So yesterday I went to the big city with my friend Fran. Fran studies Textiles fine art at university and when she realised that I am now studying too she asked if I wanted to go along and see a few exhibitions with her. Of course I jumped at the opportunity!
I think the last time I went to London must have been at least 6 years ago- and lets be honest it wasn’t particularly to soak in the cultural side of London! (Retail therapy!)
Going to London always makes me feel a bit like the country mouse from “Town mouse and country mouse” a book my mum used to read to me when I was younger! The country mouse was basically overwhelmed and clueless on busy “town” life! I think this is sadly how I have become from living in the countryside far too long! London is amazing!- There is so much to see, so many cultures, so much inspiration and influence.. so much atmosphere! everywhere you look there are new things to take in! The way that no person dresses the same and the women are not afraid to be who they are and be unique! That is one thing that is lost in the countryside!- everyone seems to be like sheep around here! lack of individuality! I came home completely walked out, tired, buzzing and inspired!
Our day started off first at White cube in Bermondsey. Fran wanted to see an exhibition by Tracey Emin. Fran told me that I would possibly walk around the whole exhibition and wonder what on earth was happening as I was warned her art is pretty explicit, scribbly and mostly in Frans words “of her legs wide open” whilst I did spend most of the time repeating to her “well… it’s definitely different!” there was aspects I did like.. the fact that she showed no fear in her work. Her work was drawn from pain but she used it to communicate in a way which showed no fear. It was explicit, raw and she definitely had her own personal style which was consistent throughout the whole exhibition!
The second stop was again another exhibition that Fran wanted to go to. The glassblowing museum in Bermondsey.. although this exhibition did not really relate or help me much – I did like looking at the skill and all the pretty colours used. There was a collection of glass bottles too which were inspiring; a designer had moulded glass bottles around plastic bottles and filled them with all the rubbish found in our seas to highlight pollution, climate change and littering our seas with rubbish!
Third stop was an exhibition I wanted to go to! The Fashion and Textiles museum in Bermondsey. Although I am obviously studying Graphic Design I have always had a LOVE for sixties fashion! The colours, the styles, the way at the time the youth rebelled against the old and welcomed new change in! the music, the girl models at the time who made the scene relevant and hip and the general atmosphere! The exhibition was great! – It centered around the fashion of Mary Quant and the interior styles of Terence Conran. I found a lot of Graphic Design influence here from posters used at the time, packaging for Mary Quants makeup range, brochures and catalogues used, sketches used in layouts for fashion magazines… there was a lot to photograph that I could use as inspiration for future projects or assignments!
Alongside this museum was a small exhibition called “will you be my valentine” by Natalie Gibson. A textiles and print designer who started her work in the 1960s. I am unsure as to why I was drawn to her work so much but I really was! I loved the colours, the style of her illustrations, the type she used and how it seemed so quirky and kitsch! One drawing of hers really inspired me to look at and gave me some ideas for my assignment one!
Bermondsey was a lovely little place, charming! very quaint and filled with wonderful little places. We found a few Banksy graffiti’s here too which was amazing as I have never come across one before but always been a great fan of his work. After trying to figure out if the “It doesn’t seem so tall” and “there can’t be another shard looking building like that” building in front of us was actually the Shard.. (yes! we really are country bumpkins!) we decided to head on to the V&A to check out the Mary Quant exhibition there. Sadly for me (who really wanted to go!) the exhibition was sold out on it’s first day of viewing.
We decided to end the day at Camden. I have obviously been to London many times in the past but never been to Camden Town. I am so pleased we went! The only way I could describe it is like going to several places all at the same time!- although we was in England and it was still in London, to me it very much felt like we was abroad in a foreign country! One minute it felt like I was in Spain (I bought a fake Louis Vuitton handbag which tbh I only usually do there!) next it felt like I was in Turkey, There was African stalls with African inspired jewellery and when you walked down the street to the shops which had the animated fronts it felt like I was walking in Vegas!
So much culture, different styles, the hustle and bustle, the atmosphere, so many different unique types of people. I was overwhelmed by how much there was to take in. Soaking in and photographing all the inspiration around me.
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