Amelia’s Magazine | Whose City? The G20 Protesters Come To Town

IDIOT SON OF STELLA AND GEORGE

An eclectic mix of art work by a group of like minded people exploring expressionism through art.
Peckham Square, tadalafil page 28th of March 2- 6pm

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In the Pines

Jack Strange
Limoncello 2 Hoxton St London, rx opening 27th of March 6.30 – 8.30pm, case exhibition: 26th – 28th of March 11am – 6pm and by appointment until 2nd May 2009.

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Order and Disorder

Wilhelmina Barns-Graham
A look at a very unique collection of paintings and prints, several have never been publicly exhibited before.
Art first in Cork street, 24th March – 23rd April

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One or Several Wolves

Priya Chohan, Coral Churchill, Annelie Fawke, Kwang-Sung Hong, Heidi Locher and Anne E Wilson.
A group of artists look at conceptual motivations within Art, using a variety of media each artist explores the relationship between concept, material and final work created.
Kingsgate Gallery, 20th March – 5th April Free

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Bandits present

New installation work from Glaswegian artists littlewhitehead.
The Bun House Bandits, 96 Peckham High Street London. Preview: 15th March 2009, 4pm. Exhibition: 16th March 2009 – 29 March 2009, 11am–11pm

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Being and nothing-ness

Youngmi Kim, Kiwoun Shin and Seunghyun Woo
Three Korean artists explore the notion of “being” through various multi media methods, the exhibition includes paintings, videos and sculptures.
Nolias Gallery, 60 Great Suffolk St SE1. Private view: 26thMarch at 6pm- 9pm, exhibition: 27th March- 7TH April 200 10:30Am-6pm,

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We are his body

installation art work inspired by the artist’s exploration of the cross in today’s society.
Viewing at Christ Church URC 663 Barking rd Plaistow E13 9EX, 25th March 6pm

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Kate Marshall: Live Painting.

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This dextrous figurative painter will be doing a live drawing and painting gig at Movida, Argyll Street on April 2nd. Arrive at 9.30pm, you might get a free drinky. She’ll be starting work at 10pm. Check out the event on facebook.
I just woke up from the best nightmare I ever had, store at least I think it was a nightmare. I mean, side effects I’ve heard of mutton dressed as lamb and a wolf in sheep’s clothing, health but last night I saw a couple of ladies, dressed as a wolf and a sheep respectively, among other things.

But what was this, what had I stepped into? Well I found the best person to ask, Annie Oldfield. A lovely young lady from Leeds, dressed as a wolf! I thought it would be fun to create a one-off themed party where you can listen to music all night that`s in some way related to animals: Animal Collective (Panda Bear), Deerhunter, Modest Mouse (the list is endless), eat crackers and, of course, what themed party is complete without fancy dresses. Shark, tiger, zebra, duck, crab, swan, cat (there were lots of cats) all had turned out.

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After Annie along with friend Bonnie Wan came up with the idea they went to
DJ/Promoter friend Dave Bassinder (Underachievers) and Filthy animals! was born.

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Not one for getting down on the dance floor, that was no problem here, you could keep yourself occupied by making animal balloons or watching films played on a big screen, obviously starring our fantastic furry friends. Or grab a piece of paper and give origami a go, make some sort of flapping pterodactyl. Of course the term filthy suggests more than balloon modeling so a few cheap drinks and many tunes later and the dance floor got the attention it deserved, well you spend all day making a costume you gotta show it off, right?

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It`s a real shame it had to end as there are no plans for further repercussions. If you read this Underachievers “BRING BACK THE ANIMALS and KEEP EM FILTHY”!
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I have something to admit, viagra sale I am a warehouse party virgin. By warehouse parties I mean not-really legal parties, treat which announce their locations via facebook messages about five minute before they start and you quickly have to get yourself to some remote north London spot in Zone 4. For me there is nothing fun about the obvious issue of trekking all the way out there just for the police to shut it down at twelve. Or 11.30 PM on New Years Eve, rx which is what happened to one of my friends!

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After one of our writers posted about their last exhibition I decided i couldn’t miss the LuckyPDF warehouse party, even better it was all above board and legal. There were rather fancy gold flyers promoting the event and they even hired their own bouncers, who were at the door all night checking ID. While this might take some of the thrill away for regular warehouse party goers I rather enjoyed being somewhere with plumbing and electricity. My favourite part was not having to trail across London to a Saw-esk industrial park, because the event was just off Peckham high street. As the LuckyPDF people boldly proclaimed before the event, “The people of South London shalt need to travel to East London any longer for their Huge Party needs.”

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I arrived at eleven and the queue to get in was absolutely insane, luckly i’d sent a RSVP email, but I still had to wait a good fifteen minutes to get into the rooms even once I was through the main gate. This was no thrown together event, they had obviously put a lot of effort into sound and lighting, which was refreshing and very welcome. As I entered the bottom room floor I was immediately hit with throbbing lights and heavy bass. There were hoards of people, I couldn’t even begin to count how many attended the event, but nothing was too serious. I think something about the fact it was in a warehouse just made the whole event more relaxed, there was a lot less people there just to smoke and be seen than there were people just wanting to have fun. No “this is the dance floor, this is the bar” locations usually explicit in gig venues meant people were just doing what they wanted where they wanted.
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The LuckyPDF warehouse party aimed to be “a rampant music/art extravaganza that will continue til the early morn..” The music was definitely there with the order of the day being, “Bass, Bass, Garage, Electro, Bass, Drum n Bass, Swing, Tango, Nintendocore and Bass”. There were Dj sets from 10 PM – 4AM from South London party circuit favourites, XXX, My Panda Shall Fly and Tomb Crew, plus many, many more. These Dj’s were well selected and well received (apart from whoever kept cutting tracks short in the top room!) effortlessly mixing cutting edge bass tracks with forgotten classics.

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However, I was completely perplexed about the other bit, you know the art. Unless really, really small (microscopic) art has come in fashion since the last exhibition I went to I would swear that there wasn’t any. It could have been hidden by the hoards of people there, but still if you’re going to advertise art it would be helpful if people could see it. Previously this would have annoyed me, but I feel i’m just starting to get the point of collectives such as LuckyPDF and it’s peers. Although these guys are artists, they’re not together to try and promote a certain type of art or medium over any other. With the exception perhaps being Off Modern who have a whole Off Modern manifesto on their website. As far as I know there is no particular theme or common interests in the work of the organisers of these events and if there were it would be purely incidental. It’s more a case of getting people excited about South London. Which something that hasn’t happened since (dare i say it) the YBA’s, and they all rushed off to live in the East End or houses in the country as soon as they could anyway.

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I will forgive the LuckyPDF guys just this once having an event light of the art and heavy on the music (which draws people in and allows them to charge entry fee), because they have stated that they’re a not for profit organisation, and I hope the money they made will be going into more exhibitions. And when they do I’ll be there, pen in hand, because I can’t wait to see what they’re going to do next.
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Photography by Ted Williams

Monday 23th

The Rakes
release their third album, symptoms KLANG, buy information pills today and to celebrate the band will play a special gig at London’s Rough Trade East at 6pm tonight.
The follow up to ‘Ten New Messages’ is pure and the best of The Rakes as you can check out on lead track ‘1989‘.
Wristband collection 1 hour prior to gig, first-come-first-served basis-one per person.

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The Rakes

Tuesday 24th

It`s crunch time at The Social and the venue welcomes Kid Carpet to promote his new single, followed by Moonfish Rhumba with their electro beats and peculiar lyrics.
If great music is not enough to take your mind of recession, this month the venue provides the Crunch Time Rant where you can take your anger to the stage, step on to a soapbox and speak out your thoughts.
Doors 6pm, 99p.

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Moonfish Rhumba

Wednesday 25th

Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen receives Joseph Mount, aka Metronomy and DJs, including the opulent pop of Your Twenties (whose harmonious frontman is Metronomy’s former bassist).
8pm, £7, adv £6.

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Metronomy

Thursday 26th

Plugs, My Tiger My Timing and Shock Defeat at the Paradise By Way Of Kensal Green for a bit of electro/disco rock.
7:30, £7, adv £5.

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My Tiger My Timing

Friday 27th

The three new yorkers forming The Virgins land in town for some dance rock at Koko London.
9:30pm, £7, £5 before 11pm, concs £4.

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The Virgins

Saturday 28th
Up for some healthy girlie pop? Betty and the Werewolves bring their female fronted indie-ditty-pop vocals (they do count with one boy on the drums!) to Bardens Boudoir next Saturday.
8pm, £6.

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Betty and the Werewolves

Sunday 29th
Close (or begin?) your week with the Society of New Music – an avant garde event featuring Wet Dog live at The Social.
7pm, £2.

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Wet Dog

To all you vintage addicts I bring you salvation!

On April the 4th a vintage bonanza will be hitting the streets of Bethnal Green to bombard you with their scandalously cheap vintage, viagra 40mg so prepare yourself Shoreditch! I understand if you are dubious, case “what makes it unique in comparison to the endless array of oversaturated vintage fairs and markets in London” I hear you say? Well, the differentiation is that at this event you won’t be leaving empty handed if you left the house with a mere twenty pounds. This is vintage on an extremely tight shoestring, for any savvy shopper the affordable vintage fair is akin to the sensation of being a child in a sweet shop again!

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Heralded as the largest vintage fair in north England, the organizers have delved the nation with their noble quest for affordable vintage, leaving no stone unturned. Our loyal travellers have unearthed hidden gems and want to bring you the fruits of their labour! So cast aside the idle and banal window shopper, let your hair down and embrace your style hungry primordial urges. The fair is an emporium of vintage wonderment; there are style advisors, a customisation and alternations area, swapping area as well as bundles of vintage clothes and furniture.

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But the most exciting element of the fair has to be the pay by kilo vintage stall. This really is vintage paradise; trawl to your heart’s content safe in the knowledge it’s not going to cost you much more then your weekly grocery shop. The phenomena is commonplace with our European counterparts, but kilo shopping will be making its debut here in the UK. So get trawling and scout some hidden gems, this might just be your chance to revive your wardrobe from the brink of darkness and inject a whole new burst of life. What other chances would you get to weigh out your clothes, just like you would weigh out your sugar?

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They have catered for your every whim feeding your ears and taste buds with a nostalgic trip down memory lane. With music spanning the decades from the bohemian 60s to the energetic 80s, not forgetting a whole host of cake stalls and beverages to whet your appetite.

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So don’t miss out, get down there 11am pronto on the 4th of April, I for one will be installing my vintage bargain radar and heading down myself!
Everyday at the office here, treatment while we`re writing our articles and drinking our teas, we try to go through the many cd`s we receive daily and now and then there`s one that catches everybody`s attention, making everyone in the room ask “who`s this”?
That`s exactly what happened when Cari put on the single from up and coming group My Tiger My Timing. In less than 30 seconds heads were bopping and legs were shaking unanimously. This Is Not The Fire is so catchy that I`ve been listening to it non stop since Tuesday.

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They play a delightful, totally danceable afro beat, electro-pop and still they compare themselves with bands like Metronomy and Casio Kids. While most of the groups desperately run away from extreme pop and commercial tracks, MTMT does exactly the opposite, recognizing their will for creating easy listening and fluid beats.

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The foursome was formed in 2008 in south east London and their debut single was produced by Andy Spence of New Young Pony Club and will be released April 6th 2009 downloadable through Silver Music Machine.

Tuesday I had the chance to see them live at Cargo and I`m definitely looking forward to the entire album, it was quite an electrifying performance. Here`s a little video of the last song:


Yesterday, buy a few of the Amelia’s Magazine girls went along to witness the G20 protests in the City of London. The day had dawned to brilliant sunshine, and clear blue skies, which meant that the sight and sound of the police helicopters hovering overhead was even more pronounced. The events which were due to unfold promised to be extraordinary, and I was keen to see what was going to happen. It was hard to know what to expect, but here was the run down. Four different carnival parades, were to converge around the Bank Of England, and protest the current economic and environmental climate. We were guided there by the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, leading the processions from four rail stations. We were setting off from Liverpool Street, led by the Green Horse – representing climate chaos. Walking from Brick Lane to the station, I was struck at how different the city seemed. Spitalfields Market, and all the restaurants around it were closed. There were not many city workers around, but those who were out and about were dressed down. I didn’t see a single suit around me.

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G20protests4.jpgThe Barbican towards The Bank of England. It was enjoyable to be part of such a good natured crowd and it was fun to watch all the shop owners standing outside their establishments, watching with fascination at the colourful carnival proceeding past them.

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As we walked towards Bank we passed Northern Rock. Some clever jokers had hung a sign inside their office entitled ‘We Love Money”. As I went to take a picture they hastily pulled the sign down. I could only marvel at the thoughtlessness of that statement, wasn’t it hundreds of thousands of pensioners money that they had lost – was that the money in question that they loved so much? After a brief stop, we marched into the space around The Bank Of England. I was shocked by the amount of people who were here. Estimates at 4,000 are not an exaggeration. The place was packed. Having only ever seen this section in London as a thoroughfare for busy, frantic city workers, and crammed to the gills with buses, it was surreal to see it filled with so many protesters. No cars, just people.

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After about 45 minutes, we were ready to head back to the office. I went to walk past a row of police and quickly found that I couldn’t get through. Not quite understanding the situation I was unconcerned, thinking that they were guarding just one exit. Knowing there were plenty more exits around Bank station we wandered back to the road that we had come in on. Again, we were met with a throng of police. They stood arms locked. Still assuming that this was something that would be resolved soon, we sat down and scrounged some crisps off a girl sat next to us. (Not expecting to be there for long, we didn’t take any food, and not much water.)

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Then some of the police vans next to us started to move through the police and drive away. We thought that this was our cue to leave as well, and strode towards the police. They immediately closed ranks. It was at this moment that I took in the situation. They had cordoned us all in; we had unwittingly become kettled. (This word now chills me to the bone). No one was going anywhere without their say so. the crowds started to fill up and began asking questions. As I was nearest the front I asked how long this situation would last for. “Don’t know” came the response. Many people started asking why this was happening, but the police would not respond. Our crowd was large, and there was not an ‘anarchist’ in sight. Many tried to squeeze towards the police and told them that this was violating their human rights, and was against the law. Again, no response.

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We were soon packed so tightly that it was like being at the front of a gig, but instead of watching a band, we were staring into the hard faces of men who refused to talk to us, and would sooner beat and arrest us then let us get past them. At this point the crowd surged and we fell into each other. The police shouted at us “Get back!” a woman shouted “Where to?!” We were trapped in a scrum, and the police were pushing us back while we were being pushed forward. I saw riot police walk towards us and I felt a surge of panic. We had been trapped by the police and there was nothing that we could do. I pleaded with the officer in front of me to let us go (I can now see how futile that was). I said that we were scared, and asked if a riot were to kick off, who are they going to protect? “I can’t answer that” was the response. Women started shouting that they had children from school to pick up, jobs to get to. The most common cry to the police was “Why won’t you speak to us?” I got so fed up from this feeling of powerlessness that I phoned the news desk at BBC News. I shared my feelings of worry to the reporter on the other end of the phone; and told her the scenario. I relayed what the officers had told one girl to do who said that she needed the toilet – “you can go in the street”; what they told one boy who said that he wasn’t even part of the protest – “You are now”. The BBC reporter told us that this situation was happening at every exit of the march. She said, “You are all being tarred with the same anarchist brush, this is their tactic”.

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Around an hour later, still in the same position, a man passed out in front of me. He had been standing quietly, not trying to defy the police, and his only movement for the two hours that we were held was to quietly read a peace of paper that he had in his hands. I had looked at it at one point and could see that it was a Psalm. Thankfully, the officers took him away and led him to an ambulance. Just as I started to feel that it was going to be an all night cordon, my friends phone rang. A friend of hers told her that they had just opened one of the exits round the corner and we bolted for it. Walking to the tube, we were jumping up and down with exhilaration. We began receiving updates that the RBS building was being stormed, and that the police were beating protesters. What had started off as a peaceful and well meaning protest was quickly turning into something much darker, but who was at fault? If you asked anyone in the 4,000 strong crowd they would have no trouble telling you. The police’s tactic of kettling us, purposely providing us with no information and locking us in for two and half hours was easily going to generate the mayhem that they had predicted. Nonetheless, I am so pleased that I attended. It was always going to be an interesting day, I just wish that the peaceful protesters would have been treated better and not denied their basic human rights.

Categories ,activism, ,Direct Action, ,Environment, ,G20, ,Kettled, ,Police, ,Protest

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Amelia’s Magazine | Protest March For Ian Tomlinson.

This? week? I? attended ?the Light? and? Architecture? symposium? at ?the? Kolding? School ?of? Design ?in ?Denmark. The event played ?host to? one of the forerunners in innovative Textile Design speaker ?Reiko? Sudo ?co? founder? and? director ?of? NUNO ?fabrics.??

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The company have been granted numerous accolades and were recently given the Mainichi? Design? Award, viagra 100mg cure the Roscoe? Prize? and? the? Japanese? Interior? Designers’? Association? Design? Award.? The? talk? focused? on? NUNO‘s? last project?? designing? fabrics? for? the? Mandarin? Oriental? Hotel, side effects ? Tokyo.?

The? project? aim for the Mandarin Oriental was to convey? Japan’s? changing? seasons? and? is? inspired? by the natural elements? of? wood? and? water.? Reiko? explained how? they? applied? traditional? Japanese? handcraft? and fused it with unconventional? materials?. She? took? the? audience? on? a? beautiful? journey? of? Japanese? landscapes? through? the? forest? in? rainfall,? sunshine,? day? and? night.? All? elements? provide? inspiration? for? the? hotel’s? interior? design fabric?, from? the? root? and? texture? of? a? tree,? or? the? way? the? raindrops? bounce? from? leaf? to? leaf,? reflecting? rays? of? sunshine? across? the? forest? floor.? This? allowed? the? audience? to? visualise? the? source? of? inspiration? behind? each ?fabric? and? imagine ?the ?textural ?quality ?of? the ?cloth? without ?the? sense? of ?touch.?

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After? introducing? her? inspirational? source for the fabrics, Reiko went on to? explain the methods of ?production.? For? example? to? recreate? the? beautiful? opalescent? sparkling rays? of? sunshine,? gold? embroidery? was? stitched? onto? transparent? fabric.

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?The atmosphere? of? forest? at nightfall? was? created by? stitching? shiny? metallic? midnight? blue? against? ink? stained? handmade? paper.? This? extra? consideration? to? detail? brings? an ?experiential ?quality ?to ?the ?fabric ?emulating ?a? certain? ambiance.?

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Reiko? was? a? truly? inspirational? speaker;? her? efforts? have? allowed? her? to? stay? true? to? Japanese? traditional? handcraft? whilst? experimenting? with? new? materials? to? create new? possibilities. ?This? visionary? approach? and? impeccable? attention? to? detail? project? an? original? yet honest? representation? of? Japanese ?culture.
Femke De Jong’s illustrations are multi-layered and intensively reworked collages, prostate they often explore the seemingly oppositional subjects of man and machine. She kindly agreed to answer a few of our questions and send us some lovely images to eyeball.

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Can you tell me a bit about yourself?
I am originally from the Netherlands and I lived in Amsterdam for about 10 years before I moved to Bristol 6 years ago. I come from a family of ‘makers’, especially my gran and my mum. I have always been interested in the visual arts, like all kids I spent a lot of time drawing and making ‘stuff’. I used to sit in the attic, reading old books, and especially loved the pictures in my dad’s science encyclopedias.
Also, I was kept back for a year in Kindergarten, the teachers there thought it would be good for me to play for another year.

How would you describe your work?
Surrealist collage, textural, playful, eclectic mishmash, a whiff of antiquety, whimsical.

What mediums do you use to create your illustrations?
A composition of drawings, collage (digital and hand-rendered) of elements and textures, layered up in the computer. I often scan hand-rendered drawings or textures in and work from thumbnails and ideas I make first. When inside the computer, I sometimes print out things again and then work into these prints. I try to keep that ‘organic’, hand-rendered feel in my work.

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Collage is a strong element to your illustrations. What is it about using this technique that interests you?
Working with collage gives me a lot of freedom, to mix different elements and ideas, to get to a ‘concoction’. When I was little I wanted to be an inventor, and in a way I still ‘invent’ illustrations.

Would you say you have certain themes which you visit in your illustrations?
I have always been interested in science, and often include mechanical bits in my illustrations.
I sometimes use it as an metaphore to emphasize the ‘clunky’ relationship between man and machine, or eg. the human doesn’t take responsibility for his/her actions, and acts as if he/she is programmed to do so. Themes like science, and environmental issues interest me.

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Do you think that the fact that you were raised in the Netherlands has affected your work in anyway?
I think my view is from a more ‘Dutch’ angle. I moved here about six years ago and even though I dream in English, Dutch normality is still present in the back of my head. Dutch sayings and expressions often pop up, and I find them visually stimulating. I think they drive a lot of the ideas in my work.
I really appreciate the British sense of humour for it’s absurd and macabre satire, like Monty Python and League of Gentlemen.

Is there a Dutch and an English illustration style?
The Dutch love their very bright colour palette, which is a little too bright for my liking. My colour palette seems to go towards more muted colours.
A lot of illustration in the Netherlands seems to me to be direct, conceptual and design led, and more minimalist whilst British illustration seems to be more romantic and eccentric.
In England, there is a big affection and tolerance of the eccentric, whilst in the Netherlands there is a saying: ‘Act normal, you’re mad enough as you are.’

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How do you like living in Bristol? Have you ever considered living in london like many creatives do?
I live with my boyfriend in a fairly central bit of Bristol. Bristol is a lively student city, there are always plenty of things to do here, as well I know a lot of fellow-illustrators here, like the collective ‘Hot Soup’. I’m actually thinking about living more in the countryside than we do now, so London would be a step in the other direction. Eventhough London is a very good place to be for creatives, and I have concidered moving there in the past, I now use the internet to plug myself, and visit London once every month/two months.

What are you working on at the moment?
This week I am working on a book cover, an editorial and an image that will appear in the book Lucidity.

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What inspires you?
Many things. I’ve been called too eclectic before, but when a friend went to Amsterdam with me, she said: “I understand now where you come from, this place is like one of your collages”. Amsterdam is a melting pot of many cultures, colourful, lively and noisy. There’s lots of nooks and crannies, like an old curiosity shop.
In Amsterdam there is an independence in attitude, and the freedom to be expressive. I love walking around antique shops and flea markets, to get a feel of the old times.

Who are your favourite artists?
The Russian Avant-Garde constructivists like El Lissitzky and Rodchenko for their composition. Henrik Drescher, for his independent style and Paul Slater, because of his absurd and surrealist humour. Also Svankmajer, for his nightmarishly unsettling surrealities. I love Eastern European animation the grimness and absurdity they find in everyday topics. The world around us is sometimes unsettling and by depicting the world in a surreal way and making fun of it, helps.

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How long do you usually work on one image?
It depends. For an editorial I usually work on the ideas and the roughs for a couple of hours, and then a bit longer on the finished piece.
When there’s a deadline, things always get done. When I don’t have the deadline, I revisit work more and things can take longer.

Have you done any commissioned work?
I have done are a book cover for the Bristol short story prize, which they used for the front cover of their quarterly mag. A CD cover for Furthernoise and some editorials for Management Today and Resource.

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What would your dream project be?
In this order: A cover for New Scientist, to design a range of book covers, a series of books for older children.
Any project where I get a lot of freedom, eg. by working with an art editor who isn’t afraid to take risks.

To see more of Femke’s work you’re just one click away from her website. You can also buy a few of her things here.

Saturday saw a hoard of eager revellers descend on the Fym Fyg Bar in Bethnal Green for all the fun of the fair, this well vintage fair that is! You could tell news of the event had travelled far on the grape vine as bargainistas formed a snaking queue outside that, alas, fellow intern Sabrina and I fell victim to. After an exasperating wait we finally entered the vintage emporium, and it certainly was a visual feast as soon as you entered. The first sight to grab my attention was the stunningly nostaligic tea shoppe brought to us by the delightful ladies at Lady Luck Rules Ok! I couldn’t help being hypnotised by the endless array of cakes and beautifully clad tea ladies adorned in 50′s get ups! But determined to embark on my bargain hunt I managed to draw myself away from the alluring cupcakes and straight on to the stalls.

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Highly reminiscent of a sweet shop rabble on a Saturday afternoon everyone was grabbing at the £5 a bag stalls, eagerly stuffing as much in as physically possible. There was a certain skill to this I established, you had to adopt a Tetris style approach to utilise the space to its full capacity. There certainly was enough to satisfy every nostalgic whim, I trawled through rows and rows of 50 and 60s aprons and pretty shift dresses, and then straight on to all the glamour and cabaret of the 70′s and 80′s in all their glittery excesses.

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The Vintage Kilo stall, it has to be said, was my beeline and alas I was disappointed. I think most of Shoreditch had my idea so subsequently it descended into a cattle market, making it all too difficult to delve out those bargains. Maybe I am still a mere vintage fair novice; I think I was dealing with the pros.

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The Jewellery was a real treat, I unearthered some stunning brooches, hat pins and charmingnecklaces, it really was a treasure trove of shimmery trinkets perfect for us magpies. There was also beautiful millinery ablaze with feathers and gems galore, taking us on a whirlwind tour through the roaring 40s to the swinging 60′s. I wished I could pull off some of the more flamboyant styles!

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After more then sufficient vintage indulgence I decided it was definitely time to let my stomach do the talking and succumb to some well deserved tea and cake at Lady Lucks pop up tea shoppe. The décor was delightfully twee and had been consciously laid out to reflect individual decades spanning the 50s to the 80s. We were escorted right back to the 50s table which was brimming with vintage board games. The staples included Sorry, Bingo and Scrabble all definitive games from the era in my book! So after taking in the décor I launched straight into a hearty cup of tea and my delectable chocolate cup cake while my partner in crime went for the carrot cake.

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So in all the consensus was a definite thumbs up for the affordable vintage fair, it’s safe to say I was vintaged out by the end! Keep your eyes out for the next one guys, it’s 25th April in Lincoln, well worth a visit!

Altermodern: Tate Triennial 2009

A multi media visual exploration of Altermodernism. Curated by Nicolas Bourriaud, there the co- founder of Palais de Tokyo in Paris, he describes Altermodern art as art made in today’s global context, a counter reaction to commercialism. The selection includes some of the best current British artist, alongside international artists who are working within similar themes.

Tate Britain Mill bank London SW1P 4RG
3rd Feb – 26th Apr 09 Daily 10am-5.50pm

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BRIDGE 2 WORLDS

The launch and celabration of Indian modern art, curated by Radha Binod Sharma.
The show will feature works by 22 comtemporary Indian artist, some of whom have never exhibited outside of there own country.

Menier Gallery 51 Southwark Street London SE1 1RU
31. Mar – 9. Apr 09, free admission 11am – 6pm daily

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The Mail Me Art Project

Run by Darren Di Lieto

The exhibition showcases a vast collection of artistic work sent in the form of mail by both professional and amateur artists of all ages from across the world as part of the 2007 Mail Me Art project. All of the work submitted to the Mail Me Art project is exhibited and available for purchase.

Red gate gallery
209a Coldharbour Lane Brixton London SW9 8RU
Friday 3rd to 9th of April 2009,
Gallery Opening Hours: Sat, Mon, Tues, Wed: 2.30 pm – 6.30 pm
Last day of Exhibition: Thurs 9th of April: 11.00am to 5.00pm

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Sock Exchange

Through video, events and one-on-one engagement, Sock Exchange invites you to transforming your humble and odd socks into an exquisite art experience.
Also come sit and knit with other fellow knitters/makers. Show non-knitters how to knit their own sock and spread the sock appreciation.

Exhibiting alongside residents from Eyebeam’s Sustainability Research Group, Stefan Szczelkun, Melanie Gilligan.

Fact Gallery, Liverpool L1 4DQ
6th Apr – 12th Apr 09, Free admission 10-6pm

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Crookes is an area of Sheffield popular with students and Joe Cocker pilgrims. One of wikipedia’s key facts about the area is that it is served by the number 52 bus. Be still, medications my beating heart.

But as I type a new band are causing something of a stir there ? it’s home to The Crookes: a baby-faced guitar wielding folk/pop/acoustic outfit. They deliver tender, more about sweet melodies and simple, stripped songs that are a good old fashioned treat for the ears.

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They’ve played a handful of gigs in London recently and are picking up a steady stream of fans, with Steve Lamacq at the front of the line like the Pied Piper of Hamelin, harping on about them on his blog and radio show.

The Crookes have a great stage presence and ooze charisma – without the arrogance associated with a good few of their contemporaries. Hey, they’ll even join you off the stage for a couple of numbers and charm you with their raw, acoustic and unplugged talent if you ask nicely (or not at all, actually). They have an experimental sound, incorporating toy guitars, harmonicas and banjos into their gigs, complimented by lead Goerge’s dulcet vocals.

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We caught up with George, Alex, Daniel and Russell at their recent Stoke Newington gig:

Hailing from Sheffield, people will compare you to it’s famous exports: Artic Monkeys, Pulp, Harrisons, Peter Stringfellow. Help or hinderance?

R: We haven’t been compared to Peter Stringfellow, as yet. The only comparison we’ve really had was to Treebound Story. We stole Richard Hawley’s drum sticks recently (he uses the same studios), though we don’t really want to live up to our name.

What was the last song you recorded and why?

D: By The Seine, which has a bit of a different sound. It’s about a pavement artist I saw who’s pictures kept getting washed away when it started raining. We’re going to be playing it at a live session we’re doing in Paris in the summer… playing there’s always been a big ambition of ours.

What have you got in store for the rest of the year?

G: We’re moving in together to give it a proper go. Apparently our future neighbor is deaf…so at least we can’t annoy him!

A: George wants to be a postman for a while.

Will there be an album?

R: Hopefully in the next year or so…but we want to take our time and make sure when we do it’s reflective of our best efforts.

What’s the best thing about Crookes?

D: It has a nice lake.

G: There’s a great chip shop called ‘New Cod on the Block.’ Actually, I’ve never been ? it might be pretty average, but I like the name.

Any band dramas?

A: Russell once vandalized the dressing rooms at Plug in Sheffield… he was making a cup of tea and pulled the cupboard off the wall..he then spent about 20 minutes trying to fix it before the house manager found out and refused to pay us.

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Do you prefer to perform unplugged or do you prefer to present a more produced sound?

G: Either, really, but we are playing at the Holmfirth Festival of Folk at the beginning of May which is going to be an unplugged set…we’re really looking forward to it.

R: …And we’re going to play an acoustic set on Margate Pier in the summer sometime…we have a thing for playing interesting venues.

You supported Slow Club (friends of Amelia’s magazine). How was that?

A: We’ve all been to see them loads before, so it was great to be on the same bill. They’re one of the current Sheffield bands we really admire.

Which song do you wish you’d written?

A: And Your Bird Can Sing by The Beatles

D: Be my Baby by The Ronettes

What is the most embarrassing song on your ipod/guilty pleasure?

G: Forget about Dre ? Eminem feat. Dr. Dre

R: Mambo No.5 by Lou Bega!
So imagine the most idyllic and serene childhood dream, information pills what does it conjure? Fluffy bears, story tea parties and blue skies. Oh for the naivety of youth, before we all fall foul to the trials and tribulations of adolescence. Well never fear here at Amelia’s Magazine we are here to bring you back your youth, well a slightly revised late night television version! Via innovative new design collaborative Ground Zero.

Hong Kong based brothers Eric and Philip have bombarded onto the London fashion sphere feeding our senses with an explosion of graphics and colour, which makes you feel you are being catapulted straight into a Super Mario Brothers game.

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Ground Zero’s A/W 2009 collection “Lazy Naughty and Sleepy” is epitomised perfectly by its title. It’s a whirlwind tour through apocalyptic nightmares and wistful daydreams embarking on a vivid tour of graphics and shapes. But don’t let me forget to add the abundance of Care Bears in rather compromising situations, some of the prints feature crack smoking and homosexuality, very controversial!

This brother duo has distinctive individual styles, having studied legions away from each other. With Eric studying Graphic Design in Hong Kong while his brother made the break to London to study Fashion at Middlesex University. These distinctly different facets of design unite perfectly within their work, fusing conceptual tailoring with bold graphic design.

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Defying our preconceived ideas on the common practice for pyjama use. The design duo features our favourite comfy Sunday afternoon staple as an integral part of their collection. With cutesy oversized pj’s in an array of confectionary tones from candyfloss pink to parma violet purple. The emphasis on wearabilty is particularly apparent in this collection, with oversized jumpers, joggers, deconstructed macs and t-shirts.

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Having featured in Selfridges, Concrete in London, Le Shop in Stockholm, Ships and And A in Japan, Bauhaus, and D-mop Seibu in Hong Kong. With such an endless array of suppliers it’s safe to saye their eccentric collections are well received in the fashion circuit!
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There’s nothing quite like a nice little story to go alongside a musical out pouring. And there’s no better story than the story of love in the back of an organ donor van. With his ‘F**ken rock opera’; the moving story of Misty and Moufette, hospital Sparky Death Cap plays his beautiful Daniel Johnson/Jeffrey Lewis alt folk odes to love and loss and love again. Like the afore mentioned lo-fi heroes R Taylor (aka Sparky) is also an artist, and his illustrations are projected on to a whiteboard behind him as he strums his ukulele and loops slowly penetrate our ear drums. But the story, tell me the story (you may be saying?), well, briefly : Misty is a van driver delivering organs all over the country who the day before Valentine’s Day meets the beautiful Moufette after a sledging accident. He immediately falls in love but the feelings are not reciprocated, she soon realizes her mistake and they drive off into the sunset (if only love was so simple). The moral that love is worth risking everything for is however a strong one; “A man who loved you sufficiently, to cause a nationwide organ deficiency”.

Love is definitely in the air tonight (well maybe lost love) as headliner Dent May appears on stage singing “I love you more than I did when you were mine”.

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A beautiful melody to an ex-girlfriend, sadly missed and from the way he sings it you can really feel the pain. But let’s not get too forlorn as on a brighter note we hear ‘Howard’ about a one man band from Mississippi and a heart-breaking and re-building rendition of the Doo wop classic by the Four Preps ‘26 Miles (Santa Catalina)’; “The first song I ever learnt on the Ukulele” he tells us.

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Although the venue was downsized at the last minute the night is given a little extra atmosphere, it`s cosy and a real 1950′s lounge experience (complete with crooner) is created and gives us the opportunity speak to Dent one on one, nearly. Quite the personable fellow. With a new album just out on Animal Collectives’ label ‘Paw Tracks‘ it won’t be long before you all become acquainted with him yourselves. Make sure you do it sooner than later, eh?
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When 4, online 000 people converged around The City of London to take part in the G20 Meltdown on April 1st, diagnosis and voice their concerns over the current economic and climate situation, many did not foresee that the protests would not become something altogether more frightening and unsafe. Not unsafe due to violent protesters (it is generally acknowledged that there was only a handful of rioters, who caused a minimum amount of damage), but because of the methods and tactics employed by the police force who surrounded us. Since that day, the general public now are more than familiar with the term kettling, and the protesters are all too aware of what it means to be kettled. The issues which arose from that day have centered on one thing: the British’s police’s misuse of power, and riot – inciting tactics for dealing with protests – however peaceful or non violent the protest may be.

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At best, the day would have provoked a necessary dialogue between the general public, the media, and the police force. Unfortunately, events and actions of the police led to a devastating outcome. Ian Tomlinson, a 47 year old newspaper seller, collapsed and died outside the Bank of England. He had suffered a heart attack. Ian had not even been part of the protests, but was simply trying to make his way home. For the first few days, details of his death were sketchy and many facts seemed to contradict each other. Most reports suggested that it was a simple and unfortunate case of a man having a heart attack, perhaps brought on by the ‘rioters’ around him. Here is the Metropolitan Police’s statement issued a few hours after his death:

“A member of the public went to a police officer on a cordon in Birchin Lane junction with Cornhill to say that there was a man who had collapsed round the corner.
“That officer sent two police medics through the cordon line and into St Michael’s Alley where they found a man who had stopped breathing. They called for LAS support at about 19.30.
“The officers gave him an initial check and cleared his airway before moving him back behind the cordon line to a clear area outside the Royal Exchange Building where they gave him CPR.
“The officers took the decision to move him as during this time a number of missiles —believed to be bottles — were being thrown at them. ?LAS took the man to hospital where he was pronounced dead.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HECMVdl-9SQ&feature=channel_page

The police can no longer hide behind these falsehoods. A video obtained by The Guardian Newspaper clearly shows the man being attacked by a large number of police. The event seems shockingly unprovoked. He is seen walking, with the police, clad in riot gear, trailing him. Hands in his pockets, he is unprepared for the assault. The video makes for highly upsetting viewing. If there was a representation of the police’s senseless and reprehensible treatment of the public on April 1st then this is it. The events in the video could not be more different to the account by the police.

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This Saturday, 8th April, the original organisers of the G20 Meltdown will be leading a procession to protest the death of Ian Tomlinkson. It will assemble outside Bethnal Green Police Station at 11.30am, before setting off at 12 p.m. and laying flowers where he died, close to The Bank Of England. It is suggested that anyone marching wears black. Protesting the polices reprehensible behaviour is the only and best way to send a message to the British police force that their actions are not acceptable and cannot be tolerated in a democratic society.

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(all photographs courtesy of Amelia Gregory)

Go to www.g-20meltdown.org for further details.

Categories ,G20 Protest, ,Ian Tomlinson, ,Kettled, ,Police, ,Protests

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Amelia’s Magazine | Protest March For Ian Tomlinson.

This? week? I? attended ?the Light? and? Architecture? symposium? at ?the? Kolding? School ?of? Design ?in ?Denmark. The event played ?host to? one of the forerunners in innovative Textile Design speaker ?Reiko? Sudo ?co? founder? and? director ?of? NUNO ?fabrics.??

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The company have been granted numerous accolades and were recently given the Mainichi? Design? Award, viagra 100mg cure the Roscoe? Prize? and? the? Japanese? Interior? Designers’? Association? Design? Award.? The? talk? focused? on? NUNO‘s? last project?? designing? fabrics? for? the? Mandarin? Oriental? Hotel, side effects ? Tokyo.?

The? project? aim for the Mandarin Oriental was to convey? Japan’s? changing? seasons? and? is? inspired? by the natural elements? of? wood? and? water.? Reiko? explained how? they? applied? traditional? Japanese? handcraft? and fused it with unconventional? materials?. She? took? the? audience? on? a? beautiful? journey? of? Japanese? landscapes? through? the? forest? in? rainfall,? sunshine,? day? and? night.? All? elements? provide? inspiration? for? the? hotel’s? interior? design fabric?, from? the? root? and? texture? of? a? tree,? or? the? way? the? raindrops? bounce? from? leaf? to? leaf,? reflecting? rays? of? sunshine? across? the? forest? floor.? This? allowed? the? audience? to? visualise? the? source? of? inspiration? behind? each ?fabric? and? imagine ?the ?textural ?quality ?of? the ?cloth? without ?the? sense? of ?touch.?

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After? introducing? her? inspirational? source for the fabrics, Reiko went on to? explain the methods of ?production.? For? example? to? recreate? the? beautiful? opalescent? sparkling rays? of? sunshine,? gold? embroidery? was? stitched? onto? transparent? fabric.

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?The atmosphere? of? forest? at nightfall? was? created by? stitching? shiny? metallic? midnight? blue? against? ink? stained? handmade? paper.? This? extra? consideration? to? detail? brings? an ?experiential ?quality ?to ?the ?fabric ?emulating ?a? certain? ambiance.?

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Reiko? was? a? truly? inspirational? speaker;? her? efforts? have? allowed? her? to? stay? true? to? Japanese? traditional? handcraft? whilst? experimenting? with? new? materials? to? create new? possibilities. ?This? visionary? approach? and? impeccable? attention? to? detail? project? an? original? yet honest? representation? of? Japanese ?culture.
Femke De Jong’s illustrations are multi-layered and intensively reworked collages, prostate they often explore the seemingly oppositional subjects of man and machine. She kindly agreed to answer a few of our questions and send us some lovely images to eyeball.

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Can you tell me a bit about yourself?
I am originally from the Netherlands and I lived in Amsterdam for about 10 years before I moved to Bristol 6 years ago. I come from a family of ‘makers’, especially my gran and my mum. I have always been interested in the visual arts, like all kids I spent a lot of time drawing and making ‘stuff’. I used to sit in the attic, reading old books, and especially loved the pictures in my dad’s science encyclopedias.
Also, I was kept back for a year in Kindergarten, the teachers there thought it would be good for me to play for another year.

How would you describe your work?
Surrealist collage, textural, playful, eclectic mishmash, a whiff of antiquety, whimsical.

What mediums do you use to create your illustrations?
A composition of drawings, collage (digital and hand-rendered) of elements and textures, layered up in the computer. I often scan hand-rendered drawings or textures in and work from thumbnails and ideas I make first. When inside the computer, I sometimes print out things again and then work into these prints. I try to keep that ‘organic’, hand-rendered feel in my work.

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Collage is a strong element to your illustrations. What is it about using this technique that interests you?
Working with collage gives me a lot of freedom, to mix different elements and ideas, to get to a ‘concoction’. When I was little I wanted to be an inventor, and in a way I still ‘invent’ illustrations.

Would you say you have certain themes which you visit in your illustrations?
I have always been interested in science, and often include mechanical bits in my illustrations.
I sometimes use it as an metaphore to emphasize the ‘clunky’ relationship between man and machine, or eg. the human doesn’t take responsibility for his/her actions, and acts as if he/she is programmed to do so. Themes like science, and environmental issues interest me.

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Do you think that the fact that you were raised in the Netherlands has affected your work in anyway?
I think my view is from a more ‘Dutch’ angle. I moved here about six years ago and even though I dream in English, Dutch normality is still present in the back of my head. Dutch sayings and expressions often pop up, and I find them visually stimulating. I think they drive a lot of the ideas in my work.
I really appreciate the British sense of humour for it’s absurd and macabre satire, like Monty Python and League of Gentlemen.

Is there a Dutch and an English illustration style?
The Dutch love their very bright colour palette, which is a little too bright for my liking. My colour palette seems to go towards more muted colours.
A lot of illustration in the Netherlands seems to me to be direct, conceptual and design led, and more minimalist whilst British illustration seems to be more romantic and eccentric.
In England, there is a big affection and tolerance of the eccentric, whilst in the Netherlands there is a saying: ‘Act normal, you’re mad enough as you are.’

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How do you like living in Bristol? Have you ever considered living in london like many creatives do?
I live with my boyfriend in a fairly central bit of Bristol. Bristol is a lively student city, there are always plenty of things to do here, as well I know a lot of fellow-illustrators here, like the collective ‘Hot Soup’. I’m actually thinking about living more in the countryside than we do now, so London would be a step in the other direction. Eventhough London is a very good place to be for creatives, and I have concidered moving there in the past, I now use the internet to plug myself, and visit London once every month/two months.

What are you working on at the moment?
This week I am working on a book cover, an editorial and an image that will appear in the book Lucidity.

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What inspires you?
Many things. I’ve been called too eclectic before, but when a friend went to Amsterdam with me, she said: “I understand now where you come from, this place is like one of your collages”. Amsterdam is a melting pot of many cultures, colourful, lively and noisy. There’s lots of nooks and crannies, like an old curiosity shop.
In Amsterdam there is an independence in attitude, and the freedom to be expressive. I love walking around antique shops and flea markets, to get a feel of the old times.

Who are your favourite artists?
The Russian Avant-Garde constructivists like El Lissitzky and Rodchenko for their composition. Henrik Drescher, for his independent style and Paul Slater, because of his absurd and surrealist humour. Also Svankmajer, for his nightmarishly unsettling surrealities. I love Eastern European animation the grimness and absurdity they find in everyday topics. The world around us is sometimes unsettling and by depicting the world in a surreal way and making fun of it, helps.

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How long do you usually work on one image?
It depends. For an editorial I usually work on the ideas and the roughs for a couple of hours, and then a bit longer on the finished piece.
When there’s a deadline, things always get done. When I don’t have the deadline, I revisit work more and things can take longer.

Have you done any commissioned work?
I have done are a book cover for the Bristol short story prize, which they used for the front cover of their quarterly mag. A CD cover for Furthernoise and some editorials for Management Today and Resource.

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What would your dream project be?
In this order: A cover for New Scientist, to design a range of book covers, a series of books for older children.
Any project where I get a lot of freedom, eg. by working with an art editor who isn’t afraid to take risks.

To see more of Femke’s work you’re just one click away from her website. You can also buy a few of her things here.

Saturday saw a hoard of eager revellers descend on the Fym Fyg Bar in Bethnal Green for all the fun of the fair, this well vintage fair that is! You could tell news of the event had travelled far on the grape vine as bargainistas formed a snaking queue outside that, alas, fellow intern Sabrina and I fell victim to. After an exasperating wait we finally entered the vintage emporium, and it certainly was a visual feast as soon as you entered. The first sight to grab my attention was the stunningly nostaligic tea shoppe brought to us by the delightful ladies at Lady Luck Rules Ok! I couldn’t help being hypnotised by the endless array of cakes and beautifully clad tea ladies adorned in 50′s get ups! But determined to embark on my bargain hunt I managed to draw myself away from the alluring cupcakes and straight on to the stalls.

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Highly reminiscent of a sweet shop rabble on a Saturday afternoon everyone was grabbing at the £5 a bag stalls, eagerly stuffing as much in as physically possible. There was a certain skill to this I established, you had to adopt a Tetris style approach to utilise the space to its full capacity. There certainly was enough to satisfy every nostalgic whim, I trawled through rows and rows of 50 and 60s aprons and pretty shift dresses, and then straight on to all the glamour and cabaret of the 70′s and 80′s in all their glittery excesses.

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The Vintage Kilo stall, it has to be said, was my beeline and alas I was disappointed. I think most of Shoreditch had my idea so subsequently it descended into a cattle market, making it all too difficult to delve out those bargains. Maybe I am still a mere vintage fair novice; I think I was dealing with the pros.

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The Jewellery was a real treat, I unearthered some stunning brooches, hat pins and charmingnecklaces, it really was a treasure trove of shimmery trinkets perfect for us magpies. There was also beautiful millinery ablaze with feathers and gems galore, taking us on a whirlwind tour through the roaring 40s to the swinging 60′s. I wished I could pull off some of the more flamboyant styles!

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After more then sufficient vintage indulgence I decided it was definitely time to let my stomach do the talking and succumb to some well deserved tea and cake at Lady Lucks pop up tea shoppe. The décor was delightfully twee and had been consciously laid out to reflect individual decades spanning the 50s to the 80s. We were escorted right back to the 50s table which was brimming with vintage board games. The staples included Sorry, Bingo and Scrabble all definitive games from the era in my book! So after taking in the décor I launched straight into a hearty cup of tea and my delectable chocolate cup cake while my partner in crime went for the carrot cake.

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So in all the consensus was a definite thumbs up for the affordable vintage fair, it’s safe to say I was vintaged out by the end! Keep your eyes out for the next one guys, it’s 25th April in Lincoln, well worth a visit!

Altermodern: Tate Triennial 2009

A multi media visual exploration of Altermodernism. Curated by Nicolas Bourriaud, there the co- founder of Palais de Tokyo in Paris, he describes Altermodern art as art made in today’s global context, a counter reaction to commercialism. The selection includes some of the best current British artist, alongside international artists who are working within similar themes.

Tate Britain Mill bank London SW1P 4RG
3rd Feb – 26th Apr 09 Daily 10am-5.50pm

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BRIDGE 2 WORLDS

The launch and celabration of Indian modern art, curated by Radha Binod Sharma.
The show will feature works by 22 comtemporary Indian artist, some of whom have never exhibited outside of there own country.

Menier Gallery 51 Southwark Street London SE1 1RU
31. Mar – 9. Apr 09, free admission 11am – 6pm daily

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The Mail Me Art Project

Run by Darren Di Lieto

The exhibition showcases a vast collection of artistic work sent in the form of mail by both professional and amateur artists of all ages from across the world as part of the 2007 Mail Me Art project. All of the work submitted to the Mail Me Art project is exhibited and available for purchase.

Red gate gallery
209a Coldharbour Lane Brixton London SW9 8RU
Friday 3rd to 9th of April 2009,
Gallery Opening Hours: Sat, Mon, Tues, Wed: 2.30 pm – 6.30 pm
Last day of Exhibition: Thurs 9th of April: 11.00am to 5.00pm

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Sock Exchange

Through video, events and one-on-one engagement, Sock Exchange invites you to transforming your humble and odd socks into an exquisite art experience.
Also come sit and knit with other fellow knitters/makers. Show non-knitters how to knit their own sock and spread the sock appreciation.

Exhibiting alongside residents from Eyebeam’s Sustainability Research Group, Stefan Szczelkun, Melanie Gilligan.

Fact Gallery, Liverpool L1 4DQ
6th Apr – 12th Apr 09, Free admission 10-6pm

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Crookes is an area of Sheffield popular with students and Joe Cocker pilgrims. One of wikipedia’s key facts about the area is that it is served by the number 52 bus. Be still, medications my beating heart.

But as I type a new band are causing something of a stir there ? it’s home to The Crookes: a baby-faced guitar wielding folk/pop/acoustic outfit. They deliver tender, more about sweet melodies and simple, stripped songs that are a good old fashioned treat for the ears.

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They’ve played a handful of gigs in London recently and are picking up a steady stream of fans, with Steve Lamacq at the front of the line like the Pied Piper of Hamelin, harping on about them on his blog and radio show.

The Crookes have a great stage presence and ooze charisma – without the arrogance associated with a good few of their contemporaries. Hey, they’ll even join you off the stage for a couple of numbers and charm you with their raw, acoustic and unplugged talent if you ask nicely (or not at all, actually). They have an experimental sound, incorporating toy guitars, harmonicas and banjos into their gigs, complimented by lead Goerge’s dulcet vocals.

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We caught up with George, Alex, Daniel and Russell at their recent Stoke Newington gig:

Hailing from Sheffield, people will compare you to it’s famous exports: Artic Monkeys, Pulp, Harrisons, Peter Stringfellow. Help or hinderance?

R: We haven’t been compared to Peter Stringfellow, as yet. The only comparison we’ve really had was to Treebound Story. We stole Richard Hawley’s drum sticks recently (he uses the same studios), though we don’t really want to live up to our name.

What was the last song you recorded and why?

D: By The Seine, which has a bit of a different sound. It’s about a pavement artist I saw who’s pictures kept getting washed away when it started raining. We’re going to be playing it at a live session we’re doing in Paris in the summer… playing there’s always been a big ambition of ours.

What have you got in store for the rest of the year?

G: We’re moving in together to give it a proper go. Apparently our future neighbor is deaf…so at least we can’t annoy him!

A: George wants to be a postman for a while.

Will there be an album?

R: Hopefully in the next year or so…but we want to take our time and make sure when we do it’s reflective of our best efforts.

What’s the best thing about Crookes?

D: It has a nice lake.

G: There’s a great chip shop called ‘New Cod on the Block.’ Actually, I’ve never been ? it might be pretty average, but I like the name.

Any band dramas?

A: Russell once vandalized the dressing rooms at Plug in Sheffield… he was making a cup of tea and pulled the cupboard off the wall..he then spent about 20 minutes trying to fix it before the house manager found out and refused to pay us.

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Do you prefer to perform unplugged or do you prefer to present a more produced sound?

G: Either, really, but we are playing at the Holmfirth Festival of Folk at the beginning of May which is going to be an unplugged set…we’re really looking forward to it.

R: …And we’re going to play an acoustic set on Margate Pier in the summer sometime…we have a thing for playing interesting venues.

You supported Slow Club (friends of Amelia’s magazine). How was that?

A: We’ve all been to see them loads before, so it was great to be on the same bill. They’re one of the current Sheffield bands we really admire.

Which song do you wish you’d written?

A: And Your Bird Can Sing by The Beatles

D: Be my Baby by The Ronettes

What is the most embarrassing song on your ipod/guilty pleasure?

G: Forget about Dre ? Eminem feat. Dr. Dre

R: Mambo No.5 by Lou Bega!
So imagine the most idyllic and serene childhood dream, information pills what does it conjure? Fluffy bears, story tea parties and blue skies. Oh for the naivety of youth, before we all fall foul to the trials and tribulations of adolescence. Well never fear here at Amelia’s Magazine we are here to bring you back your youth, well a slightly revised late night television version! Via innovative new design collaborative Ground Zero.

Hong Kong based brothers Eric and Philip have bombarded onto the London fashion sphere feeding our senses with an explosion of graphics and colour, which makes you feel you are being catapulted straight into a Super Mario Brothers game.

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Ground Zero’s A/W 2009 collection “Lazy Naughty and Sleepy” is epitomised perfectly by its title. It’s a whirlwind tour through apocalyptic nightmares and wistful daydreams embarking on a vivid tour of graphics and shapes. But don’t let me forget to add the abundance of Care Bears in rather compromising situations, some of the prints feature crack smoking and homosexuality, very controversial!

This brother duo has distinctive individual styles, having studied legions away from each other. With Eric studying Graphic Design in Hong Kong while his brother made the break to London to study Fashion at Middlesex University. These distinctly different facets of design unite perfectly within their work, fusing conceptual tailoring with bold graphic design.

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Defying our preconceived ideas on the common practice for pyjama use. The design duo features our favourite comfy Sunday afternoon staple as an integral part of their collection. With cutesy oversized pj’s in an array of confectionary tones from candyfloss pink to parma violet purple. The emphasis on wearabilty is particularly apparent in this collection, with oversized jumpers, joggers, deconstructed macs and t-shirts.

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Having featured in Selfridges, Concrete in London, Le Shop in Stockholm, Ships and And A in Japan, Bauhaus, and D-mop Seibu in Hong Kong. With such an endless array of suppliers it’s safe to saye their eccentric collections are well received in the fashion circuit!
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There’s nothing quite like a nice little story to go alongside a musical out pouring. And there’s no better story than the story of love in the back of an organ donor van. With his ‘F**ken rock opera’; the moving story of Misty and Moufette, hospital Sparky Death Cap plays his beautiful Daniel Johnson/Jeffrey Lewis alt folk odes to love and loss and love again. Like the afore mentioned lo-fi heroes R Taylor (aka Sparky) is also an artist, and his illustrations are projected on to a whiteboard behind him as he strums his ukulele and loops slowly penetrate our ear drums. But the story, tell me the story (you may be saying?), well, briefly : Misty is a van driver delivering organs all over the country who the day before Valentine’s Day meets the beautiful Moufette after a sledging accident. He immediately falls in love but the feelings are not reciprocated, she soon realizes her mistake and they drive off into the sunset (if only love was so simple). The moral that love is worth risking everything for is however a strong one; “A man who loved you sufficiently, to cause a nationwide organ deficiency”.

Love is definitely in the air tonight (well maybe lost love) as headliner Dent May appears on stage singing “I love you more than I did when you were mine”.

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A beautiful melody to an ex-girlfriend, sadly missed and from the way he sings it you can really feel the pain. But let’s not get too forlorn as on a brighter note we hear ‘Howard’ about a one man band from Mississippi and a heart-breaking and re-building rendition of the Doo wop classic by the Four Preps ‘26 Miles (Santa Catalina)’; “The first song I ever learnt on the Ukulele” he tells us.

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Although the venue was downsized at the last minute the night is given a little extra atmosphere, it`s cosy and a real 1950′s lounge experience (complete with crooner) is created and gives us the opportunity speak to Dent one on one, nearly. Quite the personable fellow. With a new album just out on Animal Collectives’ label ‘Paw Tracks‘ it won’t be long before you all become acquainted with him yourselves. Make sure you do it sooner than later, eh?
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When 4, online 000 people converged around The City of London to take part in the G20 Meltdown on April 1st, diagnosis and voice their concerns over the current economic and climate situation, many did not foresee that the protests would not become something altogether more frightening and unsafe. Not unsafe due to violent protesters (it is generally acknowledged that there was only a handful of rioters, who caused a minimum amount of damage), but because of the methods and tactics employed by the police force who surrounded us. Since that day, the general public now are more than familiar with the term kettling, and the protesters are all too aware of what it means to be kettled. The issues which arose from that day have centered on one thing: the British’s police’s misuse of power, and riot – inciting tactics for dealing with protests – however peaceful or non violent the protest may be.

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At best, the day would have provoked a necessary dialogue between the general public, the media, and the police force. Unfortunately, events and actions of the police led to a devastating outcome. Ian Tomlinson, a 47 year old newspaper seller, collapsed and died outside the Bank of England. He had suffered a heart attack. Ian had not even been part of the protests, but was simply trying to make his way home. For the first few days, details of his death were sketchy and many facts seemed to contradict each other. Most reports suggested that it was a simple and unfortunate case of a man having a heart attack, perhaps brought on by the ‘rioters’ around him. Here is the Metropolitan Police’s statement issued a few hours after his death:

“A member of the public went to a police officer on a cordon in Birchin Lane junction with Cornhill to say that there was a man who had collapsed round the corner.
“That officer sent two police medics through the cordon line and into St Michael’s Alley where they found a man who had stopped breathing. They called for LAS support at about 19.30.
“The officers gave him an initial check and cleared his airway before moving him back behind the cordon line to a clear area outside the Royal Exchange Building where they gave him CPR.
“The officers took the decision to move him as during this time a number of missiles —believed to be bottles — were being thrown at them. ?LAS took the man to hospital where he was pronounced dead.”

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The police can no longer hide behind these falsehoods. A video obtained by The Guardian Newspaper clearly shows the man being attacked by a large number of police. The event seems shockingly unprovoked. He is seen walking, with the police, clad in riot gear, trailing him. Hands in his pockets, he is unprepared for the assault. The video makes for highly upsetting viewing. If there was a representation of the police’s senseless and reprehensible treatment of the public on April 1st then this is it. The events in the video could not be more different to the account by the police.

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This Saturday, 8th April, the original organisers of the G20 Meltdown will be leading a procession to protest the death of Ian Tomlinkson. It will assemble outside Bethnal Green Police Station at 11.30am, before setting off at 12 p.m. and laying flowers where he died, close to The Bank Of England. It is suggested that anyone marching wears black. Protesting the polices reprehensible behaviour is the only and best way to send a message to the British police force that their actions are not acceptable and cannot be tolerated in a democratic society.

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(all photographs courtesy of Amelia Gregory)

Go to www.g-20meltdown.org for further details.

Categories ,G20 Protest, ,Ian Tomlinson, ,Kettled, ,Police, ,Protests

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