Bob Dylan – AmeliasMagazine

Amelia’s Magazine | Hard Rain exhibition highlights need for global action on environment

Gasmask wedding: Using nuptials to protest against pollution in Russia

Given the fact I think Bob Dylan‘s something of a genius, information pills it would probably come as no surprise to you that I was eager as a leaf blowin’ in the wind is tossed this way and that to check out the Hard Rain exhibition, discount now to be seen free of charge – and, fittingly, out in the elements – in London.

Featuring challenging photographs that come together to document environmental and social issues from around the world, this exhibition is currently displayed along Imperial College Road, off Exhibition Road, as a 60-metre long banner of photographs, together with commentaries.

Deforestation in Brazil: the timber being felled in this image had to be sold by parents to pay for their children’s TB medication

Its images reflect global challenges of today, from environmental change to human rights, with each one referring to – and, in turn, being referred to by – a line from the lyrics of Dylan’s iconic song ‘A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall’. Why this song? Well, written as it was by Dylan in reaction to the Cuban crisis of the early ’60s and, thus, influenced by a potentially cataclysmic event itself, it inspired the project.

According to Mark Edwards, renowned photographer and Hard Rain’s organiser, the aim behind the project is to draw attention to global concerns and help enthuse people to put huge pressure on governments around the world to address the environmental and global problems we face. It’s a lofty ambition, certainly, and maybe sounds rather too idealistic; however, it’s hard not to be moved and feel somewhat invigorated after taking a look – however long – at the exhibition. The photographs portray a range of problems from deforestation to the aftermath of conflict, pollution and abject poverty. And there’s certainly a sense of ‘cause and effect’ to all of them displayed together – the reality of the problems we face as a world leap out of these often very striking and memorable images and, as a whole experience, they do underline the need to tackle all of these problems together, not individually one at a time.

Fancy a snack: the West stuffs its face while millions elsewhere suffer from food shortages

Impressively, before reaching Imperial College Road, Hard Rain travelled all around the world, ensuring it’s apparently so far been visited by more than15 million people. It runs until Friday – 12 March – at Imperial College’s South Kensington Campus; I urge you to brave the elements and take a look before it’s gone, even if you have to do so in a break between it pouring with heavy, nay, hard rain.

Written by Adam Bollard on Wednesday March 10th, 2010 5:15 pm

Categories ,A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall, ,Adam Bollard, ,Bob Dylan, ,deforestation, ,Hard Rain exhibition, ,Mark Edwards, ,poverty

Amelia’s Magazine | Fifty Years of Illustration: an interview with coauthor Lawrence Zeegen

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The definitive Fifty Years of Illustration by Lawrence Zeegen and Caroline Roberts was published by Laurence King late last year. This beautiful volume charts contemporary illustration’s rich history, starting with the rampant idealism of the 1960s, moving onto the bleak realism of the 1970s, the over-blown consumerism of the 1980s and the digital explosion of the 1990s, followed by the increasing diversification of illustration that represents the discipline in the early twenty-first century.

‘The book explores the contexts in which the discipline has operated and looks historically, sociologically, politically and culturally at the key factors at play across each decade, whilst artworks by key illustrators bring the decade to life. Contemporary illustration’s impact and influence on design and popular culture are investigated through introductory essays and profiles of leading practitioners, illustrated with examples of their finest work.’

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Lawrence Zeegen is currently Dean of the School of Design at London College of Communication, University of the Arts London, where he leads pre-degree, undergraduate and postgraduate courses and research in animation, book arts, branding and identity, illustration, interface and interaction design, graphic communication design, spatial design and typographic design. In this in depth interview he tells us more the process of making this must have book.

Why did you decide to concentrate on the last 50 years of illustration in this book?
My book Fifty Years of Illustration charts the birth of contemporary illustration at the start of the 1960s to the present day. The sixties was the moment in time when illustrators first had an opportunity to create work away from the restrictions of the commercial client – underground publications sprang up as the counterculture evolved in San Francisco on the West Coast of the US and in London, whilst in New York studios such as Push Pin began to create and publish work that was more expressive and experimental than had previously been seen.

Contemporary illustration was born in the sixties and the discipline has undergone massive flux and a huge transformation during the five decades the book charts. From the energy and idealism of the sixties, the dreamlike escapism and contrasting bleak realism of the seventies, the over-blown consumerism and ‘greed-is-good’ ambitions of the eighties to the digital explosion of the nineties and the increasing diversification of illustration during the early 21st century, Fifty Years of Illustration explores the discipline through the key factors historically, sociologically, politically and culturally that determined each decade.

On a personal note, I turned 50 last year so the book covers illustration’s recent history aligned to my own development too. I’ve been working as an illustrator for 30 years, teaching illustration as an educator for 25 years and writing about illustration for 10 years so the book became a natural extension of my own interests in the subject.

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How did you pick the artists to represent each era?
That’s a good question – it started some years ago with conversations, often over a glass or two of red wine, with Professor John Lord at University of Brighton and with others including Professor George Hardie and Ian Wright. Ultimately though the final long list was one I discussed with the publishers, of course, and with Caroline Roberts, who worked on the book with me. Caroline pointed me in the direction of a few illustrators I hadn’t considered and also helped to source a few from the 1960s and 1970s that weren’t easy to locate.

One consideration, not really visible to the reader, is a few restrictions placed on a project like this for a couple of very valid reasons – the publishers have co-publishers in mind from a variety of other countries so were keen that illustrators from these countries were represented in the book and the other issue that cropped up a few times was the cost in reproducing some of the images. Most illustrators allowed us to reproduce their work without a fee but a few, mainly those from a few decades ago and no longer alive, were represented by picture libraries and agencies and these charged for the rights to reproduce the works; fair enough, of course, but the picture budget was soon eaten up.

There will be those illustrators that weren’t included in the book that my fellow illustrators and academics will think should have been selected and there will, inevitably, be those illustrators that I have chosen that some will wonder what warranted their inclusion – ultimately, it really did come down to personal choice. I had a list for each decade in a notebook that I carried around for a couple of years and would update from time-to-time, scribbling down names and crossing out others. It is a personal selection and most definitely not the list to end all lists – there are a few illustrators that I’d have loved to include but in having to make a tight selection it just wasn’t possible to include everyone. I’ll be interested to see from the most recent decades, which illustrators stand the test of time – and would still make the grade when I revise the book for the 2nd edition in a few years time…

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Do you have any personal favourites, and if so who are they and why?
Of course, it is impossible not to have a few favourites, even though the entire selection has been made up of my choices and ended up being quite subjective really. I guess I have favourites that span each decade. Having been born to young parents in the mid sixties I grew up to the soundtrack of the Beatles, so Klaus Voormann’s cover for Revolver still resonates very strongly for me. I met him recently and he is such a great guy and supremely talented – we’re talking about how to best celebrate the fifty years since Revolver was released next year.

Another favourite from the 1960s has to be Milton Glaser’s portrait of Dylan that ran as a poster inserted into the Bob Dylan’s Greatest Hits album released in 1967. Glaser is another hero I was fortunate enough to meet recently, this time in New York, and I asked him if the urban myth I had heard was true – did he hide the letters to spell out the word in E L V I S in Dylan’s hair, his response? ‘Yeah, I heard that too.’ He gave nothing away, and why should the guy that created one of the most iconic pieces of branding ever – I ♥ NY feel he has to confirm or deny rumours?

From the 1970s I would have to say my favourite images in the book are either Guy Peellaert’s gatefold album sleeve illustration of David Bowie for Diamond Dogs or perhaps Philip Castle’s poster for Stanley Kubrick’s Clockwork Orange, although George Hardie’s images have always been at the top of any of my lists too. From the 1980s Ivan Chermayeff’s graphic images at pretty unbeatable – yet another hero I was fortunate enough to meet last year, and Patrick Nagel’s rather cool expressionless models, as featured on Duran Duran’s Rio, have always been pretty special. Andrzej Klimowski was my tutor at the Royal College of Art at the end of the eighties, as was Dan Fern, and they both created some very iconic and influential work during that period.

More recently, during the 1990s, I have always liked the work of Andy Martin and John Hersey – both leading lights of the early digital era, and think illustrators Kam Tang, Brett Ryder and Kate Gibb are rather fantastic. Of the bunch, though, it would have to be Mariscal – Cobi, his character for the Barcelona ’92 Olympics, was simply brilliantly envisaged and Mariscal himself is a character to behold, I met Mariscal at a lecture he gave at Central Saint Martins a few years ago and he knocked me out and again last year at a conference in Toronto I witnessed him entertain a crowd of 2000+ with a magnificently surreal talk and performance.

Bang up to date and through the 2000s and 2010s I would have to say that Jasper Goodall, Marion Deuchars, Airside, Antony Burril, Patrick Thomas, Jason Ford, Roderick Mills, Peepshow, Paul Davis, Adrian Johnson and Ian Wright are all firm favourites, but then I would say that – they’ll all old friends.

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In your own artistic practice what era or style of illustration has been the biggest influence?
I can’t say that other illustrators have really ever influenced my own work – I have admired many but not drawn direct lines or references into my illustration practice, and that’s perhaps why I feel drawn (excuse the pun) to write about the subject. I have written seven or eight books on illustration featuring the work of thousands of illustrators but think I find my inspiration in the work of untrained jobbing graphic artists of yesteryear – I love old clip art, tattoo art, rubber stamp graphics and the images that once adorned the back pages of cheap magazines and comics.

If I had to name the artists that have inspired me – Patrick Caulfield, Warhol, Kurt Schwitters, Julian Opie would be up there but the list goes on, and I think I’ve been just as inspired by music, TV, literature, film and popular culture generally. I grew up listening to the Clash, reading Colin Maccinnes, watching Tomorrow’s World and dancing to soul music – these have all been as a big an influence on my work as any artist I think.

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How long did it take to put this book together?
A good question and if I’m honest – far too long! I originally had the idea over a decade ago but I couldn’t get a publisher interested. Illustration was very much out of favour during the 1990s and it wasn’t until I had written a few other books on contemporary illustration that sold pretty well and illustration itself had come in from the cold, that I managed to persuade a publisher it would be a good idea.

How-to-do illustration books and how-to-work-in illustration books are ten-a-penny nowadays but ten years ago this wasn’t so, and this is what publishers wanted – and I was happy to oblige, of course. Getting a book published on the history of illustration, however, was more of a challenge. It was tricky for a few reasons – publishers weren’t sure that an audience for this type of book existed, but I was convinced that student and professional illustrators, and designers, would be interested. The other reason – books such as Fifty Years of Illustration can be a nightmare to publish is the sheer volume of images that require usage clearance and the coordination and communication with so many illustrators can be daunting and seemingly never-ending.

I have to say that Laurence King Publishing were behind the project from the start and were very supportive – they were also very patient too. It was the publishers that suggested to me that we bring in Caroline to share some of the workload, a good idea. I decided on the structure of the book, made the decisions on the list of illustrators – who should be in to represent each decade, and I wrote the introductory essay and each of the chapter essays and Caroline worked on the profiles – it was a fairly easy process once I’d established the illustrators but certainly the project as a whole was very time-consuming. Books such as this one are very labour intensive, and I had to fit it around the rest of my work. I’m the Dean of the School of Design at London College of Communication and that’s a pretty demanding role – I have 2000 students across a multitude of undergraduate and postgraduate design courses within my remit and even with research as an aspect of my role as the Professor of Illustration for University of the Arts London writing is only an element of what I do.

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Who designed the cover and why did you choose them? (do you feel their style represents the ‘now’ and if so why?)
The cover was always going to be tricky, and we did commission a very internationally known illustrator to create a bespoke cover image and then waited about six months before it was delivered. And it wasn’t right. We, myself and Angus Hyland the Pentagram partner and Creative Director at Laurence King, then decided to ask Jeff Fisher. I knew I wanted a cover that was made up of hand rendered letterforms – with the book packed with illustration it was never going to work to have an illustration on the cover. Jeff did, I think, a magnificent job – the cover fits the book, feels right and has enough gravitas, without being formal or stuffy, to present the subject as both readable and approachable. I always wanted the book to appeal to a wider audience than simply illustrators and designers, and I think it has achieved that and a great cover helps a book increase interest.

What in particular determined inclusion for the artists representing The New Wave, who are working today?
Presenting a new wave of artists is always going to be challenging – it is the biggest section of the book and it is about the here and now, or at least those working that have made most impact onto the illustration scene, as I see it, from the beginning of the 2000s to the present day. I would argue that Jasper Goodall was one of a small elite that had a huge influence across design for his approach to fashion illustration, that Shepard Fairey, whilst a street artist rather than an illustrator, contributed hugely to putting the first black man into the White House with his illustrated poster campaign supporting Obama and that Airside, Marion Deuchars and Alex Trochut, to name but a few, also brought illustration to new audiences because of the appeal, accessibility and the visible platforms for their work.

What are the biggest challenges facing an illustrator working today?
Where to start? Illustrators have it all and yet have nothing at all too. You want great flexibility in your working life, want to work where and when you want then illustration may well be the right career choice for you. But it really isn’t that simple – illustration is a tough industry to break into, tougher still to maintain a presence in and even if you are flavour of the month, and who says it will last any longer, you will still find it hard to call the shots. Illustrators are guns-for-hire and style is king – when you’re style is in vogue you can do no wrong, but when its been seen and done and the art directors, designers and those who commission have moved on, if you’ve not moved on too – then the phone stops ringing and emails stop pinging through. It can be a tough, and brutal existence and can be totally dictated by demand – unless you’re smart enough to have other outlets for your illustration work, of course. For those illustrators that create their own prints, products and paraphernalia there can be life after the commercial commissions, but making a genuine living from this is increasingly difficult I think. There is a reason that most working illustrators are under the age of thirty.

At the risk of sounding far too negative though, I do think that working as an illustrator is great fun; I spent 10 years working out of a studio in Hoxton, Big Orange, that a gang of us set up upon graduation from the Royal College of Art in 1989 and enjoyed every minute of the experience – the studio is still in existence today but with not a single founding member still present, and I guess that does say something of how important younger illustrators constantly coming onto the scene is.

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At the back of the book you state that there is still a lot left to do to record the impact of illustration on art, design and society – why do you think this is the case?
Because illustration has, until now, been treated as a subsection of graphic design, as a footnote in graphic design’s rich history. I believe that there is a vital history that needs to be documented – that illustration has played a major part in defining the 20th and now the 21st centuries and is an aspect of our visual culture that hasn’t been consdiered seriously enough. The first visual communication between humans, before written language, was most likely scratched or drawn in the sand of dirt by a finger or a stick – this wasn’t cave art; it was illustration. Illustration was the earliest form of graphic communication – we encourage young kids to draw, to express themselves through illustration but yet we don’t take the discipline seriously enough, we don’t reflect on how illustration shapes, entertains and informs us. I hope that Fifty Years of Illustration is just one chapter in the recording of illustration’s great history and that others recognize the value of the subject. I’m not done on the subject myself, that’s for sure, I have other opinions, views and ideas about the discipline and will be writing, lecturing and presenting on illustration for a few more years yet, but this is call-to-arms for others to join me in celebrating, and berating illustration (because not everything is perfect) – we have to talk about the good, the bad and the ugly of the discipline and to a wider audience too.

Who do you hope will read this book and why would you recommend it?
As I’ve said really – art and design students and design and illustration professionals as well, but I really hope too that this book is picked up, looked at and read by those with an interest in the subject. Illustration is the ‘people’s art’ so I hope that people will see something of interest in the book – from the children’s illustrated book they loved reading or being read to at bedtime to the record they loved as a teenager, with artwork they stared at for hours whilst listening to the music, illustration has had an impact into our lives in so many ways and is a fascinating subject to read about and look into.

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On a personal level why do you love illustration so much?
I grew up with it, from my first love of illustration through the Ladybird books of my childhood, to the 7-inch single sleeves of my teenage years and life as an art student I always came back to the illustrated image as a means of visual communication. I like being around illustrators too – I like their sense of the world, their desire to tell stories and communicate and the incredible skills many illustrators demonstrate through their work. I also like that illustration is accessible and everyday – you don’t need to go to a gallery to see illustration – pick up a book or newspaper, you don’t need to ‘understand’ illustration – it isn’t complex, it is what it is.

You have said you should “feed your brain, feed your eyes, feed your soul” – where do you go to do this?
Anywhere and everywhere – personally, I read newspapers and magazines, I was once a magazine fiend and every copy of The Face ever published for example, I see movies, I listen to music, I trawl the internet – all the same stuff we all do.

I’ve been fortunate to travel a lot and wherever I am in the world I bring back ideas, references, research – last year I took photographs and inspiration from trips to South Korea, Turkey, Italy, Canada, USA, Hong Kong, China… it is hard not to draw influences from such fascinating places.

I meet many people too, in my line of work, and much of my thinking comes from conversations and meetings with great students, great academics and great practitioners – I am a great believer in surrounding oneself with smart people that challenge you to think smarter, work harder and keep you focused on doing great work – whether it be an illustration, a lecture on illustration, an article or book on illustration. And I am also a great believer in having an opinion, a point of view, and getting it out there.

Buy Fifty Years of Illustration here.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Tuesday January 20th, 2015 4:54 pm

Categories ,Adrian Johnson, ,airside, ,Alex Trochut, ,Andy Martin, ,Antony Burril, ,Big Orange, ,Bob Dylan, ,Brett Ryder, ,Caroline Roberts, ,Clockwork Orange, ,Cobi, ,David Bowie, ,Fifty Years of Illustration, ,George Hardie, ,Guy Peellaert, ,Ian Wright, ,Ivan Chermayeff, ,Jason Ford, ,Jasper Goodall, ,Jeff Fisher, ,John Hersey, ,Julian Opie, ,Kam Tang, ,Kate Gibb, ,Klaus Voormann, ,Kurt Schwitters, ,Laurence King, ,Lawrence Zeegen, ,London College of Communication, ,Marion Deuchars, ,Mariscal, ,Milton Glaser, ,Patrick Caulfield, ,Patrick Nagel, ,Patrick Thomas, ,Paul Davis, ,Peepshow, ,Philip Castle, ,Professor George Hardie, ,Professor John Lord, ,Professor of Illustration, ,Revolver, ,Roderick Mills, ,Royal College of Art, ,The Face, ,University of Brighton, ,University of the Arts London, ,Warhol

Amelia’s Magazine | From One Extreme to the Other at Idea Generation Gallery

Mikey filming in the beautiful Huancabamba valley. All photos courtsey of Mikey Watts.

I’d first heard about Mikey’s film back in October. Perusing The Guardian, thumb I noticed a video and article about alleged torture in the province of Piura, erectile northern Peru, linked to a mining company called Monterrico Metals. It was a British company, and yet there was barely a whisper of news about it in the UK. In 2003 Monterrico had pressed ahead with a copper mine project that the local population had not agreed to. The mine was going to occupy vital agricultural land and would pollute the valley’s water sources. Monterrico had a legal requirement to obtain the consent of at least two thirds of the population. They didn’t, but were supported by the government nonetheless and so went ahead with the mine. In 2005, locals, including children and the elderly, made their way to the mining site in a last attempt to have their objections recognised. They were tear gassed, arrested and tortured by police and the mine’s security guards.

It was a photographer from Peru, a friend and old flatmate from Barcelona, who sent me the link to Mikey’s video on vimeo. Laguna Negra is a 20-minute study of how mining has affected people in the Huancabamba valley, northern Peru. The film follows two people, Servando and Cleofé, as they describe their lives, land, protest, how they are perceived, and question the purpose of environmentally and socially destructive ‘development’. The film will be screened at an event tomorrow (Thursday), along with a Q&A with the director. Mikey is only recently out a Documentary Film MA, but his film has already won two awards: Best International Documentary (Festival Internacional de Cine de Lebu 2010), and the Rights in Action International Award (Bang! Short Film Festival 2009) and he has some great projects coming up. I caught up with Mikey last week to discuss how it all started, his stay in Huancabamba, the impact of and inspiration behind the film, and the projects he’s working on now.

You started filming in the region in 2004, following research for a dissertation. What first inspired you to focus on opposition to mining in Huancabamba?

I started off studying Latin American studies at Liverpool and in my third year (2004), I went to do research for my dissertation in Peru. While I was in Lima, I started hearing about the anti-mining movement that was going on in Tambogrande. The mine got cancelled in the end, so it was big news over there. It was then that I decided to research the effect of mining on traditional farming societies. A journalist, Nelson Penaherrera, helped me a lot in planning who to interview and where to go. It was when I went up to meet him for the first time that Remberto Racho, one of the farmers opposed to the mine in Huancabamba, was killed by police (my first film ‘Rio Blanco: the story of the farmer and the mine’ was about this) so I decided to include the Rio Blanco conflict in my dissertation. My friend, David McNulty, came to visit me in June 2004, and since he had a camera with him we gathered footage for what eventually became that first documentary, Rio Blanco.

Your film centres on the experiences of two farmers, Servando and Cleofé. You break away from standard documentary style, forgoing a voiceover and talking heads, and devote the film to your protagonists’ accounts. What was the thinking behind that?

I wanted as much as possible to tell the story through the words and experiences of the people directly affected by the mining project. Although through the editing I, as the storyteller, choose what to include and what not to include (and so Servando and Cleofé’s words become the narration) I still feel that by removing myself almost entirely from the action the audience feels more directly involved with the place and its people. A voice-over narrative I think would take the story away from the people it is about. Also, in a practical sense, Servando and Cleofe sum the issues up in a far truer and personal way than I ever could – after all, they are the people who live day to day the problems the mine has brought – I was only there for three weeks.

The film opens with the scene of a boy sitting with a radio, with a broadcast about how selfish and ignorant the farmers are in not wanting the mine. The scene is a powerful contrast to what we hear later, yet also so simple and clear, and the boy is a true natural on camera! How did you come up with the idea?

The use of the boy with the radio happened through a chance encounter – I met him as we were walking the countryside around Huancabamba one day, he followed us for the day and we became friends. At the end of the day I asked him if he would mind being filmed with his radio and he did the rest! The reason I wanted to use the boy with the radio was to put across the mining company’s opinions through the local population’s experience of them. I could have tried to get an interview with Monterrico Metals, but really this would only have served to get the company’s PR responses to a Western student’s questions. By showing the day in day out propaganda machine the mining company uses to grind down any opposition to the project, the film can start to allow its audience to understand how the community experiences the mine. I was lucky to find the boy with the radio and his disinterested but commanding expression.

Tambogrande seemed like a real success story. Is there any similar hope for Huancabamba?

Tambogrande was a success story in the end, but the reasons for the cancellation of the mine really point towards what the Peruvian government’s plans for Piura are. It wasn’t officially cancelled because of the opposition to the project; it was cancelled because Monterrico lacked the necessary funds for the government to approve it. I am sure the huge protests and international campaign helped a lot, but officially this wasn’t why the mine was cancelled. So really this means that the Peruvian government isn’t conceding it was wrong over the project, and it continues to push on all fronts to make Piura into a mining department (like it’s done with nearby Cajamarca). I wish I could believe that the community in Huancabamba will be able to stop the Rio Blanco mine, but deep down I don’t have much hope. The mine is now owned by a Chinese company and the Peruvian government has just signed a whole load of trade agreements with China. The only real hope I think is for Tierra y Libertad, a new political party led by Marco Arana, to do well in the next elections. Marco Arana has been heavily involved with the anti-mining movement in the north of Peru and seems dedicated to the cause and the people who are having their lives destroyed by these mining projects.

So what specifically has changed around Huancabamba since you made the film?

Well, the government is still pushing the project forward, and is now militarising their presence in the region because of an attack in November on the mine site, which ended with the deaths of 2 security guys. The next month the police killed 2 farmers in a village near Huancabamba. The police had gone down to the village to arrest villagers they said were connected with the November deaths, the villagers formed a barricade to stop the police entering, and the police attacked them, killing two villagers – post mortem reports show that they were shot in the back as they were running away. So there’s still a lot of tension, the government is still refusing to re-engage through dialogue and simply insist the mining project is of national necessity and will not be abandoned.

Were you involved in any way in the court hearing that went on in London recently?

I’ve carried on filming here in the UK so went to the court hearing, but I wasn’t involved in any way, just documenting it really. The court hearing at the end of the day won’t stop the mining project though – it will mean the victims of torture that took place in 2005 will get compensation, but the new Chinese owners of the mine (Zijin) will just say it took place when they weren’t owners so it isn’t their responsibility.

So there’s no hope the mine will be dropped?

In all honesty I don’t have much faith the government will see reason, Zijin will push ahead with the project, cause huge friction and destruction to the rural communities of the area, and possibly destroy the agricultural potential of the region as a whole. The really sad thing is that the government has now sold off nearly 30% of the land area of Piura to mining interests – they are all waiting for Rio Blanco to start operations and will then do the same themselves. The mind boggles really, just doesn’t seem to make any sense, but then again the draw to short term financial gain seems to always win against smaller interests such as the small scale farming practised around Huancabamba.

How strong is the stereotype of the ignorant or violent campesino in Peru, and to what extent is it used to undermine the importance of agriculture?

The stereotype is definitely a prevalent view in the cities and mainstream media. Campesinos are often portrayed as backward and as not knowing what is best for them. Development is always in the context of growth rates, GDP, money – small scale farming practised by campesinos is not really given the appreciation it deserves considering it provides city dwellers with their food. Rhetoric of backwards looking violent terrorist campesinos is often used in the media to give justification to mining.

And how unified is the opposition to mining among the rural population?

What interested me was that most of the campesinos I talked to didn’t lambast mining in the way the government accuse them of doing. They understand the potential of mining to create jobs, and funds – they just are asking the government to think about where these mines are being built. If they are high up in the mountains, away from important water sources, and not in areas of agriculture then they can have a positive impact for the country.

Was the mainstream national media broadly for or against the farmers?

Broadly speaking the national media and the government give huge support to the mining industry – mainly because the mining lobby in Peru has huge power. There is however a large part of the Peruvian population who are campaigning for a different Peru which prioritises its people over its resources.

How do you see the role of the documentary filmmaker and what do you hope to achieve?

Yes, I’ve been thinking about this quite a lot. Sometimes I wonder what good it does, whether it goes any way to actually changing the situation. I guess it is a hard one to gauge but all you can do is try to document what is happening in a creative and original way. I think film is a great medium to tell the story of what is happening in these communities as images often speak louder than words. I would be very happy if the films I make help to inform Peru’s urban population of the abuses suffered by the rural population. I guess documentaries are one part of the general campaign to make things better and fairer for these communities.

I guess on the role of the filmmaker I think it is important to go into a project with an open mind, a good deal of background research and the humility to listen to and give people a platform to speak about the issues that affect them. I also think it is important to make a film that stands on its own as a good story, and as a beautiful film. Campaiging films sometimes lose sight of this need and just focus on the issues. I think the danger here is that the films will only preach to the converted – a film that keeps the attention of someone who doesn’t know about the issues, or actively supports what the campaign is against, is what I think the goal should be.

Any plans to carry on documenting this issue?

Yes, definitely – this is kind of turning into a niche issue for me, and I definitely want to carry on making films about it. I really now want to make a feature documentary that connects the experiences of different communities around Latin America that are seeing their communities torn apart and their environment destroyed by large scale mining. These communities suffer very similar abuses at the hands of both their governments and the mining companies – I want to make a film that reveals this trend; that multinational companies based in countries like our own go to developing nations and do not respect the same laws they would have to here. So that is what I’m trying to do at the moment with my friend and co-director David McNulty. We are going to Guatemala and El Salvador to firstly document a conference that the Latin American Mining Monitoring Program is organising entitled, “WOMEN, MINING AND HUMAN RIGHTS: Beyond the Challenge.” We will then be going on to film research footage for our feature idea as well as producing two short documentaries about two communities affected by mining in Guatemala and El Salvador.

I think it’s a really interesting and important issue to focus on as it in many ways reflects the question of our time – do we continue taking all the resources we can from the earth or do we start thinking and acting in a more sustainable way to ensure our future generations have a decent earth to live from?

Neoliberal economics I think only prioritizes monetary growth, and doesn’t take into account other considerations such as environment, culture and worldview. I think the social conflict and environmental problems caused by mining really reflect the general question of how humanity chooses to act in the years to come – do we continue exploiting the earth without thought to the consequences, or do we start living more within our means?

Mikey filming in the beautiful Huancabamba valley. All photos courtsey of Mikey Watts.

I’d first heard about Mikey’s film back in October. Perusing The Guardian, health I noticed a video and article about alleged torture in the province of Piura, northern Peru, linked to a mining company called Monterrico Metals. It was a British company, and yet there was barely a whisper of news about it in the UK. In 2003 Monterrico had pressed ahead with a copper mine project that the local population had not agreed to. The mine was going to occupy vital agricultural land and would pollute the valley’s water sources. Monterrico had a legal requirement to obtain the consent of at least two thirds of the population. They didn’t, but were supported by the government nonetheless and so went ahead with the mine. In 2005, locals, including children and the elderly, made their way to the mining site in a last attempt to have their objections recognised. They were tear gassed, arrested and tortured by police and the mine’s security guards.

You started filming in the region in 2004, following research for a dissertation. What first inspired you to focus on opposition to mining in Huancabamba?

Tambogrande seemed like a real success story. Is there any similar hope for Huancabamba?

So what specifically has changed around Huancabamba since you made the film?

Were you involved in any way in the court hearing that went on in London recently?

And how unified is the opposition to mining among the rural population?

Was the mainstream national media broadly for or against the farmers?

How do you see the role of the documentary filmmaker and what do you hope to achieve?

Any plans to carry on documenting this issue?

We’re completely entranced by the art/performance band that is MEN. How can you not go weak at the knees for a diverse musical stew that fuses dance and electro beats with rock music and combines this with a dose of political and social activism that takes in complex subject matters such as gender roles, sickness wartime economies and sexual politics? Oh, ed and their live shows are pretty wild too.

For the uninitiated, a little backround info: MEN are made up of JD Samson, best known for her involvement with Le Tigre and a 2006/2007 playmate of Peaches in her backing band The Herms, Michael O’Neill (Ladybug Transistor) and Ginger Brooks Takahashi (LTTR) as well as fellow Le Tigre member Johanna Fateman who remains in the backround alongside artist Emily Roysdon and contributes as writers, consultants, and producers; as you can see, MEN have a pretty stellar pedigree.

A short while back, we managed to catch them in their fly by night visit to the UK, where they briefly rocked up in Brighton, Soho’s legendary Madam Jo-Jo’s and the Hoxton Bar and Kitchen (where Amelia’s Magazine squeezed our way to the front of the room). The crowd were made up of a mix of music label A&Rs (MEN are very much the hot ones to watch for 2010, don’t you know) and devoted fans of JD from her Le Tigre days.

JD, the charismatic little devil that she is, had the crowd wrapped around her little finger and calling out for more, as witnessed in the rapturous reception she received as she bodypopped her way through ‘Simultaneously‘. As MEN’s guitar riffs joined forces with a deep electro beat, friends of the band stood at the back of the stage holding banners high, as you can see from the photos.

A couple of days later, we had an email chat with JD and asked her to tell us a little more about what makes MEN tick……

We loved your live show, it was electric! Combining the elements of art and performance seems like an integral part of a MEN gig, can you share with us why this is important to you?

Being on stage is an opportunity to explore that space of performer, musician, and artist with an audience and bringing together elements of agit-prop theater, dance music, and the live rock band is a project we’re totally invested in.

What messages do you want your audience to leave a MEN gig with?

Questions about who we are in the world, where our money comes from, and how powerful it can be for people to gather together and share our space and time.

MEN don’t shy away from including hard hitting subjects such as sexual politics and war-time economics in the lyrics, unlike many other bands and singers. Is it safe to say that there isn’t enough activism in music right now?

I don’t want to judge other artists about what they want to talk about in their own art. We make music that talks about our lives and what we think about and where we exist as humans on this planet. Not many people talk about war time economies and gender fluidity but we do. and we are happy to be a queer activist band.
JD, Is your involvement with MEN different from your part in Le Tigre and if so, how?

Of course this experience is different for me. I am working with two new musicians whose collaborative efforts bring totally new elements to my music. I am still me, so a lot of my music and aesthetics are similar, but I have grown since writing with Le Tigre and I think its clear that we are doing something different and have new discussions with a new audience.

Illustration by Celeste Dupuy-Spencer

What are the plans for MEN in the next year? And what subject matters would you like to tackle next in your songs?

In 2010 we will be working on our album, finishing our album and then sharing it with the world on tour. We’re excited to be making a new performance in Mexico City this summer with live hand drummers and our painter friend Celeste Dupuy-Spencer. We’ll also be performing at the 35th Michigan Womyn’s Music Festival!

We’re completely entranced by the art/performance band that is MEN. How can you not go weak at the knees for a diverse musical stew that fuses dance and electro beats with rock music and combines this with a dose of political and social activism that takes in complex subject matters such as gender roles, buy wartime economies and sexual politics? Oh, cheap and their live shows are pretty wild too.

For the uninitiated, this site a little backround info: MEN are made up of JD Samson, best known for her involvement with Le Tigre and a 2006/2007 playmate of Peaches in her backing band The Herms, Michael O’Neill (Ladybug Transistor) and Ginger Brooks Takahashi (LTTR) as well as fellow Le Tigre member Johanna Fateman who remains in the backround alongside artist Emily Roysdon and contributes as writers, consultants, and producers; as you can see, MEN have a pretty stellar pedigree.

A couple of days later, we had an email chat with JD and asked her to tell us a little more about what makes MEN tick……

We loved your live show, it was electric! Combining the elements of art and performance seems like an integral part of a MEN gig, can you share with us why this is important to you?

What messages do you want your audience to leave a MEN gig with?

Questions about who we are in the world, where our money comes from, and how powerful it can be for people to gather together and share our space and time.

Illustration by Celeste Dupuy-Spencer

All photographs courtesy of Idea Generation

The Warhol connection is a looming one, ambulance overshadowing many of the artistic talents tied to it, viagra their skills and achievements gobbled up by all that The Factory and the surrounding pop culture of 1960s New York has come to represent. But had it all been down to a single blonde-bobbed man – brutally brilliant as he may have been – it’s doubtful that the events of those days would continue to resonate so deeply through modern-day music, film and fashion. While aided by their associates, ultimately these individuals made themselves, be that via their romantic trials and intoxicated tribulations – or their undeniable creative talents.

Photojournalist Nat Finkelstein was ‘there’ – that is, perched on the couch in the Velvet Underground practice room watching Nico catch up on the headlines mid rehearsal; trailing Bob Dylan as Andy Warhol led him on a guided tour around The Factory; snapping a dreaming Edie Sedgwick absentmindedly sucking on her necklace chain, all oil-slick eyes and innocence. But he was also under the tutelage of the legendary Harper’s Bazaar art director Alexey Brodovitch; a star member of the PIX and Black Star photo agencies’ teams; in the thick of the civil rights movement as a documentary photographer and activist; and, as a result of these provocative actions, traveling the Silk Road through the Middle East from 1969 after a warrant was issued for his arrest in the United States.

The ‘From One Extreme to the Other’ exhibition – now in its final week – that celebrates the work of Finkelstein is a broad and deep retrospective of a photojournalist whose visual documentation provided rare unguarded insights into the US subcultures and political movements of the latter 20th century. ‘From One Extreme to the Other’ spans Finkelstein’s life works, five decades of photographs through which he brought not just The Factory’s wild innards but the searing political heat of America’s mid-‘60s anti-war protests and the heady thrills and debauched spills of the New York rave scene of the ‘90s to his viewers.

‘From One Extreme to the Other’ runs until 14th February and is an essential date for anybody interested in the power of the camera to capture more than its subjects consciously choose to expose. The exhibition, which took over the Idea Generation Gallery just weeks after Finkelstein’s death in October of last year, is a fitting tribute to the man whose shutter clicks drew the world’s attention to US unrest and underground tribes. Here – as the likes of Warhol knew – was a maker of icons; a man who had the ability to propel their image around the world.

Written by Amy Hughes on Monday February 8th, 2010 4:11 pm

Categories ,Andy Warhol, ,Bob Dylan, ,celebrities, ,Exhibition Review, ,Gallery, ,Harper’s Bazaar, ,Idea Generation, ,music, ,musician, ,Nat Finkelstein, ,Nico, ,photography, ,Pop Art, ,The Factory, ,Velvet Underground

Amelia’s Magazine | Johnny Flynn and the Sussex Wit at Shepherd’s Bush Empire: Live Review

Johnny Flynn by Jennifer Oliver
Illustration by Jennifer Oliver

“Hello! Erm…Welcome!” says Johnny Flynn as he takes to the stage for this homecoming show, and the Sussex Wit’s biggest ever headline gig. This is definitely the politest gig I’ve ever been to. The air of restraint is only reinforced by the fact that, due to the Shepherd’s Bush Empire’s cloakroom having reached it’s maximum capacity of bags, I am forced to carry a Marks & Spencer carrier bag for the entire gig.

However Amelia’s Magazine favourite Mr Flynn is nothing if not a captivating performer, and the whole crowd is mesmerised as he starts the gig with the low-key Lost and Found, a highlight from second album Been Listening. One thing that’s immediately obvious is how good his band are. They’ve been on the road pretty much non-stop since the summer festivals and it shows. During a blistering Been Listening, they chug away like vintage-era The Band, adding a real live punch to the powerful honesty of Johnny’s voice and guitar.

Johnny Flynn by Graham Cheal
Illustration by Graham Cheal, from photograph by Lauren Keogh

So much so, that when they play the afro-beatish single Kentucky Pill sans its main trumpet riff, it’s hardly noticeable. And this is the order of the day – although the live renditions often differ considerably from the recorded versions, Johnny and the Wit always do justice to the songs, in true troubadour style. On the magnificent Hong Kong Cemetery, Johnny switches between a trumpet in the choruses and a guitar in the verses. Later the horn section parts of Cold Bread are approximated with a flute. Throughout the night Johnny will also play the mandolin, banjo and the fiddle.

“This is my sister Lily, she just got here”, he says, signalling the first of two guest appearances, as his younger sibling takes the stage to sing backing vocals. “Now we have ginger symmetry”, he jokes, standing flanked by Lily, and the equally raven-haired keyboard player James Mathe, who later admits “We need to work on our banter”.

Then Johnny whips out, like, an electric guitar! Is this going to be his Bob Dylan “Judas” moment? Not quite, but he does inform us “You can bop to this one if you like”, before breaking out into an almost calypso-tinged version of the lovelorn Churlish May, which does indeed get the crowd moving.

Johnny Flynn by Dee Andrews
Illustration by Dee Andrews, from photograph by Lauren Keogh

The more traditionally folky songs from debut album A Larum generally receive the biggest responses, with stomping singles Leftovers and The Box provoking medium-scale hoedowns. But the most enduring moment comes from an unexpected guest appearance from old friend Laura Marling. The crowd, which up to this point has been pretty reserved, goes bananas. Delicate and pale, the almost ghostly spectre of Marling adds to a haunting rendition of The Water, Johnny’s paean to H2O.

I’m actually surprised at how many people are here, but as I look around the sold-out Empire, it’s clear that Flynn has a strong and adoring fanbase. During a rare quiet moment a girl behind me shouts “I love you Johnny!” – a couple of seconds of silence pass and then the man next to her shouts “I love you as well, Johnny!”

Flynn, playing in front of a patchwork backdrop based on the trees from the cover of Been Listening, ends the set with a breathless version of the banjo-led Eyeless in Holloway. After only a couple of minutes he returns to the stage with Lily, saying “Did we do that right – the going off and coming back on bit?” It’s this kind of bafflement with the rituals and clichés of rock and roll that makes his approach so endearing.

Johnny Flynn 2 by Graham Cheal
Illustration by Graham Cheal

After a tender and stripped down duet with Lily on Amazon, the rest of the band come back on. “We’re gonna play one more, and then everything else happens…like life and stuff”, he says, before ending with rapturous fan favourite Tickle Me Pink. I leave the venue, Marks & Spencer bag in hand, feeling like I’ve witnessed something truthful and blessedly untainted by cynicism.

When the folk resurgence started a few years ago, Johnny Flynn seemed like the boy most likely to. However in terms of sales, he has since been outstripped by the world-beating sound of Marling and the ubiquitous Mumford and Sons. But while Marling and Mumford may have the arena tours and Mercury nominations, it’s clear from tonight that Johnny still has the heart and soul, and vitally, the sense of humour.

Written by Rob Harris on Monday December 13th, 2010 3:25 pm

Categories ,Bob Dylan, ,Dee Andrews, ,folk, ,Graham Cheal, ,James Mathe, ,Jennifer Oliver, ,Johnny Flynn, ,Laura Marling, ,Lauren Keogh, ,Mumford and Sons, ,Shepherd’s Bush Empire, ,Sussex Wit, ,The Band

Amelia’s Magazine | Album Review: Get Well Soon – Sarabeth Tucek

SARABETH TUCEK BY CHANDRA VIOLA 1
Illustration by Chandra Viola

This morning I woke up sick – emotionally and physically sick. And upset with myself, cheap because I knew that partly it was my own fault. The early spring sun and the frizzy breeze that would invite everybody else to go out and enjoy the fresh air just didn’t work for me. And in this antithesis of moods between me and the environment outside my room, tadalafil I put on Sarabeth Tucek’s Get Well Soon. And for the first time (despite having listened to it for so long since I got the pre-release in the post) I appreciated it fully.

The second album of the Florida-born, buy information pills Brooklyn-based actress-turned-singer is a therapeutic album indeed. After the success of her self-titled debut two years ago, the fragile songstress got overwhelmed by the fame and things started to precipitate. And apparently the death of the father made her touch the bottom. But music came into help and rescued her from the dark abysses of depression. Music as self-therapy, then. But despite the introspectiveness of the album, the 12 tracks that form the narrative of Get Well Soon address to every soul that can empathise with them, and their message has a healing power for everybody who’s open to let it in. Easy comparisons come to mind when listening to Get Well Soon – Cat Power, Neil Young, Big Star and even The Breeders, just to name a few. But there’s something truly unique about Sarabeth Tucek, that may lie in the genuineness of her grief that transpires from the notes and shades of her voice and hits the heart.

SARABETH TUCEK BY CHANDRA VIOLA 3
Illustration by Chandra Viola (website under construction)

The opening track ‘The Wound and The Bow’ is a little prelude to the album while ‘Wooden’ truly sets the mood for the whole record, with its enchant of mournful games of chords gently plucked that intertwine with Sarabeth’s bittersweet voice until it opens in a warm old school rock anthem Pink Floyd would be proud of. ‘A View’ is another little gem of melanchonic sweetness. Voluptas dolendi, the Latins would say. ‘You and I, we share a view’ the lyrics go. And I look at the view through my window – a cheeky cloud attempts to cover the sun, but a ray pierces through and I wonder whether ‘he’ is enjoying the same spectacle from wherever he might be in this moment. When ‘The Fireman’ – a autobiographical ballad describing a dream Sarabeth had about her father – kicks in with its more upbeat tempo, I start thinking about my own dad. And I suddenly realise I miss him and his funny grumpiness that has always got on my nerves causing one too many unnecessary arguments.

State I Am In.

‘Things Left Behind’ is in my opinion one of the most heart-breaking songs of the entire album, a sadness that’s hard to bear – ‘you wished yourself right off the map into the air / and if I’m looking hard, you’re above me now / hanging on some little star’ – but Sarabeth’s voice gets so gentle and touching that it makes it impossible not to listen to it 3 times in a row. ‘State I Am In’ opens with languid droney guitars, another classic rock tribute. It’s one of the most upbeat tracks of the whole album, and seems to prelude to the songwriter’s personal resurrection from Hell, which is confirmed by the splendid ‘Rising’ – ‘through a break in the window I can see something is shining’. I can see it too.

SARABETH TUCEK BY CHANDRA VIOLA 2
Illustration by Chandra Viola

This morning I was sick, I said. And I knew that part of the blame for this was mine. Illness is all about inner pain. And the more you mourn about your pain, the worst it gets. Sometimes you only need to recognise your faults and absolve yourself to feel better. ‘I knew I was sad / I recognised it was bad / but now looking back / I see my mind, it was cracked’, the lyrics of the startling Get Well Soon go, accompanying me to the final redemption. The sun is caressing my cheeks through the window. I open it, and let the fresh air come in. The birds sing along the last notes of the eponymous closing track. I jump on my bicycle and go to join my friends at the park. I’m well now. Thank you, Sarabeth.

Get Well Soon music video

Sarabeth Tucek will play at Camden Crawl and will headline a show in London at the Slaughtered Lamb on May 19th. She’s also beein added to the bill of End Of The Road Festival in September and also Oxfordshire’s Wood Festival in May. Get Well Soon will be out on Sonic Cathedral on 11th April 2011. A gem not to be missed.

Written by Laura Lotti on Friday April 8th, 2011 12:38 pm

Categories ,album, ,Bob Dylan, ,Brian Jonestown Massacre, ,brooklyn, ,Camden Crawl, ,Chandra Viola, ,Death, ,End of the Road, ,Florida, ,Folk Rock, ,Forgiveness, ,Get Well Soon, ,guitars, ,Music as therapy, ,Pink Floyd, ,Redemption, ,Sarabeth Tucek, ,slaughtered lamb, ,Sonic Cathedral, ,Wood Festival

Amelia’s Magazine | Hop Farm Festival

Tarradiddle-exhibition
Lauren-Mortimer-Kids-With-Guns
Kids With Guns by Lauren Mortimer.

Last week saw the opening of Tarradiddle, doctor an exhibition showcasing the combined talents of nine artists of the recently founded all-female collective ‘Martha’, approved each exploring an experimental mode of story-telling through their work. The private view took place on 7th June 2010 opposite the Hackney City Farm in London’s East End, viagra and saw the pop-up gallery space full to bursting with people over two floors who came for an eclectic mix of art (and the amazing hand made biscuits!). There was a real collective feel to the show as the works themselves sat in harmony alongside one another, a variety of mediums from paintings, illustration, through video and sculpture.

Sorcha-O'brien-open-closed
Open Closed by Sorcha O’brien.

I got a real sense of a dark, almost menacing undercurrent throughout this exhibition with a subtext to each piece that I’m keen to discover. What I found infectious was the way this tone is transformed into an uplifting experience right through the artwork on show.

Lauren-Mortimer-Swing-Cannon
Swing Cannon by Lauren Mortimer.

Upstairs had work ranging from the beautifully playful, yet disturbing illustrations of Lauren Mortimer depicting children in typical childhood scenarios with a sinister twist, her subject’s childhood naivety contrasting brilliantly with the haunting, ethereal subjects of Linda Hemmersbach’s paintings. Zosienka Gibb’s work continued in a similar character driven vain with a series of portraits depicting characters from ‘The Master and the Margarita’, the novel by Mikhail Bulgakov, her images smattered with traces of symbolism and influenced by an African, British and Eastern European childhood.

Linda-Hemmersbach
Art by Linda Hemmersbach.
Zosia-Gibbs
Work from Zosia Gibbs.

I found Marina Rees’ work captivating, adding variety and depth to the show through a combination of sculpture and images made using a host of unusual natural materials, that examine the human relationship with animals.

Marina-Rees-polar-mask
Polar Mask by Marina Rees.

The lower level was dedicated entirely to moving image, and was split between the work of Jade Mortimer and Sarah Blaszczok. Jade’s work dominated the centre of the room with set pieces accompanying a sumptuously shot film depicting two character’s mysteriously ominous encounter, based around some unique pistol shaped decanters marketed in the 1960’s by Avon. Sarah’s film was similarly intriguing with it’s wordless narrative showing events unfold as the characters carry out mundane and repeated acts, the result was in equal parts both sinister and ridiculous.

Jade-Mortimer-New-World
Jade-Mortimer-New-World-still
New World by Jade Mortimer.

The show’s biggest appeal lay in the sense of an unspoken story being told throughout the exhibition, and an incentive to pay close attention to all the work that was on show. My own desire to explore what I saw here stemmed not only from a visceral reaction to the art itself, but to make my own sense of the ambiguity within each piece. It was an exhibition cohesive in themes and ideas, and was undoubtedly a rewarding overall show. The word Tarradiddle means a concocted story or fib, and it’s definitely one I whole heartedly recommend trying to debunk.

Lauren-Mortimer-Kids-With-Guns
Kids With Guns by Lauren Mortimer.

Last week saw the opening of Tarradiddle, site an exhibition showcasing the combined talents of nine artists of the recently founded all-female collective ‘Martha’, recipe each exploring an experimental mode of story-telling through their work. The private view took place on 7th June 2010 opposite the Hackney City Farm in London’s East End, information pills and saw the pop-up gallery space full to bursting with people over two floors who came for an eclectic mix of art (and the amazing hand made biscuits!). There was a real collective feel to the show as the works themselves sat in harmony alongside one another, a variety of mediums from paintings, illustration, through video and sculpture.

Sorcha-O'brien-open-closed
Open Closed by Sorcha O’brien.

Lauren-Mortimer-Swing-Cannon
Swing Cannon by Lauren Mortimer.

Linda-Hemmersbach
Art by Linda Hemmersbach.
Zosia-Gibbs
Work from Zosia Gibbs.

Marina-Rees-polar-mask
Polar Mask by Marina Rees.

Jade-Mortimer-New-World
Jade-Mortimer-New-World-still
New World by Jade Mortimer.

Tarradiddle-exhibition

Lauren-Mortimer-Kids-With-Guns
Kids With Guns by Lauren Mortimer.

Last week saw the opening of Tarradiddle, pilule an exhibition showcasing the combined talents of nine artists of the recently founded all-female collective ‘Martha’, viagra buy each exploring an experimental mode of story-telling through their work. The private view took place on 7th June 2010 opposite the Hackney City Farm in London’s East End, and saw the pop-up gallery space full to bursting with people over two floors who came for an eclectic mix of art (and the amazing hand made biscuits!). There was a real collective feel to the show as the works themselves sat in harmony alongside one another, a variety of mediums from paintings, illustration, through video and sculpture.

Sorcha-O'brien-open-closed
Open Closed by Sorcha O’brien.

Lauren-Mortimer-Swing-Cannon
Swing Cannon by Lauren Mortimer.

Linda-Hemmersbach
Art by Linda Hemmersbach.
Zosia-Gibbs
Work from Zosia Gibbs.

Marina-Rees-polar-mask
Polar Mask by Marina Rees.

Jade-Mortimer-New-World
Jade-Mortimer-New-World-still
New World by Jade Mortimer.

Tarradiddle-exhibition

Feelin’ hot hot hot… we arrived at the field with a blanket and straw hat, pharm and headed straight to the bar. Queuing for what felt like a life-time in the blistering heat, sounds of Johnny Flynn drifted through the air along with the smells of barbecued sausages. Queuing aside, we were happy.

Ciders in hand we weaved through camping chairs and stepped apologetically over blankets, occasionally catching the odd sandaled foot or splashing a little cider over a resting head… all part of the joy of festivalling, we found a spot, lay the blanket on the ground just in time for Laura Marling to take to the stage. ‘Afternoon everyone!’ Laura’s soothing voice echoed over the masses, ‘what a day!’…. people woo’d and clapped and cheered. In two years, Marling’s voice and lyrics have matured from pretty ditties to soulful folk… and her performance this weekend reeled in an eclectic crowd. Folk of all ages stood, eyes fixed and humming and Marling’s voice resonated. Songs from Marling’s latest album I Speak Because I Can mixed with original tracks from My Manic and I had us reminiscing, spinning around and singing-along.

Between sets we ate, drank and lay gazing into the brilliant blue ether… catching a bit of celebrity football, Mumford & Sons giving it their best. Seasick Steve was next up, and took to the stage with crowds-a-roaring. Unfortunately, due to minor sunstroke, we weren’t around for the whole set, but from what we saw, as always Seasick gave a cracking performance.

Mumford & Sons belted out there emotive country-inspired folk, now well-known from their vast radio coverage, and had the audience fixed. Looking and sounding the part, and slotting in perfectly to the Hop Farm scene.

Whilst queuing for a lamb kofta and chatting to a wonderful lady who lives on a pig farm in Cambridgeshire, who told me stories of her days as a festival queen in the 70s… (she was so small she used to crouch on the loo seat, feet on the seat – to avoid sitting on it… little ladies – take note!) Ray Davies performed and it came as pleasant surprise to hear the well-known Kinks records: Lola, You Really Got Me and all the rest. At the age of 66, Ray’s voice carried across fields, still very much in tact.

Last but not least, good old Bob Dylan appeared on stage, his (very) husky tones hooking the expectant field of fans, and taking them on a tumultuous journey through a plethora of songs steeped in sentiment.

Finally, an incredible set from Devendra Banhart ensued; no longer the long-haired folky-dolky guy that once plucked at our heartstrings, Devendra has completely reinvented his style: short-back-and-sides, checked shirt and long yellow cardie buttoned up; the sounds were funky and playful, his voice endearing and still with that jagged edge that made him famous. Even a few Roxy Music covers were thrown in to get us grooving. We danced until the cows came home.

All in all, a grand day out. Thank you Hop Farm!

Written by Sophie Hill on Saturday July 24th, 2010 8:55 am

Categories ,Bob Dylan, ,festival, ,Hop Farm, ,Johnny Flynn, ,Laura Marling, ,Ray Davis, ,Seasick Steve, ,summer

Amelia’s Magazine | The story of LOVE. Shown through music.

Valentines Georgia Coote
Illustration by Georgia Coote

I’m not going to lie to you. Valentine’s Day didn’t start as well as some people’s obviously did. The flaunting has been hard to avoid. I don’t know how I feel about these hearty couples. Jealous/sick/admiring/touched. For me, information pills all I can say was that there were certainly no freshly squeezed orange juice glasses on the side table, sildenafil and croissant crumbs left in the bed. For one; it was 6.30am, for two; we ‘don’t do’ Valentine’s Day, and for three; we have smashed all our glasses (not through venom). Thus I give you 6.30am – 6.32am: Me: “Meh, I’m sick, knives have fallen into my throat and got stuck.” Him: “Huh, oh no.” Me: “Feel my forehead, there’s fire I tell you, fire.” He puts palm on my forehead: “Yeh you’re a bit warm. You look a bit sick. Have a lie in.” Me: “Ummm so Valen..” Him: “No, Hels *chuckle*, there’s no Valentine’s here. Now, see you later. Be productive!” Me: “Oh yeh.” He puts his forefinger out for the double forefinger touch (because he blatantly thinks I am horrid and contagious), and he’s gone.

Mine and Charlie’s own seriously overplayed song: Van Morrison, Sweet Thing

It’s not that I care. But I care. 30% of me was hoping for a card on the kitchen table. 70% of me knew there wasn’t. This morning I have moaned about it on twitter (low points) in between work and cups of tea. And now I am listening to my love songs. Because I wanted to write this post on the mighty songs of love. Darn it! And I still hold hope that old Charlie comes back with some garage flowers. Not that I care. I have Francois, my cat, always ready for hugging action. His card is sitting here on my desk. Charlie’s, not the cat’s. Sorry, I can’t stop the cheese today.

Loved up! Woo, YEH! EMOTICON USE time. 4Hero, Les Fleur

As much as I may not admit it. I just can’t get enough of love, feelings and emotions. If I had a bath, I’d sit in it. Musing for a lifetime on everything from the beautiful bliss to the horrifically heartbreaking. Alliteration accepted in such instances, it’s Valentine’s Day after all. It’s just the best thing ever. As are sweeping generalisations. I speak the truth! This is a post about love in its many stages. Unpredictable blighter it is. Respect the ticker. Your heart is YOURS.

1. So, let’s start with the date. Oh and it is magical. Hearts are drumming and the colour’s are bright. Everything looks beautiful. Even twigs. The blood’s rushing so much you can hear it. And. You. Can. Feeeeel, your heart beats pulsating in your lips when you kiss. Four Tet, Angel Echoes.

2. Oh and we’re fully on the merry-go-round now aren’t we? Are you falling in love? Yep, I think you might be. Lykke Li, Little Bit.
LykkeLibyRusstyBrazil
Lykke Li Illustration by Russty Brazil

3. And it feels like nothing else huh? Like you’ve been born again and now it all, as in life; the world; your purpose – makes sense. So do days in bed, massive breakfasts, log fires, roll top baths and footsie in the pub. You didn’t? Yeh, you did. Bon Iver, Stacks.

4. Kisses etc. Bit almost anti-feminist with Bob taking the dominant position here, but you can’t deny this is a special song. And I’d like a big, brass bed. Bob Dylan, Lay Lady Lay.
Bob Dylan Avril Kelly
Bob Dylan Illustration by Avril Kelly

5. …Days together…. Incredible man, Nick Drake, Place To Be.

6. It’s just intense huh? Does anyone else even exist? Who cares, let’s dance, run around mazes and have loads of baths together. Nat King Cole, Love.

7. YES, no, I mean – I definitely do love you. I love you. Decoder Ring, Somersault.

8. WOW. Percy Sledge, When A Man Loves A Woman.
percysledge by daria h
Percy Sledge Illustration by Daria Hlazatova

9. Everything just feels so great, doesn’t it? I mean… JOY. Devendra Banhart, Santa Maria De Feira.

10) Post six months of so. Ah love, aint it grand, yet also very scary? Real love will have you going up, down and around. It will always be changing, sometimes thrilling your socks off, other times leaving you in despair. But it’s super. Just super. Grizzly Bear, Alligator.
grizzlybear by daria h
Grizzly Bear Illustration by Daria Hlaztaova

For those that have recently split. I’m sorry. This man is a superstar and this song is fantastic. Roy Harper, Me and My Woman

For myself and Francois, The Cure, Lovecats. I’ve basically forgiven Charlie now. I’ve listened to so many love songs and gone through a harangue of emotions doing so. Love to you all. Love, love, love, LOVE!

Written by Helen Martin on Monday February 14th, 2011 6:11 pm

Categories ,4Hero, ,Avril Kelly, ,baths, ,Bob Dylan, ,Bon Iver, ,cats, ,Daria Hlazatova, ,Devendra Banhart, ,Emotions, ,Four Tet, ,Georgia Coote, ,grizzly bear, ,Helen Martin, ,Love, ,Lykke Li, ,Nat King Cole, ,Nick Drake, ,Roy Harper, ,Russty Brazil, ,the cure, ,twitter, ,Valentine’s Day, ,Van Morrison

Amelia’s Magazine | Music Review: The Tallest Man On Earth

Tallest man on earth by Avril Kelly

Illustration by Avril Kelly

So it started on January 3rd, sickness I was in a bad mood. Well, hospital 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, The 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.

thetallestmanonearthpress

Picture Source

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.

robert-wadlow

Robert Pershing Wadlow; d.1940 Picture Source

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”.

tallest MAN on earth 2 by Avril Kelly

Illustration by Avril Kelly

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.”

tallest man on earth

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.

Written by Helen Martin on Friday January 7th, 2011 2:25 pm

Categories ,Albums, ,Avril Kelly, ,Bob Dylan, ,Dead Oceans, ,Helen Martin, ,music, ,Pukka Teas, ,The Tallest Man on Earth

Amelia’s Magazine | Joana Serrat: Dear Great Canyon, an interview and review

Joana Serrat by youdesignme iIlustration

Joana Serrat by youdesignme Illustration.

Singer songwriter Joana Serrat hails from Spain, where she has carefully crafted her stunning debut album, produced by Howard Bilerman and inspired by the songs of the American heartland via a sojourn in Ireland. Last Friday I managed to scamper out of the house to catch her half hour live set at Rough Trade East just before toddler bedtime, and was left suitably impressed by this diminutive Spanish lady.

Joana Serrat 2014-Rough Trade East live gig, photography by Amelia Gregory

Joana Serrat, Rough Trade East live gig, photography by Amelia Gregory.

Dear Great Canyon is a stunning album of carefully paced extremes: lilting lullabies interspersed with upbeat melodies. It opens with the elegiac Flowers on the Hillside, Joana’s faint Spanish accent the only indicator that this tune was crafted far from the Mid West. In The Blizzard Joana talks about the ‘shattering silence’ of heartbreak, her voice breaking in emotion against the richly orchestrated backdrop, with slide guitar becoming ever more prominent in Green Grass, an upbeat tune that sees Joana in more optimistic mood. After the brief 50s influenced wooziness of Stop Feelin’ Blue, So Clear is a rollicking paen to getting on with things. Summer on the Beach lulls the listener with Moogish noodlings, followed by another highlight – the Cold of the desert which is the setting for metaphors of the heart. The Wanderer narrates the tale of a magnetic dancer, and The Secret returns yet again to wild landscapes. The album draws to a close with the drifting strains of Yellow Rider, rootsy Place Called Home and piano driven Came Out of the Blue.

Joana Serrat by Natalie Burton

Joana Serrat by Natalie Burton.

Dear Great Canyon proves that location is of little importance in our globalised society, where we are as likely to be influenced by far off musicians as those on home soil. Here Joana Serrat describes how she came to fall in love with the folk music of distant lands, and how one email made her dreams come true.

Although you grew up in Barcelona your sound has been very much influenced by Americana, what were your favorite records when you first discovered music?
I used to listen to Neil Young a lot; I got into his music when I was 13 I think. I got into him because I found his Unplugged album at my Dad’s music shelves and really loved it. After that I went into Sleep with Angels and it became one of my favorite albums for years. I used to play My Heart on the piano, which I learned by listening to it. I would say Neil is my essence.

I must say when I was a child my mum used to play me on vinyl the records of a Catalan singer-songwriter named Xesco Boix who had traveled to States and came back to Catalunya under the influence of Pete Seeger, Bob Dylan and Joan Baez, which he had seen live in shows. He took traditional Catalan songs and some American songs too and went all over the schools to play those songs to children. I would say this is my first influence on music. I loved his voice, he calmed me down and made me feel I was not alone. So when I listened to Neil I recognized that feeling and it happened the same when I got into Bob’s records. I immediately felt attracted to his sound at the age of 22 and they made such a deep impact that I assumed I would write songs.

Joana Serrat by David Giménez

Joana Serrat by David Giménez.

What Spanish groups did you also listen to, and did any of these have any influence on your burgeoning sensibility?
I started to listen to Partido, McEnroe and Pajaro Sunrise two years ago, but I have never got that into Spanish bands.

What took you to Dublin, and what was your favorite bit about life in Ireland?
I went to Dublin because I needed a change in my life. I thought that perhaps everything in my life had come because of inertia and routine so I needed to check if I was able to have it for my own. I really felt the need to change my role in the family, and needed to put space between me and my life at that moment. I felt I first had to know myself better and get to understand me before introducing myself to others. I needed to find out who I was, what music meant for me. I came back more secure in myself, with knowledge and the certainty I had grown up and had matured.
I was lucky that I had a job in a wine bar and my life developed around the store and the people who worked in there. The crew was so cool, we really got on so well with each other, and we were like a family. I started to sing and lost my fears about my voice and my songs at some of the barbecues we used to have.

Joana Serrat by Amelia Gossman

Joana Serrat by Amelia Gossman.

When you start to write a song what kind of mood or situation suits you best?
I would say it’s easy for me to write when I feel sad or blue. Most of my songs were written in that mood but with Dear Great Canyon I learned to write from another kind of mood, wanting to make songs that tell a story. I still use my life and my experiences to write a song. I need my experiences, my feelings and emotions so I can compose. In that way I have a kind of dependence on my life. But I am happy I started to move away from sadness. I think it’s kinda dangerous to get dependent on sadness to create (whatever it is: music, painting, literature, etc…) It could ruin your personal life without you being conscious of it (in a Freudian way I mean).

Joana Serrat by Alicia Aguilera

Joana Serrat by Alicia Aguilera.

Where do you live at present, and what keeps you there?
I live in Vic were I was born. I came back here a year ago because my partner and I wanted a quiet life in the country. We were living in Barcelona before that but I love this land, its landscapes. Having said that I would really love to live abroad too.

How did you find and approach your producer?
I love his work with Wolf Parade, Basia Bulat and Vic Chesnutt and I was thrilled with the The Wooden Sky‘s Every Child a Daughter, Every Sun a Moon album that Howard Bilerman produced. So I decided to email him and attached 4 track demos. I asked him if he wanted to help me to make a dream come true, which was to record an album with him and he answered half an hour later saying ‘I love to make dreams come true’. I wept when read it.

Joana Serrat by Jane Young

Joana Serrat by Jane Young.

What was the process of recording this album like? I hear much of it was recorded live…
Howard and I were talking a lot about the sound of the album. I gave him a lot of references of bands, songs and sounds I liked. I really insisted on the textures the songs must have. So he decided to record the album on tape live. It was great. Such an incredible experience. I had never recorded like that or had the chance to record properly. I mean, it was my first time that I had to think about nothing but the recording. It was amazing. At the same time it was very easy to work with him. He would be seated at the control desk, listening carefully. He is not interventionist at all. I see him as a song hunter. He catches the best perform of the song.

Where can fans see you this year in the UK?
We are playing in Liverpool soon and on August 16th at Jabberwocky Festival, London.

What next for Joana Serrat?
I wish to grow as a musician, as a performer, as a singer-songwriter and I really wish to play in a lot of places. I guess these things are what every artist wish, aren’t they? I would also really like to record an EP of new songs to be released at the end of this year or at the beginning of next year.

Joana Serrat Dear Great Canyon album cover

Dear Great Canyon by Joana Serrat is released on April 7th 2014 on the El Segell del Primavera label.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Friday March 28th, 2014 4:01 pm

Categories ,Alicia Aguilera, ,Amelia Gossman, ,Amelia Grace Illustration, ,barcelona, ,Basia Bulat, ,Bob Dylan, ,Came Out of the Blue, ,Catalonia, ,Catalunya, ,Cold, ,David Giménez, ,Dear Great Canyon, ,El Segell del Primavera, ,Every Child a Daughter Every Sun a Moon, ,Flowers on the Hillside, ,Green Grass, ,Howard Bilerman, ,Jabberwocky Festival, ,Jane Young, ,Joan Baez, ,McEnroe, ,My Heart, ,Neil Young, ,Pajaro Sunrise, ,Partido, ,Pete Seeger, ,Place Called Home, ,review, ,Rough Trade East, ,Sleep with Angels, ,So Clear, ,spain, ,Stop Feelin’ Blue, ,Summer on the Beach, ,The Blizzard, ,The Secret, ,The Wanderer, ,The Wooden Sky, ,Unplugged, ,Vic, ,Vic Chesnutt, ,Wolf Parade, ,Xesco Boix, ,Yellow Rider, ,youdesignme

Amelia’s Magazine | Johnny Flynn and the Sussex Wit at Shepherd’s Bush Empire: Live Review

Illustration by Abi Daker

To celebrate The 3rd Fashion in Film Festival, health patient a series of silent movies have been presented at screens around London. After a frolic of veiled dancing at Dreams of Darkness and Colour at the Barbican on Saturday, Tuesday night it was the turn of the BFI with a screening of the original Moulin Rouge, in its black & white silent glory.

Illustration by Katie Harnett

First presented in 1928, Moulin Rouge transports the viewer into the glamour of life on the Parisian stage and the often more stark reality off-stage that accompanies it. After meandering around Parisian night life, voyeuristically bringing the viewer vignettes of after-dark liaisons (including Toulouse Lautrec busy doodling music hall performances) the movie settles on the story of Moulin Rouge star Parysian. Her top billing and star rating at the Paris music hall does not save Parysian from her undoing, quite to the contrary, it is her profession that comes between her daughter, daughter’s fiancé and father-in-law to be. The film contrasts the harsh reality of Parysian’s life with the glitz of the showbiz world of which she is a part and cannot escape. ‘Madame, it’s time to go to the theatre’; the show must go on.

Illustration by Avril Kelly

The film reflects the sociology of the times – classism, elitism, personal relations, and of course the racy sub-culture of the music hall and Parisian bars are all brought to life. Some scenes were sure to be shocking for the 1920’s, not only the salacious stage performances, but the behviour of the music hall’s more well-to-do patrons, including an impromptu food fight at the show’s after party.

Illustration by Joana Faria

We went to see the fashion, and fashion there was. On stage, there was all the glamour to be found in Vegas, with revealing outfits bejewelled to the max. Off stage, Parysian continued the glamour, even when changing into something less revealing to play good mother-in-law. While lacking the full on sensory assault of its contemporary, given the allure of an old black & white silent, backed with a one-man musical accompaniment, the original Moulin Rouge can still arouse the senses.

Illustration by Karina Yarv

Read our review of Pink Narcissus at the Fashion in Film Festival here.

Illustration by Abi Daker

To celebrate The 3rd Fashion in Film Festival, sale a series of silent movies have been presented at screens around London. After a frolic of veiled dancing at Dreams of Darkness and Colour at the Barbican on Saturday, purchase Tuesday night it was the turn of the BFI with a screening of the original Moulin Rouge, more about in its black & white silent glory.

Illustration by Katie Harnett

Illustration by Avril Kelly

Illustration by Joana Faria

Illustration by Karina Yarv

Read our review of Pink Narcissus at the Fashion in Film Festival here.

Long Story Short, sales 2010

Since graduating from Wimbledon College of Art in 2009, Alice Browne has exhibited her paintings at Foremans Smokehouse Gallery’s Divergence exhibition and opened her shared studio to the public during the recent installament of Hackney Wicked. In 2010 Alice Browne was selected to participate in Bloomberg New Contempories, which is currently at the ICA. Earlier this week, Amelia’s Magazine had the pleasure of interviewing Alice Browne.

How did it feel to be selected for New Contemporaries?

Very exciting, and it really boosted my confidence in the studio. It has been great to meet other artists through the show.

What attracts you to the medium of paint?

I think, I’ve always found that paint was the medium which allowed me, the most experimentation. It involves more collaboration than mastering.

Production Still, 2010

What were you first experiences of art or if you had to, which artist(s) have had the greatest effect on your work to date?

Early experiences of art included the Greek and Roman pottery and sculpture in the Ashmolean and treasure trove of oddities at the Pitt Rivers in Oxford. I was introduced to painting through trips to the National Gallery. I was very influenced by an exhibition of Max Beckmann’s work which I saw in New York when I was at school. Artists who have had the greatest effect on my work include Francis Bacon, Pieter Claesz, Philip Guston and Prunella Clough.

Club, 2009

What are the financial implications after the decision has been made to start out as a painter?

It’s a constant weighing up of time, really. I need a studio – so that increases costs, so I need to work more to pay for it, but have less time to spend in there! Eventually I hope it will pay for itself.

Do you work in a gallery or maintain a part time job?

I work at Jerwood Space part time and worked at the National Gallery until recently.

The paintings submitted to Bloomberg New Contemporaries will almost be a year old, by the time the exhibition opens, what are your thoughts and these paintings now and what are their relation to the works you are producing today?

Some of the paintings in the show were made at the end of my degree and represent the focus of a very intense studio-time, so they are quite important and I think about them often. Pink Black Pink is one of the most confident paintings I’ve made. I’m very much still exploring the grounds in which they operate, though I understand it better now.

Pink Black Pink, 2009

What’s an average day in your studio?

I try to keep lots of paintings on the go (10-20 or more) so that I don’t get bogged down in the appearance of any particular painting. I expect a fair few to fail- which usually comes from overworking. I tend to go from one to the next, putting things away after I’ve worked on them. The less confident I feel, the longer I spend on each so on a really good day I could work on up to 10 paintings.

What type of paint (oil, acrylic) do you use and why?

I mostly use oil as it is so flexible and sometimes un-predictable. I use a lot of transparent colours which oil is very suited for. I do also use acrylic but usually for the more predictable priming and under-painting. If I’m not painting, my favourite medium is colouring pencils and paper.

Hellion II, 2009

Your statement discusses your paintings relation to “historical notions of depth relating to the flat painting surface and depth that we relate to visual experience” was there a particular painting or text which sparked your playful exploration?

My exploration was really fuelled by an interest in the range of ways that painters have represented visual space across history; from Masaccio to the trompe l’oeil of Gijsbrechts and still life painters such as Claesz, Cotan and Morandi, to de Hooch and Vermeer to Francis Bacon, Mary Heilmann and Phoebe Unwin.

I’m also interested in the way that photography and moving image represents visual space and how it changes our first hand experience of looking.

Day In, 2010

What was your relation to painting objects during your time at Wimbledon?

At Wimbledon I made quite a few paintings and photographs which described still life objects. Eventually I found that the objects got in the way; they were always charged with associations. I wanted to explore the space of the canvas or photograph rather than create an image.

How do you name your paintings?

I start with a sort of word association game and go from there.

Obstacle No. 2 2010

What does the sub-title of the exhibition “painting between representation and abstraction” mean to you?

For a while I’ve felt uncomfortable with using these terms – I don’t find it so useful to be defined as ‘representational’ or ‘abstract’, so being somewhere in-between sounds about right.

Had you met any artists before deciding to be one?

A family friend is a photographer who works in Hong Kong, taking pictures of the landscape. I always thought it was amazing that anyone could do something so beautiful for a job.

What was it like to study at Wimbledon?

Very supportive with a real sense of community. I loved being in a green and quite residential part of London.

Watch Me, 2010

Favourite contemporary painters?

Lots! I enjoyed Caragh Thuring’s recent exhibition at Thomas Dane gallery and Robert Holyheads show at Karsten Schubert.

How did you become to be involved in Transition Gallery’s exhibition Fade Away?

Alli Sharma curated the exhibition. Its great to be included in such an amazing selection of paintings.

Alice Browne’s paintings will be on display as part of Bloomberg New Contemporaries 2010 at the ICA until January 23rd 2011 and Transition Gallery’s Group Show: Fade Away until the 24th December, 2010.

Long Story Short, order 2010

Since graduating from Wimbledon College of Art in 2009, abortion Alice Browne has exhibited her paintings at Foremans Smokehouse Gallery’s Divergence exhibition and opened her shared studio to the public during the recent installament of Hackney Wicked. In 2010 Alice Browne was selected to participate in Bloomberg New Contempories, ambulance which is currently at the ICA. Earlier this week, Amelia’s Magazine had the pleasure of interviewing Alice Browne.

How did it feel to be selected for New Contemporaries?

Very exciting, and it really boosted my confidence in the studio. It has been great to meet other artists through the show.

What attracts you to the medium of paint?

I think, I’ve always found that paint was the medium which allowed me, the most experimentation. It involves more collaboration than mastering.

Production Still, 2010

What were you first experiences of art or if you had to, which artist(s) have had the greatest effect on your work to date?

Club, 2009

What are the financial implications after the decision has been made to start out as a painter?

Do you work in a gallery or maintain a part time job?

I work at Jerwood Space part time and worked at the National Gallery until recently.

Pink Black Pink, 2009

What’s an average day in your studio?

What type of paint (oil, acrylic) do you use and why?

Hellion II, 2009

I’m also interested in the way that photography and moving image represents visual space and how it changes our first hand experience of looking.

Day In, 2010

What was your relation to painting objects during your time at Wimbledon?

How do you name your paintings?

I start with a sort of word association game and go from there.

Obstacle No. 2 2010

What does the sub-title of the exhibition “painting between representation and abstraction” mean to you?

Had you met any artists before deciding to be one?

A family friend is a photographer who works in Hong Kong, taking pictures of the landscape. I always thought it was amazing that anyone could do something so beautiful for a job.

What was it like to study at Wimbledon?

Very supportive with a real sense of community. I loved being in a green and quite residential part of London.

Watch Me, 2010

Favourite contemporary painters?

Lots! I enjoyed Caragh Thuring’s recent exhibition at Thomas Dane gallery and Robert Holyheads show at Karsten Schubert.

How did you become to be involved in Transition Gallery’s exhibition Fade Away?

Alli Sharma curated the exhibition. Its great to be included in such an amazing selection of paintings.

Johnny Flynn by Jennifer Oliver
Illustration by Jennifer Oliver

“Hello! Erm…Welcome!” says Johnny Flynn as he takes to the stage for this homecoming show, and and the Sussex Wit’s biggest ever headline gig. This is definitely the politest gig I’ve ever been to. The air of restraint is only reinforced by the fact that, unhealthy due to the Shepherd’s Bush Empire’s cloakroom having reached it’s maximum capacity of bags, I am forced to carry a Marks & Spencer carrier bag for the entire gig.

Johnny Flynn by Graham Cheal
Illustration by Graham Cheal, from photograph by Lauren Keogh

Johnny Flynn by Dee Andrews
Illustration by Dee Andrews, from photograph by Lauren Keogh

Johnny Flynn 2 by Graham Cheal
Illustration by Graham Cheal

Written by Rob Harris on Monday December 13th, 2010 3:25 pm

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