I was intrigued to learn about this new piece which to me encapsulates so much of the recent history of the East End of London and cycled over for a look on a cloudy evening last week. Sited in Hackney, a mile away from the Olympic Park, this former factory, whose most recent incarnation was as an illicit cannabis farm, is now due for demolition before […]
One-minute blog of interesting things
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As a working contemporary artist I visit many exhibitions and shows, but sometimes it is the things I see that are part of daily life that capture my interest. My one-minute blog of interesting things reflects the fact that although we are increasingly time-poor, there is creativity all around us. Email me at info@carolinebanks.co.uk with your name and email to receive a weekly post that only takes 1 minute to read.
Alex Chinneck & Sumarria Lunn: Going for Broke, the unofficial Olympic sculpture
I was intrigued to learn about this new piece which to me encapsulates so much of the recent history of the East End of London and cycled over for a look on a cloudy evening last week. Sited in Hackney, a mile away from the Olympic Park, this former factory, whose most recent incarnation was as an illicit cannabis farm, is now due for demolition before […]
Hermès – a fan post
This posting is unashamedly one by a long-time fan and disrupts my recent pattern of sharing emerging talent. Hermès is one of my favourite companies; I’ve known about them from childhood and still wear the silk scarf inherited from my grandmother. I love the value they place on craftsmanship and their development of the new inspired by the past. I also cherish the fact […]
Summer holiday wallpaper from Laura Ashley Home
I don’t normally write about high street brands but the story behind this wallpaper appealed to me. Staff were asked to send in their family holiday photos and the design team ended up with this collection of typical British holiday snaps. All the typical elements, beach huts, caravans, sandcastles and piers are here; only donkeys were […]
New Designers 2 – One Year On
Here is very different work from two of last year’s graduates. Danny Duquemin-Sheil of DDQ Design is now based in Newcastle but studied at Nottingham and his concerns include precision craftsmanship as well as our industrial heritage. He’s certainly in the right part of the country for that. He showed bags from former builders’ sacks which I have […]
New Designers 2 – more Scottish graduates
These two are both from Edinburgh. Spyros Kizis showed a thoughtful project to develop a useable material from artichoke thistles and resin produced from waste cooking oil, both readily available resources from Greece, his home. His idea is to use agricultural activity in conjunction with design and manufacturing to produce locally sourced products and encourage self-reliance as the country seeks to rebuild. […]
New Designers 2 – second week
Part 2 of New Designers included furniture and product design, interior & set design as well as illustration. Here are a couple of things I picked out, both from Northumbria University. Interesting for me that the same college’s students pop up even from different courses on different stands. It happened as last week without me even realising till I […]
New Designers 1 – Ceramics
As ever, these postings represent but a fraction of what I see. I was able to talk to both makers featured here which also means more photos. Yay! Both graduates are mature students (another coincidence), demonstrating that changing direction in life will always bring something joyfully unexpected. Nigel Matthews graduated from Staffordshire University. He became interested in the now […]
New Designers 1 – more textiles
As my last post might have seemed a bit limited with only printers, here are a couple of other selections – fewer images as I didn’t get to speak to them at the show and don’t take pictures at stands without permission: Bucks College showed another strong collection of students (lots of lush prints). Clara Malonda presented knitted textiles including this […]
New Designers 1 Textile Design
The selection of work at this show can sometimes be overwhelming; nevertheless some things made me stop to look more closely. I was impressed by the quality from Herriott-Watt University this year and have only just realised whilst writing this that both students below are printers and graduates from Scotland – Meg is from Glasgow School of Art. More from other colleges and […]