2011 – Page 5 – AmeliasMagazine

Amelia’s Magazine | New Designers 2011 Part One: Contemporary Craft Graduate Show Review

New Designers review 2011-Hollie Anderson
Creatures, troche by Hollie Anderson, purchase at Hereford College of Arts.

During part one a large part of exhibition space was given out to what is known as Contemporary Craft – which in essence meant anything that was not particularly innovative in comparison with the rest of New Designers. But there were exceptions… Hereford College of Arts turned out some of the strongest contemporary crafters, page with individual and imaginative artwork that looked fresh against much of what I saw, both in the Contemporary Craft space and elsewhere. Hereford very deservingly won Best Stand.

New Designers review 2011-Ashleigh Williams
Ashleigh Williams was on hand to explain that her crocheted jellyfish filled with LED lights were intended for display as groupings that mimic their tendencies in the natural world. The tentacles and translucency were very convincing – amazing what crochet can do.

New Designers review 2011-Sarah Bevan Toft Laski
Sarah Bevan also goes by the name Toft Laski. On her display cabinet there was a host of curious beasties: dolls with donkey heads, dried fish on wheels and rolling birds with wigs on. A grand old assortment.

New Designers review 2011-Victoria Midgley
Victoria Midgley created extravagant mirrors from unconventional art materials, inspired by the colours and shapes of tropical sealife.

New Designers review 2011-Hollie Anderson hereford

I was totally stunned by Hollie Anderson‘s work – fuelled by an interest in animistic religions, she’d put together some totemic pieces that were vaguely unsettling and yet utterly compulsive: strange faceless creatures with embroidered snowflake tummies, gaping mouths and protruding spikes… bleeding figures with no discernible features at all… five legged creates with bones for mouths… a tethered fox like creature, again with hair and bones in all the wrong positions. She aims to tug at the viewer’s subconscious, ‘creating an innate emotional reaction to the figures, giving them life.’ Totally dazzled with the brilliance of Hollie’s incredible creations, caught somewhere between craft, totems and fine art. More images can be viewed on her very well designed tumblr website.

New Designers review 2011-Nadine Spencer
Nadine Spencer from Nottingham Trent University showed a huge laser cut city chandelier, with buildings piled on top of each other. Her individual artworks also showed cities, this time populated with alien spacecraft too. What fun!

New Designers review 2011-Laura Matthews Nottingham Trent University
By the table Laura Mathews was obviously in charge of the rats. I do so love it when you can spot the maker! She told me how her rats with articulated limbs are made out of recycled acrylic that she found in a skip. At last! Someone thinking ecologically! There really wasn’t enough of this at New Designers. Laura would like to make an animation featuring rats amongst those other urban pests: foxes and pigeons.

Don’t forget to check in with my other New Designers Part One blog posts: Textile Design, Surface Design, Ceramics and Glass and Jewellery. Just click on the links!

Written by Amelia Gregory on Friday July 8th, 2011 9:47 am

Categories ,2011, ,Acrylic, ,Animistic Religion, ,Ashleigh Williams, ,Best Stand, ,Business Design Centre, ,ceramics, ,Chandelier, ,Contemporary Craft, ,craft, ,crochet, ,Curious Beasties, ,Fine Art, ,Hereford College of Arts, ,Hollie Anderson, ,Jellyfish, ,Laura Mathews, ,Laura Matthews, ,LED lights, ,Mirrors, ,Nadine Spencer, ,New Designers, ,Nottingham Trent University, ,Rats, ,recycled, ,Sarah Bevan, ,Toft Laski, ,Totems, ,Upcycled, ,Victoria Midgley

Amelia’s Magazine | New Designers 2011 Part One: Textile Design Graduate Show Review

New Designers review 2011-Louise Collis Loughborough
Textile design by Louise Collis of Loughborough.

New Designers is held every summer at the Business Design Centre in Islington and it’s a great one stop shop for anyone interested in the best up and coming new creative design talent, information pills boasting two weeks of exhibition to visit. I went along to week one to check out the best in textiles, viagra approved surface design, ceramics, glass, jewellery and craft, and I hope to also visit the second week which is currently taking place and features product design, photography, illustration and graphic design. It really is a crucial place to showcase work and snag the best graduate jobs: it was where I caught the eye of the gift card company I wanted to work for and was subsequently snapped up by a major textile print design agency when I graduated from the University of Brighton… Quadriga later folded and took all the money I earnt, thanks, but that’s another story.

New Designers review 2011-Louise Collis Loughborough

My first stop was at Loughborough University, where my eye was caught by the laser etched wall panels of Louise Collis, who pounced on me the minute I revealed my camera. She’s created a stunning range of interiors textiles that she displayed on padded stools and as cushions.

New Designers review 2011-Olivia Streatfield-James
Next door Olivia Streatfield-James had produced some wonderful monochrome animal prints.

New Designers review 2011-Gillian Armstrong
Gillian Armstrong had gone for a flowery theme, but her bold use of colour and shape made sure it stood out. Check out Gillian Armstrong’s blogspot here.

New Designers review 2011-Stacey Laura Houghton
Stacey Laura Houghton was inspired by mathematical equations and radical design to create these stunning neon light shades.

Design by Louise Collis.

Turns out that Loughborough University turns out a very high standard of print graduate. I would have stayed longer to admire the rest but I got frightened out of the area by my constant need to justify why I’d like to take pictures – I understand student’s reticence in case ideas are nicked by big commercial companies but it’s also surely a good thing to get some much needed press… and they should have websites showcasing their work anyway!

New Designers review 2011-New Designers review 2011-Carrie Osborne
At Leeds College of Art Carrie Osborne had won the Tigerprint award for her very detailed and possibly quite commercial wallpaper and fabric designs. My favourite were the unabashedly out there floral designs. Follow Carrie Osborne on twitter here.

New Designers review 2011-Damien Barlow

Round the back I met Damien Barlow, who stood out with his illustrative papercut designs. We had a bit of a chat and he expressed excitement at his sudden discovery of the powers of twitter – interest from magazines within seconds. I’m not surprised because his work is ace.

New Designers review 2011-Damien Barlow

He starts with text and then layers images around the words. Dinosaurs roaming amongst billowing clouds would be ideal for kiddie’s books, which he told me he has considered. He also has a zine and some exhibitions in the pipeline. I look forward to hearing more ideas soon. Follow Damien Barlow on Twitter.

Leeds College of Art also produced the New Designer of the Year 2011, Louise Tiler, so they must be doing something right!

Next up: Surface Design. Part Two of New Designers continues until Saturday 9th July 2011. Follow New Designers on Twitter for updates.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Thursday July 7th, 2011 11:45 am

Categories ,2011, ,Business Design Centre, ,Carrie Osborne, ,dinosaurs, ,fashion, ,Furnishings, ,Gillian Armstrong, ,Graduate Shows, ,Islington, ,Leeds College of Art, ,Lighting, ,Loughborough University, ,Louise Collis, ,Louise Tiler, ,New Designer of the Year 2011, ,New Designers, ,Olivia Streatfield-James, ,Quadriga, ,Stacey Laura Houghton, ,surface design, ,Textile Design, ,textiles, ,Tigerprint, ,University of Brighton

Amelia’s Magazine | New Designers 2011 Part Two: Designer Makers Show Review

New Designers show review 2011-Thread&Berry Martin Stephenson
There were loads of other goodies to discover at New Designers part two. Here’s what stood out from the furniture, visit web designer maker, pill product design section: From Northumbria University I loved Thread&Berry soft toys by Martin Stephenson (always sucker for a nice soft toy).

New Designers show review 2011-Toby Whitworth
There was an outstanding selection of wood based furniture design from the Building Crafts College. Makes me want to study how to make useful things with my hands again. Toby Whitworth created a beautiful curved laminated coffee table in zebrino and oak.

New Designers show review 2011-Raymond Coe
Raymond Coe‘s bold laminated coffee table came in ash.

New Designers show review 2011-Sofia Linden
And a more linear coffee table was designed by Sofia Linden. Wish I had money to fill my house with this kind of bespoke design.

New Designers show review 2011-Minsung Lee
At London Met a tilting double sided park bench took the name To-Gather, try by Minsung Lee.h.

New Designers show review 2011-Paul Butcher
The Really Tallboy by Paul Butcher was very eye catching, inlaid with a design that looked to be inspired by animal markings or paw prints.

New Designers show review 2011-Jigamals
From York St John University came Jigamals, made from plywood, leather, felt and cotton by Abby Collier and Ellie Hindby-Smith.

New Designers show review 2011-Hannastina Crick
Hannastina Crick is a designer and maker who has just graduated from the University of Brighton. I loved her donut shaped straw bench.

New Designers show review 2011-Miranda Holms
Miranda Holms displayed an array of faceted pastel ceramic tulip vases and fab brightly coloured wall panels.

New Designers show review 2011-Samuel Sheard
Samuel Sheard, an MA graduate of Central Saint Martins, makes magnificent spikey patterned furniture.

New Designers show review 2011-
Students relax at the show!

There was loads of great stuff at Edinburgh College of Art: unfortunately who did what was not very clear. Here’s a selection, enjoy!

New Designers show review 2011-Edinburgh College of Art

Next up: Best from One Year On.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Tuesday September 13th, 2011 1:16 pm

Categories ,2011, ,Abby Collier, ,Building Crafts College, ,Central Saint Martins, ,Edinburgh College of Art, ,Ellie Hindby-Smith, ,Hannastina Crick, ,Jigamals, ,London Met, ,Minsung Lee, ,Miranda Holms, ,New Designers, ,Northumbria University, ,Paul Butcher, ,Raymond Coe, ,review, ,Samuel Sheard, ,Sofia Linden, ,The Really Tallboy, ,Thread & Berry, ,To-Gather, ,Toby Whitworth, ,University of Brighton, ,Woodcraft, ,York St John University

Amelia’s Magazine | New Designers 2011 Part Two: Illustration Graduate Show Review 1

New Designers show review 2011-emma block
Yet more lovely work from ACOFI illustrator Emma Block.

There was so much to see at New Designers part two (back in July) so in this blog I will concentrate on the illustrators who haven’t yet found a space on these pages:

New Designers show review 2011-Bex Bourne
Bex Bourne of University College Falmouth produced a lovely Morris dancer inspired piece and a beautiful gypsy caravan.

New Designers show review 2011-Grace Hawes
I like Grace Hawes‘ soft watercolour style

New Designers show review 2011-Meryn Cobbin

As well as the dreamy abstract style of Meryn Cobbin.

New Designers show review 2011-Stephanie Ginger
Stephanie Ginger‘s Tame Impala poster was fabulous.

New Designers show review 2011-Laura Weeks
At Plymouth College of Art Laura Weeks had created a lovely Urban Bandit fox, decease complete with 3D resin figurine version.

New Designers show review 2011-Lindy Lewis

I liked Lindy Lewis‘ striding soldiers and 50s influenced textile designs.

New Designers show review 2011-Elizabeth Smith

At Nottingham Trent Elizabeth Smith showed some intricate embroidered illustration.

New Designers show review 2011-Sophie Garwell
Sophie Garwell‘s colourful typography stood out.

More illustration to come shortly…. check out the second part of my review, featuring the best new illustrators at New Designers.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Monday September 12th, 2011 7:58 pm

Categories ,2011, ,ACOFI, ,Bex Bourne, ,Elizabeth Smith, ,Emma Block, ,Fox, ,Grace Hawes, ,illustration, ,Laura Weeks, ,Lindy Lewis, ,Meryn Cobbin, ,New Designers, ,Nottingham Trent University, ,Plymouth College of Art, ,review, ,Sophie Garwell, ,Stephanie Ginger, ,Tame Impala, ,typography, ,University College Falmouth, ,Urban Bandit

Amelia’s Magazine | New Designers 2011 Part Two: Illustration Graduate Show Review 2

New Designers show review 2011-Liam McMahon
Amelia’s Magazine contributor Liam McMahon did sterling work for London Fashion Week last season and chose to show the illustrations he had done for Mark Fast‘s A/W 2011 collection.

New Designers show review 2011-Liam McMahon

Beautiful work, dosage and it was nice to meet him too.

New Designers show review 2011-Zsuzsa Goodyer

A pulsing heart grew tentacles thanks to Zsuzsa Goodyer at Cambridge School of Art.

New Designers show review 2011-Arran Macphail
Arran Macphail‘s Where the Wild Things Are took on a bloody look.

New Designers show review 2011-Holly Dennison
Holly Dennison used collage to put together some beautiful flower motifs.

New Designers show review 2011-hannah
Hannah Morgan‘s monkeys for a Tibetan folk tale were very cool.

New Designers show review 2011-Nikou Nazaripour
Nikou Nazaripour at Portsmouth University created a wall of colourful posters.

New Designers show review 2011-Katie Pascoe

Katie Pascoe‘s 3D artwork caught my eye.

New Designers show review 2011-Dawn Gardner
Dawn Gardner at Havering College used recycled imagery to create her stunning collaged artwork. Her use of colour is particularly engaging.

New Designers show review 2011-Amber Cassidy

Upstairs I found Amelia’s Magazine contributor Amber Cassidy from Northbrook College, mind with a beautiful polar bear on show alongside some of her lovely fashions illustrations.

New Designers show review 2011-Bryony Crane

Bryony Crane has also contributed beautiful fashion illustrations to Amelia’s Magazine. She showed her fun children’s narrative artwork. I loved their portrait name badges!

Don’t forget to take a look at the first part of this review: featuring the best new illustrators at New Designers.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Tuesday September 13th, 2011 12:14 pm

Categories ,2011, ,Amber Cassidy, ,Arran Macphail, ,Bryony Crane, ,Cambridge School of Art, ,Dawn Gardner, ,Fashion Illustration, ,Hannah Morgan, ,Havering College, ,Holly Dennison, ,Liam McMahon, ,London Fashion Week, ,Mark Fast, ,New Designers, ,Northbrook College, ,review, ,Tibetan, ,Where the Wild Things Are, ,Zsuzsa Goodyer

Amelia’s Magazine | New Designers 2011 Part Two: One Year On Show Review

New Designers show review 2011-Imogen Heath Studio
In the One Year On section of New Designers part two there was lots of colourful talent: Imogen Heath Studio showcased wonderful geometric textiles.

New Designers show review 2011-Stone and Spear
Stone and Spear versus Lucy Jay were selling fab silk hankies. Designer Simon Cook is involved in many illustrative design projects and is now selling at the Design Museum.

New Designers show review 2011-Deryn Relph
Deryn Relph uses knit to create her colourful household textiles. Her design philosophy is underpinned by an ethos of sustainability and she often repurposes old furniture: like a lot.

New Designers show review 2011-Katie Heeks Designs
Katie Heeks Designs tableaux are created from multiple patterned lasercut pieces.

New Designers show review 2011-Fishboy aka Ashleigh Ward
Fishboy aka Ashleigh Ward of Beast Collective had created a fun 3D illustrated artwork.

New Designers show review 2011-Eight Years
Birmingham’s Eight Years specialise in illustration and animation.

Don’t forget to look at a few of my other New Designers reviews, viagra 40mg including my surface design review.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Tuesday September 13th, 2011 1:37 pm

Categories ,2011, ,Ashleigh Ward, ,Birmingham, ,Deryn Relph, ,Design Museum, ,Eight Years, ,Fishboy, ,illustration, ,Imogen Heath Studio, ,Katie Heeks Designs, ,knit, ,Lucy Jay, ,New Designers, ,One Year On, ,print, ,review, ,Simon Cook, ,Stone and Spear, ,textiles

Amelia’s Magazine | Jerwood Drawing Prize 2011: Exhibition Review

Jerwood Drawing Prize review 2011-Homage to Anonymous by Gary Lawrence
Homage to Anonymous by Gary Lawrence (detail).

This year the Jerwood Drawing Prize grows more influential than ever. During his speech at the opening of the exhibition last night art historian Tim Marlow told us that there were a record number of entrants this year: 1, ampoule 779 artists submitted 3, ambulance 354 entries in total. In describing the continuing importance of drawing judge Tim Marlow drew our attention to the new Degas exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts which opens this weekend. It concentrates on Degas‘ relationship with the new disciplines of photography and film as he explored ways of recording movement in ballet 150 years ago. Despite the prevalence of these other mediums today they can never entirely replace the visual discipline of drawing.

Without further ado here’s the work of the winners, order and my favourites from a selection of everything else.

Jerwood Drawing Prize review 2011-Homage to Anonymous by Gary Lawrence
I was drawn to Homage to Anonymous by Gary Lawrence the minute I stepped foot in the gallery. This giant biro drawing is a complex, surreal, fantastic piece of artwork. Gary accepted this years Jerwood Prize turned out in scruffy tracksuit bottoms with a greying beard and described his drawing as ‘a tribute to all the anonymous artists through history who made work but are unrecognised.’ The Essex based artist took a year to create his work of art, which was based on a view of Pothea on the Greek island of Kalymnos, which he visited on holiday. Over time the drawing gradually transmogrified into something far more complex, taking on historical references to town views by other artists across time.

The Cut (detail) by Jessie Brennan Jerwood Drawing Prize review 2011-The Cut (detail) by Jessie Brennan
The Cut (details) by Jessie Brennan.

Jessie Brennan‘s five metre long The Cut was inspired by oral histories of the Lea River Navigation Canal, and features a delicate array of found objects piled up in curious arrangements. Scale becomes distorted when you realise the presence of little people at the foot of the drawing.

Sketch by Nicki Rolls
Nicki Rolls took second prize in the Student Awards for her Sketch, a black and white film that screens against a sketchbook.

Lake by Kristian Fletcher
A very well deserved first prize went to Kristian Fletcher of the University of West England, who boasts ten years experience in the construction industry. His dimly lit Lake consists of an eery industrial space where hard edged architecture looms over an ominous section of chainlink fence.

Jerwood Drawing Prize review 2011-Pattern of Faerie Tales by Iain Andrews
Surrealism was a common theme amongst short listed entries. I particularly liked Pattern of Faerie Tales by Iain Andrews, which was stacked up loosely on a table. Giant fish lie on chicken feet tables and maidens sit beneath crepuscular bugs, in scenes inspired by the words of Tolkien.

Interior by Adam Bainbridge
Adam Bainbridge‘s Interior combines memories with absurd imaginings: tracking the formation of clay ornaments in soft focus.

Gefallener by Johanna Love.

Untitled 2 by Janine Rook.

The abstract patterns of dirt were big news: Johanna Love and Janine Rook traced the minutest amounts of fluff in delicate detail.

Untitled by robert Battams
Abstract paper layers featured in several artworks. Robert Battams used graph paper to stack patterns inspired by the fragmentations of digital recording.

Kasia Depta-Garapich‘s Organic Structure, Animation Still merges drawing, sculpture and animation in a curious fluttering object of semi-transparent layers.

Untitled by Leahy Clark
Simon Leahy-Clark stacked newspaper in random grid formations created around the missing content.

Polly Yates (folds)
Polly Yates considers herself a weaver of paper: circular cutouts and felt tips create the push and pull of space in Untitled (Folds).

Jerwood Drawing Prize review 2011-Lottie Jackson-Eeles
Explosions of colour and pattern will always turn my eye. I loved Imagery Imaginary Volume 1 by Lottie Jackson-Eeles, a concertina-ed sketchbook tracing her journeys through London in glorious colourful detail. Peeks between the pages reveal details such as wind mills and towerblocks. Do take a look at her website: there is some fabulous work on there.

Shepherd's Fry Up by Steven Lowery
Steven Lowery‘s artwork is a protest agains the mindlessness of celebrity infested tabloids and reality TV, set against a love of improvisational music – the tightly crafted words and images curling in and out of each other in Shepherd’s Fry Up.

Mouth Full of Triangles by Sally Taylor
Mouth Full of Triangles 4 by Sally Taylor is a clever and curiously amusing piece.

Jerwood Drawing Prize review 2011-Ground Truth and Deep Grief by Louisa Fairclough
Ground Truth and Deep Grief by Louisa Fairclough are simple watercolour paintings of tents, formed after ritual cycle rides taken along the Severn river at full moon. She sleeps on the ground, at the edge of the river: feeling the pulse of the tides.

Drawing Room by Fran Richardson is a large charcoal artwork, an evocative space of flouncy curtains that invites the viewer inside.

Girl Bag by Evju_Kristian
Photorealism in Girl Bag by Kristian Evju cleverly catches the sense of limbo within a narrative.

25a GF067 by Reginald S. Aloysius
Reginald Aloysius used pencil and enamel paint to create an eery netherworld, where ancient temples and airplane routes collide.

Fashion meets art. Inspired by memories and moths, Tree (Catocala) by Ash Summers perhaps unwittingly echoes the ikat patterns of the new season’s fabrics.

This year there was a greater prevalence of barely there diminutive abstracts, surely a reflection of influential judge Rachel Whiteread‘s tastes.

The Jerwood Drawing Prize is a must for all practicing artists, whatever your discipline. It runs until 30th October at the Jerwood Space and then heads out to BayArt in Cardiff and Burton Museum & Art Gallery in Devon. Full listing information here.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Wednesday September 14th, 2011 5:51 pm

Categories ,2011, ,Adam Bainbridge, ,Animation Still, ,Ash Summers, ,BayArt, ,Burton Museum & Art Gallery, ,cardiff, ,Charcoal, ,Deep Grief, ,Degas, ,Devon, ,drawing, ,Drawing Room, ,Essex, ,Fran Richardson, ,Full Moon, ,Gary Lawrence, ,Girl Bag, ,Ground Truth, ,Homage to Anonymous, ,Iain Andrews, ,Imagery Imaginary Volume 1, ,Interior, ,Jerwood Drawing Prize, ,jerwood space, ,Jessie Brennan, ,Judge, ,Kalymnos, ,Kasia Depta-Garapich, ,Kristian Evju, ,Kristian Fletcher, ,Lake, ,Lea River Navigation Canal, ,Lottie Jackson-Eeles, ,Louisa Fairclough, ,Mouth Full of Triangles 4, ,Nicki Rolls, ,Organic Structure, ,Papercutting, ,Pattern of Faerie Tales, ,pencil, ,Photorealism, ,Polly Yates, ,Pothea, ,Rachel Whiteread, ,Reginald Aloysius, ,review, ,Royal academy of arts, ,Sally Taylor, ,Severn, ,Shepherd’s Fry Up, ,Simon Leahy-Clark, ,Sketch, ,Steven Lowery, ,Student Awards, ,surrealism, ,The Cut, ,Tim Marlow, ,Tolkien, ,Tree (Catocala), ,University of West England, ,Untitled (Folds)