Lord Whitney [ Studio Visit ]

'Graphic design gives you the chance to play again as an adult.' - LW

Today my class had a studio visit to Lord Whitney, a design agency who pride themselves on being 'connoisseurs of make believe'. The design duo Amy Lord and Rebecca Whitney and their team have worked with an impressive range of clients including Nicki Minaj, Missoni, Cartier and Vogue. My favourite example of their work however is their collaboration with Chambord Raspberry Liquor as I have long been an admirer of their wacky pastel coloured adverts and had no idea that the visionaries behind them were from my very own second home of Leeds!

The pair had a lot of useful advice on how to make it in the industry. Here were their top tips and words of wisdom:

• Just Keep doing something to stay motivated and excited. Don't slow down. If you're not enjoying the current brief you've been set, do something in your own time that you enjoy. Most importantly just keep going!

• To make it in the industry you don't need money, you just need perseverance.

• If you don't really know what you're doing it's fine to blag it!

• Volunteer at at least one festival while you still can. You'll meet loads of like minded people, make contacts and learn the value of hard graft. 

• Most of their client work has come from self initiated projects and things they have just wanted to do for fun, so make sure you're constantly being creative and showcasing your work. 

• You don't have to live in London to get involved in good design work. 

• Contacts, contacts, contacts! You never know who you'll meet or who they know in turn. Make sure you're networking by visiting exhibitions, opening nights and talks and if you're wanting to contact someone, make it more personal than just an email.

All in all it was a very inspirational afternoon and I felt lucky to be studying a course I love with such great career prospects. The talk taught me that with hard work and perseverance you can acheive things you would never dream of doing. 

Iris [ Documentary ]

' I don't have any rules because I would only be breaking them' - Iris Apfel

Last Night I watched Iris, a documentary on an iconic fashion guru and lover of clothes and accessories from New York City. The film follows the life of the flamboyantly dressed and quick witted Iris Apfel, 93, her husband Carl, 100, and her impressive collection of clothes from around the world. 

More than a film about fashion, the documentary is a tale of passion and creativity and how as long as you're doing the thing you love, it doesn't matter how old you are.  Iris is a true inspiration to look up to as she does what she thinks and is comfortable in her own skin. She believes in freedom of expression and not living to please others as 'if (you're) happy that way, it's better to be happy than be well dressed.' 

Iris has an incredibly strong work ethic and continues to attend fashion shoots, launch events and gallery exhibitions on a daily basis, perhaps due to the fact she was raised in the great depression and feels privileged to work, let alone in the field she loves.

The film also highlights the genuine love felt between her and Carl her husband, as their affection for each is captured in more than just a few scenes in the film, my favourite line being, '"I figured he was cool, and he was cuddly, and he cooked Chinese, so I couldn’t do any better." It broke my heart to discover he died shortly after the documentary was filmed as their relationship was definitely one to aspire towards. 

Iris is a true legend who continues to inspire future generations on a daily basis, she says what she likes, wears what she wants and doesn't give a damn. If I'm not like her when I'm 93 I'll be very disappointed. 

Leeds Gallery Visits: Henry Moore Institue, Leeds Art Gallery, Monroe House, Colours May Vary + The White Cloth Gallery

Yesterday I took advantage of the glorious (and rare) Leeds sunshine and went on a tour of the city to visit all the galleries in Leeds to see if I could gather any inspiration for my upcoming projects. 

The first stop was Leeds Art Gallery. Unfortunately the British Art Show 8 had ended so there was only one room open at this time, the classical paintings room displaying their impressive collection of historical artwork. Every time I visit I am mesmerised by the scale and detail of the paintings, getting lost for a few minutes in the story of each one. These are my two favourite paintings from the gallery. After studying the work of John Keats at A-Level I am very fond of any artwork featuring nymphs and mythological creatures. 

The first painting 'Iris' 1886 features Iris, a messenger of the Gods, sent to wither the flowers in autumn, and being punished by being turned into a rainbow for loitering amongst the water lilies. The iridescent paints used are delicately mesmerising and perfectly capture the exquisite fairytale nature of the story. 

The second titled 'The Temptation of Sir Percoval',1894 by Arthur Hacker Depicts one of King Arthur's Knights of the Round Table, Sir Percival being tempted by a beautiful, but predatory maiden. The delicate and detailed brushstrokes in this painting are exquisite to study from the brambles in the bottom right to the fabric of the nymphs dress. I'm also blown away by how realistic the face of the knight looks as some historical paintings can look a bit strange and distorted yet the shading and detail on this is breathtakingly realistic.  

Next stop I visited Olga Jevrić's 'Proposal for Monuments' Exhibition at the Henry Moore Institute. I'm not usually a huge fan of sculptural work but the raw, minimalistic elements of the pieces and unique textures and shapes they created were really engaging and interesting to study up close. Jevrić's work explores the elements of mass, volume and texture, investigating the relationships between solid matter and empty space. She worked mainly with a mixture of cement and iron dust to create modelled masses pierced and shaped with iron rods and nails.

The warped and almost decaying look of these sculptures have an almost post-apocalypitic quality to them, looking as if they have been bent and eroded by the elements over time so only part of the shell of a once solid structure is left behind. 

After the Henry Moore Gallery I went down town to have a look at the Gallery at Munro House and  while I was there I stopped at colours may vary. In the back of CMV I found an exhibition set up and submitted by the Level 5 Illustration students at Leeds College of Art (My University) and was blown away by the amount of beautiful prints created by the students. The aim of the exhibition was to submit a print made of just 2 ink colours inspired by a musician. These were my 2 favourites: 

Untitled by Olivia Northrop, Lino Print 2015 

Untitled by Tyler Robson, Digital Print 2015

I adore everything about these prints from the from the colours to the compositions to the overall look of the illustrations! I look forward to seeing what else these two young designers produce in the future. These two designs aswell as some of the others from the show have inspired me to experiment with some new techniques in my next project such as lino print, mono print and screen print as they create a much more interesting and engaging final resolution with a more hand made quality to them. 

Finally I went to check out the 'Women in Music' Exhibition at the White Cloth Gallery. There were some really beautiful portrait photographs in both black and white and coloured film of a range of female music artists. 

Nest Issue 8: Launch Night 23rd Feb [ Event ]

Tonight I went to the launch of Nest Magazine's latest issue. The event was set at a Studio 23, an abandoned warehouse style bunker decked out with Fairy Lights, a giant paper bird, foil sheets and martini glasses. 

The theme of the exhibiton was light. ‘I am part of a light, and it is the music. The light fills my six senses: I see it, hear, feel, smell, touch and think.’ All the work inside the magazine is edited, written, designed and contributed by students at Leeds College of Art.

The atmosphere at the exhibition was very ethereal and tranquil and there was a lot to take in from the giant origami style bird to the projected photography slideshow and the printed photography on the walls. 

Sign marking the entrance outside.

Fairy Lights and candles light up the space.

Framed prints on the wall.

Giant paper bird hanging from the ceiling.

Projected slideshow of short films and photography.

The actual magazine itself continues with the same layout and grid of previous Nest issues, with a half front cover which follows on to the photography on the next whole page. The new embossed title on the front page is exquisite, with a cleverly crafted holographic finish inside the letters, perfectly capturing the theme of Light. 

There is also an interesting finish in the crease of each double spread with concentrated black speckles that become which black as they merge into the fold. This gives the illusion of darkness and shadows, further highlighting the theme of the magazine. 

Overall it was an interesting and enjoyable event as it helped to show the potential possibilities that can arise from collaborating with fellow students at the college. 

This Is What Our Generation Will Look Like When We Retire By Alex de Mora [ Article ]

Here's a funny article I read the other day on Vice that I found both visually impacting and very funny and playful. The set of images By Alex De Mora depicts a catalogue of current fashion worn by an elder generation through a set of pastel coloured, grainy images.

Source: https://www.vice.com/en_uk/read/leisurewear-fashion-shoot-393

In the Making: Ruskin, Creativity and Craftsmanship [ Exhibition ]

At the weekend I visited the Millenium Gallery in Sheffield to look at their exhibition 'In the Making' which runs from the 23rd of January til the 5th of June.

'John Ruskin believed the act of making represents the perfect convergence of human spirit, skill and material. For Ruskin, creative effort shapes an artist or artisan just as indelibly as they in turn shape the stone they sculpt or the fabric they weave.'

The theme of this exhibition is based on Ruskin's idea of making and is explored through a varitey of historical and contemporary art and craft.

My favourite piece from the exhibition was 'What you do* Where you're from* who you know*' by Mir Jansen and Henk Littlewood (2016). The piece is made from one 120 year old oak tree and is a collaboration of work between a woodworker (Littlewood) and a visual artist (Jansen). The tree, which began to grow in the last few years of Ruskin's life connects the time he was living to ours. The illustrations/paintings features on the inside of the structure make reference to Ruskin's many interests and influences and their relevance today.

I liked how the instillation was interactive as you could sit inside it to enjoy the work of both artists up-close and from a more interesting and engaging perspective.

The instillation on the floor of the Millenium Gallery's main walkway also caught my eye as it featured a range of vibrant prints by artist Harriet Popham inspired by objects in the Ruskin Collection.

I love the style in which these prints are drawn in and the way the composition of eat vinyl sticker has been laid out on the floor. The colours are really vibrant and make the entire theme of the exhibition seem much more current. The mix of bold shapes and hand rendered drawings also create further interest to the piece. 

Casey Neistat [ Vlogs ]

Since the beginning of January I have made a habit of watching YouTube vlogger Casey Neistat's videos on a daily basis. They have made me feel much more motivated in my every day life, encouraging me to just get up and do what I love and create things for the world to see as well as getting involved in projects I wouldn't usually think of volunteering for. One of his mottos is 'Do More', reminding me that I can always push myself that bit further to achieve my goals and get where I want. His vlogs have also taught me lessons such as to get ahead in life you have to be an individual as well as that to progress as an individual you must never stop pushing yourself harder. Most importantly his videos have taught me that anyone can succeed in life with enough hard work and dedication.

Picture Book @ The Tetley [ Exhibition ]

Last Wednesday I went to the Tetley to check out their latest exhibition 'Picture Book' featuring work from the likes of David Barton, nous Vous and Christian Barnes, amongst a number of others. 

My favourite room at the Gallery featured the extensive and colourful range of books published by the artist David Barton. The colours were truly beautiful and worked so well as a collective, providing me with plenty of colour swatch inspiration for future projects as I usually struggle with forming a limited colour palette that doesn't consist of charcoal grey and white. I also loved the organic yet delicate nature of the line drawings featured in much of Barton's work. 

A close second favourite was the vibrant original art, prints and pages from Mould Map 1 - 4. Again I was inspired by the bold, contrasting colours and unusual graphics and illustrations, using a range of different media and processes. 

The simplistic shapes and bright colours in Nous Vous Collective's exhibition caught my eye in the gallery, reminding me of Jean Julian's work. I love how effectively simple shapes and line drawings can create bold pieces of work that have dramatic effect, which is one of the aims I'm trying to create in the project I'm doing for Secret7. 

Finally the film showcasing the making of the giant papercut book on the structure of all of the Lakes in the Lake District was really interesting to watch, however unfortunately we were unable to view the contents of the book first hand due to its fragility. I really liked the concept however and thought the results shown in the film were exquisite as the shapes of the interior of the lakes were really beautiful.  

Bill Cunningham New York [ Documentary ]

Bill Cunningham New York was a beautifully heartwarming documentary I watched recently exploring the humble life of veterinary fashion photographer Bill Cunningham and his everyday life in the Big Apple. Armed with just a bicycle and a film camera, wearing a torn up and battered blue rain mac, Cunningham effortlessly captures the vibrant and upbeat fashion scene of one of the most diverse and effervescent cities in the world, in the most raw and enchanting way possible.

Bill Cunningham, 86, is a fashion photographer who has worked for many of the elite fashion brands and magazines including Tribune and at Women's wear Daily, yet the documentary explores the process behind his regular articles in the New York times featuring the street style photography he takes on a daily basis of real people wearing real fashion. 

One of my favourite things about Cunningham is the simple lifestyle he leads whilst simultaneously being well loved by many of the biggest stars in the world. He continues to do his craft purely out of love and cares nothing for money or vanity, demonstrating the true passion he has for what he does. Cunningham lives for his photography and nothing else. 

The photographs he takes of people and the passing scene in the streets of Manhattan every day, focus on their genuine usage of clothing to express personal style. He takes all of his photographs on a film camera and scans them in digitally, vastly slowing down the production process for the magazine yet creating visually outstanding results.

He is truly an inspiration to all as he perfectly demonstrates the message 'Do what you love and love what you do' 

Flat Death: Edgar Martins & Jordan Baseman [ Exhibition ]

A few weeks ago I went to Liverpool and visited the Flat Death exhibition at the Open Eye Gallery on Mann Island. The exhibition which runs from the 15th Jan - 3rd April explores how we deal with death as a society and individually through a series of photographic projects by artists Edgar Martins and Jordan Baseman.

The Gallery presented 2 series of work side by side: 'Edgar Martins attempts to understand our relationship to death and photography's role in the process through a variety of images. Jordan Baseman's exhibition of memorial images sits within a long tradition of photography being used by families to remember their loved ones after they have passed.'

Overall I found the exhibition really interesting as although the subject matter was pretty dark and disturbing, many of the photographs were very unusual and aesthetically pleasing such as the decaying banana skin with the story of the deceased bee keeper and the bright pink photograph of a forest shot on infra-red film. The Photographs in the gallery are paired with suicide notes, forensic evidence and X-rays of fatal injuries creating juxtapositiob between the personal (what we choose to leave behind) and what will actually be left behind (a bloody rag, twisted car metal, rotten piece of fruit).