More wordy goings on from me. Back in May I went to Helsinki for a sight-seeing weekend away, and I loved the city so much that I wrote an alternative travel feature for Hound magazine. The mag is aimed at discerning young creative types, packed with musical interviews, reviews, fashion spreads, illustrations and features. The mag is free and distributed mostly in Brighton, but you can also read the publication online.
I provided some words and the photography, although there was also a lovely illustration by Ryan Humphrey. Time to pack your bags and go to Finland!
I got back earlier this week from a long European weekend away in Spain; a girly hen weekend with some of my oldest friends. There was a lot relaxing on the beaches in Salou – just 2 hours south of Barcelona on the Costa Dorada – spent a very fun day at a water park, and I was a tour guide for my group around Barcelona for the last day. There is a fabulous market in the middle of Las Ramblas called Boqueria Market, I would urge anyone to go visit; firstly for the food and secondly for the photos. Check out my Flickr to see the rest of my snaps from the holiday
I had a new photo toy that I took out with me for the trip, an electronic photo clicker for use with my tripod. It meant that I could take extra sharp photos, particularly at night, which was really useful for when I found these beautiful multi-coloured night fountains in Salou, that made beautiful patterns in the water. These might be my favourite abstract snaps to date
Last weekend I was frolicking in a field with a large group of chums. I can’t tell you how much I wish I was still in Eridge Park, Tunbridge Wells, enjoying a very sunny Playgroup festival. Again I was reviewing and snapping away for eFestivals, and it was by far the most fun festival I’ve attended this year, purely because of lovely happy people who dressed up and made it so easy to produce some stunning photography. Take this lovely lady/white rabbit for instance. Best Kodak moment I have taken all year. And there’s more where that came from.
You can read the review here, and look at the rest of the photos here.
Ever looking for wholesome weekend activities, rather than our prefered choice of a never-ending marathon of The Office watched via bleary hangover eyes, the boy and I took a trip to Beachy Head, just west of Eastbourne. He brought Cheese and Ham rolls. I brought my camera and new polarising filter. It was a beautiful afternoon of sublime weather and some not bad snaps. Some of the skies may be more white than blue – that damn sun getting in my way – but that will hopefully be a part of the photo learning curve.
Would really love to get more creative than taking the typical point and click holiday snaps. I’ve discovered the Photojojo blog and it’s marvelous shop. Gotta start experimenting with colored filters. Very tempted to get a disposable camera and mutilate it during a festival or two.
But until then, I will stick with taking holiday snaps.
Eadweard Muybridge (1830-1904) revolutionised photography. He is best known for his seminal work Animal Locomotion where he documented both humans and animals in motion. This body of work, initially began with a wager from one of Muybridges patrons in 1877 that a Horse does not at any one time have his feet off the ground while galloping. While this work is his most famous and has influenced photography, cinema and science for more than a century, the current Tate Britain retrospective (the first of this kind in the UK ans finishing on 16th January) has highlighted some other interesting facts about Eadweard Muybridge that you may not already know.
1 He changed his name more than his facial hair.
Eadweard Muybridge
People commonly mistake his name to be Edward Mybridge, but his name was just as much changed and mistaken during his own lifetime. He was born Edward James Muggeridge, has been listed as Muggeridge and Muygridge after moving to America, revised it to Edwardo Santiago Maybridge while in central America, changed his first name to Eduardo after a Saxon King, and was conferred as Professor Muybridge. The last form on his gravestone is Eadweard Muybridge. He also published some of his work under the name Helios. One thing that never changed though, was his beard. Apart from when he went grey.
2 He was acquitted for the Murder of his wife’s lover.
Flora Muybridge
In 1891, Muybridge married 19 year-old divorce Flora Stone, who was over 20 years his junior. Three years later she bore a child, Floredo Helious Muybridge. At first the child’s paternity was never in question, but as Muybridge spent many long periods away from home he eventually became suspicious that he may not be the child’s father. When his suspicions were confirmed, he then went and shot Harry Larkyns, Flora’s lover.
As Muybridge was a minor celebrity in San Francisco at the time, the murder and trial caused a scandal. However, Muybridge was acquitted for the crime on the grounds of justifiable homicide for what he had discovered. Flora asked for a divorce but she mysteriously died of Typhoid soon after the trial, and Floredo was sent to an orphanage.
3 He created two panoramas of San Francisco, one seventeen foot long.
Section of 1878 San Francisco Panorama
Muybridge created two Panaromas of San Francisco, the city he was largely based in during his time in America. A fire destroyed the glass plate negatives of the first panorama created in 1877, so Muybridge set about creating another Panorama a year later. It is estimated that it took 15-25 minutes to to expose each of the 13 glass plates.
4 Francis Bacon owned four copies of Humans in Motion.
Francis Bacon - Triptych 1974-1977
Many of Muybridges stills served as inspirations for Francis Bacon’s own work, who always drew from photographs. Muybridges studies of motion drew countless inspiration for other Artists including Edgar Degas and Marcel Duchamp.
Thanks to Timeout, I attended a private view of Newspeak: British Art Now, at the Saatchi Gallery last Friday. Armed with a friend – who was understandably more interested in the free Champagne than the art – we descended upon the Kensington gallery to see the second part of Charles Saatchi‘s latest investments. Overall it was a typical mix of bold but baffling statement works and tiny delicate trinkets that are easily overlooked. Here are a few of the pieces that caught my eye.
Clarisse D’arcimoles
Clarisse d'Arcimoles - Petit Roi (My Brother)
A popular exhibit with the crowds, the French artist Clarisse d’Arcimolestakes old family photographs and reconstructs them down to the finest detail; sometimes with performative hilarity, sometimes showing the awkwardness of youth, but mostly showing a tender family love between the photographer and the sitter. The work is similar to the very popular awkward family photos, but almost identical to a blog I’ve seen a while ago where people reconstruct their own family photos (can anyone link me up?).
Tessa Farmer
Tessa Farmer - Swarm
According the Tessa Farmer‘s biography, this work gives a glimpse into the world of fairies, but these sculptures are less Cottingley Fairies and more Brothers Grimm. These fantastically executed tiny sculptures are made from real insect remains, plant roots and other organic material, and stand less than 1 cm tall as these fields take on the common garden pest. Spectacular craftsmanship.
Maurizio Anzeri
Maurizio Anzeri - Giovanni
Men and embroidery generally don’t mix. Neither does photography and embroidery. But for Maurizio Anzeri, the results are perfect, transforming old anonymous photographs into something more mysterious or sinister. Behind the decorative mask, these forgotten faces come to life. With Anzeri’s work featured on the cover of The Drawbridge‘s autumn issue about Ghosts, his creations are becoming very popular and he will be defiantly one to watch in the future.
If you asked me if ‘I fancied an Apple’, without hesitation I would tell you to fuck off. My hatred for Apple is something I’ve documented on this blog, and every day with the people around me trying to tell me otherwise. I have often thought about what would happen if someone took a gun to an iPhone or an iPad. Maybe it would shock people into realising that our obsession with consumerism and having the latest, overpriced unimportant gadget right now is unhealthy.
Michael Tompert and Paul Fairchild did just that in an exhibition in San Francisco last month. The idea came to Tompert after his sons were arguing over an iPod, and he smashed it on the floor. The pair then set work on obliterating 12 pieces of Apple-ware, saying: ‘it’s not about destroying old products. it’s about our relationship with the new.’
Maybe one day I will fully explain why I hate Apple so much. But until then I will gorge in the beauty of these destroyed pieces of Apple hardware.
I caught the fear big time this week. I avoided tutorials, procrastinated over my dissertation and went on a mental roller-coaster as the realisation of the end of my degree hit hard. Graduation day is 26th July. I think I am washing my hair. Plus the news that the BBC are cutting back their services means my chances of landing an internship with them are diminishing fast.
So… rather than do anything really productive; I answered other peoples emails, attended a press conference (more about that in tomorrow’s post), and attended pebble shaped meetings. One of them was with some lovely and talented Grand Parade students at Playground magazine, in an attempt to get more graphic design students on board with the Pebble redesign. Their minizine is a celebration of the diverse creative talent that Brighton’ students have to offer, with their second issue coming out soon. They were keen to get involved with us spread the word, which is good news. They even wrote a post about us on their blog, which was nice of them.
East London residents might recognise this cuddly multi-coloured cross-stitch bear, it’s a character created by Graffiti artist Malarky, as seen in Brick Lane.
