Jordy Fu

Building frame furniture - Philippe Malouin Gridlock

Sanna Annukka Display at Marimekko

Idea of draping some type of materail at different lenghts - as storage - how can it be seen as hard or soft etc. What sought of materail could i use so its useable as a storage solution?

Out of the Ordinary Exhibtion ( Millenium Gallery - Sheffield)

Museums Sheffield: Millennium Gallery

48 Arundel Gate
Sheffield S1 2PP
0114 278 2600
info@museums-sheffield.org.uk
www.museums-sheffield.org.uk

The out of Ordinary exhibition doesn't dissapoint one bit. Its contemporary art at his best. I love the fact that the artist have used conventional standard methods to create some amazing; not so conventional outcomes.
I was overwhelemd when I first walked in the exhibtion as I realised I was looking at a peice created by Lu Shengzhong (human walls and bricks,2006) , who in the summer I randomly came across on the internet and was really intreaged in her work, so I was excited that I could see her work with my own eyes. The fact they put a peice by her first was a clever idea firstly because of the sea of red that just cathes your eye and it lures you into the whole exhibtion. It just makes you want to see what else the exhibition holds in its grasp.
The whole layout was extremley clean, crisp white walls and flooring, again always the way to go when you want the art work to just take over and give the best impact as possible. The only negative thing I would say about this exhibition, was that I think they could of put a bit more infomation about each peice, as it was somtimes a bit puzzling into the ideas behined the peice and more secondary handouts would of been helpfull.

This is a video I randomly came across - a member of staff from the museum talking through some of the work from the exhibiton. Worth taking a look.

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=144622482576

Design Report - Tim Beasties (Millenium Gallery - Sheffield)

Museums Sheffield: Millennium Gallery

48 Arundel Gate
Sheffield S1 2PP
0114 278 2600
info@museums-sheffield.org.uk
www.museums-sheffield.org.uk

Timorous Beastie was all started by Alistair McAuley and Paul Simmons in 1990 in Glasgow they both were studying textile design at Glasgow school of Art. There known for using naturalistic subject matters that no one else has really approached in the design world, which I highly admire them for. They use insects as there drive for creating wonderfull skilled peices of design work. A few axamples: Flys, Moths, Fish, Birds, Spiders etc. Their work is something you either love or hate. From fist glance everyone is intreaged and admires their work as it looks very early 1800s style, until people inspect its closer and descover the structure of the designs consist of bugs - something us humans naturally dont asscociate with wanting to see everyday on our walls or in our home. I personally like the fact they have gone against all the trends of floral and geometric styles and created something thats quirky dark and repulsivly attractive in my opinion.
The exhibition at the millenium gallery was eye opening.
My first reactions to the exhibiton was how dark the room was and how small the room was. After walking round inspecting and taking in the designs I could understand why it was a dark/dim room it reflected well there designs, dark and bugs are generally creepy and I thought it worked well plus the fact they has lampshades it showed the pattern off more effectivley than them being unlit in a well lit area.
The layout was not your average everyday layout in my opinion anyhow- it was well thoughout. The way they placed the hanging lampshades in a a circle. This then created a pathway, and the pathway aloud you veiw everything whith out you missing a thing. With a centre peice in the middle of a matress which was the first thing that got my attention - and how original to have a design digitaly printed on a mattress - geniuse idea in my opinion. The exhibition had a neatness to how they presented the chairs in lines on platforms but at different angles.
I never really took and interest or appreaciated Tim Beasties work before untill this exhibition, but after looking closley at there work and seeing how different they are to anyone else, they surprised me and gone up in my estimation vastly.

Design Report - Whitworth Art Gallery

Whitworth Art Gallery
Oxford Road
Manchester
M15 6ER

www.whitworthgallery.ac.uk


The Whitworth art gallery is gallery to go to if your into your into the world of textiles. The whitworth was formerly and still is to my knowledge part of Manchester University.
I recently went to visit as they had to exhibtions on called Putting on The Glitz. This exhibtions shows wallpaper and wall coverings dating back from the 1800s. It really shows in my opinon how design has moved forward so much. The other exhibition I visited was The mancheser Indian: Thomas Wardle and India. An insight into how indian designs reflected in british textile design back in 1800 - 1900.
The Gallery has a whole has a friendly soft vibe to the place, its never to packed so you cant apprecaite the work properly. It has a sense of you could stay how long you wanted and take your time admiring the peices of art work.

House of Fraser Report - interior department

PO Box 60
Deansgate
Manchester
M3 2QG

Tel:0844 800 3744

Email: manchester@hof.co.uk

House of Fraser formaly known was Kenndels first founded in 1849 by a man called Hugh Fraser and James Arthur. They setted up a small shop in Glasgow called Arthur and Fraser. They went from strenght to strenght and created a sucessfull department store that has vast number of stores around the UK. Now known as House of Fraser it is still being recognised as one of the first major department stores to be UK based. The department store has everything from homeware, to beauty to fashion. It caters for all taste and needs.

The deisgn of the building as a whole is very dated: dated in a good sense, it still has that art deco feel to the place and the structure of the building and the rooms just screams that out with the black and white flooring and structured lines.

The interior department first impressions was that I felt let down. For the reasons that when I was younger I always associated House of Fraser (Kenndels as I knew it then) as the most up to date modern place to go when wanting something bang on trend. What I got was the opposite. The wall paper, furnashing and curtain designs were very dated and it was though they were stuck in a time warp. All the designs just reflected the building as a whole, both dated, where as i thought it was good to keep the structure and interior design of the building art deco I didnt feel they should of kept dated style collections.

The layout didn't help the designs in anyway either. Everything was all crammed in one corner - could easily miss it. The assistant was though very helpfull when I asked questions on pricing etc she informed me well. The place just lacked a modern touch when it came to selling designs, and there was no vibrant buzz either. If your not into old old fashioned designs then Its not the place to go. I was expecting real quirky patterns on chairs and totaly crazy obscure patterns on curtains.

Overall I think its a beautiful art deco building and its nice to see a building with character and personality its just a shame the interoir section was still stuck in rutt.

Design Report - Selfridges & Co

Selfridges
Manchester
Exchange Square
1 Exchange Square
Central Manchester
M3 1BD

http://www.selfridges.com

Selfridges from day one always planned to be a successful department store. Harry Gordon Selfridge was the man behind the whole idea, his dream was to bring an american style department store to the UK. His dream was completed when his first store opened in London, Oxford Street March 15 1909.
Selfridges quickly became successful in being the first department store in London and rapidly created a chain stored through out the UK. One of the main reasons it became successful in my opinion is because you had nearly everything under one roof - the convenience of it all is what won people over. The store consist of : fashion, furniture, food and beauty.
Mainly known for the prestige clothing range full of runway seasonal fashion collections, it does attract the more higher end of the market. People willing to spend extravagant amounts of money when it comes to fashion and beauty.
When visiting myself recently (woman's clothing department) my immediate reaction/feeling was that I was out of my depth, didn't feel all that welcome and the place was really quite due to it being a early morning during the week, so I did get curious looks from members of the staff which did make me feel not at ease. The staff I did speak to were helpful and showed me to relevant designers that I couldn't find on my own. Which brings me to the layout of the store: (woman's department). The whole design of the rooms was fresh clean and white, very minimalist. This to me works well as the simple look makes the clothes speak for themselves, there's no clash of the interior trying to fight with the contents of the store as that would just unfocus and confuse clients on what they actually came in the store for.
As for the layout, it did lack any personality or buzz. It was like walking round a museum, it made you feel like you could only walk round and look, admire and walk away to the next peice that catches your eye. Each collection were on rails and the clothes were well spaced out so you could easily look and access a piece you liked, but if something didn't catch your eye you would easily walk past not noticing anything was really there. On a positive note they had every designer you wanted under one roof. They had the latest seasons in and they did have eye catching pieces on mannequins which did draw me in to some of the designers.
Overall I do feel like the store is pretentious, but that wouldn't stop me going back again if i wanted to purchase something. Its a modern prestige designer shop that has nearly everything you could possibly want in one store. In many peoples eyes Selfridges is a dream land and is pretty much faultless, don't get me wrong I adore the fashion there etc, there just needs to be a more relaxed upbeat atmosphere and I would go without any hesitation.

Random image - inspiration purposes

Purley just for inspiration: The stucture of the rollers drew me in to this image. Possibly could use for future reference for any further projects.

The Illustrated Ape - Amazing!!

I cant believe i've only just recently descovered this magazine of random wonderfullness of creativity. Pure chance I came across this whilst on my travels.
I was rumaging through dated random art related magazines and books in a wonderfull craft glass exhibtion.

The illustrated Ape a monthly magazine with submitted illustrative/graphic work. Every peice of work is shown in the best way possible. I just adore how alot of the work is quick spontaneous quick drawings.
Flicking through the pages of this wonderfull magazine just fills me with waves of inspirations.

Philly Kondor8

Carlene Edwards - Autumn Winter 09/10

Carlene Edwards

This pattern image called 'Headphones' immediatly catched my attention. For the one reason: how that shade of Red sings on the blue. The two colours really plays on your eyes and creates a 3d fuzzy like effect and it makes you really look at what the actual repeat pattern is.

Alex Russel (Creative Services)

Camilla Diedrich’s Walls

Pattern Bakery

Whitney Barnes

Pooi Boey

Boey is a textile designer and these are from her collection Up side down. These cut out objects is something I can very much involve in my current breif Design In Context: Draw Out brief. The whole building a structure with bright colours and creating unusual things with it.

Steve Robsinon

I descovered this glass artist whilst in Wales. I was attracted to fact I have never really looked at glass before to inspire me. I love the intermerge of colours you can get when creating glass peices. Reminds me of marbelling something I could look into in the future.

Sketchbook work

Kelly Allen

Kelly Allen a fashion print designer. This peice is dainty, sweet innocent looking. Not my style but I was fond of it so I just thought I would add it for future reference.

Mari Robeson

Rachel Cave

Rachel is a freelance designer. She involves herself in all aspects of the design world as far as textile related pieces go. She created tailored made patterns for fashion fabrics,homeware and printed paper products. I simply like the compisition of both of these patterns and vivid colour.

Lauren Barfoot

This another designer I took interest in from The new designers show 2009 in London. I was just fond of her use of shapes and colour together, quite floral but not in a obvious flower like way which is what I liked about it.

Big fluff

Ive been a fan of this London based company for a few years. When I first descovered them they were so out there and edgey by simply screen printing animal motifs in large scale and theyv'e developed on to other motifs too! Simple bright colours. Simple but there clothing is amazing! They have also developed on to screen printing bags. Plus every print is unique to the next.
Brillaint stuff!