Amelia’s Magazine | Pre-London Fashion Week S/S 2011 Interview: Cooperative Designs

Photograph by Matt Bramford

After being spellbound by Cooperative Designs’ last two presentations (see here and here) at London Fashion Week.

Amelia’s Magazine are delighted to have had the opportunity of interviewing Annalisa Dunn and Dorothee Hagemann, ed the designers behind the fantastically experimental knitwear. With London Fashion Week just around the corner, page we discussed their previous presentations and what it was that first attracted Cooperative Designs’ to wool…

In recent years Knitwear has seen a massive resurgence on the catwalks, adiposity what first attracted you to the material?

We both learnt to knit from our grandmothers.

Knitwear has such a unique position in the fashion world, its both textiles and fashion. As you design the fabric you affect the structure and form of the garment. The whole process gives you such control and ensures that every piece is unique.

As the designer you choose the basic materials, the way the yarn is spun, then the way the fabric is knitted and then the way the garment is structured and put together. Its a long, time consuming and expensive process, but its very rewarding.

illustration by Stuart Whitton

What are the influences behind the graphic prints, that often appear on the designs?

We met on the Fashion MA at Central St Martins. Although our MA collections were very different, they both had strong graphic elements. It made sense to develop this style together.

What was the experience of studying Knitwear at St Martins?

We both studied Knitwear on the Fashion MA. It was a great experience, it made us tough, confident and it gave us such great experience of working to deadlines, taking fierce criticism, and continually pushing ourselves to improve. It was a stressful but exhilarating process.

What is the decision making process behind the colours of your collections?

We use our primary research as the means to develop the colour palette. Our references are normally from art sources: Rodchenko, the Bauhaus, De Stijl, Memphis, to name a few.

Once we have edited our research we focus on the graphics and colours we find most exciting. We use computer programmes and hand drawings to develop the graphics, and then we have to redesign them specifically to be knitted. There are so many technical limitations in knit, finding ways to work around them are what makes the discipline so exciting and challenging.

Photograph by Amy Gwatkin

What is the relationship between the jewellery designer Corrie Williamson, and Cooperative Designs?

Annalisa: I met Corrie at Brighton University, where we both studied on the BA. We became friends and ran a stall at Camden Market together! When Dorothee and I started the business, we both decided that cooperating with other designers was really important to us. We both loved Corries work, so it made sense to incorporate it into the collection.

We all meet up at the start of the season. We give Corrie a ridiculously conceptual brief, which she then attempts to make some sense from. She then goes away and develops initial samples of materials and shapes. We then meet again with our stylist Elizabeth Cardwell, and the whole process continues.

Photograph by Amy Gwatkin

What techniques do you use to make the garments? Is the outcome influenced by the equipment you have access too?

Absolutely. We specialise in combining really traditional techniques such as intarsias, jacquards, handknits and fairisles with new technologies. Working with advanced yarns, machines and some incredible factories means our garments can really push the limits, whilst still remaining very recognisable as knitwear.

Illustration by Gareth A Hopkins

Your clothes have been described as ‘architectural’, how does the design process begin usually for Cooperative Designs?

Our clothes have the architectural aspect because of their predominantly 2D forms. As Dorothee has more of a womenswear background then me, she has developed a process she calls Primary pattern cutting. Pieces are designed as flat graphic angular shapes then left to drape and distort on the body. This process particularly suits knitwear, as it has such great drape and stretch properties.

What is your relationship to the Bauhaus?

We are big fans! We have been speaking to them about a potential collaboration, that would be really exciting for us.

Photograph by Matt Bramford

I loved last year’s down the road from Somerset House with the ‘Zine, the video and the live show in the basement. Does staging a presentation allow more freedom, than if you presented a catwalk show?

Definitely. With a presentation we have the opportunity to design the entire event, we try to encapsulate the feel of the collection as an real experience for our guests. This season we are showing at the Groucho Club, and we have some really exciting plans!

How did the ‘Zine develop?

The Zine developed because we asked our friends and colleagues to take portraits of our collection in their own individual ways. A ‘Zine seemed like a great way to give everyone a little reminder of these portraits to take home. We worked with Amy Gwatkin our photographer to make a really handmade, Lo Fi photocopied zine. We really enjoyed the collaborative process and the end result, and it would be something we would love to develope for the future.


Photograph by Matt Bramford

What are Cooperative Designs currently working on?

We are working on the new collection and getting all the plans for the presentation into place. We have just finished designing a collection for Autumn Winter for Italian super brand Stefanel, the collection should be dropping into stores really soon. We can’t wait to see the collection on the high street all over Europe! We have also just developed a capsule mens Tshirt collection, which will be previewed at LFW, details will soon be revealed!

We have also recently launched an online shop! We are offering archive pieces, show pieces, and special one offs from our collaborators. We are hoping to expand this shop and offer more collaborators and more products as we develop.

The photographs by Matt Bramford are from Cooperative Designs SS10 collection show at London Fashion Week 2010.

Categories ,A/W 2010, ,Amy Gwatkin, ,bauhaus, ,british fashion council, ,Cooperative Designs, ,Gareth A Hopkins, ,graphic, ,Groucho Club, ,grthink, ,knitwear, ,London Fashion Week, ,Memphis, ,Off Schedule, ,On Schedule, ,Rodchenko, ,Somerset House, ,Stuart Whitton, ,zine

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Amelia’s Magazine | The London Zine Symposium – A little appreciation please!

thumbnail zine

The London Zine Symposium, viagra dosage held last week at the Rag Factory, was full to the bustle with a variety of cheery people, all sharing in the spirit of DIY; flicking and chatting, perusing and purchasing. Every struggle past skinny jeans and plaid shirts to arrive at each table was well worth the few minutes spent avoiding elbows and backpacks, as each stall held an array of crafty delights; carefully screen-printed A2 fold-out works of typography, pretty necklaces, vegan lemon cupcakes and, of course, the zines. Some full of doodles, some full of words, most an arrangement of both. Hundreds of thousands of words caught up in photocopied pages bound with staples and thread, heaped on the rickety wooden tables just waiting to be flicked through and absorbed; their art appreciated and ideas assimilated.
I bumbled in and dropped my last pennies into the ‘£2 Suggested Donations’ pot, thankfully leaving me bereft of coin and therefore not prone to the madness of trying to choose between all the amazing zines on offer.


Beginning with a leisurely stroll around the halls before the Creating Our Own Culture discussion, I checked out the monstrous creations and was suitably scared then hung out at the Zineswap table for a little while, having to turn down the offer to buy one of their freshly screen-printed canvas bags, and shuffled through their archives. Zineswap are aiming to be a resource through which people can swap their zines (bit of a clue in the name), as well as becoming an archive of contemporary zine publishing. They also happen to be jolly decent chaps, helping find the girl whose zine I was admiring but which was not in their swap box. Not actually being able to buy it, however, I glanced over her stall of zines about solidarity camps and living in trees, made a mental note to come back with cash, and scampered to the workshop space to hear Melanie (Colouring Outside the Lines), Em (The World’s a Mess and You’re the Only Cure), Patrick (Ricochet! Ricochet!) and Debi (Self-Publishing and Empowerment) chat about the subversive measures it takes to sidestep mainstream media, engage with like-minded people, form communities and get out there – even if you’re not sure where ‘there’ is.

The main themes which permeated the discussion were connection and visibility. Em started The World’s a Mess and You’re the Only Cure with a view to thanking empowering people, and also made fliers searching for anyone interested in making things happen, which she put around Sheffield. A few people got in touch (which makes me both despair at general apathy and be glad that there are those out there who do want to get involved!) and they then began setting up gig nights, organising little known bands from across the country to come and plays. She gets emails from all over about her zine, full of grateful and excited words, and says that once you put a zine out there, you don’t know how far it’s going to go, or who it might reach. Debi encouraged being visible; making your talents known to the wider world and skill sharing at every opportunity. The cover of her book was designed in return for guitar lessons. Finding mentors and creating networks can help no end and she recommends doing what you’re not supposed to do and going where you’re not supposed to go, and perhaps finding other people already there! The story of Patrick’s gallery is a great example of lodging where you already are and engaging in community. They found the space because he walked past it everyday on his way to work, and attended the local Resident’s Alliance meetings to promote their events and to find people to borrow ladders from.

Diy culture isn’t all share and share alike, kittens and roses though. Em mentioned that she sometimes pays the excess of gig costs from her own pocket and Patrick emphasised his lack of social life and the possibility of burn out if taking on too much. They both work a variety of part-time jobs to scrape the cash together for their ventures, but were very clear on that fact that they’re happy to do so because their diy projects are the best possible reason to go hungry or poor. (Patrick also steals stationary from his paid work. Handy!) The overall message of the discussion was ‘Get Out There!’ Connect with people via whatever means available and don’t be afraid to start something, offer something, ask for something. There are others out there who want to build communities, publish books, create art spaces and take back media; the trick is to find them.

Feeling thus empowered, I took another circuit around the stalls and introduced myself properly to Miss Tukuru who runs Vampire Sushi distro with Mr Carl, and from whom I had ordered a satisfying pile of zines earlier in the month. They stock mostly perzines of a feminist and/or queer slant, dealing with depression, sexual awakenings (or not) and just, getting along in the world. We talked briefly about my kodame tattoo and the Moomins before she whirled off to take a turn about the room. After browsing the Active Distribution stall, I had to run to a cash point. Apparently I can’t deny myself a good anarchist zine, so I bought three, as well as ‘zine and the politics of alternative culture’, a book exploring the history and theory of zines and how effective they really are in rebelling against the consumer society which tends to appropriate and recycle all forms of culture jamming and subversive media back into advertising (a form of recycling I’m against!). The friendly anarchist presiding over the stall loaded me up with flyers for the infoshop 56a and Pogo Café, a social centre in Hackney, currently looking for summer volunteers.

Having already spent more money that I really had, I decided to leave before getting sucked into the screen-printed beauty of the TBA table, the full colour photos and tales of adventure in Girl Photographer, the cute pony necklaces and the hundred and one other beautiful bits and pieces of display.

I’ll leave the last words to Em who reminded us all that ‘Zines offer an amazing opportunity to get your feelings out. You can put anything you want in a zine. Anyone can do it, in their bedroom. Zines create links with people all over the world, and bring a community to you, instead of looking to others.’
So check out all the links above to start making connections with a world of opportunity and a pool of skills for you to add to and draw from. Head to the Woman’s Library Zine Fest on the 12th June, check out Brighton Zine Fest and Leeds Zine Fest and GET INVOLVED!

http://www.zineswap.com/
http://vampiresushi.co.uk/
http://www.activedistribution.org/
londonzinesymposium.org.uk
brightonzinefest.co.uk
http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/thewomenslibrary/services/learning/learning-projects/zinefest.cfm
http://wemakezines.ning.com/
56a.org.uk
http://www.eleanorjane.co.uk/ (Girl Photographer)
http://www.myspace.com/zinefest (Woman’s Library zinefest)
http://tba-online.org/

The London Zine Symposium, order held last week at the Rag Factory, buy was full to the bustle with a variety of cheery people, page all sharing in the spirit of DIY; flicking and chatting, perusing and purchasing. Every struggle past skinny jeans and plaid shirts to arrive at each table was well worth the few minutes spent avoiding elbows and backpacks, as each stall held an array of crafty delights; carefully screen-printed A2 fold-out works of typography, pretty necklaces, vegan lemon cupcakes and, of course, the zines. Some full of doodles, some full of words, most an arrangement of both. Hundreds of thousands of words caught up in photocopied pages bound with staples and thread, heaped on the rickety wooden tables just waiting to be flicked through and absorbed; their art appreciated and ideas assimilated.
I bumbled in and dropped my last pennies into the ‘£2 Suggested Donations’ pot, thankfully leaving me bereft of coin and therefore not prone to the madness of trying to choose between all the amazing zines on offer.


Beginning with a leisurely stroll around the halls before the Creating Our Own Culture discussion, I checked out the monstrous creations and was suitably scared then hung out at the Zineswap table for a little while, having to turn down the offer to buy one of their freshly screen-printed canvas bags, and shuffled through their archives. Zineswap are aiming to be a resource through which people can swap their zines (bit of a clue in the name), as well as becoming an archive of contemporary zine publishing. They also happen to be jolly decent chaps, helping find the girl whose zine I was admiring but which was not in their swap box. Not actually being able to buy it, however, I glanced over her stall of zines about solidarity camps and living in trees, made a mental note to come back with cash, and scampered to the workshop space to hear Melanie (Colouring Outside the Lines), Em (The World’s a Mess and You’re the Only Cure), Patrick (Ricochet! Ricochet!) and Debi (Self-Publishing and Empowerment) chat about the subversive measures it takes to sidestep mainstream media, engage with like-minded people, form communities and get out there – even if you’re not sure where ‘there’ is.

The main themes which permeated the discussion were connection and visibility. Em started The World’s a Mess and You’re the Only Cure with a view to thanking empowering people, and also made fliers searching for anyone interested in making things happen, which she put around Sheffield. A few people got in touch (which makes me both despair at general apathy and be glad that there are those out there who do want to get involved!) and they then began setting up gig nights, organising little known bands from across the country to come and plays. She gets emails from all over about her zine, full of grateful and excited words, and says that once you put a zine out there, you don’t know how far it’s going to go, or who it might reach. Debi encouraged being visible; making your talents known to the wider world and skill sharing at every opportunity. The cover of her book was designed in return for guitar lessons. Finding mentors and creating networks can help no end and she recommends doing what you’re not supposed to do and going where you’re not supposed to go, and perhaps finding other people already there! The story of Patrick’s gallery is a great example of lodging where you already are and engaging in community. They found the space because he walked past it everyday on his way to work, and attended the local Resident’s Alliance meetings to promote their events and to find people to borrow ladders from.

Diy culture isn’t all share and share alike, kittens and roses though. Em mentioned that she sometimes pays the excess of gig costs from her own pocket and Patrick emphasised his lack of social life and the possibility of burn out if taking on too much. They both work a variety of part-time jobs to scrape the cash together for their ventures, but were very clear on that fact that they’re happy to do so because their diy projects are the best possible reason to go hungry or poor. (Patrick also steals stationary from his paid work. Handy!) The overall message of the discussion was ‘Get Out There!’ Connect with people via whatever means available and don’t be afraid to start something, offer something, ask for something. There are others out there who want to build communities, publish books, create art spaces and take back media; the trick is to find them.

Feeling thus empowered, I took another circuit around the stalls and introduced myself properly to Miss Tukuru who runs Vampire Sushi distro with Mr Carl, and from whom I had ordered a satisfying pile of zines earlier in the month. They stock mostly perzines of a feminist and/or queer slant, dealing with depression, sexual awakenings (or not) and just, getting along in the world. We talked briefly about my kodame tattoo and the Moomins before she whirled off to take a turn about the room. After browsing the Active Distribution stall, I had to run to a cash point. Apparently I can’t deny myself a good anarchist zine, so I bought three, as well as ‘zine and the politics of alternative culture’, a book exploring the history and theory of zines and how effective they really are in rebelling against the consumer society which tends to appropriate and recycle all forms of culture jamming and subversive media back into advertising (a form of recycling I’m against!). The friendly anarchist presiding over the stall loaded me up with flyers for the infoshop 56a and Pogo Café, a social centre in Hackney, currently looking for summer volunteers.

Having already spent more money that I really had, I decided to leave before getting sucked into the screen-printed beauty of the TBA table, the full colour photos and tales of adventure in Girl Photographer, the cute pony necklaces and the hundred and one other beautiful bits and pieces of display.

I’ll leave the last words to Em who reminded us all that ‘Zines offer an amazing opportunity to get your feelings out. You can put anything you want in a zine. Anyone can do it, in their bedroom. Zines create links with people all over the world, and bring a community to you, instead of looking to others.’
So check out all the links above to start making connections with a world of opportunity and a pool of skills for you to add to and draw from. Head to the Woman’s Library Zine Fest on the 12th June, check out Brighton Zine Fest and Leeds Zine Fest and GET INVOLVED!

http://www.zineswap.com/
http://vampiresushi.co.uk/
http://www.activedistribution.org/
londonzinesymposium.org.uk
brightonzinefest.co.uk
http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/thewomenslibrary/services/learning/learning-projects/zinefest.cfm
http://wemakezines.ning.com/
56a.org.uk
http://www.eleanorjane.co.uk/ (Girl Photographer)
http://www.myspace.com/zinefest (Woman’s Library zinefest)
http://tba-online.org/

Jenny Robins Illustration
Illustration above by: Jenny Robins

The London Zine Symposium – The Rag Factory, generic Brick Lane, page 29th May 2010

Zines piled on zines, upon comics, upon fanzines on top of stories and poems and doodles, limited edition prints amongst button badges and cupcakes. All sorts of stalls overflowing with any number of DIY publications, swarmed by enthusiasts all eager to get their eyes and hands on some original lo-fi press. A range of workshops and creative activities and some great food to boot. The London Zine Symposium, a little appreciation please.

Photography by: Jamie Harrington, www.ShitBirthday.orgPhotography by: Jamie Harrington

It is a thrill to witness so many individual people each with their own ideas about what constitutes a zine, what it means to make one, what it should be filled with and how it should be printed and sold, if it‘s to be sold at all. Each of these publishers deserve credit for resourcefulness and effort. They have a drive to get their message out and they will adopt any means to do so. To most it goes without saying, it’s what they do because they have to, it’s their means of expression, their creative outlet.

Photography by: Jamie Harrington, www.ShitBirthday.orgPhotography by: Jamie Harrington

The London Zine Symposium shines a light on the endless ideas, personality and uniqueness within these pages, each publication is a glimpse into the psyche of it’s maker. Zines are truthful, from the heart. Unadulterated creativity, undiluted expression. I witnessed zines of all shapes, sizes, colours and creeds. On all subjects. Some were twee, some vulgar, some were edgy, some were pretty, some were soft and small, some zines were shouting at you. There were geek zines, gay zines, zines for guys, zines for girls, zines for goons and zines for greens. I saw humorous zines, twisted zines, zines with belief, zines with a bit of attitude, pretentious zines, sinister zines, comic zines, zines for cat lovers, hand written zines, coded zines, zines in boxes, stapled, bound, buttoned, bent and probably in brail. Zines on posters. Zines made by one artist and zines made in collaboration, some displaying the creative outpourings of any number of people from any number of countries from every corner of the earth and all gathered under the same roof to be consumed by the alternative press loving public of London and beyond. It sounds corny but it’s true…It brings people together.

Illustration by Davd Blatch
Illustration by:David Blatch

There is integrity in this. You have pencils, paper and the drive to get your message out, you have a zine, something for people to hold and relate to, something for people to enjoy visually, aesthetically, something to cherish. These DIY publishers are special people with something of much value to offer, they have a vision of a world much more at peace, more intimate and with a strong community of friends at it’s core.

Photography by: Jamie Harrington, www.ShitBirthday.orgPhotography by: Jamie Harrington

There is a concentration of love and passion for the arts here that is hard to come across, a buzz of atmosphere and interaction, a melting pot of creativity that is a must for the fans and creators of alternative publications and an eye opener for those intrigued enough to come and find out what it’s all about. Events like this do a good job of bringing like-minded people together, it’s a great platform for upcoming artists and writers, a great opportunity to network and serves to highlight the brilliant diversity of this culture and guide it closer to the public’s consciousness.

The London Zine Symposium, a little appreciation please.

Words by: Matt Witt – www.creaturemag.com

Jenny Robins Illustration

Categories ,alternative press, ,Brick Lane, ,comics, ,DIY culture, ,fanzines, ,lo-fi press, ,publishing, ,rag factory, ,zine, ,zines

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Amelia’s Magazine | University of Westminster: Photography Ba Hons Graduate Show 2011 Review

University of Westminster photography graduate exhibition 2011 review-Zara Ilic
Detail of photograph by Zara Ilic.

University of Westminster had the lion’s share of the Free Range showspace last weekend, store taking up the entirety of the huge hangar like space, symptoms which has lately been suffering a lot of roof leaks. Within those walls was a plethora of different photographic styles. I picked up on just a few in the show.

Tomas Hein Artefact
Tomas Hein porcelain figure
Tomas Hein looked into contemporary archaeological finds – from the former inhabitants of 43 Gerrard Road, Islington. After eviction only the porcelain statues of this Chinese family remained alongside some black and white informal family photos. Huge prints emphasised the pathos of his finds. His accompanying zine was featured on It’s Nice That. Find Tomas Hein on twitter here.

University of Westminster photography graduate exhibition 2011 Louise Smith de Vasconcelos
University of Westminster photography graduate exhibition 2011 Louise Smith de Vasconcelos
Louise Smith de Vasconcelos looked into Awareness and Perception in a series of close up still lives, some of which were more discernibly objects that I knew and recognised than others.

Genevieve Rudd dementia
I was most taken by Genevieve Rudd‘s collaborative project with her grandfather James Pettigrew, named 64 Althea Green. Together they documented her grandmother’s decline into dementia, with slabs of paint overlaid on conventional photography in a semi crazed manner.

University of Westminster photography graduate exhibition 2011 Samantha Cawson
University of Westminster photography graduate exhibition 2011 Samantha Cawson
University of Westminster photography graduate exhibition 2011 Samantha Cawson
Samantha Cawson also chose to create an installation with the bastardised photographs of the Victorian and Edwardian era – faces sewn over with coloured cotton threads. Weirdly, I had the idea to do this with some of my old magazine tearsheets only yesterday, when I was considering how I could have contributed original art to the Art Car Boot Fair. Though maybe not over their faces…




Beth Vieira calls herself a ‘lens-based artist’ and is interested in cinematic and narrative photography. ‘Coming from an academic environment, my work tends to demonstrate a conceptual reflection onto psychoanalytical and sociological dramas‘. Her three video loop installation was called Scouting for Boys and featured staged tableaux that called to mind the kind of generic imagery that is familiar to us from films and television. At first glance these appeared to be static photos but then eyes, breath, wisps of emotion revealed them to be alive and moving people. Subtley clever.

Ed Hannan rowley_way
Ed Hannan tackled that favourite photographic subject, the weird beauty of council estates – mounds of curvaceous and angular weathered concrete rendered beautiful in the loving detail. It’s a shame there’s nowt more to be seen online yet.

Shanna Taylor Hoarding the Garage
Shanna Taylor Hoarding the Garage
Shanna Taylor Hoarding the Garage
University of Westminster photography graduate exhibition 2011 Shanna Taylor Hoarding the Garage
The Garage struck a resonant note with me – Shanna Taylor‘s documentation of her father’s incredible hoarding showed how it has threatened to engulf his family (he’s built an extra garage where everything is getting mouldy and moth eaten). Rather uncomfortably it reminds me of my own tendency to hang on to absolutely everything… just in case it’s needed somewhere down the line, and also because I hate to create any kind of waste that might end up in landfill. ‘Much of what he has accumulated is junk…. However for him each item has such a high degree of perceived value that he cannot bear to part with it.’ Yup, I know that feeling only too well.

University of Westminster photography graduate exhibition 2011 Jorge Anthony Stride
University of Westminster photography graduate exhibition 2011 Jorge Anthony Stride
Uncertain States by Jorge Anthony Stride featured a series of ethereal landscapes, quite similar in fact to Lydia Anna Stott’s work at Nottingham Trent. Even his written explanation was eerily similar too. I must say I am very drawn to this kind of photography – something about the dreamlike state of it is very appealing. There must be something zeitgeisty going on here.

Zara Ilic Plitvika Jezera
Zara Ilic Plitvika Jezera
Zara Ilic Plitvika Jezera
I loved Zara Ilic‘s Plitvika Jezera – a colour saturated documentation of the waterfall in a national park on the borders between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. The waters change colour constantly according to the mineral deposits and angle of the sun, something which she has captured extremely evocatively. And to my excitement I was able to tweet her immediately to say how much I liked her work because she included her twitter profile on her business card. Yay!

Aniela Michalec-Perriam Pur-spi-kas-i-tee
Aniela Michalec-Perriam Pur-spi-kas-i-tee
University of Westminster photography graduate exhibition 2011 Aniela Michalec-Perriam Pur-spi-kas-i-tee
Aniela Michalec-Perriam worked with children to complete her final project – Pur-spi-kas-i-tee tackled the plight of kids with communication difficulties, saddled with trying to make themselves understood in a society that negatively stereotypes them. The children were all given the opportunity to contribute to their portrait in any way they liked. The blurring of faces and simple brightness of the resulting photos was very evocative.

University of Westminster photography graduate exhibition 2011 Jason Pierce-Williams
University of Westminster photography graduate exhibition 2011 Jason Pierce-Williams
Lastly, Jason Pierce-Williams visited the studios of artists who are driven to make art despite the lack of commercial success. His candid portraits portrayed the stoicism of those artists who are determined to keep producing art regardless. ‘None of the artists portrayed are household names.’

All in all there was a very high quality of photography amongst Westminster students, but too many have rested on their laurels when it comes to promoting their work online – it was a massive struggle to find degree show images. Some students hadn’t even bothered to upload their images to the Free Range showcase pages, hence the reason that this blog features my relatively crappy photos of photos. Trawling the web in search of images I have also come to realise just how much help creatives need with learning Search Engine Optimisation – they really don’t make the most of it. I can’t stress how important it is to graduate with a strong online presence so that interested parties can track you down. Is it any surprise that Tomas Hein, with his great website, blog and twitter feed, has received such notable accolades already? If not now, then when?

Categories ,2011, ,43 Gerrard Road, ,64 Althea Green, ,Aniela Michalec-Perriam, ,Art Car Boot Fair, ,Awareness and Perception, ,Beth Vieira, ,Bosnia and Herzegovina, ,Council Estates, ,Croatia, ,Dementia, ,Ed Hannan, ,Eviction, ,Free Range, ,Genevieve Rudd, ,Graduate Shows, ,Hoarding, ,Islington, ,It’s Nice That, ,James Pettigrew, ,Jason Pierce-Williams, ,Jorge Anthony Stride, ,Lens-based artist, ,Louise Smith de Vasconcelos, ,Lydia Anne Stott, ,Nottingham Trent University, ,photography, ,Plitvika Jezera, ,Pur-spi-kas-i-tee, ,Samantha Cawson, ,Scouting for Boys, ,Search Engine Optimisation, ,Shanna Taylor, ,The Garage, ,Tomas Hein, ,Uncertain States, ,University of Westminster, ,video, ,Zara Ilic, ,Zeitgeist, ,zine

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Amelia’s Magazine | University of Westminster: Photography Ba Hons Graduate Show 2011 Review

University of Westminster photography graduate exhibition 2011 review-Zara Ilic
Detail of photograph by Zara Ilic.

University of Westminster had the lion’s share of the Free Range showspace last weekend, store taking up the entirety of the huge hangar like space, symptoms which has lately been suffering a lot of roof leaks. Within those walls was a plethora of different photographic styles. I picked up on just a few in the show.

Tomas Hein Artefact
Tomas Hein porcelain figure
Tomas Hein looked into contemporary archaeological finds – from the former inhabitants of 43 Gerrard Road, Islington. After eviction only the porcelain statues of this Chinese family remained alongside some black and white informal family photos. Huge prints emphasised the pathos of his finds. His accompanying zine was featured on It’s Nice That. Find Tomas Hein on twitter here.

University of Westminster photography graduate exhibition 2011 Louise Smith de Vasconcelos
University of Westminster photography graduate exhibition 2011 Louise Smith de Vasconcelos
Louise Smith de Vasconcelos looked into Awareness and Perception in a series of close up still lives, some of which were more discernibly objects that I knew and recognised than others.

Genevieve Rudd dementia
I was most taken by Genevieve Rudd‘s collaborative project with her grandfather James Pettigrew, named 64 Althea Green. Together they documented her grandmother’s decline into dementia, with slabs of paint overlaid on conventional photography in a semi crazed manner.

University of Westminster photography graduate exhibition 2011 Samantha Cawson
University of Westminster photography graduate exhibition 2011 Samantha Cawson
University of Westminster photography graduate exhibition 2011 Samantha Cawson
Samantha Cawson also chose to create an installation with the bastardised photographs of the Victorian and Edwardian era – faces sewn over with coloured cotton threads. Weirdly, I had the idea to do this with some of my old magazine tearsheets only yesterday, when I was considering how I could have contributed original art to the Art Car Boot Fair. Though maybe not over their faces…




Beth Vieira calls herself a ‘lens-based artist’ and is interested in cinematic and narrative photography. ‘Coming from an academic environment, my work tends to demonstrate a conceptual reflection onto psychoanalytical and sociological dramas‘. Her three video loop installation was called Scouting for Boys and featured staged tableaux that called to mind the kind of generic imagery that is familiar to us from films and television. At first glance these appeared to be static photos but then eyes, breath, wisps of emotion revealed them to be alive and moving people. Subtley clever.

Ed Hannan rowley_way
Ed Hannan tackled that favourite photographic subject, the weird beauty of council estates – mounds of curvaceous and angular weathered concrete rendered beautiful in the loving detail. It’s a shame there’s nowt more to be seen online yet.

Shanna Taylor Hoarding the Garage
Shanna Taylor Hoarding the Garage
Shanna Taylor Hoarding the Garage
University of Westminster photography graduate exhibition 2011 Shanna Taylor Hoarding the Garage
The Garage struck a resonant note with me – Shanna Taylor‘s documentation of her father’s incredible hoarding showed how it has threatened to engulf his family (he’s built an extra garage where everything is getting mouldy and moth eaten). Rather uncomfortably it reminds me of my own tendency to hang on to absolutely everything… just in case it’s needed somewhere down the line, and also because I hate to create any kind of waste that might end up in landfill. ‘Much of what he has accumulated is junk…. However for him each item has such a high degree of perceived value that he cannot bear to part with it.’ Yup, I know that feeling only too well.

University of Westminster photography graduate exhibition 2011 Jorge Anthony Stride
University of Westminster photography graduate exhibition 2011 Jorge Anthony Stride
Uncertain States by Jorge Anthony Stride featured a series of ethereal landscapes, quite similar in fact to Lydia Anna Stott’s work at Nottingham Trent. Even his written explanation was eerily similar too. I must say I am very drawn to this kind of photography – something about the dreamlike state of it is very appealing. There must be something zeitgeisty going on here.

Zara Ilic Plitvika Jezera
Zara Ilic Plitvika Jezera
Zara Ilic Plitvika Jezera
I loved Zara Ilic‘s Plitvika Jezera – a colour saturated documentation of the waterfall in a national park on the borders between Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia. The waters change colour constantly according to the mineral deposits and angle of the sun, something which she has captured extremely evocatively. And to my excitement I was able to tweet her immediately to say how much I liked her work because she included her twitter profile on her business card. Yay!

Aniela Michalec-Perriam Pur-spi-kas-i-tee
Aniela Michalec-Perriam Pur-spi-kas-i-tee
University of Westminster photography graduate exhibition 2011 Aniela Michalec-Perriam Pur-spi-kas-i-tee
Aniela Michalec-Perriam worked with children to complete her final project – Pur-spi-kas-i-tee tackled the plight of kids with communication difficulties, saddled with trying to make themselves understood in a society that negatively stereotypes them. The children were all given the opportunity to contribute to their portrait in any way they liked. The blurring of faces and simple brightness of the resulting photos was very evocative.

University of Westminster photography graduate exhibition 2011 Jason Pierce-Williams
University of Westminster photography graduate exhibition 2011 Jason Pierce-Williams
Lastly, Jason Pierce-Williams visited the studios of artists who are driven to make art despite the lack of commercial success. His candid portraits portrayed the stoicism of those artists who are determined to keep producing art regardless. ‘None of the artists portrayed are household names.’

All in all there was a very high quality of photography amongst Westminster students, but too many have rested on their laurels when it comes to promoting their work online – it was a massive struggle to find degree show images. Some students hadn’t even bothered to upload their images to the Free Range showcase pages, hence the reason that this blog features my relatively crappy photos of photos. Trawling the web in search of images I have also come to realise just how much help creatives need with learning Search Engine Optimisation – they really don’t make the most of it. I can’t stress how important it is to graduate with a strong online presence so that interested parties can track you down. Is it any surprise that Tomas Hein, with his great website, blog and twitter feed, has received such notable accolades already? If not now, then when?

Categories ,2011, ,43 Gerrard Road, ,64 Althea Green, ,Aniela Michalec-Perriam, ,Art Car Boot Fair, ,Awareness and Perception, ,Beth Vieira, ,Bosnia and Herzegovina, ,Council Estates, ,Croatia, ,Dementia, ,Ed Hannan, ,Eviction, ,Free Range, ,Genevieve Rudd, ,Graduate Shows, ,Hoarding, ,Islington, ,It’s Nice That, ,James Pettigrew, ,Jason Pierce-Williams, ,Jorge Anthony Stride, ,Lens-based artist, ,Louise Smith de Vasconcelos, ,Lydia Anne Stott, ,Nottingham Trent University, ,photography, ,Plitvika Jezera, ,Pur-spi-kas-i-tee, ,Samantha Cawson, ,Scouting for Boys, ,Search Engine Optimisation, ,Shanna Taylor, ,The Garage, ,Tomas Hein, ,Uncertain States, ,University of Westminster, ,video, ,Zara Ilic, ,Zeitgeist, ,zine

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Amelia’s Magazine | Wrap Magazine: An Interview with Co-Founder Polly Glass

Polly & Chris by Gemma Cotterell
Christopher Harrison and Polly Glass by Gemma Cotterell

When I open Issue Seven of Wrap, I’m thinking of Princess Clara, Wooldoor Jebediah Sockbat, Foxxy Love, Toot Braunstein and the whole gang. For those of you who aren’t familiar with this wondrous cast of visual mockery, these are characters from animation parody Drawn Together, a TV show which pokes fun at our favourite 2D cartoonies, and also, the name of Wrap’s most recent issue. Wrap‘s Drawn Together puts a beady eye onto collectives, and the highlights of this issue include: Anthony Burrill, Peepshow Collective, Nous Vous, Pictoplasm, Studio Tipi, Print Club London, Hvass&Hannibal and Edition Biografiktion.

Wrap Magazine

‘Are four hands better than two?’ is the question at the nib of the latest installation of this illustration celebration. This “people power” issue not only explores the relationships between happily ever after collectives, but also plays matchmaker to a few of its own new ink-birds. There are some familiar faces here, making me think that the illustration world is pretty incestuous, but the overall effect is inspiring. This isn’t the first time I’ve had my mitts on a copy of the mag, and around Santa-time the Nordic Lights issue was like a security blanket for me; I carried it everywhere. There’s something very tactile and natural about yanking out the pages of a mag and the concept of this little magazine has me completely infatuated.

Wrap Magazine

Ripping a magazine is usually a painful, accidental and clumsy affair, caused by careless turning, or perusing in the tub. Wrap is meant to be ripped. With 5 pull out, reversible pages of double-sided illustration goodness, you can artwork-coat your gifts with this lovely ‘zine. Wrap seems to be everywhere I look these days, having stumbled across it via STACK, I’ve also found it hidden in a nook of the Ohh Deer online webshop. What could be better than dressing up your gifts in beautiful outfits before handing them over to your loved one? Undressing presents is half the fun of getting them after all. That and the ‘gift shake’; the little dance move you do when you first grab hold of a present to assess its potential insides.

Wrap is more than just an illustration magazine, it celebrates design and creative culture as a whole. Created by Christopher Harrison and Polly Glass it’s on the way to proving that print hasn’t passed its use-by date. I spoke to co-creator Polly Glass about how the pair got the mag off the ground and what they’re looking for in new contributors.

Wrap Magazine

What did you get up to before Wrap?
Before, and also during the early stages of Wrap, Chris and I both worked as jewellery designers in London for a fashion jewellery company – that’s how we met actually. We worked with a whole host of British brands including Mathew Williamson, Agent Provocateur, Ted Baker and Cath Kidston which was a great experience, and really helped us to see how bigger designs brands like that function.

Wrap Magazine

Wrapping paper is something many people overlook, has it always been a passion of yours?
I wouldn’t say it quite like that, no – although I do take pleasure in a beautiful wrapped present! For us, the wrapping paper element to Wrap is about it being the best way to show off the fantastic and hugely impressive work of our contributing illustrators, because the sheets are so nice and big. Also, as one of the main purposes of Wrap is to share illustrators work with other people, if our readers can pull out a sheet that has one of their favourite designs on, and use it to wrap up a present for their best friend, then they are carrying on that sharing process.

Wrap Magazine

How did you get the funds to publish the first issue of Wrap?
We funded issue one ourselves through savings – our print run was quite small, and we created a much simpler version of what Wrap is today, which made it relatively affordable to test out as an idea, and see how people would react. Luckily, people seemed to really like the concept of the magazine, and so from there, sales of the magazine have funded all future issues.

How does the financial model of the mag work now? Do you both work on it full-time?
Yes, we both work full time on the magazine, and we also have a team of brilliant freelancers who we couldn’t do without! Wrap is now 80 pages (compared to 24 in issue one!), so it takes a great deal of energy from all involved to make it what it is. Financially, magazine publishing is a hard industry to crack, but essentially the model is to make and sell lots of magazines! At the moment we have very minimal advertising in Wrap, so revenue comes mainly from sales, and we run nearly all the distribution ourselves in order to maximize profit and insure that Wrap is sold to the best shops possible, and ones that really understand what we’re all about. We also work firm sale (meaning they buy the magazines out-right) with our stockists, as this means every magazine that goes out the door has been paid for, which helps to reduce wastage and over-printing.

Chris from Wrap, by Karina Jarv
Christopher Harrison by Karina Jarv

Wrap uses vegetable based inks and 100% recycled paper, was making the mag environmentally friendly always a priority for you, despite cost?
Whether it’s the magazine, or our range of wrapping papers and prints, we always try to produce things in a considerate and environmentally friendly way – there’s no reason not to really. Printing can be a hugely wasteful industry, so we are very careful to only make things that we really believe in, and we only work with UK printers – a manufacturing industry we’re keen to support and promote.

Wrap Magazine

Issue Six focussed on Nordic lights, and Issue Seven on collaborations, how do you go about picking a theme?
There’s no particular method to our theme selection – really, it’s about delving into a subject or area that we think is interesting and relevant to the field of illustration at the time. We do also of course consider the time of year, so with the Nordic Lights Issue (our Winter 2012 edition) – we thought the idea of ten illustrators from across Scandinavia sharing with our readers their impression of a snowy, Nordic winter would be wonderful! And our new, seventh issue celebrates creative ‘collectives’ and collaborations – a way of working that seems to be growing in popularity and that we wanted to find out more about.

Polly by Alys Jones
Polly by Alys Jones

You mentioned that you visited Berlin for research, what’s been your best research trip so far?
Ooooh – we’ve been very lucky to go on a few research trips now. I loved Berlin, and our trip to Helsinki for the last issue was brilliant, if not a bit chilly, but for me, going to spend the day with graphic designer Anthony Burrill in sunny Rye was the best! He gave Harry (our editor) and I a super tour of the coastal town, including visiting ‘Simon the Pieman’ – his favourite cafe, and Adams of Rye – the traditional letterpress printers who he collaborates with to produce his famous posters, including the special one he’s made just for Wrap 7!

Wrap Magazine

I found a beautiful illustrated postcard inside my copy, is this something you’ll be doing in future?
Oh yes, we always try to include something a little special with each issue, like the postcards. Our subscribers all received a set of exclusive patterned stickers by illustrator Ed J Brown (who drew our title typeface in issue 7), with their delivery of issue 7 – we hope they liked them!

Who do you imagine as your typical reader?
From what we’ve seen, our readers can be pretty wide ranging, but typically, they are practicing creative people, and around 70% are women.

Wrap Magazine

Anthony Burrill produced a poster based on the latest issue, is it important for you to make Wrap more than just a magazine?
Wrap is about celebrating some of the best and most vibrant artists of the moment, and the more we grow, the more we find exciting ways to do that through the magazine and the Wrap brand! Last year we worked with four of our favourite illustrators to develop our first range of commercial wrapping papers, and so far this year we’ve worked with Anthony to produce his fantastic poster for Wrap, and the six illustrators in our ‘Make a Good Thing Happen’ project to produce a range of 3 limited-edition notebooks. We’ve had lots of fun, and have lots more ideas to work on!

Wrap Magazine

Your latest issue featured a whole host of illustrators, including Nous Vous and Peepshow Collective, how do you go about finding illustrators to work with?
We’re always on the lookout for new illustrators and designers to work with, whether it be through exhibitions, events or twitter and social media channels, but we’re also very lucky to get a lot of people contact us through our submissions email which is great. I suppose the more and more you’re immersed in an industry like illustration, the more you hear about, and know what’s going on. However we also love to go to the summer student shows by universities like Brighton and Kingston – they’re a great place to spot potential new stars.

Wrap Magazine
Do you think that “print is dead”?
This is a question we are often asked! No, I don’t think print is dead – but the industry is obviously changing and evolving, like lots of areas at the moment. I like that it’s actually making people more considerate and careful about what they print, which can only be a good thing.

Wrap Magazine

Photographs were provided by Wrap Magazine

Categories ,art, ,artists, ,collaboration, ,Collaborations, ,creative culture, ,design, ,drawing, ,Drawn Together, ,features, ,Gift, ,illustration, ,jessicasrcook, ,journalism, ,mag, ,magazine, ,Nous Vous, ,Ohh Deer, ,paper, ,Polly & Chris, ,Shellsuit Zombie, ,STACK, ,Stack Magazines, ,Subscription, ,Wrap, ,Wrapping paper, ,writing, ,zine

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Amelia’s Magazine | Zine Fest

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Monday 19th January

Greg Dulli/Mark Lanegan, viagra sale information pills Union Chapel, cialis 40mg London

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For fans of the drug-n-whisky soaked darker side of life this intimate venue should be the perfect place to catch the full intensity of this bad boy duo’s melancholic rumblings.

Still Flyin’, patient Stricken City, We Have Band, Hoxton Square Bar and Kitchen, London

15-piece Californian band/orchestra/whatever headline with their sunny but diverse indie pop. Plus cool electro pop from We Have Band.

Tuesday 20th January

Kasms, White Heat, London

Noisy and shambolic guitar sounds from these metal-tinged black-haired Londoners.

Wednesday 21st January

Wire, Cargo, London

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Sometimes gigs from old favourites can be a risky business, often liable to disappoint when your heroes have become sad old has-beens. With any luck these late 70s punk stalwarts were too cool to age badly and this should be a great gig.

Little Joy, Dingwalls, London

Strokes drummer Fab Moretti becomes a front man on this side project. Expect New Yorkey, indie-pop in a similar vein to, um, The Strokes via Brazil.

Thursday 22nd January

La Roux, Cockpit, Leeds

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She’s in Issue 10 so she must be pretty good but don’t just take our (and every other music journalist in England’s) word for it. Check out her fun dance pop live.

Friday 23rd January

Sky Larkin, Barfly, Cardiff

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Cute but clever indie rock from Leeds with a definite off-beat edge.

David Grubbs, The Croft, Bristol

Once the founder of 80s punk metallers Squirrel Bait, David Grubbs now plays grungy post-rock as a solo concern.

Saturday 24th January

James Yuill, The Macbeth, London

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Think Jose Gonzalez without the advert but with plenty of electronic sounds to accompany the quiet and introspective acoustic numbers.

Of Montreal, Digital, Brighton

Much loved indie pop, spreading a little happiness whilst supporting Franz Ferdinand on their latest tour.

Sunday 25th January

Le Corps Mince de Francoise, Library, Lancaster

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Daft Finnish pop in the same vein as CSS, Chicks on Speed and others of that ilk. Crazy make up and fun party girls = a great end to the weekend.

Rows of fish heads preserved in salt – even in the quirky world of Tatty Devine, viagra 60mg that’s an unexpected sight. They peer out from a long black board mounted on the gallery wall like hunting trophies. Next to them, buy cast copies of ripe oranges burrow into blocks of dark red velvet, rx as if victims of a bloody fruit massacre.

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This is the first solo show of sculptor Amaia Allende, which opened on Thursday at the Tatty Devine boutique and gallery space in Brick Lane, east London. Allende claims to tackle the “subject of belonging” by assembling similar everyday items into tidy rows. It looks suspiciously like she has emptied her kitchen bin around the shop.

By the front door, some sort of green pear-like fruits line up on a narrow shelf. Poking out of the top are long strands of polyester blond hair, which make them look like a family of Mrs Pear Heads. So they belong together, you see, while at the same time having individual personalities (because of the hair).

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Tatty Devine is famous for its unique jewellery and edgy art exhibitions, including “Jane Amongst the Birds”, a competition for the best foreign bird or budgie (complete with Tatty Devine trophy) held in September last year. So when it comes to belonging, it seems that Allende and her sombre line-up of fish heads and old fruit, have found an appropriate home.
The most glamorous way of recycling clothes is buying vintage. Last week atelier-mayer.com was launched by luxury fashion PR, viagra order Carmen Haid, about it and fashion journalist, Alice Kodell, and it is a literal vintage heaven. It’s not the place to go if your vintage needs are met by Beyond Retro but if you want a designer dress to suit your decadent palette, you’ll love it.

In the 1930′s Carmen Haid’s grandmother, Klaudia Mayer ran a haute couture atelier in Vienna, selling exquisite clothes sourced from all over the world and it is this that atelier-mayer.com recreates as an online boutique.

The launch truly indicated the splendour of the site, as we entered Marks Club – gentlemen’s club extraordinaire – in Mayfair, we were greeted with roaring fireplaces, country estate décor and the elegant melodies of the violinists could be heard wafting down the staircase.

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Photograph by Tilly Pearman

Such a grand setting was fitting for the designer and couture gowns on show, a taste of what can be bought on the site. As well as on rails, the clothes were worn by models and the violinists, to show off the true beauty of them.

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Photographs by Tilly Pearman

The site not only allows you to browse through the clothes online, the style me section acts as your very own personal shopper, taking into account your size and preferences and finding appropriate pieces and accessories for you.

Atelier-mayer.com is also a great source for brushing up on your fashion knowledge, it has biographies of designers and fashion houses, guides to buying vintage and the style minute section contains a collection of fashion videos, including a fabulous Audrey Hepburn montage and an interview with key sartorial players including Coco Chanel, which is in her native French but we (Prudence Ivey – bilingual Music Editor) has done a handy translation of the key questions for you:

Could you give me a definition of elegance?
Coco: It’s difficult, you ask a difficult question, what is elegance? It’s many things. I will say something which I repeat all the time that for me is obvious but which many people don’t understand: that you can never be elegant enough.

Many of the dresses you designed last year have been copied or imitated in practically every country in the world. The Chanel style has descended to the street. Are you happy about this?
Coco: I am delighted. That was my goal. I don’t believe in defending fashion. You can’t have fashion if you are against imitation. There is no fashion if no-one sees it. Not me but many of the couturiers have an insane fear of imitation but you can’t be successful without it. For me success is the copy. You can’t be successful without that and imitation.

Wise words Coco.

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photograph from Gavin Cullen

I should confess that I don’t come to First Love with impartial ears, information pills but more as an inadvertent geek, verging-on-groupie, who has faithfully been following the movements of Emma-Lee Moss since first stumbling across the girl who sang out prophecies of premature death and the difficulty in distinguishing between love and a stomach disorder. Assembling whoever I could, I stood among many a rowdy crowd turned to enchanted silence – the boys would always fall in love and the girls would come away a little jealous.

Now her album has appeared on our desk and I am all excitement and nerves. The name is taken from Samuel Beckett’s depressing novella about a violently misogynistic lover, whilst Emmy’s First Love is a “hard-won innocence-to-experience saga about a destructive but ultimately character forming relationship, in which songwriting process was her final act of catharsis”. But the tracks that most explicitly fit this bill are the ones I find hardest to warm to, stripped of the subtlety and delicacy of earlier songs, they can be a little sour to the taste. For the most part however, the album shines with all the appeal that makes Emmy great. Lyrics that are dark, humorous and full of brilliantly evocative imagery – all veiled beneath teasingly playful melodies and a disarmingly sugared deliverance – “Our guitarist Euan says our songs are passive aggressive – people think we’re harmless unless they’re really listening”.

We went along to 12 Bar to see her play an acoustic set of before an intimidating crowd of straight clothed industry folk, though she was unfazed, always confident, “we’re used to much bigger stages” she joked …. and so Emmy the Great enters into the mainstream, and perhaps it is just the natural preconditioning of any fan but I think I preferred her on intimate stages when it was just her, her guitar, and a pool of admirers. Saying that, ‘We are Safe” is my new favourite song, full band.

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Opening with a Billy Bragg mockney cry, web you expect Napoleon IIIrd’s mini-album to be a fairly straightforward chronicle of the times, viagra sale Jamie T stylee with shades of Blur in the guitars. All fine but all a little 2006 and not terribly promising. And then the second track, A Strong Nuclear Force, hits you very much as it says on the tin, with its Prince via Beck falsetto and electro beats and you realise there may be more to this boy. A Leeds music scene stalwart, having played with iLikeTrains, iForward Russia! and The Research and remixed a whole bunch of his Northern counterparts, it is perhaps no wonder that there is a little more variety and interest in this collection of songs than might be expected.

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So much variety in fact, that it is easy to feel a little disorientated by the broad mix of genres which Napoleon IIIrd introduces, apparently on a whim. He certainly keeps you on your toes with his playful approach to continuity but challenging the audience is no bad thing and just a couple of listens bring out a common thread running throughout the record. The songs seem to build up to and around the pulsing, driving and crashing The Sky Is Too High, which at around 7 minutes certainly stands apart from the punchy observational territory of the rest of the disc, lacking as it does any discernable lyrical content. Proceedings are then rounded off on a dramatic note with the electro-hymn See Life, down-tempo enough to fall asleep to but interesting enough to give your full attention to on a long dark wet afternoon of the soul. It may take a little perserverance but this mini-album is definitely worth the time.

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Now based in London, pill Finnish designer Minna Hepburn is showing her A/W 09 collection as part of Esthetica, and the ethical branch of London Fashion Week. Her beautiful and delicate designs caught our eye and even better, they’re eco-friendly, with all her materials being locally sourced, organic and fair-trade. She took the time to talk to us about her ideas and work:

When did you decide to persue a career in fashion design?

After I graduated, I went travelling with my husband and we ended up in Asia. I felt lost in terms of my career as I had studied War Studies at Kings College and worked a bit in the city, neither of those options really inspired me. Travelling and my ever so encouraging husband gave me the confidence to do something that I really loved – which is fashion.

What are you currently working on?

I am putting together my A/W 09 collection that I am showing at London Fashion Week, Esthetica in February. I think Esthetica will be bigger and better this year. I am really looking forward to it!
I am also finalising designs for my online boutique, which will be launched at the end of February.

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What designers do you admire?
I absolutely love Rodarte. What they have achieved without any proper training in fashion is incredible and very inspiring!

Who or what inspires your work?

My biggest inspirations are lace and antique markets. England has such amazing antique markets. We never had anything like that in Finland. It’s amazing that you can find gorgeous pieces from the early 1900′s and they are still in wearable condition. Sometimes I might find an old buttons or a postcard and get an amazing design idea.
When I am travelling I always look out for antique markets, France has some of the best ones I have seen!

What has been your biggest professional achievement so far?

Being accepted to do London Fashion Week and putting a collection together after just having a baby. My son Hayden was merely days old and I was still sore after a cesarean when I returned to work to finish the collection. I could not have done it without my friends though!

Also, I think one of the proudest moment was when A la Mode, started stocking my designs. They are such an institution, old and respected shop with impressive list of labels. They have been such a joy to work with!

Why did you decide to create an eco-friendly label?

With my first label, SE1 London, I experienced fast fashion as its worst. It was a range of silk dresses, tops and skirts that were made in Vietnam but I did a lot of traveling and it opened my eyes. It made me re-think the whole fashion industry and how it operates. I decided that second time round I would do it differently. I took some time to research the ethical fashion market, suppliers and the whole concept. I noticed that there was a gap in the high end of the ethical fashion market. A lot of the other ethical fashion brands were doing lots of wardrobe staples and there was not much choice, so I wanted to focus on that and provide some.
I really wanted to create not just a label, but a brand, and to feel that I was doing something differently and maybe setting an example.

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Is it important to you that your materials are locally sourced?
I wanted to show that beautiful and affordable garments can be made in the UK, which is where Scottish lace came into the picture. Also, I have always loved antique markets and found Scottish lace to have that vintage look and appeal.
I started testing my designs with high end shops in Bath and London and got positive feedback. Encouraged by this, I applied to London Fashion Esthetica and decided to produce a full collection for S/S 09.

How do you feel ethical fashion is perceived by the public?

I think ethical fashion is getting better every season. It’s important to show people that ethical fashion can also be commercial, affordable and in line with the current trends.
The media has played a very big part in bringing the message that eco-fashion is in vogue. With the current economical climate, I think people are more aware how they are spending and what they want to spend their money on. With lots of cool ethical brands emerging, I think fashion with conscience has never been more in fashion.

How would you describe your personal style?
At home, as a mother of two young children I try to keep things simple. White lace tops and baby sick does not go well together…
But when I go out, it’s all about antique cocktail rings, pieces from my collection, dresses, high heels and vintage.

Do you like to wear ethical brands yourself?
I wear lot of vintage and I have discovered this amazing French brand, Ekyog, who have a shop on the Kings Road. They have the softest organic knitwear I have ever worn! But I have to say that most of the time I wear my own designs. Also by wearing it, I am testing each design, the fit and the fabrics before I put anything to production. It’s important to know how the garment will behave and last.

Thanks for talking to us Minna, have fun at Fashion Week.
London Fashion Week runs from 20th-25th February 2009.

Woman? Good. Self-publishing? Also good.

This Saturday at the The Women’s Library there will be a hands-on day celebrating woman’s involvement in self-publishing. Publishers, information pills artists, stomach illustrators and crafters – all will come together to share advice and techniques for making zines, magazines and comics. There will be a creative workshop with zine producer Red Chidgey, who will be dishing out advice on how to get started with your own zine, or you can just browse through stalls to find little treasures of your own, and meet zine distributors and makers, you might just come away inspired.

Check here for a more detailed itinerary. This event is free, but you must book.

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Categories ,London, ,Publishing, ,Red Chidgey, ,The Women’s Library, ,Zine

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Amelia’s Magazine | Zine Symposium Review

Well well well the kids certainly know what they’re doing at Graduate Fashion Week this year. Sunday kicked off day one of shows for the creatively minded at our very own Earl’s Court and believe me these are the McQueens of the future.

UWE Bristol showcased some beautiful structured puffball dresses from Georgina Kitchen teamed with knee high socks and see-through metallic partitions. Jessie Potter had a clear vision too, viagra order cheap showing off an appliquéd felt and wool collection in a 70s pallet of mustard and burgundy with pom-pom headdresses. Jessica Hart clearly had the most funm however – showing a pastel based range of graphic prints that Lady Gaga would feel sheepish in. Necklaces were gigantic, order cialis 40mg as were pockets, in what was a playful and crisp collection, complete with bow headbands of course. (Read more about UWE Bristol’s show here – with even MORE illustrations!)

I was not expecting the standard of design as seen at UCA Epsom University’s show after though. Think of Pilgrim’s, 50s housewives, teddy boys, Julia Roberts in Mona Lisa Smile and a dash of kids TV and you’re half way there. This was a serious clash of icons creating a surprisingly good statement for the University.

But amongst the host of talent there were some definite faces of the fashion future to watch, and a surprising amount of menswear. Remember you heard it here first.

Lucinda Ailes: One so patriotic, not to our fair Blighty mind, but all things American were emblazoned on everything through an array of stars and stripes. Models sported devoted shorts, leggings and maxi dresses but all was kept thoroughly wearable by grey mix-and-match pieces to wear back with the collection.

Katie Barret: A different kind of heritage was displayed in Barret’s show of menswear pieces. Thoroughly Scottish and proud of it, models sported full kilted dresses as well as the traditional skirts. The whole feel was very rugged using natural fabrics and even slightly drab colours. But each look was spiced up with a hint of tomato red, whether it be in a top or the waist detailing of said kilt instantly adding an extra something to the look.

Antonia Lloyd: Another one for the boys but this time not quite so manly. Lloyd made sure the boys sparkled in glittered tuxedo style shirts and knickerbockers to be proud of. There was something quite romantic about the look, with buttons done up to the neck and a palette of muted greys and navies.

Beata Gebka: I told you there were pilgrims and it came from Gebka’s show. Models sported traditional style long dresses accessorized with cloches and capes. As unwearable as it sounds, the pieces were surprisingly covetable, finished off with black ribbon detailing and even bib fronts. This may just be the new look come autumn and one that features heavily around the key muted pallet of greys and navies again.

Stency Kidega: Frills frills and more frills was what Kidega must have been dreaming of. They were added to the shoulders of jackets and the necklines of coats but wherever they were placed they looked beautiful. Kidega pulled off a very tailored collection, which isn’t always the most interesting, but the corset detailing on the dresses and the aforementioned jackets made sure that it was. Delicious.

Eve McDonald: McDonald definitely has a 50s housewife buried inside her otherwise she wouldn’t be able to produce such stunning floral shirts. But she’s also hiding a Teddy Boy too, as pieces were mixed with checked trousers and long shorts. Finished off with floral headscarves tied in oversized bows I almost wanted to pull on my espadrilles and listen to some good old Rock ‘n’ Roll.

Anna Piercy: It’s Piercy who brought the piece de résistance of the whole night for me. Piercey managed to create a collection based entirely around oversized letters. Seriously. Not that much to hear but the fabrics still flowed into beautiful a-line dresses with cut-out detailing. Even more intelligent was the use of panelling and sequins to create letters from the arms and body of a dress. And the finale – Piercey’s models came together to spell out the word ‘RANDOM.’ It was and yet I still liked it.

How nice though that we got to see the faces behind the fashion as each designer (embarrassingly for most but certainly not all) walked the catwalk with one of their models. It was cheers and ovation all round from the crowd and do you know what…. they thoroughly deserved it.

Hear, hear!

Anna Piercy, drugs UCA Epsom, try Illustrated by Lisa Billvik

Well well well the kids certainly know what they’re doing at Graduate Fashion Week this year. Sunday kicked off day one of shows for the creatively minded at our very own Earl’s Court and believe me these are the McQueens of the future.

UWE Bristol showcased some beautiful structured puffball dresses from Georgina Kitchen teamed with knee high socks and see-through metallic partitions. Jessie Potter had a clear vision too, showing off an appliquéd felt and wool collection in a 70s pallet of mustard and burgundy with pom-pom headdresses. Jessica Hart clearly had the most funm however – showing a pastel based range of graphic prints that Lady Gaga would feel sheepish in. Necklaces were gigantic, as were pockets, in what was a playful and crisp collection, complete with bow headbands of course. (Read more about UWE Bristol’s show here – with even MORE illustrations!)


Jessica Hart, illustrated by Jenny Goldstone

I was not expecting the standard of design as seen at UCA Epsom University’s show after though. Think of Pilgrim’s, 50s housewives, teddy boys, Julia Roberts in Mona Lisa Smile and a dash of kids TV and you’re half way there. This was a serious clash of icons creating a surprisingly good statement for the University.

But amongst the host of talent there were some definite faces of the fashion future to watch, and a surprising amount of menswear. Remember you heard it here first.

Lucinda Ailes: One so patriotic, not to our fair Blighty mind, but all things American were emblazoned on everything through an array of stars and stripes. Models sported devoted shorts, leggings and maxi dresses but all was kept thoroughly wearable by grey mix-and-match pieces to wear back with the collection.

Katie Barret: A different kind of heritage was displayed in Barret’s show of menswear pieces. Thoroughly Scottish and proud of it, models sported full kilted dresses as well as the traditional skirts. The whole feel was very rugged using natural fabrics and even slightly drab colours. But each look was spiced up with a hint of tomato red, whether it be in a top or the waist detailing of said kilt instantly adding an extra something to the look.

Antonia Lloyd: Another one for the boys but this time not quite so manly. Lloyd made sure the boys sparkled in glittered tuxedo style shirts and knickerbockers to be proud of. There was something quite romantic about the look, with buttons done up to the neck and a palette of muted greys and navies.

Beata Gebka: I told you there were pilgrims and it came from Gebka’s show. Models sported traditional style long dresses accessorized with cloches and capes. As unwearable as it sounds, the pieces were surprisingly covetable, finished off with black ribbon detailing and even bib fronts. This may just be the new look come autumn and one that features heavily around the key muted pallet of greys and navies again.

Stency Kidega: Frills frills and more frills was what Kidega must have been dreaming of. They were added to the shoulders of jackets and the necklines of coats but wherever they were placed they looked beautiful. Kidega pulled off a very tailored collection, which isn’t always the most interesting, but the corset detailing on the dresses and the aforementioned jackets made sure that it was. Delicious.

Eve McDonald: McDonald definitely has a 50s housewife buried inside her otherwise she wouldn’t be able to produce such stunning floral shirts. But she’s also hiding a Teddy Boy too, as pieces were mixed with checked trousers and long shorts. Finished off with floral headscarves tied in oversized bows I almost wanted to pull on my espadrilles and listen to some good old Rock ‘n’ Roll.

Anna Piercy: It’s Piercy who brought the piece de résistance of the whole night for me. Piercey managed to create a collection based entirely around oversized letters. Seriously. Not that much to hear but the fabrics still flowed into beautiful a-line dresses with cut-out detailing. Even more intelligent was the use of panelling and sequins to create letters from the arms and body of a dress. And the finale – Piercey’s models came together to spell out the word ‘RANDOM.’ It was and yet I still liked it.


Illustrations by Lisa Billvik

How nice though that we got to see the faces behind the fashion as each designer (embarrassingly for most but certainly not all) walked the catwalk with one of their models. It was cheers and ovation all round from the crowd and do you know what…. they thoroughly deserved it.

Hear, hear!

The London Zine Symposium, more about held last week at the Rag Factory, medical was full to the bustle with a variety of cheery people, all sharing in the spirit of DIY; flicking and chatting, perusing and purchasing. Every struggle past skinny jeans and plaid shirts to arrive at each table was well worth the few minutes spent avoiding elbows and backpacks, as each stall held an array of crafty delights; carefully screen-printed A2 fold-out works of typography, pretty necklaces, vegan lemon cupcakes and, of course, the zines. Some full of doodles, some full of words, most an arrangement of both. Hundreds of thousands of words caught up in photocopied pages bound with staples and thread, heaped on the rickety wooden tables just waiting to be flicked through and absorbed; their art appreciated and ideas assimilated.
I bumbled in and dropped my last pennies into the ‘£2 Suggested Donations’ pot, thankfully leaving me bereft of coin and therefore not prone to the madness of trying to choose between all the amazing zines on offer.


Beginning with a leisurely stroll around the halls before the Creating Our Own Culture discussion, I checked out the monstrous creations and was suitably scared then hung out at the Zineswap table for a little while, having to turn down the offer to buy one of their freshly screen-printed canvas bags, and shuffled through their archives. Zineswap are aiming to be a resource through which people can swap their zines (bit of a clue in the name), as well as becoming an archive of contemporary zine publishing. They also happen to be jolly decent chaps, helping find the girl whose zine I was admiring but which was not in their swap box. Not actually being able to buy it, however, I glanced over her stall of zines about solidarity camps and living in trees, made a mental note to come back with cash, and scampered to the workshop space to hear Melanie (Colouring Outside the Lines), Em (The World’s a Mess and You’re the Only Cure), Patrick (Ricochet! Ricochet!) and Debi (Self-Publishing and Empowerment) chat about the subversive measures it takes to sidestep mainstream media, engage with like-minded people, form communities and get out there – even if you’re not sure where ‘there’ is.

The main themes which permeated the discussion were connection and visibility. Em started The World’s a Mess and You’re the Only Cure with a view to thanking empowering people, and also made fliers searching for anyone interested in making things happen, which she put around Sheffield. A few people got in touch (which makes me both despair at general apathy and be glad that there are those out there who do want to get involved!) and they then began setting up gig nights, organising little known bands from across the country to come and plays. She gets emails from all over about her zine, full of grateful and excited words, and says that once you put a zine out there, you don’t know how far it’s going to go, or who it might reach. Debi encouraged being visible; making your talents known to the wider world and skill sharing at every opportunity. The cover of her book was designed in return for guitar lessons. Finding mentors and creating networks can help no end and she recommends doing what you’re not supposed to do and going where you’re not supposed to go, and perhaps finding other people already there! The story of Patrick’s gallery is a great example of lodging where you already are and engaging in community. They found the space because he walked past it everyday on his way to work, and attended the local Resident’s Alliance meetings to promote their events and to find people to borrow ladders from.

Diy culture isn’t all share and share alike, kittens and roses though. Em mentioned that she sometimes pays the excess of gig costs from her own pocket and Patrick emphasised his lack of social life and the possibility of burn out if taking on too much. They both work a variety of part-time jobs to scrape the cash together for their ventures, but were very clear on that fact that they’re happy to do so because their diy projects are the best possible reason to go hungry or poor. (Patrick also steals stationary from his paid work. Handy!) The overall message of the discussion was ‘Get Out There!’ Connect with people via whatever means available and don’t be afraid to start something, offer something, ask for something. There are others out there who want to build communities, publish books, create art spaces and take back media; the trick is to find them.

Feeling thus empowered, I took another circuit around the stalls and introduced myself properly to Miss Tukuru who runs Vampire Sushi distro with Mr Carl, and from whom I had ordered a satisfying pile of zines earlier in the month. They stock mostly perzines of a feminist and/or queer slant, dealing with depression, sexual awakenings (or not) and just, getting along in the world. We talked briefly about my kodame tattoo and the Moomins before she whirled off to take a turn about the room. After browsing the Active Distribution stall, I had to run to a cash point. Apparently I can’t deny myself a good anarchist zine, so I bought three, as well as ‘zine and the politics of alternative culture’, a book exploring the history and theory of zines and how effective they really are in rebelling against the consumer society which tends to appropriate and recycle all forms of culture jamming and subversive media back into advertising (a form of recycling I’m against!). The friendly anarchist presiding over the stall loaded me up with flyers for the infoshop 56a and Pogo Café, a social centre in Hackney, currently looking for summer volunteers.

Having already spent more money that I really had, I decided to leave before getting sucked into the screen-printed beauty of the TBA table, the full colour photos and tales of adventure in Girl Photographer, the cute pony necklaces and the hundred and one other beautiful bits and pieces of display.

I’ll leave the last words to Em who reminded us all that ‘Zines offer an amazing opportunity to get your feelings out. You can put anything you want in a zine. Anyone can do it, in their bedroom. Zines create links with people all over the world, and bring a community to you, instead of looking to others.’
So check out all the links above to start making connections with a world of opportunity and a pool of skills for you to add to and draw from. Head to the Woman’s Library Zine Fest on the 12th June, check out Brighton Zine Fest and Leeds Zine Fest and GET INVOLVED!

http://www.zineswap.com/
http://vampiresushi.co.uk/
http://www.activedistribution.org/
londonzinesymposium.org.uk
brightonzinefest.co.uk
http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/thewomenslibrary/services/learning/learning-projects/zinefest.cfm
http://wemakezines.ning.com/
56a.org.uk
http://www.eleanorjane.co.uk/ (Girl Photographer)
http://www.myspace.com/zinefest (Woman’s Library zinefest)
http://tba-online.org/

Categories ,Brick Lane, ,brighton, ,community, ,Feminist, ,illustration, ,leeds, ,Queer Culture, ,The Women’s Library, ,women, ,zine

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Amelia’s Magazine | Zine Symposium Review

Well well well the kids certainly know what they’re doing at Graduate Fashion Week this year. Sunday kicked off day one of shows for the creatively minded at our very own Earl’s Court and believe me these are the McQueens of the future.

UWE Bristol showcased some beautiful structured puffball dresses from Georgina Kitchen teamed with knee high socks and see-through metallic partitions. Jessie Potter had a clear vision too, viagra order cheap showing off an appliquéd felt and wool collection in a 70s pallet of mustard and burgundy with pom-pom headdresses. Jessica Hart clearly had the most funm however – showing a pastel based range of graphic prints that Lady Gaga would feel sheepish in. Necklaces were gigantic, order cialis 40mg as were pockets, in what was a playful and crisp collection, complete with bow headbands of course. (Read more about UWE Bristol’s show here – with even MORE illustrations!)

I was not expecting the standard of design as seen at UCA Epsom University’s show after though. Think of Pilgrim’s, 50s housewives, teddy boys, Julia Roberts in Mona Lisa Smile and a dash of kids TV and you’re half way there. This was a serious clash of icons creating a surprisingly good statement for the University.

But amongst the host of talent there were some definite faces of the fashion future to watch, and a surprising amount of menswear. Remember you heard it here first.

Lucinda Ailes: One so patriotic, not to our fair Blighty mind, but all things American were emblazoned on everything through an array of stars and stripes. Models sported devoted shorts, leggings and maxi dresses but all was kept thoroughly wearable by grey mix-and-match pieces to wear back with the collection.

Katie Barret: A different kind of heritage was displayed in Barret’s show of menswear pieces. Thoroughly Scottish and proud of it, models sported full kilted dresses as well as the traditional skirts. The whole feel was very rugged using natural fabrics and even slightly drab colours. But each look was spiced up with a hint of tomato red, whether it be in a top or the waist detailing of said kilt instantly adding an extra something to the look.

Antonia Lloyd: Another one for the boys but this time not quite so manly. Lloyd made sure the boys sparkled in glittered tuxedo style shirts and knickerbockers to be proud of. There was something quite romantic about the look, with buttons done up to the neck and a palette of muted greys and navies.

Beata Gebka: I told you there were pilgrims and it came from Gebka’s show. Models sported traditional style long dresses accessorized with cloches and capes. As unwearable as it sounds, the pieces were surprisingly covetable, finished off with black ribbon detailing and even bib fronts. This may just be the new look come autumn and one that features heavily around the key muted pallet of greys and navies again.

Stency Kidega: Frills frills and more frills was what Kidega must have been dreaming of. They were added to the shoulders of jackets and the necklines of coats but wherever they were placed they looked beautiful. Kidega pulled off a very tailored collection, which isn’t always the most interesting, but the corset detailing on the dresses and the aforementioned jackets made sure that it was. Delicious.

Eve McDonald: McDonald definitely has a 50s housewife buried inside her otherwise she wouldn’t be able to produce such stunning floral shirts. But she’s also hiding a Teddy Boy too, as pieces were mixed with checked trousers and long shorts. Finished off with floral headscarves tied in oversized bows I almost wanted to pull on my espadrilles and listen to some good old Rock ‘n’ Roll.

Anna Piercy: It’s Piercy who brought the piece de résistance of the whole night for me. Piercey managed to create a collection based entirely around oversized letters. Seriously. Not that much to hear but the fabrics still flowed into beautiful a-line dresses with cut-out detailing. Even more intelligent was the use of panelling and sequins to create letters from the arms and body of a dress. And the finale – Piercey’s models came together to spell out the word ‘RANDOM.’ It was and yet I still liked it.

How nice though that we got to see the faces behind the fashion as each designer (embarrassingly for most but certainly not all) walked the catwalk with one of their models. It was cheers and ovation all round from the crowd and do you know what…. they thoroughly deserved it.

Hear, hear!

Anna Piercy, drugs UCA Epsom, try Illustrated by Lisa Billvik

Well well well the kids certainly know what they’re doing at Graduate Fashion Week this year. Sunday kicked off day one of shows for the creatively minded at our very own Earl’s Court and believe me these are the McQueens of the future.

UWE Bristol showcased some beautiful structured puffball dresses from Georgina Kitchen teamed with knee high socks and see-through metallic partitions. Jessie Potter had a clear vision too, showing off an appliquéd felt and wool collection in a 70s pallet of mustard and burgundy with pom-pom headdresses. Jessica Hart clearly had the most funm however – showing a pastel based range of graphic prints that Lady Gaga would feel sheepish in. Necklaces were gigantic, as were pockets, in what was a playful and crisp collection, complete with bow headbands of course. (Read more about UWE Bristol’s show here – with even MORE illustrations!)


Jessica Hart, illustrated by Jenny Goldstone

I was not expecting the standard of design as seen at UCA Epsom University’s show after though. Think of Pilgrim’s, 50s housewives, teddy boys, Julia Roberts in Mona Lisa Smile and a dash of kids TV and you’re half way there. This was a serious clash of icons creating a surprisingly good statement for the University.

But amongst the host of talent there were some definite faces of the fashion future to watch, and a surprising amount of menswear. Remember you heard it here first.

Lucinda Ailes: One so patriotic, not to our fair Blighty mind, but all things American were emblazoned on everything through an array of stars and stripes. Models sported devoted shorts, leggings and maxi dresses but all was kept thoroughly wearable by grey mix-and-match pieces to wear back with the collection.

Katie Barret: A different kind of heritage was displayed in Barret’s show of menswear pieces. Thoroughly Scottish and proud of it, models sported full kilted dresses as well as the traditional skirts. The whole feel was very rugged using natural fabrics and even slightly drab colours. But each look was spiced up with a hint of tomato red, whether it be in a top or the waist detailing of said kilt instantly adding an extra something to the look.

Antonia Lloyd: Another one for the boys but this time not quite so manly. Lloyd made sure the boys sparkled in glittered tuxedo style shirts and knickerbockers to be proud of. There was something quite romantic about the look, with buttons done up to the neck and a palette of muted greys and navies.

Beata Gebka: I told you there were pilgrims and it came from Gebka’s show. Models sported traditional style long dresses accessorized with cloches and capes. As unwearable as it sounds, the pieces were surprisingly covetable, finished off with black ribbon detailing and even bib fronts. This may just be the new look come autumn and one that features heavily around the key muted pallet of greys and navies again.

Stency Kidega: Frills frills and more frills was what Kidega must have been dreaming of. They were added to the shoulders of jackets and the necklines of coats but wherever they were placed they looked beautiful. Kidega pulled off a very tailored collection, which isn’t always the most interesting, but the corset detailing on the dresses and the aforementioned jackets made sure that it was. Delicious.

Eve McDonald: McDonald definitely has a 50s housewife buried inside her otherwise she wouldn’t be able to produce such stunning floral shirts. But she’s also hiding a Teddy Boy too, as pieces were mixed with checked trousers and long shorts. Finished off with floral headscarves tied in oversized bows I almost wanted to pull on my espadrilles and listen to some good old Rock ‘n’ Roll.

Anna Piercy: It’s Piercy who brought the piece de résistance of the whole night for me. Piercey managed to create a collection based entirely around oversized letters. Seriously. Not that much to hear but the fabrics still flowed into beautiful a-line dresses with cut-out detailing. Even more intelligent was the use of panelling and sequins to create letters from the arms and body of a dress. And the finale – Piercey’s models came together to spell out the word ‘RANDOM.’ It was and yet I still liked it.


Illustrations by Lisa Billvik

How nice though that we got to see the faces behind the fashion as each designer (embarrassingly for most but certainly not all) walked the catwalk with one of their models. It was cheers and ovation all round from the crowd and do you know what…. they thoroughly deserved it.

Hear, hear!

The London Zine Symposium, more about held last week at the Rag Factory, medical was full to the bustle with a variety of cheery people, all sharing in the spirit of DIY; flicking and chatting, perusing and purchasing. Every struggle past skinny jeans and plaid shirts to arrive at each table was well worth the few minutes spent avoiding elbows and backpacks, as each stall held an array of crafty delights; carefully screen-printed A2 fold-out works of typography, pretty necklaces, vegan lemon cupcakes and, of course, the zines. Some full of doodles, some full of words, most an arrangement of both. Hundreds of thousands of words caught up in photocopied pages bound with staples and thread, heaped on the rickety wooden tables just waiting to be flicked through and absorbed; their art appreciated and ideas assimilated.
I bumbled in and dropped my last pennies into the ‘£2 Suggested Donations’ pot, thankfully leaving me bereft of coin and therefore not prone to the madness of trying to choose between all the amazing zines on offer.


Beginning with a leisurely stroll around the halls before the Creating Our Own Culture discussion, I checked out the monstrous creations and was suitably scared then hung out at the Zineswap table for a little while, having to turn down the offer to buy one of their freshly screen-printed canvas bags, and shuffled through their archives. Zineswap are aiming to be a resource through which people can swap their zines (bit of a clue in the name), as well as becoming an archive of contemporary zine publishing. They also happen to be jolly decent chaps, helping find the girl whose zine I was admiring but which was not in their swap box. Not actually being able to buy it, however, I glanced over her stall of zines about solidarity camps and living in trees, made a mental note to come back with cash, and scampered to the workshop space to hear Melanie (Colouring Outside the Lines), Em (The World’s a Mess and You’re the Only Cure), Patrick (Ricochet! Ricochet!) and Debi (Self-Publishing and Empowerment) chat about the subversive measures it takes to sidestep mainstream media, engage with like-minded people, form communities and get out there – even if you’re not sure where ‘there’ is.

The main themes which permeated the discussion were connection and visibility. Em started The World’s a Mess and You’re the Only Cure with a view to thanking empowering people, and also made fliers searching for anyone interested in making things happen, which she put around Sheffield. A few people got in touch (which makes me both despair at general apathy and be glad that there are those out there who do want to get involved!) and they then began setting up gig nights, organising little known bands from across the country to come and plays. She gets emails from all over about her zine, full of grateful and excited words, and says that once you put a zine out there, you don’t know how far it’s going to go, or who it might reach. Debi encouraged being visible; making your talents known to the wider world and skill sharing at every opportunity. The cover of her book was designed in return for guitar lessons. Finding mentors and creating networks can help no end and she recommends doing what you’re not supposed to do and going where you’re not supposed to go, and perhaps finding other people already there! The story of Patrick’s gallery is a great example of lodging where you already are and engaging in community. They found the space because he walked past it everyday on his way to work, and attended the local Resident’s Alliance meetings to promote their events and to find people to borrow ladders from.

Diy culture isn’t all share and share alike, kittens and roses though. Em mentioned that she sometimes pays the excess of gig costs from her own pocket and Patrick emphasised his lack of social life and the possibility of burn out if taking on too much. They both work a variety of part-time jobs to scrape the cash together for their ventures, but were very clear on that fact that they’re happy to do so because their diy projects are the best possible reason to go hungry or poor. (Patrick also steals stationary from his paid work. Handy!) The overall message of the discussion was ‘Get Out There!’ Connect with people via whatever means available and don’t be afraid to start something, offer something, ask for something. There are others out there who want to build communities, publish books, create art spaces and take back media; the trick is to find them.

Feeling thus empowered, I took another circuit around the stalls and introduced myself properly to Miss Tukuru who runs Vampire Sushi distro with Mr Carl, and from whom I had ordered a satisfying pile of zines earlier in the month. They stock mostly perzines of a feminist and/or queer slant, dealing with depression, sexual awakenings (or not) and just, getting along in the world. We talked briefly about my kodame tattoo and the Moomins before she whirled off to take a turn about the room. After browsing the Active Distribution stall, I had to run to a cash point. Apparently I can’t deny myself a good anarchist zine, so I bought three, as well as ‘zine and the politics of alternative culture’, a book exploring the history and theory of zines and how effective they really are in rebelling against the consumer society which tends to appropriate and recycle all forms of culture jamming and subversive media back into advertising (a form of recycling I’m against!). The friendly anarchist presiding over the stall loaded me up with flyers for the infoshop 56a and Pogo Café, a social centre in Hackney, currently looking for summer volunteers.

Having already spent more money that I really had, I decided to leave before getting sucked into the screen-printed beauty of the TBA table, the full colour photos and tales of adventure in Girl Photographer, the cute pony necklaces and the hundred and one other beautiful bits and pieces of display.

I’ll leave the last words to Em who reminded us all that ‘Zines offer an amazing opportunity to get your feelings out. You can put anything you want in a zine. Anyone can do it, in their bedroom. Zines create links with people all over the world, and bring a community to you, instead of looking to others.’
So check out all the links above to start making connections with a world of opportunity and a pool of skills for you to add to and draw from. Head to the Woman’s Library Zine Fest on the 12th June, check out Brighton Zine Fest and Leeds Zine Fest and GET INVOLVED!

http://www.zineswap.com/
http://vampiresushi.co.uk/
http://www.activedistribution.org/
londonzinesymposium.org.uk
brightonzinefest.co.uk
http://www.londonmet.ac.uk/thewomenslibrary/services/learning/learning-projects/zinefest.cfm
http://wemakezines.ning.com/
56a.org.uk
http://www.eleanorjane.co.uk/ (Girl Photographer)
http://www.myspace.com/zinefest (Woman’s Library zinefest)
http://tba-online.org/

Categories ,Brick Lane, ,brighton, ,community, ,Feminist, ,illustration, ,leeds, ,Queer Culture, ,The Women’s Library, ,women, ,zine

Similar Posts:






Amelia’s Magazine | Fun and Frenzine – Zine Symposium


Art Against Knives

4th-5th May 2009

The creme de la creme of East London’s artists and designers come together for Art Against Knives: a 2 day event and exhibition to raise awareness of knife crime in the community and to raise money for the medical treatment of Oliver Hemsley the 20 year-old Central St Martins student, shop buy who was left paralysed after being stabbed multiple times on Boundry Street.
Art Against Knives promises to be inspiring both artistically and socially.
art_against_kniveslistings.jpg

Art Against Knives, price this Monday and Tuesday only, approved see website for locations.

Flatland
ends 16th May 2009

Interesting 2 dimensional works and film sculptures from British artist Elizabeth McAlpine.
flatlandlisting.jpg

Flatland, until 16th May 2009, Laura Bartlett Gallery, 10 Northington Street, London.

Fresh Meat, The First Cut
10th May from 7pm

Evening of live illustration, animation screenings, raffle brought to you by art whizz kid Rose Blake and the rest of the This Is It Collective to raise money for their degree show at Kingston. There will be DJs as well as live music from Sheeps and Arthur Delaney. General fun will be provided in abundance.
freshmeat.jpg

Fresh Meat, The First Cut, 7pm until midnight 10th May, Notting Hill Arts Club, 21 Notting Hill Gate London.

Art in Mind
ends 11th May 2009

Eclectic collaborative show at the lovely Brick Lane Gallery featuring 13 contemporary artists. You can see our review here.
artinmindlistings.jpg

Art in Mind, until next Monday, The Bricklane Gallery, 196 Brick Lane, London.

The Red Room Platform Presents: Women’s Edition
6-9pm, 10th May 2009

Pan-generational artists, activists and thinkers validate the position of feminism in modern society through provocation, performance and debate.
410159.jpg

The Red Room Platform Presents: Women’s Edition, this Sunday, Bethnall Green Workingmen’s Club, 44-46 Pollard Row, Bethnall Green, London.

Fleur Oakes- The Glass Pingle “In My Garden I am Quenne”
showing now

A simply beautiful piece mixing embroidery and corsetry by Fleur Oakes illuminates the front window of knitters’ paradise Prick Your Finger. Review and interview with Fleur to follow this week in the mean time check out the knitting projects here.
corset.JPG

“In My Garden I am Queene”, Prick Your Finger, open Monday – Saturday, 260 Globe Road, London.

Beneath the pavement… The beach

Sexton (London) & Dominique Lacloche (Paris)
The exhibition consists of new work by the two artists work.

Art wars project space, 23 – 25 Redchurch Street, E2 7DJ
1st Apr – 5th May 2009

artwar1.jpg


Swine flu art masks- an exhibition of plague masks

Exquisite masks made due to the media hysteria regarding Swine flu, These masks are hand stitched and made as delicate collectable art object.

Hepsibah Gallery, 112 Brackenbury Road, London W6 0BD
30th Apr – 6th May 2009

flu1.jpg

Constellation

Clay Perry
The exhibiton showcases the photographers images of the 60′s avant-garde art scene.

England & Co
, 216, Westbourne Grove, Notting Hill, W11 2RH
Tuesday, 5 May from 11:00 – 18:00
Free entry

phot1.jpg


Etchings (Portraits)

Glenn Brown
A new collection of etchings from the artist.

Karsten Schubert, 5-8 Lower John Street,London W1F 9DR
Ends on the 8th May 2009, Monday to Friday 10am – 6pm

dark1.jpg


An exhibition of works by Paul Bennett and Ellie Good

Paul Bennett: expressionist paintings using oil and graphite on canvas.
Ellie Good: In this series of oil paintings and portraits exploring light.

Lauderdale House
, Highgate Hill, London N6 5HG
28th Apr – 10th May 2009, Tue – Fri 11-4pm, Sat 1.30-5pm Free entry

blueee.jpg

Art Against Knives

4th-5th May 2009

The creme de la creme of East London’s artists and designers come together for Art Against Knives: a 2 day event including exhibition to raise awareness of knife crime in the community and to raise money for the medical treatment of Oliver Hemsley the 20 year-old Central St Martins student, approved who was left paralysed after being stabbed multiple times on Boundry Street.
Art Against Knives promises to be both inspiring both artistically and socially.
art_against_kniveslistings.jpg

Art Against Knives, malady this Monday and Tuesday only, discount see website for locations.

Flatland
ends 16th May 2009

Interesting 2 dimensional works and film sculptures from British artist Elizabeth McAlpine.
flatlandlisting.jpg

Flatland, until 16th May 2009, Laura Bartlett Gallery, 10 Northington Street, London.

Annette Messager
ends 24th May 2009

Textured textile temptation at the Hayward’s retrospective of French feminist artist Annette Messager.
annette.jpg

Annette Messager, until 24th May 2009, The Hayward, Southbank Centre, London

Art in Mind
ends 11th May 2009
Eclectic collaborative show at the lovely Brick Lane Gallery featuring 13 contemporary artists.
artinmindlistings.jpg

Art in Mind, until next Monday, The Bricklane Gallery, 196 Brick Lane, London.

The Red Room Platform Presents: Women’s Edition
6-9pm, 10th May 2009
Pan-generational artists, activists and thinkers validate the position of feminism in modern society through provocation, performance and debate.
410159.jpg

The Red Room Platform Presents: Women’s Edition, this Sunday, Bethnall Green Workingmen’s Club, 44-46 Pollard Row, Bethnall Green, London

Isa Genzken: Open Sesame!
ends 21st June

Berlin- born Isa Genzken brings her colourful sculptures to the newly refurbished, East London favourite- Whitechapel Gallery
isa_genzkenlis.jpg

Isa Genzken: Open Sesame! Whitechapel Gallery, 77-82 Whitechapel High Street, London


Art Against Knives

4th-5th May 2009

The creme de la creme of East London’s artists and designers come together for Art Against Knives: a 2 day event including exhibition to raise awareness of knife crime in the community and to raise money for the medical treatment of Oliver Hemsley the 20 year-old Central St Martins student, ampoule who was left paralysed after being stabbed multiple times on Boundry Street.
Art Against Knives promises to be both inspiring both artistically and socially.
art_against_kniveslistings.jpg

Art Against Knives, this Monday and Tuesday only, see website for locations.

Flatland
ends 16th May 2009

Interesting 2 dimensional works and film sculptures from British artist Elizabeth McAlpine.
flatlandlisting.jpg

Flatland, until 16th May 2009, Laura Bartlett Gallery, 10 Northington Street, London.

Annette Messager
ends 24th May 2009

Textured textile temptation at the Hayward’s retrospective of French feminist artist Annette Messager.
annette.jpg

Annette Messager, until 24th May 2009, The Hayward, Southbank Centre, London

Art in Mind
ends 11th May 2009
Eclectic collaborative show at the lovely Brick Lane Gallery featuring 13 contemporary artists.
artinmindlistings.jpg

Art in Mind, until next Monday, The Bricklane Gallery, 196 Brick Lane, London.

The Red Room Platform Presents: Women’s Edition
6-9pm, 10th May 2009
Pan-generational artists, activists and thinkers validate the position of feminism in modern society through provocation, performance and debate.
410159.jpg

The Red Room Platform Presents: Women’s Edition, this Sunday, Bethnall Green Workingmen’s Club, 44-46 Pollard Row, Bethnall Green, London

Isa Genzken: Open Sesame!
ends 21st June

Berlin- born Isa Genzken brings her colourful sculptures to the newly refurbished, East London favourite- Whitechapel Gallery
isa_genzkenlis.jpg

Isa Genzken: Open Sesame! Whitechapel Gallery, 77-82 Whitechapel High Street, London

The spirit is there, check but where are the green fingers? When I was little I used to love watching my mum tending to the garden. I remember the pride and excitement she would feel when her flowers were in full bloom. As I got older, information pills I imagined that the desire to start growing plants, flowers and veg would manifest itself….. but it never really bloomed. It doesn’t help that my ‘garden’ is a small concrete balcony in East End London, and I had always imagined that gardening was essentially a bit of a chore. Then I realized that I was approaching this issue completely the wrong way. Gardening is not just about allotments, trips to garden centres on a Sunday afternoon, and Radio 4 playing in the backround (not that there is anything wrong with these things), its about having fun – creating produce; eating it, drinking it – you won’t disagree when you see the recipe for Grow Your Own Mojito – fundamentally, it is about achieving that sense of intense satisfaction when you realize… “I made that!”. With this newfound understanding, I could see that my lack of gardening space excuse was pretty flimsy. When you grasp that the world is your oyster, you can also see that it is your flowerbed as well.

With this in mind, the imaginative people behind “Growing Stuff – An Alternative Guide To Gardening” have put together a how – to guide to everything horticultural. With sections on guerilla gardening, growing carrots in Wellington boots, and the aforementioned guide to making your own mojito’s; this is not your typical gardening book. There are contributions by ‘punk’ gardeners, ‘worm farming junkies’, teenagers and artists, which makes ‘Growing Stuff’ as accessible as you could hope for. Absolutely every person, no matter their level of gardening skills – or lack of – will be able to grow stuff after reading this book.
I spoke with two contributors to Growing Stuff recently about their involvement with the book, as well as their other activities. Emily Hill and Will Gould are also artists who create ‘living sculptures’ that aim to walk a line between the man-made and the wild.

Hey Emily, I like the suggestions that you and Will have done in Growing
Stuff. There is definitely an element of fun and whimsy to your
gardening ideas; like Cartoon Cress, and Carrot Wellies. Is this the
style in that you two both work? And do you feel that this is the best way to
initiate would be gardeners?

Emily: Life’s too short, get out there and get your hands dirty, just give it a go! Of course it should be fun, and if it isn’t, it’s time to take a minute to think about what’s out of balance in your life; gardening’s a great leveller, and can really help you work things out. There’s nothing like a home-grown cherry tomato bursting in your mouth to cheer you up!
Will: There are plenty of books out there which describe how to grow plants but they are not necessarily accessible to people who don’t see themselves as gardeners. By making the growing a bit more fun and whimsical we hope to de-mystify the growing of stuff. Plants want to grow and if you give them half a chance they will, so we feel it is better to have fun and be creative while trying to grow something. After all even if you fail to grow anything, you’ve had some fun.

What other easy-peasy suggestions might you have for gardening
novices- especially ones in an urban sprawl?

Will: Just try buying a packet of salad seeds-lettuce and coriander are dead easy, plant them on top of some moist compost in a pot and put them on your windowsill. It’s hard to go wrong.
Emily: Tease out a passion, try growing something bright purple, or something that smells nice, or both! You don’t have to do much, just buy a plant and water it! I started with French Lavender on my balcony.

Do you think that growing stuff is becoming more of a young persons
game now?

Will: It’s about time, why miss out on all those glorious years of growing.
Emily: It’s definitely something that has caught our generation’s imagination, maybe its something to do with our collective childhood memories. I remember picking raspberries with my granddad; it was like finding little ruby coloured droplets of edible treasure at the bottom of the garden!

How did you and Will get into gardening, and how did you end up
collaborating with this book?

Will: I grew up in a small house with a big garden, so it kind of came naturally. The book came from a request for artists who work with living things to submit ideas.
Emily: We both grew up in the country, all neglected and wild! For me, artistry came naturally, getting into gardening came later, when I found a bit of outdoor space to cultivate. We saw an advert on the Arts Council’s website and just went for it!

I have read that you two create ‘Living Structures’ – can you tell me a
little about this? What future projects are you working on?

Emily: We started off by making a portable composting toilet for our allotment with old bits of shed and two huge cartwheels; we made a cubicle that looked like a Victorian beach hut and planted a garden on the roof and gave it two window boxes full of flowers. We wanted to recycle ourselves, so we mixed our own wee with rainwater collected from the roof, and created a system to pump the mixture around the plants to feed them, anything left over drained into a reed bed at the back of the structure. It was quite charming really, and very popular…have a look, its called ‘The Jakes’ and was submitted for Margate Rocks last Spring (www.margaterocks.com).
Will: We are both interested in structures, which have a life of their own. For us, this involves growing plants, which either make up the structure, or contribute to the working of a functional building.
We are currently working on outdoor environmental projects in schools and incorporate the growing of stuff wherever possible and it is always possible!

Artist AJ Fosik’s sculpted characters look like your high school mascot that went AWOL and ended up at a full moon party in Thailand. Or perhaps the stuffed and mounted head of some big game he vanquished in a spirit dream and was able to sneak back under the border patrol of consciousness (quite a feat really I hear they’re rather tight). His technicolor wooden sculptures certainly carry the sense of having seen the otherside and with their hypnotic fluorescent eyes they seem all too than eager to take you there as well.

aj%20fosik1.jpg

According to his myspace page AJ Fossik is 66 years old. Sure, unhealthy maybe on his second time round on the carousel of life. perhaps wise beyond his years, what is for certain is that this Philadelphia born artist is onto something. Currently exhibiting printed works at Giant Robot Gallery in NY, it is his psychedelic sculptures which have really roared onto the scene. Made of hundreds of small, individually cut and hand painted wood, his animal effigies and their symbolism strike a chord with the collective consciousness, especially in the US. Aside from being the California state animal, a campsite mischief, cartoon character and omnipresent sports team icon, the bear is one of the largest and most regal North American animals, a reminder of the vastness and awesome natural beauty experienced by the earliest pioneers.

aj%20fosik3.jpg

A country whose experience at the moment consists of what is referred to as a “bear market”, one in which stockholders, all in the same blind panicked, decide to sell! sell! sell!, driving the value of stocks deep into the ground (sounds familiar). Not that far off really from the wooly winter hibernator’s image of reclusion and introspection. To Native American shamans the bear represents qualities of steadfastness and patience making excellent teachers. In dreams, bears represent a healing cycle, where the dreamer has retreated into himself in order to regenerate and to create something new and valuable in his life.

aj%20fosik5.jpg

For this particular breed of artist the road out was not a conventional one. After years as a teenage urban nomad on the streets of Philadelphia, a city often at odds with itself, Fosick eventually drifted to NY where he obtained a degree in illustration from New York’s Parson’s and a 2007 solo show in the city’s Jonathan Levine Gallery. The name he goes by he adopted from an Australian “verb to describe the act of people sifting through mine washings or waste piles to look for any gold that might have been missed; sorting through the garbage to find gold.” However, like many things in our global soup it apparently seeped into another language where it means something different altogether. “From what I can gather,” he says with a good natured appreciation of irony, “the spelling I use means ‘to shit oneself’ in Hungarian.”

aj%20fosik4.jpg

A peek into the global origins of this furry ursine idol is just as intriguing. In Hindu mythology the bear’s name “riksha”
(also in Sanskrit, Celtic, Greek and Latin believe it or not) derive from the word for star, which in turn comes from the word light, shine, illuminate. Ahhhha.
The term for Great Bear, “sapta riksha”, is also the symbolic dwelling of the Seven Rishis, whose name is related to “vision” and are called the Seven Luminaries. It was through them that the wisdom of the past was transmitted to the present. A rich past for the unassuming bear.

aj_fosik_2.jpg

AJ Fosick is an artist who, one could argue, has an abnormal fixation with carving his own path through the great unknown. No wonder then that he refers to his pieces as “existential fetishes”. And hey, who couldn’t use one of those? And perhaps the missing little league mascots and unemployed stockbrokers of the world have joined Albert Camus on a beach somewhere in South East Asia and are doing some soul searching. In my dreams.

The spirit is there, look but where are the green fingers? When I was little I used to love watching my mum tending to the garden. I remember the pride and excitement she would feel when her flowers were in full bloom. As I got older, ask I imagined that the desire to start growing plants, physician flowers and veg would manifest itself….. but it never really bloomed. It doesn’t help that my ‘garden’ is a small concrete balcony in East End London, and I had always imagined that gardening was essentially a bit of a chore. Then I realized that I was approaching this issue completely the wrong way. Gardening is not just about allotments, trips to garden centres on a Sunday afternoon, and Radio 4 playing in the backround (not that there is anything wrong with these things), its about having fun – creating produce; eating it, drinking it – you won’t disagree when you see the recipe for Grow Your Own Mojito – fundamentally, it is about achieving that sense of intense satisfaction when you realize… “I made that!”. With this newfound understanding, I could see that my lack of gardening space excuse was pretty flimsy. When you grasp that the world is your oyster, you can also see that it is your flowerbed as well.

attempt1growingstuff.jpg

growingstuffbicycle.jpg
Photographs by Rosie French

With this in mind, the imaginative people behind “Growing Stuff – An Alternative Guide To Gardening” have put together a how – to guide to everything horticultural. With sections on guerilla gardening, growing carrots in Wellington boots, and the aforementioned guide to making your own mojito’s; this is not your typical gardening book. There are contributions by ‘punk’ gardeners, ‘worm farming junkies’, teenagers and artists, which makes ‘Growing Stuff’ as accessible as you could hope for. Absolutely every person, no matter their level of gardening skills – or lack of – will be able to grow stuff after reading this book.
I spoke with two contributors to Growing Stuff recently about their involvement with the book, as well as their other activities. Emily Hill and Will Gould are also artists who create ‘living sculptures’ that aim to walk a line between the man-made and the wild.

Hey Emily, I like the suggestions that you and Will have done in Growing
Stuff. There is definitely an element of fun and whimsy to your
gardening ideas; like Cartoon Cress, and Carrot Wellies. Is this the
style in that you two both work? And do you feel that this is the best way to
initiate would be gardeners?

growingstuffcress.jpg
Photograph by Rosie French

Emily: Life’s too short, get out there and get your hands dirty, just give it a go! Of course it should be fun, and if it isn’t, it’s time to take a minute to think about what’s out of balance in your life; gardening’s a great leveller, and can really help you work things out. There’s nothing like a home-grown cherry tomato bursting in your mouth to cheer you up!
Will: There are plenty of books out there which describe how to grow plants but they are not necessarily accessible to people who don’t see themselves as gardeners. By making the growing a bit more fun and whimsical we hope to de-mystify the growing of stuff. Plants want to grow and if you give them half a chance they will, so we feel it is better to have fun and be creative while trying to grow something. After all even if you fail to grow anything, you’ve had some fun.

What other easy-peasy suggestions might you have for gardening
novices- especially ones in an urban sprawl
?

Will: Just try buying a packet of salad seeds-lettuce and coriander are dead easy, plant them on top of some moist compost in a pot and put them on your windowsill. It’s hard to go wrong.
Emily: Tease out a passion, try growing something bright purple, or something that smells nice, or both! You don’t have to do much, just buy a plant and water it! I started with French Lavender on my balcony.

growing%20stuff1Carnivorous%20plants.jpg

Do you think that growing stuff is becoming more of a young persons
game now?

Will: It’s about time, why miss out on all those glorious years of growing.
Emily: It’s definitely something that has caught our generation’s imagination, maybe its something to do with our collective childhood memories. I remember picking raspberries with my granddad; it was like finding little ruby coloured droplets of edible treasure at the bottom of the garden!

How did you and Will get into gardening, and how did you end up
collaborating with this book?

Will: I grew up in a small house with a big garden, so it kind of came naturally. The book came from a request for artists who work with living things to submit ideas.
Emily: We both grew up in the country, all neglected and wild! For me, artistry came naturally, getting into gardening came later, when I found a bit of outdoor space to cultivate. We saw an advert on the Arts Council’s website and just went for it!

growingstuffEmily%20Hill-Will%20Goulds%20window.jpg

I have read that you two create ‘Living Structures’ – can you tell me a
little about this? What future projects are you working on?

Emily: We started off by making a portable composting toilet for our allotment with old bits of shed and two huge cartwheels; we made a cubicle that looked like a Victorian beach hut and planted a garden on the roof and gave it two window boxes full of flowers. We wanted to recycle ourselves, so we mixed our own wee with rainwater collected from the roof, and created a system to pump the mixture around the plants to feed them, anything left over drained into a reed bed at the back of the structure. It was quite charming really, and very popular…have a look, its called ‘The Jakes’ and was submitted for Margate Rocks last Spring (www.margaterocks.com).
Will: We are both interested in structures, which have a life of their own. For us, this involves growing plants, which either make up the structure, or contribute to the working of a functional building.
We are currently working on outdoor environmental projects in schools and incorporate the growing of stuff wherever possible and it is always possible!

Tuesday 05/06/09

The Real Dirt on Farmer John

PermaculturePictureHouse-1.jpg

Permaculture Picture House
7.00pm
Upstairs at Passing Clouds, visit web
1 Richmond Road, salve E8, abortion ?just off Kingsland Road behind the pub. 

A monthly evening of films, presentations, poetry, drink, food and fun ?focusing on positive solutions in the current state of crisis.  Each evening ?will have a different theme and begin with a film or presentation followed by? space to meet with others till closing time.? ?When?
1st Tuesday of every month, doors open at 7pm.  Films, (when shown) start at 8pm. 
How much?
£2.00 donation on the door.
Please try to arrive by 8pm when films are being shown to avoid disruption. ?Entry may be restricted once film has started. ?5th May:   The Real Dirt on Farmer John. (82 mins)
Follows Farmer John’s astonishing journey from farm boy to counter-culture? rebel to the son who almost lost the family farm to a beacon of today’s ?booming organic farming movement and founder of one of the nation’s largest? Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms. The result is a tale that ebbs ?and flows with the fortunes of the soil and revealingly mirrors the changing ?American times.

Wednesday 06/05/2009

Controversies in The Economics Of Climate Change

London School of Economics
Houghton Street,
London WC2A 2AE, UK;  
Tel: +44 (0)20 7405 7686

The Stern Review stirred up the controversy surrounding the economics of climate change. This lecture will review these issues and give an assessment of the debate – where it is leading and what issues remain open.

Geoffrey Heal is a visiting professor at the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at LSE, Paul Garrett Professor of Public Policy and Business Responsibility, and professor of finance and economics at Columbia Business School.

This event will take place from 6.30-8pm in the Hong Kong Theatre, Clement House, LSE, Aldwych. If you would like to attend this event, please email me on V.Pavey@lse.ac.uk

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LeaJaffyEnergy3world.jpg
Illustration by Lea Jaffy

Art Not Oil

6pm -7pm
British Museum
Great Russell Street,
London, WC1B 3DG
Oil goliath BP, already forced to postpone its centenary party at the British Museum on April 1st, has rescheduled the event for May 6th. Art Not Oil will be throwing A Wake for BP as guests arrive at the British Museum between 6pm and 7pm on the new date.
People wanting to come and say: “BP — your Party’s over!” and wish the behemoth a ‘happy last birthday’ are more than welcome. The British Museum’s main gate on Great Russell Street will find a contingent of the Brazen Pranksters playing tunes to usher in a new era of Climate Justice and Ecological Sanity.

Thursday 07/05/09

Earthwatch Lecture — Conserving Biodiversity in the Americas

7pm – 8.30pm
Earthwatch

Royal Geographical Society,
1 Kensington Gore, London
SW7 2AR

Contact: Simon Laman
(01865) 318856

events@earthwatch.org.uk

www.earthwatch.org/europe/get_involved/events08/lecture09-americas/

Speakers: Dr. Richard Bodmer (Durrell Institute of Conservation & Ecology, and the Wildlife Conservation Society) & Dr. Kathleen Sullivan Sealey (University of Miami). Chaired by explorer, writer and TV presenter Dr. George McGavin.??The very fact that the Amazon and the Caribbean are such attractive locations renders them all the more vulnerable to over-exploitation. Hear how Earthwatch scientists are addressing this issue in the Peruvian Amazon and on the coasts of the Bahamas.

Saturday 9/10th May

Permaculture Introductory Weekends

permaculture%3Anaturewise.jpg

Hornsey Rise Gardens, North London
For any further information or to register contact londoncourses@naturewise.org.uk
The Introductory weekend, is a ‘potted’ permaculture course, looking at the foundations of permaculture and learning about some of the practical tools it offers. The weekend course can be considered a ‘stand alone’ introduction to Permaculture ethics, principles and design, or else can be a lead-in to the more in depth full 72 hour Permaculture Design Course. Photos from past courses.

9/10th May, 8/9th August, 7/8th November.
Led by: Mark Warner Graham Burnett and, Nicole Freris ??Fees: Introductory Weekends: £120 full cost, concessions/flexibility available subject to discussion
                            
The beautiful window display this month at Prick Your Finger is bound to catch the eye of even the most unobservant passer-by; Fleur Oakes has embroidered a corset by with mystical and magical creatures and symbols that is bound to have the whole of Bethnal Green gaping.
P5010045.JPG
(front view of corset)

In My Garden I am Queene is a stitched homage to yester-year; Fleur sourced the corset pattern from 1585, sale and the style and many of the techniques were those used in the 17th century, cialis 40mg even it’s name is a play on a quote from Pre-raphealite painter Burne- Jones.
The past echoes through the piece from these aesthetic choices to the vintage kid gloves lining whose ghostly fingers that hang down in macabre decoration.
P5010039.JPG
(back view with faggot stitch detail)

The corset is lovingly embroidered with intricate flowers, viagra 100mg lace moths, eyes, a magnificent menagerie of bizarre creatures with some of the best names in the history of mytho-zoology, taken from the book ‘House of the Spirits’ by Isabelle Allende. A modern novel that still manages to fit into the quintessentially Elizabethan feel of the piece.
IMG_2457.jpg
(1 of 6 moths all in needle lace, they take 3 hours to make.)

Personal favourties here at Amelia’s Magazine HQ are the Marbat- a combination of marsupial with bat wings, the Maladapard – a mallard’s head with a leopard’s body (of course) and this chap: the Boarfinch.
boarfinch%205.jpg
(Boarfinch detail in long and short stitch)

Fleur’s work really needs to be seen to be believed, so head down to Prick Your Finger for a peek and to pick up one of Fleur’s embroidered buttons.
P5010040.JPG
(Fleur Oakes embroidered buttons on sale now)

For all you embroidery aficionados more specific details about technique, the lovely staff at Prick Your Finger will be more than happy to oblige .

Prick Your Finger, 260 Globe Road, London.

The Californian cool kids that make up LoveLikeFire are ready to hit the ground running with their new single “William“. Soon to follow will be “Tear Ourselves Away“, viagra dosage which will be yours to own from August 09. While they are looking forward to winning us over with their indie majestic melodies, medicine us Brits are relative latecomers to the LoveLikeFire phenonemon, which has already blazed a trail in America. So what are we waiting for?! LLF will be in England soon, performing at venues around the country. Check their MySpace for details. Hopefully when they perform in London, they will have lined their stomachs, because yours truly has offered to be their official pub crawl companion. I’m thoughtful like that! The other day, I had an online chat with Ann Yu, vocalist of LoveLikeFire. She filled me in on LLF’s bio, their musical sounds and influences, and why we could see a collaboration in the future with a little band called The Killers……

lovelikefire3.jpg


Hey Ann; by the way, I am very jealous of your location. You are in San Francisco right? My brother lives in Mill Valley, Marin County, so I know it well

(Anne) Oh wow, yes that is really close to S.F only twenty minutes or so…are you in London?

Yes, East London. Do you know the area?

No, not very well, I am very excited to spend two weeks there, I hope we can do some sightseeing. I think we’ll be staying one night in East London, in Hackney. I hear it’s the cool fun place with lots of stuff to do at night?

That is near us! And we do make very good tour guides…. our speciality is tours of pubs and bars! So are the upcoming gigs your debut shows in London?

Yes! first time over, and we actually play the day we fly in!

Good luck with that! I wanted to ask a couple of questions about your fantastic new album; you seem to have accumulated a serious fanbase, especially from the US press. But for us Brits who are unfamiliar with your work – how would you describe your music?

In adjectives I would say –  somewhat dark and pretty, bittersweet at times, dynamic, emotional not emo, indie rock and pop, at times dreamy, at times more direct.

Good adjectives! Your Wikipedia profile also describes Britpop influences. Is that a fair description?

Yes, we love all the classics – Blur, The Smiths, Pulp, New Order
and also, bands like Lush, Siouxsie, Curve, Bauhaus, Echo and the Bunnymen

Has your sound developed with your newest work – or have you always had a clear idea about your musical styles?

It’s hard to try to keep to a specific sound all the time,  but there are always similar moods I think. But we’ve gone more in a pop-esque direction with the album, i think we veer in and out of dreaminess always, sometimes more than others – and this album is less dreamy than songs before it.

lovelikefire1.jpg

What was inspiring you when you were making this record?

Lyrically I tried to be very honest with myself, and not think too much about who would be listening really, I would say that sometimes I have tendencies to be imbalanced,  and so trying to find inner happiness and well being was a big inspiration – without sound too new agey cheesy . :)

I’m all for New Age! I’m a bit of a hippy in an urban sprawl :-)

Yes, i feel like i am a wannabe urban hippy!

Do you collaborate with the rest on the band on all the tracks or are you the main songwriter?

For Tear Ourselves Away, I brought most of the songs to the band and everyone contributed their ideas which was great; lately we’ve been much more collaborative but it changes all the time. We try to freshen up the creative writing perspective

There is a story that I have heard about you – an urban myth maybe? That you and the guys from The Killers were room mates at one point?

Oh there are several urban myths with that. I was a roommate of one of the guys in The Killers, where we all practiced. I was in college when they were playing their songs every night, i know those songs inside and out now. :)

I bet! Could you see a LoveLikeFire/Killers collaboration at some point?

We’ve talked about it with them, who knows when that might be but there are a few things that might happen later this year…..

So watch this space! I am interested in your backround as a violinist – am I correct in saying that you trained as a classical violinist prior to this?

Yes, I took private lessons and played in school for my grade school, junior high years but my private lesson teacher always told me that I should have started much younger – and that at some point I wouldn’t be able to compete with kids who had been playing since they were six.

It goes without saying, but you are obviously now versed in two very different styles of music now. Can you be as personal and honest in both styles? Which do you find is a better outlet?

Definitely playing in a band and writing songs, there is nothing better than this in my humble opinion…you can write so many different stories with a few chords – I never did that with violin – only learned other peoples music.

Do you ever sneak the violin into any of your tracks?

Haha, no, i’m very rusty now, we did have an amazing session violinist and cellist come in and play on a few tracks, they were sooo wonderful. They did the parts in practically one take each.

lovelikefire2.jpg

How long have you been together as a band?

LoveLikeFire has been a band since 2006..

What were you in before?

I was in a twee/indie pop shoegaze band called Evening Lights…we are thinking about putting out a digital release of our material actually!

A website used ‘shoegazing’ as an adjective to describe LoveLikeFire. Seeing that you described your previous band as such – is that  fair description for your current band?

There is definitely some shoegazing elements in LoveLikeFire, we’ve never been a self proclaimed shoegaze band but we like some of those elements for sure. :)

What is the relationship like between you and the others in the band?

There is no Fleetwood Mac action going on with us, although that might be another urban myth!  (mmm).    I really love them, i enjoy being on stage with them and off stage…sweeet sweet boys – I only mentioned Fleetwood Mac because whenever i see mixed gender bands i am always curious of whether they is any interband relationships happening!

I think it is a wise idea not to base your band on the antics of Fleetwood Mac!

Hahah, at one show someone did call out to me Stevie Nicks!! and i wondered what they meant by that?

High praise indeed! But yes, I can’t quite see it myself :-)
Do you have any other side projects?

I do an electro side recording project, called Adios Control, which lets me have an outlet for something different. :)

I guess you don’t have much time for that now though?

It’s tough, there is very little time for much at all these days.

And you are off on tour now……. what can we expect from your live shows?

Actually we don’t leave for a couple of weeks, i’m at home in San Francisco! four people that really love being on stage together and my own honest interpretation of the songs at every show at that moment :) is that too vague?

No that is great! I won’t take up more of your time now…….
But I think when you come over you should get in touch, and we can be your London tour guides…..

We would LOVE that!
This Sunday saw a hoard of eager revelers take a break from sun gauging to descend upon the alternative epicenter of the East End for the annual fun and frolics of the London Zine Symposium.

So I eagerly hop footed down to Brick Lane by 12 o’clock sharp for the highly anticipated event. I was met by a throng of zine fanatics packed to the rafters in the rather cramp confines of The Rag Factory on Henage Street.

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With such a vivacious ambience the fair was all a little bewildering, information pills I have to concede I am still a zine novice so I felt a little inadequate amidst the array of comic book sages and regulars! Iconic figureheads in the zine scene such as Mark Pawson are more akin to heroes in this domain then mere artists.

I made a beeline for friend and fellow Amelia’s Magazine illustrator Holly Trill to catch up on how their zine “Meow Magazine” was going down with the punters. I also had an ulterior motive for heading straight over to the stall, order not being one for nepotism but I was actually selling my very own knitted cake creations there! I am sure most readers are now accustom to my knitting fetish/obsession!

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Alas they didn’t fly off the table in a flurry of “hot cakes” (apologies pun inevitable). I think I was out shone by the array of delectable and more importantly edible treats that other stalls had to offer. How could I compete with sumptuous vegan cupcakes! However I was pleased to see an abundance of eager fans hastily grappling at issues of Meow Magazine. I had to indulge in a copy myself, there check out the work of Helen Vine, her beautifully intricate approach to mark making creates an almost wooden aesthetic and texture to her drawings. Definitely a lady to keep your eyes peeled for!

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I trawled my way through the masses to investigate more stalls, it turned out to be a seemingly impossible quest, the unbearable heat and sheer quantity of people made browsing difficult. However I did unearth a few gems on my escapades round, a particular favourite had to be Brighton based fanzine “Shebang”. It’s beautifully curated, featuring not only aesthetically pleasing cutesy illustrations, but it’s a brimming with interviews, reviews and even travel guides.

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The day not only showcased a vast array of diy zines comics and handmade treasures but workshops and lectures for budding artists eager to break into the scene. Seminars ranged from historic overviews addressing the sociopolitical scene behind zine cultures, too practical workshops aimed to nurture new talent addressing key topics such as how to organise a symposium and how to compile your own zines!

All in all it was a frenzine of fun and frolics, roll on the next symposium!ym

Categories ,Comic, ,DIY, ,Handmade, ,Holly Trill, ,Illustation, ,Knit, ,Mark Pawson, ,Meow Magazine, ,Shebang, ,Symposium, ,Zine

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LuckyPDF is a new artist-led project based in Camberwell and Peckham, this web search South East London. LuckyPDF aims to promote and support new artists and creative talent within the area by finding innovative and effective ways to produce and exhibit work.

Recently taking up residence in the UNITY centre on the busy Peckham High Street, LuckyPDF will play host to a series of exhibitions, events and happenings over coming months, working within the restrictions of this unique space and around the other groups that share it.

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The current Exhibition features Molly Smyth’s Sculptures which tackle the difficult subject of fear in relation to the recent attacks in Mumbai. I asked her what initially inspired her;

“I originally wanted to create an overtly violent exhibition which highlights the horror of the terror attacks in Mumbai towards the end of last year. That’s however not what materialized. It became more to do with the fear involved.”

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An integral part of the show is a large piece entitled ‘Continuo’ which both propels the art to another level but also acts as an invasive field for the viewers.

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“It’s based on the the Basso Continuo rhythm within Baroque music which lies underneath the melody and both propels and holds back the music.”

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The exhibition continues tonight and tomorrow night @ UNITY, 39 Peckham High Street.

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The Norwegian artist Lise Bjorne Linnert has created a project in response to the tragic, viagra and ongoing situation in the Mexican border town of Juarez, discount which sits on the border of the USA. It is difficult to comprehend, sales but the statistics are chilling – over 560 women have been murdered, hundreds more have disappeared, their whereabouts forever unknown, but it is suspected that they have been kidnapped for trafficking.

Desconocida:Unknown has to date, traveled through 22 countries. The project is very much a participatory affair. Those who come to the exhibition are encouraged to become involved, and embroider two labels; one baring the name of one of the murdered women, and one with the simple word – ‘unknown’. These name tags are added onto a wall which becomes the central medium of the project. Until March 22nd, it will be showing at The Gallery at University for the Creative Arts Epsom. Here, visitors can embroider whilst watching a documentary about the situation, called Threading Voices, also made by the artist.

descondida4resized.jpgFrontera 450+, at the Station Museum of Contemporary Art, Houston Texas. A show dedicated to the women of Juarez and their situation. This inspired me to start the project. i had moved back to Norway at the time and I wanted to create a project that somehow diminished the distance, the physical distance to the place and the psychological distance to take in information of such difficult issues. I wanted to create a connection, because violence towards women is a global issue, happening in every society, rich or poor, far or near.The situation in Juarez is extremely complex and very difficult to describe using just a few words. But I think it is very important to share that despite the horror that still are happening and the increasing violence towards both men and women due to a war on drugs in the city, the women and the community I have seen and collaborated with is not a victimized community, it is a community of an enormous strength and ability to fight back and with a believe in change. Believe in change through working with the youth, education, support of the families so they can speak for themselves. It is all organized with the smallest means and in an environment of violence and mistrust. The government’s attempts on improvements are described by the activists as cosmetic.”

What inspired you to choose to have participants embroider the name of the murdered women onto the labels?

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” The idea of the embroidered nametags came after a long time researching and thinking. I wanted to use a female activity as a way to protest against the violence, I did not want to celebrate the violence. I wanted to establish a connection that would enable us to see the women and hear the stories told, see them as individuals. I also wanted an activity that had connections back to Mexico but yet were global, which embroidery is. We all have a relationship with names, it is the first thing we learn to write and by embroidering the names we would remember that name. By being embroidered, the mass of names each take on an identity again, a dual identity, that of the named and that of the embroiderer.”

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Other than the labels, have you been using any other art forms alongside the embroidery, and how to you feel that this compliments?

“The project has inspired me to work using different art forms. After visiting Juarez in 2007, I decided to go back to tell the story of Marisela Ortiz Rivera and the organization Nuestras Hijas de Regreso a Casa. I wanted to share the power and strength the women are fighting with and made the short documentary Threading Voices. When exhibiting the project I also show the video “Missing young women” by the Mexican filmmaker Lourdes Portillo. This film shares the stories about the murders, following the families in their search for their daughters and for justice.
For me it has been very important to show that women are not victims but have strength to fight back. During the openings of exhibitions where Desconocida has been shown, I have done a voice performance, Presence, where I give a tone, and then I give silence. I take away the words, the relation to music and this leaves the viewer and I with the purely the voice, the note and the silence, and I think this brings presence forward. There are “no escapes”
For the opening at the Gallery at the University for Creative Arts, Epsom, I made a sound installation based on my performance idea.”

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What has the response been to this project, and where would you like to see this project going (apart from bringing justice to these women, of course).

“The project has grown much larger than I imagined when I started this, it has almost taken on a life of its own. I have decided that as long as people want to be part embroidering and the situation in Juarez remains the same, the project will continue to run its course. I hope more venues would like to show the project and by this engage more communities. It is important for me though that the labels eventually do not end their journey in a drawer in my studio. I am currently researching different ideas of how to bring the labels back out to the communities where they have been created, and doing so through an action/performance in Ciudad Juarez.”
What do you do when even the charity shops turn their noses up at your second hand freebies? Have them stripped for parts just like you would your bike! Tracey Cliffe, find with a background in costume design, information pills knows exactly how to spin fresh dresses out of frocks non-grata. Check out her popping new boutique in Afflecks Place in Manchester.
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Polly Scattergood

Rough Trade

Saturday 28th Feb, approved 2009

The ethereal Polly Scattergood performed a short set at Rough Trade East on Saturday evening to a small but attentive crowd. Whether they had wandered in from hearing her sound or were hardened followers was difficult to determine, pharmacy but all were enthralled by what Scattergood had to offer.

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Scattergood is an open and candid storyteller with the adorable quirkiness of Kate Bush and the timid vulnerabilty of Bat for Lashes. Part vocal, part soliloquy, Scattergood‘s songs are honest and real. She was a little nervous on Saturday, resplendent in an metallic puffball number with slightly tousled blonde locks. Her vocals wavered, but it’s a bold move presenting your music in a space as stark as a record shop. There’s no production, no flashy lighting, and there are customers wandering aimlessly trying to find their would-be purchases.

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In between haunting melodies, Scattergood gave little away apart from song titles. From one track to another, she kept a rapid pace, backed by a three-piece band who spend far too much time looking in a mirror (I’d imagine). The songs are original, though – and her dulcet spoken tones blend smoothly with her powerful voice (she dips like a young Moyet and peaks like a more mature Goldfrapp). She has a fresh indie sound with a scrumptious catchy pop twang, best detected on the balladic Unforgiving Arms. Scattergood is also onto a winner with the short show’s closing track, Nitrogen Pink, born with a whisper and maddening as it reaches its climax.

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April sees Polly embark on a comprehensive tour around the UK, with the album Stateside Releases expected to hit the shops this week. With a nod, a huge smile and a timid curtsy, Polly‘s off, safe in the knowledge that she’s served up a teatime treat.
Aussie by heart, for sale New Yorker by nature, pills Deanne Cheuk is at the vanguard of her field in fashion illustration. Her work has already graced the pages of Nylon, ampoule Dazed and Confused,Vogue and Tokion.She is showered with accolades, recently she featured as one of the top “50 creative minds in the world” by Face Magazine.

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Cheuk’s utilises a myriad of mediums that beautifully unite to create ethereal and dreamy pieces.Whisking you away from the realms of reality into the fairy tale-esque utopia of Deanne’s mind. Like a trip to the realms of Willie Wonker’s chocolate factory her visions are inhabited by mushrooms and a whole spectrum of colours, rather reminiscent of hundreds and thousands ,yum!!!

I have to concede I am so utterly besotted by Deanne Cheuk that even the thought of approaching her made me blush. But I am pleased to say I shook off my anxieties and hunted down this astonishingly talented lady to squeeze in a quick chat!.

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1.What other artists inspire you?

I’m always inspired by what my friends are doing, artists like Chris Rubino, Rhys Lee, Dmote, Suitman, Rostarr, Jose Parla, photographers like Jason Nocito, Juliana Sohn, Coliena Rentmeester, Davi Russo

2. In the past few years you have worked more in fashion illustration, was this a natural progression?

Yes it was a natural progression, I started out with drawing the Mushroom Girls series, and then ended up getting commissioned to do variations on that style for fashion magazines and fashion brands. I don’t really do alot in the Mushroom Girls style anymore as it started to get copied alot and a really tacky shoe company on the West Coast ripped it off as their branding. I’ve been doing alot of textile prints for different designers including my favorite designer Sue Stemp.

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3. You published a book a few years ago entitled the Mushroom Girls Virus Book, is there any chance of this going back into press?

Unfortunately there isn’t much chance of my book getting re-printed. The embroidered covers were all hand glued and that was incredibly time consuming for the printers to put together, it took a long time to produce. Though, regardless of that, I’d be more interested in making a new book than revisiting something that was already out there.

4. Alot of your work features mushrooms, do you have a fungal fetish at all?

I’ve always absolutely loved the under-sides of mushrooms, how delicate, intricate and soft and unique that part is. I’m also fascinated by the incredible varieties of mushrooms and amazing colors that are found in nature – so yes there is some fetish there for sure!

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5. Alot of your work is multi-media based, what mediums do you usually use when you work?

I nearly always start with pencil and watercolor on paper and finish up in photoshop on the computer, I’m a bit of a perfectionist and like to be able to retouch and control the final image in that way.

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6. Are their any plans to publish any more books?

Yes, I have a bunch of ideas for a typography book, and an art book and some kids books.

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7. Have you been to any interesting exhibitions recently?

I went to the Works On Paper show in New York this week at the Park Avenue Armory, my work is all on paper so it was really inspiring to see . My favorites were old Warhol’s and Lichtenstein’s’.

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You get a awe-inspiring sense from Cheuk of her passion for design, ,not content in conquering merely the fashion sphere she has set her intentions further a field in the world of children’s literature and graphic design. I for one can’t wait to see how these ideas materialise!
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Going from a magazine to an online blog; we at Amelia’s Magazine know all about the wonders of the internet. However until an email from Mousse Magazine landed in my email box I had no idea how much the process has moved on. Although the magazine is printed in runs of 30, viagra sale 00 and available from museums and galleries across the world it’s also available to download entire issues (and back issues) online. The best bit is that it’s completely free!

Founded in 2006 and distributed internationally since 2008 Mousse Magazine is a bimonthly and bilingual, written in English and Italian, review “that contains essays, interviews, conversations, exclusive artists projects and columns by correspondents from the international art capitals.” They aim to, “surf the trends, offer in depth analysis meet with the hottest artists, and capture the latest currents and developments in the international scene.”

Eager to see whether I could give up the thrill of flicking through the glossy pages of an art magazine I downloaded Mousse straight from the website (no visit to the shop necessary!) and had a look.

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Ok so it doesn’t smell the same as a new printed magazine, but I was pleased to see that there were still lots of lovely images of art for me to treat my eyes to. These pictures are accompanied by over 100 pages of articles about big contemporary artists such as Phillip Lai and meaty interviews with people such as Peter Coffin. The only issue is that reading the magazine on Adobe Acrobat is a bit of a challenge if you don’t have a massive computer screen. But think about the trees you’ll be saving!

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Over the last three months, treat I’ve done a lot of traveling. I toured with a band for three weeks around America and Canada. I turned that band on to Deer Tick by playing “Art Isn’t Real” for them as we drove through Ohio. After the tour, mind I went to visit friends in Brighton, England, Scotland, and Wales. I listened to “Standing at the Threshold” on the train to Brighton. I woke up blissful on my best friend’s living room floor to the tune of “Ashamed” and I cried, listening to “These Old Shoes” the entire plane ride home from England back to New York. For three months I was continually barraged with new things, new cities, new friends, new sights, sounds, and tastes, with one constant – Deer Tick was with me the entire time. I had their album “ War Elephant” piping through my headphones, regardless of where I was. All of these facts I “forgot” to share with the boys of Deer Tick, seeing as how I’m a shy person, and slightly embarrassed about my ‘superfan’ status. I did, however, manage to find out a bit more when I nervously found myself face to face (to face to face – because there are four of them!) with the band at a Chinese food restaurant around the corner from Manhattan’s Bowery Ballroom, where they were about to play a headlining show, the first night of a 6 week tour around America.

Deer Tick had very humble beginnings,” explains John McCauley, Deer Tick‘s mustached front man. “A few years ago I started writing songs like this and recording them with my friend, Paul, on drums, and that kind of fizzled. I kept trying to create the band that I had named Deer Tick. It was kind of me for a while and I really didn’t like it that way. I didn’t like to be known as a singer songwriter with a moniker, I thought that was kind of stupid, but I was really patient and made sure I waited to find the right group of guys to play with.”

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John’s patience paid off and resulted in the formation of the band in its modern day incarnation: Dennis Ryan on drums, Andy Tobiassen- to whom James Felice refers as “the cute one”- on guitar, soft-spoken and self described “post-adolescent, geeky looking kid” Chris Ryan on base and of course, John himself is responsible for guitar and lead vocals as well as penning all of the group’s lyrics.

While “War Elephant” is the work Deer Tick is best known for at the moment, their upcoming album, “Born on Flag Day” will be the first that these 4 have played on together. “It sounds way different than War Elephant, and, stylistically, I think it’s much better than War Elephant too. War Elephant, to me, feels more like a greatest hits rather than an actual album, and this one feels like an album to me, and I’m really glad that I got to record it with a band, rather than multi-track mostly everything myself, which was the case with War Elephant.”

Deer Tick has received positive reactions to both their album, and their live shows. At the near sold out Bowery show, the crowd is singing along, and everyone I talk to in the crowd is genuinely excited to be there, indicative of Deer Tick‘s growing fan base. While the media is desperately trying to pigeonhole Deer Tick‘s sound (terms like “freak-folk,” indie-folk,” and “lo-fi” plague any literature you might find about them, as well as attempts to lump them in with other emerging Brooklyn bands, as John, originally from Providence, Rhode Island, is now living in Brooklyn) John insists that “We can fit in anywhere, from a dive bar to the Bowery Ballroom, like tonight. We’re not trying to be anything, I’m just writing songs in a variety of styles and they get pinned down as folk. And then you can’t just call anything done by a young person ‘folk’ anymore, you have to call it something stupid like “freak-folk.” I just don’t get a lot of labels that people give us. I like to think that rock and roll encompasses everything we do, and that’s where my heart is.”

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“Born on Flag Day” is scheduled for release in June 2009.

The world of neckwear has never looked so exciting. So say goodbye to the days of that tedious and generic tie lurking in the bottom of your wardrobe. I think as a general consensus every male has one, information pills right? Yes, sildenafil the one that only raises its ugly head for job interviews, weddings, or funerals. Well, cast that aside and end his tragic existence. Instead say hello and embrace the innovative, hopelessly stylish and nonchalant new accessory line from design collaborative Timo. Fashion Designer Timo Weiland originates from the bustling sidewalks of the Big Apple. He is no newcomer to the fashion sphere, having already enjoyed cult acclaim nationwide for his distinctive wallet designs and environmental conscious design ethos.

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Their kitsch Manhattan style exudes chic, and the brand have become regulars in hip fashion magazines such as Super Super. After the roaring success of the wallet designs ,Timo decided to set his sites higher and break into the broader world of accessories. Utilising a myriad of different fabrics from satin to cashmere the new AW O9 features beautiful and opulent neckwear.

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Weiland draws influence from all facets of design and genres. Reinvigorating class silhouettes from the bowtie to the skinny tie, and then racing up the spectrum to highly architectural draped collar pieces evoking a distinctly Elizabethan air. Then to top it all off he throws some traditional southern American western in for good measure.

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The unique feature of Timo’s designs is there ultimate use as a cross functional accessory. So that bland dress that hasn’t been out of solitary confinement for months could suddenly be unleased on the unsuspecting world with a whole new look.

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Weiland blurs the lines between gender with many unisex styles, so keep a close eye on that boyfriend of yours if you want to keep your bowtie to yourself!.
Prepare yourselves for quirky design group KIND! Injecting a healthy dose of cool to knitwear. The latest installment to their eccentric collections makes no exceptions fusing conceptual art with fashion, medicine in a burst of colour and activity.

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The Design collaborative are no newcomers to the knitwear sphere and have been in production since 2005. Each collection showcases new and innovative styles, continually pushing the boundaries in conceptual yet functional knitwear design. KIND have been avid followers of ours here at Amelia’s magazine and vis versa, we even featured them in issue 7 ( which is still available to get your mits on by the way!) We just can’t get enough of them, so I thought it important to unleash their new S/S collection on you. So prepare your eyes for a visual feast!

The new collection banishes all recollection of winter embracing the joyous arrival of summer with a myriad of warm colours and shapes.

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The brand are heavily involved in photography, interbreeding art with fashion is of paramount importance to these cool cats. Just one look at their S/S 09 lookbook validates this statement. Pieces are set against vivid tapestries reminiscent of the fundamental cubist painter Henri Matisse.

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KIND’s
focus is on functional and wearable clothing. The collection offers all your staples from dresses,tanks, to jumpers, all in lightweight cashmeres. So perfect for those cross seasonal periods, when its too cold for a t-shirt yet too warm for a jumper.

Kind has enjoyed universal success, having stocked their collections in Labour of Love, Tatty Divine, Liberty, Collette in Paris, UK style in Moscow, Isetan in Tokyo. Gosh its making me breathless just listing them all…….

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So keep your eyes open for KIND, I have a sneaking suspicion we haven’t seen the last from this eccentric bunch!
With a repertoire that boasts Blonde Redhead, page Stereolab, buy Pixies and the Cocteau Twins, approved 4AD rarely disappoint. The latest signing from the cult indie label, Kent four piece It Hugs Back, are no exception.

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Photo by Steve Double

Initially, you can’t help but notice how very young they all seem, which makes it all the more satisfying when they launch into such a mature set, cultivating a sound that is much older than their twenty three years.

Beautifully blended rhythmic guitars and soft Thurston Moore-esque vocals, they are clearly a group who have spent a lot of time cooped up in their bedrooms listening to shoegaze records. Although in essence, It Hugs Back are a product of their influences, this is not such a bad thing when your influences are so definably Sonic Youth, My Bloody Valentine, Yo La Tengo and potentially Wilco.

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Photo Coutesy of http://www.ithugsback.co.uk

Indeed, it’s their appreciation for music and sound that makes them so enjoyable and strangely refreshing. Clearly identifiable ‘Daydream Nation’ moments like in ‘Now and Again’ are juxtaposed with much more subtle melodies in tracks like ‘q’, where looped riffs and jangling guitars meet more industrial feedback sounds. In fact, many of the songs are indistinguishable, as they play with structure, breaking down more definable song narratives, so that the music remains continually listenable.

Definitely ones to watch.

‘Inside your Guitar’ is out on 6th April
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The Guinness World Record for it is 11 inches. Countless circus curios and lunchladies everywhere have caused us to stare guiltily at theirs over the years.
But not until illustrator Emily Mackey’s embroidered pieces have we seen such glorious and bewildering ladies’ beards. Argued to symbolize anything from wisdom and a pioneering spirit to shiftiness and eccentricity the beard remains a statement accessory. We speak with the artist about pistols, adiposity beards and women’s work.

Where did the idea for the bearded ladies originate?
I grew up in several different places, cialis 40mg locally and abroad, and constantly had to leave friends and make new ones. With each new environment I met a diverse range of people and their initial perceptions of me varied wildly. The bearded ladies are stating that people are not always what they appear to be. An initial perception of someone can be misleading, but if you take the time to look closely, you can usually see the truth in who they are.

Truer now than ever with the current cult of celebrity. Approach with caution though readers, in case the moustached madames are carrying one of these…

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What got you stitching the pistol series?
I abhor guns. They’ve brought horror to the human race. I’ve put images of guns through the process of a ‘women’s’ craft and converted them into harmless decoration.

We much prefer yours, and love the idea of subverting weapons into delicate threadwork. Where do you look to for inspiration and ideas?

From the age of ten, I’ve taken photo’s everywhere I go, so I have my own archive of images that I like to work from. I generally work from subjects that evoke my emotions. One my new projects will consist of a range of very powerful pieces that derive from a subject that I feel passionately about.

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Sounds mysterious and evocative, keep us posted!
How did you begin working with stitch?

I come from generations of weavers, embroiderers and lace makers, so as I was growing up, was often given a needle and thread to keep me occupied. I trained as a weaver and started to incorporate embroidery with my weaving…I got involved with free-machine embroidery about four years ago.

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Do you look to somewhere specific for inspiration or ideas?

My great grandmother has been a great inspiration to me. She used embroidery as a means of survival. She taught it to girls in the orphanage that she had grown up in and later set up many more orphanages that taught embroidery, among other things, to enable women to sell their work and earn a living.

How do you feel the medium relates to the subject matter?

What I love about stitching is that it can be such a controlled medium – ordered and solid and it can also be used in a loose, sketchy, expressive way. It can hold more depth than paint or pen and is more malleable.

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Where can we see your work?
I have a website www.maxemilia.com where you will be able to see examples of my work, past and present. I will soon be selling limited runs and one off woven, embroidered and printed pieces through the site too. I have some exhibitions planned for later this year – details will be posted on my website. A selection of my work is going to be published in ‘Illustration Now Vol.3‘ which will be out in the summer.

Thanks Emily, we will definitely keep our eye out for the book and can’t wait to see your upcoming show!
Three members of the Amelia’s Magazine team went down to the amazing venue Village Underground on Great Eastern Street yesterday to check out ‘100 minutes of Havana’, purchase a one off art battle. When we showed up a lovely lady from Havana Club, here who sponsored the event, no rx whisked us past the queue and handed us some drinks vouchers. After getting our rum on at the bar we went off to see the real reason we were there. A 200 foot white wall!

The group behind this event, Secret Wars, arrange guerrilla live art battles across the world. At this event the rules were simple. Two groups, Monorex and Intercity, battle it out to cover the massive wall with drawings, using only marker pens and coloured acrylic paint. While Monorex were the more experienced group, having done live shows for Secret Wars before, I didn’t fancy their chances against Intercity, which comprised of Concrete Hermit , and Amelia’s Magazine favourites Ian Stevenson and Andrew Rae.

At Half past seven the crowd counted the artists down from ten and then they were off! Team Intercity rather ingeniously attached a pen to some string in the centre of the wall and created a massive circle, which they hurriedly painted with red acrylic. While team Monorex got out the marker pens and started with some free style drawings.

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The event aimed to bring to life “the passion of contemporary Cuba to a London audience”. In honour of Cuba then, we headed to another bar for some free rum tasting and then looked around the venue at the other art works. Havana Club got some great illustrators to decorate some of their rum bottles and the results ranged from the sublime to the downright bizarre.

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With ten minutes left of the clock team Intercity pulled out all the stops and started firing paint bombs at their work covering their lovely doodles in watery red paint. The winner was decided by a combination of two guest judges and a crowd vote – whoever got the loudest cheers won!

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Monorex emerged victorious and Sabrina and I, fuelled on Mojitos and sheer cheekiness, went in search of some illustrators to grill.

While Sabrina headed off to chat up Josh Sutterby on the Monorex side.

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I went over to talk to the guys from the Intercity team.

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Despite being the losers the artists were in high spirits and had even sneaked some beers into the venue (there’s really only so much rum you can drink!). I grabbed Robbie Wilkinson for a chat and he told me that he got involved in the night through being one of a hundred artists to design a Havana bottle for a recent exhibition. The question I really wanted an answer to though, was, “Why do you think your wall is better than their wall?” Robbie confided in me that he wasn’t a fan of the graffiti style of Monorex.

I went over to talk to Andrew Rae and he told me that although he thought that the other team’s mural was one image that worked together, Intercity’s was much more fun to watch and “more of a performance”.

Next on my list were Andy Forshaw and Austin From New. They showed me their drawings and explained the idea behind the paint bombs was just to create a lot of mess and that they wanted the performance to be “Like a children’s party with jelly and ice-cream!”

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I’ll admit I got a little star struck when I finally found Ian Stevenson. I’m a massive fan after seeing his solo exhibition at Concrete Hermit in 2007.

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He was the most diplomatic of the group refusing to trash talk about Monorex but he did tell me about his next exhibition with Pictoplasma where 50 artists are taking part in a festival across the city of Berlin in March. Ok so we can’t all afford tickets to go to Berlin, but you can go and see the result of the nights events at The Village Underground until Tuesday 10th March.
It’s astounding what you can unearth when you delve through flickr. I exposed a complete hidden gem this week amidst the urban jungle of the internet. My gem came in the form of Italian Photographer Polly Balitro, treat and to tell the truth I have been left utterly in awe since my discovery. Her photos have a overwhelming quixotic feel, as if you have unintentionally stumbled upon her cherished diary. Every picture exudes sentimentality, charting Balitro’s exploration of love, loss and identity.

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Alas much to my displeasure I couldn’t warrant a trip to Italy for a interview with Polly so I decided a virtual email would have to suffice.

Your work seems very multi media based, what mediums do you usually use when making your work?

I am working mainly with analogic processes, darkroom printing and polaroid transfers, because I believe that art photography is a sort of performance that requires the rituals that just analog can give. But I always scan my work to put on social networks like facebook, myspace and flickr, to get people to know my pieces easily.

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What other artists have inspired you in your work?

I usually get inspiration from young unknown artists around me. I spend lots of time surfing the web through pages like flickr, deviant art and myspace. Young artists are fresh have really innovative and experimental ideas. I love how the combination between images, music and perfomance work perfectly together.

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Your work is quite nostalgic, do any of the images have particular sentimental value to you?

My work is certainly extremely nostalgic, because it’s totally based on feelings coming from my inner soul. I am currently working on my final thesis, for the end of my 3 years at photography school. It will be very intense work centering around the feeling of being hunted by someone. My photography aims to talk about some sort of ghostly presence that never leaves me totally alone, people from my past, present and future that are constantly affecting my mood and my action, even though they’re not actually here with me. I think this maybe can explain why I am truly attached to all of my images.

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You use a very subtle colours in your work, is there any particular reason for this?

The subtle colours in my work come with my love for the northern countries. I am strongly affected by the scandinavian taste for low saturation in colours, and I am extremely attached to my black and whites that I always process in my darkroom. I feel like low saturation and black and white make a perfect union with the theme of my photography.

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You work has a certain ethereal quality to it, would you agree with that interpretation?

The certain ethereal quality comes along with the soul theme of my whole work, as I said before: I am trying to speak about something that goes beyond the everyday material experience, to give away a sense of unknown and ethereal matters.

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What advice would you give emerging photographers to do if they want to break into the industry?

I really wouldn’t know what advice to give people like me. I am still trying to make my way to the world with my art works, and I don’t think it will be easy to get well known. I guess, the best you can do is to try hard and keep on believing that sometime you will find your place. A good way to start out is to try to get as much “audience” as possible: social networks are extremely good for that.

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It’s apparent Balitro has an abundance of talent within her sphere far beyond her years, I for one am going to keep my beady eye on her flickr account!
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Everyone loves a Rush don’t they? Well I do at least, search being a recent convert to the antics and actions of Climate Rush. Still it’s hard to not want to be involved in this particular case. When dear old RBS, in their infinite wisdom, gifted Sir Fred ‘The Shred’ with £16 million pounds of what amounts to taxpayers money, they couldn’t have possibly imagined the public outrage. And rightly so!

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I am one of the many millions who pays taxes, and I can’t remember being asked if my money could go towards one man’s pension. Or to help bail out a bank who have given £16 billion towards the dirty coal industry. (Did you know that 50% of CO2 in the atmosphere has come from coal?) This sordid scenario is just the kind of thing that makes Climate Rush‘s blood boil. If there are a few things that make them mad, it is irresponsible governments and a complete disregard for the environment. So when I found out that Climate Rush were popping down to the RBS building in the City to quite understandably ask for their money back, I felt that it was my duty to put on a sash and join them!

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Anticipating our arrival, the London police force had turned out in droves – on horses, in vans, on foot, and posted around the entrance of the RBS building. Still, I like to think that they were more on our side than on the banks. After all, it’s their taxes too that are going towards one mans retirement scheme. And how could they fail to be charmed by us? Many came dressed up, some as suffragettes, some as cleaners, a few as bank robbers. Everyone was good natured and friendly. And while we were obviously passionate about our rush, there is no reason to stop for lunch, so we all sat cross legged on a blanket eating bagels and biscuits while we were regailed with songs and speech. Now this is my kind of action group! At one point I noticed all the RBS workers inside watching us, and being the friendly girl that I am, I gave them a cheery wave, but no one waved back. How rude! I can imagine that many were curious about the commotion outside, perhaps they would have even wanted to come out and join us, and wouldn’t that have made for a good picture?

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After the lovely Amelia, Tamsin and Marina said some words about the reasons why we were all here, we gave out an award (shaped in the form of a dead canary) to Sir Fred – and he turned up to accept and say a few words! What a thoughtful man. Unfortunately, it wasn’t really him; the real Sir Fred was far away, counting his pots of money I would imagine, but the stand in got plenty of cheers.

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There was some more dancing to tunes with the theme of money, (plus Supergrasses Caught By the Fuzz; our way of doffing our cap to the rozzers)and afterwards, we disbanded. I walked through Spitalfields proudly wearing my sash, and I did notice that I was given a wide berth by plenty of business men who looked at me with slight alarm. What exactly did they think I was going to do to them? I left inspired, and feeling very much part of the group, the action, and the sentiment.
Born in Texas and living in New York City, seek via London Diego Vela has collaborated on a variety of fashion and art related projects. He found his calling and freedom with sculpture, clinic the sculptures in their own subtlety dictate the end results; the materials (paper mache’, what is ed plaster, glue, paint and found objects) give certain characteristics that inform that process. His work is a living process, rather than bodies of works in a form of a series; each new sculpture adds to the lexicon of his visual language. Currently, and for the next six months Diego will be focusing on new paintings.

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What inspires you in your work?

Most of my inspiration I draw from nature, I like to take walks and look for the natural world even in places like the middle of NYC, where man tries so hard to shelter itself from nature, and yet you see its effects always…grass growing in between side walks, cracks in walls caused by rain, and wind…it’s all so beautiful and scary. I tend to be drawn to the darker side of the natural world, drawn to things that some may not see as beautiful, of course which is a matter of opinion…and my opinion and aesthetic tends to be romanced by the underbelly of nature and the natural world.

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How did you get into art?

Art drew me in, like a moth to a flame…that is the romantic side of it, I studied it in uni, after many attempts at rational majors, majors that would probably have made a good steady career, with employment and everything that comes with it, but art finally won my heart in the end.

Who do you aspire to be like and who inspires you at present?

I aspire to be like many glamorous ladies of the past, Anita Berber, Bette Davis, Marlene Dietrich, Katherine Hepburn, at least the on screen persona, oh, the list goes on and on… recently I have been inspired by my mother, and men who I have fallen desperately in love with, but of whom I am left pining…I suppose I have been mostly inspired by my own desire…I have been inspired by passing boys on subway cars, who for a moment mend my little heart from all of that passion unreturned… my, I am dramatic, how could I not have been an artist.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now?

Satisfied, and doing exactly what I want to do…preferably, in Berlin or London

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What advice would you give to someone trying to get into the art?
Work hard! Always keep an open mind, you can find inspiration in everything… and look for your opportunities… Learn to balance your artistic romantic nature with the realistic business aspect of the art world…But most of all work hard!

Do you have a muse?

At the moment I do not have a muse, there have been many mini muses that have come and gone, but my muse tends to be a person that my romantic heart is attached too, well on second thought, I suppose at the moment there is a reluctant muse…it’s complicated…But he does inspire me…it’s so complicated.

For more information have a look at the artists website or blogspot.

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If you’re a wannabe illustrator or even just a secret bedroom doodler Lazy Oaf wants to hear from you!

Gemma Shiel has been creating wonderful illustrations for her label Lazy Oaf since 2005. In them inanimate objects (bananas, ambulance milk cartons, cupcakes, boomboxes!) come to life with rosy cheeks and smily faces. Or animals get a fun screen print make-over with googly eyes and cheeky pink tongues. If you fancy trying to take Gemma on at her own game this is the competition for you!

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To celebrate the launch of their much anticipated Spring/Summer collection Lazy Oaf are hosting The Lazy Oaf Drawing Club on Thursday 23rd April from 6-8pm. On entry to the to the event, which is being held at their shop in Kingly Court, visitors will be given one of three postcards specially designed for occasion. After your given a ‘picture frame’ all you have to do is fill it with your scribbles and then hand it in. Everyones pieces of art will be displayed proudly in the shop window and the owners of the best five entries will win “extra special prizes”. If you want to make extra sure that you do a good job the postcards can be downloaded from the Lazy Oaf website soon and you can pick them up now from the Kingly Court store now.

Even if you don’t know a pen from a potato head down to the store anyway as Lazy Oaf will be offering 20% off everything all night – just because they’re nice like that!

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Monday 9th March

Franz Ferdinand

Pop favourites and Glasweigan Lovies Franz Ferdinand wanna take you out, sildenafil of your house, and shuffle on to the Hammersmith Apollo. With Support from Californian Soft Pack before their appearance at SXSW.

Hammersmith Apollo

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Tuesday 10th March

Videopia with Shock Defeat!

Ever wanted to star in miniature versions of Hollywood classics? ‘What like in that film?’ Yeah. Then make sure you get yourself to Notting Hill Arts Centre nice & early this tuesday. However if the thought of being on screen turns your stomach settle it down with the chocolate fountain & candyfloss machine, and watch your pals corpse and bumble the night away.

Followed by live music & DJs including Shock Defeat! and The Momeraths.

Notting Hill Arts Club

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Night Fever II: Cosmic Jebubu’s Soul Noodle House Vs. Panjeen’s Rap Village

Noodles a plenty from 12pm at Jebubu’s Soul Noodle House (supplied by DIY apparel company) with some African funk and ethiojazz by Panjeen rap village DJ’s and Live music later on from Bangerz n Mash and Chechnya blast.

Unity, Peckham High Street

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Wednesday 11th March

Jeremy Jay (K records) + Lord Auch

Jeremy Jay of K records, Calvin Johnsons celebrated indie label, plays his only UK show at the Macbeth! Plus witness a special acoustic show from Lord Auch.

The Macbeth, Hoxton Street

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Thecocknbullkid

19-year-old Anita Blay aka Thecocknbullkid graces the mall stage at the ICA this wednesday bringing along her own vibe of sleazy synth pop. With support from a whole bunch of people including Plugs (LIVE) Your Twenties (LIVE) Florence and the Machine (DJ SET) NYPC (DJ SET), FRANKMUSIK(DJ SET) and SPARKLEMOTION.

Mall Stage, ICA, London

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Photo by Dan WIlton

Thursday 12th March

Up the Racket & WOTGODFORGOT present… Crystal Antlers

Fuzzy, lo-fi garage noise with the skill and integrity that so many others lose in the fug. All the way from Long Beach Crystal Antlers create a live experience only too rare in this climate. Support from Sycamore and Plank!

Retro Bar, Manchester

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Illustration by Mr Hallows

A Team present… Squallyoakes Fanzine Launch Night

The A Team Brings You: Wasp Display LIVE. Plus TDJ Sets From: DJ FTW, DJ Julio, Lord Rockingham XV and of course The A Team.

Catch, London

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Photo by James Smith

Friday 13th March

Q-Tip (A Tribe Called Quest) with Live Band

Old school legend Q-Tip is back with his new album The Renaissance. Support from DJ Tu-ki.

The Button Factory, Dublin

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Freitags
Joining the dots between Kraut, Baltimore Club, Techno, House, Indie, Electro, Outsider Pop, Disco, Cosmic Nonsense and forgotten gems with Manchester favourite DJ Wesley (Up The Racket)

Common Bar, Manchester

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Saturday 14th March

OK Crayola w/ Party Horse

Anglo Dutch comboParty Horse are in Manchester with support in the form of Thom Stone and the debut solo show of the awesome Matthew Ashworth (A Middle Sex).

Fuel Cafe Bar, Manchester

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Sunday 15th March

DOVES

Manchester stalwarts The Doves are back with a new album and on the road after over 3 and a half years. See them this week in Warrington (12th), Middlesborough (13th) and Glasgow (15th).

The ABC, Glasgow

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Rebecca Warren

The exhibition gives a twist to the traditions of sculpture, here she throws away its old typical associations with the human figure and introduces an abstract and almost child’s way of shaping clay. She’s the first to confess that her art is “not pretty”, Rebecca is a London based artist who was nominated for the Turner price in 2006, this will be her first major solo exhibition.

Serpentine Gallery, 10th- 1st April free admission

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Hussein Chalayan: Debate

A chance to see the ‘British Designer of the Year’ and find out more about his international fashion business and how he is still influenced by London, he will be joined by other key designers who are also based in London.

Shoreditch Town Hall £15, Wednesday 11th March, 7.15pm,

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Tonico Lemos Auad
: Cast graphite and burnt bread
Born in Brazil, studied at Goldsmiths college in London, the exhibition focuses on dimension and perception

Stephen Friedman Gallery, 13 March – 18 April 2009

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Dr Gunther Von Hagen: Body world and the mirror of time

The Doctor is back, as if the first time around wasn’t gruesome enough! With all the controversy surrounding the doc who freezes bodies and displays them, its a must see but not for the faint hearted. Your eyes continuously try to convince your brain that it can’t all possibly be real but after the second person in the exhibition faints it all gets a little too much to take in. The reality is that it’s all just a little too pristine and over varnished with an horror movie feel to it, is it science. Is it art? I’m still undecided but every time he is in town I can’t help but get curious and double check if I really did see, what I thought I saw last time.

The O2 Bubble SE10, the exhibition is on until Aug 23, £12, concs £9

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William Hunt: Perfomance
The Camden Arts center, 6.30pm 11th of March

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The Masques of Shahrazad
: Evolution and revolution through three generations of Iranian women artists.

A collection of masks from 28 Iranian women artists whose works span over three generations in the history of Iran. The works trace the development of Iranian art and artists over the past four decades during which Iran has gone through some dynamic changes. This exhibition is a very rare chance to see works by these respected women artists; it’s also been an opportunity for them to voice their opinion on issues that have concerned them over the last few years.
Artists include Golnaz Fathi, Shideh Tami, Maryam Shirinlou and Farideh Lashai.

Candlestar Gallery Hammersmith, 9 – 14th March 2009,

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Women in photography: South of the river

Celebrating the works of varied women photographers in South London, the exhibition is linked to International Woman’s Day (March 8th) and shows a worldwide celebration of women’s achievements aiming to reflect creativity and progression via photography.

Lewisham Art House New Cross, 11 – 22th of March 2009

Private View: Wednesday 11th March 2009, 19.00-21.00
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Featured Illustrator/ Artist

A G Brock

Born in 1970 in Fort Worth Texas US, Brock began drawing at a very young age using it to escape a childhood of bullying at school. Later on he was expelled from college after producing what teachers referred to as a “suggestive painting”, basically a painting of two women looking into each others eyes.

At 25 he was diagnosed with severe dyslexia and later in his 30′s found out that as a child he had a slight case of autism that had since manifested itself into O.C.D.
This diagnoses at least explained the communication problems he’d gone through growing up. Throughout the years he focused on art and used this talent as a means to escape various difficulties in his life.

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What inspires you in your work and why? Dynamic images, colours, sensuality, and of course martini

How did you get into Art? I was born like this its more of an addiction. I have a disorder called agoraphobia, which is an anxiety disorder that can lead to panic attacks so I rarely leave my home

Who do you aspire to be like and who inspires you at present? I guess Michael Angelo, or Da Vinci I don’t really follow the modern art world

Where do you see yourself in 5 years from now? Probably right where I am, I don’t know how to sell art; most of my paintings are rolled up in the closet at home

What advice would you give to someone trying to get into Art? I think you’re either born this way or you’re not, its a difficult way of life sometimes

Do you have a muse? Oh yes, my enchanting wife she gave me three beautiful children and the finest life I could ever have imagine

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Forget the weekend, click Thursdays are the big night out in the London art scene. While Sabrina headed off to glamorous Vyner Street for First Thursdays I headed to the depths of East London to Peckham, dosage for the private view of Rufus Miller’s new show at The Sassoon Gallery. The gallery is much easier to get to than you would imagine. It’s right next to Peckham Rye station and just a short bus ride away from New Cross Gate station.

To get to the gallery you first walk through Bar Story, a lively little bar full of Camberwell students. This threatens the unwritten code of the private view free beer, but luckily Bar Story has a rather impressive cocktail list to make up for the lack.

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Photography by Fabiana Delcanton

The Sassoon Gallery is under the new curatorial partnership of Holly Simpson and Katherine Finnimore and they tell me that their aim is, “to support and promote emerging young artists from a wide range of mediums”. Despite having only been involved in the gallery from January of this year the pair have already built up a good collection of young artists. Up now is the week long exhibition of recent Goldsmiths graduate Rufus Miller.

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I see Rufus looking very smart in a shiny new suit as I near the gallery. He’s with a group of people sat outside the gallery keeping warm in front of a fire. Private views at The Sassoon Gallery are among the most relaxed and mellow I’ve ever been too, precisely because of this. Having space outside the gallery means that people can socialise and make a mess there, leaving space and quiet inside the gallery for really looking and understanding the artwork.

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The lovely space is actually in a tunnel under a railway line so the ceilings are curved and everything rumbles when a train goes overhead. Rufus‘ paintings are like the dark sketches that goth kid in your class draws in the back of his exercise book. An image the artist actively encourages in his press release stating “These are shit paintings. I don’t paint. I just draw, like everone does. Someone wanted me to do a show so I just did the drawings bigger. In paint. Skulls are just an easy thing to do.” Going on to say, “What do you get from an enlargement of something done offhand, half-arsedly? Nothing, nothing more, just a disappearance of what I meant in the first place: Killing time.” Sucessfully demystifying the act of painting in a show of paintings? Rufus Miller is my hero.
After a perplexing hunt down various side streets I eventually chanced upon this bizarre venue. I think its safe to say an old fire station is a rather unorthodox choice of location. Upon arrival it was apparent that was not going to be the kind of gig to accumulate in a raucous . Gaggles of children in karate outfits greeted me, unhealthy not the usual cliental for a Wavves gig. My powers of presumption led me to the conclusion that this was a community centre and not a gritty underground music venue. Not surprisingly there was no bar, viagra 60mg I happened to notice a few gig goers gingerly slipping in with clanking blue plastic bags. So I decided to follow suit and headed out to the nearest corner shop to stock up!

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The location had all the atmospheric qualities of a school disco; the wooden benches, drugs the wonky banners, the copious amounts of balloons. The first band up to the microphone were Mazes, exuding 90′s nostalgia these northern lads sound is a concoction of Pavement-esque melodies fused with the vocals of the likes of Beat Happening and the infamous Lemonheads. Songs such as “bowie knives” shows a return to the depths of the 90′s grunge phenomena, erratic, fuzzy vocals are teamed with ranging baselines, this is timeless pop at its finest!

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Then came the turn of the energetic London three piece Pens, to say they brought flair and vigor to the evenings proceedings would be an understatement. Bursting into their set with furious drums, droning melodies all set against aberrant vocals and hap hazard key boards. Tracks such as “High in the Cinema” allures you into a trance with its repetitive vocals and abrasive guitars exuding all the dynamism of Soft Cell. The audience suitably revved up, out came Wavves to provide a perfect accumulation to the evening injecting a healthy dose of lo-fi pop melodies from Californian based singer songwriter Nathan Williams. Songs such as “So Bored” were uncontrollably catchy exuding a west coast surf grunge feel, with undercurrents of The Breeders and Sonic Youth.

Here at Amelia’s Magazine we managed to wangle ourselves some time with lively three piece Pens during their exciting tour.


How much did your parent’s record collection influence you and your music?

Amelia- My mum listens to all the girly stuff like Winehouse and Adele now, but growing up she listened to a lot of Joni Mitchell, Paul Simon and Leornard Cohen. I can remember requesting songs and spinning in the kitchen to it while she was cooking, probably has had an effect on what i listen to now, but don’t know how.
Helen – The three things I really remember from being little are Leonard Cohen (80s era), Terence Trent D’Arby and Fine Young Cannibals! I do have a massive soft spot for 80s production but I can’t really see that coming out in our music.
Stef – Well my ma only listened to 60s Italian pop songs (still does). My dad loves the Beatles, Buddy Holly & Roy Orbison, but I also remember him listening to Enya & Abba. Hmmm. I don’t think we sound like Enya.

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Do you think it’s fair to say the nofi scene seems to have a real sense of camaraderie, despite the fact that all the bands are spread out over the globe?

A- Yes, definelty. I think it’s great, and it’s nice to meet people that you look up to in music and hear their thoughts on your stuff. Also it works for like helping each other out, like when they come over here or us going to other countries. Looking after each other and stuff.
H – Yeah totally, I really think “DIY” or whatever you like to call it has a sense of “we give a shit about what we’re doing, and we know it’s rad to help other people out”. It’s not some stadium-rock, get-signed get-paid get-first-on-the-bill thing, it’s about sharing the bill with other bands you respect.
S – Yes that’s fair, i suppose it’s like a community cos it’s not so much about getting famous & making bucks but more about having fun with your friends & meeting new people. Also, one good turn deserves another.


How do you ladies spend your free time when you’re not doing music?

A- I like reading, drawing and vhs nights, but my favourite thing of all time is eating out with friends. i do that a lot.
H – Eating out has got to be one of my faves too. Particularly milkshakes, cheesy chips and good meat. Otherwise I take dumb SLR photos, and try and write whatever comes to mind. More free time please.
S – As above, plus added headbanging with friends, minus the photo-taking.

You’ve released several split records all ready, how goes the writing for the album? Any surprises in store?

A- Probably, i’m not really sure. The album is written and ready to roll. I think some songs are like crazy different and some are what people would expect. we mainly just write songs on how we’re feeling at the time based on who we like or dislike and that’s reflected in the songs. Haha.
H – I want to see what people think, we feel that we have a few different ‘sounds’ but people might be expecting us just to stay on one tip. We’re still a new band so we’re not getting formulaic.
S – Currently loving our new songs. Second album here we come!

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Who are your current tips? What are you listening to?

A- Oujia – some american lofi grunge punk it’s awesome and cute. The dude sent us the lyrics and now i’m hooked and singing it all the time.
H – I’ve been listening to SALEM a lot, dark electronic stuff. I bought their EP last year but I think I melted it by the radiator, which is upsetting.
S – The ones in our top friends

I’m looking forward to seeing you on tour with Wavves soon. How have you found touring so far? Any good stories? Have you found yourselves eating garage food and kebabs?

A- I can’t wait to play with Wavves. I’m so happy he’s getting good press over here because he’s the best band around at the moment in my opinion. We’ve only been on a short tour with a band called Friendship, was fun to ‘get in the van’ for the first time. the first night ended with a hella lotta jagerbombs and an icing sugar fight. messy.
H – I finished Amelia’s Pot Noodle on our South Coast trip, I think this is a bad omen ’cause I haven’t had one of them in years and we were only away for like a day.
S – The short trip with Friendship was tons of fun, so I’m really excited to be going on an extended road trip with my best friends.

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Riotgrrrl and third wave feminism were very vocal in the early 90′s, there’s nothing quite so forward right now. Do you think things finally balanced out?

A- Maybe, I reckon girls just have different things to rant about now, and i think women in all girl bands can be as tough as boys.
H – Not really. I have a huge amount of ranting in me, but there’s a certain degree of wanting to be known as a band first before coming out with my opinions on all and sundry.
S – I dunno, i think a part of me is (figuratively) sticking two fingers up to whoever makes me angry.

Jade Goodie has this week hinted her death will be filmed and broadcast by Living TV, will it also be the footnote in that kind of celeb media or a new dawn in awful?

A- I’ve never really disliked Jade that much. i think i was probably the only person who thought she wasn’t a racist just a little ignorant. I feel really sorry for her at the moment. i mean, what’s she’s going through is tough for anyone, especially if your a mum. I read in the paper that she is doing it to raise money for her kids after she’s gone. i won’t be watching it, but i do kinda respect her of her choices.
H – If people want to see it, then there’s not much you can say. I don’t think Jade has created anything by herself, the demand is there so why not exploit it? People are massively screwed up, but that said I really don’t get what 90% of the population does for entertainment so I’m not out to try and understand it. This is the stuff of a million undergrad Media dissertations though…
S – It’d be weird if it was shown on TV. But her haters are possibly forgetting that she’s leaving 2 very young children behind, & those kids are gonna grow up without a mum, so perhaps people should just have a little bit of consideration for her as she’s trying to generate a future for them while she still can.

On Valentine’s day I drank too much energy drink and ended up spending my evening asleep in the bath. Did you have a better one then me?

A- My valentines day was sick. Helen and i woke up and went for a burrito, followed by a trip to oxfam where we found Edward Sissorhands. Then we went back home to watch it in bed. haha. we ended the night by going to a Male Bonding and Graffiti Island show at the lexington. was pretty fun.
H – Yeah as above except I was totally ill, had to go home early and almost got run over on the way to AND from The Lexington. Pretty HML stuff but I’d forgotten it was Valentine’s Day by then.
S – I ate, napped, spooned, & played Pictionary.

So if you want to see these cool cats in action, they are playing Smash and Grab in London this thursday, you will be in for a treat!.
The ethereal Pumajaw are back with retrospective album “Favourites” with the label, malady Fire. It follows last years “Curiosity Box” album, and is no less wierd and wonderful than the previous four records released by band members Pinkie Maclure and multi-instrumentalist/ producer John Wills themselves.

“Favourites” is an eclectic compilation of fourteen of the duo’s own favourite tracks and, if you had to describe Pumajaw in fourteen tracks this would be it. Pinkie’s bewitching voice sails over the haunting, earthy melodies of Will’s musical talents. Pumajaw kick off the album with a melting pot of eerie noises, conjuring up feelings of wonderment, and images of being in quite another place than a smoky grey city. “The Wierd Light” is an eerie howl of a Siren over what seems like animal calls and screeches, yet it’s not scary. In a way it is calming and peaceful and undoubtedly beautiful. Later down the album listing is “Downstream”, a sea-shanty love song, but true to the nature of Pumajaw, is distorted by squealing guitars and what can only be described as a didgeridoo drone.

The Scottish-duo present something akin to a Pagan travelling guide through the highlands of the country. It is rythmic, melodious and trancey and has echoes of nothing you have heard before. I tried to find something to liken them to, but in all honesty it is a near impossible task. They branch out to the outermost confines of the wierd and wonderful, think psychedelic folk music in the middle of the woods, and you’re there. In the last track on the album, “Outside it Blows”, Maclure asks “how many like us in the world,” and the answer is most probably none.

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It wasn’t surprising to find Passion Pit listed as one of the buzz-bands at last years CMJ festival in New York. Their bleepy twinkling electro is just the thing to get any nu-raver moving their neon hi-tops. The Chunk of Change EP was written by front-man Michael Angelakos as a Valentines Day gift for his (now ex-) girlfriend. It’s sweetly romantic in a child like “follow-me-as-we-run-through-the-city” kind of way.

We kick off the record with I’ve Got Your Number, this site a zappy little number which sounds like a young Broken Social Scene, patient not as complex but delightful in its simplicity. It’s got a kind of euphoric mystical quality to it, decease and Angelakos’ trembling falsetto really does get you dancing.

Further down the list we move to cutesy Cuddle Fuddle. It’s soft like a pink mohair jumper and the lyrics are the epitome of high school romance awkwardness, “now I feel silly, selfish and dizzy/ I’ve got this feeling, that you’ll forgive me…”

The final tune on the EP is Sleepyhead, which I must add has been remixed several times and all are fantastic. It starts of with Kanye West-esque sampling but then swiftly dives into a sort of euphoric Japanese sounding cyber feel. It’s music to smile to. The sparkling xylophone and constant drumbeat make it an instant dancing classic.

Overall the EP has everything, and although it incorporates existing elements of music, it manages to achieve a very unique sound. It’s not quite electro, it’s not quite pop, it’s not quite indie. It’s bloomin’ superb is what it is, if you are loving the Go! Team or MGMT right now you will love this.

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Here at Amelia’s Magazine we don’t just zone in on our homegrown talent, viagra 40mg we scout our overseas counterparts in search of innovative new creatives. As always our quest bore fruit in the shape of Parisian based freelance graphic designer Sandrine Pagnoux. Living right in the centre of Paris’s artistic epicentre between The Musee Picasso and the Centre Pompidou, price Pagnoux isn’t short of artistic inspiration. It’s easy to see how this culturally diverse area manifests in Sandrine’s work.

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Her work has a distinctly raw feel that synthesises popular culture. It draws influence from the many facets of post-modernism from art, order music and literature. Sandrine is heavily influenced by music, which she claims is the core stimulus for her work, distinct favourites being the punk rock femme fatale Patti Smith and the serene obscurity of Bjork to name but a few. In conjunction with music, the works of the late Oscar Wilde are a constant influence to the romantic moodiness of Pagnoux’s work.

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Pagnouxs is not only causing a stir back home but is making waves internationally. Boasting features in such a extensive list of publications it’s hard to cram them all in. There’s Wig Magazine, Marie Claire, Zoot, Blond, and XLR8R. Her most commercial being for Le Coq Sportif Not content on conquering merely the fashion sphere Pagnoux has set her sites further a field recently doing in advertising, publishing and record labels.

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Sandrine’s work is a myriad of multi media, fusing calligraphy, photography and illustration to create pieces that exude urban cool. The pieces have a distinct textural quality that insinuates an almost two dimensional feel to her work. Her work evokes a sense of reality that isn’t over polished, it’s intuitive often violent and authentic.

With such an innovative approach to illustration and ability to adapt her skills to so many facets of design, I think it’s safe to say we haven’t seen the last of Sandrine Pagnoux. I think this lady has got a whole lot more hidden up her sleeve.
Intra-band love is always a joy to behold. Ike and Tina. The Carpenters. The usual mechanics of musicians performing with each other is converted by the mind’s gossip-gland into a lusty, cialis 40mg passionate romp-and-roll across the futon of musical possibilities.
Omer and Carole are in love. He stands and strums. She wiggles and sings and fingers the synth. Then they glance at one another. The laptop likes to watch. And later, website after the show, dosage we presume they go and make love, while listening to themselves on an iPod dock adorned with discarded undergarments.
And it’s good to see (I mean the first bit). They are both partial to a sincere wail of yearning. Hers is coquettish, with eyelash-fluttering pitch-bends as she writhes about. His is a growly shout, like a horny panther who’s waited too long. With a few costume-changes and a bit of a plot, you could easily make an opera out of this pair.
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An alt-electro opera, that is. Influences are not hidden here. It’s an overt celebration of the dark furrows of the 80s synth-twiddling scene (think of early Tears For Fears and Depeche Mode), filtered through some more recent song-screwdriving a la dEUS or the Dresden Dolls. Each song develops artfully, with peaks and troughs on each spectrum. The gentle sultry singing over bowow basslines accumulates percussive taps, then hi-hats, then a catchy chorus, then synth arpeggios, things dropping in and out all over the shop. Their cover of Paul Young’s Stay For Good This Time (that’s right, Young Paul do a Paul Young song) is beautiful. They’ve changed the chorus melody into a sinister evocation of Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction and it works scarily well. Carole takes over for a lovely, bloody song called Mock Kiss, which has a Sneaker Pimps kind of hateful independence feel to it. Majore is a strange tune that grumbles and growls and eventually turns into a faintly-Ibiza dancefloor heave. There’s nothing background about any of this. It’s a work of communication, not just mood-providing. And some of it is really dry and intense – you’re either hypnotically staring into the abyss on a neuromantic vampire trip, or you’re a townie with a puzzled look on your face, muttering “eh?” and “what?” and “piss off!”.
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What I really enjoyed about seeing Young Paul was that lack of compromise. They’ve found their darkly pop, crowd-dividing identity, they really mean it, and they’re sticking with it. Young Paul is a brilliant toxic shock of sci-fi future TOTP, delivered playfully and integrally by two young lovers. Surrender yourself.

You can see Young Paul for free at Zigfrid on Wed 8th April, or at The Legion on Wed 22nd. And you can hear their demos on the ol’ myspace.
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Monday 09th March. 7pm

The Nature Darwin Debate 2: What Price Biodiversity?

Kings Place
90 York Way
London
N1 9AG

Part of Words on Monday 
Curated by Nature
Professor James Lovelock, sildenafil independent scientist, tadalafil author of “Revenge of Gaia.”? , dosage Michael Meacher, MP (Labour) & former Minister of State for the Environment, ?Sir Crispin Tickell, Director of the Policy Foresight Programme at the James Martin 21st Century School at Oxford University
We pay for our food, water, healthcare and energy, so why not pay for the many ‘services’ currently obtained for free from biological diversity? Services such as insect-pollination, central to food production; or healthy forests, which we need for clean water and to stop soil erosion. Shouldn’t we invest now in our biodiversity in order to secure our future needs? Join three leading names from science and politics as they debate the need to put a price on the Earth’s ecosystem services. Organized by Nature, the leading international weekly journal of science, in association with Kings Place.

http://www.kingsplace.co.uk/spoken-word/words-on-monday/the-nature-darwin-debate-2-what-price-biodiversity

Tickets cost £9.50. Call 0207 841 4860 for more details

 Tuesday March 10th
7.45pm

Greenwash and Garters
OneWorld UK
Orange Tree Theatre,
1 Clarence Street,
Richmond, Surrey, TW9 2SA

Greenwash and Garters is a political farce, complete with custard pie and didactic dialogue.

The set up is fine: a high-level US public relations guru who works for Big Oil (“that’s just above child molester”) falls for an environmental activist, and hosts a small gathering to help her alcoholic brother, a former presidential hopeful.

The subject matter is worth tackling: the values and meaning of US democracy, and the role of corporate interests

Go to http://www.orangetreetheatre.co.uk/ for more details

Wednesday 11th March – 7pm.
‘Cranks and Revolutions’ with Mark Gold

Housmans Bookshop
5 Caledonian Road
LONDON,
England
N1 9DX,
UK

Mark Gold discusses the inspiration behind his latest novel, “Cranks and Revolutions” a light-hearted drama-documentary of the last fifty years of radical protest in the UK. ? ?Cranks and Revolutions is a light-hearted drama documentary of the last fifty years of radical protest in the UK. It is a funny and sympathetic book, full of quirky and amusing events and characters – such as unreconstructed Marxist Aunt Helen, kindly, radical vicar Tony Swallow, suburban High Priestess Denise Oakley and zealous vegan anarchist Septimus the Severe. An alternative political history in the tradition of John O’Farrell’s ‘Things Can Only Get Better’ or Jonathan Coe’s ‘The Closed Circle’. ??About the Author – Mark Gold was Director of Animal Aid for eleven years and still works part-time for the organisation. He also works for Citizens’ Advice.
Call 020 7837 4473 for further details

Thursday 5 March 2009,
6-9pm
EAST 2009 HISTORY
Geffrye Museum,
Kingsland Road,
London E2 8EA

?Credit Crunch Kitchen?.
? An opportunity to visit the museum after hours and listen to a talk exploring how to be thrifty in our gardens and kitchens this spring. Go to Geffrye Museum for further information.


Friday 13th Marc
h
12.45pm -2pm
Centre on Global Change & Health
50 Bedford Square, WC1, Room G3
Talk:
Climate Change and Global Food Security: Even Worse News For The Poor?,
by Dr Colin Butler. Info: 7927 2937/ ela.gohil@lshtm.ac.uk

Saturday 14th March
2pm -9pm
GATEWAY to PEACE

Eton Road, nr Chalk Farm tube,
London

NEW TOOLS FOR PEACEWORKERS: Experiential workshop exploring how the arts can support peace and reconciliation processes. Elements include song, movement, poetry and nonverbal communication.
Trish Dickenson works with the Ministry For Peace and leads workshops in nonviolent communication and conversation cafés. Stefan Freedman is celebrated worldwide for intercultural events with dance and song, particularly bringing together Jewish and Arabic traditions.
 
Price
£25 – £45

Contact Person
Stefan Freedman
Contact Telephone
01473 415496
Contact email
stefan@freedmans.fsbusiness.co.uk

Saturday 14th (9.30-5.30) and Sunday 15th March (9.00-5.00)
Caribbean Community Centre,
416 Seven Sisters Road, Manor House,
London N4 2LX
Cost: £100 per person

Training for Transition: 

How to set up, run and maintain a transition initiative

Learn the essential tools to make a thriving and resilient Transition Initiative.

• Understanding the context for transition
• The Transition Towns model – from inspiration to working groups
• Identify the main steps of transition
• Plans for yourself and your locality
• Inner and outer aspects of transition
• Provides the elements of an inspiring talk on Transition Towns

The Trainers:

May East – member of the community at Findhorn, May is an activist for the Brazilian social change movement and has many years experience in the environmental movement.

Ann Lamont – From the Centre for Alternative eneryy in Machynlleth in Wales, co-founder of Transition Bro Ddyfi Trawsnewid.

Booking: please contact Jo Homan, tt@jo.homan.me.uk
I will admit that until a few years ago, ask I was slightly cynical about the concept of planting trees as a carbon emissions offset, erectile or as a novel ‘gift’. I imagined that at best, it was a case of too little, too late, and at worst, a gimmicky concept dreamt up by London advertising boys, keen to cash in on the green theme. But in these strange days of global unrest, the gentle notion of planting a tree now seems like one of the most effective and simple ways to counteract the chaos. Personally, I still feel that pledging to plant a tree to make up for a round the world plane trip is a bit pointless (it will take more than a couple of trees to make up for that damage!) However, TreeTwist, and their partner Trees For Life have come up with a way that we can all contribute towards planting tree’s – and we get a gift out of it too! (I’m all for altruism, but I do like to receive as well as to give.)

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Put simply, TreeTwists are fabric handmade designs, which can be used in multiple ways; as accessories for bags or clothes, worn as jewellery, even to adorn fire places or Christmas trees. They come in vivid, strong colours, and are charmingly playful. Behind the gentle whimsy of wearing a TreeTwist is this fact – a tree or seedling will be planted in the Caledonian Forest on your behalf when you purchase it.

I asked the founders of TreeTwist, Kate and Sez to explain a little more about this concept;

Why was TreeTwist established?
 
“We launched TreeTwist in an attempt to do our bit for the planet.  We didn’t feel that as consumers we were being offered the opportunity to do something simple and effective, which could be easily absorbed into our everyday lives.  Present giving was a particular frustration.  Several Christmases with entirely disposable presents and without the option of giving something different, stylish and good for the world highlighted the opportunity. TreeTwist is based on the premise that small steps make a difference.”

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“TreeTwist Ltd was established in 2007 to help everyday individuals and families do something positive to help combat climate change by making it easy to plant a tree.  We are different because not only do we plant the tree, we acknowledge the purchase by giving a TreeTwist to act as a talisman and a reminder of the tree.
 
The trees are planted by TreeTwist partners, Trees for Life in the Caledonian Forest in the North West Highlands of Scotland.  Trees for Life are multi award-winning and recognised as world experts in reforestation.  In addition, Trees for Life propagate seedlings gathered on the forest floor for TreeTwist allowing the cycle of life to continue.
 
Put simply, every TreeTwist represents a tree. Our success criterion is the planting of many, many thousands of trees.”

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The TreeTwist’s themselves are also locally conceived and created as well?

“Yes, We have managed to create an entirely UK based project: the TreeTwists are designed and made in the UK and the trees planted in the UK.
 
Our current TreeTwists are designed by Ingrid Tait of Tait & Style, and handmade largely by outworkers in the Shetland and Orkney Islands.  The collection includes woollen scarves, bracelets and clips each with leaves, bobbles flowers or hearts.  Colours vary from earthy and masculine to the most vivid shades.  The scarves in particular have never been seen before – metre long tubes of wool.
 
Using British designers is a mandate for TreeTwist along with the use of sustainable materials. Although this is a UK based project, sales of TreeTwists are global.  Countries we have delivered to include Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA, Denmark, Bahrain, Slovenia and Spain.”
We get an awful lot of people sending us pictures of their illustrations and Brooklyn based illustrator Morgan Blair was one such person. After checking out her website I was immediately attracted to her incredible skill and draftsmanship. It seems to me to be such a departure from the English scenes obsession with naïve, prostate childlike scrawls of illustrators like David Shrigley. I felt compelled to get more information on this (in her own words) “illustrator, fine artist and sometimes-desperado.”

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Diamond Collection.

Tell me a little bit about yourself Morgan?
Well I have brown hair that I cut impulsively, and I strongly prefer open windows to air conditioning.

Your pieces have a really interesting textural quality, what mediums do you use when making your work?
I usually work in acrylic and gouache, which I like to keep really flat, but sometimes I layer paint and then sand it for texture. If I’m using markers or pen I like to see the line direction and variation in ink.

What other artists inspire you?
Last night I was drawing on some blank pages in an old sketchbook of my dad’s. I started looking through the other pages again and he had done a bunch of technical drawings of cars with their parts labeled like an anatomical diagram, there were also some of architectural, birds-eye view landscape drawings. My mom’s old drawings seem very trippy, like repidiograph drawings full of minutia and weird transforming landscapes. I’m sure I’ve been influenced and inspired by both camps. Some contemporary artists I really appreciate are Maya Hayuk, Henrik Drescher, Brendan Monroe, Stephen Gammell, Jacob Magraw. I came across an artist recently named Jackie Tileston whose work blows my mind. The list is endless.

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How would you describe your drawings?
I guess they are like daydreams, exploring hypothetical situations and memories. Often when I draw I am starting to think about a larger idea before it has fully developed in my mind.

How important is technical accuracy and ability to your work?
I’ve always been kind of naturally tight and nervous in the way I draw, so I like to be in the right mindset when I work in order to counterbalance that compulsion. I had a drawing teacher freshman year of college who taught us about drawing how the nature of a thing feels, rather than how it looks to the eye. That idea took a long time to soak in, but in the last couple of years I haven’t been trying to make everything look so technically accurate, but rather just so that it feels right.

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Pussing Donut Mushroom.

How long does something like Pusssing Donut Mushroom Cloud take to do from conception to finished product?
It depends on how much time I have. I can work as quickly as I need to if I have a deadline, but that piece was one I started for myself when I moved to New York, and I just worked on it off and on until I decided to be done the other day. In terms of conception, ideas mostly come into my head while I’m in the shower or when I’m in between being awake and asleep. Unless I have a deadline, in which case I spend a couple of days tearing my hair out until I have a decent idea to go with.

How would you describe the New York illustration scene for us londoners?
Actually I don’t know too much about the illustration scene here yet. I feel like I’ve barely gotten my feet wet, so I’m nervous to say my perception of this place. There are so many galleries, publications, art fairs and events going on that it’s incredibly intimidating and motivation at once, and I get a sense of freedom from the variety of work I see. I know of a lot of amazing illustrators who live or work here, so it feels good to be in their company, and to know that awesome stuff is going on all around.

You experiment a lot with many facets of art and design such as printmaking and photography), which would you say is your favourite?
Drawing and painting have always been my favourite, but I waffle around with other stuff depending on my mood. I go through more or less intense phases of picture-taking depending on whether I have film. Printmaking was fun while I had the facilities, but I realized I enjoyed the immediacy of drawing and painting straight onto paper without any preparation or process. But I would like to get back into screen-printing.

You seem to work a lot with forms and shape, how important is that to your work?
I like getting in over my head with endless fields of pattern and interlocking shapes with dizzying color. It’s important to me to have some element of tedium and obsessiveness in a piece. In general, the more time I’ve spent in a meditative trance during a piece the better. But I have to force myself to do it in ways that make sense for the overall image, so I’m not just drawing wallpaper. Not that I’d be opposed to doing that.

Have you done any commercial work and if so what have you been doing recently?
I have done a handful of commissioned pieces for some financial magazines called PlanAdvisor and PlanSponsor, which have been fun because the art director has given me articles with topics that require more abstract illustrations. I also do small black and white spot drawings for a newspaper in Rhode Island, so those are usually fun exercises to accompany disparaging articles about pop culture. Right now I’m working on the album art for The States forthcoming third album.

What would your dream project be?
I would love to paint all the walls, ceiling and floor of a room in dense pattern with vibrating color and make the space as confusing as possible.

On her website Morgan Blair describes her ambitions for the present and future as “adventure, survival, being in the presence of mama and making art forever.” I sincerely hope at least the last part of that list comes true.

In the excitement surrounding Hussein Chalayan’s current exhibit at London’s Design Museum I was reminded of a piece in the Royal College of Art’s Works-In-Progress show this winter that triggered the same wonder and excitement I felt upon first seeing the cool rigidity of Chalayan’s airplane wing inspired dress. Only this time it was textile student Claire McClachan who presented something with all the structure and intrigue of the iconic fiberglass airplane dress, more about only this time it was brilliantly executed in a mysterious combination of finely knit and woven yarns. I mined the epic pile of inspirational scribbles and paper scraps on my desk for the notes that would lead me to this innovative young designer from Aberdeen.

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Can you tell me about the captivating skirt you displayed at RCA’s Works-In-Progress Show?
The piece I displayed at the was the culmination of my pre-collection work which focuses on the relationship between curve and angle. It is made of a knitted fabric I’ve developed which has some interesting properties; it is stiff yet has stretch, doctor it has memory and can be moulded into different shapes. It allows me to create sculptural shapes for the body and challenges pre-conceptions of knitwear.

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Alot to ask of the humble methods of knit and weave. Your fabric and its propertieswere so attractive and mysterious, with no visible structures to support it. Approaching it I thought it might even be textured clay.
People have preconceived notions about knitwear. That it’s dowdy, or crafty… done by your granny while on the sofa watching tellie. Only recently have we seen those really challenged in mainstream fashion by people like Azzadine AlaiaLouise or Louise Golden. Although my Grandma did teach me how to knit, I didn’t pick it up again until much later.

So what did you start out focusing on in art school?
In my BA program they stressed a traditional drawing base. So I did quite a lot of that.

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Do you feel that skill has directed some of your textile work?
When I started in textiles I was more of a printer. After my BA in textiles I knew that I wanted to progress into fashion and approach fashion from this direction.
How might that background help cultivate a better fashion designer?
I think that some really interesting fashion comes from designers with textile backgrounds. The difference being that fabric tells you what to do instead of the other way around.

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Are there places you typically look to for inspiration?
I am generally inspired my man made structures, I love architecture, engineering, aeroplanes, mechanics, technical drawings, plans etc.

Many may not realize but knitting and weaving, unlike other immediate or fluid forms of art require quite a bit of mathematics and calculating. Hear that kids? Maths may be useful yet, even for you aspiring artists!
Yes, it’s almost ritualistic and that is something I like about the process. It’s systematic, requires planning. This is image of Eden Project is from my sketchbook.

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Any fashion designers you find particularly exciting at the moment?
There are several new designers out there doing interesting things. However, my true loves are the modern couture of Dior, the innovation of Chalayan, the consistently knock out collections of McQueen and the couture knitwear of Azzedine Alaia.

You’re currently designing a capsule collection for the RCA gradutate show which opens June 26th. Will we see more of this extraordinary fabric?
I’m going to continue to push the fabric I’ve developed here to see what it can do. I’ll probably include other weights of fabrics too and a range of shapes.

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Thanks for letting us get to know more about you and your work Claire. Happy knitting!
I can’t wait to see what forms sprout from this designers imaginarium. She will be one to watch.

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On Thursday I headed down to Nolias Gallery to the opening of Being and Nothing-ness an exhibition featuring three Korean artists, this web curated by JW Stella.
After a few issues with navigation (I went to the wrong Nolias Gallery first) I arrived to see the small gallery was already filling out. I poured myself some orange juice and grabbed as many crisps and nuts as I could fit in my hands, find before going to have a look around.

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The literature for the exhibition declares that we live in a world of dualisms – good and evil, mind and body. These dualisms are traditionally the way we make sense of the world, but it’s often the case that, “perception and reality can turn out to be yet another dualism, in a hall of mirrors where nothing finds a finite definition”. The artists in Being and Nothing-ness all aim to explore the ‘uncertainties and mysteries’ of this fact.

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It’s at once easy to see why Youngmi Kim has been featured in this exhibition, the artist adds physically nothing, instead cutting away from an existing material – the canvas. By rejecting the long historical tradition of adding to the canvas to create illusion, Youngmi Kim aims to truly understand the object of the canvas. After seeing the ‘paintings’ I can really see how in them the artist’s ideas that, “Emptiness can ironically express fullness.”

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Close up of The Canvas

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In a great bit of curating Kiwoun Shin’s video works are shown on tiny television screens creating a level of intimacy with the viewer, as only one or two people at a time really able to watch the video piece. Whether intentional or not the small screens act as a way to draw people in from across the gallery to look at them closer. Some of the screens are placed together in twos, one work Superman 1 shows the iconic figure of Superman being ground down to dust. Echoing “we come from dust and go to the dust” from the book of Genesis. A few inches away another screen shows almost the mirror image, the dust slowly merges together to completely build Superman up again.

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Still from video Superman 1

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Like the other artists Seunghyun Woo sites Buddhism as an inspiration for her mixed media sculptures and paintings. The nothing-ness in the work comes from her creation of it, she has produced a technique called Marbeling-isness which apparently “plays on the unconsiousness of my [the artists] work’s creation” hmm. Nonetheless there is certainly something attractive and captivating about the texture of the pieces, created with paint and plaster.

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Installation view of Untitled and Against Gravity
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The exhibition is open 10.30am – 6pm until 7th April.
JW Stella’s next project is curating an inaugural exhibition titled SU:BISORI for The Museum of Art in Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, South Korea, it opens 26th June.
FUN Magazine is a truly anarchic collection of words, visit letters, website pictures and sentences that follows no pre-ordained format and which does not fit within the boundaries of polite society. It features things that are almost unpublishable but its all right there in print and has been now for just shy of one year. I had a quick word with the boss, Ben Freeman to find out where it all began.

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So when and how did all the FUN begin? Is there an ideology?

We started FUN about a year ago, April 2008. Ideologies are for people who never do anything. We pretty much do what we feel like.

I noticed that there isn’t much info on the website apart from a wall of text under ‘archive’. Are you purposefully elusive?

Not really. That’s every word we ever published. It just seemed a bit easier than hiring a programmer, setting up some complicated site and blah blah blah.

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What inspired you to put this magazine together?

The dawning realisation that there weren’t many magazines that we liked any more, and boredom.

Has your own history been deeply involved in magazines?

I started making magazines when I was eleven. They had this big anorexic green monster on the cover. In the 90s I made a few zines in the hardcore noise scene I was into. One of them was called The Recovery Position and it had interviews with people like Nasenbluten by fax and loads of gay porn collages and general filth. Deano played in straightedge bands when he was young and impressionable and he made some zines too. Now I do some work for Vice and edit FUN. Deano runs Real Gold and publishes the magazine.

To date there have been 3 issues, is that right? Can you tell me a little bit about each issue?

The first two issues were fold out posters printed on coloured paper. Issue one had a big interview with a Falun Gong teacher about torture and spirituality, with a load of pictures of Chinese people being painfully subjugated, drawn by Falun Gong members in China. We also interviewed a schizophrenic guy. Issue two had a big piece on the growth of web based paedophilia and Bob Foster’s miserable sex stories.

We pulled our thumbs out of our asses for issue 3 and printed a whole bound 32 pages of interviews, articles and other fun stuff. Jim Goad wrote something for us about black Confederate soldiers.

Issue 4 is out in about a month.

With a large number of zines and mags around at the moment what makes FUN stand out from the crowd?

We don’t give that much thought.

What kind of FUN can we expect in the future?

We’re getting bigger, thicker and more widely distributed, but not more colourful. It will still be FREE. The next issue has stuff from Philip Best and Antoine Bernhardt, loads of articles and tons of illustrations by people who can actually draw. That’s our mission for next year: To eliminate the talentless bastard offspring of David Shrigley. Airbrushing’s going to be massive.

Categories ,Art, ,Fun magazine, ,Politics, ,Zine

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