crashing through the wilderness. Even in Paul’s community there is much disconnection from nature, and he spends much of his time finding ways to empower the elders.
The government can learn from Hurricane Iniki, which hit Hawaii in 1992.
This huge hurricane stripped houses from their foundations and denuded vegetation, yet only six people died. It took the government nine days to get aid out to Hawaii, but instead of panic officials were met by people at the docks who did not want to fix things too quickly, because then they would have to return to work. Everyone was relaxing, taking it easy, having BBQs and helping each other. Because of interwoven cultural relations present before the storm there was a built in community resilience that meant the people responded collectively as one living organism, instead of separate units. Here is a lesson in how to cope during disasters.
Jon was taught to play the bones twenty years ago when he last met Gerry (then working as a labourer on the East Coast), and has since taught Paul how to play the bones too. Here’s a video of the three of them singing together. Cross generational and cultural mentoring in action!
You can read another account of the night here. I am looking forward to learning so much more next week. See you on the other side.
Amelia’s Magazine second post on the Royal College 2010 Show Two deviates from the previous’ focus on Climate Change, adiposity finding ourselves mesmerised by Design Interaction Student, Kjen Williams’ Weather Camera.
A beautiful alternative to the avalanche of public private data currently building within the corridors of the web. The Weather Camera can be used to record a special moment’s atmospheric conditions. Subsequently producing a new method of narration.
Described as a moment of empowerment, Becky Pilditch‘s prothestics showcase how functional pieces of designs can be both a thing of beauty and self expression, that these can be extensions of the wearer’s personality.
Hand 8 the final part of the project, played with ideas of gesture and personality by creating numerous arms that related to the way Holly acted as she spoke.
In Animation I discovered the wonderful sleeplike animation of Lauri Warsta, titled ….. the animation merged the borders between surreal dream and documentary as the calming voice, not too dissimilar to the 1940′s DONT PANIC! voiceover narrated the viewer through the reporting on a global reserves of dreams.
Adnan Lalani‘s experiment with augmented reality caught my eye; the action of turning the pages of a pop up book to read the story is suplimented by additional animation narration appearing on screen placed directly behind the book and inline with the viewers eye.
The eye catching work by Louise O’Conner (Design Interaction); used experimental dance to convey the movement of Atoms as an attempt to connect us to movements beyond our awareness.
A particular lovely idea was the mapping out of the distances of the solar system along Kingsland High Street leading up to Stamford Hill.
Photography by Mark Henderson
You can find the map and information about the project here:
Katrin Baumgarten’s Aesthetics of disgust explore’s humans relationship, both emotional and physical to things that disgust them. Using inanimate objects that we take for granted, such as Light Switches, Kartin has added disturbing features as displayed in the pictures below. In the installation at the RCA a screen documents the reaction of the user.
Intimate touch or sexual disgust is also explored by Katrina
FINALLY on my second trip (yes second, it’s that big and really worth the time) I came across the brilliant work of Sivaprakash Shanmugam’s Expressive Scribble. The idea being to encourage children’s creativity and to “enrich their visual vocabulary.” Children can draw onto the projector screen (ideally this could be the kitchen floor, wall etc…) and through clicking on the ‘movie’ button enable their drawings to come to life, whilst learning a sense of narrative and the multiple possibilities drawing can conjure up….
Part two of the RCA show continues until 4th July 2010. It’s open from 11-8 daily at the Royal College of Art, Kensington Gore, London SW7 2EU. Admission is free.
Images Courtesy of the Students and addition photographs by Sally Mumby-Croft
What is the impact on our relationship to a world where mechanical objects interpret our daily surroundings through a variety of sensor monitors, subsequently producing endless streams of data? Are we moving into the final phrase of Walter Benjamin’s The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction? Kjen WilkinsThe Weather Camera. is a response to the designers search for the human presence within this deluge of electronic readings of our environmental surroundings. Instead of taking a photograph to a record of a special moment, the user of The Weather Camera could record the atmospheric conditions instead. In time this may encourage new methods of narration, titled by the designer as “Sensor Poetics” and documented in the image below.
Described as “object of empowerment”, Becky Pilditch‘s prothestics showcase how functional pieces of designs can be both a thing of beauty an extension of the wearer’s personality. Becky worked on the project with Holly Franklin, what I really like about the project is the development of a blog that can be used by other prosthetic limb users to feed back directly into the project.
Hand 8 the final part of the project, played with ideas of gesture and personality by creating numerous arms that related to Holly’s actions as she spoke or moved around a space.
In Animation there awaited Lauri Warsta’s Traumdeutung. A wonderful animation baring the hallmarks (whatever that may mean…) of a “documentary” as the calming voiceover, not too dissimilar to the 1940′s DONT PANIC! voiceover narrated the viewer through the date currently available on the subject of the animation: The Global Reserves of Dreams. Whilst simultaneously bearing the possibility that the entire animation is a dream itself.
The subtle block coloring of the animation maintained a ‘warmth’ more similar to hand drawn animation, that can sometimes be lost in 3D animation. An outcome perhaps of the animator combining ” making the two extremes (3D and Handmade) clash and merge. For example, by bringing the uncontrollable movement of real hand-held footage to an otherwise sterile computer animation”
Adnan Lalani‘s experiment with augmented reality caught my eye; the action of turning the pages of a pop up book to read the story is suplimented by additional animation narration appearing on screen placed directly behind the book and inline with the viewers eye.
Below is the Pop Up Book’s Prototype, Adnan kindly took a few moments to explain the idea behind combining the narrative structure of a pop up book with Augmented reality: “The pop-up book felt like a natural compliment to augmented reality. I was hoping to see how AR could be used in a more tactile, playful context… i.e. take something we already know and play with, and allow it to be enhanced with animation and digital interactivity.”
Eventually Adnan hopes that as we grow more comfortable with the idea of Augmented Reality, ideas like the Pop Up book ” can allow a progression from the magical, novelty nature of AR, into more of a direct tool by which to communicate narratives and story telling”
The eye catching work by Louise O’Conner (Design Interaction); used experimental dance to convey the movement of Atoms as an attempt to connect us to movements beyond our awareness.
A particular lovely idea was the mapping out of the distances of the solar system along Kingsland High Street leading up to Stamford Hill. Eight Shopkeepers were asked if their shop would host one of the planets…
Photography by Mark Henderson
You can find the map and information about the project here:
Katrin Baumgarten’s Aesthetics of Disgust explore’s humans relationship, both emotional and physical to things that disgust us. Using inanimate objects that we take for granted, such as Light Switches, Kartin added disturbing features displayed in the pictures below. Thus bringing these inanimate objects to the forefront of our attention.
In the installation at the Royal College of Art a screen documents the levels of the reaction of each user.
Intimate touch or sexual disgust is and how these feelings can be created “merely by inappropriate behaviours in society, such as touching another person in an intimate or sexual way in public, even though that might comfort the two persons involved and is a part of our human nature.” Is another subject explored by Katrina producing the Intimate Touch Object, an item which enables you to touch another person secretly…
FINALLY on my second trip (yes second, it’s that big and really worth the time) I came across the brilliant work of Sivaprakash Shanmugam’s Expressive Scribble. The idea being to encourage children’s creativity and to “enrich their visual vocabulary.” Children can draw onto the projector screen (ideally this could be the kitchen floor, wall etc…) and through clicking on the ‘movie’ button enable their drawings to come to life, whilst learning a sense of narrative and the multiple possibilities drawing can conjure up….
Part two of the RCA show continues until 4th July 2010. It’s open from 11-8 daily at the Royal College of Art, Kensington Gore, London SW7 2EU. Admission is free.
Images Courtesy of the Students and addition photographs by Sally Mumby-Croft
What is the impact on our relationship to a world where mechanical objects interpret our daily surroundings through a variety of sensor monitors, subsequently producing endless streams of data? Are we moving into the final phrase of Walter Benjamin’s The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction? Kjen WilkinsThe Weather Camera. is a response to the designers search for the human presence within this deluge of electronic readings of our environmental surroundings. Instead of taking a photograph to a record of a special moment, the user of The Weather Camera could record the atmospheric conditions instead. In time this may encourage new methods of narration, titled by the designer as “Sensor Poetics” and documented in the image below.
Described as “object of empowerment”, Becky Pilditch‘s prothestics showcase how functional pieces of designs can be both a thing of beauty an extension of the wearer’s personality. Becky worked on the project with Holly Franklin, what I really like about the project is the development of a blog that can be used by other prosthetic limb users to feed back directly into the project.
Hand 8 the final part of the project, played with ideas of gesture and personality by creating numerous arms that related to Holly’s actions as she spoke or moved around a space.
In Animation there awaited Lauri Warsta’s Traumdeutung. A wonderful animation baring the hallmarks (whatever that may mean…) of a “documentary” as the calming voiceover, not too dissimilar to the 1940′s DONT PANIC! voiceover narrated the viewer through the date currently available on the subject of the animation: The Global Reserves of Dreams. Whilst simultaneously bearing the possibility that the entire animation is a dream itself.
The subtle block coloring of the animation maintained a ‘warmth’ more similar to hand drawn animation, that can sometimes be lost in 3D animation. An outcome perhaps of the animator combining ” making the two extremes (3D and Handmade) clash and merge. For example, by bringing the uncontrollable movement of real hand-held footage to an otherwise sterile computer animation”
Adnan Lalani‘s experiment with augmented reality caught my eye; the action of turning the pages of a pop up book to read the story is suplimented by additional animation narration appearing on screen placed directly behind the book and inline with the viewers eye.
Below is the Pop Up Book’s Prototype, Adnan kindly took a few moments to explain the idea behind combining the narrative structure of a pop up book with Augmented reality: “The pop-up book felt like a natural compliment to augmented reality. I was hoping to see how AR could be used in a more tactile, playful context… i.e. take something we already know and play with, and allow it to be enhanced with animation and digital interactivity.”
Eventually Adnan hopes that as we grow more comfortable with the idea of Augmented Reality, ideas like the Pop Up book ” can allow a progression from the magical, novelty nature of AR, into more of a direct tool by which to communicate narratives and story telling”
The eye catching work by Louise O’Conner (Design Interaction); used experimental dance to convey the movement of Atoms as an attempt to connect us to movements beyond our awareness.
A particular lovely idea was the mapping out of the distances of the solar system along Kingsland High Street leading up to Stamford Hill. Eight Shopkeepers were asked if their shop would host one of the planets…
Photography by Mark Henderson
You can find the map and information about the project here:
Katrin Baumgarten’s Aesthetics of Disgust explore’s humans relationship, both emotional and physical to things that disgust us. Using inanimate objects that we take for granted, such as Light Switches, Kartin added disturbing features displayed in the pictures below. Thus bringing these inanimate objects to the forefront of our attention.
In the installation at the Royal College of Art a screen documents the levels of the reaction of each user.
Intimate touch or sexual disgust is and how these feelings can be created “merely by inappropriate behaviours in society, such as touching another person in an intimate or sexual way in public, even though that might comfort the two persons involved and is a part of our human nature.” Is another subject explored by Katrina producing the Intimate Touch Object, an item which enables you to touch another person secretly…
FINALLY on my second trip (yes second, it’s that big and really worth the time) I came across the brilliant work of Sivaprakash Shanmugam’s Expressive Scribble. The idea being to encourage children’s creativity and to “enrich their visual vocabulary.” Children can draw onto the projector screen (ideally this could be the kitchen floor, wall etc…) and through clicking on the ‘movie’ button enable their drawings to come to life, whilst learning a sense of narrative and the multiple possibilities drawing can conjure up….
Part two of the RCA show continues until 4th July 2010. It’s open from 11-8 daily at the Royal College of Art, Kensington Gore, London SW7 2EU. Admission is free.
Images Courtesy of the Students and addition photographs by Sally Mumby-Croft
What is the impact on our relationship with the environment, when we exist in a world where mechanical objects and sensor monitors constantly interpret our daily surroundings; producing endless streams of data? Are we moving into the final phrase of Walter Benjamin’s The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction? Kjen WilkinsThe Weather Camera. is a response to the designer’s search for a human presence within a deluge of electronic readings of the environment. Instead of taking a photograph to a record of a special moment, the user of The Weather Camera could record the atmospheric conditions instead. In time this may encourage new methods of narration, titled by the designer as “Sensor Poetics” and documented in the image below.
Described as “object of empowerment”, Becky Pilditch‘s prothestics showcase how functional pieces of designs can be both a thing of beauty an extension of the wearer’s personality. Becky worked on the project with Holly Franklin, what I really like about the project is the development of a blog that can be used by other prosthetic limb users to feed back directly into the project.
Hand 8 the final part of the project, played with ideas of gesture and personality by creating numerous arms that related to Holly’s actions as she spoke or moved around a space.
In Animation there awaited Lauri Warsta’s Traumdeutung. A wonderful animation baring the hallmarks (whatever that may mean…) of a “documentary” as the calming voiceover, not too dissimilar to the 1940′s DONT PANIC! voiceover narrated the viewer through the date currently available on the subject of the animation: The Global Reserves of Dreams. Whilst simultaneously bearing the possibility that the entire animation is a dream itself.
The subtle block coloring of the animation maintained a ‘warmth’ more similar to hand drawn animation, that can sometimes be lost in 3D animation. An outcome perhaps of the animator combining ” making the two extremes (3D and Handmade) clash and merge. For example, by bringing the uncontrollable movement of real hand-held footage to an otherwise sterile computer animation”
Adnan Lalani‘s experiment with augmented reality caught my eye; the action of turning the pages of a pop up book to read the story is suplimented by additional animation narration appearing on screen placed directly behind the book and inline with the viewers eye.
Below is the Pop Up Book’s Prototype, Adnan kindly took a few moments to explain the idea behind combining the narrative structure of a pop up book with Augmented reality: “The pop-up book felt like a natural compliment to augmented reality. I was hoping to see how AR could be used in a more tactile, playful context… i.e. take something we already know and play with, and allow it to be enhanced with animation and digital interactivity.”
Eventually Adnan hopes that as we grow more comfortable with the idea of Augmented Reality, ideas like the Pop Up book ” can allow a progression from the magical, novelty nature of AR, into more of a direct tool by which to communicate narratives and story telling”
The eye catching work by Louise O’Conner (Design Interaction); used experimental dance to convey the movement of Atoms as an attempt to connect us to movements beyond our awareness.
A particular lovely idea was the mapping out of the distances of the solar system along Kingsland High Street leading up to Stamford Hill. Eight Shopkeepers were asked if their shop would host one of the planets…
Photography by Mark Henderson
You can find the map and information about the project here:
Katrin Baumgarten’s Aesthetics of Disgust explore’s humans relationship, both emotional and physical to things that disgust us. Using inanimate objects that we take for granted, such as Light Switches, Kartin added disturbing features displayed in the pictures below. Thus bringing these inanimate objects to the forefront of our attention.
In the installation at the Royal College of Art a screen documents the levels of the reaction of each user.
Intimate touch or sexual disgust is and how these feelings can be created “merely by inappropriate behaviours in society, such as touching another person in an intimate or sexual way in public, even though that might comfort the two persons involved and is a part of our human nature.” Is another subject explored by Katrina producing the Intimate Touch Object, an item which enables you to touch another person secretly…
FINALLY on my second trip (yes second, it’s that big and really worth the time) I came across the brilliant work of Sivaprakash Shanmugam’s Expressive Scribble. The idea being to encourage children’s creativity and to “enrich their visual vocabulary.” Children can draw onto the projector screen (ideally this could be the kitchen floor, wall etc…) and through clicking on the ‘movie’ button enable their drawings to come to life, whilst learning a sense of narrative and the multiple possibilities drawing can conjure up….
Part two of the RCA show continues until 4th July 2010. It’s open from 11-8 daily at the Royal College of Art, Kensington Gore, London SW7 2EU. Admission is free.
Images Courtesy of the Students and addition photographs by Sally Mumby-Croft
What is the impact on our relationship with the environment, page when existing in a world where mechanical objects and sensor monitors constantly interpret our daily surroundings, producing endless streams of data? Are we moving into the final phrase of Walter Benjamin’s The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction? Kjen WilkinsThe Weather Camera. is a response to the designers search for the human presence within this deluge of electronic readings of our environmental surroundings. Instead of taking a photograph to a record of a special moment, the user of The Weather Camera could record the atmospheric conditions instead. In time this may encourage new methods of narration, titled by the designer as “Sensor Poetics” and documented in the image below.
Described as “object of empowerment”, Becky Pilditch‘s prothestics showcase how functional pieces of designs can be both a thing of beauty an extension of the wearer’s personality. Becky worked on the project with Holly Franklin, what I really like about the project is the development of a blog that can be used by other prosthetic limb users to feed back directly into the project.
Hand 8 the final part of the project, played with ideas of gesture and personality by creating numerous arms that related to Holly’s actions as she spoke or moved around a space.
In Animation there awaited Lauri Warsta’s Traumdeutung. A wonderful animation baring the hallmarks (whatever that may mean…) of a “documentary” as the calming voiceover, not too dissimilar to the 1940′s DONT PANIC! voiceover narrated the viewer through the date currently available on the subject of the animation: The Global Reserves of Dreams. Whilst simultaneously bearing the possibility that the entire animation is a dream itself.
The subtle block coloring of the animation maintained a ‘warmth’ more similar to hand drawn animation, that can sometimes be lost in 3D animation. An outcome perhaps of the animator combining ” making the two extremes (3D and Handmade) clash and merge. For example, by bringing the uncontrollable movement of real hand-held footage to an otherwise sterile computer animation”
Adnan Lalani‘s experiment with augmented reality caught my eye; the action of turning the pages of a pop up book to read the story is suplimented by additional animation narration appearing on screen placed directly behind the book and inline with the viewers eye.
Below is the Pop Up Book’s Prototype, Adnan kindly took a few moments to explain the idea behind combining the narrative structure of a pop up book with Augmented reality: “The pop-up book felt like a natural compliment to augmented reality. I was hoping to see how AR could be used in a more tactile, playful context… i.e. take something we already know and play with, and allow it to be enhanced with animation and digital interactivity.”
Eventually Adnan hopes that as we grow more comfortable with the idea of Augmented Reality, ideas like the Pop Up book ” can allow a progression from the magical, novelty nature of AR, into more of a direct tool by which to communicate narratives and story telling”
The eye catching work by Louise O’Conner (Design Interaction); used experimental dance to convey the movement of Atoms as an attempt to connect us to movements beyond our awareness.
A particular lovely idea was the mapping out of the distances of the solar system along Kingsland High Street leading up to Stamford Hill. Eight Shopkeepers were asked if their shop would host one of the planets…
Photography by Mark Henderson
You can find the map and information about the project here:
Katrin Baumgarten’s Aesthetics of Disgust explore’s humans relationship, both emotional and physical to things that disgust us. Using inanimate objects that we take for granted, such as Light Switches, Kartin added disturbing features displayed in the pictures below. Thus bringing these inanimate objects to the forefront of our attention.
In the installation at the Royal College of Art a screen documents the levels of the reaction of each user.
Intimate touch or sexual disgust is and how these feelings can be created “merely by inappropriate behaviours in society, such as touching another person in an intimate or sexual way in public, even though that might comfort the two persons involved and is a part of our human nature.” Is another subject explored by Katrina producing the Intimate Touch Object, an item which enables you to touch another person secretly…
FINALLY on my second trip (yes second, it’s that big and really worth the time) I came across the brilliant work of Sivaprakash Shanmugam’s Expressive Scribble. The idea being to encourage children’s creativity and to “enrich their visual vocabulary.” Children can draw onto the projector screen (ideally this could be the kitchen floor, wall etc…) and through clicking on the ‘movie’ button enable their drawings to come to life, whilst learning a sense of narrative and the multiple possibilities drawing can conjure up….
Part two of the RCA show continues until 4th July 2010. It’s open from 11-8 daily at the Royal College of Art, Kensington Gore, London SW7 2EU. Admission is free.
Images Courtesy of the Students and addition photographs by Sally Mumby-Croft
Bands bands bands…. how did I luck out with such a great selection for our Climate Camp Tripod Stage? Well, I can only conclude that the universe conspired to provide so brilliantly because the PRs I speak to about music for Amelia’s Magazine are PRs who share my taste in music. Many of the bands that performed for us were not ones I had heard of before, shop but without exception they all sat on a scale of varying levels of brilliant. Some played exclusively for us – jumping at the opportunity to play at the biggest music festival in the world despite being there on a punter’s ticket or working elsewhere. Others were also due to play the BBC Introducing stage or other much bigger and more prominent stages, and I like to think that we offered a bit of a warm up for them… it was certainly toasty hot on our south facing stage.
First up on Thursday we had Anna Log, erstwhile singer and uke player with We Aeronauts. In September she moves to Oxford, where she will start at drama school and share a house with the rest of her band, who on occasion help out with her solo work. During the set she was highly entertained by the small child who proceeded to climb the tripod whilst she played, but not nearly as entertained as the crowd were when Anna perfectly impersonated an entire horn section in the absence of the rest of her band. We Aeronauts release their first EP later this summer.
Anna’s thoughts on playing at Climate Camp: I was mega-grateful to my brother Mark and Sam for providing some background “Oooooos” and I absolutely loved playing at Climate Camp. It was such a friendly, relaxed atmosphere and no-one seemed to really mind that my suncream-covered hands were producing some extremely interesting and unintentional chords on the uke! I also really enjoyed the ceilidh – it was awesome to see lots of lush people in animal masks dancing about and laughing with each other. (I definitely sound like a massive hippy… that might be because I am…) Anna’s Glastonbury highlights: Laura Marling‘s beautiful set on The Park stage; she really is our modern day Joni Mitchell – and a secret, acoustic Stornoway gig up in the Crow’s Nest. I flipping love Stornoway, they are one of my favourite bands and such lovely people.
She was followed by the best Green Kite Midnight ceilidh of the entire weekend, complete with a man doing hand stands in gold spangly pants.
Then came My Luminaries, who took a very light hearted approach to the gig and caused much amusement with their stage antics. They were the first of many to take a truly creative approach to our semi acoustic set up, and I particularly enjoyed the strategic placement of their diamante keyboard in a wheelbarrow.
At one point the bassist climbed on top of one of our blue painted deck chairs and pretended to stage dive, before we were treated to a rollicking scat from their drummer which proved the ultimate crowd pleaser. Despite claiming a failing voice, lead singer James sounded fantastic, and could be found enjoying our vegan fare on the grass later on.
James liked playing on the Tripod Stage because: it was the complete opposite of the gig we’d just done on the Queens Head stage. The gig couldn’t have been more intimate and we rarely get to do such gigs. His favourite part of Glastonbury was: playing on the Tripod Stage (of course) and on the Queen’s Head stage (the biggest gig we’ve ever done, to 2500 people). Other than that, we met Prince Charles, we danced like idiots to the Phenomenal Handclap Band, and we stayed up all night in the Piano Bar and the Stone Circle.
My Luminaries debut album Order From The Chaos is out now.
From the 13th November the Tatty DevineBrick Lane gallery space will host an exhibition of work by artist Verena Paloma Jabs. ‘Diamond Tears‘ will showcase Jabs‘ mixed media collages and animations inspired by dark, remedy fantastical imagery from fairy tales and the illusory, murky depths of dreamtime. Her English and Russian heritage and resisdence in Germany have informed her work – expect to see laser cut acrylic frames and a limited edition heart shaped necklace, all featuring black silohuettes of woodland scenes and animals against beautiful landscapes.
November 13th Tatty Devine, Brick Lane
Make It Print It Pack It Ship It
Another pop-up gallery presented by MA and MFA Fine Art students from Slade School Of Fine Art will take place in Tottenham Court Road from this Monday for one week. The exhibition will be made up of sculpture, installation and painting from the eighteen artists. Exploring surrounding cultural, social and physical environment through the vehicle of the pop-up store, it will adopt the methods of production and dissemination of commercialism. 605 x 505, a box set of limited edition prints to accompany the exhibition, will also be available throughout the week.
November 2nd – 6th, 145 Tottenham Court Road, London
Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2009
Taking place at the National Portrait Gallery, this year’s competition is back again to offer up the cream of today’s contemporary photography practitioners. A mix of fresh new talent will be presented alongside more experienced veterans of photography. A remarkable 2,400 entrants have applied this year, resulting in over 6,300 images to be whittled down to sixty pieces for the final exhibition, including the four overall winners and the winner of the Godfrey Argent Award for an outstanding portrait by an entrant between the ages of 18 and 25 years old.
November 5th 2009 – February 14th 2010, National Portrait Gallery
Panik – Changing Faces
Panik, the alias of Jack Murray is said to be one of the most prolific young graffitti writers of today. More accustomed to using the streets of London as his canvas, he is now bringing his work to the confines of four walls for the first time, in the form of this exhibition at The Underground. Panik comments that, “Creating work in the studio helps me move in the right direction, relax, delve into my thoughts and break down my style, which gives me confidence to experiment more on the streets. At the same time painting on the streets releases a lot of my inner tensions and gets my adrenalin pumping fuelling a lot of what’s behind my paintings”. Get yourself down to Argyle Walk this Thursday for the Private View.
November 6th – 28th, 26 Argyle Square London
One Taste Festival 2009
The fourth festival in their run so far, One Taste are back again with what has been described as ‘a 3 floor art explosion’ at the venue of The Bedford. There will be a generous serving of all things creative including music, poetry, film, art, philosophy, workshops, parades, theatre, DJs, dancing, food and much more. The event will start in the day and last though to the night. Some of the acts that will be there include Antic Bantic who will be providing games, music and art, a Lucid Dreaming workshop: Learn the art of Lucid Dreaming by Charley Morely, face painting by Bella Faces and Live Story Writing – collective story writing with OneTaste favourite poets.
November 8th, The Bedford 77 Bedford Hill, London
Let’s Get Ready To Jumble!
This Saturday The Monarch on Chalk Fram Road will welcome the friendliest of monthly afternoon jumble sales. Providing ‘treasures and pleasures galore’. Mens and women’s vintage, records, books, bric-a-brac, tombola and craft are promised and there are firework displays on at Primrose Hill and Alexandra Palace that night so we are asked to find something sparkly to go with your sparkler!
7th November, The Monarch, 40-42 Chalk Farm Road, London
Diamond Tears
From the 13th November the Tatty DevineBrick Lane gallery space will host an exhibition of work by artist Verena Paloma Jabs. ‘Diamond Tears‘ will showcase Jabs‘ mixed media collages and animations inspired by dark, sick fantastical imagery from fairy tales and the illusory, look murky depths of dreamtime. Her English and Russian heritage and resisdence in Germany have informed her work – expect to see laser cut acrylic frames and a limited edition heart shaped necklace, all featuring black silohuettes of woodland scenes and animals against beautiful landscapes.
November 13th Tatty Devine, Brick Lane
Make It Print It Pack It Ship It
Another pop-up gallery presented by MA and MFA Fine Art students from Slade School Of Fine Art will take place in Tottenham Court Road from this Monday for one week. The exhibition will be made up of sculpture, installation and painting from the eighteen artists. Exploring surrounding cultural, social and physical environment through the vehicle of the pop-up store, it will adopt the methods of production and dissemination of commercialism. 605 x 505, a box set of limited edition prints to accompany the exhibition, will also be available throughout the week.
November 2nd – 6th, 145 Tottenham Court Road, London
Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2009
Taking place at the National Portrait Gallery, this year’s competition is back again to offer up the cream of today’s contemporary photography practitioners. A mix of fresh new talent will be presented alongside more experienced veterans of photography. A remarkable 2,400 entrants have applied this year, resulting in over 6,300 images to be whittled down to sixty pieces for the final exhibition, including the four overall winners and the winner of the Godfrey Argent Award for an outstanding portrait by an entrant between the ages of 18 and 25 years old.
November 5th 2009 – February 14th 2010, National Portrait Gallery
Panik – Changing Faces
Panik, the alias of Jack Murray is said to be one of the most prolific young graffitti writers of today. More accustomed to using the streets of London as his canvas, he is now bringing his work to the confines of four walls for the first time, in the form of this exhibition at The Underground. Panik comments that, “Creating work in the studio helps me move in the right direction, relax, delve into my thoughts and break down my style, which gives me confidence to experiment more on the streets. At the same time painting on the streets releases a lot of my inner tensions and gets my adrenalin pumping fuelling a lot of what’s behind my paintings”. Get yourself down to Argyle Walk this Thursday for the Private View.
November 6th – 28th, 26 Argyle Square London
One Taste Festival 2009
The fourth festival in their run so far, One Taste are back again with what has been described as ‘a 3 floor art explosion’ at the venue of The Bedford. There will be a generous serving of all things creative including music, poetry, film, art, philosophy, workshops, parades, theatre, DJs, dancing, food and much more. The event will start in the day and last though to the night. Some of the acts that will be there include Antic Bantic who will be providing games, music and art, a Lucid Dreaming workshop: Learn the art of Lucid Dreaming by Charley Morely, face painting by Bella Faces and Live Story Writing – collective story writing with OneTaste favourite poets.
November 8th, The Bedford 77 Bedford Hill, London
Let’s Get Ready To Jumble!
This Saturday The Monarch on Chalk Fram Road will welcome the friendliest of monthly afternoon jumble sales. Providing ‘treasures and pleasures galore’. Mens and women’s vintage, records, books, bric-a-brac, tombola and craft are promised and there are firework displays on at Primrose Hill and Alexandra Palace that night so we are asked to find something sparkly to go with your sparkler!
7th November, The Monarch, 40-42 Chalk Farm Road, London
Troubled singer-songwriter troubadour Johnston returns to the circuit playing his brand of brutally honest lo-fi songs ahead of next year’s new album release. Joining him in this tour is equally avoiding of eye contact and (almost) equally as beguiling, viagraMarling who will probably also have new material to share.
Glaswegian group, Camera Obscura, play their saccharine, melancholic indie pop evocative of Belle & Sebastian including latest album, ‘My Maudlin Career.’
These four Mancunian chaps have provided one of Amelia’s Magazine’s favourite songs of 2009 in Photoshop Handsome, we’re hoping the rest of their set can deliver as perfectly crafted indie pop and doesn’t veer to far down The Futureheads vein.
This club night by South East London collective, Off Modern, consistently puts out great music and for their fifth birthday celebration they are putting on a right royal shebang of a party. The celebratory music is provided by party starters Dead Kids, all-girl choir sensation Gaggle (pictured) and cosmic psych-metallers Invasion.
For the sake of adhering to the mantra including the words, ‘variety’ ‘spice’ and ‘life’, we wouldn’t usually promote revisiting venues in the same week, but Peggy Sue, formerly possessed of Pirates, gives us an excuse to do just that. There are a host a great support acts including our former Music Editor, Lulu & The Lampshades.
For an anti-X Factor, anti-Saturday night out sample this almighty cast of folk polymath players play The Tabernacle with Yorkston heading the bill. Enigmatic Roberts and ethereal Hampton are particular gems in this stellar line-up.
This Philadelphian neo-folk sextet are known for their evocative blend of traditional and 60s folk and, yes you guessed it, have a new album to plug, ‘III’ follows a self-consciously song-based path. And what’s more this is free.
Written by Katie Weatherall on Monday November 2nd, 2009 5:22 pm
