V&A London

On the same day I went to the Natural History Museum later I went to the Victoria and Albert Museum because I have always been interested and wanted to go there but had never had the opportunity or time when in London previously. The V&A is the largest museums of decorative arts and design and has a huge collection of over 4.5 million objects. It has objects and artefacts from all over the world and from different centuries and eras, including Victorian, Edwardian, Post- war. And includes fashion, ceramics, furniture, jewellery, metal work, sculpture and textiles.

The first part of the museum I went to was fashion and textiles, I thought it was really interesting how they displayed the dresses and fashion pieces showing really early pieces from the Victorian period and then going through time and era's and had more modern fashion pieces. I loved the prints and the colours of the two dresses above in particular and also the silk scarf below, I thought that the prints were really simple but beautiful. 

As there was so much to look at and such a variety I was surprised as to what I found interesting and was drawn towards. I really loved looking a costumes and theatre design costumes and stage designs. I thought that they were really special and could recognise which show and theatre productions they were from. And the amount of skill and detail that goes into making these costumes. 

This was an exact replica of Kylie Minogue's dressing room, from one of her tours.

There were lots of costumes from both the theatre and pantomimes, including The Lion King, and lots of Shakespeare's plays.  

I was also really surprised that I found the ceramics so interesting, they had a huge selection of ceramics from all over the world and from different era's. These are a couple that I liked the most, the top left are ceramic tiles with one of William Morris' designs on. The other two I thought that the patterns, prints and colours were really beautiful and pretty.

I really enjoyed my afternoon and the V&A and would love to of back and see one of the special exhibitions, as a was a couple of days early to see the David Bowie exhibition, but I think I may be going back to London later in the year, so hopefully I will get the opportunity to go back and see it.

Natural History Museum London

On the last day in London I decided to go to the Natural History Museum, I thought it would be useful and help me in my work as I am looking at animals in particular birds, and I was getting bored of going to the Manchester Museum every time a new project came about, and the animal exhibition was under renovation. I went there mainly to look at the birds, but I also am interested in all different types of animals and insects and found myself wondering around the museum for ages.

I thought that there would be more birds on display, but there was only a small selection that would be suitable for my needs, however I took some photographs that would be suitable for my work. I took photographs of any that I thought would fit into my work, so anything that I thought was a good shape or position, or that resembled a green parrot, (as the story I am working from isn't too specific on what type of parrot it is, just that it is a parrot and it is green) I was also looking at the colours of the birds, how the colours of their feathers blend and mix together and there are no harsh lines or areas where one colour changes into another.

I found this painting in the bird section and thought that the composition was really interesting, although they are all the same type or breed of bird and are all a similar size and the same colour, they all look different and interesting because they are in a different composition or position. I also like how the artist has include the branches, twigs and leaves, I think that this adds more interest and depth.

Like with the photographs I took in Manchester Museum I will use these photographs to sketch and draw from and hopefully they will help me draw some parrots for my designs and patterns for my final project. 

Lotta Jansdotter

One of the Surface Design group had arranged a visit to see Lotta Jansdotter's Studio and Shop in Brooklyn. Unfortunately Lotta couldn't be there as she was away with business however the shop manager was there to talk to us, answer any questions and talk us around the studio and shop.

The shop space was clean, fresh and had an exciting atmosphere, it was painted white so that all the colours and patterns of the products stand out from the bright white backgrounds. 

I really loved the simple and fresh patterns of her work, the patterns were bold, but also mixed nature and organic shapes with the bold shapes. I think my favourite pieces of work were the blue/teal collection (above). I really loved the colours, the mixture of blues and the clean white, with a mixture of bold shapes and organic shapes. 

I was really inspired by the way the work was presented in the shop, as I want to make things and put my designs onto products in the final year I got lots of inspiration and ideas from, as sometimes I think that it is difficult to place and arrange difficult objects like these, as sometimes it can become too over crowded and cluttered, making it look messy and unprofessional. However I really liked the mixture of objects on tables and then things on shelves above.  

The studio manager told us that because she creates things now on such a large scale that she no longer does all the printing herself instead it is done offsite, however if she is sampling or coming up with ideas then she will screen print herself. 

I found the studio to be really inspirational too, there was no real separation between the shop and studio, I thought that this was really interesting and something I have never really seen before, to this scale. I found it really sweet how her aprons, stamps and screens had been left out as if she had been working there only a few hours ago. 

                                 

Lotta Jansdotter

Stephen Byram

Also on the first full day of New York we went to the house of Stephen Byram in Jersey. He was so welcoming and friendly letting us into his house, and to see some of his older works and some of his most recent works.
He has a variety of different styles and techniques, collage, line drawing and some abstract works, what I really found interesting was that a lot of his work has been used on CD covers, I thought that this would be an amazing feeling for an artist to see their work on a CD. He had placed some of his CD covers, posters and other works around his house for us to pick up and look at/through and didn't mind us taking photo's of his house and work. He said that in some ways he has moved on from the CD covers because they don't have the same feel to them any more because of the internet, downloading and iTunes, as the picture is so small and tiny on an iPod people don't care anymore or take the time to look and appreciate the work and attention that goes into music/album artwork.

His studio in the basement

In some of his more recent works he has moved onto 3D sculptures made from found objects and recycling materials and objects (mainly wood) to create something new and exciting. He seemed really excited and proud talking about his new works as they are so different and refreshing from his work for CD's. He calls himself a graphic designer, however he seems to have so many layers to his works, in some works he is definitely a graphic designer looking at typography, shape and layout, in some ways his works look like an illustrator and painter and then in others you can see the sculpture 3D elements in his creations, all really interesting and appealing.

The Invisible Dog/ Andre Da Loba

On our first full day in New York we got the subway to Brooklyn to visit the Invisible Dog Art Centre.   We were welcomed by Andre Da Loba, (one of the artist's who has a studio space there.)

We started by looking around the current exhibition, by the duo Steven and William. The Art Centre was an old factory/mill that use to make jewellery, and belt buckles, so when the Art Centre was made a lot of objects were left there, so many of the works were made by recycling this unused and found items. 

There were also some wonderful repeat patterns and drawings another room, (I think that they were by the same people, although they seem completely different from their other works). But as I am a surface designer they really caught my eye, because of the repeating patterns, the simple colours in the background, and that there were multiples of the same thing (my favourite). 

Andre Da Loba 

Once we had looked around the exhibition of Steven and William, we then went upstairs, in a huge old lift, which said 'Danger' all over it (not very reassuring), and went to see some of the artists studio's. A real privilege as I think that many artist's and designers are private and secretive when it comes to their studio spaces.
Andre's studio was amazing and inspiring filled with his work, objects and artefacts that he has collected over the years. What I found interesting was he about of colour and variety in his works, from 3D and sculpture to drawings and prints. I really made me think about my own studio space and how I should make full use of the amount of space I have while I am still at Stockport.
It has also made me think about the importance of a studio space and how it is a place where an artist can escape from their houses and bedrooms too, and it should be a place of randomness and artistic mess and chaos.

The works that I really liked was the prints/paintings of the houses and buildings, I thought that they were beautiful each once a different colour, shape and size. 

New York!

It has taken me a while to write this post, but I think that I have just about recovered from the amazing and thrilling and jet lagged experience of our last residential trip with Stockport College to New York, somewhere I have wanted to go since being young and seeing the Big Apple in films and photographs.

After a 16-17 hour journey from Manchester to London and then finally New York JFK airport we had arrived, we drove over a bridge to Manhattan and saw the wonderful, picture perfect famous skyline lit up and gleaming in the darkness.

It still doesn't even feel real that I have actually been there and tick it off my bucket list, I saw all the wonderful sights, Times Square, went to the top of the Rockefeller Centre, The MOMA, and The Metropolitan, went to Jersey, Brooklyn and Manhattan, all squeezed into four days. 

The trip was amazing and so eye opening to what life as an artist/designer can be like, I found all the advise we were given to be really useful and inspiring, and in some ways has made me more determined to become one myself, as I still don't have the confidence nor do I see myself as a designer yet. I found all of the artist's/designer's and people of New York to be so friendly, warm hearted and welcoming, (in some cases even letting nearly 30 students to have a nosey around their own house).
I would definatley love to go back in the future, however I don't think that it would be the same without Stockport College, all the hard work and organising, and the amazing studio's and people they had arranged for us to see and meet were so amazing and a once in a life time opportunity, that I will never forget.