Atelier Magazine

The Design Fair: TENT London

It was so nice to have the opportunity to have a Saturday in London and not have any worries. Hence, when my flatmate announced that he was going to TENT London I was happy to join him.  Now I don't know much about interior design, but from the conversations overheard this was the place to see the good stuff. And the people were all so nice!!

A minimalist table gets a treatment of multi-faceted 'eroded' markings ...  

Ooh, I saw a piece by this same designer at the V&A last year.  He uses digital drawing and laser techniques ... great play on shapes within shapes.

And I know that Stag Antlers are over, over, over ... but I just love the sheer size of this chandelier.

 
Sarah admiring the most vile lamp ever created.  Seriously, it smelled even though it was encased in glass.  But absolutely amazing nonetheless!

    And then we all went over the the The Pound Shop where I picked up two pairs of paper sunglasses; Perfect for our impromptu night out in East London.  The pound shop was so fun!  I mean ... everything was designed really well and priced, well, at £1. 

The Experience: Inbred Hybrid Collective @ Act Art

About a month ago I was asked to represent an artist friend from New York and install a site specific installation at ACT ART here in London.  The night was amazing, but I am just going to focus on Inbred Hybrid Collective for a minute. 

Censorship is something that exists, whether you choose to acknowledge that fact is up to you.  And with this piece, we are able to express our views on the subject.  A conversation is the core of the piece with instruction for the participants to voice their own stories ...

This is my favorite story of the night ... what is the problem with looking like a cowgirl?

The Rebel Child: Finger In The Nose

Clothing brands for children have gotten cooler over the last few years and Finger In The Nose  is definitely no exception.  Based in Paris, the clothing has "a lot of authenticity, a dose of Rock & Roll, combined with a dose of functionality." 

This label is not just about cutting a stylish figure on the streets; integral to its DNA is the long-term quality of the pieces, offering superior comfort and wearability. They use 9-11 ounce real European denim with raw, stone, bleach, snow and leather-look washes, and real feather down for their jackets and Geelong merino angora for their knitwear. Their 100% cotton tees feature wild animals and mythology-style graphic prints. The only negative? Your kids could quite likely steal the spotlight from your own Satorial efforts. Consider yourself warned! - Kate Vandermeer, The Cool Hunter

The Paper Cutter: Time Lapse Video

This is genius!  And the result is just so beautiful.  Enjoy! Oh, it's taken from the Graphic Art Fair that ran at Somerset House a while back.

Rob Ryan timelapse at Pick Me Up gallery from karl sadler on Vimeo.

Rob Ryan: The Paper Cutter

In my earlier post, I focused only on the poster work that was part of the Pick Me Up: Contemporary Graphic Art Fair so now I would like to show you the highlights.  Rob Ryan.  I would like to begin by saying that he moved his entire studio to Somerset House for the two weeks of the fair.  (I'm tired already just thinking about it)    

It was great to see the work being done while people poked about, looking at every little detail (there was so much to see) and talking with Rob and his assistants.  I really could have just curled up on the sofa and watched them all day!

 

Pick Me Up: Contemporary Art Fair

A few weeks ago, I spent the day at Somerset House Somerset House taking in the awe that was Pick Me Up: Contemporary Graphic Art Fair.  Actually most of the work was bland and, standing alone with no one to offer so much as a hello, could very well have been some random poster gallery in some random public space.  Mind you, there were gleaming moments ... and it is those moments that I want to share.

The entrance tower;  Really great use of peg board and the primary colours (plus green)

The most amazing quilt I have seen!  Although not for sale, I am sure it would make a fantastic addition to any collection.

2010 Anthem.  Hands down, my favorite poster.

Peek-a-boo!

 

Sooo cute!

Fine Cell Work: The Unlikely Work Space

H.M.P. Wandsworth, England's largest prison, is home to a  group of men who produce quilts and quilted items.  The video is touching and the quilt, which is currently showing at the V&A, is a representation of their collective voice.

A very unlikely place for such delicate work to be produced, the inmates use quilting as both therapeutic and creative outlets.  The means of quilting as therapy was also used by British soldiers in the 19th century whilst recovering from injuries. 

finecellwork video from Fine Cell Work on Vimeo.

Print Club London: The Live Printing Studio @ Somerset House

This summer just keeps getting better!  From April 23rd to May 3rd, Pick Me Up Contemporary Graphic Art Fair will be at Somerset House. 

And with that comes the live printing studio of Print Club London.  Over the course of the fair, Print Club London and Somerset House are inviting some of their favourite designers to print a poster live in their workshop.

The poster will be available for sale on that day in limited editions of 50 for £50 each.

Oh, and paper artist Rob Ryan will be hosting an open studio throughout the entire run of the fair, relocating his paper cutting studio and printing presses from his studio in East London so that visitors can follow the entire process of the creation of Ryan’s work.

Enchanted Palace: The Veil That Obscures The Restoration

Kensington Palace is being transformed. As the walls of the palace are being shaken by a £12 million renovation project the rubble and the dust is unleashing powerful and secret stories about the lives of Kensington's princesses.

At the heart of the Enchanted Palace  journey is a quest for the seven princesses who once lived here. Their lives have been re-imagined as installations offering a fascinating interpretation of the palace's hidden stories.

OK, this is amazing;  An exhibition space opened in the middle of a construction zone.  It's as if  Rei Kawakubo has built a guerilla exhibition and performance space in one of the most famous of London palaces. The Enchanted Palace will feature works and pieces from Vivienne Westwood, William Tempest, Stephen Jones, Boudicca, Aminaka Wilmont and Echo Morgan.

As I was a little late for entrance earlier today, I will have to wait until Monday to visit Kensington Palace and experience the fantasy for myself.

Quilters for the Rural Industries Bureau: The Ever Changing Work Space

"At the start of the 20th century, increased access to mass-produced goods such as bed covers marked a decline in traditional craft skills.  Quilt- making survived in economically deprived areas such as Wales and the north-east of England, where the design and sewing of quilts were both an important means of self-expression and a way of earning money for widows and families with no income.

The Women's Institute (WI) helped to sustain traditional craft skills.  They encouraged British women to find creative and domestic pleasures by learning crafts.  The government-funded Rural Industries Bureau (RIB), recognizing the commercial appeal of regional quilts, promoted quilt-making as a means of bringing income to households struggling to survive in a period of economic depression."

Quilts 1700 - 2010, V&A Museum, London

Visiting the Quilts exhibit at the V&A was one of the most fascinating things I have experienced here in London.  Not only was the literature and exhibited pieces eye opening, but being surrounded by so many elderly ladies with fascinating tales and stories was entertaining;  The eavesdropping was fantastic.  But the most compelling thing I encountered was the history of the groups of ladies who quilted for the Rural Industries Bureau.

Most of the ladies who quilted for the R.I.B. were not just 14 years of age.  There were several audio interviews with tales of their experiences.  The R.I.B. would circulate a catalogue of regional designs to homes and the group of ladies would then travel to your location to complete the project on site, setting up their quilting frames in a spare room of the home.  As the pay was not great, many searched for more lucrative ventures yet "these women were highly innovative and inventive with their designs, working the shapes and decoration of everyday objects into their patterns."

Quilt that was commissioned by Claridge's Hotel, London

  Quilt design that was inspired by the curves in a bent-wood chair.