Free Range 2018 – The Old Truman Brewery

If you follow me on social media, you may have seen me share lots of info about Free Range. If you don’t follow me and have never heard of it then let me explain…

It has nothing to do with chickens or eggs!

Free Range is an annual show held at The Old Truman Brewery on Brick lane in East London to celebrate the graduate work of creatives across the country. A culmination of fashion, illustration, graphic design, photography, fine art, interior design and architecture are all exhibited in the season of art.

I am happy to share my thoughts and opinions on all the places I visit but I am a bit biased about Free Range as the work of myself and my fellow class mates is currently on show.

Shows are split up across the month as follows:

• Design Week 15 – 18 June
• Photography Week One 22 – 25 June
• Photography Week Two 29 June – 02 July
• Art Week 06 – 09 July
• Interior Design & Architecture Week 13 – 16 July

If you want to catch my work along with 13 other universities it is showing until Monday 25th. For my final work, I created two images that I took in Amsterdam, one at Keukenhof gardens and the other at Royal Holland flower auction I also added a book entitled A Floral Perspective. These were used for grading at our university gallery but right before the Free Range show I decided to print out a set of photos from the book, at the last minute the curation team thought it would be better to just use these in the exhibition.

Work from a few other students at London South Bank

As you can see not all the work is just photographs on the wall, there are installations, video, projections and wall hangings. Throughout all the university shows there were lots of innovative ways of shooting and displaying work. I didn’t actually get to see all the shows but I will be going back before it closes so may get to see some more.

Work from students at other universities

A few of the shows I saw included Middlesex university, Blackpool and the Flyde College, Birmingham City University, University of Westminster and Canterbury Christ University.

The Truman Brewery is spacious, bright and airy so even when it was really busy on the opening evening, it didn’t feel too overcrowded. It is a large space spread over 3 floors so you may not get to see everything during one visit but there is a free programme you can pick up to see all the exhibitors at a glance and choose who you want to visit.

All the work on show is years in the making. If you do manage to see the show and admire a particular piece then be sure to let the artist know, follow them on social media or share it with your friends, it is not easy trying to make it in the creative industry and every bit of encouragement is welcome!

 

 

 

A floral perspective – Photography book

I am just getting my head around the fact that I am no longer a photography student and thinking about what my next steps in life are, does it mean I am now a professional photographer?

Well I am the owner of a new photography book! When I say photography book I don’t mean that it is available to buy in a store near you…not yet anyway. This is a book that I created for my final degree show to display alongside a couple of prints that I took on my recent trip to Holland’s Keukenhof gardens and Aalsmeer auction market.

The book is a collection of still life images, some of which I shared on a previous post and are of one of my favourite subjects…flowers!

The photos are accompanied by simple definitions of parts of a flower to get the viewer thinking about the flower as a whole and seeing them in a different perspective.

I have only included a few of the pages so if you want to see the full thing you will just have to visit our degree show which will be shown at the Free Range festival, at the Truman Brewery, in Bethnal green between 22nd and 25th of June. There will be loads of work on show from graduates across the country and it is a free event so you don’t want to miss out!

 

Photography project – Haymarket Hotel

You may have seen my last post Boogie bounce with My PFF app where I attended an event at the Haymarket Hotel. In between bouncing around on trampolines, eating delicious food and talking about light bladder weakness, I managed to pop out and take some photos of the swanky interior at the hotel.

I loved the mix of traditional sculptures and ornamental vases with more modern pieces and quirky décor, particularly the fish wallpaper in the toilet! I did have a look around one of the bedrooms but I didn’t have my camera with me at the time so you will have to take my word for how luscious it was.

I really liked the way each part of the hotel had a different style and there were so many little cosy nooks where I could imagine curling up with a good book, even this chair in the toilet looks inviting! Maybe one day I will get to try out an overnight stay!

Metro imaging and end of year show

Metro imaging is a Photographic, printing, framing and retouching service with a shop just off Clerkenwell road in London.

Most people that want to print everyday photos will probably use an online service or high street shop but if you are looking for something special then a C type or Giclee print is the way to go, often used by professionals or photography students that are displaying work for a gallery.

Metro imaging is very hands on, you can go in and print your own work in a variety of sizes with staff members on hand to provide assistance or you can send it over via the website. There are so many options to chose regarding printing on different media and finishes that it can seem overwhelming but it can also give your work the wow factor and make it stand out from the crowd.

This is a selection of work printed on different materials, including wood and metal.

We visited Metro Imaging as a class as we were preparing for our Pilot major project work to be exhibited at the end of the year. It was great to see how work can be displayed in so many different ways and a few of us from class decided to use the services of Metro imaging to print our work.

My project has been documenting the journey of the flower and you may have seen in previous posts that I have visited places such as New Covent Garden Market and Columbia road flower market. I have also been spending time with an event florist in their workshop and accompanying them to events to photograph for them.

I ended the project with a selection of nine images printed out in A3 and A4 size I then mounted them myself on mounting board using the vacuum press at uni. I didn’t chose the images that I thought looked the nicest but the ones that told the story of the process the flower goes through in its short lifespan. I am hoping to carry on this project in semester two  and hopefully visit some floral gardens in Holland and spend some time with the charity Floral angels who donate bouquets of flowers to nursing homes and refuges after they have been displayed at events.

We were all really pleased with our exhibition which was displayed at Borough road gallery and looking forward to the final major project which should be displayed at Free Range photography festival in The Old Truman Brewery in East London in June.

Here are some of the work of other students…

North: Fashioning Identity @ Somerset House

Currently showing at Somerset house is the North: Fashioning identity exhibition. Bringing together a collection, including photography, fashion, music and lifestyle artefacts by a number of artists, the aim is to showcase visual representations of the North of England.

“The show looks at the themes and tropes present in these collective visions of northern England and consider why these regions, or representations of them, are increasingly a source of inspiration and still so idealised today.”

The exhibition is split into different rooms that you follow around until you get back to the entrance. The first few rooms are mostly photography and film but it then moves on to clothing, the focus is on particular styles and brands that are often associated with northerners through the music and fashion scene.

 

At the end was a room made up to look like a house with lots of television screens, people were lazing around on sofas and beds listening to interviews and documentaries that had been filmed with people from the North, looking at how their home town has been an inspiration in their creative output.

A catalogue featuring all the work is available to buy as you leave or if you don’t want to purchase it, you can have a seat and read through it along with loads of other publications on the same subject.

I really found the exhibition interesting, particularly the mix of contemporary and vintage pieces and the perspectives of so many different artists.

If you would like to visit, the exhibition is on until Feb 4th and a full price ticket is £7. There are concessions available and children under 12 go free. At the moment there is also a very festive ice-skating rink right outside so if you fancy, you could really make a day of it!

Media networks @ Tate modern

We recently went to visit the media networks exhibition at Tate modern to look at the different ways the artwork is displayed. We will be putting on our own exhibition at university soon and wanted to see if the way in which something is displayed can make an impact on how it is viewed.

The exhibition is looking at the way artists have responded to the ever-changing technologies and how this has impacted the mass media. Divided into lots of different rooms are a diverse range of techniques and materials from drawings to posters and analogue technology. It touches on subjects such as feminism, the cult of celebrity and consumerism.

I like the placement of this work directly facing the doorway, inviting you in to explore the next room.

I love that there was such a variety of work from so many different artists, including Barbara Kruger, Andy Warhol and the Guerrilla Girls. It is a large exhibition and viewers are probably not going to like everything but if you are feeling worn out by the end you can always take the weight off on the swings or even a lie down in the Turbine hall.

The media Networks exhibition is on in the 4th floor Boiler room and is free entry. There are loads of other things showing as well but I always find when I visit Tate modern that I can only see one exhibition at a time because it is just so big!

Have you been to the Tate recently?

Geffrye museum – Shoreditch

The Geffrye museum, situated on Kingsland road in East London, explores the home and home life from 1600 to the present day. It reminds me of a historic Ikea only you cant enter the rooms an try out the furniture.

The museum is set in beautiful 18th-century Grade I-listed almshouses of the Ironmongers’ Company and is surrounded by a lush green at the front and period and herb gardens to the rear.

The outside space

We started our tour by entering around the side to see the herb garden which is only open to the public between April and October.

As well as being full of fragrant green herbs such as sage and rosemary there is also spots of colour to brighten it up.

Can you spot the miserable 12 and 15 year olds who are not amused at being taken to explore a herb garden? Luckily they were a bit more enthusiastic about the inside exhibitions of the museum!

Inside the exhibition

The exhibition itself is full of period rooms set up like they would be in different eras. As well as just having the rooms there are also cabinets full of historic memorabilia, paintings, books that you can browse and interactive activities.

If you have smaller children then they can follow a trail answering questions such as how many windows are there in an Edwardian drawing room? Obviously my children were too mature (I wont mention that they bickered with each other throughout the whole trip) for such an activity!

As you reach the end of the first exhibition which is all about historical homes you are greeted with a bright open space that houses the shop and café.

This then leads onto the modern part of the exhibition which shows homes from the 20th century, it also has a downstairs area where you can answer questions such as ‘how do you feel about housework?’ and stick the answers on the wall. I think this area is mainly used for education purposes.

It is a shame that the first part of the exhibition isn’t as spacious as the second part but I suppose as a listed building they are limited to what they can do with it. I also found it strange that there wasn’t an exit at the end and you had to make your way back to the start to get out.

My primary school is not far from the Geffrey museum and I remember visiting it on school trips as a child. It was lovely to go back 30 years later with my own children and see how it has developed and I can say it is still as interesting as it was back then!

Have you ever visited the Geffrye museum?

 

Paris – exploring La Defense

I imagine Paris is a city similar to London in the sense that it has well known sights and attractions, particularly in the centre, but also has lesser known areas that are also filled with interesting things to see.

As soon as we stepped off the metro at La Defense our first thought was that it must be the Canary wharf of Paris. After a bit of research we found out that it was in fact the biggest business district in the whole of Europe with 3.5 million square metres of office space!

Situated west of the city, La Defense is part of the Paris metropolitan area and has so much more to see than just skyscrapers.

The district is named after the statue La Defense de Paris which commemorates the Parisian resistance during the Franco-Prussian war. It stands pride of place in the middle of the area and it is not the only artistic structure you will see. Dotted around are a total of 60 modern art structures and monuments.

I really liked the contrast of the colourful, fun looking artistic structures with the backdrop of the rigid office blocks. One of the newest buildings in the area is the Grande arch which was a project that was supported by the French president Mitterrand who wanted a twentieth century version of the Arch de Triomphe. The nice thing about it is if you face directly opposite the Grande arch you can see the Arch de Triomphe directly in front of you, albeit quite far in the distance.

Either side of the Grande arch are two large shopping malls which house every shop you could think of which probably helps to bring a lot of Parisians as well as tourists to the area.

I was quite surprised that although it is a business district there is still lots of greenery around the area. As we were there at the weekend it was fairly empty but I can imagine it thriving with people during the working week.

If I had known it was the business district before travelling to La Defense I probably would have been put off staying in the area but there was so much to see that I’m glad I didn’t look it up before our trip.

I am not really familiar with the different districts of Paris but would love to visit and explore other areas. Have you visited Paris? Where did you stay?

Art of the brick – Lego superheroes

I often look at amazing Lego structures and think I could probably make something similar but then I get to work and all that comes out of it is a staircase, one that doesn’t even stand up! So when I see art, such as these DC superheroes that were created by the likes of Nathan Sawaya, all I can do is marvel at them (marvel…get it)

The art of the brick is situated along London’s Southbank and is hard to miss. Upon entering the reception area that featured one Lego statue and a film, my 12 year old declared that it was the best exhibition he had ever been to, and I do drag him around to quite a few! But that was just the beginning. I was thinking there would probably be a few statues and that would be it but the rooms just kept coming.

It is amazing the amount of bricks that are used in each creation and alongside the statues is a caption from the artist with some information about the character and the amount of bricks that were used to make them.

One of my favourite superheroes is Batman and did you know that he is the only one that built himself so he is depicted here putting each brick onto his own arm.

I thought I was pretty knowledgeable about superheroes as I love watching all the movies but there were many that I had never heard of and my son relished at being able to teach me all about them.

The little boy with the cape was in the room that encouraged the viewers to think about what superhero they would create. Who would you be?

The penguin was my favourite and was much cuter than Cobblepot, the character from Batman that he is based on.

After we got through all the rooms we reached the end off the exhibition but it wasn’t over! There were trays filled with all shapes and sizes of lego pieces so you could get stuck in and create your own masterpiece as well as a row of screens so you could play your favourite video games (can you guess which one the 12 year old chose?)

And even though the adults were getting stuck in with the Lego  there was also the option to relax with a coffee or browse the shop while the kids are preoccupied.

I have read mixed reviews about the art of the brick exhibition but we thoroughly enjoyed it!

The entry price £16.50 for adults and £11.50 for kids but there are concessions and family tickets available. It is a temporary exhibition but will be around until September so perfect for a summer holiday trip and because it is situated on the Southbank there is loads of other things you could do while there. If you get peckish then grab a bite to eat at Feng sushi or cool down with a frozen yoghurt at Snog.

Who is your favourite superhero?

Photography project – Postcards from the elephant

As part of one of our university modules we were required to make a photobook. This involved

• researching the photobook industry, including looking into the history of the photobook
• coming up with a concept
• taking photos
• using Adobe Indesign to create the template for the book
• sourcing the right paper that would work with our images
• printing the book out
• experimenting with different ways to bind the book together
• producing a set to work as an edition
• putting together a pop up shop to sell our books to the public.
• Marketing the pop up shop through social media and advertising

My university is situated at the heart of SE1 in Elephant and Castle. The area is undergoing major changes with new buildings popping up all over the place and plans to knock down the shopping centre in the not so distant future. In the past couple of years I have already seen lots of changes such as the roundabout having a complete overhaul but the future plans seem really extreme and the word on the street is that it will become the new time square, surrounded by high rise blocks and hotels.

The idea for my book was to just capture little snippets of what Elephant and Castle look like now because lets face it we’re all quite sentimental about how things are now and not so susceptible to change. We like to look back on how our area was in ‘our time’ so I thought this would be memorable keepsake for the people that have a connection to Elephant and Castle as it is now. I have a few quotes from local people about their thoughts on the changes in the area and think they accompany the pictures well.

These are a few of the pages from the book and I will have an edition of 250 (yes I have chosen to hand make 250 books) They will be on sale at our pop up shop (see the enigma 31 Instagram page for the details and other fabulous books that are also on sale) and also in my Etsy store if you are interested in purchasing one!