Amelia’s Magazine | Earth Listings 26th October – 1st November 2009

DRAWING ATTENTION

Drawing Attention


The Dulwich Picture Gallery has been graced with a showcase of 100 master drawings from the Art Gallery of Ontario. The great masters from Picasso and Matisse, approved to Rembrandt and Van Gogh are here and movements including Renaissance Italy and German Expressionism. An unmissable opportunity to witness arguably the greatest collection of master drawings in one space, see this exhibition will be undoubtedly compelling and astounding. The gallery have already received a record amount of bookings so join the crowds to see one of this year’s must see exhibitions.

Dulwich Picture Gallery

October 21st 2009 – January 27th 2010

WILDLIFE

Veolia Wildlife Photographer Of The Year


Perhaps a tad too excited about this exhibition, ailment The Veolia Wildlife Photographer Of The Year is at the top of my to-do list this week. Held in the wonderous Natural History Museum, the competition handpicks a selection of the finest wildlife photographs from professional and amateur photographers and have received an astounding 43,000 entries. The candidates aim to produce work that is original, creative and inspired and many of this year’s entries will prove to exceed these expectations. None more so in fact than the winner, Jose Luis Rodriguez’ piece ‘The Storybook Wolf’ alone, makes this exhibition worth going to.

Natural History Museum

October 23 2009 – April 11 2010

PHAIDON


Phaidon Pop-Up Shop

The world renowned publisher Phaidon have just opened their first UK pop up book shop in Piccadilly. Famous for superior quality books on visual arts, culture and creativity, you will be able to buy from categories such as design, photography, architecture, fashion, travel and now new editions, cookery and children’s books. Be sure to make a visit soon to get your mits on any of the beautifully crafted publications as it won’t be around forever. The store will be gone again in the January of next year.

Phaidon Store 173 Piccadilly London W1

POP LIFE

Pop Life:Art In A Material World

Based on Andy Warhol’s notorious quote ‘good business is the best art’ the exhibition considers the legacy Pop Art left behind and the influence it has had since. ‘Pop Life’ will focus on how artists have inflitrated and been invloved in the mass media since the 1980′s including Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons, Tracey Emin, Richard Prince and Keith Haring. We are also asked to be aware that some works in this exhibition are of a challenging and sexual nature and dmission to three of the rooms is restricted to over-18s only. You have been warned!

Tate Modern

October 1 2009 – January 17 2010

GREEN DAY

Green Day Presents: ‘The Art of Rock’

A celebration of art and music has come to Brick Lane this week. To coincide with the release of their new album Green Day have commissioned a selection of artists to produce work for a travelling exhibition that will also accompany them on their world tour. The artists, who include curator Logan Hicks, Ron English, Sixten, Will Barras and The London Police were asked to make work in reaction to their latest album, 21st Century Breakdown.

StolenSpace Gallery Brick Lane

October 23 – November 11


DRAWING ATTENTION

Drawing Attention


The Dulwich Picture Gallery has been graced with a showcase of 100 master drawings from the Art Gallery of Ontario. The great masters from Picasso and Matisse, order to Rembrandt and Van Gogh are here and movements including Renaissance Italy and German Expressionism. An unmissable opportunity to witness arguably the greatest collection of master drawings in one space, this exhibition will be undoubtedly compelling and astounding. The gallery have already received a record amount of bookings so join the crowds to see one of this year’s must see exhibitions.

Dulwich Picture Gallery

October 21st 2009 – January 27th 2010

WILDLIFE

Veolia Wildlife Photographer Of The Year

Perhaps a tad too excited about this exhibition, The Veolia Wildlife Photographer Of The Year is at the top of my to-do list this week. Held in the wonderous Natural History Museum, the competition handpicks a selection of the finest wildlife photographs from professional and amateur photographers and have received an astounding 43,000 entries. The candidates aim to produce work that is original, creative and inspired and many of this year’s entries will prove to exceed these expectations. None more so in fact than the winner, Jose Luis Rodriguez’ piece ‘The Storybook Wolf’ alone, makes this exhibition worth going to.

Natural History Museum

October 23 2009 – April 11 2010

PHAIDON


Phaidon Pop-Up Shop

The world renowned publisher Phaidon have just opened their first UK pop up book shop in Piccadilly. Famous for superior quality books on visual arts, culture and creativity, you will be able to buy from categories such as design, photography, architecture, fashion, travel and now new editions, cookery and children’s books. Be sure to make a visit soon to get your mits on any of the beautifully crafted publications as it won’t be around forever. The store will be gone again in the January of next year.

Phaidon Store 173 Piccadilly London W1

POP LIFE

Pop Life:Art In A Material World

Based on Andy Warhol’s notorious quote ‘good business is the best art’ the exhibition considers the legacy Pop Art left behind and the influence it has had since. ‘Pop Life’ will focus on how artists have inflitrated and been invloved in the mass media since the 1980′s including Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons, Tracey Emin, Richard Prince and Keith Haring. We are also asked to be aware that some works in this exhibition are of a challenging and sexual nature and dmission to three of the rooms is restricted to over-18s only. You have been warned!

Tate Modern

October 1 2009 – January 17 2010

GREEN DAY

Green Day Presents: ‘The Art of Rock’

A celebration of art and music has come to Brick Lane this week. To coincide with the release of their new album Green Day have commissioned a selection of artists to produce work for a travelling exhibition that will also accompany them on their world tour. The artists, who include curator Logan Hicks, Ron English, Sixten, Will Barras and The London Police were asked to make work in reaction to their latest album, 21st Century Breakdown.

StolenSpace Gallery Brick Lane

October 23 – November 11

DRAWING ATTENTION

Drawing Attention

The Dulwich Picture Gallery has been graced with a showcase of 100 master drawings from the Art Gallery of Ontario. The great masters from Picasso and Matisse, prescription to Rembrandt and Van Gogh are here and movements including Renaissance Italy and German Expressionism. An unmissable opportunity to witness arguably the greatest collection of master drawings in one space, this exhibition will be undoubtedly compelling and astounding. The gallery have already received a record amount of bookings so join the crowds to see one of this year’s must see exhibitions.

Dulwich Picture Gallery
October 21st 2009 – January 27th 2010

WILDLIFE

Veolia Wildlife Photographer Of The Year

Perhaps a tad too excited about this exhibition, The Veolia Wildlife Photographer Of The Year is at the top of my to-do list this week. Held in the wonderous Natural History Museum, the competition handpicks a selection of the finest wildlife photographs from professional and amateur photographers and have received an astounding 43,000 entries. The candidates aim to produce work that is original, creative and inspired and many of this year’s entries will prove to exceed these expectations. None more so in fact than the winner, Jose Luis Rodriguez’ piece ‘The Storybook Wolf’ alone, makes this exhibition worth going to.

Natural History Museum
October 23 2009 – April 11 2010

PHAIDON

Phaidon Pop-Up Shop

The world renowned publisher Phaidon have just opened their first UK pop up book shop in Piccadilly. Famous for superior quality books on visual arts, culture and creativity, you will be able to buy from categories such as design, photography, architecture, fashion, travel and now new editions, cookery and children’s books. Be sure to make a visit soon to get your mits on any of the beautifully crafted publications as it won’t be around forever. The store will be gone again in the January of next year.

Phaidon Store 173 Piccadilly London W1

POP LIFE

Pop Life:Art In A Material World

Based on Andy Warhol’s notorious quote ‘good business is the best art’ the exhibition considers the legacy Pop Art left behind and the influence it has had since. ‘Pop Life’ will focus on how artists have inflitrated and been invloved in the mass media since the 1980′s including Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons, Tracey Emin, Richard Prince and Keith Haring. We are also asked to be aware that some works in this exhibition are of a challenging and sexual nature and dmission to three of the rooms is restricted to over-18s only. You have been warned!

GREEN DAY

Green Day Presents: ‘The Art of Rock’

A celebration of art and music has come to Brick Lane this week. To coincide with the release of their new album Green Day have commissioned a selection of artists to produce work for a travelling exhibition that will also accompany them on their world tour. The artists, who include curator Logan Hicks, Ron English, Sixten, Will Barras and The London Police were asked to make work in reaction to their latest album, 21st Century Breakdown.

StolenSpace Gallery Brick Lane
October 23 – November 11

DRAWING ATTENTION

Drawing Attention


The Dulwich Picture Gallery has been graced with a showcase of 100 master drawings from the Art Gallery of Ontario. The great masters from Picasso and Matisse, approved to Rembrandt and Van Gogh are here and movements including Renaissance Italy and German Expressionism. An unmissable opportunity to witness arguably the greatest collection of master drawings in one space, there this exhibition will be undoubtedly compelling and astounding. The gallery have already received a record amount of bookings so join the crowds to see one of this year’s must see exhibitions.

Dulwich Picture Gallery

October 21st 2009 – January 27th 2010

WILDLIFE

Veolia Wildlife Photographer Of The Year

Perhaps a tad too excited about this exhibition, The Veolia Wildlife Photographer Of The Year is at the top of my to-do list this week. Held in the wonderous Natural History Museum, the competition handpicks a selection of the finest wildlife photographs from professional and amateur photographers and have received an astounding 43,000 entries. The candidates aim to produce work that is original, creative and inspired and many of this year’s entries will prove to exceed these expectations. None more so in fact than the winner, Jose Luis Rodriguez’ piece ‘The Storybook Wolf’ alone, makes this exhibition worth going to.

Natural History Museum

October 23 2009 – April 11 2010

PHAIDON


Phaidon Pop-Up Shop

The world renowned publisher Phaidon have just opened their first UK pop up book shop in Piccadilly. Famous for superior quality books on visual arts, culture and creativity, you will be able to buy from categories such as design, photography, architecture, fashion, travel and now new editions, cookery and children’s books. Be sure to make a visit soon to get your mits on any of the beautifully crafted publications as it won’t be around forever. The store will be gone again in the January of next year.

Phaidon Store 173 Piccadilly London W1

POP LIFE

Pop Life:Art In A Material World

Based on Andy Warhol’s notorious quote ‘good business is the best art’ the exhibition considers the legacy Pop Art left behind and the influence it has had since. ‘Pop Life’ will focus on how artists have inflitrated and been invloved in the mass media since the 1980′s including Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons, Tracey Emin, Richard Prince and Keith Haring. We are also asked to be aware that some works in this exhibition are of a challenging and sexual nature and dmission to three of the rooms is restricted to over-18s only. You have been warned!

Tate Modern

October 1 2009 – January 17 2010

GREEN DAY

Green Day Presents: ‘The Art of Rock’

A celebration of art and music has come to Brick Lane this week. To coincide with the release of their new album Green Day have commissioned a selection of artists to produce work for a travelling exhibition that will also accompany them on their world tour. The artists, who include curator Logan Hicks, Ron English, Sixten, Will Barras and The London Police were asked to make work in reaction to their latest album, 21st Century Breakdown.

StolenSpace Gallery Brick Lane

October 23 – November 11

DRAWING ATTENTION

Drawing Attention

The Dulwich Picture Gallery has been graced with a showcase of 100 master drawings from the Art Gallery of Ontario. The great masters from Picasso and Matisse, page to Rembrandt and Van Gogh are here and movements including Renaissance Italy and German Expressionism. An unmissable opportunity to witness arguably the greatest collection of master drawings in one space, approved this exhibition will be undoubtedly compelling and astounding. The gallery have already received a record amount of bookings so join the crowds to see one of this year’s must see exhibitions.

Dulwich Picture Gallery
October 21st 2009 – January 27th 2010

WILDLIFE

Veolia Wildlife Photographer Of The Year

Perhaps a tad too excited about this exhibition, for sale The Veolia Wildlife Photographer Of The Year is at the top of my to-do list this week. Held in the wonderous Natural History Museum, the competition handpicks a selection of the finest wildlife photographs from professional and amateur photographers and have received an astounding 43,000 entries. The candidates aim to produce work that is original, creative and inspired and many of this year’s entries will prove to exceed these expectations. None more so in fact than the winner, Jose Luis Rodriguez’ piece ‘The Storybook Wolf’ alone, makes this exhibition worth going to.

Natural History Museum
October 23 2009 – April 11 2010

PHAIDON

Phaidon Pop-Up Shop

The world renowned publisher Phaidon have just opened their first UK pop up book shop in Piccadilly. Famous for superior quality books on visual arts, culture and creativity, you will be able to buy from categories such as design, photography, architecture, fashion, travel and now new editions, cookery and children’s books. Be sure to make a visit soon to get your mits on any of the beautifully crafted publications as it won’t be around forever. The store will be gone again in the January of next year.

Phaidon Store 173 Piccadilly London W1

POP LIFE

Pop Life:Art In A Material World

Based on Andy Warhol’s notorious quote ‘good business is the best art’ the exhibition considers the legacy Pop Art left behind and the influence it has had since. ‘Pop Life’ will focus on how artists have inflitrated and been invloved in the mass media since the 1980′s including Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons, Tracey Emin, Richard Prince and Keith Haring. We are also asked to be aware that some works in this exhibition are of a challenging and sexual nature and admission to three of the rooms is restricted to over-18s only. You have been warned!

Tate Modern
October 1 2009 – January 17 2010

GREEN DAY

Green Day Presents: ‘The Art of Rock’

A celebration of art and music has come to Brick Lane this week. To coincide with the release of their new album Green Day have commissioned a selection of artists to produce work for a travelling exhibition that will also accompany them on their world tour. The artists, who include curator Logan Hicks, Ron English, Sixten, Will Barras and The London Police were asked to make work in reaction to their latest album, 21st Century Breakdown.

StolenSpace Gallery Brick Lane
October 23 – November 11
DRAWING ATTENTION

Drawing Attention

The Dulwich Picture Gallery has been graced with a showcase of 100 master drawings from the Art Gallery of Ontario. The great masters from Picasso and Matisse, viagra to Rembrandt and Van Gogh are here and movements including Renaissance Italy and German Expressionism. An unmissable opportunity to witness arguably the greatest collection of master drawings in one space, this exhibition will be undoubtedly compelling and astounding. The gallery have already received a record amount of bookings so join the crowds to see one of this year’s must see exhibitions.

Dulwich Picture Gallery
October 21st 2009 – January 27th 2010

WILDLIFE

Veolia Wildlife Photographer Of The Year

Perhaps a tad too excited about this exhibition, The Veolia Wildlife Photographer Of The Year is at the top of my to-do list this week. Held in the wonderous Natural History Museum, the competition handpicks a selection of the finest wildlife photographs from professional and amateur photographers and have received an astounding 43,000 entries. The candidates aim to produce work that is original, creative and inspired and many of this year’s entries will prove to exceed these expectations. None more so in fact than the winner, Jose Luis Rodriguez’ piece ‘The Storybook Wolf’ alone, makes this exhibition worth going to.

Natural History Museum
October 23 2009 – April 11 2010

PHAIDON

Phaidon Pop-Up Shop

The world renowned publisher Phaidon have just opened their first UK pop up book shop in Piccadilly. Famous for superior quality books on visual arts, culture and creativity, you will be able to buy from categories such as design, photography, architecture, fashion, travel and now new editions, cookery and children’s books. Be sure to make a visit soon to get your mits on any of the beautifully crafted publications as it won’t be around forever. The store will be gone again in the January of next year.

Phaidon Store 173 Piccadilly London W1

POP LIFE

Pop Life:Art In A Material World

Based on Andy Warhol’s notorious quote ‘good business is the best art’ the exhibition considers the legacy Pop Art left behind and the influence it has had since. ‘Pop Life‘ will focus on how artists have inflitrated and been invloved in the mass media since the 1980′s including Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons, Tracey Emin, Richard Prince and Keith Haring. We are also asked to be aware that some works in this exhibition are of a challenging and sexual nature and admission to three of the rooms is restricted to over-18s only. You have been warned!

Tate Modern
October 1 2009 – January 17 2010

GREEN DAY

Green Day Presents: ‘The Art of Rock’

A celebration of art and music has come to Brick Lane this week. To coincide with the release of their new album Green Day have commissioned a selection of artists to produce work for a travelling exhibition that will also accompany them on their world tour. The artists, who include curator Logan Hicks, Ron English, Sixten, Will Barras and The London Police were asked to make work in reaction to their latest album, 21st Century Breakdown.

StolenSpace Gallery Brick Lane
October 23 – November 11
icacatwalk8

Last night I was delighted to be invited to the ICA for an emphatic catwalk show with a difference. The event was organised by former designer Elaine Foster-Gandey; director of Designer Sales UK.

Elaine developed Real People do the Catwalk after hosting a fashion show which included both dancers and models on stage. “I asked my customers about it and they said they related to the dancers and not the models”.

icacatwalk5

Spurred by this Elaine set about putting together a pioneering show to further the arguement that replacing super-thin models with people who reflect society could lead to increased sales for the fashion industry.

icacatwalk13

The show opened in silence with the models resembling extras from Scream in their attire of long black robes and white masks. Each model first vocalised how they felt the fashion industry related to them, cheap followed by revealing their beautifully styled outfits and their real identities.

icacatwalk2

The driving force behind the model casting to show the fashion industry that different body shapes can be celebrated in fashion shows and advertising campaigns.

icacatwalk12

“It is about not creating an elite world where no one else can join in, adiposity ” Explained Elaine. “So many people want a chance, generic but know that because they are five foot tall, or a size 14-16, they never will have.” The models featured within the show ranged from a 6’1” Drag Artiste to a 5’4” male; dress sizes 8 to 20 and ages between 25 to 60+.

What I enjoyed most about the show was the diversity and celebration of the models differences. It was fresh and modern with all the models having poise, confidence and importantly a great sense of humour. Their
good spirits and sense of fun gave the show an electric atmosphere.

icacatwalk10

The models’ charismatic personalities brought out something unique in the clothes that might not have been projected if worn by a ‘normal’ model. Whether this is because they were real people displaying how the clothes would fit on our own bodies or down to their insurmountable energy and passion for highlighting an issue intricately linked to the size zero debate.

Afterwards there was a riveting post-show debate featuring: Elaine Foster-Gandey; Real People do the Catwalk organiser, writer Dariush Alavi; Eleni Renton, founder of Leni’s Model Management; Hilary Alexander, esteemed fashion director at The Daily Telegraph and was chaired by writer and broadcaster Bidisha.

icacatwalk12

The debate began by Dariush Alavi somewhat controversially enquiring as to why Real People do the Catwalk
was produced to “enact a traditional fashion show.” Suggesting that by keeping the traditional format, could anything change by replacing the models with real people as it is not the models who are at fault but the stage on which they stand. Alavi suggested doing away with the catwalk altogether.

This prompted both Hilary Alexander and a member of the audience to defend the catwalk as “fashion’s world stage” and looked back to a John Galliano show where the entire collection was presented on an overhead track of basic clothes hangers. Dariush’s response suggested making models obsolete and displaying clothes on a fashion conveyer belt went down like a lead balloon. The audience and the rest of the panel remained sceptical of high fashion designers considering a presentation that in a format is more commonly associated with The Generation Game.

icacatwalk15

Questions were raised about the morality of the fashion industry and the spotlight on the size zero debate intensified. Hilary spoke about the Telegraph not facing the same constraints from advertisers as glossy fashion titles and said that the newspaper’s “aim to strike a balance between real people and models and actively try to include both types of woman in spreads… the oldest woman we’ve ever featured was 94.”

Panellist Eleni Renton mentioned that the Editor of UK Vogue Alexandra Shulman spoke out against size zero in June accusing designers of making magazines hire models with “jutting bones and no breasts or hips” by supplying them with “minuscule” garments for their photo shoots. She claimed that Vogue frequently “retouched” photographs to make models look larger. In response Hilary questioned whether things had begun to change at UK Vogue as they still fail to represent body diversity within their pages, suggesting it would become apparent what their real stance on size zero is over the coming months.

icacatwalk11

Elaine added that whilst magazine images are not healthy for women, they have a considerable impact on impressionable teenagers who start to believe they need to emulate perfect bodies in order to be considered beautiful and successful.

“Look around, everything we see is airbrushed… these aren’t real images.”

To emphasise her point Elaine spoke of teenagers being more body conscious than any generation before citing her own children as an example: “I have a six-year-old daughter and 11 and 15-year-old stepdaughters who are constantly looking in the mirror. My stepdaughters are so skinny and so conscious about what they eat and what they see in the media. They are constantly aware of body image issues. It is a big issue for adolescent girls and boys.”

icacatwalk14

The panel and audience agreed that the media are responsible for putting different demographics into the mainstream and popularising diversity, and that they have a moral responsibility to society to not glamorise super skinny body shapes. Elaine believes that there has “been a spike in our body consciousness” in recent years and we have turned into a society “afraid of flesh, hair and wrinkles”.

icacatawalk

Eleni, director of Leni’s Model Management only works with girls “who are sizes 8 to 12… They are the type of girls you see in the street and think, ‘I would like a body like hers.”

As the debate drew to a close the supermodel era was discussed, with Hilary citing that the greats in the industry: Linda, Kate and Naomi all had personality, and that was what made them famous, rather than their figures. On the flip side other great supermodels such as Cindy Crawford, Christy Turlington and Sophie Dahl were celebrated for having curves.

icacatwalk7

Through the conversations it became apparent that the only modern day equivalent of a curvaceous celebrity pushing the boundaries of what is acceptable in mainstream is Beth Ditto, who won LOVE magazine a prestigious industry award for her iconic nude cover

love-magazine

The overall outcome was for women to take responsibility for themselves and their bodies and actively promote positive body attitudes to their daughters, friends and grandchildren. Everyone agreed that while it is easy to blame the media for the size zero trend, consumers need to use our buying power to actively challenge the fashion industry into reconsidering their design practices and elitism.

icacatwalk4

I left the ICA feeling very empowered, wanting to help revolutionise the fashion industry from the outside in.

Home to canals and cannabis, case dams, discount diamonds and professional damsels Holland is an entirely civilized and modern society. But one Dutch girl’s gaze is fixed on another civilization entirely. The first one. The grains of thought for designer Iris Van Herpen’s A/W ’09 collection sprouted from the fertile banks of the River Nile in ancient Egypt. The young designer found inspiration in the post humous labor of love by which the ancient Egyptians sent their nearest and dearest off to the beyond. Forsaking strips of linen in favor of intricate leather lacework, search her garments carefully envelop the body like grandiose and elegant mummies.

IrisVanHerpen_Mummification_AW0910_01.jpg

“Egyptians considered the ‘reality’ that they created for their deaths as the reality, while their daily life was an illusion. In other words, don’t believe everything that looks obvious, but create your own reality…”
When asked how she might adapt this philosophy to her modern hectic life Iris supposes “give more and another way of attention to everything around me and everything I do, making choices in another way and giving more space to the unexpected”
Sounds simple enough, coming from someone whose intense focus has yielded garments requiring the better part of a month and 4 assistants to complete, resulting in complex one-off works of art that are impossible to duplicate. That singularity is what lends these pieces much of their ephemeral quality.

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Clearly passionate about fabrics Iris relishes the “challenge to look further than fabrics… to find interesting materials and get them out of their ‘reality’ or fuction.” She accomplishes this by “giv(ing) them another life” by creating her own function for them.
Iris has shown in both Amsterdam and Tokyo Fashion Week where her A/W ’08 collection Chemical Crows ruffled more than a few feathers. The designer toys with the idea of juxtaposing industrial and traditional materials she has explored everything from radiating umbrella spoke dresses to lace facemasks (which I imagine go over very well with the female mexican wrestler set).

iris1.jpg

Pointing out that maths were her forte (as opposed to languages) Iris welcomes the structural challenges posed by the unique materials and her ambitious ideas. Confronted with endless recalculations in an effort to retain the delicate symmetry of her handmade pieces she admits the small, 10 piece collection, would be impossible to reproduce. A process which would, she admits, would surely drive her to madness.

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With stints at Alexander McQueen and Victor & Rolf Iris emerged with with additional technical know-how and perhaps a clearer sense of purpose. “I learned… that I get restless if I cannot express myself and not do my own thing.”
Not having specifically intended to venture out on her own so quickly, Iris recalls launching herself into the creation of new designs the day after her graduation from Artez School of Arts. to the amazement, and at times concern, of friends.

The Ancient Egyptians believed that when someone died their soul left their body. It would then return and be reunited with the body after it was buried. However the soul needed to find and recognize the body in order to live forever. Hence the decadently decorative sarcophagi. Figuring we won’t be here forever….how would you design yours?

This weeks listings; arts, salve training, films and festivals. Make sure you check out C words at some point, where Platform are putting on 50 events in the run-up to COP 15.

EL1
Illustration by Andrea Kearney

The Alternative Food Shopping Tour!
Tuesday 27 October 2009

An event to accompany C Words: Carbon, Climate, Capital, Culture – an exhibition by artist-activist group PLATFORM and their collaborators. Join James from action hero on a guided tour around Bristol’s alternative food shopping. Where to buy, what to choose, and how the hell it got there!

Time: 10.15am
Venue: Arnolfini 6 Narrow Quay, Bristol BS1 4QA

Embedded! Arts, Energy and Climate Change
Wednesday 28th October 2009

Another event in the programme C Words: Carbon, Climate, Capital, Culture. This day conference is aimed at arts and cultural organisations facing up to the challenge of moving towards low impact and carbon neutral operations. Looking at the investment structure of the arts into funding into climate change as well as discussions into a radical reduction in dependency on carbon and on fossil fuel based economics

11.30am – 4.30pm
£20 / £10 concs
Website: http://www.arnolfini.org.uk/whatson/event

3rd Native Spirit Festival
Friday 30th October 2009?

EL2

The 3rd Native Spirit Festival will be held in London, it is held to promote the Cultures of Indigenous people. The annual season will include films, talks and performances. All proceedings made at the festival will go towards educational resources for schools in indigenous communities.
Venue: London, Amnesty International Human Rights Action Centre
Website: http://www.nativespiritfestival.com/

Healing the wound: the struggle for truth and justice in Mexico
Friday 30th October 2009 ?

Film screening of 12.511 Rosendo Radilla case: An open wound from Mexico’s Dirty War. Q&A follows the film showing with human rights defender Tita Radilla to discuss the struggle in Mexico over the past decades.

Venue: Frontline Club, 13 Norfolk Place, London W2 1QJ
Time: 7pm
Website: http://www.peacebrigades.org.uk/

CAAT National Gathering 2009
Saturday 31st October 2009 ?

Join Campaign Against Arms Trade (CAAT) supporters from around the country for a day of speakers, discussion and inspiration!
There will be an array of workshops on topics from arms fairs to corporate mercenaries to challenging the arms industry’s jobs argument. The event will have opportunities to hone your skills in making the most of the media.
With an election looming and BAE Systems taking advantage of the recession to claim it invests ‘more and more in UK manufacturing’, this year’s event will provide the facts, skills and passion you need to challenge government support for the arms trade and tackle the arms industry’s spin.

Time: 10.15am – 5pm
Venue: Toynbee Studios, London, E1 6AB
Website: www.caat.org.uk/events/nationalgathering/

Training for Gaza Freedom March
Saturday 31st October 2009

Seeds for Change are putting on training for those interested in taking part in the Gaza Freedom march. There is a central London venue, crash-pad accommodation available on Fri and Sat evenings.

Website: http://www.gazafreedommarch.org/

Croydon Eco Veggie Fayre
Sunday 1st Nov 2009

el3

The Croydon Eco Veggie Fayre is a superb day out for the whole family and is the perfect introduction into an eco friendly veggie friendly Fair Trade way of life. Over 50 stalls now allocated, to browse, buy and

Venue: Fairfield Halls, Park Lane, Croydon, Surrey CR9 1DG
Admission £3 for adults, £1 for Kids under 14
Website: http://croydon.ecoveggiefayre.co.uk/

Categories ,3rd Native Spirit Festival, ,arnolfini, ,Arts, ,BAE Systems, ,bristol, ,C words, ,CAAT National Gathering, ,Capital Culture, ,climate, ,Croydon Eco Veggie Fayre, ,Earth Listings, ,energy, ,environment, ,Indigenous People, ,london, ,mexico, ,platform, ,Seeds for Change, ,Veggie

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Amelia’s Magazine | Introducing Artspotter: the App for Art Lovers

Artspotter_balloon

Raphaëlle Heaf is the brains behind Artspotter, a brand new app designed to bring together art lovers and arts venues all over the world. Here she describes how the Artspotter works and why you should use it to start connecting with other art lovers today.

Artspotter_balloon
What is special about Artspotter?
We really see ourselves as an art startup. ArtSpotter is more than just an events listings map. I’ve worked in the art world for many years and felt there was something missing to help people discover what was going on in the art world, wherever you were. That’s where I felt that through a community it would bring about a way to map everything that was going on, so ArtSpotter really about democratising the art world and providing a platform through which everyone feels they can participate. A lot of art apps are trying to teach the audience about art in a very standard ‘Art history’ way but I believe the best way to learn is through experiences and then sharing those. For us it’s important to think of the technology not as a new way for art to be seen but as a mechanism to discover and augment these experiences.

Artspotter_app
What can users gain from downloading the app?
Firstly, we’re the largest arts venue database in the world with over 10,000 venues currently listed in 40 countries. And it’s continuously growing. We’ve got venues signing up daily so nearly wherever you are, I’m pretty sure we’ve got somewhere. Secondly, it’s about having a community that’s passionate about the art world and giving them a space to share that with the world. Twitter and Instagram have proved popular for sharing pictures of art discoveries but don’t really let you locate an exhibition near you if you want to go out and do something cultural. With ArtSpotter you can not only see what’s around you but also discover new things by following other users and what they are up to.

Artspotter_sacriledge
How do you ensure that all exhibitions are listed?
We do this in a few ways, either through the info we add ourselves, direct from the venues or we’ve also partnered with organisations to get some feeds. We’re working hard to ensure information is as up to date as possible, and again that’s where users come in. They can help by adding the exhibitions and venues for others to find as well as sharing what they’ve spotted.

Artspotter_tatton
What do you recommend from the art world this summer for: kids, families and for discerning art savvy adults?
This summer has been dominated by sports but actually it’s given the arts a great promotion also. I think everything that’s going on, not only has celebrated some of the excellent British artists we have but also the diversity of art that exists. Some of my favourites for kids (or the kid in us) include Jeremy Deller’s Sacriledge, a bouncy stonehenge that is touring around the UK throughout the London 2012 Festival and there are plenty of exciting events for the whole family as part of the Southbank’s Festival of the World including aMAZEme which is a continously growing maze made from books with hidden secrets left amongst piles. It’s not only fun to get lost in but has you intrigued for hours reading book spines.


For the discerning adult, I’d really recommend Tatton Park Biennial. Not only is the programme of work of an excellent quality but it’s such a fantastic setting to see contemporary art and well worth the trip.

Artspotter_emptynest
Why the hot air balloon logo and what does it signify?
It’s funny that people are so intrigued by the balloon. In a way that’s why we have it. It’s a bit like a piece of art that gets you thinking and curious to discover more. It’s really up to the user to what it means to them. Of course it relates to travelling and maps but it does encompass a lot of the vision of ArtSpotter; new experiences, taking your time in a fast paced world, wandering through different cities, and enjoying seeing where you’ll be taken (by the crowd) and what you’ll discover. For me it’s also a reference to Le Ballon Rouge, a french story about a balloon that helps this young boy to be carefree and inquisitive as well as find new friends. That’s what ArtSpotter is to me.

Visit the Artspotter website and also explore the Artspotter blog to whet your appetite, before downloading the app on your phone.

Categories ,aMAZEme, ,App, ,Arts, ,Artspotter, ,Festival of the World, ,Jeremy Deller, ,Le Ballon Rouge, ,Raphaëlle Heaf, ,Sacriledge, ,Southbank, ,Tatton Park Biennial

Similar Posts:






Amelia’s Magazine | Lazy Gramophone Press: The Book of Apertures

teebobmarley

All Images Courtesy of African Apparel

After recieving African Apparel’s Freddie Mercury T-shirt for Christmas I became interested in the company. I liked the playful name and the artwork that they have on their t-shirts. I got in touch with them and find out a little bit more about the label.

Andy Devine. African Apparel originally started as a band, thumb what happened to that?

African Apparell. Our act still exist under different names, see lately we’ve been called Postman Pat and Goblin Comb . We started the project as we wanted to play raw fucked up ethnic music. I got into the Sublime Frequencies label thing and was researching loads of different folk music from around the world but what I prefer was always the raw stuff, viagra buy old tribal chief grawling playing a one string luth. The real stuff, no pissing about. So we tried to recreate that in our own style. It sounds funny but we’re pretty serious about  it.

DSC_1626

AD. Is the name just a dig at American Apparell or is there something else behind it?

AA. Well I needed a name for this band. Our music doesnt sound anything near what guys who are into American Apparel would like  so I  just thought African Apparel would be a good name for it so yeah I guess it is a dig  in a way

FREDDIE 1

AD. Was it always intended to become a clothing label or did it happen organically?

AA. Not at all, it was only when I posted the Bob Marley design online and everybody asked me where they could buy it , that I decided to print it. From then, I used the cash to print other shirts from others artists I like. It was more our band t shirt at the beginnning.

DSC_1686

AD. Is there any sort of philosophy behind the label?

AA. Put out tees by artists I like who do stuff differently. Taking risks.

emperortee

AD. How/why did you choose the artists/designs you’ve released so far?

AA. Some of them are people I know and like, some of them are people I have discovered through zines, net or books. There is not a recipe, just people who I think are good and do things their own way.

emperor teee

AD. Could you tell us a little bit about the two new designs you have coming out?

AA. I have three actually. One by Milo Brennan, a piece he did for an exhibition which is a collage inspired by Beavis & Butthead called SkullRockDeath. Another design is by Belgian Artist Brecht Vandenbroucke, I really dig his stuff,  awesome paintings and drawings. Google him! Finally, the third one by Ryan Riss a.k.a Craptical from Seattle who is really pissed off cos Lil Wayne has been jailed. Same again google him, mindblowing stuff.

AD. Do you think you’ll start producing other clothing items other than t-shirts?

AA. I’m not sure really, I’m thinking of having sweaters too and balaclavas but dunno when that’ll happen. I like to keep it simple.

newborn

AD. Can any artists submit ideas to you or do you have a specific idea of who you want to work with next?

AA. Well, I do have a specific idea of what I want but if people think they’ll fit they can submit stuff  but we’re already collaborating with others artists for upcoming releases.

AD. If they can where would they send them?

AA. Afroapparatus@gmail.com

lil weezy

AD. How succesful have you been so far, I own two of the three t-shirts you’ve done so far and they always get a great reaction from people?

AA. I’m not sure what you mean by “successful”. We’ve been selling our tees around the globe from Rio de Janeiro to Tokyo, Moscow , Berlin , NY , Melbourne, Paris etc… So i guess people do like them and its pretty satisfying to think people are wearing your tees around the world . Financially I get enough money to get new tees done and promoting them, thats all that counts so far.

All T-shirts can be purchased from the African Apparel site here.

teebobmarley

All Images Courtesy of African Apparel

After recieving African Apparel’s Freddie Mercury T-shirt for Christmas I became interested in the company. I liked the playful name and the artwork that they have on their t-shirts. I got in touch with them and find out a little bit more about the label.

Andy Devine. African Apparel originally started as a band, order what happened to that?

African Apparell. Our act still exist under different names, cost lately we’ve been called Postman Pat and Goblin Comb . We started the project as we wanted to play raw fucked up ethnic music. I got into the Sublime Frequencies label thing and was researching loads of different folk music from around the world but what I prefer was always the raw stuff, old tribal chief grawling playing a one string luth. The real stuff, no pissing about. So we tried to recreate that in our own style. It sounds funny but we’re pretty serious about  it.

DSC_1626

AD. Is the name just a dig at American Apparell or is there something else behind it?

AA. Well I needed a name for this band. Our music doesnt sound anything near what guys who are into American Apparel would like  so I  just thought African Apparel would be a good name for it so yeah I guess it is a dig  in a way

FREDDIE 1

AD. Was it always intended to become a clothing label or did it happen organically?

AA. Not at all, it was only when I posted the Bob Marley design online and everybody asked me where they could buy it , that I decided to print it. From then, I used the cash to print other shirts from others artists I like. It was more our band t shirt at the beginnning.

DSC_1686

AD. Is there any sort of philosophy behind the label?

AA. Put out tees by artists I like who do stuff differently. Taking risks.

emperortee

AD. How/why did you choose the artists/designs you’ve released so far?

AA. Some of them are people I know and like, some of them are people I have discovered through zines, net or books. There is not a recipe, just people who I think are good and do things their own way.

et

AD. Could you tell us a little bit about the two new designs you have coming out?

AA. I have three actually. One by Milo Brennan, a piece he did for an exhibition which is a collage inspired by Beavis & Butthead called SkullRockDeath. Another design is by Belgian Artist Brecht Vandenbroucke, I really dig his stuff,  awesome paintings and drawings. Google him! Finally, the third one by Ryan Riss a.k.a Craptical from Seattle who is really pissed off cos Lil Wayne has been jailed. Same again google him, mindblowing stuff.

AD. Do you think you’ll start producing other clothing items other than t-shirts?

AA. I’m not sure really, I’m thinking of having sweaters too and balaclavas but dunno when that’ll happen. I like to keep it simple.

newborn

AD. Can any artists submit ideas to you or do you have a specific idea of who you want to work with next?

AA. Well, I do have a specific idea of what I want but if people think they’ll fit they can submit stuff  but we’re already collaborating with others artists for upcoming releases.

AD. If they can where would they send them?

AA. Afroapparatus@gmail.com

lil weezy

AD. How succesful have you been so far, I own two of the three t-shirts you’ve done so far and they always get a great reaction from people?

AA. I’m not sure what you mean by “successful”. We’ve been selling our tees around the globe from Rio de Janeiro to Tokyo, Moscow , Berlin , NY , Melbourne, Paris etc… So i guess people do like them and its pretty satisfying to think people are wearing your tees around the world . Financially I get enough money to get new tees done and promoting them, thats all that counts so far.

All T-shirts can be purchased from the African Apparel site here.

5All images courtesy of Lazy Gramophone Press

Two years in production, cost The Book of Apertures is the fourth publication by Lazy Gramophone Press; an arts collective whose emphasis lies embedded in collaboration – as a process to produce original, nurse personal, prescription and pragmatic works – by any aspiring artist or writer who feels like getting involved.

1

At the launch of The Book of Apertures, there was an honest and reverent sense of a team effort, with a mutual respect for each contributor’s offering; be it a short story, an illustration, or a poem. As Phil Levine, a founding member of Lazy Gramophone explained of the project, “it feels like everyone has had their own part in it, like an original hand-made arts and crafts feel.” And it is this sort of grassroots method that has combined and juxtaposed creativity to make for a wonderful environment of ideas and imaginings.

4

The premise of the group’s new book was that each contributor was given the theme of the unexplainable; focusing on elements of life that just don’t make sense… and to run with it. What was produced were some fantastically remarkable works. Some to make you laugh – The Kidnapping of Little Wallet, by Guy J Jackson had me giggling away in inappropriate circumstances; and some will make you cry, or muse, or just smile (the opening poem, Moment’s Notice by Helena Santos is just lovely). It is this variety that makes the book – the personality of each contributor is exhumed, as Levine reflected proudly (and rightly so). “There is such a wide variety of people that everyone’s got their own style so you can’t directly compare any of the stories, they are all very individual.”

3

Sam Rawlings, who edited the collection, was equally beaming with the end result. Of particular significance seemed to be the fluidity with which the whole process evolved. Speaking at the launch, Rawlings elucidated that “the idea went out and we didn’t know how many people would respond, it could have been one or two or it could have been more – it turned out that we had about 22 or 23 people, so it was great. It wasn’t everyone at the start – people heard about what was going on and kind of joined in half way, and it started growing and morphing.”

2

Illustrated throughout, The Book of Apertures combines artists renditions; another dais by which talent seeps from the pages. The book is aesthetically pleasing to the extreme, a myriad of perfectionists jigsawed together amidst a slightly obscure semiotic whole. Dan Prescott, who designed and typeset the book, has produced an impeccable labour of love.

6

The Lazy Gramophone group as a collective have demonstrated a remarkable and inspiring ethos throughout this project, and their willingness to provide a means of expression is second to none – as Levine said: “there should be a platform for where it would be easier to put work out there, so our work can get out to a wider audience… The emphasis is really on collaborations, anyone who wants to get involved, be it the creative side, the technical side, or even the business side, anything, a mixture of people doing their own thing, and we want as many people involved as possible.”

7

Several of the writers in The Book of Apertures will be holding readings in and around London prior to the official on sale date, April 6th. Filled with intricacies, I would happily recommend the book to anyone. On asking about their next project, it appears there are more collaborative projects to come – however, as Rawlings joked, “this took two years so don’t hold your breath!”

Categories ,Arts, ,Arts Collective, ,book launch, ,books, ,illustration, ,illustrators, ,Lazy Gramophone, ,limited edition prints, ,literature, ,poetry, ,press, ,print, ,Sam Rawlings, ,Small press

Similar Posts:






Amelia’s Magazine | Lazy Gramophone Press: The Book of Apertures

teebobmarley

All Images Courtesy of African Apparel

After recieving African Apparel’s Freddie Mercury T-shirt for Christmas I became interested in the company. I liked the playful name and the artwork that they have on their t-shirts. I got in touch with them and find out a little bit more about the label.

Andy Devine. African Apparel originally started as a band, thumb what happened to that?

African Apparell. Our act still exist under different names, see lately we’ve been called Postman Pat and Goblin Comb . We started the project as we wanted to play raw fucked up ethnic music. I got into the Sublime Frequencies label thing and was researching loads of different folk music from around the world but what I prefer was always the raw stuff, viagra buy old tribal chief grawling playing a one string luth. The real stuff, no pissing about. So we tried to recreate that in our own style. It sounds funny but we’re pretty serious about  it.

DSC_1626

AD. Is the name just a dig at American Apparell or is there something else behind it?

AA. Well I needed a name for this band. Our music doesnt sound anything near what guys who are into American Apparel would like  so I  just thought African Apparel would be a good name for it so yeah I guess it is a dig  in a way

FREDDIE 1

AD. Was it always intended to become a clothing label or did it happen organically?

AA. Not at all, it was only when I posted the Bob Marley design online and everybody asked me where they could buy it , that I decided to print it. From then, I used the cash to print other shirts from others artists I like. It was more our band t shirt at the beginnning.

DSC_1686

AD. Is there any sort of philosophy behind the label?

AA. Put out tees by artists I like who do stuff differently. Taking risks.

emperortee

AD. How/why did you choose the artists/designs you’ve released so far?

AA. Some of them are people I know and like, some of them are people I have discovered through zines, net or books. There is not a recipe, just people who I think are good and do things their own way.

emperor teee

AD. Could you tell us a little bit about the two new designs you have coming out?

AA. I have three actually. One by Milo Brennan, a piece he did for an exhibition which is a collage inspired by Beavis & Butthead called SkullRockDeath. Another design is by Belgian Artist Brecht Vandenbroucke, I really dig his stuff,  awesome paintings and drawings. Google him! Finally, the third one by Ryan Riss a.k.a Craptical from Seattle who is really pissed off cos Lil Wayne has been jailed. Same again google him, mindblowing stuff.

AD. Do you think you’ll start producing other clothing items other than t-shirts?

AA. I’m not sure really, I’m thinking of having sweaters too and balaclavas but dunno when that’ll happen. I like to keep it simple.

newborn

AD. Can any artists submit ideas to you or do you have a specific idea of who you want to work with next?

AA. Well, I do have a specific idea of what I want but if people think they’ll fit they can submit stuff  but we’re already collaborating with others artists for upcoming releases.

AD. If they can where would they send them?

AA. Afroapparatus@gmail.com

lil weezy

AD. How succesful have you been so far, I own two of the three t-shirts you’ve done so far and they always get a great reaction from people?

AA. I’m not sure what you mean by “successful”. We’ve been selling our tees around the globe from Rio de Janeiro to Tokyo, Moscow , Berlin , NY , Melbourne, Paris etc… So i guess people do like them and its pretty satisfying to think people are wearing your tees around the world . Financially I get enough money to get new tees done and promoting them, thats all that counts so far.

All T-shirts can be purchased from the African Apparel site here.

teebobmarley

All Images Courtesy of African Apparel

After recieving African Apparel’s Freddie Mercury T-shirt for Christmas I became interested in the company. I liked the playful name and the artwork that they have on their t-shirts. I got in touch with them and find out a little bit more about the label.

Andy Devine. African Apparel originally started as a band, order what happened to that?

African Apparell. Our act still exist under different names, cost lately we’ve been called Postman Pat and Goblin Comb . We started the project as we wanted to play raw fucked up ethnic music. I got into the Sublime Frequencies label thing and was researching loads of different folk music from around the world but what I prefer was always the raw stuff, old tribal chief grawling playing a one string luth. The real stuff, no pissing about. So we tried to recreate that in our own style. It sounds funny but we’re pretty serious about  it.

DSC_1626

AD. Is the name just a dig at American Apparell or is there something else behind it?

AA. Well I needed a name for this band. Our music doesnt sound anything near what guys who are into American Apparel would like  so I  just thought African Apparel would be a good name for it so yeah I guess it is a dig  in a way

FREDDIE 1

AD. Was it always intended to become a clothing label or did it happen organically?

AA. Not at all, it was only when I posted the Bob Marley design online and everybody asked me where they could buy it , that I decided to print it. From then, I used the cash to print other shirts from others artists I like. It was more our band t shirt at the beginnning.

DSC_1686

AD. Is there any sort of philosophy behind the label?

AA. Put out tees by artists I like who do stuff differently. Taking risks.

emperortee

AD. How/why did you choose the artists/designs you’ve released so far?

AA. Some of them are people I know and like, some of them are people I have discovered through zines, net or books. There is not a recipe, just people who I think are good and do things their own way.

et

AD. Could you tell us a little bit about the two new designs you have coming out?

AA. I have three actually. One by Milo Brennan, a piece he did for an exhibition which is a collage inspired by Beavis & Butthead called SkullRockDeath. Another design is by Belgian Artist Brecht Vandenbroucke, I really dig his stuff,  awesome paintings and drawings. Google him! Finally, the third one by Ryan Riss a.k.a Craptical from Seattle who is really pissed off cos Lil Wayne has been jailed. Same again google him, mindblowing stuff.

AD. Do you think you’ll start producing other clothing items other than t-shirts?

AA. I’m not sure really, I’m thinking of having sweaters too and balaclavas but dunno when that’ll happen. I like to keep it simple.

newborn

AD. Can any artists submit ideas to you or do you have a specific idea of who you want to work with next?

AA. Well, I do have a specific idea of what I want but if people think they’ll fit they can submit stuff  but we’re already collaborating with others artists for upcoming releases.

AD. If they can where would they send them?

AA. Afroapparatus@gmail.com

lil weezy

AD. How succesful have you been so far, I own two of the three t-shirts you’ve done so far and they always get a great reaction from people?

AA. I’m not sure what you mean by “successful”. We’ve been selling our tees around the globe from Rio de Janeiro to Tokyo, Moscow , Berlin , NY , Melbourne, Paris etc… So i guess people do like them and its pretty satisfying to think people are wearing your tees around the world . Financially I get enough money to get new tees done and promoting them, thats all that counts so far.

All T-shirts can be purchased from the African Apparel site here.

5All images courtesy of Lazy Gramophone Press

Two years in production, cost The Book of Apertures is the fourth publication by Lazy Gramophone Press; an arts collective whose emphasis lies embedded in collaboration – as a process to produce original, nurse personal, prescription and pragmatic works – by any aspiring artist or writer who feels like getting involved.

1

At the launch of The Book of Apertures, there was an honest and reverent sense of a team effort, with a mutual respect for each contributor’s offering; be it a short story, an illustration, or a poem. As Phil Levine, a founding member of Lazy Gramophone explained of the project, “it feels like everyone has had their own part in it, like an original hand-made arts and crafts feel.” And it is this sort of grassroots method that has combined and juxtaposed creativity to make for a wonderful environment of ideas and imaginings.

4

The premise of the group’s new book was that each contributor was given the theme of the unexplainable; focusing on elements of life that just don’t make sense… and to run with it. What was produced were some fantastically remarkable works. Some to make you laugh – The Kidnapping of Little Wallet, by Guy J Jackson had me giggling away in inappropriate circumstances; and some will make you cry, or muse, or just smile (the opening poem, Moment’s Notice by Helena Santos is just lovely). It is this variety that makes the book – the personality of each contributor is exhumed, as Levine reflected proudly (and rightly so). “There is such a wide variety of people that everyone’s got their own style so you can’t directly compare any of the stories, they are all very individual.”

3

Sam Rawlings, who edited the collection, was equally beaming with the end result. Of particular significance seemed to be the fluidity with which the whole process evolved. Speaking at the launch, Rawlings elucidated that “the idea went out and we didn’t know how many people would respond, it could have been one or two or it could have been more – it turned out that we had about 22 or 23 people, so it was great. It wasn’t everyone at the start – people heard about what was going on and kind of joined in half way, and it started growing and morphing.”

2

Illustrated throughout, The Book of Apertures combines artists renditions; another dais by which talent seeps from the pages. The book is aesthetically pleasing to the extreme, a myriad of perfectionists jigsawed together amidst a slightly obscure semiotic whole. Dan Prescott, who designed and typeset the book, has produced an impeccable labour of love.

6

The Lazy Gramophone group as a collective have demonstrated a remarkable and inspiring ethos throughout this project, and their willingness to provide a means of expression is second to none – as Levine said: “there should be a platform for where it would be easier to put work out there, so our work can get out to a wider audience… The emphasis is really on collaborations, anyone who wants to get involved, be it the creative side, the technical side, or even the business side, anything, a mixture of people doing their own thing, and we want as many people involved as possible.”

7

Several of the writers in The Book of Apertures will be holding readings in and around London prior to the official on sale date, April 6th. Filled with intricacies, I would happily recommend the book to anyone. On asking about their next project, it appears there are more collaborative projects to come – however, as Rawlings joked, “this took two years so don’t hold your breath!”

Categories ,Arts, ,Arts Collective, ,book launch, ,books, ,illustration, ,illustrators, ,Lazy Gramophone, ,limited edition prints, ,literature, ,poetry, ,press, ,print, ,Sam Rawlings, ,Small press

Similar Posts:






Amelia’s Magazine | Festival Preview: Latitude

Alternative Fashion Week Day 5 2010 Viveka Goyanes
Alternative Fashion Week Day 5 2010 Kim Seoghee
All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Kim Seoghee may not be Flemish (I’m gonna bet he isn’t) but his work sure as hell feels the touch of Belgium. With a team of skinny stoney faced pretty boy models and ethereal girls, visit web Kim showed us a classic example of the sulky European genre. Eyes emphasised with kohl, visit this the models lined up to show Another 7th Day, prescription a pick ‘n’ mix collection in black, grey and cream. Amongst the upbeat surroundings of Alternative Fashion Week their cool collective attitude stood right out, but they’d fit right in at Paris or London fashion weeks proper.

Alternative Fashion Week Day 5 2010 Kim Seoghee
Alternative Fashion Week Day 5 2010 Kim Seoghee
Alternative Fashion Week Day 5 2010 Kim Seoghee
Alternative Fashion Week Day 5 2010 Kim Seoghee
Alternative Fashion Week Day 5 2010 Kim
Alternative Fashion Week Day 5 2010 Kim Seoghee
Alternative Fashion Week Day 5 2010 Kim Seoghee
Kim Seoghee with his models.

Laura Panter showed a clever collection – ‘This collection cries adolescent’ – God knows what being a teenager had to do with it though. The clothes were a curve enhancing mix of pastel chiffon and wool with bondage inspired straps and belt features.

Alternative Fashion Week Day 5 2010 Laura Panter
Alternative Fashion Week Day 5 2010 Laura Panter
Alternative Fashion Week Day 5 2010 Laura Panter
Alternative Fashion Week Day 5 2010 Laura Panter
Laura Panter.

She was followed swiftly by the work of another Laura. Laura Fox had put together a cute series of outfits inspired by ‘British Heritage, Harris Tweed and Oilskin’ – with the aim of promoting manufacturing in the UK. Her love for classic British designers such as Christopher Bailey for Burberry were clear in what I thought was a sweet and mature collection, and that was before I discovered that Laura is wheelchair bound. She has a good web presence with a Carbonmade website and a twitter feed so she clearly hasn’t let a little thing like a disability stop her from keeping busy. And my friends over at Creative Boom have also blogged on her here. Dead impressed.

Alternative Fashion Week Day 5 2010 Laura Fox
Alternative Fashion Week Day 5 2010 Laura Fox
Alternative Fashion Week Day 5 2010 Laura Fox
Alternative Fashion Week Day 5 2010 Laura Fox
Alternative Fashion Week Day 5 2010 Laura Fox
Laura Fox had business cards to hand: the way it should be done!

Sarina Hosking showed a couple of pieces titled Beauty and the Beast. I have to say I’m not surprised by the title – during a week when titles often bore abstract relevance to the collections they were attached to (at best), this did exactly what it said on the tin. The girl that really got all the photographers salivating was a sexy grown-up version of Little Red Riding Hood, complete with red lacy veil. An elegant gent in wolf mask looked on. They were a distraction from the rest of the collection but heck, why not mix and match your fairytale references? According to her myspace Sarina is principally a theatrical designer, so it all begins to make sense.

Transform by Elizabeth Wilcox was described as ‘Sportswear creating capsule wardrobe’. It was certainly sporty but I am not sure I was feeling the marl grey highlighted with neon sculptural thing.

Viveka Goyanes put together cutesy cream printed shirts with carefully styled black and white tailoring to present a mature collection called Brummella the Dandella. I particularly loved all the little touches, like the ripped and accessorised socks. It always pays to look down!

The first festival I ever had the fortune to attend was Latitude 2007. Still a fresher at university, page still fresh-faced and just a little naïve; a small hatchback, viagra order four friends, and every nook and cranny jammed with our camping equipment. We were green, and we didn’t know that you wouldn’t need six sets of clothes, nor a full foldable mattress, nor (as one of our group, bizarrely, thought) a full set of crockery. It was only due to our general keenness that left us arriving early and managing to snag a camping spot both close to the site entrance and (crucially) within 600 yards of the car park. That was, I discovered, exactly the limit of my stamina for being able to carry my own weight in paperbacks and camping stoves (three!) and several pairs of shoes. Oh, idle youth! These days I can take five nights of living in muddy squalor like a medieval serf in my stride, but that’s only down to training myself; I had to ween myself off such modern luxuries as soap, razors, and fresh underwear.

But I digress – this is meant to be a preview of Latitude 2010. The background: Latitude occurs every year in July in Southwold in Suffolk, and operates under the banner of Festival Republic (formerly Mean Fiddler), that gargantuan promotions company with fingers in many pies and still perhaps best know for the carnival of the damned that is the Reading and Leeds Weekender. Latitude is something of a pet project for Festival Republic, who felt that British festivals had lost track of what made them so culturally important in the first place – not just the bands but the atmosphere, the vibe, the performers on stilts and the chance meetings in the dark under the boughs of some off-to-the-side willow. Glastonbury has become something of a behemoth, but it used to be a small and intimate affair; Latitude’s raison d’être is to mimic what Glastonbury is suppose to once have been. My verdict, taking my experiences of 2007 into account, is that they have succeeded admirably, though it would be churlish to say that it’s exactly as the same. Many of those ideals that the hippies celebrated at the solstice three decades ago – appreciation of the earth, appreciation of humanity – have arguably seeped into the larger (regular) festival-going public, but these days we’re much, much better at recycling.

Capacity is relatively small, as far as festivals go these days, capped at 25000 since 2008, and the wondrous thing about Latitude is that you can go the whole weekend without seeing a single band. There’s a strong lineup of comedy acts, theatre performances, literature talks and other cultural oddities that mark it out as unique in the British festival scene. I’ll run through some of the things to look forward to this year, for those that are going, and if you’re not then be quick, because it’ll sell out soon.

There are several music stages scattered about the site. The largest is the main Obelisk Arena, this year headlined by Florence & the Machine, Belle & Sebastian, and Vampire Weekend. Other artists worth seeing include folkster Laura Marling, indie legends Spoon, insanely talented Mexican acoustic duo Rodrigo y Gabriela, gorgeous melody act Dirty Projectors, and even a recently-reformed James. They’ll probably sing that song about sitting.

Move across to the second stage and you’ll find the Word Arena, headlined by the National, the xx, and Grizzly Bear. The first is one of the best bands in the world, without question, and if you go you’ll probably find me there too, undergoing some kind of trembling transcendental spasm attack. I love that band. Oh god how I do. The xx are an interesting choice of headliner as their music, so heavy with meaning and yet so utterly minimal, might struggle to hold a headlining slot on a festival stage. I’ve seen them live before and they were bloody fantastic, so I’m sure they’ll be fine; I won’t be seeing them at Latitude, though. My reasons involve a broken heart, a worn mixtape, and shattered promises – I won’t burden you any further than that, but know that it was horrid. Grizzly Bear are sick, and will absolutely suit the beautiful site that Latitude is situated within. Also playing the Word Arena are Wild Beasts, Richard Hawley, the Horrors, and Yeasayer, etc. etc..

Then you’ve got your Lake Stage, which is (no surprises here) situated next to a lake, as well as the Sunrise Arena deep in the woods on the edge of the site. Exactly who shall be playing where on these stages hasn’t been announced yet, but what is know is that artists and bands such as the Big Pink, Black Mountain, Girls, These New Puritans, Tokyo Police Club, and a bunch of others. I’ve been looking back through past years and Latitude 2010 looks like being potentially the best ever with regards to the music acts (though 2009 was also pretty sick – Nick Cave!). But it’s not all about the music, of course, otherwise it wouldn’t be quite as sweetly unique as it is.

In the Comedy tent there are sets from Richard Herring, Emo Philips, Rich Hall, Phill Jupitus, Mark Watson, but also many smaller acts such as Mark Oliver and Doc Brown. In previous years this tent has had a propensity towards overcrowding when the bigger names have appeared, but hopefully they’ll have ironed out the creases there. We’ve already covered the Literature tent on Amelia’s Magazine, somewhat, but I’ll add that Jon McGregor is also giving a talk. He’s the author of If Nobody Speaks Of Remarkable Things, a novel that is in itself extraordinarily remarkable and one of the finest examples of prose-poetry I’ve read in the past decade. Also of note here is that Dan Kitson, who probably blushes when he gets described as, “perhaps the finest standup comic of his generation,” all time, will be telling a story for an hour every night at midnight on the Waterfront Stage. His work is rarely available on video as he doesn’t like the idea of his shows being pirated, so please take this opportunity to see him in the flesh.

John Cooper Clarke is in the Poetry tent – one of the towering figures of modern performance poetry in this country should be reason enough to raise some curiosity there, but there are also appearances from important figures on the British poetry scene like Luke Wright and John Stammers. Eddie Argos, of Art Brut fame, will also be doing a set – if you’re familiar with the man then you’ll know that’s an intriguing prospect.

I’ve barely scratched the surface here – there’s a Cabaret tent that parties on into the early hours of the morning, there’s the Film & Music Arena showcasing some unique new audiovisual shows (as well as more irreverent stuff from the likes of Adam Buxton and the Modern Toss crew), and there’s also a chance to wander into the woods to find both the opera performances and the In The Woods area, a woodland clearing set up for late night raving. There are numerous plays put on at the Theatre Arena, including performances from the Royal Shakespeare Company and Everyman Playhouse. There’s a huge childrens’ area that’s almost like a playground.

Hell, the whole thing is like some gaudy carnival from the middle ages transported through time for our enjoyment. There’s a parade at some point, there’s giant painting projects, you can row boats in the lake, you can watch a jazz band play all day on a floating stage on the lake, and so on, and so on. The beauty of the site just completes the package, and thankfully the Latitude team are very good at maintaining it. They’ve got a well-developed set of environmentally-friendly policies that have managed to recycle most of the waste from past festivals, including designated recycling bins, bags handed out to campers for sorting their recycling, and everything you can buy on site is sourced so that it won’t damage the environment both getting there and if it’s thrown away. Sorted.

So that’s Latitude 2010. Three days almost doesn’t seem enough, does it?

Categories ,2010, ,Adam Buxton, ,Art Brut, ,Arts, ,Belle & Sebastian, ,Black Mountain, ,Cabaret, ,comedy, ,Dan Kitson, ,dirty projectors, ,Doc Brown, ,Eddie Argos, ,Emo Philips, ,environment, ,Everyman Playhouse, ,festival, ,film, ,Florence & the Machine, ,girls, ,glastonbury, ,grizzly bear, ,ian steadman, ,James, ,John Cooper Clarke, ,John Stammers, ,Jon McGregor, ,latitude, ,Latitude Festival, ,Laura Marling, ,leeds, ,Luke Wright, ,Mark Oliver, ,Mark Watson, ,Modern Toss, ,music, ,Nick Cave, ,opera, ,Phill Jupitus, ,rave, ,Reading, ,Rich Hall, ,richard hawley, ,Richard Herring, ,rodrigo y gabriela, ,Royal Shakespeare Company, ,Spoon, ,Standup, ,the big pink, ,the horrors, ,The National, ,The XX, ,These New Puritans, ,Tokyo Police Club, ,Vampire Weekend, ,Wild Beasts, ,Yeasayer

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