Madalina Andronic – AmeliasMagazine

Amelia’s Magazine | Camberwell College of Arts Illustration MA Graduate Show 2011 Review: part one

Camberwell illustration MA review 2011-Simone Philippou
Illustration by Simone Philippou.

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.

Camberwell illustration MA review 2011-Simone Philippou
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.

Camberwell illustration MA review 2011-Juste Halavin
In the corridor Juste Halavin showcased some beautiful work featuring big eyed well dressed animals engaged with humans in curious situations.

Camberwell illustration MA review 2011-Goncalo Constanza
Goncalo Constanza went all psychedelic for her bold musical influenced optical artwork.

Camberwell illustration MA review 2011-Jo Chen
Jo Chen‘s What are you looking at? was a meticulously presented crowd of curious individuals.

Camberwell illustration MA review 2011-Gerda Razmaite (Kai)

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.

Camberwell illustration MA review 2011-Beibei Nie (Xiangdi)

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.

Camberwell illustration MA review 2011-Yixin Fu
I liked this delicate painting for The Red House, a children’s book by Yixin Fu.

Camberwell illustration MA review 2011-Madalina Andronic
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.

Camberwell illustration MA review 2011-Holly Zarnecki

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.

More coming soon! You can read my second review of the Camberwell MA illustration show here.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Friday September 9th, 2011 12:43 pm

Categories ,2011, ,Beibei Nie (Xiangdi), ,Camberwell College of Arts, ,Chinese, ,Coalition, ,deadpixelsinthesky, ,Gerda Razmaite, ,Goncalo Constanza, ,Holly Zarnecki, ,illustration, ,Ioan Slavici, ,Jo Chen, ,Juste Halavin, ,Kai, ,ma, ,Madalina Andronic, ,Nostalgia, ,Papercutting, ,review, ,Simone Philippou, ,The Fairy of Dawn, ,The Red House, ,What are you looking at?, ,Yixin Fu

Amelia’s Magazine | Camberwell College of Arts Illustration MA Graduate Show 2011 Review: part one

Camberwell illustration MA review 2011-Simone Philippou
Illustration by Simone Philippou.

Camberwell illustration MA review 2011-Juste Halavin
In the corridor Juste Halavin showcased some beautiful work featuring big eyed well dressed animals engaged with humans in curious situations.

Camberwell illustration MA review 2011-Goncalo Constanza
Goncalo Constanza went all psychedelic for her bold musical influenced optical artwork.

Camberwell illustration MA review 2011-Jo Chen
Jo Chen‘s What are you looking at? was a meticulously presented crowd of curious individuals.

Camberwell illustration MA review 2011-Yixin Fu
I liked this delicate painting for The Red House, a children’s book by Yixin Fu.

More coming soon! You can read my second review of the Camberwell MA illustration show here.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Friday September 9th, 2011 12:43 pm

Amelia’s Magazine | A Trip to Venice with Swatch

Venice by Sally Jane Thompson.

It’s quite something to be utterly spoilt on a press trip. It doesn’t happen to me often and in fact it’s only in the last year that people have started to invite me places… a mere eight years since I started Amelia’s Magazine: these perks of the job have not exactly fallen in my lap. But it says something about the rise of blogging (which my website is undeniably in the form of, recipe even if I still like to think of it as a magazine) that bloggers of all persuasions are now being offered similar opportunities to mainstream journalists.

Venice by Madalina Andronic.

Venice-Biennale-by-Alia-Gargum
Venice by Alia Gargum.

And so it was that I found myself on my way to Venice last week for a two day jolly courtesy of Swatch. Swatch, look as I am sure anyone who was around in the 1980s will recall, capsule are big lovers of art. They don’t make fancy schmancy watches that cost the earth (literally, since they are often made of rapidly depleting precious metals), instead they make easily attainable fun watches, often in collaboration with artists. Back in the 80s they were really the done thing to wear, and I still treasure my much loved Swatch, even if it is a bit yellowed and deteriorated around the edges.

Swatch 80s pop
For quite a few years the brand was off my radar, but now they are firmly planted back in the centre of the art world thanks to the guidance of current president, the formidable and charismatic Madame Emch, a former fashion PR with a pure passion for art… and Venice.

Venice-by-Jessica-Knight
Venice by Jessica Knight.

Venice by Madalina Andronic.

Venice-by-Jessica-Knight
Venice by Jessica Knight.

We were in Venice because Swatch is the principal partner of the famous Venice Biennale, but also because Madame M (as her name is wont to sound and I rather like because it sounds like something out of a Bond movie) has been visiting since she was five years old and loves Venice more than any other city in the world. Finally, a triple whammy: Swatch‘s newest collaborator makes much of his artwork with the help of the Murano glass makers of Venice. Jean-Michel Othoniel creates huge glowing jewelled necklaces that he hangs from trees and drapes from buildings, and for his Swatch collaboration he has again worked with murano glass makers to create something really quite special… but more on that here.

venice_by_ada_jusic
Venice by Ada Jusic.

Venice by Madalina Andronic.

venice-by-Jessica-Knight
Venice by Jessica Knight.

Venice Treasure by Laura Frame.

During our visit we were thoroughly spoilt, staying in an infamous hotel called the Excelsior that features in the film Death in Venice, and being ferried everywhere on private speedboats or gondolas – the later being a lot better for the environment, but also more sedate (ie, less fun). We had a private guided tour of the Peggy Guggenheim museum before dining in style on the rooftop, were served lunch on the roof of the head office of the Biennale with fabulous views over the centre of Venice, ate at the Cipriani (frequented by George Clooney and ilk) and had another guided tour of the Biennale itself (read my reviews). I have only visited Venice once before when I was inter-railing, aged 17. I remember feeling overwhelmed by the crowds (which this time we avoided due to the time of year and our posh transport options) as well as the high cost of everything. By contrast this trip truly was a beautiful experience which made me dream of returning to Venice one day, although sadly I think the state of my own finances would mean anything else than what I experienced this time around would likely be far less fabulous. Still, one can dream…

Venice Biennale 2011 Swatch review Excelsior
Arriving at the Excelsior by speedboat.

Venice Biennale 2011 Swatch review-Veronica of Red Ant
The beautiful Veronica of Red Ant, who invited me to Venice.

Venice Biennale 2011 Swatch review Excelsior
The art deco influenced interior of the Excelsior.

Venice Biennale 2011 Swatch review
The view from my room.

Venice Biennale 2011 Swatch review-travelling by gondola

Travelling by gondola.

Venice Biennale 2011 Swatch review-Exterior of the Excelsior from the beach
Exterior of the Excelsior from the beach.

Venice Biennale 2011 Swatch review-madame Emch
Madame Emch charms everyone.

Venice Biennale 2011 Swatch review-Amazing Italian style
Amazing Italian style.

Venice Biennale 2011 Swatch review-Meeting the director of the Guggenheim
Meeting the director of the Guggenheim.

Venice Biennale 2011 Swatch review-speedboat

More travelling by speedboat: that’s me with some Russian journalists.

Venice Biennale 2011 Swatch review-Cinzia and Romain Colin
Italian blogger Cinzia and French blogger Romain Colin of Fubiz in the backwaters of Venice.

Venice Biennale 2011 Swatch review

Myself with Italian blogger Cinzia of Frizzi Frizzi, Spanish blogger Marta of Dadanoias and Veronica of Red Ant on the rooftop of the Biennale offices.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Thursday October 6th, 2011 12:42 pm

Categories ,80s, ,Ada Jusic, ,Alia Gargum, ,Bloggers, ,Blogging, ,Bond, ,Cinzia, ,Dadanoias, ,Death in Venice, ,film, ,Frizzi Frizzi, ,Fubiz, ,George Clooney, ,Glass, ,Gondola, ,Guggenheim, ,Hotel Cipriani, ,Hotel Excelsior, ,Jean-Michel Othoniel, ,Jessica Knight, ,Laura Frame, ,Madalina Andronic, ,Madame Emch, ,Madame M, ,Marta, ,Murano, ,Peggy Guggenheim, ,Red Ant, ,Romain Colin, ,Sally Jane Thompson, ,Speedboat, ,Venice, ,Venice Biennale, ,Veronica Sambonet, ,Watch