Rebuilding the Skylon

Demolished in 1952 after being the 'vertical centerpiece' of the Festival of Britain, the Skylon has remained an iconic piece of architecture - a lost landmark - which existed for just over one year. Designed by two young architects Jacko Moya and Philip Powell who were still in their twenties, and the structural engineer Felix Samuely. The base was 40 feet from the floor and the top 300ft high.


The sculptural Skylon symbolised the shining modernist future of post war Britain and has continued to do so even in it's absence.


Now President of RIBA Jack Pringle has launched a campaign to rebuild this lost landmark in time for the 60th aniversary of the Festival of Britain. The only catch (apart from the money) is that the old position on the South bank is occupied by the National Theatre and the cityscape is rather more cluttered than it was is 1951. So they are looking around for alternative sites.


We think that it should be rebuilt and are suggesting an open site South of Worthing's Beach House - already home to a set of beach chalets topped off by a clocktower, built by public subscription for the festival in 1951. The tower would match the current buildings, and allow the Skylon to be both the centrepiece and symbol of the regeneration of Worthing and the seafront. By night the illuminated Skylon would shine as a beacon to shipping and be seen from Brighton and as far away as Beachy Head and the Isle of Wight.

There is to be a national vote, on 10th July. If you would like to see the skylon rebuilt go to 'Vote For The Skylon' and say where you'd like it (but we think it would look fantastic on the beach! rather than lost in the clutter of the big cities)

The old Skylon was apparently melted down to make ashtrays - wouldn't it be great it aluminium ashtrays were melted down to make the new skylon.

Click Here to Read More..

Clothkits

Relaunched 60's clothing company Clothkits sent over the latest addition to their range of screenprinted clothing kits. The cotton sateen skirt designed by 'people will always need plates' features the iconic Erno Goldfinger designed Trellick Tower, and is available in kit form at £45.
The kit comes in 4 colours; Tealy with Yolk Yellow, Municipal Green with Rubine Red, Dark Magenta with Sludge Yellow and Silvery 'Eau de Nil' with VW Orange.

Click Here to Read More..

Artist of the Week - Clay Sinclair

CLAY SINCLAIR

My paintings aim to be more than just wallpaper. I seek to create work that will engage, stimulate and provoke the viewer. By painting on perspex, my art is vibrant and luminous, but by frequently using text I force the art to be viewed as more than just an ascetic object.




When and where did you first want to do what you do?
I came to art quite late really. It was only when I came to the UK 12 years ago that I started painting with any seriousness. The main reason for that was that my father is a well known New Zealand landscape artist and I guess I had to get to the other side of the world before I felt free enough to explore this side of my creativity.

Was there any one individual who helped you on your way?
Well actually my father. Despite me not taking art seriously until I got as far away as I possibly could from him, he was and is an invaluable tutor. In my youth he taught me how to draw, paint, sculpt and generally be creative. Recently he has been a real help, not just technically, but professionally, as I establish myself as a full-time artist.


When did you go full-time?
My previous career was that of a Civil Engineer. I was good at it, but hated it. I guess I was cursed by being reasonable at mathematics. Anyway, this caused me great depression, because I knew I was doing the wrong job. It came to the point where I could do it no longer, so in 2004 I quit my job and moved my family back to NZ for 6 months of rest, reflection and reassessment. During this time I started painting more regularly and I made the decision to paint purely on perspex. I had been playing with the idea of ’backwards’ painting for the previous 5 or 6 years. I found during this time that there was an interest in my work and I was selling around various NZ galleries. With this encouragement I returned to the UK in 2005 to establish my career over here.


Where do you sell your work?
When I first came back to the UK I started selling at the Bayswater Art Market in London. Initially I thought it more than a little dubious to try selling off the railings of Hyde Park, but I gave it a go. It was a phenomenal success and really set me on my way to confirming what I was doing and how I was doing it. It was a great barometer to see if my crazy ideas would be liked enough for someone to fork out money, and put them on their wall. But my time at the Bayswater finished a year ago, as I wished to be taken more seriously as an artist and imitators were appearing a regular intervals on the railings. So in December 2007 I had my debut solo exhibition in Gallery27, Cork Street, London. It was a great success with good sales and vital exposure to the wider art world.

This year I am building towards another end of year solo show in London and a couple of select group shows including the Brighton Art Fair.

How much do you bend your ‘vision’ to suit the marketplace?
One of the things I learnt at the Bayswater Art Market was that when you try and cater for a ‘market’ it doesn’t work. I think the art buyer can sense when something is contrived and not authentic and maybe even mass produced.
What I found was that the more I was myself, the more successful I was.

Who would you say buys your work?
Mostly people who have a similar view of the world. They are usually quite self aware and have the confidence to laugh at the world and also themselves. I’ve often said that the majority of my clients are the type of people I could imagine being really good friends with, and not just because they give me money.


Where is your studio?
I have a studio within the Ark-T Art Community in Oxford. We moved from London to Oxford 2 years ago, and the Ark-T was one of the major reasons we moved. It has 4 resident artists, a recording studio, community arts projects and a café with great food and coffee. It’s the perfect place for a studio. It’s private but if I need a second opinion or just a chat, there’s always someone else around.

One favourite historical artist?
I do have a favourite. Friedensreich Hundertwasser, an Austrian artist who died a few years back. Ironically, even though he lived in NZ for much of his life, I only discovered him when I was walking around Vienna as a wide eyed tourist. I was totally blown away by his Kunst Haus, which he designed to house his paintings. Absolutely fantastic. Trees coming out of windows, undulating floors and his art which just screamed life and vibrancy. I soon became a fan, accumulating books on not just his painting, but also his architecture and philosophy. One of my favourite stories of his is when he was asked to speak at a prestigious art collage in Germany. He walked in and just announced that if there did happen to be any ‘real’ artists in the room, they should leave the art school immediately and be creative themselves without having other peoples ideas forced upon them. Brilliant. I guess he probably wasn’t asked back.


So did you go to art school?
No I didn’t, which is I guess is one of the reasons I like the Hundertwasser story. But as I said before, I probably had something better, a personal tutor in my father. I have a lot of friends who went to art school, and absolutely none of them are making a career out of their creativity so I’m quite happy to have trodden the path I have, to the point where I am now.

Future plans?
Who knows the future? I am loving life at the moment. So I guess I just want to see how far I can take my creativity. Who knows what ideas I will have next? That’s a thought that excites me every time I enter my studio.

Click Here to Read More..

Through the keyhole - ALISON MILNER & STEVE SPELLER

Steve Speller, photographer and Alison Milner, designer moved into their five bedroomed Victorian terrace house on the seafront in Worthing ten years ago with their two children who were then four and six. They work together and also in their own right. Alison has recently been selected for Reflect Forward she will be making new work based on the Wellcome Trust Collection.

Outside of house and front garden. They noticed the furniture abandoned next to a fishing boat on the beach and asked the fisherman if they could have it.

As soon as Steve and Alison looked around the house they had to have it, despite not really having made the decision to move to Worthing. The two factors that decided them were; firstly the amazing view which stretches from Newhaven to Worthing Pier and secondly the huge amount of space they would have compared to their much smaller terrace house in Bow, East London. The down side was that there were plastic windows and no garden. They grew to appreciate the windows! and dug up the paving stones at the front and bought a few hundred weights of soil which they planted with hardy seaside plants. The house had formerly been part of a guest house for retired milkmen. The décor was very institutional with loads of magnolia woodchip wallpaper, firedoors painted brown, no smoking signs and safety rails. They have done loads of work on the house but parts of it still prompt people to ask if they have just moved in. The best thing they did was make the whole of downstairs into one interconnecting space.

View from window, showing their favourite tea drinking place on the seawall.

Living room: prints by Sarah Young and Jenny Newson, ceramics by Kate Malone and Arwyn Jones, tiles by Christiane and Alison, folding chair from Portobello Road (£12 in 1982) and utility chair from a skip in London.

Wire basket by Jemma Lumber who Alison taught at Northbrook, stones and leaves found on walks get deposited in it.

Hanging grass animals from Delhi Craft Museum, Lampshade made from plastic cups, clocks from a Worthing skip, sofa from Islington junk shop (£50 in 1986) chairs from ikea.

Kitchen reclaimed slate surface from Shoreham cement works, table by Simon Pengelly from Habitat, Bent wood chairs from a Conservative club in London made in Estonia in the 1940s. Crystalline glaze fruit bowl by Gordon Murdoch.

Alison took loads of photographic details around the house in preparation for this blog and this accidental but passionate meeting of a sponge and a soap dish was her favourite.

Alison has always collected bones since she was a little girl. A seagull left a dead pigeon on their roof terrace and within a few days it was reduced to this by the crows … it looks a bit like a cartoon character… Its in a part of their house not seen by the casual visitor! The Eskimo was one of Steve’s favorite toys when he was a child and has lost it’s face.

Alison will be showing Ceramics made in collaboration with Christiane Kersten at Made08.
See Alison and Steve’s website to see the wide variety of work they are involved with.

Click Here to Read More..

Maker of the Week - Laura Anne Marsden

LAURA ANNE MARSDEN

Interior accessories made from 'Eternal Lace'. This is a hand stitched lace, made using waste plastic bags instead of traditional yarns. The lace is put through various processes which change the properties of the plastic. The resulting textile is supple, flexible, waterproof and delicate in appearance, casting ethereal shadows on nearby surfaces. Eternal Lace is used to create wall pieces,cushions, panels, hangings and decorative vessels. I aim to preserve traditional stitch techniques while making them more relevant to society today, by addressing issues such as recycling and waste. Inspiration comes from many places, particularly vintage lace, organic forms, architecture, textile archives - such as at the V&A and exhibitions.



What place in the world has inspired you and why?
Paris is the place that has really inspired me in many ways, and continues to do so. I've been there many times since I was tiny as my Mum is 'Parisienne', and I'm still discovering new gems with every visit. The Museums and galleries and fantastic, I particularly love the Musee D'Orsay and Musee de la Mode et du Textiles. The latter puts on inspirational exhibitions of fashion and textile designers twice a year. The most recent was Christian La Croix, whose use of traditional stitch techniques, and sometimes outlandish colour combinations was really striking. The shades of grey found in the architecture are beautiful, and I use these greys regularly in my work. I relish discovering new independent shops. The last was a haberdashery, piled high with draws of buttons and walls covered in reels of ribbons. The flea markets provide much inspiration, rummaging through vintage textiles and old, decoupage postcards from 100 years ago.

What was the last art/craft/design thing you purchased?
The last design pieces I purchased were Margo Selby cushions when I moved house. Her use of colour and pattern is so effective.

Last best read?
'Trawler' by Redmond O'Hanlon. This gives an insight into the treacherous journeys endured by fisherman.


What do you have on your pin board?
At the moment it is a bit of a mess. I have samples up to remind me to develop them later. There are postcards of Queen Elizabeth 1st, in various ruffs, which inspire shape and form in my work. There are also scraps of antique lace, a pair of lace gloves and a starched collar. Many cuttings of fashion garments by designers such as John Galliano and Alexander McQueen. I find their use of drama and exaggerated scale very inspiring.

Where and what is your studio?
My studio is in my home, which I share with my husband. It is the smallest bedroom, though we are looking to convert the garage into a studio to accommodate equipment, and banish the mess! I work alone, which I like. I do miss the atmosphere of art school where you can bounce ideas around, and crit each others work during tea breaks. I work listening to the radio or i-pod. I find that if I work in silence I have a tendency to get distracted a bit.


When and where did you first want to do what you do?
I have always been creative and cut up my vest age 5/6 to make a cushion. Throughout school I was convinced I wanted to be a fashion designer. However, following a Foundation Course and some good advice I was steered towards Textile Design and a degree at Chelsea College of Art and Design. Initially I thought I was a print designer. After completing a 'Stitch' brief, I knew I wanted to manipulate fabric and challenge existing techniques. I specialised in 'Stitch' during my second and third year and carried on to do an MA.


One favourite historical artist?
Edgar Degas. Particularly the Dancer pastel drawings. The light, costume and body studies are very engaging. I also like the feeling of intimacy anticipation he captures in the 'backstage' drawings.


How much do you bend your 'vision' to suit the marketplace?
I try not to 'bend my vision' too much, however all designer makers have to, to a certain extent. I aim to create the large pieces I love making, as well as scaling them down and thinking on a more practical level. It's a balance between following your creative vision and appealing to the market and selling pieces! I find that people often buy a smaller piece first and then may invest in something more ambitious later.


How do you set about starting a new project? I begin by stripping my pin boards and tidying the studio. I then seek new inspiration from books, magazines, films, many sources. I then produce a few drawings and take photos. These are usually colour, shape and texture studies. I use these to inform pattern, colour and any image that I may incorporate in my work. I love the beginning stages of a project and carrying out all the research.

Do you have a good work/life balance?
I think it's difficult for most creative people to switch off completely from their work, it's a bit of an obsession. I'm a worrier, so if I'm working on an important order or for a show I find it hard to shut the door on it in the evening. I do get up in the night and jot down ideas for products or techniques quite regularly. Even on holiday I always have a small sketch book with me, in case I have any good ideas!

Click Here to Read More..

Caveat Emptor - E-Joinery - La Porte French Doors

Just by way of an update on the new studio, Damian's work has weathered the winter wonderfully, the pond is populated with plants, frogs and scurrying water beatles. The insulation has meant that the studio is usable throughout the winter and it's nice and dry. We haven't sullied the space with computers as yet and would like to keep it as non computer painting/printing studio. In fact the only problem is the only thing that we had to buy in - the doors.

We found these wonderful doors at a reasonable price on the internet from a company calledE-Joinery based in Coleshill, Birmingham. The doors were called La Porte (American White Oak french doors). They looked very good, simple, Oak doors with a big double glazed window to allow the maximum light into the studio. They also came with a one year warantee which reassured us about buying over the internet and showed that the retailer had confidence in their products. We gave the doors 3 coats of yacht varnish, hung them and they looked fantastic.

Until it started to rain. The problem was that the seal between the window panel and the wood had been fitted badly and with the wet summer, water was left standing where the seal had dropped into the frame - soaking directly into the inside of these doors. Where this happened the joints began to swell,discolour and the bottom of the doors swelled and distorted so much that they couldn't be properly closed.

A simple manufacturing error, you may think, but when refusing our claim for a replacement it turns out that the seal wasn't the problem at all but the fact we used yacht varnish rather than stain to finish the doors!

The message I suppose is double check your purchases immediately - don't let any seemingly minor fault pass, send goods back, and don't necessarily trust a guarantee, as there can be wiggle room to void it. We're pursuing the matter as we paid a lot for faulty doors and as you can see the doors have spoilt the look and utility of our bautiful new studio and we're really upset!. - I'll keep you posted.

Click Here to Read More..

Subscribe to MADE

If you have been interested in our blog you can 'subscribe' so that you will automatically get new posts direct to your desktop.

If you would like to subscribe, there is a button on the bottom this page which will guide you and add the post to your google home page or your internet browser (like the BBC newsfeed on some browsers)
or click HERE

and I promise no more postings about our bloomin' shed!

Click Here to Read More..