Sat 26th June: Secret Blisters @ Print Club

I'm not quite sure how I did this, but I took snaps from a print exhibition and managed to not actually photograph any of the work on show.  I was just so mesmerized by the setting.  Print Club operates  out of a hidden-away gem of a building in a back street of Dalston which also houses all of this lush antique furniture.  The parquet floor and peeling paint walls are a sensational back drop for the posters to be hung.  35 emerging and established illustrators have screen-printed a design in an edition of 35, each selling for £35.  The private view on Friday night had over 1000 visitors so it seems not everyone is in Shepton Mallet this weekend!  This year's show has taken a "secret" theme with the artists signature's disguised so that purchases are made purely on merit rather than names.  I was invited along by Rosy Nicholas (see above - telling the time) who has a shared studio at Print Club.  The evening also hosted an open-studios event for us to have a sneak around.  I got to see the print room where the posters were made and discovered that it is available for anyone to book by the hour, not just the residents.  I totally fell in love with Rosy's studio space so i will run another post to show that .................

Tomorrow is the last day of the poster sale (artists including Miles Donovan, Anthony Burrill, Kate Moross, Jody Barton, Eine......) and there is an auction at 2pm of the 1st edition with a personal message from the artist. 

Blisters on my fingers

Unit 3

Millers Av

Dalston

London E8 2DS

www.printclublondon.com

Sat 26th June: Glastonbury phone-pics from Elisha Smith-Leverock Part II

Masses
Rusco Dub Step!!!
"Raver"

Sat 27th: Glastonbury by Elisha Smith-Leverock

I asked the Esser tour bus for some live snaps of their Glastonbury experience too. Art Director Elisha has taken these great shots on her phone, damn I love technology. They are amazing! So here is Ben Esser who has only just got back from a US tour and playing the festival today. In the bizarre twist of fate my contributors have somehow managed to find each other in amongst the thousands of people! I don't think they have ever met before so its nice to think that the blog brings people together................so here is another shot of Bishi! Thanks Elisha, have fun! I'm so incredibly jealous, its criminal. But at least London is looking sun shiny blissful today.

http://www.smith-leverock.co.uk/

http://www.esserhq.com/

Friday 26th June: Tim Walker interview w/ Prof. Penny Martin

The SHOWstudio newsletter has gone out this eve with info that the "In Fashion" interview with Tim Walker is now uploaded for anyone that didn't catch the live feed.  Ironically, as a studio full with Walkerettes, we did actually miss out en masse.  So we'll have to wait till we are all back at the ranch, to tune in to the questioning with Penny Martin.  Andy Hillman is shooting with Tim today in New York, where he took this phone-pic for me.  It doesn't look like a corner of the NYC I  know, but trust Tim to search out a transatlantic cabbage patch!  Can't wait to see what it will be.................there is bound to be some crazy couture composition the other side of that lens, that's for sure!

Here is the link for the video of the interview:

http://www.showstudio.com/project/infashion/?utm_campaign=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_source=26_06_2009

Friday 26th June: Bishi @ Glastonbury

Bishi played The Park Stage earlier today and got escorted straight to the BBC6 broadcast tent in Emily Eavis's RangeRover to speak with Steve Llamaq.   As I just listened in to her anecdotes of an audience with a front row of no-sleep revellers, I received this.  Thanks to Matthew Glamorre for obliging to my phone-pic image request live and direct from Worthy Farm.  As I can't enjoy actually being there, this is a 2nd best..............

Friday 26th June: De Wolf Prints

She's done it!  Vicky Langdon had her M.A Print Show last evening and we all represented wearing the pigeon T-Shirts that she printed specially for the event.  The collection is named "Le Pigeon" inspired by photographer Anna Leader who  calls her boyfriend Le pigeon as it means fool in French - hence the french style striped tees  (see Anna here and "Vanni the pigeon" standing infront of the show's logo vinyl).   But the t-shirts are merely a sideline to the actual exhibit.  Vicky has made several stunning large scale screen-prints including a seagull and some dinky cute sparrows.  She has also created a length of wall-paper with the pigeons which i would love to see on the pages of  interior magazines!    Every piece was hand printed at London Print Studios on the Harrow road, situated right on the canal.   This is where she has slinked off every Saturday since the course began so it was great for me to finally see her in her natural habitat!  Congratulations Vicky!    Get printing more of that wallpaper for the house!

Here is the official blurb and the link to her new website:

Vicky Langdon is using the imagery of urban birds as subjects to create 

graphic screen-printed designs, referencing traditional narrative repeat 

patterns. In both bold colour palettes and iridescent colours, she 

produces incisive comments on the notions of attraction and repulsion. 

http://dewolfprints.com/

Exhibition runs JUNE 26 – JULY 4 2009 

TUESDAY - SATURDAY 10:30am- 5:30pm  

londonprintstudio, 425 Harrow Road W10 4RE 

Thurs 25th June: A Couple of Colourful Things

Here are 2 colourful things i have admired from the degree shows:

Chloe Struyk at CSM

http://chloestruyk.com

Jamie Wright

Bath Spa Graphic Communications

Thurs 25th June: Strictly Foxton

The invite for "When Your A Boy" hit my door matt this morning and I had a little jump around "Kriss-Kross" style in sheer excitement.  Then I read the enclosed pamphlet and had to sit straight back down to focus and concentrate.  Reading is not my forte but what was unfolding demanded some dyslexic diagnostic determination.  Check this out and get on the blower, most of its FREE you just need to book a place........0845 262 1618  ..........see below, please excuse my cut'n'paste:

Here are snaps of one of my old i-D mags that is aptly a July issue with the story being "Summer Fashion" shot by Jason Evans and styled by Foxton.  This is obviously an iconic story, reproduced in various reference books but nothing beats the real thing.  The artwork and layout is supremely beautiful with detail shots above each portrait.  Not only was this particular concept pioneering at the time, its also incredibly contemporary and bang on what is being seen round London Town today.  So its no better time to have Foxton's first retrospective.  (The other thing I like about having the mag is reading the credits.........styling assistance Edward Enninful and thanks to Craig McDean!.........There is hope to all current assistants out there, keep faith guys)

Tue 11 Aug 19:00

Film Screening Selected by Simon Foxton

Koyaanisqatsi (1982), directed by Godfrey Reggio

Sat 15 Aug 15:00

Exhibition Tour

Of When You're a Boy 

with design historian Alice Beard   

Tue 18 Aug 19:00

Film Screening Selected by Simon Foxton

The 5,000 Fingers of Dr T (1953), Director Roy Rowland, Writer Dr Seuss

Tue 8 Sep 19:00

Evening Talk When You're a Boy

Simon Foxton in conversation with curator Penny Martin

 Booking info

£5.00/ £3.50 concs.

Thu 17 Sep 18:30

Folio Forum

Portfolio presentation and discussion.

With Jop van Bennekom, Editor, Fantastic Man

Sat 19 Sep 15:00

Exhibition Tour When You're a Boy

With design historian Emily King

 

Weds 24th June: Jack Newling @ The RA School

The reason I went to the RA was to catch up with the work of Jack Newling who I first covered in 2007.  Since this time, he has found a philanthropist in fashion.  For a clue I found this bag on top of their post boxes........casually discarded!   So encouraging to know that established creatives are searching out and supporting emerging talents in different fields........becoming a mentor in addition to funding.

I haven't managed to track Jack down yet to ask him about the work, so for now here are some snaps of "Panels, Microwave, All Day Long &  Floor (wide version)."

http://fredbutlerstyle.blogspot.com/2007/10/tuesday-091007-jack-newling.html

http://fredbutlerstyle.blogspot.com/2007/10/tuesday-091007-jack-newling_10.html

Tues 23rd June: Nicola Carvell @ The RA School

At the weekend I went to the the Royal Academy to see the school's summer show.  I skipped the whole scene of the other summer show and shimmied all the way to the back of Burlington House to the student's studios.  They are totally unrecognisable as they have stripped everything out and whitewashed it into a gallery space for their final show.   If you take a sharp left after the skeleton closet and then right at the myriad of marble busts, you will find "Leisure World".  Nicola Carvell has covered her walls with digital prints on  adhesive vinyl with individual names to comprise this world.......  "Club Tropicana......Saved By The Bell.....Sun Splash.....Gravel Pit....Inner Light....Moonbeam......Bright Eyes........."  Not only are the names ringing my bell, but one of the montages features a portrait of E17's Brian Harvey who is apparently her saviour?!  Hilarious.   I have tried to photograph the rubber sculptures on the floor  to show the interior mirror but you really need to go to see for yourself..........

It is a building steeped in history as the country's oldest art school (founded in 1768) with its identity of tradition and community still intact.  So it is nice to see that the work created within this context is contemporary and .....well a bit bonkers.  Its a world acknowledged centre for excellence with fierce competition to win a place in the UK's only no-fee 3 year post-grad program.  So if there is any degree show worth popping along to, this might be one for the list.  If your not impressed with the art, its a dreamy courtyard to just sit and have a coffee tucked behind The Strand!

 

Mon 22nd June: Charlotte Mann Vs. Peter's Rabbit

He's done it again.  Peter Jensen keeps making me smile.  Not only for his fantastic new collection but also for the joint venture with Charlotte Mann, whose work I also adore.  

Peter has revisited the tessellating Mildred bunny as identity for his first mid-season resort collection.  To show off the range to best affect, he joined forces with Charlotte Mann - a regular artist to team up with the House of Jensen.  The two creatives met at Saint Martins and have been both friends and collaborators ever since.  Charlotte was responsible for the set design for Peter's S/S 07 catwalk by  illustrating the 30m long back drops.  The latest interior still has her signature life-size marker pen drawings but the theme has switched from Tina Barney to Diane Arbus.   The Diane Arbus original "The Tripletts" was Peter's starting point for the actual collection.  In response to this, the design is Mann's interpretations of the photos and press cuttings that Diane had taped to her walls.  Charlotte has kindly sent me some of her work-in progress photos where she is patiently inking out wood grain for the floor panel.  There is also a detail shot of her reproduction of the topsy-turvy bunny repeat as wallpaper. 

Charlotte's sensational giant scale scrbbly lines have graced the walls of boutiques, show-rooms, event spaces and even homes.  How magical it would be to have hand-drawn tromp l'oeil wall paper!  Wow!  I love her timeless style and the way it feels as if a book has been brought to life and you are living on a page.  Luckily I am the owner of her two books which she gave me as a gift when I met her for a job for Kickers.  Here is a detail from the title "Drawings"  which is a compilation of selected pages from her sketchbooks.  

To see more from her publications and comissions head to:  http://www.charlottemann.co.uk