So after a rollercoaster six days, capsulefor sale Menswear Day and London Fashion Week drew to a close with hip-store Kokon To Zai’s label, KTZ, and what would be my final show of this season. I absolutely loved what they did last season, and I couldn’t wait to see what they’d come up with next.
All photography by Matt Bramford
A heavily policed front row meant me and illustrator Gareth took seats on the second, but I managed to get on the end so that my pictures would make it look like I was Frowing all along. I was bloody exhausted and feeling very sorry for myself, and I couldn’t help but wish that they’d just get on with it and stop papping people wearing pig masks. My legs wobbled and I struggled to keep my eyes open, but when the music started and the first look appeared, I quickly forgot my woes.
Memphis-inspired fashion? I thought I’d died and gone to heaven. A pumpin’ soundtrack blasted from the PA system as gorgeous models (more women than men, but who cares?) sashayed up and down the length of the BFC tent. Stripes were a plenty on figure-hugging dresses with sweetheart necklines that feature extra flaps in that Pop Art/Memphis splatter pattern. Vibrant primary colours made black dresses playful: such a sophisticated, considered collection expertly styled by wonder-styilst Anna Trevelyan.
A whole load of other influences filtered into this power collection – the womenswear referenced power dressing from the 1980s (think Dynasty) and Mondrian’s prints; the menswear also digging up the eighties with (faux!) fur lapels and broad shoulders.
I have to admit, I did prefer the womenswear – it was far more wearable for fashion-forward ladies and it oozed sex appeal with dresses cut above the knee and details in all the right places to emphasise the curves. The menswear featured striped balaclavas topped with pom-poms, acrylic brooches which referenced the womenswear, over-sized imposing puffa jackets and graphic-print trousers. But it’ll be the womenswear that cements Kokontozai’s place as one of London’s hottest design duos.
Huge orb-like creations were worn on wrists, picking out patterns from lapels. And, oh, the cuts! Dynamic pieces of fabric were layered onto classic tailored pieces to give them a seriously sexy aesthetic. This was a collection that was playful but sophisticated at the same – a really difficult challenge to pull off.
Ziad Ghanem‘s Never End, salve Never End, troche Never End was one of those hotly tipped shows that all my contributors were desperate to go to so I was promised performance catwalking at its best. What I hadn’t expected was to land a prime seat right opposite Boy George, looking remarkably svelte next to Daniel Lismore.
Boy George and Daniel Lismore. Photography by Amelia Gregory.
I remember the allure of Karma Chameleon, back when a dodgy video was sufficient accompaniment for pop songs of such genius. Colour by Numbers was actually the VERY FIRST album that I owned, given to me by my aunt on good old cassette tape.
But then, ah, the show!!! This collection was inspired by a horror video game called Silent Hill and the work of Romantic painter John Henry Fuseli, and it explored themes of gothic romance. The press release states that the same garment viewed in a dark, gothic context by one viewer will be interpreted as romantic and liberating by the next.
The show opened with a stunning piece of performance, as a red-headed model appeared in gothic Tim Burton-esque make up, black skirts tumbling as she grew before our eyes into a 12 foot monster burlesque bride waving great green feathered fans. Thereafter followed a series of printed, billowing capes and tightly corseted dresses, all accessorised with veils, reddened eyes, cracked cheeks and Joker smiles. Apparently Ziad asked each model to choose their own favourite horror film make up for the show.
Androgynous models wore chiffon and beaded dresses, a spooky ghost couple trailed still more netting behind as they faced the photographers together. Amidst the drama cleverly made outfits showcased traditional haute couture skills using bias cut vintage silk chiffons and duchess satin that flowed around the body.
A white faced creature smeared its face with black paint and make up took a turn towards our feathered friends: blue winged eyes echoing the giant bird prints on winged dresses. Out stepped a ballet dancer on pointe, edging down the catwalk in frilled lilac, her skull face shrouded in grey. As she retreated backwards a series of busty ladies swept down the catwalk in eminently wearable multi coloured chiffon dresses: amongst them walked transvestites, burlesque artists and a giant lady in grey. I particularly adored the bustle backed electric fuchsia number that emphasised every womanly curve.
Taking the art of the catwalk to fantastical heights, Ziad Ghanem proved that his shows really are worth the hype, with or without the added bonus of an 80s pop idol in a fabulous yellow fedora. You can read more about his unique selection of models here.
Ziad Ghanem A/W 2011. Photography by Amelia Gregory.
You can also read Florence Massey’s review of the Ziad Ghanem show here.
Glaswegian Alice Palmer makes extravagantly shaped knitwear. Now based in London, medical she demonstrated her ‘polyhedra knitting’ skills to the max with her Into the Void collection. The press release cites the minimalism of Anish Kapoor, side effects the eccentric dreams of flying machine enthusiast Gustav Mesmer, who invented an Umbrella Helicopter, and Black Sabbath as diverse influences, but you’d be hard pushed to identify them in anything more than the loosest of contexts.
Abstracted shapes in monochrome and muted gold were the basis of Into the Void, extended and furled from the body in stunning 3D folds like the skin of an exotic ridged lizard. Large dangling flaps resembled the armoured scales of a dinosaur as they capsized down low cut backs, or heaved forwards like ruptured innards. Hair was layered high on top of the head, and eyes pronounced with winged eyebrows in severest black. Tight fitting dresses with a geometric pattern like rippling water were amongst the most desirable in terms of wearability.
I was particularly captivated by the amazing spike jewellery which came bobbing seductively past me at eye level on wrists, and around necks, and dangling in great stacked globes off fingers. It was created by Karen-Ann Dicken of Oread Jewellery, a fellow Glaswegian who trained at the Royal College of Art. For this catwalk show she lent her Geo designs, made from steel, silver, semi-precious stones and cubic zirconia.
Gareth A Hopkins 123 SS2011 thb
123 illustrated by Gareth A Hopkins.
123 Bethnal Green Road recently opened shop after a lengthy renovation of its Victorian corner store in a prime position right at the top of Brick Lane in east London. Hosting three floors of own label designs as well as those of cult designer Noki, cost what exactly is this new fashion brand all about?
“Some people might think it foolhardy to open an eco-fashion concept store in the midst of the dreaded credit crunch, viagra approved but so far the reception has been great, no rx ” says Ross Barry, co-owner with sister Michelle Goggi. Having abandoned their previous careers, in the city and in design and photography respectively, Ross and Michelle are now set to shake up the world of ethical fashion with their ‘sustainable canvas’ concept. “Ethical, sustainable, green and eco are all terms with very specific connotations. We wanted to do something new and exciting.”
With their 123 collection they have created a fresh look, starting with a sustainable (rather than blank) canvas. “Our aim is to make well-made, desirable, British clothing,” says Michelle. “We want to extinguish the belief that reusing and recycling materials is at the bottom of the fashion food chain.” This is a luxury store selling well designed products that just happen to be ethical as well; upcycled from waste garments and produced locally. Using vertical production methods, whereby an item of clothing can be taken from the cutting table to the store within a week, they are able to provide exactly what the customer is keen on; reacting and responding to new trends within a couple of weeks. Vertical production gives them incredible control over every element of the process and ensures a minute carbon footprint.
So it started on January 3rd, viagra dosage I was in a bad mood. Well, what is ed it’s that whole palaver of taking the (now miserable) tree down, order thinking about the enormity of work that needs to be done and the poor, defenseless body. It needs some very tender loving care. This day of January, after bathing in Pukka ‘Cleanse’ tea, going for a brisk walk on the Downs by my house and bemoaning the lack of vitamin D for my eyeballs, I cracked on the Mac. I had recently purchased The Tallest Man On Earth album, Wild Hunt (Dead Oceans). I was in need of something new to form some (wahoo 2011) fresh associations with. Whilst I mused about the flat, now was the time I decided, to dedicate to the giant man. Hopefully this would culminate in reaching up and putting my arms around his shoulders, prancing around the room, rather than immersing myself in 2010 nostalgia. Oh the perils of memory boxes, scrap books and photo archives.
Click and Bob Dylan growls came out. This was all very lovely, I had linked that before though and was waiting to get actually into The Tallest Man on Earth, rather than just wonder about the Dylan. Then Love Is All came on. Oh hello. This is BEAUTIFUL. The Tallest Man On Earth’s heart appeared to be unashamedly open to my grump self. I turned it up and continued to listen. Sometimes painfully honest in his thoughts, loves and admissions, he gently strums next to his musings. Akk, this was so bitingly raw, the crackling voice and simple notes, it was almost uncomfortably perfect.
Despite his Texan American country sounds, Kristian Matsson is from Dalarna, Sweden. And although he is called: The Tallest Man On Earth, Matsson in fact stands below the Swedish male average (nearly five foot eleven), at five foot five. The tallest person in medical history was Robert Pershing Wadlow, from Illonois, USA, who was eight foot and eleven inches tall.
The (slightly smaller than) Tallest Man On Earth plays the guitar, banjo and piano and has released two albums, Shallow Grave (Dead Oceans) and The Wild Hunt. He has also released two EPs, Sometimes The Blues Is Just A Passing Bird and self titled. The latter holds the song; Walk The Line, a foot -tapping, spindly, defiant number “you bring me down…I aint gonna walk the line”. It’s a mixture of nature’s thunderous activities, humans, animals and emotion; “all tomorrows parties will dance before my eyes”.
Matsson is utterly immersed in nature, similes transform him into an eagle, lizard, sparrow and gardener. Whilst his lovers are bluebirds and rivers. Seemingly unlike Britain in a snowfall, he is aware and respects mother nature’s ultimate power over us. He will sit upon the river, dance in the ocean and watch the birds. Honey Won’t You Let Me In; “As I knock your door, from inside once more, how I wish a sudden breeze would let me in, shake my tambourine at your glowing dreams, I said honey won’t you let me in.” The city in contrast, has no distinct sounds for him, and equally his heart leaves him lost, weather beaten and alone at times. Two harsh climes for our protagonist. Tangle In This Trample Wheat; “I get frightened I could never gather birds enough to carry round your heart”. But his soul seems distinctly free, he won’t be found.
Integrated into nature’s attributes is Matsson’s love of dreaming, and love itself. A Lion’s Heart; “he’s coming down the hills for you”. Accompanied by constant gentle guitar and banjo notes, the listener can not help but be thrust into a pure and new perspective. Importantly, he also makes many references to nature never stopping. And perhaps we need to appreciate this a little bit more ourselves. Indeed the traffic, economy and work never really halts, and 2011’s start may be all New Resolutions (blah), but nature never, EVER takes a break or crash diets suddenly because some poppers went off. Remember, outside, the hills, oceans and mountains are far prettier than flouro lighting (even if that flouro lights up the best dress you’ve ever seen). It also changes in considerably more interesting ways than the prices of your average baked beans can. Step outside. The Dreamer; “I’m just a dreamer, but I’m hanging on, though I am nothing big to offer, I watched the birds how they in then gone, it’s like nothing in this world’s ever still.”
So starting with melancholy, I was risen by eloquent exuberance and now I continue to travel along the mighty (and fast) river of 2011 and life. It’s Janurary 7 and I have barely listened to anything other than The Tallest Man On Earth. Both The Wild Hunt and Shallow Grave on the label Dead Oceans are available now.
123 illustrated by Gareth A Hopkins.
123 Bethnal Green Road recently opened shop after a lengthy renovation of its Victorian corner store in a prime position right at the top of Brick Lane in east London. Hosting three floors of own label designs as well as those of cult designer Noki, ampoule what exactly is this new fashion brand all about?
“Some people might think it foolhardy to open an eco-fashion concept store in the midst of the dreaded credit crunch, illness but so far the reception has been great, search ” says Ross Barry, co-owner with sister Michelle Goggi. Having abandoned their previous careers, in the city and in design and photography respectively, Ross and Michelle are now set to shake up the world of ethical fashion with their ‘sustainable canvas’ concept. “Ethical, sustainable, green and eco are all terms with very specific connotations. We wanted to do something new and exciting.”
With their 123 collection they have created a fresh look, starting with a sustainable (rather than blank) canvas. “Our aim is to make well-made, desirable, British clothing,” says Michelle. “We want to extinguish the belief that reusing and recycling materials is at the bottom of the fashion food chain.” This is a luxury store selling well designed products that just happen to be ethical as well; upcycled from waste garments and produced locally. Using vertical production methods, whereby an item of clothing can be taken from the cutting table to the store within a week, they are able to provide exactly what the customer is keen on; reacting and responding to new trends within a couple of weeks. Vertical production gives them incredible control over every element of the process and ensures a minute carbon footprint.
So it started on January 3rd, advice I was in a bad mood. Well, medicine it’s that whole palaver of taking the (now miserable) tree down, thinking about the enormity of work that needs to be done and the poor, defenseless body. It needs some very tender loving care. This day of January, after bathing in Pukka ‘Cleanse’ tea, going for a brisk walk on the Downs by my house and bemoaning the lack of vitamin D for my eyeballs, I cracked on the Mac. I had recently purchased The Tallest Man On Earth album, Wild Hunt (Dead Oceans). I was in need of something new to form some (wahoo 2011) fresh associations with. Whilst I mused about the flat, now was the time I decided, to dedicate to the giant man. Hopefully this would culminate in reaching up and putting my arms around his shoulders, prancing around the room, rather than immersing myself in 2010 nostalgia. Oh the perils of memory boxes, scrap books and photo archives.
Click and Bob Dylan growls came out. This was all very lovely, I had linked that before though and was waiting to get actually into The Tallest Man on Earth, rather than just wonder about the Dylan. Then Love Is All came on. Oh hello. This is BEAUTIFUL. The Tallest Man On Earth’s heart appeared to be unashamedly open to my grump self. I turned it up and continued to listen. Sometimes painfully honest in his thoughts, loves and admissions, he gently strums next to his musings. Akk, this was so bitingly raw, the crackling voice and simple notes, it was almost uncomfortably perfect.
Despite his Texan American country sounds, Kristian Matsson is from Dalarna, Sweden. And although he is called: The Tallest Man On Earth, Matsson in fact stands below the Swedish male average (nearly five foot eleven), at five foot five. The tallest person in medical history was Robert Pershing Wadlow, from Illonois, USA, who was eight foot and eleven inches tall.
The (slightly smaller than) Tallest Man On Earth plays the guitar, banjo and piano and has released two albums, Shallow Grave (Dead Oceans) and The Wild Hunt. He has also released two EPs, Sometimes The Blues Is Just A Passing Bird and self titled. The latter holds the song; Walk The Line, a foot -tapping, spindly, defiant number “you bring me down…I aint gonna walk the line”. It’s a mixture of nature’s thunderous activities, humans, animals and emotion; “all tomorrows parties will dance before my eyes”.
Matsson is utterly immersed in nature, similes transform him into an eagle, lizard, sparrow and gardener. Whilst his lovers are bluebirds and rivers. Seemingly unlike Britain in a snowfall, he is aware and respects mother nature’s ultimate power over us. He will sit upon the river, dance in the ocean and watch the birds. Honey Won’t You Let Me In; “As I knock your door, from inside once more, how I wish a sudden breeze would let me in, shake my tambourine at your glowing dreams, I said honey won’t you let me in.” The city in contrast, has no distinct sounds for him, and equally his heart leaves him lost, weather beaten and alone at times. Two harsh climes for our protagonist. Tangle In This Trample Wheat; “I get frightened I could never gather birds enough to carry round your heart”. But his soul seems distinctly free, he won’t be found.
Integrated into nature’s attributes is Matsson’s love of dreaming, and love itself. A Lion’s Heart; “he’s coming down the hills for you”. Accompanied by constant gentle guitar and banjo notes, the listener can not help but be thrust into a pure and new perspective. Importantly, he also makes many references to nature never stopping. And perhaps we need to appreciate this a little bit more ourselves. Indeed the traffic, economy and work never really halts, and 2011’s start may be all New Resolutions (blah), but nature never, EVER takes a break or crash diets suddenly because some poppers went off. Remember, outside, the hills, oceans and mountains are far prettier than flouro lighting (even if that flouro lights up the best dress you’ve ever seen). It also changes in considerably more interesting ways than the prices of your average baked beans can. Step outside. The Dreamer; “I’m just a dreamer, but I’m hanging on, though I am nothing big to offer, I watched the birds how they in then gone, it’s like nothing in this world’s ever still.”
So starting with melancholy, I was risen by eloquent exuberance and now I continue to travel along the mighty (and fast) river of 2011 and life. It’s Janurary 7 and I have barely listened to anything other than The Tallest Man On Earth. Both The Wild Hunt and Shallow Grave on the label Dead Oceans are available now.
So it started on January 3rd, buy I was in a bad mood. Well, tadalafil it’s that whole palaver of taking the (now miserable) tree down, thinking about the enormity of work that needs to be done and the poor, defenseless body. It needs some very tender loving care. This day of January, after bathing in Pukka ‘Cleanse’ tea, going for a brisk walk on the Downs by my house and bemoaning the lack of vitamin D for my eyeballs, I cracked on the Mac. I had recently purchased The Tallest Man On Earth album, Wild Hunt (Dead Oceans). I was in need of something new to form some (wahoo 2011) fresh associations with. Whilst I mused about the flat, now was the time I decided, to dedicate to the giant man. Hopefully this would culminate in reaching up and putting my arms around his shoulders, prancing around the room, rather than immersing myself in 2010 nostalgia. Oh the perils of memory boxes, scrap books and photo archives.
Click and Bob Dylan growls came out. This was all very lovely, I had linked that before though and was waiting to get actually into The Tallest Man on Earth, rather than just wonder about the Dylan. Then Love Is All came on. Oh hello. This is BEAUTIFUL. The Tallest Man On Earth’s heart appeared to be unashamedly open to my grump self. I turned it up and continued to listen. Sometimes painfully honest in his thoughts, loves and admissions, he gently strums next to his musings. Akk, this was so bitingly raw, the crackling voice and simple notes, it was almost uncomfortably perfect.
Despite his Texan American country sounds, Kristian Matsson is from Dalarna, Sweden. And although he is called: The Tallest Man On Earth, Matsson in fact stands below the Swedish male average (nearly five foot eleven), at five foot five. The tallest person in medical history was Robert Pershing Wadlow, from Illonois, USA, who was eight foot and eleven inches tall.
The (slightly smaller than) Tallest Man On Earth plays the guitar, banjo and piano and has released two albums, Shallow Grave (Dead Oceans) and The Wild Hunt. He has also released two EPs, Sometimes The Blues Is Just A Passing Bird and self titled. The latter holds the song; Walk The Line, a foot -tapping, spindly, defiant number “you bring me down…I aint gonna walk the line”. It’s a mixture of nature’s thunderous activities, humans, animals and emotion; “all tomorrows parties will dance before my eyes”.
Matsson is utterly immersed in nature, similes transform him into an eagle, lizard, sparrow and gardener. Whilst his lovers are bluebirds and rivers. Seemingly unlike Britain in a snowfall, he is aware and respects mother nature’s ultimate power over us. He will sit upon the river, dance in the ocean and watch the birds. Honey Won’t You Let Me In; “As I knock your door, from inside once more, how I wish a sudden breeze would let me in, shake my tambourine at your glowing dreams, I said honey won’t you let me in.” The city in contrast, has no distinct sounds for him, and equally his heart leaves him lost, weather beaten and alone at times. Two harsh climes for our protagonist. Tangle In This Trample Wheat; “I get frightened I could never gather birds enough to carry round your heart”. But his soul seems distinctly free, he won’t be found.
Integrated into nature’s attributes is Matsson’s love of dreaming, and love itself. A Lion’s Heart; “he’s coming down the hills for you”. Accompanied by constant gentle guitar and banjo notes, the listener can not help but be thrust into a pure and new perspective. Importantly, he also makes many references to nature never stopping. And perhaps we need to appreciate this a little bit more ourselves. Indeed the traffic, economy and work never really halts, and 2011’s start may be all New Resolutions (blah), but nature never, EVER takes a break or crash diets suddenly because some poppers went off. Remember, outside, the hills, oceans and mountains are far prettier than flouro lighting (even if that flouro lights up the best dress you’ve ever seen). It also changes in considerably more interesting ways than the prices of your average baked beans can. Step outside. The Dreamer; “I’m just a dreamer, but I’m hanging on, though I am nothing big to offer, I watched the birds how they in then gone, it’s like nothing in this world’s ever still.”
So starting with melancholy, I was risen by eloquent exuberance and now I continue to travel along the mighty (and fast) river of 2011 and life. It’s Janurary 7 and I have barely listened to anything other than The Tallest Man On Earth. Both The Wild Hunt and Shallow Grave on the label Dead Oceans are available now. Also see tour dates HERE.
123 illustrated by Gareth A Hopkins.
123 Bethnal Green Road recently opened shop after a lengthy renovation of its Victorian corner store in a prime position right at the top of Brick Lane in east London. Hosting three floors of own label designs as well as those of cult designer Noki, sickness what exactly is this new fashion brand all about?
“Some people might think it foolhardy to open an eco-fashion concept store in the midst of the dreaded credit crunch, but so far the reception has been great,” says Ross Barry, co-owner with sister Michelle Goggi. Having abandoned their previous careers, in the city and in design and photography respectively, Ross and Michelle are now set to shake up the world of ethical fashion with their ‘sustainable canvas’ concept. “Ethical, sustainable, green and eco are all terms with very specific connotations. We wanted to do something new and exciting.”
With their 123 collection they have created a fresh look, starting with a sustainable (rather than blank) canvas. “Our aim is to make well-made, desirable, British clothing,” says Michelle. “We want to extinguish the belief that reusing and recycling materials is at the bottom of the fashion food chain.” This is a luxury store selling well designed products that just happen to be ethical as well; upcycled from waste garments and produced locally. Using vertical production methods, whereby an item of clothing can be taken from the cutting table to the store within a week, they are able to provide exactly what the customer is keen on; reacting and responding to new trends within a couple of weeks. Vertical production gives them incredible control over every element of the process and ensures a minute carbon footprint.
Read the rest of this interview in Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration, alongside interviews with 44 other ethical fashion designers and 30 fabulous fashion illustrators. You can buy a copy of the book here.
123 illustrated by Gareth A Hopkins.
123 Bethnal Green Road recently opened shop after a lengthy renovation of its Victorian corner store in a prime position right at the top of Brick Lane in east London. Hosting three floors of own label designs as well as those of cult designer Noki, check what exactly is this new fashion brand all about?
“Some people might think it foolhardy to open an eco-fashion concept store in the midst of the dreaded credit crunch, but so far the reception has been great,” says Ross Barry, co-owner with sister Michelle Goggi. Having abandoned their previous careers, in the city and in design and photography respectively, Ross and Michelle are now set to shake up the world of ethical fashion with their ‘sustainable canvas’ concept. “Ethical, sustainable, green and eco are all terms with very specific connotations. We wanted to do something new and exciting.”
With their 123 collection they have created a fresh look, starting with a sustainable (rather than blank) canvas. “Our aim is to make well-made, desirable, British clothing,” says Michelle. “We want to extinguish the belief that reusing and recycling materials is at the bottom of the fashion food chain.” This is a luxury store selling well designed products that just happen to be ethical as well; upcycled from waste garments and produced locally. Using vertical production methods, whereby an item of clothing can be taken from the cutting table to the store within a week, they are able to provide exactly what the customer is keen on; reacting and responding to new trends within a couple of weeks. Vertical production gives them incredible control over every element of the process and ensures a minute carbon footprint.
LMB Textile Recycling was set up by Ross and Michelle’s father Lawrence, who also designed the ubiquitous green textile recycling banks that populate the streets of major cities. As youngsters Ross and Michelle were soon involved in the family business. “Other children got taken to the park at the weekend. We got taken to the sorting factory where we amused ourselves by jumping around in mountains of second hand clothing.” Their father’s motto was “where possible don’t pay someone else to do something you could do yourself” and this belief has clearly been taken to its natural conclusion with the creation of 123 Bethnal Green Road….
Read the rest of this interview 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.
Ada Zanditon was inspired to use ethically and environmentally conscious solutions in fashion design after she heard a talk given by Katharine Hamnett. Katharine speaks from a very authentic and informed position that inspired me to question the purpose of design and how it can impact the planet. For both ecological and economic reasons Ada decided to focus on design processes that eliminate waste. In practical terms she creates zero waste patterns and saves any remnants to use in other garments or as stuffing or binding. It’s a matter of innovation and efficient resource management. She is also careful about where she sources her fabrics, finding it more of a help than a hindrance to have ecological constraints over what she can choose.
Her clothes are known for their sculptural qualities, a fact she attributes to her fascination with sculptures, architecture and geometry from an early age. She is particularly attracted to biomimicry in design and is inspired by the work of artist Anish Kapoor. But what I most like is the intimate connection between clothing and the human form. It is the presence of the human figure that brings a design to life…
Read the rest of this interview and see more illustrations of Ada Zanditon‘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.
Written by Amelia Gregory on Friday January 7th, 2011 5:46 pm
Anish Kapoor loves to construct sculptures out of Gesso and Pigment, viagra approved two materials in which colour is often illusionary and dependent on the viewer. The first room of the exhibition is a celebration of gesso. The delicate sculptures cover the gallery floor, remedy whilst occasionally bursting from the gallery wall, viagra dosage leaving a smudge of pigment against the cold white gallery space.
Kapoor is a master of subverting the white space. An all-white piece entitled When I am Pregnant (1992) balloons gently from the right hand wall like the delicate condition it is based on. At first unnoticeable, these sculptures force the viewer to move their legs around the gallery space.
The colours of these sculptures undulate within the white, white space of the Royal Academy, portraying, through a combination of their organic forms and titles, the romantic imagination of Kapoor. A sample title: As if to Celebrate, I Discovered a Mountain Blooming with Red Flowers.
Walking into the second room the viewer is greeted with an awe-inspiring wall of yellow pigment that dominates the field of vision entirely. The size is reminiscent of the history paintings that sought to strike the terror of the sublime into the heart of the viewer, through the momentous depiction of dangerous landscapes.
The hue of Yellow (1999) burnt into my retina as if I was staring into the midst of a bee colony’s secret stash of pollen, collected over hundreds of years, until it collapsed in on itself.
Next to this work’s delicate intrusion into the space, Shooting into the Corner (2008-9) has caused red pigment to be dramatically splattered as if a great battle had recently taken place. The outcome of twenty pounds of paint being fired from a cannon every twenty minutes is a sea of red, red pigment smashed and rotting on the gallery floor. For me it summoned up the potential violence that is inherent in painting, as well the history of the Royal Academy, i.e. its desperate need to establish itself within academia.
After the violence of the noise of the cannon, the room of mirrors or Non-Objects is an unrelenting joy. Various visitors stared and examined the reversal of normal perspective that occurred in these hall-of-mirrors exhibits. In its breakdown of accepted proportions the body became architectural as it was broken down into linear compositions. The artist again plays with notions of the sublime projecting it onto the gallery space rather than within the frame of a painting. What is so wonderful about Kapoor is his ability to make new space and new work that is not a rehash of art history but a re-envisioning of the theories of sublime and the unconscious that have deeply impacted the development of modern art.
Hive is a monumental sculpture rammed into a spherical gallery. Built in a ship yard, its metallic hues dominate the space, as the viewer has to carefully pick their way around it. I suggest walking round the back as the base of the sculpture disappears into a hole.
Dominating the five galleries that run along the side of the exhibition, Syayambh (a Sanskrit word meaning self-generated) (2007) is a celebration of wax and engineering. Embedded on tracks, this massive block squeezes its way through the gallery doors, leaving traces of itself in tiny piles along the floor. A celebration of the wax often used in the moulding of Renaissance sculptors, it is a continuation of Kapoor’s celebration of the mediums of art in their own right rather than simply tools of the trade.
The final room contains Slug (2009), a combination of glossy vulvic-inspired openings and unfinished marked tentacles. Based on the sculpture Laocoon and his Sons, it is evocative of the snake that grapples and destroys. Another reference to the downfall of man in the Garden of Eden. It is nonetheless a jaw dropping piece of design.
Gustav Metzger’s “auto-creative” and “auto-destructive” art involved antics like spraying acid on nylon and building objects only to tear them down, dosage each shape the materials made on their way down forming new works. A bit theoretical, although interesting, but he also engaged in art activism, displaying work to do with the Vietnam war. His work is even said to have influenced the guitar-smashing meme in rock music, started by The Who. This retrospective covers almost a lifetime of work.
Now You See It at the Cafe Gallery
This lovely little gallery tucked away in the middle of Southwark Park is squeezing lots of new artists into its show “Now You See It”. Works from Cecilia, Bonilla, Jemima, Brown, Lucy Clout, Timo Kube and Katy Merrington among others explore the tricks a camera can play on you and quite what can be considered real.
Focus on the Rainforest at Kew Gardens
From Wednesday
Award-winning photographer Daniel Beltrá is exhibiting his stunning photographs of the rainforest in the fitting surroundings of Kew Gardens, starting Wednesday September 30. It seems like our generation has been trying to save the rainforests our whole lives and yet the counter on the homepage of the Prince’s Rainforests Project shows how quickly it’s still being destroyed. The exhibition is designed to raise awareness and is also extremely easy on the eye. Rainforests are actually quite frightening and full of spiders, and getting there pollutes the atmosphere, so this is the best way to appreciate their special beauty.
You must also check out Vivienne Westwood’s contribution to the project:
There was a time in the arts when work on the British countryside was the main source of inspiration for artists and writers. It has since become viewed as either twee or been used mainly as a counterpoint to urban environments. Artists Sarah Crew and Chris Holman are returning to the appreciative mold of artist, revelling in the idyllic, the beautiful, the nostalgic about the countryside. Using paint and photography, they create characters – think an updated Animals of Farthing Wood. There’s a story being told here, by the most familiar creatures inhabiting the country we live in.
Pop Life: Art in the Material World, Tate Modern
From Saturday
The artists on display in Tate Modern’s “Pop Life: Art in a Material World” exhibition are so influential on the world of advertising and prevalent in any satire on art, that sometimes works by artists like Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin can seem a bit over-familiar. This exhibition acknowledges the way our recent art has wormed its way into popular culture and happily taken its place there, with bright, bold images that are easy to co-opt into the material world it contends that we live in.
Anish Kapoor at the Royal Academy
All week
This mega-artist’s new exhibition works with the actual fabric of the building to create mind-bending works like his “Svayambh”, shown above in France, a long path made of wax. There are lots of new works for dedicated fans and the grand scale makes this a brilliant way to introduce yourself if you are a recent convert.
ShowStudio: Fashion Revolution, at Somerset House
Fashion Week is over but this stellar exhibition, also located in Somerset House, scampers on. Garnering rave reviews, especially from our own fashion section, this mix of video, mannequins and allsorts celebrating nine years of the Showstudio.com website. Some of its content has appeared online before, but much is new and everything is fashion inspiration incarnate.
Written by Satu Fox on Monday September 28th, 2009 2:42 pm
![Kapoor_Greyman Cries[1]](http://www.ameliasmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Kapoor_Greyman-Cries1.jpg "Kapoor_Greyman Cries[1]")
![Kapoor_Yellow, Royal Academy of Arts[1]](http://www.ameliasmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Kapoor_Yellow-Royal-Academy-of-Arts1.jpg "Kapoor_Yellow, Royal Academy of Arts[1]")
![Kapoor_Shooting into the Corner b[1]](http://www.ameliasmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Kapoor_Shooting-into-the-Corner-b1.jpg "Kapoor_Shooting into the Corner b[1]")
![Kapoor_Hive, Royal Academy of Arts[1]](http://www.ameliasmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Kapoor_Hive-Royal-Academy-of-Arts1.jpg "Kapoor_Hive, Royal Academy of Arts[1]")
![Key 016_a jpeg[1]](http://www.ameliasmagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/Key-016_a-jpeg1.jpg "Key 016_a jpeg[1]")
