Personal and Professional Practice

Monday, 31 August 2015

Very STILL Life

So being bed bound and disabled has been really annoying as I have been unable to go to all the different exhibitions etc that I would like to... However it does mean I have the extra opportunity to sit back and enjoy my exciting surroundings...

http://awaspinawig.tumblr.com/post/128056682740

London: #WhatReallyMattersfest

My friend Rosie is involved in this project and if I wasnt on crutches I would have definitely made it down as I think its a fabulous idea to embrace Britains youth for their successes in motivation and creativity- this festival is aimed at the youth! Something productive and positive to see and be inspired by or get involved in! This is a theme I want to look at in my zine- however I am not sure yet whether the scene is specified to being like a comic or magazine...!

http://awaspinawig.tumblr.com/post/128056103175/festival-what-really-matters-tate

Henley-on-Thames: Printing Studios

http://awaspinawig.tumblr.com/post/128052839835/visited-a-print-studio-in-henley-today-which-was

Sunday, 30 August 2015

New York: Shopping Destination

One of our tasks in NYC was to find my sister a prom dress. We headed straight for Macy's. After a few trips to the changing room we were all starting to loose hope... until we headed upstairs where there was a floor dedicated to dresses and in particular ballgowns. There was even a section for fur coats to complete the outfit. (Obviously we opted out of the real fur coats however it was interesting to see that there must be a huge consumer market for it there :/ )

http://awaspinawig.tumblr.com/post/127957011580

I just found America a bit crazy and overwhelming due to its extreme capitalist and consumer values. A few days later we walked past a begger who was homeless and had been scarred from a house fire, he clearly couldnt work due to the intensity of his injuries and I realised I was so shocked because I have never seen someone obviously disabled begging in England. My mum works in social services sector and she told me a few basics about the differences between America vs England and its safety nets, however this is definitely something I don't know enough about but should do!

So I used the bag to create a collage based on a few more serious subjects. I did one page based on the faceless mass of homeless people - most of the time people don't even look them in the eye when they pass, this way they can continue their shopping with a clear conscience. If they don't notice them, they don't exist. I also put my 9/11 memorial ticket on the other page with falling stars; symbolising the lives that were lost in both the planes and buildings, the stars on the American flag and the star on the front of the Macy's bag.

Work Work

Every time I go to work I am inspired by both the work ethic of my boss and other employees and by the amazing locations, houses and decor where we do the events. Most of the time we do private events around oxfordshire/berkshire/buckinghamshire at peoples own homes or hired out venues. I am lucky enough to work for a well respected company so we often go to incredible stately homes and get a chance to see how the other half live. A few times this summer I have been running round the old servants quarters transporting champagne etc from one secret passage way to another... I find the interior and exterior design in these places absolutely breath taking and you just want to be really unprofessional and explore! I love that they have huge portraits of family members and really embrace their history and family. I also love all of the little details such as fire places, door knobs etc which are beautifully crafted... I even came across a toilet seat I wanted to take a picture of!

http://awaspinawig.tumblr.com/post/127985712800/peacock-at-work-yesterday

Here is a photo of an old pet I discovered in Fawley Court, one of the locations I worked in... this job also brings your attention to the amount of perfection and detail the 'upperclasses' have in their etiquette and behavior, for example we were scolded for not having the wrapper around the wine cut to a perfect line. It is a good glimpse into how important it is to have the most exclusive best of the best in some societies- I think this comes from investing money wisely for example putting money into property and into the right timeless quality curtains etc. However this job also opens my eyes to the amount of waste and how disposable money is to some people- you open catering (ginormous) fridges at weddings and they are overfilling with hundred pound bottles of champagne which we get told to constantly fill guests flutes with... the experience of the upper-classes is to have enough money not to worry about money. Tasteful extravagance and luxury.

This definitely influences my work as I always pick up on the intricacies and details in the designs around these houses. It also makes you think about why people buy things and who buys what and why- what are they trying to show or portray... or do they just like it- but why? These are important questions for me to think about as the work I do in my illustration will be likely to be involved in commercial items etc.