Amelia’s Magazine | Teatum Jones: London Fashion Week A/W 2013 Presentation Review

Teatum Jones A/W 2013 by Laura Hickman
Teatum Jones A/W 2013 by Laura Hickman.

Teatum Jones have been wowing the Amelia’s Magazine reviewers with their well thought out presentations for the past few seasons, but this was my first turn at a one of their shows. In the past this design duo have showcased collections in the RSA and Liberty, but this season their venue was the incredibly posh Dorchester Hotel – think flower arrangements in the entrance hall the size of small trees.

Teatum Jones AW 2013-photo by Amelia Gregory
Teatum Jones AW 2013-photo by Amelia Gregory
Teatum Jones AW 2013-photo by Amelia Gregory
Teatum Jones A/W 2013 by Sylwia Szyszka
Teatum Jones A/W 2013 by Sylwia Szyszka.

Teatum Jones AW 2013-photo by Amelia Gregory
Teatum Jones AW 2013-photo by Amelia Gregory
Teatum Jones AW 2013-photo by Amelia Gregory
Teatum Jones AW 2013-photo by Amelia Gregory
Teatum Jones A/W 2013 by Cissy Hu
Teatum Jones A/W 2013 by Cissy Hu.

Guests were signed in then directed past an arrangement of fine teas and dainty biscuits into a wood lined and mirrored chamber, the centrepiece of which was a set arranged around a butterfly decorated chalkboard bookcase. The models rotated in groups of four, each replaced as the last one in the line up departed, in the kind of graceful dance that comes with great preparation and strict time keeping. Titled ‘To My Youth… How we Laughed in Darkness‘, this collection was inspired by Vladimir Nabokov, best known as the author of Lolita, a man who was obsessed with butterflies and the transience of beauty (his famous novel was written during an annual butterfly collecting trip in the western US).

Teatum Jones AW 2013-photo by Amelia Gregory
Teatum Jones AW 2013-photo by Amelia Gregory
Teatum Jones AW 2013-photo by Amelia Gregory
Teatum Jones AW 2013-photo by Amelia Gregory
Teatum Jones A/W 2013 by Laura Hickman
Teatum Jones A/W 2013 by Laura Hickman.

Models posed nonchalantly with open books, the covers artfully attired with the dominant print of the collection: large scale painterly splashes of red, indigo and forest green on a white ground. Designers Catherine Teatum and Rob Jones are renowned for their conceptual approach to fashion, so the story of Vladimir was translated into an array of beautiful garments using the finest fabrics, each of which was chosen for its part in that tale: ‘Delicate silk chiffons, double georgette and heavy crepes provide the canvas for these romantically sinister rows of captured species doused in javelin proportioned pins.’

Teatum Jones AW 2013-photo by Amelia Gregory
Teatum Jones AW 2013-photo by Amelia Gregory
Teatum Jones AW 2013-photo by Amelia Gregory
Teatum Jones A/W 2013 by Laura Hickman
Teatum Jones A/W 2013 by Laura Hickman.

Such intense attention to detail was translated into eminently wearable garments using the finest craftsmanship. A textured leather biker jacket was swung casually over the shoulder of a softly belted silk shirt dress, a cream polka dot lace shirt was used as the delicate base for a black puff hemmed waistcoat dress in a shiny textured wool, a miniature cape in midnight blue looked demure with cream and glittery black. But it was their fabulous print, reminiscent of huge summer blooms, that really captured my attention. It came as a relaxed sporty look in a giant hole punched shirt, as a floaty skirt and as a stunning strapless maxi dress that dropped in pleats from the bust, complete with handy pockets that the model was able to flaunt as she mosied around the room. Sod the cold weather, for A/W 2013 I dare you to wear big bold painterly florals.

Teatum Jones AW 2013-photo by Amelia Gregory
Teatum Jones AW 2013-photo by Amelia Gregory
Teatum Jones AW 2013-photo by Amelia Gregory
Teatum Jones AW 2013-photo by Amelia Gregory
Teatum Jones AW 2013-photo by Amelia Gregory
Teatum Jones A/W 2013. All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Teatum Jones A/W 2013 by Cissy Hu
Teatum Jones A/W 2013 by Cissy Hu.

Categories ,A/W 2013, ,Butterflies, ,Catherine Teatum, ,Cissy Hu, ,Dorchester Hotel, ,Laura Hickman, ,liberty, ,Lolita, ,Rob Jones, ,rsa, ,Sylwia Szyszka, ,Teatum Jones, ,To My Youth… How we Laughed in Darkness, ,Vladimir Nabokov

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Amelia’s Magazine | Felder Felder: London Fashion Week S/S 2013 Catwalk Review


Felder Felder S/S 2013 by Claire Kearns

So it’s bloody fashion week again! Comes around quickly, doesn’t it? Every six months, in fact. I hadn’t allowed myself to get too excited or stressed this time around, so when I arrived at Somerset House on Friday evening for my first show of the season – Felder Felder – I was hoping they could whip me up in to a fashion frenzy. I decided to go and register first, quickly filing past streetstyle snappers taking pictures of other streetstyle snappers with birds in their hair and toilet seats around their necks. As I registered I recognised the dulcet tones of an Essex girl and glanced over noticing it was Lydia from TOWIE, a somewhat fashion week darling these days. I love Lyds and she looked gorgeous, but I couldn’t help noticing that her stylist had been a bit over-zealous with the eyebrow tweezers. I’m sorry I don’t have a picture but if you Google her no doubt you’ll see what I mean.


Felder Felder S/S 2013 by Janneke de Jong

I made my way to the big top tent in the centre of the courtyard and was totally surprised by how well organised it was. ‘Have I stepped in to a parallel universe?’ I thought to myself as I surveyed the calm, atmospheric room with people glugging Baileys cocktails and air kissing. Queuing was a breeze, free of shouting and angst, and all I could do was hope that the rest of the week would pan out like this.

At the catwalk, it was a similarly calm affair. That was until that lunatic Nancy Dell’Olio arrived and the photographers started to mount each other just to get a shot of her. God knows what it would be like if somebody more famous than Nancy Del’Olio arrived – you know, like a Paralympian perhaps, or that pup that won Britain’s Got Talent. They’d go wild.


Kate Nash. All photography by Matt Bramford

The lights fell and out came a grungy-looking creature who stood on a box and started singing. I had absolutely no idea, until my pal The London Lip Gloss told me after the show, that this was Kate Nash. I made a mental note to start reading show notes. No longer the red-haired, over annunciating Cockney, Kate Nash has been transformed in to a slightly gothic gal with the help of a different stylist and a bottle of hair dye. She can’t half belt out a tune though and, looking back, I think this new style really suits her.

It didn’t take long for Felder Felder‘s S/S 2013 outing to reignite that fire in my belly. With Kate Nash‘s vocals as the soundtrack, models began to appear in what has now become the Felder sisters’ trademark – floaty frocks and gorgeous digital prints worn by powerful females.


Felder Felder by Janneke de Jong.

Digital leopard print came first on said floaty frocks in pastel colours, on a-line numbers and then those with long trains that Felder Felder do so well. This was then traded for a grungier butterfly pattern in dark blues on tailored jackets and pants.

Next we saw translucent pastel blue blouses and an ethereal floor-sweeping dress in the same colour.

My favourites were th 1950s-esque swimwear pieces, some with ruffles on knickers and others covering entire swimming-costume shapes. A ruffled skirt with sweetheart neckline top had the crowd clapping with glee.

The final, show-stopping piece featured all of the above: that floating hemline, the ruffles around the waist, the pastel palette, this time in a cloudy orange, daringly split up both thighs.

It was a collection of grown-up elegance while still having that rock n’ roll attitude the Felder sisters are famous for.

Categories ,Baileys, ,BFC, ,Butterflies, ,catwalk, ,Catwalk Space, ,Clare Kearns, ,Digital Prints, ,fashion, ,Felder Felder, ,Janneke de Jong, ,Kate Nash, ,London Fashion Week, ,Lydia Bright, ,Matt Bramford, ,review, ,Ruffles, ,S/S 2013, ,Somerset House, ,SS13, ,TOWIE, ,Womenswear

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Amelia’s Magazine | By Stamo: a taster interview with ethical fashion designer Elisabeth Stamo

Beautiful Soul A/W 2010 by Zarina Liew
You started out as an insurance broker so you’ve have had an unconventional career so far. Why and how did you become a fashion designer?
As a young girl, see I wanted to be a fashion designer, but life has its twists and turns and I found myself caught up in the rat race for eleven years. I lacked passion for my work but I didn’t know how I would cope without my luxuries and the next pay rise. Then I had the opportunity to backpack around the world for six months with my best friend and for the first time in my adult life I realised that I could live on a budget. I started to see life in a different light, with endless opportunities. Whilst in Tokyo, something happened to me: I was surrounded by the most amazing boutiques and I was like a child in a sweet shop. Mesmerised. Excited. Totally inspired. I realised that I needed to make radical changes to my lifestyle in order to make my dreams a reality and I haven’t looked back since. I graduated from the London College of Fashion with a BA(Hons) in Fashion, Design and Technology in 2008. During my final year, I was involved in a project based around ‘saving the earth’. I was hooked. Fashion with a TRUE meaning, for me, is the only way, and my ethos helps me to focus and push forward.

Why did you decide to specialise in creating adjustable garments?
I set out to create timeless designs that will be favoured pieces in the wardrobe for a lifetime and multi-functionality renders a garment timeless, as it can be worn to suit different moods and seasons. A woman’s curves change regularly and it’s frustrating when a zip or button will not close. I therefore avoid using conventional fastening in my designs and instead explore alternative methods. I love to experiment and delve below the surface of fashion, discovering new ways to incorporate responsibility through use of distinctive materials and design innovation.

What does your zero waste policy mean in practicality?
I am extremely fond of fabric and I hate to see it go to waste! I upcycle vintage kimonos to create new garments that hold a greater value; when I dismantle a kimono I am left with very limited panels of fabric, only 38cm wide. It’s important that I work with these restrictions and nurture an understanding of the fabric availability. Any leftover fabric will be placed aside and then revisited the following season, where I set myself the challenge of designing a new piece based on the leftovers. I have just designed Beautiful Soul’s third collection, S/S 2011’s Believe, and the leftover fabrics have been transformed into a range of unique corsets and shoulders pads in our menswear jackets. Material remnants feature as fastenings and embellishments, adhering to the policy of zero waste whereby every last thread of fabric is used in the creative process.

Read the rest of this interview and see more illustrations of Beautiful Soul’s clothing in Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration, alongside interviews with 44 other ethical fashion designers and 30 fabulous fashion illustrators. You can buy the book here.
ZarinaLiew_BeautifulSoul_FW10
Beautiful Soul A/W 2010 by Zarina Liew.

You started out as an insurance broker so you’ve have had an unconventional career so far. Why and how did you become a fashion designer?
As a young girl, buy more about I wanted to be a fashion designer, more about but life has its twists and turns and I found myself caught up in the rat race for eleven years. I lacked passion for my work but I didn’t know how I would cope without my luxuries and the next pay rise. Then I had the opportunity to backpack around the world for six months with my best friend and for the first time in my adult life I realised that I could live on a budget. I started to see life in a different light, with endless opportunities. Whilst in Tokyo, something happened to me: I was surrounded by the most amazing boutiques and I was like a child in a sweet shop. Mesmerised. Excited. Totally inspired. I realised that I needed to make radical changes to my lifestyle in order to make my dreams a reality and I haven’t looked back since. I graduated from the London College of Fashion with a BA(Hons) in Fashion, Design and Technology in 2008. During my final year, I was involved in a project based around ‘saving the earth’. I was hooked. Fashion with a TRUE meaning, for me, is the only way, and my ethos helps me to focus and push forward.

Beautiful Soul A/W 2010 by Zarina Liew
Beautiful Soul by Zarina Liew

Why did you decide to specialise in creating adjustable garments?
I set out to create timeless designs that will be favoured pieces in the wardrobe for a lifetime and multi-functionality renders a garment timeless, as it can be worn to suit different moods and seasons. A woman’s curves change regularly and it’s frustrating when a zip or button will not close. I therefore avoid using conventional fastening in my designs and instead explore alternative methods. I love to experiment and delve below the surface of fashion, discovering new ways to incorporate responsibility through use of distinctive materials and design innovation.

What does your zero waste policy mean in practicality?
I am extremely fond of fabric and I hate to see it go to waste! I upcycle vintage kimonos to create new garments that hold a greater value; when I dismantle a kimono I am left with very limited panels of fabric, only 38cm wide. It’s important that I work with these restrictions and nurture an understanding of the fabric availability. Any leftover fabric will be placed aside and then revisited the following season, where I set myself the challenge of designing a new piece based on the leftovers. I have just designed Beautiful Soul’s third collection, S/S 2011’s Believe, and the leftover fabrics have been transformed into a range of unique corsets and shoulders pads in our menswear jackets. Material remnants feature as fastenings and embellishments, adhering to the policy of zero waste whereby every last thread of fabric is used in the creative process….


Beautiful Soul SS:11 Believe was created with Zarina Liew after she made contact with Nicola Woods to complete her submission to be in Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration. Music was provided by Amelia’s Magazine favourite Gabby Young and Other Animals.

Read the rest of this interview and see more illustrations of Beautiful Soul’s clothing in Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration, alongside interviews with 44 other ethical fashion designers and 30 fabulous fashion illustrators. You can buy the book here.
AmyMartino_AndrewCrews_HorsPiste
The Andrea Crews Hors Pistes collection by Amy Martino.

Maroussia Rebecq arrived in Paris in 2002. Deciding that she did not want to work alone she created a fictional character, this web Andrea Crews, viagra sale around which she began to build a network of accomplices. Maroussia may be the founder and director but Andrea Crews is a project in which many others take part. Andrea Crews is an avant-garde movement based on a sustainable aesthetic, viagra order communicating creative ideas via ethical means. The latest collection is described as “a galactic warrior on a sunset ride”.

The Andrea Crews Hors Pistes collection by Amy Martino
The Andrea Crews Hors Pistes collection by Amy Martino.

The average Andrea Crews customer is “good looking and open minded with good style, aged anything from 7 to 77 years old.” The antithesis of sleek French fashion, Andrea Crews revels in the juncture of performance art and fashion, playfully recycling unwanted clothing. The crew sorts through old clothes, hunting out the boldest colours and best quality materials. Styles are combined to create “fresh, sexy, unisex, colourful, graphic, funky” outfits, which take shape as they grow. Andrea Crews collections are always accompanied by a big performance and lots of partying – “we work hard, we party hard” – collaborating with other experimental contemporaries on the cultural scene: artists, stylists, video directors and DJs, not to mention musicians. They have dressed Santigold, Metronomy and Yelle

Read the rest of this interview and see more illustrations of Andrea Crew’s clothing in Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration, alongside interviews with 44 other ethical fashion designers and 30 fabulous fashion illustrators. You can buy the book here.
Krister Selin By Stamo S-S 2011
By Stamo S/S 2011 by Krister Selin.

Where and how were you trained in fashion design?
In Greece I studied hand weaving and embroideries at institutions and museums and with local people so that I could learn about traditional techniques. Then I trained at the London College of Fashion and I have also studied shoes, what is ed millinery and textile design for print. Besides having my own brand, more about I also consult and train on the technical side of fashion; pattern-cutting, garment technology and quality control. I recently set up Ecoluxe with fellow ethical designer Elena Garcia to promote eco-luxury as a lifestyle choice. I am also working on a Masters in Business Administration with the University of Liverpool. I study all the time to keep my mind ticking over.

By Stamo S/S 2010 by Antonia Parker
By Stamo S/S 2010 by Antonia Parker.

How do you determine what is ethical in fashion design?
The work ethical comes from the ancient Greek word ethos, which means a combination of honesty, justice and sincerity. According to Aristotle, these moral characteristics were an important aspect of everyday life. My brand practices ethos by using local resources where possible, working with and within the community, developing people skills to create sustainable hand crafted products. For my diffusion line I also source vintage fabrics from redundant stock or end of rolls from warehouses all over Europe – or whichever part of the world I happen to be visiting…

Read the rest of this interview and see more illustrations of By Stamo’s clothing in Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration, alongside interviews with 44 other ethical fashion designers and 30 fabulous fashion illustrators. You can buy the book here.

Categories ,Antonia Parker, ,Aristotle, ,By Stamo, ,Elena Garcia, ,Elisabeth Stamo, ,Ethical Fashion, ,Ethos, ,Greece, ,Krister Selin, ,London College of Fashion, ,University of Liverpool

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Amelia’s Magazine | London Art Fair 2012 Review: Part One

London Art Fair 2012 -Andrea Mastrovito
London Art Fair 2012. Detail of Andrea Mastrovito‘s Gulliver’s Travels.

You may remember from my previous blog that the launch of The Catlin Guide for the best graduate artists took place at the London Art Fair last week. I popped along to the Islington Business Design Centre to check out the completed guide, suss out which galleries are showcasing the best new talent, and find out what trends are hot in the art world right now.

London Art Fair 2012 -Annie Whiles, detailAnnie Whiles, detail.

First up at Danielle Arnaud I loved work by Annie Whiles, using simple line to create iconic shapes.

London Art Fair 2012 -Simon Lewty, detail
Simon Lewty, detail.

Simon Lewty for Art First showed amazing inked drawings: it’s well worth checking out the rest of his work.

London Art Fair 2012 -Annie Morris, detail
Annie Morris, detail.

At Pertwee, Anderson & Gold, the first in a common theme was evident, rows of stuff: in this case hundreds of pegs, each decorated with a crudely drawn female figure. This Peg Piece was created by artist Annie Morris, who rose to fame after illustrating the children’s book The Man With the Dancing Eyes by Sophie Dahl.

Andrea mastrovito Foley Gallery
London Art Fair 2012 -Andrea Mastrovito, detail
Andrea Mastrovito, detail.

At Foley Gallery Andrea Mastrovito used intricate collaged paper for the Gulliver’s Travels series, which imagines a brightly coloured world of little people and puppet hands.

justine smith the-british-isles
Diamond dust is hot news for use in prints, favoured by the likes of Damian Hirst, Peter Blake, and Justine Smith at TAG Fine Arts. Her lovely limited edition print of a bank note British Isles features oodles of the stuff. Common glitter was also a favourite enhancement for many artists.

claire brewster flyingfinch
London Art Fair 2012 -Claire Brewster
London Art Fair 2012 -Claire Brewster
Also at TAG I loved the work of Claire Brewster. The Harbingers featured exquisitely cut and mounted birds, created from old maps: Maps are another massive trend, reworked into any manner of different outcomes. Good to see so much upcycling!

Tobias Till Picadilly tag arts
Tobias Till showed a fabulous set of prints – the London A-Z, available as a boxed set and selling very well if the red dots were anything to go by.

Witness - Detail Rachel Shaw Ashton
Witness – Detail, by Rachel Shaw Ashton.

Of course TAG also host the work of Rob Ryan (read a review of his TAG art exhibition in 2010 here). More beautiful papercutting (still a massive trend) came from Rachel Shaw Ashton, showing with JaggedArt. She layers paper with pins to create simple shapes in pure white to great affect.

London Art Fair 2012 -tracey bush
I was also drawn to the 3D sculpture by Tracey Bush. Little Clod of Earth is a clump of wild plants made from the dog ends of paper packaging – oddly beautiful and strange.

London Art Fair 2012 -francesca prieto
JaggedArt also hosts the work of Francisca Prieto, who once more works with old atlases and maps to create beautiful 3D repetitive works of art. We wrote about her recent exhibition Unbound.

London Art Fair 2012 -Charles Fazzino
London Art Fair 2012 -London Art Fair 2012 -Charles Fazzino
USA based artist Charles Fazzino creates astonishing scenes with layers of paper. He calls it 3D pop art; showing with Galerie Olivier Waltman from Paris.

London Art Fair 2012 -derrick santini
On a completely different tangent I was surprised to see the work of fashion photographer Derrick Santini, who showed lenticular artwork with Scream. Forget those cheesy Jesus postcards, these artworks feature an astonishing amount of different angles. I can see city types absolutely loving one of these on their penthouse apartment walls!

London Art Fair 2012 -karen nicol
Russian_Bear_by_Karen_Nicol
Russian Bear by Karen Nicol.

The Rebecca Hossack gallery always hosts interesting craft based artworks: Karen Nicol‘s Thread Bear utilised a vintage piece of French needlepoint as the basis, into which pieces have been embroidered and appliqued. I have a bad photo so here’s another similar piece.

London Art Fair 2012 -rebecca coles
Rebecca Coles also shows with Rebecca Hossack – you can read our extensive interview with this paper artist who specialises in butterflies here.

London Art Fair 2012 -simone lia
London Art Fair 2012 -simone lia
Rounding a corner I was pleased to see a wall of artwork by Simone Lia, who sells prints with Jealous Gallery. Her infamous Hello Sausage Hello Chicken has just been reissued in a new colour range. The gallery are also the purveyors of the prints from the Ghosts of Gone Birds exhibition, including the fab Ralph Steadman birds (read my review here).

More coming up shortly… don’t go away! *here’s part two of my review*

Categories ,2012, ,Anderson & Gold, ,Andrea Mastrovito, ,Annie Morris, ,Annie Whiles, ,art, ,Art First, ,Butterflies, ,Charles Fazzino, ,Claire Brewster, ,collage, ,craft, ,Damian Hirst, ,Danielle Arnaud, ,Derrick Santini, ,Foley Gallery, ,Francisca Prieto, ,Galerie Olivier Waltman, ,Ghosts of Gone Birds, ,Gulliver’s Travels, ,Hello Sausage Hello Chicken, ,Islington Business Centre, ,JaggedArt, ,Jealous Gallery, ,Justine Smith, ,Karen Nicol, ,Lenticular, ,Little Clod of Earth, ,London A-Z, ,London Art Fair, ,maps, ,Papercutting, ,Pegs, ,Pertwee, ,Peter Blake, ,prints, ,Rachel Shaw Ashton, ,Ralph Steadman, ,Rebecca Hossack Gallery, ,Rebecca J Coles, ,review, ,Rob Ryan TAG fine arts, ,Scream, ,Simon Lewty, ,Simone Lia, ,Sophie Dahl, ,textile, ,The Catlin Guide, ,The Harbingers, ,Thread Bear, ,Tobias Till, ,Tracey Bush, ,Unbound, ,Upcycling

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Amelia’s Magazine | An interview with paper artist Rebecca J Coles

Rebecca J Coles

All photos provided courtesy of Rebecca J Coles

Where did you grow up, and are there aspects of your childhood which you see as being influential on your work?
I was born in Bath, we moved to Yorkshire a few years later until I was ten, and then returned to Wiltshire which is where I grew up. The only aspect from my childhood which I can see as being influential to my work is that I was always creative as a child. My mother was an infant school teacher and very artistic, so it was natural to be making something whether it was a den in the garden or cutting out paper and making collages.

Rebecca J Coles
You now live in Frome, Somerset – what is it like to be living and working as an artist there?
Frome is a wonderful town, and is quite the creative hub. There are artists of all disciplines, musicians and writers who live here, and we are lucky enough to have two theatres, the Black Swan Arts and Rook Lane Arts, both of which continually host new exhibitions, the artisan market that is held monthly, along with independent boutique shops which all make the town quite special, encouraging a genuine interest in the artistic field.

Rebecca J Coles
With a Masters in Constructed Textiles from the Royal College of Art, London and a specialisation in woven textiles, how did your studies inform your later work?
In response to my current work, a friend from the Royal College of Art said ‘well that makes sense‘. Referring to the comparison in that my work is still labour intensive and repetitive. As a weaver, threading the loom was a process you either enjoyed or hated. I loved the process. It was somewhat therapeutic, even though viewed as tedious, and that repetitive notion is ever apparent in my current paper art… cutting out hundreds, if not thousands of butterflies, then pinning them, then positioning them onto their specific heights on the pins, and then positioning them on the board where they will stay.

Rebecca J Coles
How would you describe what you do as an artist?
I’m an artist who creates paper assemblages which are encased in box frames. I focus on the reinvention of entomological cataloguing, display and the play of shapes.

Rebecca J Coles
Previously, you have mentioned your fascination with the process by which three-dimensional forms materialise from flat sheets of paper – can you tell us more about this transformation? And how did you decide on paper as your medium of choice?
Using paper was such an intuitive decision. It is such a malleable medium, and the childhood practice of folding a piece of paper in half and cutting out a butterfly to show symmetry seemed apt when experimenting for my current work. I used to cut out sections of my sketch books at college, and became interested in seeing how you, as the viewer, can be made to observe something that’s not actually there, or focusing on a small section of the overall image which becomes a different when it’s dissected. Using pages from magazines became quite integral to my work….

Rebecca J Coles
Tell us about the process of creating your pieces, are they carefully planned with distinct stages, or do they come together organically?
It depends! Some are very much planned from the colour palette, size and shape, and the end result depicts the original idea. Others are organic. Most start with a colour story….I collect the paper to be used, and then start cutting out the butterflies. I then decide whether I think the butterflies should be positioned on the base, or at the top of the pins, and then I start to build the piece. If I am creating a series of work, such as Stamps’, because they require butterflies of all shapes and sizes, I may spend a week solely cutting them out, to then create the pieces later.

Rebecca J Coles
Butterflies feature across the art of many cultures – how did you come to choose them as one of the focuses of your work, what do they symbolise for you?
I’m afraid they don’t symbolise anything for me apart from being a beautiful silhouette to work with. I used to work in a boutique that sold feathered butterfly garlands, so when I started to cut out paper, I started cutting out an incredibly naive butterfly silhouette… and when I returned to this idea, I started to focus on their true shape.

Rebecca J Coles
Your pieces are obviously delicate, involving a great deal of repetition and close attention to detail – what are the challenges associated with this, and how do you manage?
I once suffered with RSI (repetitive strain injury) which made me realise that I must alternate my work and that I can’t cut out all the time for long periods of time. I just alternate the processes of my work now.

Rebecca J Coles
Are there any particular artists whose work you admire or turn to for inspiration?
Artists I admire would include Wycliffe Stutchbury and Helen Beard. I wish I had her illustrative skills…..

You have exhibited extensively throughout the UK over the past year. How did you begin exhibiting your work and what have been some of the highlights?
I approached a gallery in Bath who accepted my work, and have continued to showcase my art since. I then exhibited at Origin (the Contemporary Craft Fair in London) last year which led a lot of galleries approaching me. I was fortunate enough to have the London gallery, Mark Jason, select some of my work to take to the art fairs, which has been great.

Rebecca J Coles
Do you have a particular goal or hope for the pieces you produce?
My only goal is to continue selling my work, and that I continue to push forward my ideas. I hope to work on a much larger scale whether it be framed pieces or an installation piece.

Are you able to share with us any plans for 2012?
I am hoping to exhibit in Australia earlier this year, which would be a great opportunity to showcase my work internationally…. and I do have several ideas for new work….so watch this space….

Visit Rebecca’s website www.rebeccajcoles.co.uk for further details.

Categories ,Bath, ,Black Swan Arts, ,Butterflies, ,Contemporary Craft Fair, ,Frome, ,Helen Beard, ,interview, ,Mark Jason, ,Paper Art, ,Rook Lane Arts, ,Royal College of Art, ,Wiltshire, ,Wycliffe Stutchbury, ,Yorkshire

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