Hackney's Wicked

This weekend’s ‘Hackney Wicked’ arts festival will see the artists, galleries and design studios of Hackney Wick open their doors to the public for a host of exhibitions and events, with a Fete, performance art flashmobs, markets, music and parties pulling a crowd to East London’s most creative industrial outpost.
"We came up with the idea of doing an art festival on a drunken afternoon at Ingrid Z’s. (Residence gALLERY)." Says Cherie-Marie Veiderveld, co-owner/creator of Elevator Gallery, "It was incredibly haphazard, we had no budget and only 3 months to organise, but to our dismay thousands of people turned up and Time out Magazine dedicated an issue to it!"

Highlights include Taigen Kawabe’s performance at Elevator galleries in Queen’s Yard, a live music stage with over twenty acts in Main Yard off of Wallis Road, Dave Notarius’ ‘ARTSCREAM TRUCK’ a novelty mobile art gallery and the finale on Sunday, Harry Meadows’ Coracle Regatta boat race on the nearby canal and the ominous burning of the Wicker Man who’s location remains a secret.

Still in its infancy, after it debuted last year the festival received international billing from NY Arts Magazine as ‘the most vital art event of the summer’. A launch-pad for fresh talent and up and coming businesses, the festival provides both entertainment and an important cultural boost for London’s creative community.

On first impressions an industrial and desolate looking landscape, Hackney Wick provides much needed and affordable homes for the artists you are likely to be seeing at 'Wicked' 2009. The area is gaining a reputation for its DIY grassroots approach to the arts and creative industries, perhaps due to the hurdles inhabitants have had to overcome by its unconventional location. The A12 and neighboring canals physically cut the area off from the rest of the city. Not a typically picturesque place to live; disused buildings, baron spaces and smashed windows are ever-present reminders of its past and an explanation of its affordability.

Shoreditch tends to get the press as the home of London’s young creative scene, but contrary to its downbeat appearance there are clear signs that Hackney Wick is one of the true playgrounds of the new school, alongside South London’s thriving Peckham scene.

Large factory rooms provide perfect homes for shared open plan residencies for live/work collectives and independent galleries/studios, though quite unlike the suave refurbishments you would see closer to the city. An influx of artists have migrated over the last decade from an increasingly gentrified and expensive Shoreditch. The area has many high profile resident artists; the Chapman brothers can be spotted in the local ‘Wick Cafe’ and Gavin Turk will be involved in the ribbon cutting ceremony on Saturday.

Local artist Simon Foxell says that artists also have “absolute freedom” to work as they wish when shows are hosted in their own live/work spaces, consequently they are able to dust off any anxiety towards selling work or pandering to a la mode tastes.

Unfortunately this “concrete paradise” won’t be around forever. What you’ll see this weekend is a fleeting moment in London’s history where artist’s, on a record breaking level, have utilised neglected properties, in many cases transforming lost industrial landscapes into homes and working spaces.

Zoe Klinger creative producer of Philpott Design admits it was the inclusiveness at Mother Studios which attracted her to her current studio “we searched for different setups in London and came across Mother Studios which was perfect because of the community”. Local intern and recent graduate from London College of Fashion Anja Diskin said she got her job through just being in the area, "I got a freelance pattern cutting job purely from a chance meeting in a Vietnamese Restauraunt."

There is an urge to get involved now, while there is still an arts scene here, as Cherie says "the secret’s out" since it would be "foolish" to think that the present artistic community is a permanant feature. So come down while there is still something to celebrate.

Hackney Wicked begins on Friday 31st July over the weekend till Sunday 2nd August. Hackney Wick train station is an overground tube station one stop from Stratford and five away from Highgate and Islington. The buses 26, 30, 236, 276, 488, 388. and
night bus 26 also pass through the area.

Visit, http://www.hackneywicked.com/ to find out times and locations for various events.

By Monique Jackson

Flight Of The Conchord's T-Shirt Design Competition

Shepard’s turned musicians Jermaine and Bret continue their adventures in the big apple in series 2 of Flight Of The Conchord’s. To celebrate its release design a Flight Of The Conchord’s T-shirt for the chance to win a trip to New York. Get ready to Folk!Flight of the Conchords is an award winning comedy that has gained cult Status with its mix of gormless banter and ironic musical wordplay. In series 2 New Zealand’s ‘fourth most popular folk parody act,’ continue their plan to become musical stars in New York.

New York- the land of the free, home to the brave, centre of bagels, hip-hop, Sex and the City, cheesecake and The Strokes. The big apple, where thousands of hopeful young stars flock to everyday in hope of becoming the next big thing. With this in mind, VICE is offering you the chance to fly out there for a weekend to remember for free.

All you have to do is design a Flight of the Conchords t-shirt and VICE will pick the winner on the 21st August.

To enter, click here

Flight Of The Conchord series 2 is released on DVD- August 3rd

The DVD is packed with special features including outtakes, deleted scenes and several featurettes including a mini documentary on the band's pursuit of fame, Dave's Pawn Shop Commercials' and a hilarious dance clip hidden ‘Easter Egg'.

By Stephanie Grace

jotta at The Legion

jotta’s recent creative collaboration with The Legion saw a trio of artists projecting dreamy images around the venue, with many a free and dreamy cocktail floating about to muddle the senses further.jotta and friends swamped the popular watering hole and music venue on Old St in East London last week, kick-starting an ongoing residency during which jotta will give a platform to some of most talented creatives.

Illustrations by Nick Morely and Eoin Ryan, and photography by Gemma Land were chosen for their monochromatic, ritual fetish imagery, all elevated by a wailing live soundtrack from London trio The Rayographs. You can shimmy down to the regular Legion band nights to catch a glimpse of the artwork which will be projected across their walls until September, when jotta will deliver a whole new exhibition of work and anothe rnight of frivolity!

As you can see, we sure did pack the place out…

By Esther Bradley

Sarah Tse

From a single lead tip flow images of tiny square robots, towering stacks of teacups, innocent woodland creatures, and sensuously blooming roses. The childhood images blossom for a fleeting moment on a plaster wall before they are whitewashed over for the sake of a new pencil-drawn project.

These transitory sketches of youth are the work of Central Saint Martins student Sarah Tse who uses her childhood experiences, travels and dreams as inspiration for her larger-than-life drawings.

Born and raised in Hong Kong, most of Sarah’s influences come from her time spent in China. The pencil drawings she currently creates are paradoxes inspired by childhood toys she once played with and patterns she saw during her internships.

“I was particularly impressed with the Chinese artists’ ability to capture different textures, surfaces and expressions,” Sarah writes on email. From those Chinese artists, she has drawn an array of paradoxical patterns and images that “produce a nostalgic, timeless, disturbing and sentimental ambience for [her] drawings.”

While pencil sketches full of fanciful textures and paradoxical shapes or creatures are Sarah’s primary form of art now, she started by dabbling in various art mediums that emphasized a different set of themes and subjects.

“In the past, my studio practice always started with a fixed agenda, like the metamorphosis of female adolescence or the Japanese porn culture,” Sarah explains, “For each agenda, I tried a medium, or a mix of different media, that would best illustrate its contents.”

Sarah started with oil portraits and then quickly moved on to other forms, each demonstrating a specific theme or message. She would use photographic collages, projected photos, and other combinations of art to portray the tension between childlike adolescence and feminine sexuality. Some of her early projects were used to convey specific messages, such as her pale pink booth installment with paper doll cutouts that was a commentary on Japanese childhood sexuality.

But the cutouts, booths, and pictures never seemed to fully inspire her, and Sarah’s art to never feel like her own. It was because of this lack of motivation that she transfered to the pencil drawings she currently creates. Through her sketches, Sarah is now able to manipulate the meaning of objects and change the way the world is interpreted.

“Drawing is the most basic and honest tool in visual arts,” she says. “[It] delivers well the fragile and timeless quality intended in my work.”

And so, seven years after her acceptance into CSM A-levels for Fine Arts, Sarah follows the influential footsteps of Mary Ryden and Zoe Mendelson by drawing dream-like visions from her childhood, though now she’s pushing the boundaries of illustration by expanding from canvas to walls and, eventually, furniture and floors.

“I use wall installments because pencil drawings on a wall produce a temporary yet powerful narrative,” she said.

Walls provide a canvas that lacks the vulnerability of paper, giving transitory quality similar in nature to dreams- a vital element for her drawings as Sarah seeks to create an alternate realm through her sketches; a world where people can escape reality and remain innocent.

Expect to see Sarah in September in a collaborative exhibition at the Jealous Gallery, as well as a solo exhibition in January 2010 in Manchester.

For more pictures of her work, go to Sarah's jotta Profile.

By Emily Thomas

Antichrist

Dark and startlingly beautiful, Antichrist moves slowly through a painful emotional landscape, traversing the rocky terrain between a couple as they attempt to navigate the bottomless well of grief and trauma that follows a child’s death.

For a director who has been accused of making films which centre around the manipulation of emotionally battered women by misogynistic male characters, Antichrist seems to be Von Trier having a giggle at these accusations by handing us one of the most graphic scenes in cinematic history: female self circumcision, a pointed and indulgent excursion into a misogynistic.

From the outset we’re led to mistrust Willem Dafoe’s character, 'Him', a therapist who takes it upon himself to counsel his wife after the death of their child. Deconstructing her grief, he is clearly manipulating Charlotte Gainsbourg’s 'She', using her pain and digging to the root of her fears in order to maintain a safe distance from his own grief, while exposing her to emotional damage.

However, despite the outrage and hype this film aroused at it's Cannes screening, it is really only the final 30 minutes of the film which require hand over eye censorship, for the first 50 minutes the painful aftermath of a child’s death is conveyed through a variety of powerful cinematic techniques. Von Trier deploys slow motion, sound and sharp then misty colours to excellent effect. He synthesises the physical symptoms of anxiety through heightened white noise and intense close ups. Slow motion is used throughout, creating a stop motion effect during dreamlike sequences, and the titles sequences marking each chapter of the film are bold and brilliant in their simplicity - chalk on sanded down piece of wood.

Antichrist is a dramatic departure form Von Trier’s dogma days, which deployed hand held camera’s, natural lighting and gritty realism. Once the couple journey into their woods, “Eden”, the cinematography becomes even darker and more beautiful, and frames throughout could easily become enchanting still photography.

The high production and dark fairytale/nightmare aesthetic he explores is reminiscent of Spanish director Guillermo Del Toro’s work in Pan’s Labrynth and El espinazo del diablo (The Devil's Backbone). The Grimm Brothers fairytale tangent could be further indulged when we contemplate the history of children's stories such as Snow White, who embodies both good and evil in women, as the wicked witch and Snow White are contsnatly shadowed by trail of forest creatures.

Antichrist sees Von Trier utilise quite conventional dramatic devices, such as the “turning point”, which sees our impression of each character take an about-turn, as mistrust for the manipulative husband is transferred to Gainsbourg, who’s paranoia and extreme instability becomes apparent when a diary is discovered in a hidden attic, and suddenly the focus becomes the dormant power of woman and nature - the two intrinsically connected. It’s a powerful and frightening film, with only two characters, all others mentioned (except for their son) remain invisible, faceless. It’s just the two of them and their genitalia doubles.

By Millie Ross

What Happens When Strangers Meet

As Pat and Trevor’s collaborative experiment, ‘This is Why We Meet’ enters its second stage, jotta is invited down to meet the new team, an eclectic mix of designers from London College of Fashion. Join them for the opening tonight where you can, “Read the Directions and Directly You Will Be Directed in the Right Direction”.
Sat around a boardroom style table are four friendly women who have managed to transform an office space into an industrious workshop. Three of the four have just graduated from a one year course in footwear design at the Cordwainers college, armed with traditional tools they are busily shaping, cutting and re-working materials and fabrics from string to leather.

We're take clues as to how the final work may be shaped via their diverse backgrounds.

Kirsty White is an Australian landscape gardener. Her style is influenced by architecture, in particular Art Deco buildings and for her final piece on the course she designed shoes based on the dilapidated Battersea Power Station.

Hollie While is the second antipodean of the group and has a background in graphic design. Specalising in feminine shoes made with masculine construction she describes her style as “chunky and minimal.”

Self-confessed shoe fanatic Frankie O’Dowd originally studied criminology until she made the unusual step into men’s footwear. Interested in the craft of shoe-making, she recently created a traditional gents shoe embellished with a tongue-in-cheek pattern of the male member.

Yuliya Krylova brings something different to the group; a recent graduate from the Costume Design for Performance degree, she is the only non-shoemaker of the four. Originally from Kazakhstan, Yuliya is also a trained financial lawyer, and practiced in New York before coming to London to fulfill her passion for costume and dressing up.

The new team have their work cut out for them, having never collaborated together before, the girls have a week to get to know each other, come up with an idea for an installation to fill two empty shop windows and see it through to completion and private view. Although daunting, they seem to be loving the process: “You can bounce ideas of each other, come up with things you would have never come up with on your own,” says Kirsty.

They came up with their idea quickly yet are keeping it under wraps, and their daily blogging on the This is Why We Meet deliberately vague, with a few red herrings to throw you off the scent. They cite influences for this project from graffiti to a website that’s devoted to found objects.

As designers it was important for them to create something tactile, “We wanted to make something where the audience could collaborate, something really interactive,” explains Hollie. Their interest lies in what happens when strangers meet, how they communicate and creating a project that enables them to share an experience with each other, “making it possible for the public to actively engage with the window, to see to the other side,” says Yuliya.

We were curious to know their thoughts on the interactive and collaborative aspect of the project and Frankie's simple response rang in my ear like a revelation, “because people don’t want to be passive anymore.”

Tonight is the grand unveiling of the new installation as the London College of Fashion team's first piece will be revealed to the public. The work will unfold as the week progresses and passers by will have the chance to make their own mark.

Read, look and watch them at work on their live blog here

Display: Monday 27th July - Sunday 2nd August
Private view: Monday 27th July, 6-9pm
WK LONDON
16 HANBURY ST
LONDON
E1 6QR

By Stephanie Grace

To The Max

Bouncing ideas of visual abstraction between cinemas and music festivals throughout Europe, filmmaker and media artist Max Hattler has already seduced the likes of Basement Jaxx and onedotzero with his arresting animations. In between receiving awards, teaching at Goldsmiths College and jetsetting to international VJ gigs, Max let's jotta in on the digital dream.

We certainly won’t be starved for innovative audio-visual delights this season. Max’s stage visuals for Basement Jaxx are currently on tour, his film Aanaatt is doing the festival rounds, various live gigs are planned throughout Europe and animation screenings in London are due in September. To complete this summer of madness Max’s next short film Spin will be finished by Autumn.

What is your background and how did you become interested in this field of work?
Growing up, I was always drawing and painting. When I got my first computer age twelve, I started manipulating and animating images digitally, but wasn’t thinking about film at all. Then I discovered the computer’s audio editing possibilities and spent most of my teens making electronic music. It was only when I came across an animation module during my BA at Goldsmiths, that it dawned on me that I could combine all these previously disparate interests into a singular expression through the medium of film! Doing an MA in Animation at the Royal College of Art really brought it all together for me.

What other artists do you admire and have influenced you?
Just a handful off the top of my head…Animators Oskar Fischinger, Robert Breer and Jan Švankmajer. Painter-photographer László Moholy-Nagy, product designer Hans (Nick) Roericht, and my composer dad Hellmut Hattler.

Are you driven more by the visual aesthetics or by the technological possibilities?
The computer is just a tool (the dominant tool, ok), and everyone uses it, from accountants to writers. Having said that, I must admit that I don’t know if I would be working with moving image if it weren’t for the computer. I don’t think I would have the patience or the funds to work with film and pencil. So in that sense it is technology that drives my creativity. But I try to make it my own, to use the technology to materialise my vision.

Do you find you are constantly retraining for new software and equipment in this industry? How does this fast-paced environment influence your creative thought process?
There’s definitely an element of constant retraining going on, I embrace the new. I tend to try new things with each project, to challenge myself and keep things interesting. But at the same time, I’m quite controlled in my approach. I try to constrain things conceptually as well as technically, and try to use these limitations as a way of generating ideas within them. Technology can be crippling in its promise of unlimited possibilities.

How does your work deal with political issues? You speak of finding a space between abstraction and figuration. Can you give examples of how this ‘space’ is realised?
My film Collision deals with the relationship between Islam and America (and by extension the UK). I felt that I wanted to make a contribution to the debate that was going on, but without taking sides or being finger pointing.

Abstraction can be an interesting tool in this regard. Abstractions of sound, image, and symbolism can open up a space that is far enough removed from reality in order to create critical distance, and reflection. But it needs to be recognizable enough to make meaning. I try to work with this concept of floating between recognizable and abstraction, pulling the viewer between specific and open-ended, between narrative and non-narrative.

You work across disciplines of film and live animation, do you have a preference or do you see yourself moving in any other directions in the future?
Since my MA graduation I’ve started taking my work into a live context, through audiovisual performance. Films are currently the most important part of my practice, but it can be a solitary and lengthy process, especially when working with animation. So doing live a/v work opens it up to something more immediate and adrenaline-driven, less controlled, more fun.

I really like how both outlets complement each other. The live performances allow me to travel to perform at festivals; this in turn helps my filmmaking. I also enjoy working with bands, and often, live visuals lead to music video or film collaborations, or vice versa.

Aanaatt (Teaser) from Max Hattler on Vimeo.

More of Max's films and tour dates can be viewed at:

http://www.maxhattler.com/

By Esther Bradley

Katherine Pont

Katherine Pont, illustrator extraordinaire turned fairy-tale fashion designer, talks to jotta about cutting-edge collectives, creative collaborations and her latest venture, a pop-up boutique in the heart of Soho.
Katherine Pont is the designer behind clothing label 'Mine' and co-founder of the Swanfield Collective, along with womenswear designer Cecilia Hammarborg and couture cake baker Lily Vanilli. This July, Swanfield move from their East London home to the bright lights of the West End where they will be showcasing not only their own talented creations, but an inspiring array of upcoming designers and artists from jotta.

How and why did you start the Swanfield collective?
Cissi [Cecilia Hammarborg] found a space in east London on Swanfield Street, and thought it would make a great shop space, so we got together and started plotting for our pop. The Swanfield collective grew from there, inviting friends and designers to showcase and sell their wares leading up to Christmas.

There are natural collectives that form within friends doing the same things, but with Swanfield we wanted to push this merge between art, music and fashion so we host musical events as well as exhibits. Lily Vanilli also bakes a mean cupcake.

Running your own business is tough, so in this tricky time it makes sense to join forces and co-inspire each other to keep making, baking and designing.

What do you think about the new craze for pop-up boutiques?
I think the temporary nature of them makes them quite sought-after. Retail can be a ghost town too, so there are little boxes out there waiting to be shops. With Swanfield Pop-Boutique we are re-thinking things to create an inspiring and inviting space where customers can buy from the designers themselves, and drop in for acoustic gigs and events. So shop for a new frock, gorge on a cupcake and listen with your eyes too.

How important is collaboration to you and Swanfield?
You fall into natural collaborations within the creative industry, and borrow inspiration and influence through these working relationships. I really like the crossing of disciplines from art and design to fashion and music, these creative modes inform and inspire each other, and that is what is happening amongst those involved with Swanfield. Times are a little tough money wise, but there is always room for pretty things.

Official Launch Date and Party: Tuesday July 21st

Lily Vanilli Cake Party (featuring edible cake sculptures, think Hansel and Gretel meets Marie Antoinette!): Thursday August 6th

To read more about the Swanfield Pop-up Boutique click here

To see more of Katherine’s designs click here

By Stephanie Grace

You Turn Us On

jotta popped in to see the first stage of This Is Why We Meet at Wieden + Kennedy’s Big Brother-esque project space. There the affable and ever-so bright Chelsea College of Fine Arts team gave us an exclusive peek at their work in progress, an interactive mechanical installation which will launch with a bang (literally) on Monday June 20th.We sat down in a bean bag to ask the team a bit about themselves and what kind of work they make:

Grace Schofield – “I make film and performance , for my final degree show I showed a film of a collaboration with a friend in railway arch – we created the appearance of chemistry experiment, with dry ice and random chemicals. It was about the farce, we were just playing for the visitors who came and thought we’d set up a chemistry lab.”

Hannah Newell – “I do sculptural instillation, my final work was about reanimating public space. I built a bridge and a pathway, with scaffolding up building at Chelsea college, people taking up public space.”

Daniella Kemal – “My area was photography, and my work looked at how people behave in front of a camera. I invited people to undertake activities in front of camera, I was trying to capture honesty, but then began to question whether it was the event or documentation which was of more interest. So I became interested in interactive installation because it brings together people who might not have normally come together. And I love the title!”

Kiwon Hong – “I’ve been making large scale kinetic mechanisms, brightly coloured and moving objects. In the brief they mentioned sculpture and drawing – so I thought it would explore those disciplines, but it’s turned out to be much more crazy and really amazing!”

After being plonked in their think tank, how did the quartet begin the process of concocting an interactive sculptural instillation, which was to be placed in two opposite facing windows on a busy East lodnon street in less than a weeks time?

Daniella - "It was really difficult to figure out what we wanted to do. We did know thatb wanted it to be an action and a reaction, giving the public some control and the privilege of experience."

Grace - “Went through a lot of ideas,and actually the first few we came to we said "Oh ok that works”, and then we spent a long time figuring out what interaction meant."

In the first days Pat and Trevor (aka Joe and Jimmy), gave the team some exercises, team building style activities which encouraged them to think creatively and collaboratively, to interact without words, with each other and with the public.

Hannah - “We went down to Liverpool Street station, the two pairs got a word which we had to express without voice, but using paper and string!”

Daniella – “Ours was peace so we cut out flowers and gave them to people who we hoped would pass the other team to show them”
Hannah - “And we guessed because ours was war!

Now they’ve come to the technical stage, which involves building prototypes with tape and wheels, in order to pinpoint any major problems. The tight timescale means they’ve played on the interaction element of their installation, more than fine details of the “machine”.

A panic button moment came when the four texted Joe with a “phone a friend” SOS, pleading for tech help. Thus they were gifted with Nico, Wieden + Kennedy's technical man and the groups mentor and saviour.

So while still not entirely sure what team Chelsea have in store for us come Monday eve, we do know that there will be mobile phone number on display, so when passers by call one of the many Nokia donated phones, this will trigger the activation of their kinetic sculpture. So we’ll have fun calling from the comfort of home and watching on their website the reaction of innocent bystanders to this mysterious balloon bursting machine.

“It’s almost like putting 30p in a slot,” Says Joe, the proud co-curator, “like a carnival machine.”

Comparing it to the hair-brained invention cartoons of Heath Robinson, Joe says, “It’s kind of like going back in time to when the wheel was an exciting invention.”

"We want to do a 'Winner of the day', in that game show, tacky glitter style", says Daniella excitedly.

Grace agrees, “We want it to grab people’s attention.”

And from the snippets we’ve just gleaned, this wheel-turning, balloon-bursting, glittery phone-ringing concoction will do just that.

Come see for yourself.


Display: Monday 20th - Sunday 26th July
Private view: Monday 20th July, 6-9pm
WK LONDON
16 HANBURY ST
LONDON
E1 6QR

Track the blogs of each team with regular video updates here

By Millie Ross

The Best and Brightest of New Designers

jotta went along to New Designers 2009, a massive culmination of the best graduating textiles, applied arts, ceramics, metalworks and jewellery design students, and we liked what we saw. We plucked just a handful of the artists on show whose work dazzled us.

(piece titled "Resonate II" by Emmeline Hastings)

In addition to being a metalworks graduate from the University for the Creative Arts, Farnham, Emmeline Hastings sings and plays the guitar. Performing and the music produced gives way to her other art—metal that recreates the movements and vibrations of sound.

What or who inspires you? It is the movements and vibrations of sound and music that I try to show in my work, but I am also inspired by the science of ‘Cymatics.’ This is the science of seeing sound in natural substances like water and crystals. The shapes and patterns that emerge are mind-blowing.

Is there a particular metal that you enjoy working with the most? And why? I use stainless steel because of its springiness and reflective qualities but it is not easy to work with because it is so hard. I have also used silver in my work and its malleability is a refreshing change from stainless steel. However, I like the combination of the two.

What are your plans now that the show’s done? I’m taking part in a residency to keep access to a workshop and develop the work. I hope to complete a much larger piece, and maybe obtain some funding to realise these ideas or work by commission.



At Edinburgh College of Art, Karen Mabon was amongst only 11 who studied Jewellery and Silversmithing. Although, instead of working in precious metals, Karen chose to manipulate plywood into fun, toy-like pieces of jewellery.

What inspires your jewellery designs? It’s something that changes every day. My degree show collection was inspired by a number of things, ranging from my first visit to Berlin to the greyhound races in Glasgow to the time I met Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall. I am inspired by artists who share my interest in interpreting and manipulating reality; photographer Tim Walker, David Hockney, and filmmakers Pierre Huyghe and Aeronout Mik.

Do you incorporate the same detail and style from your 3D boxes in your jewellery as well? Yes, definitely. To be honest I don’t really see myself as a jeweller! I have quite an interdisciplinary attitude towards design and believe every aspect of a product should be equally considered. I love the colours and typeface of graphic and packaging design from the 1950s, and hope my own work conjures up similar connotations. My work is quite playful and toy-like, and I think the packaging contributes to that. I want people to instantly warm to it.

Do you have any plans for the future now that the show’s done? In September, I start an MA at the Royal College of Art in London, which I’m really looking forward to. I’m not sure how my work will change when I go to the RCA, I’m considering venturing into film.



Rebecca Vernon, a recent ceramics graduate from Bath Spa University, likes glass. She especially enjoys the way light reacts to glass, a phenomenon she tries to recreate in her clay pieces.

Are there other mediums or artists that inspire you? I got my initial inspiration from the V&A glass section. I also have a bit of an obsession with overly ornate cut glass, I love getting up ridiculously early on a Sunday morning and going to car boots to buy other people’s junk. I love the playful qualities of light on the surface of the glass, which is something I try to capture in my work.

Do you always carve your sculptures or was that just for your tea set piece? I came to carving by accident, I was making something and it had dried out too much so that it wasn’t malleable anymore. I start to cut into it out of frustration in order to refine the form. I thought this was the perfect way to translate the qualities I love from cut glass. Since then I have spent that last year and a half trying to refine this technique.

What do you plan on doing now that the show’s done? I’m currently looking to buy a kiln so I can get going independently and make some more work because I feel there is a lot of energy behind it at the moment. I keep on having ideas of how to expand and improve, and I don’t want to lose the momentum I have built up.



A recent textile design graduate from the small-town Loughborough University, Jenny Appleton uses current British figures and culture as inspiration for the modern wallpaper and furniture prints she creates.

Tell us something interesting about yourself. I asked some of my friends and they all said that I have an uncommonly loud laugh that penetrates walls. Cheers kids. On another note, I live on a farm and, growing up, I had a pet sheep named Winston.

What or who inspires you when you design? I’m inspired by all sorts, really, from music and art to places and people. Primarily my work’s about current British culture mixed with antiquated traditions, however it’s all very personal to me and is based on my views and experiences. It’s really just an amalgamation of everything that interests me right now.

What do you plan on doing now that the show’s done? Now that the show is over I plan to continue working on some new wallpaper designs and furniture pieces as well as finding some sort of way of commercially hand printing my wallpapers. I’d love to see a few shops stocking the wallpapers.

New Designers 2009

By Emily Thomas

jotta Lands at the Legion

jotta launches an ongoing residency of jotta artist exhibitions at music venue The Legion, beginning with the monochromatic, graphics and photography of jotta members Nick Morley, Eoin Ryan, and Gemma Land.

(piece by Gemma Land)

In a music and art collaboration, the Legion and jotta have joined creative forces. While the Legion provides the music, jotta will be sourcing artists for bi-monthly exhibitions. To start off this partnership, three jotta artists have been chosen for the first showing on Monday night.

Nick Morley, a London artist and illustrator, will be showing off his monochromatic illustrations alongside Irish illustrator and designer Eoin Ryan and London photographer Gemma Land.

Nick's work has been featured on the book covers of Penguin and Faber & Faber, and inside the cult illustration compendium Le Gun Magazine. Focusing on masculinity, heroism and human achievement, his work features blackly humorous images of hunters, wrestlers and bearded men.

Eoin has recently graduated from Camberwell College of Arts where he studied illustration. In addition to his muted geometric illustrations, Eoin animates his drawings, with one being screened at the BFI as part of the onedotzero Adventures in Motion Film Festival.

Gemma is completing her last year at London College of Communication, Masters in Photography. Her photographs depict bourgeois and idyllic suburban real estate, and center around the origins and history of residential architecture.

Joining the trio of jotta artists will be Amy Hurst (drums), Astrud Steehouder (guitar and vocals), and Jessamine Tierney (bass and vocals)- who make up The Rayographs. The Rayographs base their songs on ideas such as the "dark blue cinematic lynchian atmospheres" and "stark impressions of strange histories." Their live performance at the Legion on Monday will coincide with the release of their new single, ‘Francis’.

Together the three jotta artists and the Rayographs will be exploring themes of darkness and dreams in the brick alcoves of the Legion, starting off a great new bi-monthly trend.

Come join us at the Private View next Monday July 20th 7pm - 10pm at The Legion.

By Emily Thomas

THIS IS WHY WE MEET - Week 1

And they’re off! Six teams, six colleges, six mediums and six installations. We have exclusive video footage of the first team, Chelsea College of Fine Arts on their day 1 and 2 in the project space.

After an intensive week of careful considration and lots of pieces of paper flying about, Pat and Trevor (aka Joe and Jimmy), and Laura Vent of Weiden + Kennedy selected the teams - 4 students from each college within the University of the Arts London - who would become part of a collaborative team and work together intensively for a one-week period prior to installation of their work.

The Chelsea team is made up of artists Kiwon Hong, Daniella Kemal, Hannah Newell and Grace Schofield. Their first day in Weiden + Kennedy's project space saw them getting to know each other through workshops, brainstorming sessions and pool tournaments.

DANIELLA INTERVIEW 1 from Pat And Trevor on Vimeo.

This is one of the activities the Chelsea team got up to yesterday.

INTERACTIVE WORKSHOP 1 from Pat And Trevor on Vimeo.

Check out more of the fun on their blog

By Millie Ross

BEAUTIFUL LOSERS

BEAUTIFUL LOSERS reveres the inspirational energy and DIY nature of a group of artists who emerged in the early 90’s from the now notorious Alleged Gallery. Your artwork could share the walls with the films artists at the London premier.

The documentary's director Aaron Rose founded Alleged through a disenchanted backlash against the exclusive ‘ivory tower’ of the art world. From derelict shopfront to youth hang-out, the four walls of Alleged served as a make-shift home for breeding young creative spirit.

Forever on the brink of eviction, the gallery continued to pump out art shows that gave vocal chords to a street sub-culture of punks and skateboarders, kids with nothing to do except make their own kind of art in their own anti-art school way.

Five and a half years in the making, BEAUTIFUL LOSERS tells the history of the scene through 11 key artists who came together at Alleged and are now famous in their own rights. Harmony Korine, who gained recognition for writing the film ‘Kids’ at just 19 and has recently premiered his latest film, Mister Lonely at Cannes; Barry McGee, a leading graffiti artist in the subcultures of California; graphic designer Geoff McFetridge who is commissioned by Nike and Stussy, and ex-pro skater and artist Ed Templeton, founder of skateboarding company Toy Machine.

The documentary digs up old super 8 home-video, threads together indepth interviews from throughout the years, interspersed with illustrative animations, art work and early films by the artists. Towards the end of the film the artists contemplate the inevitability of emerging from the underground. Finding themselves in a popular culture and being sought after by high-profile galleries, many felt the pressure to sell out to advertising moguls-many of who were their peers in the street art scene, converted into corporate cool-hunters.

Now in their 30’s and 40’s footage of the artists in their homes and studios show a developed clarity to their individual styles, a greater appreciation of each other’s work and collaboration. Although their lives have panned out in different directions, they all share the same insight on what it means to be given a chance as a inner city kid and to express themselves as exactly that.

"It’s your duty to tell your story in a different way." Wise words from the ever-eccentric Harmony Korine.

THE COMPETITION -

Submit your original art work for a chance to exhibit alongside these hugely influential artists as part of the exhibition to coincide with the release of the film!

jotta have teamed up with the filmmakers who will curate a London exhibition featuring artists from the film.

Your work could be selected to exhibit alongside them, to be seen by luminaries from both the art and film worlds who will be in attendance!

SUBMIT YOUR WORK HERE

BEAUTIFUL LOSERS will open exclusively at the ICA from August 7th and will be out on DVD on August 24th.

losermovie.co.uk 

By Esther Bradley

Swanfield on Tour

Imagine a one-stop shop for everything you love about London- its fashion designers, its art, its music… and its food. Swanfield, East London’s favourite Pop-Up Boutique is going on tour and jotta are joining them for the ride.

The best things in London at the moment are transient; blink and you’ll miss the pop-up shops and galleries taking temporary residence in the most unlikely places. jotta are once again bringing you to the cusp of the next big thing- a travelling department store full of local designers, artists, musicians and bakers all under one roof.

From mid-July to September Swanfield will be taking up residence amongst the cobbled streets of Newburgh Quarter in Soho, in a creative hub of activity.

The space will be overflowing with new designs from a flock of young London independants fashion and jewellery designers (many of whom are jotta members), in the Swanfield wardrobe where new and vintage fashion sits alongside jewellery and accessories from labels including Mine, Cecilia Hammarborg, Milena, Ava Dollskull, Maaike Mekking, Max & Che, Karin Andreasson, Bunnies Forever, Luladot, and Stansfield for men.

Hungry after all that shopping? Cozy up in a comfy corner and sample the homemade delights that Lily Vanilli has produced including her legendary bespoke cupcake service.

After helping to curate artists in the original Swanfield pop-up in east London, which ran from last Christmas to this Spring, jotta are chuffed to be joing Swanfield collective again to showcasing a stunning trio of upcoming female artists; Fanny Bostrom, Maureen Gubia and Katy Smail.

For the launch Swanfield and jotta will be hosting the debut London exhibition of work by acclaimed New York artist Fanny Bostrom. Fanny's dark, dreamy paintings and whimsical papercuts have been curated into galleries for solo shows in New York and Stockholm.

Read Fanny's blog stream on jotta, for which the New York based Swede tirelessly updates us on amazing artists she encounters on her travels, and see more of Fanny’s own work here

To see more of Maureen’s work click here

To see more of Katy’s work click here

If you thought the fun stopped there, guess again, as late nights on Thursdays will see Swanfield host a selection of eclectic musical acts, events and performances from the likes of Johnny Flynn, Oh Ruin, Serafina Steer, Josh Weller and more.

Official Launch Date & Party:
Tuesday July 21st
Lily Vanilli Cake Party & Press Day:
Thursday August 6th

For more info on the Swanfield gang click here

By Stephanie Grace

We're All Going On A Summer Holiday

Always wanted to go to Venice Biennale? Why not take 100 of your closest friends too? That’s what South London art collective LuckyPDF did for the field trip of a lifetime. Watch the fun here.

Peckham Internationale in Venice from Jack Foxton on Vimeo.

In early June of this year LuckyPDF launched the Peckham Internationale, a project inspired by the local Hannah Barry Gallery and their show entitled The Peckham Pavilion at the Venice Biennale. With the help of fellow South London collectives The Sunday Painter and members of Off Modern, LuckyPDF encouraged and mobilised a group of over a hundred peeps from the the artistic community in Peckham and London to travel to the Venice Biennale as a large flash excursion/holiday.

"What makles our events and parties special isn't necessarily the bands or dj's, but the atmosphere and the people there." Says Oliver Hogan, one quarter of LuckyPDF.

Originally they planned to hire coaches and envisioned a road trip of epic proportions,eventually practicality prevailed and the gang of one hundred flew to the Italian art capital. "The aim was just to get everyone there,. we coordinated a timetable so thta we were all in certian places at the same time, one meal had 70 people eating in restaurant on Campo Santa Margherita, it was kind of like team building, though that sounds crap! Everyone was aquaintances, and now we're a real community."

The Peckham Internationale hasn't stopped there and are planning for a second venture abroad this Christmas, to keep informed you can join the mailing list at www.luckypdf.com.

By Oliver Hogan

Atma

A row of ghostly figures stand heads bowed, an army of faceless workers, a tunnel dwelling fleet of clones entwined by their briefcases. Painter and street artist ATMA’s recent mural sat in the depths of Tunnel 228, the collaboration between innovative theatre group Punchdrunk, The Old Vic Theatre, and Pictures on Walls – Banksy’s art collective.

Atma’s wall mural, Metropoli Souls, was one of an impressive roster of international contemporary artists selected to partake in this extraordinary combination of theatre and contemporary art. The Toulouse born artist’s work sat alongside work by acclaimed artists Alistair Mackie, Janet Cardiff & George Bures Miller, Paul Insect and Polly Morgan, all housed in the maze of Victorian vaulted tunnels underneath Waterloo Station.

Sealed from the world of the city above for many years, it is fitting that Atma’s work would reside in such a locale. A nomadic city dweller, Atma’s paintings have found home on the walls and allies of streets across Europe and North Africa.

Atma’s work began in the underground street art scene of Toulouse alongside the likes of internationally acclaimed artists as Miss Van, CeeT, Tilt, and Der. Here his Black and White series Faces from the New World took shape.

The work Atma did in Barcelona adhered to a palette of black and white. Striking, minimal and evocative, the billboard-sized portraits drew inspiration from the black white iconography of jazz and hip hop. A two-year stint in Morocco found the artist painting diptychs of the North African sand dunes and exhibiting new dynamic and spiritual work in the galleries of Rabat .This brought him to the attention of the cities wealthy elite and led a canvas being bought as a wedding present for the king of Morocco. The following week an aid was sent to purchase further work for the Royal family.

Unsurprisingly, from there his reputation flourished.

Now a London resident the artist paints and creates collages from meticulously compiled collections of newspapers, receipts, tickets and packaging with images sourced from his own photography.

“Since living in London I collect everything from my life, this culture is so dependant on consuming, in the consumer game you keep asking for more. In my work, everything I use I have consumed.”

Atma has recently turned his collage to portraiture with subjects including Gordon Ramsey and Chris Eubank. His latest piece for Kevin Spacey currently adorns the wall of his office at the old Vic.

Atma has adopted a method of creating work which entails completely absorbing an environment. Just as he immersed himself in the culture of Rabat, through painting life and the desert and in Barcelona through literally painting the streets, Atma explores the very fabric of a place through materials and waste it expels. And in the case of the stunning and immersive Tunnel 228, going underground.

Atma is currently working on additional portrait commissions and plans to explore further collaborations with like-minded artists at other unusual locations. New themes for his work are evolving; social commentary will be one of them, while working with the underprivileged is also of great importance to him.

By Millie Ross

See more of Atma's work here

For sales enquiries, commissions and exhibitions please contact his agents at: sananguatavut@googlemail.com

High Diving

In the lead up to the monumental sculpture show in Peckham’s multi-storey car park, jotta followed the making of Theo Turpin’s structural diving board tower and glass plunge pool - an allegory to the risks and balancing acts of being an artist.

As our behind the scenes footage is testament, jotta member Theo Turpin’s sculptural work 'Between You and I', which was given the space to be born and grow to monumental proportions by the Hannah Barry Gallery, has weathered all conditions on the roof of the South London eerie concrete tower.

Now open to the public for ascension and admiration until September 20th, all those months of hard grafting and waiting on the edge have finally paid off.

By Esther Bradley

Cover Art Lives

With the rise of the Internet came the onslaught of the mp3. It devoured record companies and turned everything digital. Well, not quite. Hard Format has dedicated its time to preserving and celebrating vinyl, CDs, and other tangible forms of music through the cover art that went with them.

"Everybody's talking about the end of physical media. Digital distribution is incredibly convenient and there's no doubt it will be the dominant format, but there's definitely still a place for beautiful, engaging design. Hard Format celebrates our love of that." Writes Colin Buttimer, co- founder of the wonderful online archive of great cover designs, "We publish a weekly update on a chosen cover design and are gradually building up pages on key designers, labels and personal, themed collections."

Hard Format's Top Five Favourite Covers

Kraftwerk, Autobahn (Vertigo)
Absolutely iconic design, beloved of Peter Saville as well as ourselves. No one knows for sure who designed it either! Here's a link to the cover.

Kruder & Dorfmeister: K&D Sessions (!K7)
This was the subject of our first post on Hard Format. It was a CD sold off by a local library - we chose it because of the wear and tear it shows from its many listeners. It's like a talisman for Hard Format. See the CD here.

Albert Ayler: Ghost Box (Revenant)
The box, cast from the original owned by Albert Ayler himself, contains all sorts of memorabilia, seven CDs, a beautifully designed book and a dogwood flower, the artist's favourite. Can you believe a piece of record packaging could bring a tear to the eye? This one did. Take a look at the box.

Chain Reaction
We adore the utilitarian beauty of the first eight releases on Chain Reaction, arguably techno's most important label, even if they did sometimes shatter the CDs inside. Here's a link to it.

Money Will Ruin Everything (Rune Grammofon)
There's a little message inside that says "This book is a record cover". Rune Grammofon are exemplary in their love, style and dedication to brilliant new music. Peek inside.

By Colin Buttimer

Anthropologie: Crossing the Pond

Whimsical, bohemian with a penchant for discovery, US fashion and homeware purveyor Anthropologie are spreading their wings and coming to the UK, with some exciting and incredibly creative job opportunities up for the taking.

Anthropologie prides itself on the creative décor of each individual store. Each of its 120 stores scattered across the United States are situated in architecturally diverse buildings and exhibit continually evolving and innovative window displays.

In 2007, the New York City store on Fifth Avenue exuded a Princess and the Pea atmosphere as it stacked its colorfully patterned bedding into a haphazard tower of comfort. While in 2007 the New York’s Rockafeller Center store surrounded a yellow sundress with partially filled plastic bags accentuated by green leaf cutouts. The Anthropologie theme? Self-sustainability.

Now this lifestyle opus with an emphasis on exploration and creativity is beginning its expansion into Europe, with London as the gateway.

Although Anthropolgie sells in over 150 location across the States and online, the company continually strives to maintain an individual identity. The largest purveyor of decorative antiques and found objects in the United States, this ethos is seen in their choice of buildings for their UK sites. Two architecturally distinct buildings: a grand and beautiful old building on Regent Street and the historical Antiquarius building on King’s Road.

Reflecting the chequered past of the King’s Road Antiquarius building, Anthopologie plans to recreate the grand hall that once served as a gentlemen's club and pool hall. As well as preserving the history of the sites, the two stores will also represent the local London environment by “incorporating reclaimed materials and featuring work by local artists and artisans.”

While the company has chosen two grand old buildings and ensures the preservation of London culture, what is really exciting are the immersive windows and interiors that will be unveiled in September. Like their U.S. predecessors, we can expect to see the creation of another world for each store.

If you'd like to be part of this creation and are an artist, design or maker with great ideas and making know-how, jump into the jotta marketplace to read more about the roles of Display Co-ordinator.

Snapshots from Manchester Metropolitan

Up north, Manchester Metropolitan University exposed the work of over 30 photography students who delve into dramatic landscape, intimate portraiture and eerie still life.

From landscapes to close-ups, black and whites to the brightly hued, the BA Photography degree show at MMU revealed a broad scope of student talents.

Photographers such as Alan Joiner and Elliot Kennedy developed and displayed a group of images focused around specific themes, while Olga Rozenbajgier, focused on capturing isolated figures and close relationships. To create this atmosphere Olga chose to create realities using actors and contrasted that against images of her family.

On the other hand MMU student Stephanie Johnson chose to center her images around the surrealism of fashion and filled her lens with close-ups and details about the fashion process.

For more pictures by these artists as well as shots from the others on display, go here.

By Emily Thomas

Ellie Bunston

After shooting an impressive range of short films, cinematography graduate Ellie Bunston has developed a knack for capturing contrast lighting, imbuing her work with a sense of danger, thrill, and loss that would be otherwise imperceptible.

What or who inspires your work?
There is no particular cinematographer or director that inspires all my work; all my films have been so different. I really like to research each film differently - though there are the classics that first got me thinking about cinematography, films by Robert Yoeman, Bruno Delbonnel and Roger Deakins. I really like the more experimental filmmakers like Michael Gondry and Tacita Dean.

How did you find your time at the University College for Creative Arts?
UCA is one of a few Uni's that use 16mm film, a lot of Uni's now only use digital. The course is great for teaching you industry standard skills and using industry standard equipment such as Arri SR3's and Avid Media Composer.

Do you usually edit and direct your own films or do you collaborate with editors and directors?
I've done it on two films, but it's not my preferred field. Although, I'm really glad I have experienced other roles in filmmaking; it has made me appreciate other people and I think it has made me a much better filmmaker. I much preferred working with other people on their visions and stories. I like to read a script or synopsis and get inspired and excited when all the images pop into my head.

In the 'RSG-6' clip you have an interesting set up. It appears to have a sole light source: the partially open door on the right of the frame, which thrusts the rest of the frame into deep shadow in addition to casting interesting shadow patterns on the left side of the frame. How did you set up the angle and shot in order to capture enough light to distinguish the silhouettes but not enough to see much detail? Also, toward the end of the clip the edges of the frame appear rounded/ circular. Did you use a specific lens for that or was it part of the editing?
This is one of my favourite in the film. It was so simple to achieve, but created an awesome shot. We used a wide-angle 5.7mm lens, which created the curvature effect, but what was great about this shot was the location. We shot in a nuclear war bunker in a tunnel with great perforated metal walls, which gave the tunnel great texture. All we did was to put a 360 fresnel on the door so when it opened it spilled just enough light onto the characters and just enough on the wall behind to see that they were in a tunnel; we then tracked back using a trolley to get that sense of depth and danger to the scene.

'RSG-6' and 'Last Day at Work' use a lot of contrast lighting, is this a signature style for you or were those clips experiments in lighting?
For 'RSG-6' and 'Last Day at Work' both had a dark feel, especially 'Last Day at Work.' Contrast lighting really works well with this style. I don't like to over use it. It can be over done sometimes especially in black and white films. It's not really a signature style, just very effective and fits in with a lot of the scenes that I've worked on. The shot at the beginning of 'Last Day at Work' was a director's choice; we wanted to create the sense of curiosity and the sense of being lost and confused. The character in the story was a man suffering from dementia who kept going to work thinking his work place still existed and so this shot of him walking into darkness really embraced that theme of loss.

Have you made much animation besides 'Floods Today?'
With animation I'm very much an amateur. I enjoy drawing and although I'm not that good at it I would definitely like to do more in the future. I have done bits on bobs experimenting with mostly drawn or stop animation with my digital SLR and super 8mm camera, but for my last film, the music video for A Lilly, I used green screen animation for the first time, but I much prefer drawn or stop motion.

What is your favourite shot/ angle/ lighting to shoot?
I really enjoyed the lighting set ups for the Bachelor Tree, I had a lot of pre production time and a lot of research. I especially like the more contrasty shots, which have a slight German expressionism feel - this really suited this style of story. I really enjoy the tracking shots too; it helped with the flow and rhythm of the story, which was really important as there was a narrated rhyme voice over.

If you would like to see Ellie's films, go to her jotta profile.

By Emily Thomas

Kate Copeland

Kate Copeland is a little lady with big ambitions; her passion for illustration and her recent flourishes in animation have seen her commissioned by some big names, from War Child to political editorial, her figurative drawings interspersed with abstract shapes and vector will be infiltrating your periphery soon.

You have recently redesigned the logo of War Child. How did you rework the War Child Logo? What are the thoughts behind it?
The logo design was an adaption, taken from the Army Of You event flyer I designed for War Child. War Child work to protect children living in dangerous war zones and I wanted to echo this in the work. The design shows a tangle of wings, a trapped freedom. It was a real pleasure to work with the charity.

What projects are you currently working on?
My work is currently involved in the music industry, which I absolutely love. I’ve been working closely with Filthy Dukes and Kill Em All to produce flyers and t-shirts. I’ve been designing artwork for the Pure Groove record label also.

Do you want to convey a message with your animation and illustration work?
A lot of my work last year was editorial based, and I enjoyed working with articles where I could comment on current political affairs. Most of my work recently has been more light-hearted, focused more on aesthetics than content. When I get the opportunity to work on editorial, I try to communicate a message and sometimes slip in my opinion.

How would you best describe your style?
I’ve recently started working with pencil again. I’ve been using pen for nearly the past two years and it’s nice to turn back to the pencil. I like to combine detailed figurative drawings, with abstract shapes and vector. It’s a fairly new approach for me, but I like where it’s going.

For what reason did you choose to study Illustration at The Arts Institute Bournemouth?
It had a good reputation and it’s a very open course. There’s a huge amount of support to develop potential and design disciplines have a wide cross over. It’s always lovely to be by the beach too!

How do you balance life as a student and freelance illustrator?
It gets pretty hectic at times and it involves a lot of late nights and coffee. I’ve been lucky so far that my student and freelance projects can overlap. I can often incorporate work I’ve created for university in my commissioned work.

Uou recently became a member of 'Just Us' collective, what are your future plans with this art collective?
‘Just Us’ is showcase for young creative talent from universities across the UK. It’s very fresh and new, so nothing has been set out for us all yet, but I’m looking forward to working with the other members.

You are active in illustration and animation. What attracts you the most and why?
Drawing has always been the focus in my life, always determined to have a career in design, so my path naturally lead me here. Since studying, I’ve found I can visualise better in motion and animation allows me to push my skills further.

You said you’d like to focus more on animation in the future. For what reason?
Ambition. I feel I excel in animation; my mind works better in with moving image. I can create narratives and give audience pleasure through motion and technique. There’s a satisfaction to producing transitions between imagery and working with music. Sound is equally as important as the visuals.
I still want work as an illustrator but I’m passionate in all areas of design, but I never want to limit myself. I still love working in editorial illustration, but at the moment I have a drive to create music videos, vinyl covers and big set designs. I’d love to see my drawings huge on stage or in a window display; it’s a big dream of mine.
It’s a lot of passion and big ambition for a little girl from Devon.

Check out more of Kate's work here.

By Nicky Ruisch

Extra extra read all about it...

jotta hosted another news worthy event at the V&A last Friday when the Chip Chop team, Emma Rios and Dan Price, made headlines and followed the life of the tabloids from the newsroom to the chip shop. jotta’s roaming reporters were there to catch the action.

Welcome to the chip chop, no ordinary fish and chip shop. What the order of the day? Asks the boy behind the counter. You ponder your decision- scampi scandals, pickled page 3 lovelies or some haddock headlines? Your paper delights get rapped in a blank newspaper. As you enter the restaurant- instead of salt and vinegar, you’re presented with glue and scissors. Here you don’t read the news you make it…

To watch some footage of the night click here.

And see more pics here.

By Stephanie Grace

Monumental

South London gallery Hannah Barry opened Bold Tendencies lll last night on the rooftop of the Peckham Rye multiplex. In the sweltering heat there was not a better place to watch the sundown over the London cityscape in the custom built bar, surrounded by monumental sculpture from a who’s who of the South London massive, including jotta One To Watch Theo Turpin.

jotta was lucky enough to get an exclusive preview of the installation of the show which invited young artists from around the Peckham Camberwell area to create "monumental" site specific scultpure which responded to the structure and surround environemnt of the carpark.

The images here are from the wek before the opening, jotta filmed up and coming young artist Theo Turpin installing hishuge diving tower, as well as the opening last night.

The car park which is normally deserted and uterly eerie was last night amock with flocks of young artists, no doubt just some of the many collectives took part including Off Modern, Lucky pdf, Sunday Painters and Matthew Stone.

Stay tuned for the exclusive installation film.

14 – 20 JULY, open daily 12noon – 6pm Level 10 , Peckham Rye Multistorey Car Park, 95A Rye Lane SE15 4ST

Hannah Barry

By Millie Ross

Martin Margiela SS 2010

jotta skipped over to Paris to catch the Martin Margiela menswear presentation for Spring Summer 2010. Resplendent in all shades of pale, the street cast line up of models and piped elevator voice descriptions cast a 2001 Space Odyssey style serenity over the collection.

There were definite hints of irony in the calm and clinical tones of the female “voice from above”, who coolly described each garment in laymans terms.

The no mess no fuss show saw each gentleman (sourced from the street in the tradition of MMM) walk sans model strut onto the platform, followed by an attendant who helped them into their final garment, usually a jacket or vest. The show was a clear continuation of the Margiela houses' ethos that says the star of the show should always be the garments, rather than supermodels and front row celebs.

Crisp, concise and elegant the collection tracked a progression from minimal, classic and magnificently cut, to subtle affectations of floral motifs in soft screen prints, embroidery and laser cuts.

While Martin Margiela has recently stepped back into the shadows, handing the reigns to his designers, some were heard to say that the collection harked back to the days of yore when the Belgian designer reigned supreme. No doubt a compliment to his protege's.

By Millie Ross