Amelia’s Magazine | Ong-Oaj Pairam: London Fashion Week A/W 2014 Catwalk Review

Ong-Oaj Pairam by Robyn Wilson-Owen

Ong-Oaj Pairam by Robyn Wilson-Owen.

Brighton University graduate Ong-Oaj Pairam built on his first Fashion Scout catwalk collection, with a slick offering designed to appeal to ladies who lunch… and go out to lots of lavish parties. His muse for the season was Ursula from Disney’s Little Mermaid though this wasn’t immediately apparent in this 50s influenced collection, which included pretty cinch waist crop jackets and matching pants, A-line skirts and swing dresses for daytime, following through to dramatic embellished strapless floor sweeping frocks for night, all worn with plump red lips and carefree updos.

Ong-Oaj Pairam AW 2014-photography by Amelia Gregory

Ong-Oaj Pairam AW 2014-photography by Amelia Gregory

Ong-Oaj Pairam AW 2014-photography by Amelia Gregory

Ong-Oaj Pairam AW 2014-photography by Amelia Gregory

Ong-Oaj Pairam AW 2014-photography by Amelia Gregory

Ong-Oaj Pairam AW 2014-photography by Amelia Gregory

Ong-Oaj Pairam AW 2014-photography by Amelia Gregory

Ong-Oaj Pairam AW 2014-photography by Amelia Gregory

Ong-Oaj Pairam A/W 2014 by Angelica Moreno

Ong-Oaj Pairam A/W 2014 by Angelica Moreno.

Bright primary colours were worn with more subtle monochrome prints that were inspired by the markings of dangerous animals and the work of famous illustrator Charlie Harper. For the man who might care to dabble in high fashion there were some dapper leather jackets and a fabulous high collared pillar box red suit with peacoat styling.

Ong-Oaj Pairam AW 2014-photography by Amelia Gregory

Ong-Oaj Pairam AW 2014-photography by Amelia Gregory

Ong-Oaj Pairam AW 2014-photography by Amelia Gregory

Ong-Oaj Pairam AW 2014-photography by Amelia Gregory

Ong-Oaj Pairam AW 2014-photography by Amelia Gregory

Ong-Oaj Pairam AW 2014-photography by Amelia Gregory

Ong-Oaj Pairam AW 2014-photography by Amelia Gregory

Ong-Oaj Pairam AW 2014-photography by Amelia Gregory

Ong-Oaj Pairam AW 2014-photography by Amelia Gregory

All photography by Amelia Gregory.

Categories ,A/W 2014, ,Angelica Moreno, ,Brighton University, ,Charlie Harper, ,Disney, ,Fashion Scout, ,Freemasons’ Hall, ,Little Mermaid, ,Ong-Oaj Pairam, ,Robyn Wilson-Owen, ,Ursula

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Amelia’s Magazine | I Dream of Wires… and soon you will too!

idreamofwires

Imagery throughout courtesy of I Dream of Wires, viagra 100mg try styled by Lou Greenwood and photographed by Valerie Phillips at Serlin Associates.

I Dream of Wires may not be the most indicative of names, look but it certainly grabbed my attention. Do wires symbolise threads? Is it about clothing? Does it indicate the use of the internet for online shopping? Or do wires have nothing to do with it at all? Maybe they don’t, store and herein lies the mystery.

I Dream of Wires is a former kitsch East London store, who now solely sell via their  online shop specialising in both own label and vintage stock. It caters for the edgy fashion lover, someone who doesn’t necessarily follow fashion, but just knows what they are looking for.

idreamofwires3

The I Dream of Wires online shop was set up in 2008 by couple and business duo Lou Winwood and Pete Voss, who are both inspired by vintage, eccentric fashions, and have a keen eye for exciting pieces. The duo each bring something different to the table, with Winwood sourcing great 80’s pieces and Voss heading up menswear.

With a celebrity clientele reading like a whos-who of East London hipsters, ranging from cool bands The Teenagers and The Black Kids to Peaches Geldof and Julien Barrett of The Mighty Boosh, hype cannot be far away.

idreamofwires5

When perusing the website the vintage section initially sucked me in. There is something about vintage pieces that instinctively makes my mouse gravitate in their direction and click. I wasn’t disappointed. With only a small selection of vintage garments available at present, they were truly great pieces, and everything was reasonably (as opposed to high-street-vintage) priced – proving the old adage of quality over quantity.

Memories of the old store include the 80’s high shine shoulder padded dresses, as well as the plethora of cute Disney t-shirts and that staple of 90s attire: the bumbag. With each piece being hand selected for its wearability and edgy-coolness, I Dream of Wires is an art student’s dream.

idreamofwires4

The own label stuff is also trés exciting and the small selection makes it seem even more exclusive and unique. These pieces are 100% recycled garments made from jazzy vintage fabrics, similar to those stocked in the vintage store. There are mish-mashed jumpsuits, playsuits and a landslide of leggings all featuring that luscious high shine 80’s Lurex, growing increasing popular with the current resurgence in 80’s fashion. The accessories department has metallic bum bags galore and airline hats perfect for positioning at a jaunty, ironic angle.

Although vintage stores are now a tad old hat (excuse the pun), I Dream of Wires is trying to do something different which results in something unique, aesthetically pleasing and above all – admirable. As a visitor you get the impression that the owners have poured their personal taste and personalities into their business by the bucket load, and with a new decade dawning it looks set to pay off dividends.

idreamofwires21

Categories ,Becky Cope, ,Brick Lane, ,Cheshire Street, ,Disney, ,I Dream of Wires, ,Julien Barrett, ,Lou Winwood, ,Peaches Geldof, ,Pete Voss, ,Serlin Associates, ,The Black Kids, ,The Mighty Boosh, ,The Teenagers, ,Valerie Phillips

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Amelia’s Magazine | Book Review: Wearable Vintage Fashion by Jo Waterhouse and Clare Bridge

Wearable Vintage Fashion

A new spring title by Vivays Publishing, Wearable Vintage Fashion is written by the owners of Second Hand Rose, a vintage boutique in Worcester. Jo Waterhouse and Clare Bridge aim to provide readers with a visual reference point for any anyone interested in vintage fashion, focusing on easily attainable looks to suit a range of budgets.

Wearable Vintage Fashion
All photography by Caitlin Sinclair, page spreads courtesy of Vivays Publishing

Wearable Vintage Fashion

The book is helpfully divided up into fashion according to decades, using colour-coded sections that range from the 1920s to the 1980s. A one-page introduction to each decade gives context, discussing the impact of societal circumstances on fashion trends, and with some brief tips on recreating looks. For instance, the 1950s introduction covers the new youth culture and how it opened up a fashion market for a generation of young people with disposable income. It’s an approachable way of thinking about the socio-economic and practical considerations embedded in fashion.

Wearable Vintage Fashion

Day and eveningwear pages in each section are filled with selected items of clothing and accessories, alongside descriptive text outlining the classic shapes and textiles from each era. ‘Get the Look’ pages are places where old candid and street photographs are used as inspiration for creating on-the-page outfits and to describe common trends.

Wearable Vintage Fashion

The garments and accessories shown are incredible, with colourful, multi-textured and authentic pieces from each era featured alongside modern-day alternatives, for those that might not be able to access the real items. What lets the reading experience down however is the way garments are laid out in a collage format -without mannequins or models (or in some cases, ironing) the pieces can’t be displayed to full effect, which is a shame given how precious some of them are.

Wearable Vintage Fashion

Wearable Vintage Fashion

Later on in each chapter are ‘Icons’ pages, where the authors interpret a signature look from the decade, for example, Farrah Fawcett from the 1970s. While the intentions here are admirable – to easily recreate a look for a party or event – the styling and images aren’t of a high enough quality to appeal in a book format. It’s difficult to tread the line between a do-it-yourself guide and a higher-end coffee table book, but in this case the extraordinary subject matter warranted that closer attention be paid to the visual design.

Wearable Vintage Fashion

Wearable Vintage Fashion

More appealing are the look books, where double page spreads show the full breadth of a fashion decade including day and eveningwear. I adored the 1940s spreads in particular, with pale knitted cardigans, a sweet pink bakelite elephant brooch and an original Pendleton ‘49er’ tartan jacket.

Wearable Vintage Fashion

Wearable Vintage Fashion

The final part of the book is ‘Vintage Street Fashion’ where the authors document how various fashion bloggers and enthusiasts wear vintage clothing on a day-to-day basis. As with previous sections, the styling and quality of the images varies dramatically and appears visually inconsistent, but if you can ignore this, the insight into the lives of these women and their relationship with certain vintage pieces is worth the read.

Wearable Vintage Fashion

Wearable Vintage Fashion is by Jo Waterhouse and Clare Bridge, and published by Vivays Publishing.

Categories ,Bloggers, ,Book Review, ,Clare Bridge, ,Daywear, ,Evening Wear, ,Farrah Fawcett, ,fashion, ,Jo Waterhouse, ,Second Hand Rose, ,Street Fashion, ,styling, ,vintage, ,Vivays Publishing, ,Wearable Vintage Fashion

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Amelia’s Magazine | Ken dumps Barbie: Greenpeace’s Indonesia Deforestation Campaign

Barbie and Ken by Claire Byrne
Barbie and Ken by Claire Byrne

Ken dumped Barbie. Over trees and endangered tigers. Seriously. You probably already know this, web since the Greenpeace campaign that first revealed this earth-shattering piece of news has been all over the Internet in the last two weeks.

Barbie Crying by Claire Kearns
Barbie Crying by Claire Kearns.

But it’s time to wipe those tears off your keyboard. Not only has this traumatic event turned Ken into quite the eco-warrior and provided some great moments of Twitter comedy, seek but Amelia’s Magazine illustrators have responded, buy information pills providing the greatest collection of illustrations of a chainsaw-wielding Barbie you might ever see in one place.

Barbie with chainsaw by Claire Byrne
Barbie with chainsaw by Claire Byrne

Barbie was dumped by Ken after Greenpeace discovered that her maker, Mattel (and other toy companies like Disney), use packaging produced by a company called Asia Pulp and Paper, part of a huge conglomerate called Sinar Mas, accused of major deforestation in Indonesia. This deforestation is pushing critically endangered species like the Sumatran tiger ever further towards extinction.

Barbie Deforrestation by Anna Blachut
Barbie Deforrestation by Anna Blachut.

This particular Barbie campaign actually only scratches the surface of an investigation into how global toy manufacturers are complicit in Indonesia’s deforestation problem. Watch this brilliant graphicy animation video for an explanation of Greenpeace’s findings:

Toying With Deforestation
YouTube Preview Image

It was a wise move to link the broad issue of deforestation in toy packaging and manufacture to the most famous toy (read ‘most mass produced gender-conditioning piece of plastic’) in the world. It even topped Creative Review’s ‘Nice Work’ list for advertising on the 10th of June. It’s a shame Ken hasn’t embraced his inner rebel enough to more openly blame Mattel rather than his ex over this, but I suppose that’s the job of Greenpeace. Ken is still finding his voice, as his heart wrenching twitter updates show, and I have a feeling he’s gradually unleashing the hitherto dormant revolutionary within. Equally shameful is the fact that the feminist within me finds images of Barbie wielding a tool instead of a handbag strangely satisfying. Let’s just hope that Barbie sees the light, joins Ken and decides to become an eco feminist or something asap.

barbie by karla-perez
Barbie by Karla Perez.

The fact that we live on a planet where rainforest destruction and species extinction is contributed to in even the smallest way by the packaging for a plastic toy is, quite frankly, weird. How did it come to this? Despite a huge movement to increase our awareness of the environmental impact of fashion and food, toys haven’t been touched upon with the same momentum. And yet toys are associated with our most formative years, so an awareness of what goes into their production is essential.

Barbie by Liz Rowland
Barbie by Liz Rowland.

One of my all-time favourite books is Mythologies by Roland Barthes. It was included in the Guardian’s recent 100 Greatest Non Fiction Books list last week, one of only three chosen for the culture category. It investigates the hidden political, economic and cultural ideologies behind everyday aspects of mass culture – from washing powder, to the burlesque dancer, to cars, wine, cheese and plastic.

Barbie logging truck by Claire Byrne
Barbie logging truck by Claire Byrne.

My favourite essay is the one on Toys, where Barthes explores our increasing obsession with plastic toys, as opposed to simple constructions and tools made of natural materials.

Barbie by Novemto Komo
Barbie by Novemto Komo.

The way I understand it, right from childhood we are taken further and further away from the process of making and creating. From day one we’re encouraged to be mindless consumers of complex finished products, emotionally and physically removed from how they were made, who made them and where the materials came from.

Barbie by Zofia Walczak
Barbie by Zofia Walczak.

This is something we could easily continue into adulthood, through the dreamy lifestyle mythologies in fashion and technology advertising. To me this Barbie campaign is an attention-grabbing antidote to this broader cultural issue, as well as a solid evidence-based environmental campaign.

You can check the Greenpeace UK blog for various ways to get involved, the latest of which involves rating and reviewing Barbie’s ‘dirty deforestation habits’ on Amazon (brilliant, do it!).

Categories ,Anna Blachut, ,Asia Pulp and Paper, ,Barbie, ,Claire Byrne, ,Claire Kearns, ,Creative Review, ,deforestation, ,Disney, ,Greenpeace, ,Guardian, ,Illegal, ,Indonesia, ,Karla Perez, ,Ken, ,Liz Rowland, ,Mattel, ,Mythologies, ,Novemto Komo, ,Plastic, ,rainforest, ,Roland Barthes, ,SInar Mas, ,Sumatran Tiger, ,Toys

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Amelia’s Magazine | Visual Music

This work may not be reproduced without the permission of Matteo Patocchi, viagra order try info@matteopatocchi.com
All photography by Matteo Patocchi

When coming to chose a degree upon my emancipation from the grim steely hell that I refer to as ‘high school’ I had had intended to pursue Fine Art. But whilst browsing courses in the UCAS guide, pill I came across a course entitled ‘Live Art’ that struck my fancy, diagnosis due to it’s proclivity towards video art and installation, which I considered to be a very interesting and an undervalued aspect of art that was mostly overlooked in favour of more traditional art. Never one to turn away from the chance to do something weird and different, I launched into Live Art with all the necessary zest and fauna that such an establishment which heralds self mutilation as the curriculum can be given. It probably was an error in judgement. The course was a sham, filled up with luddites who had flunked getting into proper art courses and had been sectioned away onto this course for the financial gain of the university. Regardless of this, I enjoyed it, as it exposed me to the underbelly of the art world. Marina Abramovi?, Gina Pane, Vito Acconci – we studied them intently and they were my fast favourites. Although those names have been recognised and given a place in the ‘academy’ of modern art, most of the video artists, composers and performers that I dug up from the bowels of the library had been marginalised into nothingness.

Oskar Fischinger ‘Studie No. 7′

HST can sum up the majority of video art quite succinctly. ‘Too weird to live, too rare to die.’ They’re kicking about, in the crevices of galleries – quite literally in Acconci’s case, but in general, the media furore and deification is usually reserved for those artists who still can fit it with the status quo of the art community. Yet still, after graduation, moving image in art has always been close to my heart. There is something incredibly fresh and alternative about it, yet it’s never quite hit the same success, as it’s static predecessors. Which is precisely how ‘Visual Music’ at The Book Club came about. Alex Marshall has collected footage from avant-garde film-makers who have been pushed into anomie by not quite fitting the mould, then playing live original music to recontextualise the work. So I make the necessary steps to organise an interview with Alex Marshall at The Book Club, where Visual Music takes place. “Everything I say could well be bullshit.” He warns me prior to the interview. “Excellent. In that case, I’ll order a drink.” I reply, deciding that if one is going to be shrugging off the pompous ‘we are artistes’ shtick so early on, I may as well check my ‘I am ze journalist’ routine at the door and get drunk.

So maybe start off by telling me what you’re doing with Visual Music at The Book Club? I was asked to do something to do with film in a very arbitrary way. This freedom encouraged me to experiment with some ideas I’d been wrestling with for a while. I had become  very interested in the contiguity between text and image, but this phrase doesn’t mean very much to anyone, it didn’t mean very much to me at the time I came across it, but they mean a lot to me now.  Oskar Fischinger was the first person who sprung to mind when I began to conceptualise the night. I came across him by chance, as my flatmate had an old documentary about him. What I found fascinating about Fischinger was his background as a musician and how his work was an attempt to visualise what music is, what it feels like. And that fascinated me as it wasn’t a contrived analysis of musical form, or filmic form, it was more an attempt to show people what he felt about music, something that could be shared, but only through abstraction. And in order to show someone something, he wanted them to feel it, through this abstraction, rather than see it. I don’t think people see music, we don’t even see the words we say to each other, what we’re doing when we’re talking is exchanging visual references. This table is only a table because I tell you it’s a table.

Like Saussure? It’s not Saussure.

Lacan? It’s not Lacan! It’s not Wittgenstein either, it’s not labels; it’s that consciousness comes to us through a fictional fashioning. Our understanding of the world is created by the stories that we tell through our relationship to things. It’s a table because I’ve been told that this noise “table” signifies this thing that means all tables everywhere, their table-ness, which is a massive abstraction. The word abstraction is itself a massive abstraction from the meaning of abstraction.

Like Saussure. Fuck Saussure! I mean, this is all bullshit obviously…to anyone  with a real job, this is all bullshit, but it’s something we’re involved with all the time.

Did your paid work as a projectionist and cameraman influence your choices? Well, I’ve worked as a projectionist, and I’ve worked as a cameraman, I graduated in film, so I felt I was in a good position to try and understand why people come to the cinema. People tend to talk about films in term of their meanings and their symbols. It’s the age of psychoanalysis really, just reading into everything. But on a deeper level we’re constantly in the process of exchanging complete abstractions. I wouldn’t say we’re deluding each other, but we’re never truly questioning, or maybe we’re incapable of questioning, what it is that our consciousness is processing, what that process is. I chose Fischinger and I chose Norman McLaren for these reasons.

Neighbours by Norman McLaren

Tell me about Norman McLaren? He was a Scottish born Canadian art student with no money and no camera, all he had was film. So not only was he scribbling on the actual frame of a 35mm film, but he was also drawing the soundtrack. As a projectionist, this meant a lot to me; this physical touch that takes place. Which takes me back to contiguity, the physical inscription of the idea of language.

I take it that you have a real love of film. The 35mm type. I find its conservativism fascinating. From the moment we could, we’ve tried to ‘fix’ something and make it this permanent thing. However, all the substance of 35mm convinces you of, is that it isn’t a perfect material. The nature of it, is that it damages itself through it’s own reading. I find that really interesting.

Why did you chose Fischinger and Norman McLaren? I chose Fischinger because he was making music visual, and Norman McLaren for the second night because he saw Fischinger’s shorts in Glasgow. McLaren understood what Fischinger was doing and saw it as the perfect way to express visually how he felt about music. I think music is very important. It’s the one art form that can’t be explained away. People don’t know how to watch films in the way that we all listen to music. We all listen to music and don’t ask questions about it, we just accept its abstraction. A film should be viewed as a classical piece of music. How does it move you and why should be an afterthought. If you’re moved by something and you don’t understand it, that’s fine.

When doing these nights is there a particular theme that you want to convey to the audience, or is it very much inviting them into a creative process and allowing them to take from it what they will? Certainly both. I certainly have my viewpoint when I put something in front of someone. The next night is going to be very different and I hope people remain open. The Fischinger shorts were totally abstract and the music is abstract and I feel that it shouldn’t be a difficult thing to tap into. That’s my main drive, that you should be able to sit and experience these things. By watching it you should be asking questions to do with consciousness, and if you’re not then you should. That’s the only dogmatic point of view that I have, if you’re not questioning yourself as an audience you’re susceptible to real dangers.

Elaborate on real dangers. In the world of 24-hour news and the excess of information; you’re going to absorb it. Not necessarily as fact, people can differentiate between propaganda and fact. I mean, I’m fine with propaganda, I find it very honest – but to think of propaganda as negative spiel is very naïve. Anything anyone ever says to you is propaganda, as they’re reflecting their viewpoint onto you. It can be honest and true, but it’s still propaganda. The more we can expose it, the better. I think art should be asking questions to question people’s mode of questioning. Art should be the most powerful mirror in the world.

So you don’t try and create a singular message with any particular night? No. I try to keep it loose, so people can make from it what they will. And most of the audience isn’t even aware of these films and their creators. There’s a film maker that I would love to work with called Peter Watkins, I’d love to get him down but then it would be a Q and A type of thing and I’d fucking hate it, but I did three years of film studies and then years as a cameraman and I’d never heard of Peter Watkins, and I find that terrifying. I’m going to do a show with some of his work at some point. He’s the most marginalized filmmaker I’ve ever come across and his films are extraordinary. The point I’m trying to make is that with this night I wanted to expose filmmakers who had been marginalized by the popular media. Oskar Fischinger, for example. Everyone knows Fantasia. It wouldn’t have been made without him and Disney stole his ideas and shunned him. The work outside of that was vastly superior to anything that Disney ever made; although there are some great Disney movies.

What’s your favorite Disney movie? Fantasia by Oskar Fischinger.

I know you’re a creator yourself, as a filmmaker and photographer. Are you going to showcase your own work in the future? I have thought about that a lot, I did the first night and when I did the second night I talked to people who wanted me to showcase more of my work. It’s something in my mind but I’m quite self-effacing and it would also have to be the right piece of work. If I did it, it would be a surprise. I’m awful at promotion. I find the idea of showing my own work uncomfortable. It would no longer be subjective.

How did you find the musicians to work with you on this? For the first one it was totally by chance. I knew a guy called Jacob who was a friend of mine and plays in a band called Victoria and Jacob and they’re wonderful. So I asked him to contribute a live score. I can’t give a job over to someone if I don’t trust in what they’re doing. With Jacob, it was so easy and obvious. And we have very different viewpoints, which is great. I’m a pretentious academic, and he’s not. We got together to discuss it over a few beers, and I left it to him. I didn’t even know what he would play until the night. There was a two-minute rehearsal before the event, but I left to have a cigarette. So the first time I heard it was with everyone else.

(At this point, to conclude the interview I decide to switch tack probably based upon my blood alcohol levels.)

What is your favourite word? Skopos or Contiguity, I suppose. I don’t really have favourites. But I do like words.

What is your least favourite word? “Like, random”

What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally? Contact

What turns you off? Self-importance.

What is your favourite curse word? Fuck

What sound or noise do you love? The HBO tag these days – excellence generally follows.

What sound or noise do you hate? The buzzer to my front door, especially when unexpected.

What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? Er, what’s my profession?

What profession would you not like to do? Insurance salesman, because I’d have to kill myself in a painful and humiliating way.

If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? Told you so.

And there you have it. Check out The Book Club’s website for details of the next ‘Visual Music’ night.

Categories ,alex marshall, ,amica lane, ,animation, ,art bollocks, ,Disney, ,East London, ,fantasia, ,gina pane, ,Hunter S. Thompson, ,installation, ,marina abramovic, ,oskar fischinger, ,peter watkins, ,The Book Club, ,victoria and jacob, ,Video Art, ,visual music

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Amelia’s Magazine | Dark fairytale: An interview with artist and illustrator Natasha Chambers

Babylon Twins

Dreamy, try intricate details dominate Natasha Chambers’ work, viagra sale and you can easily imagine her immersed in creation, viagra sitting by a large window overlooking some light-drenched Cornish beach. Cups of tea go cold as she pieces together the exquisite tiny patterns or the bold colours of her latest ‘Bywa’ series, a homage to the stories and beauty of Cornwall. But as Natasha has entitled one of her collages, ‘You need chaos in your soul to give birth to a dancing star’ – there are also hints of darkness underneath all the beauty. You can’t have one without the other.

Watergate (part of Bywa)

Most of your work has an amazing level of detail, be it the horses as waves, embroidery patterns or the butterfly wings. It’s beautiful, but it must be very time-consuming?
It is really time consuming, but I get all my satisfaction from the details. It’s a double-edged sword because these details also drive me mad. Sometimes the dots and lines imprint themselves in my head in the same way as when you look at the sun and then look away and you see suddenly see black spots.

There seems to be a lot of nostalgia in your work, or maybe this is just what it feels like when a piece of art focuses on nature? Do you consider yourself a nostalgic person?
I suppose I am a nostalgic person – and perhaps nature and childhood are synonymous in these feelings of the past. I have a box on my dresser, a treasure box if you like that could belong to a magpie, where I hoard broken bits of things that I have picked up over the years that I am unable to part with.

Yesterday

While the work is very pretty, there are also plenty of slightly twisted elements within the art, with the snakes and skulls. Do you do this to create contrasts, or is it because beauty on its own can be a bit, well, dull?
With every fairy tale there is always a dark side that creates tension with its lighter facade. You only have to think of the stories of Hans Christian Andersen, the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm or even Walt Disney to see there is always this balance. Imagine Snow White without the Evil Queen.

In Stitches

I first saw your work at the Last Tuesday Society’s Beasts Royal exhibition (review here), and you’ve been part of prior shows there as well. Could you tell us a bit about what it’s like to work with the amazing Last Tuesday Society please?
Mr Wynd has a fine collection of treasures. His shop makes you feel like a child in sweetshop, so I was obviously very pleased to have some work there. The show Beasts Royal was curated by Alice Herrick, who also curates the House of Fairy Tales with Gavin Turk and Deborah Curtis. Their shows are consistently beautiful and intriguing – bringing together a wonderful selection of artists to show in some great spaces. Shows have included the exquisite trove exhibition at the Newlyn Art Gallery and the House of Fairy Tales at the Saatchi Gallery and Millennium Gallery in St Ives. In Newlyn, each artist was invited to donate an object of interest to them either created or found to create a wonderful cabinet of curiosities amongst a plethora of carefully selected objects from museums across the Cornish county.

Bowerbird (part of Beasts Royal)

How do you build up your work? What inspires you?
It usually evolves through many stages and I work using quite a ramshackle but huge library of reference material. I am especially inspired by the narrative form of literature. I studied storytelling in LA and whilst I thought I would become a writer realised I was more interested in the static image. At some point I would like to return to the written word. I can remember quite vividly the books I was read as a child from their images, they’re works of art that are very engraved into my psyche.

Polzeath (part of Bywa)

The Bywa series seems different from your other work. There is less detail, but there’s also really wonderful use of colour with the green clouds and pink sky. I especially love Polzeath, the one with white-patterned sand and skies. What’s the inspiration behind this series?
I live in Cornwall, and apart from the stunning beauty of the area I live in, it is also rich in legends and it feels like the land itself breaths this ancient folkloric history. I find it very inspiring. Bywa means ‘to be alive’ in Cornish, or Kernuek. I thought this was an appropriate title especially given as the work became vividly coloured. The most recent pieces in the series, such as St Enodoc and Watergate, are almost made up entirely of dots and lines and are very intricate. St Enodoc even has a few lines of one of Sir John Betjeman’s poems half hidden in a cloud – he was very fond of this part of Cornwall and is now buried in the church.

Yellow

You do commissioned work for magazines, music and advertising. How did you go from being a design student to being a successful working artist?
After I graduated I was forced to do commercial work as a way of creating income but these projects were also useful in developing technical and artistic confidence and also a linguistic freedom. I have gradually tried to spend more and more time on my own work. I’m currently working some new ideas for an exhibition coming up, but also some commissions and other work.

Natasha Chambers

See more of Natasha Chambers’ work on her website.

Categories ,Alice Herrick, ,art, ,Beasts Royal, ,Brothers Grimm, ,Bywa, ,Cornwall, ,Deborah Curtis, ,Disney, ,Fairy tales, ,Gavin Turk, ,Hans Christian Andersen, ,House of Fairy Tales, ,Millennium Gallery, ,Natasha Chambers, ,nature, ,Newlyn Art Gallery, ,Saatchi Gallery, ,Sir John Betjeman, ,storytelling, ,The Last Tuesday Society, ,Viktor Wynd Fine Art

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Amelia’s Magazine | Dark fairytale: An interview with artist and illustrator Natasha Chambers

Babylon Twins

Dreamy, try intricate details dominate Natasha Chambers’ work, viagra sale and you can easily imagine her immersed in creation, viagra sitting by a large window overlooking some light-drenched Cornish beach. Cups of tea go cold as she pieces together the exquisite tiny patterns or the bold colours of her latest ‘Bywa’ series, a homage to the stories and beauty of Cornwall. But as Natasha has entitled one of her collages, ‘You need chaos in your soul to give birth to a dancing star’ – there are also hints of darkness underneath all the beauty. You can’t have one without the other.

Watergate (part of Bywa)

Most of your work has an amazing level of detail, be it the horses as waves, embroidery patterns or the butterfly wings. It’s beautiful, but it must be very time-consuming?
It is really time consuming, but I get all my satisfaction from the details. It’s a double-edged sword because these details also drive me mad. Sometimes the dots and lines imprint themselves in my head in the same way as when you look at the sun and then look away and you see suddenly see black spots.

There seems to be a lot of nostalgia in your work, or maybe this is just what it feels like when a piece of art focuses on nature? Do you consider yourself a nostalgic person?
I suppose I am a nostalgic person – and perhaps nature and childhood are synonymous in these feelings of the past. I have a box on my dresser, a treasure box if you like that could belong to a magpie, where I hoard broken bits of things that I have picked up over the years that I am unable to part with.

Yesterday

While the work is very pretty, there are also plenty of slightly twisted elements within the art, with the snakes and skulls. Do you do this to create contrasts, or is it because beauty on its own can be a bit, well, dull?
With every fairy tale there is always a dark side that creates tension with its lighter facade. You only have to think of the stories of Hans Christian Andersen, the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm or even Walt Disney to see there is always this balance. Imagine Snow White without the Evil Queen.

In Stitches

I first saw your work at the Last Tuesday Society’s Beasts Royal exhibition (review here), and you’ve been part of prior shows there as well. Could you tell us a bit about what it’s like to work with the amazing Last Tuesday Society please?
Mr Wynd has a fine collection of treasures. His shop makes you feel like a child in sweetshop, so I was obviously very pleased to have some work there. The show Beasts Royal was curated by Alice Herrick, who also curates the House of Fairy Tales with Gavin Turk and Deborah Curtis. Their shows are consistently beautiful and intriguing – bringing together a wonderful selection of artists to show in some great spaces. Shows have included the exquisite trove exhibition at the Newlyn Art Gallery and the House of Fairy Tales at the Saatchi Gallery and Millennium Gallery in St Ives. In Newlyn, each artist was invited to donate an object of interest to them either created or found to create a wonderful cabinet of curiosities amongst a plethora of carefully selected objects from museums across the Cornish county.

Bowerbird (part of Beasts Royal)

How do you build up your work? What inspires you?
It usually evolves through many stages and I work using quite a ramshackle but huge library of reference material. I am especially inspired by the narrative form of literature. I studied storytelling in LA and whilst I thought I would become a writer realised I was more interested in the static image. At some point I would like to return to the written word. I can remember quite vividly the books I was read as a child from their images, they’re works of art that are very engraved into my psyche.

Polzeath (part of Bywa)

The Bywa series seems different from your other work. There is less detail, but there’s also really wonderful use of colour with the green clouds and pink sky. I especially love Polzeath, the one with white-patterned sand and skies. What’s the inspiration behind this series?
I live in Cornwall, and apart from the stunning beauty of the area I live in, it is also rich in legends and it feels like the land itself breaths this ancient folkloric history. I find it very inspiring. Bywa means ‘to be alive’ in Cornish, or Kernuek. I thought this was an appropriate title especially given as the work became vividly coloured. The most recent pieces in the series, such as St Enodoc and Watergate, are almost made up entirely of dots and lines and are very intricate. St Enodoc even has a few lines of one of Sir John Betjeman’s poems half hidden in a cloud – he was very fond of this part of Cornwall and is now buried in the church.

Yellow

You do commissioned work for magazines, music and advertising. How did you go from being a design student to being a successful working artist?
After I graduated I was forced to do commercial work as a way of creating income but these projects were also useful in developing technical and artistic confidence and also a linguistic freedom. I have gradually tried to spend more and more time on my own work. I’m currently working some new ideas for an exhibition coming up, but also some commissions and other work.

Natasha Chambers

See more of Natasha Chambers’ work on her website.

Categories ,Alice Herrick, ,art, ,Beasts Royal, ,Brothers Grimm, ,Bywa, ,Cornwall, ,Deborah Curtis, ,Disney, ,Fairy tales, ,Gavin Turk, ,Hans Christian Andersen, ,House of Fairy Tales, ,Millennium Gallery, ,Natasha Chambers, ,nature, ,Newlyn Art Gallery, ,Saatchi Gallery, ,Sir John Betjeman, ,storytelling, ,The Last Tuesday Society, ,Viktor Wynd Fine Art

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Amelia’s Magazine | Joe Worricker and his Finger-Waggers

Joe Worricker_by_Renato Pequito
Joe Worricker by Renato Pequito.

Joe Worricker was turned away from X Factor but that didn’t prevent him from being snapped up by the coolest of labels Rough Trade. He’s just released single Finger Waggers so I thought I’d catch up with him on twitter and find out what gets Joe ticking…

You’ve just released Finger Waggers. What’s this song about and why the name?
I wrote Finger Waggers when my hair was so shockingly large people used to pull at it in clubs and take the piss. It’s about the importance of self-love and not letting people tell you how to be. Each of us are only here for a short time and we should be whatever we want to be

What’s the idea behind the video?
It’s set at a tupperware party with posh ladies who are the finger-waggers. The director Lily Smith did a fantastic job, viagra order she has made it look amazing.

YouTube Preview Image

Your sound is a pretty unique combination of pop, indie and soul. How would you describe it and why?
The songs are Beatles, The Marvelettes, Debussy and Kate Bush mixed and the vocal is a weird soul voice I suppose. 

You’ve already been hailed as a new soul sensation – how does this feel? What do your mates mates say to you on the subject?
It’s an amazing feeling when someone appreciates your work. What’s important is how you feel about it. For my first album I’m proud and think I’ve set good starting ground for future things to come. My friends are really supportive and always come to my gigs.

When did you start singing, and how did you end up signed to Rough Trade?
I started singing to Disney songs when I was a baby and haven’t stopped since. When I was gigging round London some music peeps got talking, Rough Trade heard about me and came to watch me in Soho. They then invited me in and offered me a deal

What was it like growing up in Essex – did you live the life of a typical “essex boy”? PS what do you think of the new real life soap The Only Way is Essex – is this the Essex you knew? is it an apt representation of life in Essex?! or not at all….
I probably lived the Essex girl life more. Went out every weekend to binge drink underage with my girl mates and wore and still wear excessive amounts of fake tan. Although I get St Tropez now which is the best in the business, where then it was very cheap rub on tan; I’ve matured. I haven’t seen the show yet, but everyone has been banging on about it. Yes, there are people like the people you see on the programme for sure

X Factor: what’s your opinion? Did you ever enter any talent competitions as a teenager?
Talent competitions can be amazing platforms for people. Jennifer Hudson being the best example, who is totally sensational and may have never been discovered otherwise. I entered the X-Factor when I was 18. I didn’t get through though, I think they were scared of my voice.

Where are you living at the moment and why? 
Fitzrovia. I only live in areas where I can walk to Soho in 5 minutes or less.
 
JoeWorricker_by_Sandra Dufour
Joe Worricker by Sandra Dufour.

You’re a proactive twitter user – what do you use twitter for?
It’s good for letting people who are interested in your music know about gigs, singles and the generally rubbish you are getting up to. Perfect for potential stalkers.

When can people catch you live? What can they expect from a Joe Worricker live performance and why should they come to see you?
My London headline show at XOYO on 16th November in Old Street. They should come see me coz I’m better live and i’m extra gifted at talking rubbish between the songs.

What makes the best kind of party?
Vodka, hilarious music, getting naked in the early hours…

When can we expect a debut album, and have you got a name for it yet? go on… give us a bit of a clue…
It is released in the new year. It is the title of the 1st song I wrote for the album. The song is about a moment of profound beauty and clarity when every fear and worry about life fell out of my head and I could see the world clearly.

Catch Joe soon before he goes massive: X Factor be damned, this Debussy loving Essex boy is going places. Read our gig listing here.

Categories ,Beatles, ,Debussy, ,Disney, ,Essex, ,Finger-Waggers, ,Jennifer Hudson, ,Joe Worricker, ,Kate Bush, ,Old Street, ,Renato Pequito, ,Rough Trade, ,Sandra Dufour, ,Soho, ,soul, ,The Marvelettes, ,The Only Way is Essex, ,Tupperware, ,X Factor, ,XOYO

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Amelia’s Magazine | Joe Worricker and his Finger-Waggers

Joe Worricker_by_Renato Pequito
Joe Worricker by Renato Pequito.

Joe Worricker was turned away from X Factor but that didn’t prevent him from being snapped up by the coolest of labels Rough Trade. He’s just released single Finger Waggers so I thought I’d catch up with him on twitter and find out what gets Joe ticking…

You’ve just released Finger Waggers. What’s this song about and why the name?
I wrote Finger Waggers when my hair was so shockingly large people used to pull at it in clubs and take the piss. It’s about the importance of self-love and not letting people tell you how to be. Each of us are only here for a short time and we should be whatever we want to be

What’s the idea behind the video?
It’s set at a tupperware party with posh ladies who are the finger-waggers. The director Lily Smith did a fantastic job, viagra order she has made it look amazing.

YouTube Preview Image

Your sound is a pretty unique combination of pop, indie and soul. How would you describe it and why?
The songs are Beatles, The Marvelettes, Debussy and Kate Bush mixed and the vocal is a weird soul voice I suppose. 

You’ve already been hailed as a new soul sensation – how does this feel? What do your mates mates say to you on the subject?
It’s an amazing feeling when someone appreciates your work. What’s important is how you feel about it. For my first album I’m proud and think I’ve set good starting ground for future things to come. My friends are really supportive and always come to my gigs.

When did you start singing, and how did you end up signed to Rough Trade?
I started singing to Disney songs when I was a baby and haven’t stopped since. When I was gigging round London some music peeps got talking, Rough Trade heard about me and came to watch me in Soho. They then invited me in and offered me a deal

What was it like growing up in Essex – did you live the life of a typical “essex boy”? PS what do you think of the new real life soap The Only Way is Essex – is this the Essex you knew? is it an apt representation of life in Essex?! or not at all….
I probably lived the Essex girl life more. Went out every weekend to binge drink underage with my girl mates and wore and still wear excessive amounts of fake tan. Although I get St Tropez now which is the best in the business, where then it was very cheap rub on tan; I’ve matured. I haven’t seen the show yet, but everyone has been banging on about it. Yes, there are people like the people you see on the programme for sure

X Factor: what’s your opinion? Did you ever enter any talent competitions as a teenager?
Talent competitions can be amazing platforms for people. Jennifer Hudson being the best example, who is totally sensational and may have never been discovered otherwise. I entered the X-Factor when I was 18. I didn’t get through though, I think they were scared of my voice.

Where are you living at the moment and why? 
Fitzrovia. I only live in areas where I can walk to Soho in 5 minutes or less.
 
JoeWorricker_by_Sandra Dufour
Joe Worricker by Sandra Dufour.

You’re a proactive twitter user – what do you use twitter for?
It’s good for letting people who are interested in your music know about gigs, singles and the generally rubbish you are getting up to. Perfect for potential stalkers.

When can people catch you live? What can they expect from a Joe Worricker live performance and why should they come to see you?
My London headline show at XOYO on 16th November in Old Street. They should come see me coz I’m better live and i’m extra gifted at talking rubbish between the songs.

What makes the best kind of party?
Vodka, hilarious music, getting naked in the early hours…

When can we expect a debut album, and have you got a name for it yet? go on… give us a bit of a clue…
It is released in the new year. It is the title of the 1st song I wrote for the album. The song is about a moment of profound beauty and clarity when every fear and worry about life fell out of my head and I could see the world clearly.

Catch Joe soon before he goes massive: X Factor be damned, this Debussy loving Essex boy is going places. Read our gig listing here.

Categories ,Beatles, ,Debussy, ,Disney, ,Essex, ,Finger-Waggers, ,Jennifer Hudson, ,Joe Worricker, ,Kate Bush, ,Old Street, ,Renato Pequito, ,Rough Trade, ,Sandra Dufour, ,Soho, ,soul, ,The Marvelettes, ,The Only Way is Essex, ,Tupperware, ,X Factor, ,XOYO

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