Posts Tagged ‘art’

Film Review: Dreams of a Life, and interview with photographer Lottie Davis: creator of Dreams of Your Life

Dreams of a Life follows the life, and death, of Joyce Carol Vincent, who lay undiscovered in her bedsit above a busy shopping mall. Photographer Lottie Davies was commissioned to produce an accompanying artwork that identifies with the key themes of the film.

She was my age when she died, just 38, and no one who knew her expected the badly decomposed corpse to be their friend Joyce Carol Vincent: here in lies …

An Interview with Photographer Vikram Kushwah

Wistful and dreamy, Vikram Kushwar is fast becoming known for his imaginative take on fashion photography. Here he tells us more about his creative thinking and the inspiration behind his debut book.

Looking through Vikram Kushwah’s dream-like work, it’s clear to see that the New Delhi-born photographer is a real fantasist at heart. Growing up in a boarding school with the enchanting …

An interview with Stratis Kastrisianakis, co-founder of Nakedbutsafe magazine

Principal Colour have just introduced me to one of their newest clients: a very exciting art, fashion and photography magazine, straight out of Greece. Meet Stratis Kastrisianakis and Manos Samartzis, creators with principles. We like.

Nakedbutsafe magazine is a beautiful new arts, fashion and photography magazine with a conscience, produced in Greece, printed in the UK at Principal Colour, and available worldwide. Co-founder Stratis Kastrisianakis …

Exhibition Review: A World of Glass – Nathalie Djurberg and Hans Berg at Camden Arts Centre

Nathalie Djurberg’s first solo exhibition in the UK is a must-see installation combining glassy objects, surreal ‘claymation’ films and an exquisite soundtrack by Hans Berg.

Photography by Andy Keate.
The Nathalie Djurberg exhibition at the Camden Arts Centre greets you with a rainbow-like ceiling installation, before plunging you into an altogether darker space.

In the middle of …

Fashion on Film: L’Amour Fou

Pierre Thoretton's L'Amour Fou is a biographical documentary exploring Yves Saint Laurent's illustrious life, narrated by his partner of fifty years, Pierre Berge. There's fashion, art and feuds aplenty…

Yves Saint Laurent by Krister Selin
The relationship between a fashion designer and his business manager-cum-lover isn’t a new concept to cinema. Anybody who has seen Valentino: The Last Emperor will …

Uncivilisation 2011, The Dark Mountain Festival: Saturday Review

A review of Saturday at the second Uncivilisation Festival, held at the Sustainability Centre in Hampshire. Time to think, discuss and feel.

Telling Stories to the Trees by Rima Staines.
Last weekend I went to Hampshire for my first experience of Uncivilisation, the Dark Mountain gathering of like minded folks interested in discussing …

Secret Garden Party 2011: Festival Review

Here's our round-up of the Alice-in-Wonderland-esque Secret Garden Party festival, featuring Blondie, Mystery Jets, Leftfield, glitter, mud, nudity, Shitfaced Shakespeare and much, much more…

The Secret Garden Party, illustrated by Sam Parr
A playground for all ages, The Secret Garden Party boasts a reputation as a festival where you can temporarily seek refuge from the …

An interview with artist EJ Major

EJ Major’s book, ‘Love Is …’, is the culmination of thousands of postcards, hundreds of strangers and one very big question.

Each of the 7000 postcards sent out by EJ Major carries an image from the film ‘Last Tango In Paris’, possibly to act as inspiration to the recipients as they …

Re-Edition Project from Yoox and Altaroma

Online success story Yoox collaborate on this season’s Limited/Unlimited project, with beautiful illustrations from Claire Kearns, Michelle Pegrume and Amy Rogers.

Max Kibardin Shoes by Claire Kearns
Reinventing the wheel is no mean feat, but together with Altaroma, Yoox have given it a go with both inspiring and beautiful results. Not a …

Album Review: Gazelle Twin – The Entire City

An astonishing debut album from Brighton based musician Elizabeth Walling. The download version came out on 11th July 2011, but you can catch the official launch performance on 1st September at The Islington Metal Works: not to be missed!

Gazelle Twin’s debut album opens with the threatening bass horns of new single The Entire City, and straight away the mood is set for what is to come. Singer Elizabeth …

Goldsmiths University: BA Fine Art & History of Art + BA Art Practice graduate shows 2011

Experimental and conceptual were keywords for Goldsmith University of London’s graduating classes in BA Fine Art & History of Art and BA Art Practice.

Ciarán Wood
Three whole years to explore and learn is what you get with a Bachelor degree – the freedom to focus on the process of discovery. After having spent …

Review: The Jerwood Painting Fellowships

As Clare Mitten, Cara Nahaul and Corinna Till conclude their year as painting fellows at Jerwood Space, this exhibition shows how there’s plenty of scope for update to this classic art form.

Cara Nahaul – installation view
The 2010 Jerwood Painting Fellowship provided Clare Mitten, Cara Nahaul and Corinna Till with the opportunity to develop their practice, through £10,000 each in prize …

Crayfish Bob’s at the Two Degrees Festival by Arts Admin at Toynbee Hall

The American Signal Crayfish has been busy decimating our native environment since it was first introduced in the 1970s. At Crayfish Bob's pop up shack we helped get rid of them by gobbling up some yummy crayfish with a little bit of help from Clare Patey, Blanch and Shock and Urban Wines (from Tooting).

Crayfish Bob’s. All photography by Amelia Gregory.
This week Two Degrees is hosting Crayfish Bob’s al fresco pop up crayfish shack every evening in the paved courtyard next to Toynbee Hall. …

Wood Festival 2011 Review: Zeus, Treetop Flyers Eliza Carthy and printing with lino!

Sunday at Wood Festival was another relaxing day filled with great music and lots of messy art with the kids. Plus harmony singing. Perfect.

Wood Festival Samba Band and Tents by Sam Parr.
Sunday at Wood Festival began with a stint of harmony singing led by Katy, the talented teacher of the Bennett family. It’s …

What art says about us: An interview with Silent City

The link between activism and art is at the core of Silent City’s newest venture. We spoke with members Sally Mumby-Croft, Cara Nahaul and Emily Whitebread about their new project, and their plans for the collective.

The new publication from Silent City, ‘Art and Activism’, poses three key questions: Should art be separated from activism? Should art have a political value or function? Should art be …

The Phantasmagorical World of Gackland

Purveyor of 'chatty communication', painter of vivid brush strokes, much-loved Amelia's ex-staffer and Rolf Harris aficionado; welcome to Gacklactica. Now appearing in Brick Lane.

All illustrations by Gackland.
I first encountered the prolific Gackland two years ago when we shared a desk at Amelia’s Magazine. At the time he was operating under the guise …

The eye at the centre: An interview with artist Sam Knowles

Grand theories and big questions lie at the heart of Sam Knowles’ work, but what the artist wants more than anything is for the viewer to draw their own conclusions. ‘Fearful Sphere’ is showing now at the Simon Oldfield Gallery.

Portrait of the Artist (manipulated found book page)
I’m a little early for my meeting with Sam Knowles, giving me a chance to wander the rooms of the Simon Oldfield …

Album Review – Gang Gang Dance: Eye Contact

The New York based art collective is back with a new album to follow the global success of Saint Dymphna... and it's another swirling piece of enigmatic otherworldly sound art.

It was probably down to skepticism that it took me some time to get into the latest Gang Gang Dance album. After all, how on earth could they follow 2005’s …

Announcing: The ACOFI Book Tour. Please join me as I visit some of the UK’s best design shops!

On Tues 10th May I set off on a tour of some of the UK's best art and design shops. I'll be book-ending the tour with 24 Hour Crits at the two London Tatty Devine shops, and I'll also be visiting The Fruitmarket Gallery in Edinburgh, Castor and Pollux in Brighton, Comma in Oxford and Soma Gallery in Bristol.

ACOFI at the Forward PR press day in March.
WOO HOOO Grafik magazine have beaten me to an official announcement of dates for my ACOFI Book Tour. But here’s everything you …