It’s funny how being a new parent suddenly changes what you see: I didn’t see any baby related design at last year’s show, and yet this was all I could see of the product design at New Designers 2012 part two.
At UWE Emma Doran‘s Co-See considered all the important design issues for a new mum and I for one would certainly have loved to test her dual action cot and carry cot, which enables easy co-sleeping by attaching to the side of the bed with a drop down side. Instead I spent those difficult early days hoiking Snarfle in and out of a Moses basket on the floor when he needed to feed during the night, all the time cussing and cursing because my Caesarean section hurt so much. Now he just stays in bed with me. The Co-See was designed in collaboration with The Gro Company, and won a prestigious design award: not hard to see why! Not only is keeping baby close great for bonding between child and mother, but it also far reduces the likelihood of cot death (now known as SIDS).
I am planning to do baby-led weaning when the time comes – offering Snarfle small steamed morsels to hold and learn to eat rather than pureeing food – but the design of Marcus Broughton‘s on the go Squeasy weaning pouches were rather delightful. He calls himself a Humanistic Industrial Designer.
Before designing his Wholemilk storage system Ralph Edwards conducted some spot on research that identified a need to make it easier to express and store breast milk, enabling fathers to take a bigger role in feeding young babies. You can read about the process on his brilliant website diary here.
At Birmingham City University Jordan Brocklehurst had created a set of Penguin Play Safety Reins, which include an inflatable harness that ensures safety near water.
I loved these designs by Zoe Tynan-Campbell on the 3D Design course at Camberwell College of Arts. Her Stumped Studio makes gorgeous wooden interior accessories and toys.
From Ravensbourne product designer Jack Hadlum had come up with the concept of Potions – ‘making mealtime magic‘ – the idea being to inspire fussy eaters to flavour their own food in a creative way with 100% natural ingredients. Fun shaped bottles contained savoury popping candy, sprayable jam and a magic colour changing milk. I can see even the fussiest eater enjoying these! He is also involved in a project called Wood Be Waste with the motto ‘do not recycle a material that can be reused‘ that has produced some lovely desk top products.
At Coventry University the Bumble range by Nicola Danks ‘addresses the limitations of current child transport products‘. Most pushchairs are so low slung they only afford the wee mite a view of legs and feet; she describes how it’s important for children to be raised to eye level so they can engage more with their caregiver. I have seen some very high rise prams, but Snarfle would far prefer to watch the world go by from chest height in a sling. Nicola’s transport system integrates a carrier, making it easy to transition between different modes of child transport – another brilliant idea.
Most of the industrial designers at Coventry fixated on cars (so not my thing) but I liked these bamboo animals by Catalin-Andrei Edu, which are made using sustainable processes.
Jose Oliviera‘s Natures Best cot was inspired by cork production in his home country of Portugal. I love those gorgeous organic curves with a built in mobile, it puts my ancient Moses basket to shame. Jose used cork in its design not only for reasons of sustainability but also because it has qualities incomparable with any other material: it’s light weight, impermeable to liquid, acts as an excellent thermal and acoustic insulator and is resistant to abrasions because of it’s elasticity. I’d love to put my baby to sleep in this cot, but I fear he’s getting too big already.
I have mixed feelings about the quantity of stuff available for babies: when I was little there was hardly anything required to raise a child, and yet now we are drowning in ‘must have’ products. Some have undoubtedly made life easier, but I’m sure we could do without many of the items dubbed ‘mechanical mummies’ and whose production places such a burden on the environment. I am lucky to have been given so many hand me downs and we are frugal in acquiring new stuff when needed, but it’s good to see so many graduates considering both the ecological and inter-relationship implications in their clever new designs.
Written by Amelia Gregory on Monday July 23rd, 2012 8:47 pm
To round off my coverage of New Designers I’m going to introduce my random top selections from the product design colleges, as well as some stray surface design and some ace work from the One Year On room. Firstly, Lizzy Roberts at Camberwell College of Art was inspired by ways in which lives can be improved. She calls these curious objects Theraputty, and they are designed for use in Occupational Therapy to help those with poor dexterity to improve strength.
I like the concept of a Pocket Shelf, by Liv Stevens – store all your unsightly stuff and save the surface for cherished objects.
It seems odd that Cardiff School of Art and Design chose to show work by their surface pattern designers at part two of New Designers, but they must have had their reasons. Tucked away at the back of a room full of architectural models I discovered some lovely displays. Rosie Holman used a mid century colour palette to hand stamp a mix of organic designs inspired by the Pitt Rivers museum in Oxford.
I loved Louise Webber‘s laser cut wood inlays featuring animals and plant life, but sadly you’ll have to make do with one slightly out of focus photo, as I can’t find her work anywhere online.
Joanne King was inspired by the Art Deco period in her creation of fabrics and wallpaper in a variety of textures, including silks and rich velvet. She envisages these designs in commercial interiors such as hotels and bars.
These decorative lampshades are by Josie Shenoy, who applies her delicate mirrored illustrations to a host of interiors and stationary products.
I spotted this print of a hedgehog mowing the lawn by Katherina Manolessou at the AOI stand; it was created as part of a project called Baker’s Dozen.
I’m not one to obsess over the small aspects of kitchenware design, but I can’t resist this exploration of pot handles by Aidan Blaik at Edinburgh Napier.
And I love these recycled glass lights from Brenda Curry at Birmingham City University.
This patchwork quilt comes with an integrated app to help children in hospital, by Joshua Barnes of Brighton University.
Also at Brighton, product designer Eloisa Henderson-Figueroa had created an intriguing steel tree with magnetic balls, to be added and removed with children to initiate conversation.
And finally, to round off my reviews of the 2013 New Designers shows, these pretty patterned ceramics by Alex Allday at Loughborough University are clearly inspired by the intricate designs of plant cells.
Here’s hoping many of the designers that I have discovered go on to long and illustrious creative careers!
Written by Amelia Gregory on Monday July 29th, 2013 6:40 pm
In the upstairs section of the Embankment Galleries at Pick Me Up are housed a plethora of hand-picked collectives, some of which have had a presence in previous years, some of which are new for 2013. The section begins with a superb display by Day Job, a collaboration between ten recent Camberwell graduates who share a studio in Peckham, South London, some of whom I recognised.
Charlotte Mei‘s idiosyncratic pottery was a stand out feature at her graduate show: for Pick Me Up she has created a whole fleet of cars, characterful naked ladies in contorted positions, a pizza with strange toppings and a host of other animals. Brilliant stuff!
I loved all of the prints by Charlene Man, and I was also tempted by her pastel painted wooden blocks for Snarfle, but feared he might chew the patterns off.
Human After All is the latest brainwave from Danny Miller and friends. As promotion for their newly launched creative agency they are hosting a space where you can construct your own #facestamp, to be applied to a t-shirt, with eye-catching results.
Zombie Collective is five illustrators: their interactive cog machine is a splendid addition to the gallery, spitting out gifts for lucky punters. Maggie Li‘s beautiful house print really caught my eye, as did this politely sleeping fox by Frann Preston-Gannon. Also for sale, some sweet acrylic treats.
Print Club London are hosting the main room with a chance to help create a ‘living wallpaper’ drawn by the likes of Fred Butler and Margot Bowman. It looks like the just the place to hang out with the kids: give Snarfle a few years and we’ll be there!
Columbia Road‘s Nelly Duff gallery have created perhaps the most spectacular room, where artworks and specially commissioned wall decals on a ‘flower show’ theme combine to stunning effect. Of particular note: Dan Hillier‘s foil blocked lady, curlicued skulls courtesy of Sweet Toof, and a skull print by Various and Gould (seen above in situ on a doorway just off Brick Lane).
Back for a second year running Soma Gallery are showcasing a wide selection of prints by long running collaborators such as Peskimo and Tom Frost, as well as newbies such as Telegramme Studio and Hazel Nicholls. I particularly loved these 3D wooden gum ball artworks by Peskimo.
Unlimited Collective is a print company based in Brighton. Taking pride of place in their busy space is a huge yellow tattooed man, complete with hipster moustache. All over tattoos continue to be the badge of the uber cool, but if you’re too chicken to go the whole hog yourself then artwork by El Famoso might be just the ticket instead.
I was so taken by a black bear on a tiny tricycle by Jessie Ford that I bought one on a whim – it will go up in Snarfle‘s room: something more to growl at.
Handsome Frank is an illustration agency that has done a great job of snapping up brilliant up and coming illustrators, including many that have featured in these pages (Lesley Barnes, Tim McDonagh, Sarah Maycock). Some of my favourite works on display at their interactive stand include a stunning paper gatehouse by Helen Musselwhite, a curious character by Emily Robertson, sleeping log gremlins by Matt Saunders and a wonderful knight on a horse by Lesley Barnes.
Making stuff for oneself is the bedrock of the crafting scene so of course there were quite a few workshops ongoing when I visited the Renegade Craft Fair. The Stitch and Make studio were on hand to offer advice and The Make Lounge were teaching people to make miniature wool foxes.
Kim Smith runs Art Equals Happy, decease which was a beautifully laid out stall of woollen goodies, at the front of which she sat spinning on a big old fashioned wheel. Her blog makes for extremely interesting reading. On it I discovered that she’s big on sustainability, recycling card and paper to create her envelopes. I was even more intrigued to discover that Kim is currently on the BA in illustration at Camberwell – what an inspiring lady.
I loved the flock of sheep designs by Kingston University graduate Mary Kilvert, especially on cushions.
Perfect for kids, Diane Koss had a stall groaning under the weight of her colourful plush toys: think furry one eyed monsters with huge horns.
There were some cute felted animals for sale by Gluckskafer on the Selvedge magazine stall – though I can’t seem to locate them online anywhere. Sorry!
I was most impressed with the bold screenprinted designs of Robin & Mould who are based in rural Wiltshire. Their tea cosies, tea towels and cushions were emblazoned with gorgeous animal inspired graphics.
My final review of the graduate illustrations shows is for Rock Paper Scissors, the stand alone show of Camberwell College of Art students held at Hoxton Arches last week. Lovely loose painterly pieces (above) from Anna Skeels were inspired by a Tove Jannson short story called The Woman Who Borrowed Memories.
This strange animal is by Joseph Killick, for a project based on the John Tradescants, Lambeth collectors of rare oddities.
Percie Edgeler made abstract collaged patterns to go with a zine project.
I absolutely loved this decorative ‘Story Screen‘ by Katt Hardy, who applies her illustrative skills to interior design.
This crop is part of a vast tableaux featuring life in Croydon and Penge, an astonishing and oddly beautiful work by Alex Gamsu Jenkins, whose work I would love to see submitted for my brand new colouring book open brief.
Nana Takeuchi presented beautifully drawn tribal costumes and pot creatures.
Finally, these Jurassic era papermâché dinosaurs in neon colours by Hayley Ford attracted loads of likes when I posted them on instagram. What fun!
All of these images first appeared on my own my instagram feed: follow me there to catch my discoveries as I make them!
Written by Amelia Gregory on Wednesday July 22nd, 2015 5:14 pm
Soju Tanaka
As soon as I entered the exhibition I was drawn towards the delicate artwork of Soju Tanaka, which featured lots of strange little creatures cavorting around in trees, or climbing on clouds. Her website is full of slightly blander digital artwork – she should stick to this style IMO. I hope Soju is a she…
Polly Philp
In a darkened room behind curtains Polly Philp showed her colour saturated film The Caretaker – a right old romp through all things currently trendy. A mystical looking gentleman with a long beard walks through a cave of stalactites. Encounters all sorts of ethnic and occult objects. Smokes a skull pipe. Finds an eyeball in his mouth. Gazes into a candlelit mirror. Eats an egg. I’ve no idea what the hell it all meant but it was so much fun I watched it three times. It’s a shame then that Polly’s presence on the web is near to zero. The website on her postcard doesn’t work, her blog is set to private (like, duh) and her flickr account tells me very little, apart from she is quite odd. As if I didn’t know that already. Maaaaan, it just makes me so cross. Get online lady! Start promoting your work. Because it’s very good!
Colin Stewart
Former Amelia’s Magazine contributor Luke Best apparently teaches at Camberwell College and his cut and paste painted style has had a marked influence on some of his proteges – particularly Siobhan Sullivan and Colin Stewart, the latter of whom has done some wonderful work for this very website – you can see his pictures of Patch William in my blog about Glastonbury this year.
Miriam Elgon Miriam Elgon has produced some of the most individual work I’ve seen from any recent illustrator – her scratchy overlays creating a rich narrative tapestry that calls to mind the work of impressionist painters. But she has no website. Why oh why oh why?
Ella Plevin Ella Plevin was one of my very favourite Camberwell illustration degree graduates. Her gorgeous combinations of pastel colour-filled line drawing and photocopied montages look deceptively simple and work brilliantly. Plus she has a fabulous and comprehensive website up and running, as all graduates should. Go take a look…
Vitalism by Ella Plevin.
Harriet Wakeling Harriet Wakeling showed a beautiful shell trailer attached to a bike. Some of the work in this show was really pushing the boundaries of what defines illustration and this was mos def one of them. I’m not sure this has anything to do with illustration, but I love all things bike-inspired, so can I have one please?
Kai Chan Kai Chan contributed one of her colourful intricate illustrations to the last ever print issue of Amelia’s Magazine, and it’s good to see her very distinct style has developed into something really wonderful. Here’s a detail from a long banner she had wrapped around one of the pillars.
Andy Ainger
Rounding a corner at the bottom of the stairs I encountered the work of Andy Ainger, who makes strange paper mache characters. Here The Band (a collaboration with Sean Fitzpatrick) was a collection of nearly life-size (in a munchkin vein) models in bright primary colours. A lot of fun.
Oscar Bolton Green
Despite a glaring error in the spelling of Oscar Bolton Green‘s website on the exhibition tag which meant I had to hunt him down via the Save Our Souls website despite taking thorough notes *wrings hands in despair* I loved Oscar explorations of the different types of bird beak – he’s a natural for graphic children’s book design. Lovely stuff.
Yana Elkassova Yana Elkassova is one for all those fans of old Ladybird books – a clear inspiration on this extremely talented illustrator who mixes retro hyperealism with a dash of darkness. She also had some wonderful custom made Russian dolls on show that you can view over on Matt’s blog post. And a beautiful website to boot.
Detail from Yana Elkassova’s work.
Jess Stokes
The lovely Jessica Stokes was a very able editorial intern at Amelia’s Magazine who produced some wonderful articles for us, and since then she has completed her degree, the main body of which centres around the most wonderful intricate architectural line work. She also specialises in some fabulous oddball portraiture.
I’ve rounded up the best of the rest in my next blog post so just click here to read more…
Written by Amelia Gregory on Wednesday August 4th, 2010 3:49 pm
Soju Tanaka
As soon as I entered the exhibition I was drawn towards the delicate artwork of Soju Tanaka, which featured lots of strange little creatures cavorting around in trees, or climbing on clouds. Her website is full of slightly blander digital artwork – she should stick to this style IMO. I hope Soju is a she…
Polly Philp
In a darkened room behind curtains Polly Philp showed her colour saturated film The Caretaker – a right old romp through all things currently trendy. A mystical looking gentleman with a long beard walks through a cave of stalactites. Encounters all sorts of ethnic and occult objects. Smokes a skull pipe. Finds an eyeball in his mouth. Gazes into a candlelit mirror. Eats an egg. I’ve no idea what the hell it all meant but it was so much fun I watched it three times. It’s a shame then that Polly’s presence on the web is near to zero. The website on her postcard doesn’t work, her blog is set to private (like, duh) and her flickr account tells me very little, apart from she is quite odd. As if I didn’t know that already. Maaaaan, it just makes me so cross. Get online lady! Start promoting your work. Because it’s very good!
Colin Stewart
Former Amelia’s Magazine contributor Luke Best apparently teaches at Camberwell College and his cut and paste painted style has had a marked influence on some of his proteges – particularly Siobhan Sullivan and Colin Stewart, the latter of whom has done some wonderful work for this very website – you can see his pictures of Patch William in my blog about Glastonbury this year.
Miriam Elgon Miriam Elgon has produced some of the most individual work I’ve seen from any recent illustrator – her scratchy overlays creating a rich narrative tapestry that calls to mind the work of impressionist painters. But she has no website. Why oh why oh why?
Ella Plevin Ella Plevin was one of my very favourite Camberwell illustration degree graduates. Her gorgeous combinations of pastel colour-filled line drawing and photocopied montages look deceptively simple and work brilliantly. Plus she has a fabulous and comprehensive website up and running, as all graduates should. Go take a look…
Vitalism by Ella Plevin.
Harriet Wakeling Harriet Wakeling showed a beautiful shell trailer attached to a bike. Some of the work in this show was really pushing the boundaries of what defines illustration and this was mos def one of them. I’m not sure this has anything to do with illustration, but I love all things bike-inspired, so can I have one please?
Kai Chan Kai Chan contributed one of her colourful intricate illustrations to the last ever print issue of Amelia’s Magazine, and it’s good to see her very distinct style has developed into something really wonderful. Here’s a detail from a long banner she had wrapped around one of the pillars.
Andy Ainger
Rounding a corner at the bottom of the stairs I encountered the work of Andy Ainger, who makes strange paper mache characters. Here The Band (a collaboration with Sean Fitzpatrick) was a collection of nearly life-size (in a munchkin vein) models in bright primary colours. A lot of fun.
Oscar Bolton Green
Despite a glaring error in the spelling of Oscar Bolton Green’s website on the exhibition tag which meant I had to hunt him down via the Save Our Souls website despite taking thorough notes *wrings hands in despair* I loved Oscar explorations of the different types of bird beak – he’s a natural for graphic children’s book design. Lovely stuff.
Yana Elkassova Yana Elkassova is one for all those fans of old Ladybird books – a clear inspiration on this extremely talented illustrator who mixes retro hyperealism with a dash of darkness. She also had some wonderful custom made Russian dolls on show that you can view over on Matt’s blog post. And a beautiful website to boot.
Detail from Yana Elkassova’s work.
Jess Stokes
The lovely Jessica Stokes was a very able editorial intern at Amelia’s Magazine who produced some wonderful articles for us, and since then she has completed her degree, the main body of which centres around the most wonderful intricate architectural line work. She also specialises in some fabulous oddball portraiture.
I’ve rounded up the best of the rest in my next blog post so just click here to read more…
Written by Amelia Gregory on Wednesday August 4th, 2010 3:49 pm
A gourmet three course meal served up by a world class chef (Charlie Nicoll, visit webcure formerly of the River Cafe) – at a festival? You could be forgiven for thinking you’d just heard wrong. But this was exactly what I enjoyed on Friday night at the Soul Fire Restaurant at Secret Garden Party this year.
Guests were encouraged to book their place online, order and the restaurant (housed in three cosy yurts backing onto a kitchen preparation area) was busy as soon as we arrived for the first sitting at the leisurely hour of 9.30pm.
In the first yurt diners were treated to some live music, sick and out back we were seated in candlelit surroundings at a shared table, with walls decorated in contemporary art. The waiters were delightful, and from the incredibly reasonably priced £30 three course menu we were soon chomping on our starter choices of Uig Lodge Smoked Salmon Blinis with Sour Cream and Avruga Caviar, and a large portion of succulent Wild Mushroom Arancini with Rocket and Aioli.
Illustrations by Katie Harnett.
My only quibble with the menu was the lack of an obvious main vegetarian option (we had to ask for it) but in the end we all settled on the same dishes – French Freerange Guinea Fowl with Sweet Potato Dauphinoise and Greens. I am generally a vegetarian but will occasionally eat freerange and organic meat – and this just sounded too good to pass up.
“The Soul Fire menu has been deliberated over with the utmost love and attention to offer guests an exquisite choice of fine food to suit all palates,” states the press release for the restaurant, which served only ethically and locally sourced food. I can confirm that our guinea fowl was absolutely delicious, sentiments agreed on by my two dining partners as we enjoyed our meal with an accompanying bottle of wine.
For desert we chose Lemon Curd Cheesecake with Blueberry Sauce and a moistly rich Chocolate Brownie with Ice Cream, which were both superb and again arrived in very reasonably sized portions that would set us up nicely for a long night of partying.
It may seem slightly strange to chose such a fabulous dining experience at a festival, but we returned to the madness outside refreshed, relaxed and fully sated.
On our travels later we overheard a punter passing the restaurant say “Best Eggs Benedict ever” to his companion. My only disappointment was that I was unable to sample the Soul Fire brunch experience for myself – by the time we made it back to the restaurant in the mornings it was always full already. It’s funny how news of a good thing will travel so fast.
I very much look forward to news of the next Soul Fire pop up restaurant in a yurt. This idea could grow and grow…
The Soul Fire Restaurant illustrated by Kayleigh Bluck.
A gourmet three course meal served up by a world class chef (Charlie Nicoll, clinic formerly of the River Cafe) – at a festival? You could be forgiven for thinking you’d just heard wrong. But this was exactly what I enjoyed on Friday night at the Soul Fire Restaurant at Secret Garden Party this year.
Guests were encouraged to book their place online, viagra 60mg and the restaurant (housed in three cosy yurts backing onto a kitchen preparation area) was busy as soon as we arrived for the first sitting at the leisurely hour of 9.30pm.
In the first yurt diners were treated to some live music, and out back we were seated in candlelit surroundings at a shared table, with walls decorated in contemporary art. The waiters were delightful, and from the incredibly reasonably priced £30 three course menu we were soon chomping on our starter choices of Uig Lodge Smoked Salmon Blinis with Sour Cream and Avruga Caviar, and a large portion of succulent Wild Mushroom Arancini with Rocket and Aioli.
Illustrations by Katie Harnett.
My only quibble with the menu was the lack of an obvious main vegetarian option (we had to ask for it) but in the end we all settled on the same dishes – French Freerange Guinea Fowl with Sweet Potato Dauphinoise and Greens. I am generally a vegetarian but will occasionally eat freerange and organic meat – and this just sounded too good to pass up.
“The Soul Fire menu has been deliberated over with the utmost love and attention to offer guests an exquisite choice of fine food to suit all palates,” states the press release for the restaurant, which served only ethically and locally sourced food. I can confirm that our guinea fowl was absolutely delicious, sentiments agreed on by my two dining partners as we enjoyed our meal with an accompanying bottle of wine.
For desert we chose Lemon Curd Cheesecake with Blueberry Sauce and a moistly rich Chocolate Brownie with Ice Cream, which were both superb and again arrived in very reasonably sized portions that would set us up nicely for a long night of partying.
It may seem slightly strange to chose such a fabulous dining experience at a festival, but we returned to the madness outside refreshed, relaxed and fully sated.
On our travels later we overheard a punter passing the restaurant say “Best Eggs Benedict ever” to his companion. My only disappointment was that I was unable to sample the Soul Fire brunch experience for myself – by the time we made it back to the restaurant in the mornings it was always full already. It’s funny how news of a good thing will travel so fast.
I very much look forward to news of the next Soul Fire pop up restaurant in a yurt. This idea could grow and grow…
The Soul Fire Restaurant illustrated by Kayleigh Bluck.
A gourmet three course meal served up by a world class chef (Charlie Nicoll, sick formerly of the River Cafe) – at a festival? You could be forgiven for thinking you’d just heard wrong. But this was exactly what I enjoyed on Friday night at the Soul Fire Restaurant at Secret Garden Party this year.
Guests were encouraged to book their place online, mind and the restaurant (housed in three cosy yurts backing onto a kitchen preparation area) was busy as soon as we arrived for the first sitting at the leisurely hour of 9.30pm.
In the first yurt diners were treated to some live music, capsule and out back we were seated in candlelit surroundings at a shared table, with walls decorated in contemporary art. The waiters were delightful, and from the incredibly reasonably priced £30 three course menu we were soon chomping on our starter choices of Uig Lodge Smoked Salmon Blinis with Sour Cream and Avruga Caviar, and a large portion of succulent Wild Mushroom Arancini with Rocket and Aioli.
Illustrations by Katie Harnett.
My only quibble with the menu was the lack of an obvious main vegetarian option (we had to ask for it) but in the end we all settled on the same dishes – French Freerange Guinea Fowl with Sweet Potato Dauphinoise and Greens. I am generally a vegetarian but will occasionally eat freerange and organic meat – and this just sounded too good to pass up.
“The Soul Fire menu has been deliberated over with the utmost love and attention to offer guests an exquisite choice of fine food to suit all palates,” states the press release for the restaurant, which served only ethically and locally sourced food. I can confirm that our guinea fowl was absolutely delicious, sentiments agreed on by my two dining partners as we enjoyed our meal with an accompanying bottle of wine.
For desert we chose Lemon Curd Cheesecake with Blueberry Sauce and a moistly rich Chocolate Brownie with Ice Cream, which were both superb and again arrived in very reasonably sized portions that would set us up nicely for a long night of partying.
It may seem slightly strange to choose such a fabulous dining experience at a festival, but we returned to the madness outside refreshed, relaxed and fully sated.
On our travels later we overheard a punter passing the restaurant say “Best Eggs Benedict ever” to his companion. My only disappointment was that I was unable to sample the Soul Fire brunch experience for myself – by the time we made it back to the restaurant in the mornings it was always full already. It’s funny how news of a good thing will travel so fast.
I very much look forward to news of the next Soul Fire pop up restaurant in a yurt. This idea could grow and grow…
Hay bales for seating in the Collosillyum area. Photography by Amelia Gregory.
If Latitude is a well planned amble between the South Bank, view ICA, viagra order Royal Opera House and Somerset House with added sheep, then Secret Garden Party is the biggest most eccentric three day party in the grounds of a country mansion you could never dream of. Two more diverse festivals you could not imagine.
The Party Blimp – accessible only by boat.
Music is just one of the elements that make up the Secret Garden Party experience, surely the only festival where the main acts are liable to be upstaged by a death-defying wheelchair race or a mud wrestling fight. Because the stages are not the central focus there is always space to sit down or to dance, and the natural layout of the main stage in particular means that there’s always space to see the bands properly – which makes for a far more comfortable viewing experience than at most festivals. Despite a distinct lack of well known bands the quality of music on the line up is never low, and as usual I discovered lots of great new music.
My favourite Secret Garden Party stage is built into the side of a huge tree. This year there were giant eyeballs sewn into the back and the front was made up to look like the prow of a ship, complete with a naked female figurehead. Shortly before the prow had been swung into destruction by inebriated climbing mammals Animal Kingdom took to the good ship Where the Wild Things Are with a beatific set of melodic songs that have gleaned comparisons to Radiohead, Sigur Ros and Coldplay.
Over in the geodesic rave dome – AKA the Remix Bubble – the Lake District’s finest Burn the Negative were proving to a small but highly motivated crowd (including security on balloons) that danceable indie electro doesn’t just come out of the big cities.
Secret Garden Party has expanded massively since I first came in 2004, and the more idiosyncratic attractions are now linked to the main arena by a floating bridge that caused much swaying hilarity on every crossing. As a mid afternoon treat I decided to get my toes nibbled by some miniature carp from Turkey.
Yes that’s me. White legs! Photography by Tim Adey.
The Doctor Fish has been used for centuries to cure skin ailments, and they were particularly excited by my friend Jemima’s Psoriasis. It was a very soothing experience, and my skin felt notably softer afterwards. This is the first time this particular species of fish have been imported into the UK and entrepreneur Keon Petre hopes to open a range of fish nibbling franchises.
Emma Ware.
A huge pink tent housed stalls from a carefully picked range of artists and designers including Spitalfields based illustrator Dan Hillier and jeweller Emma Ware, who makes gorgeous contemporary pieces from recycled inner tubes. Expect to hear more about her designs on this blog soon.
Fionn Regan was the perfect treat for a sunny day, following in the traditional mould of talented Irish folk singers with added 80s McEnroe hair band action. Never a bad thing in my book.
I knew there was a reason I felt immediately warm towards main stage act Steve Mason despite having no clue who he was – turns out he was one half of the excellent Beta Band. And anyone who twitters about Ian Tomlinson is even better in my books. Musicians with a conscience – we need more of them.
I’ve been a big fan of hot tip Marina and the Diamonds for some time now, but we missed most of her set whilst enjoying the most wonderful three course dinner at the Soulfire restaurant, housed in three yurts (look out for my full review, coming soon). Instead we caught the last few songs, which still gave me ample time to admire her vermillion lips and whippet thin waist: I can now confirm that she is every bit as sexy in the flesh as she comes across on record.
Afterwards we were treated to some nefarious circus fun from Down Under – including pubic angle-grinding, sword swallowing and weights hooked into eyelids. Tasteful.
I featured the Infadels way back in issue 04 of Amelia’s Magazine in 2005, and they’ve been steadily plugging away ever since. I haven’t heard any recent albums but they seemed quite happy to play lots of the old tunes, which perfectly suited the late night party crowd.
Most amusingly they seem to have acquired a female joint lead vocalist on one of their most famous tunes. Maybe all ageing bands will one day invite drunk negligee-wearing teenagers on board to spice things up. Oh hang on, it’s already become a trend… (see Saturday’s blog…)
Last up on Where the Wild Things Are at gone 1am the glitter-covered Delays played a fantastically energetic set to a shockingly small crowd. “Let’s see some shoulder action,” they pleaded. “It’s not a festival without it.” Several people obligingly mounted their friends with rapidity. I hope one day this vastly underrated band finds the success they deserve. Catch our recent interview with them here.
Remember, there’s more where this came from – you can read about Saturday’s events here. The Comfort of Strangers by Christopher Morris, site a contributor to Amelia’s Magazine
Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last few months, rx you’ll know that we have a soft spot for illustration here at Amelia’s Magazine.
So I popped along to the grimly-titled but rather splendid Save Our Souls illustration exhibition a couple of weeks ago – the latest offering from Camberwell College of Arts. Free booze flowed (sometimes too closely to some of the works, which made me ‘eek’ aloud. Seriously) and there was SO much to see – too much, actually – it was a little overwhelming. With so much talent on display, it made me realise just how competitive the illustration industry is – but thank heavens we’ve been featuring so much on here recently!
Most people chose to sit outside and booze – it was a pretty hot evening.
How you digest all of this wonderful work into 500ish words is beyond me, but I’m going to give it a damn good try. The exhibition featured not only traditional, framed illustrations but lots of other mixed media works, fashion, film and sculpture. Here’s my top picks of the day, whose souls I’ll be saving by featuring them in this article.
In no particular order, honestly:
Katie Brookes
I was absolutely astonished by Katie’s intricate, large-scale drawings, pleasantly-titled The Pathway To Hell. (‘What is it with all this talk of death?’ I wondered, ‘these students need cheering up!’) The detail in Katie’s drawing was incredible, and amongst a lot of delicate, minute pieces, this really stood out.
Moa Ceder
In contrast, Moa’s diminutive and very simple line drawings also grabbed my attention. I enjoyed musing over the impish characters and Moa’s appreciation of light and dark. Simple but effective.
Alice Lindsay
Alice also made attractive use of light and dark with her slightly weird scenes. These intriguing lithographs derive inspiration from literature (these are in fact based on ‘Something That Needs Nothing’ by Miranda July). Their monotone colour palette with flashes of red created drama and were a striking inclusion into an exhibition which featured so many bright colours.
Colin Stewart
Colin Stewart’s mixed media pieces were unmissable in this exhibition (and not only because they were immediately visible from the entrance!) They featured unusual characters with Picasso-like faces, amongst architectural backgrounds.
Feronia Parker Thomas
I very much enjoyed glaring at Feronia Parker Thomas’ childlike pencil drawings, featuring domestic scenes such as smokers outside Battersea Power Station and Elvis. Feronia’s technique made her colourful pieces appear motional.
Emma Denby
I loved loved LOVED Emma’s eccentric short film about schizophrenia, with each scene hand drawn or making use of mixed media techniques. With a 1950s informational-video-voiceover, this video made the room of viewers chuckle aloud. Watch it!
Yana Elkassova
Yana produces playful illustrations for children’s books, made up of beautiful pencil crayon sketches, but it was her fabulous Russian Doll series that had me drawn (illustration pun intended) to her little section. Two sets of dolls appeared, one saucy Burlesque stripper, complete with flirtatious wink and hands-behind-back-undoing-of-bra, and a 1950s housewife going about her domestic duties.
Jason Colbert (Double Barrel)
As fashion editor of Amelia’s Magazine, I simply couldn’t resist featuring Jason Colbert’s quirky t-shirt prints. Manufactured using vinyl, digital techniques and screen-printing, Jason’s pieces feature simple geometric shapes and animal faces – making use of contrasting colours. Great styling in these photographs, too.
Written by Matt Bramford on Wednesday July 28th, 2010 5:12 pm
This year the Camberwell College of Arts illustration graduates eschewed central London to hold their show in a warehouse in Copeland Park behind the Bussey Building, an area which has changed beyond all recognition since I shared a studio there after graduation with Simone Lia and Catherine Vase. Nowadays Peckham is a seething hub of creativity, with the cafe culture to support it. Eighteen years ago (gulp!) not so much so.
Phlegm artwork adorning the Bussey Building, which used to be known as SANA.
The exhibition was aptly named In Place Peckham: when I arrived some of the illustrators were kicking a ball around with local kids, and a few of the final projects were the result of work (and play) within the community. Peckham may be changing but it’s still a very deprived area of London, so it was good to see a thoughtful engagement from students who clearly consider the place where they studied an important factor in their creative development.
I’ve been to a lot of shows this summer and I’m incredibly late posting my reviews because we’ve been away a lot as well. So here, without further ado, is my run down of favourite pieces found in Peckham.Soonmi Jung creates wildly energetic paintings and I fell in love with her book, After the Tide, about becoming engulfed in the sea whilst hunting for pretty pebbles – with illustrations that wonderfully evoke the untamed nature of the coast in glorious technicolour.
I thoroughly enjoyed some spot on commentary about excessive mobile phone use from Daryl Rainbow. Of course, I fully get the irony of taking photos of his illustrations on my mobile phone and subsequently sharing them on instagram (where I first shared all my finds a few weeks back).
This interactive sculpture by Lara Preiti explores the reasons why structures might collapse in earthquakes. I also like the quizzical faces on ceramics that remind me of the Easter Island monoliths.
Nepalese illustrator Gaurab Thakali created colourful illustration inspired by a love of jazz.
Large scale fabric cacti and succulents by Jess Money dominated the corner of a room.
Haylea Rush also worked in fabric to create this somewhat jokey fabric sarcophagus.
Bizarre aggregations of flowers, fruit and body parts remain a very popular trend amongst graduating illustrators, by Lisa Mallinson.
A decorative ceramic roast chicken by Camille Thirot-Lafond was cast from a plastic one she found in a pound shop, part of a commentary on how we attribute value to objects.
Ara Cho had created a plethora of tiny colourful collages inspired by the act of dining.
Soap was re-formed into oddly familiar shapes by Caz Slattery, one of many artists interested in imbuing everyday objects with a new significance.
I really liked Chloe Greenfield’s patterned ceramics and textiles display, part of her Greasy Shrine installation.
Beautiful fine porcelain was adorned with delicate illustration by Anna Baldwin.
This joyful astronaut cat and giraffe illustration is by Rebecca Barnett.
Amy Glover showcased a clever and much needed project, the result of making dens and spaces for play in collaboration with local Peckham kids.
Surreal interiors by Yvonne Wiecek were inspired by a love of fiction.
I love the perspective on this campfire scene by Amy Grimes. She also created these coral ceramics and sheep.
A love of science and nature inspired a series of very detailed work by Natalie Rowe.
To support the In Place Peckham exhibition the students raised money via Kickstarter to produce a beautiful show catalogue. The exhibition was also lovingly realised, but I had to spend an inordinate amount of time matching the work to the illustrators, as everything was number coded and had to be checked back to an A4 sheet. This made for a slick show on the walls but it was a nightmare to write about: future graduates please take note! It’s a shame, also, that Camberwell students did not accept my offer to list their graduate show on my website (as I did for Kingston and Bournemouth). When I didn’t hear back I clicked on over to their website and nicked a few images to use in a listing for the June Open House at Camberwell College of Arts. The result? A major art book publisher got in touch with me because they want to work with one of the students whose work I featured. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: new graduates have to grab every opportunity to promote their work, for this is not the end it is only the beginning… and you never know where offers such as mine may lead.
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Written by Amelia Gregory on Tuesday August 12th, 2014 9:25 am
Last night I went along to the Camberwell College of Arts MA illustration graduate show. I always find it odd to return to Camberwell, hospital mooching around rooms where I once studied on my foundation course 20 years ago. Eeek! Here’s the best of what I found.
Simone Philippou was first to catch my eye with her beautiful woodblock artwork, look featuring jumping frogs and skipping children in powerful lime green and orange colours.
In the corridor Juste Halavin showcased some beautiful work featuring big eyed well dressed animals engaged with humans in curious situations.
Goncalo Constanza went all psychedelic for her bold musical influenced optical artwork.
Jo Chen‘s What are you looking at? was a meticulously presented crowd of curious individuals.
Next door I fell in love with the work of Gerda Razmaite (Kai), pills which tackled the history behind the names of the streets of London in a beautifully intricate and quirky style, not photographed to best effect here. Amazing stuff.
If ever there was proof that the UK is now exporting creative cultural capital it was the prevalence of visiting Chinese students on this MA course: almost half by my count. Beibei Nie (Xiangdi) had produced a series of surreal prints titled Nostalgia, featuring inanimate objects appropriated by oversized animals.
I liked this delicate painting for The Red House, a children’s book by Yixin Fu.
Madalina Andronic‘s The Fairy of Dawn was an intricately beautiful work fit for a children’s fairytale written by Ioan Slavici. I loved the spectacular use of shape to give motion in these images.
Holly Zarnecki took papercutting to the next level of complexity with a large scale illustration of the Coalition government. It was good to see a level of political engagement in this work, something which is all too often lacking in the graduate illustration I have seen.
