This video shows the winner of "Ukraine’s Got Talent", Kseniya Simonova, 24, drawing a series of pictures on an illuminated sand table showing how ordinary people were affected by the German invasion during World War II. Her talent, which admittedly is a strange one, is mesmeric to watch.
The images, projected onto a large screen, moved many in the audience to tears and she won the top prize of about £75,000.
She begins by creating a scene showing a couple sitting holding hands on a bench under a starry sky, but then warplanes appear and the happy scene is obliterated.
It is replaced by a woman’s face crying, but then a baby arrives and the woman smiles again. Once again war returns and Miss Simonova throws the sand into chaos from which a young woman’s face appears.
She quickly becomes an old widow, her face wrinkled and sad, before the image turns into a monument to an Unknown Soldier.
This outdoor scene becomes framed by a window as if the viewer is looking out on the monument from within a house.
In the final scene, a mother and child appear inside and a man standing outside, with his hands pressed against the glass, saying goodbye.
The Great Patriotic War, as it is called in Ukraine , resulted in one in four of the population being killed with eight to 11 million deaths out of a population of 42 million.
Kseniya Simonova says:
"I find it difficult enough to create art using paper and pencils or paintbrushes, but using sand and fingers is beyond me. The art, especially when the war is used as the sub je ct matter, even brings some audience members to tears. And there’s surely no bigger compliment."
Please take time out to see this amazing piece of art.
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=vOhf3OvRXKg#t=00
Thursday, 4 February 2010
Sunday, 31 January 2010
Object Analysis and Essay Ideas. Futurism in Fashion and Textiles.
For my theory project research I decided to look at Futurism in Fashion and Textiles.
At the beginning I wanted to investigate Futurism movement and look at it’s historical and cultural aspects.
Like many art movements, Futurism is credited to have begun in Italy during the early 20th century. However, there were similar movements taking off in Russia, England, and elsewhere. The conception point is determined by the fact that most of the movement's momentum occurred in Italy. Works of this movement can be seen in almost any medium available from the time period. Most common are paintings, sculptures, ceramics, graphic design, industrial and interior and architectural design, film, and also fashion and textile design.
The movement came about after the publication of Futurist Manifesto in which the author, Filippo Tommaso Marinetti described the plights of the "young and strong Futurists" to escape from the old ways, especially in art and politics. They were more interested in violence, speed, technology and the technological city, the triumph of humanity over nature, the car, and airplanes.
Futurism influenced many other twentieth century art movements, including Art Deco.
Here are few artists that I looked at:
1. Natalia Goncharova, The Cyclist. 1913. The Russian Museum, St.Petersburg
2. Giacomo Balla Abstract Speed + Sound, 1913-1914. Guggenheim Museum
3. Umberto Boccioni Unique forms of continuity in pace. 1913. MOMA, NYC
Futurism inspired lot’s of artists and we can see it’s influence in fashion and film. As an example I looked at collections of Alexander McQueen and Hussein Chalayan, famous fashion icons like Lady Gaga, Kate Moss and bad examples of it like Paris Hilton. There are many examples of futurism in the cinematography, among which are my favorite Star Trek, Star Wars and Fifth Element.
It is just the beginning of my research, but I am already excited. I found lot’s of fascinating facts about futuristic art and artists and started to make connections. I can now see futurism in mainly every part of our every day life, starting with Ipad and ending with Russian fifth-generation Sukhoi fighter jet.
Here are few books and articles I am going to research:
Radical Fashion by Clair Wilcox, 2001. Shelfmark:391.009 RAD.
Fashion Today by Colin McDowell, 2003.
The Future is Now... And so is The Past by Socha Miles, 2006 WWD: 11/5/2006, Vol 192 Issue 95 p96-97.
Emily Brown article "Futurist Fashion: three manifestos" from the Art Journal (Spring 1995).
My work on BetaFashion
I am currently taken part at BetaFashion Union Competition. To see my designs please follow the link:
http://www.betafashion.com/competitionratedesign.aspx?SubmissionID=629
http://www.betafashion.com/competitionratedesign.aspx?SubmissionID=629
Friday, 11 December 2009
Scarf Competition
I took part at Scarf Competition. To see my work and read the comments please follow the link bellow:
http://www.betafashion.com/competitionratedesign.aspx?SubmissionID=284
http://www.betafashion.com/competitionratedesign.aspx?SubmissionID=284
'Neighborhood Colour' Exhibition by Stage 2 BA Textile, 2009
Stage 2 BA Textile Exhibition: ‘Neighborhood Colour’
The exhibition was great, well presented with interesting ideas, beautiful designs for fashion and interiors. It helped me to shorter my choice of pathway and get better idea of what I want or don’t want to do.
The project description helped me to understand the task that students were overcoming and follow the ideas that were brought to the surface.
My favorite designs were in print and knit. I made lot’s of pictures and talked to a few students about their work, what challenges did they have, what helped them to make a choice, how did they come with such an idea and what was the process of producing the final piece. I looked through the sketchbooks to see what research students did, how they presented their work and also to get few ideas for myself.
It was hard to say weather or not the strategies for improved sustainability have been addressed creatively. Because looking at the design outcome does not tell you that a designer used less chemical colour or maximized energy efficiency in process of production. But you could guess that a product has a long-life design features and multi-functional features to reduce materials in production. But I am pretty sure that students considered those moments and tried to apply them into design and production.
My favorite print was made by Nicola Schofield, it’s about a story of the street. Here is her quote: ‘The inspiration for my project came from camera obscura and pinhole cameras. I made a pinhole camera had tried to capture the movement and vibrancy of street life like on Oxford Street. I then projected these images on different surfaces and objects and re-photographed them. My final piece is composed of images printed on fabric with a short film projected over that represents the effect of camera obscura.’
I liked that the images were very colourful, with liquefied effects, transparent, but able to show some parts of the image that helps a viewer to build a story. I liked how she put one print behind another and looking through the top image you could see the background and together it built a nice picture of a person on the street. She also presented lo’t of experimental prints to support her idea.
I also liked knit design of the tops. There were 5 knitted tops presented on the second floor. I made a note about a student who designed it, but it was lost, so I can’t give a background of the story at the moment. Her tops were very delicate, beautifully cut in different ways with see through graphic prints and colors. It is something I would consider to buy and wear by myself, it fits my stile.
There were few designs that I found interesting, unique, very well presented and different from everybody else.
First was a table with a table cover, napkins and plates custom made. There were 2 books on the table with printed pages, showing the growth of the plants, trees and flowers. If you flip the pages very fast you would see the movement, the growing tree that ends up with a beautiful drawing printed on the last page. The same print was used for the table and everything that was on it.
Second design was very much man-like. Obviously made by a male student. Henry Muller called his work ‘distorted shadow’, drawing inspiration from London’s architectural landscape. He played with misdirection and distortion of light, the depth it creates through vast gradient shadows by representing it in a hectic yet clear geometric way. That student made a large white fabric with 3D landscape shapes and than projected his geometrical drawings using quick images that change each other every 30 seconds.
I also liked the work of Haruka Miyamoto, which was a result of a progression of concepts and ideas based on South London, particularly the Peckham and Camberwell areas. Haruka has been influenced by African hairstyles, the experimentation with braids, plaits, weave, knots and dyes. She explored plated fibres, wigs, strands of vivid colors varying in shade, the order and pattern of the braids. This student has very strong detailed drawings and beautiful work. I was impressed with her hand-made shoes, where she used different color threads to show the movement of the color. Delicate hard work.
The exhibition was great, well presented with interesting ideas, beautiful designs for fashion and interiors. It helped me to shorter my choice of pathway and get better idea of what I want or don’t want to do.
The project description helped me to understand the task that students were overcoming and follow the ideas that were brought to the surface.
My favorite designs were in print and knit. I made lot’s of pictures and talked to a few students about their work, what challenges did they have, what helped them to make a choice, how did they come with such an idea and what was the process of producing the final piece. I looked through the sketchbooks to see what research students did, how they presented their work and also to get few ideas for myself.
It was hard to say weather or not the strategies for improved sustainability have been addressed creatively. Because looking at the design outcome does not tell you that a designer used less chemical colour or maximized energy efficiency in process of production. But you could guess that a product has a long-life design features and multi-functional features to reduce materials in production. But I am pretty sure that students considered those moments and tried to apply them into design and production.
My favorite print was made by Nicola Schofield, it’s about a story of the street. Here is her quote: ‘The inspiration for my project came from camera obscura and pinhole cameras. I made a pinhole camera had tried to capture the movement and vibrancy of street life like on Oxford Street. I then projected these images on different surfaces and objects and re-photographed them. My final piece is composed of images printed on fabric with a short film projected over that represents the effect of camera obscura.’
I liked that the images were very colourful, with liquefied effects, transparent, but able to show some parts of the image that helps a viewer to build a story. I liked how she put one print behind another and looking through the top image you could see the background and together it built a nice picture of a person on the street. She also presented lo’t of experimental prints to support her idea.
I also liked knit design of the tops. There were 5 knitted tops presented on the second floor. I made a note about a student who designed it, but it was lost, so I can’t give a background of the story at the moment. Her tops were very delicate, beautifully cut in different ways with see through graphic prints and colors. It is something I would consider to buy and wear by myself, it fits my stile.
There were few designs that I found interesting, unique, very well presented and different from everybody else.
First was a table with a table cover, napkins and plates custom made. There were 2 books on the table with printed pages, showing the growth of the plants, trees and flowers. If you flip the pages very fast you would see the movement, the growing tree that ends up with a beautiful drawing printed on the last page. The same print was used for the table and everything that was on it.
Second design was very much man-like. Obviously made by a male student. Henry Muller called his work ‘distorted shadow’, drawing inspiration from London’s architectural landscape. He played with misdirection and distortion of light, the depth it creates through vast gradient shadows by representing it in a hectic yet clear geometric way. That student made a large white fabric with 3D landscape shapes and than projected his geometrical drawings using quick images that change each other every 30 seconds.
I also liked the work of Haruka Miyamoto, which was a result of a progression of concepts and ideas based on South London, particularly the Peckham and Camberwell areas. Haruka has been influenced by African hairstyles, the experimentation with braids, plaits, weave, knots and dyes. She explored plated fibres, wigs, strands of vivid colors varying in shade, the order and pattern of the braids. This student has very strong detailed drawings and beautiful work. I was impressed with her hand-made shoes, where she used different color threads to show the movement of the color. Delicate hard work.
Monday, 7 December 2009
Jimmy Choo and Elton John AIDS Foundation Project
Project PEP/72
BACKGROUND: To accomplish its mission of grassroots, person-to-person, international development, combined with cross-cultural exchange, approximately 6,500 Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) a year live and work in 80 countries worldwide (including Africa, Latin America, Central Asia, the Middle East, and Pacific Islands). PCVs are assessed after sexual or nonsexual risk exposures, and persons assessed as having increased risk of HIV exposure are offered HIV post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP). METHODS: Data from July 1997 to December 2001 include demographics (gender and age), country of service, type of exposure, interval from exposure to HIV PEP, antiviral agents used, and HIV outcomes. RESULTS: Of 240 consultations, 173 (72%) received HIV PEP (incidence=5.8 per 1000 person-years). None became HIV-infected. 150 (87%) followed sexual exposures (107 [62%] consensual sex, 43 [25%] sexual assaults); 23 (13%) were nonsexual (12 [7%] needlesticks, 11 [6%] blood splashes). HIV PEP incidence was highest in women (6.5 per 1000 person-years), PCVs younger than 25 (6.3), and in Africa region (10.2). With consensual sex, 53 (34%) PCVs reported exposure by not using a condom. 138 (80%) received HIV PEP within 72 hours of exposure. Only 3 (2%) received a 3-drug regimen. During this period, the overall incidence of HIV in all PCVs was 0.4 per 1000 person-years. CONCLUSIONS: PCVs serve in many countries in the developing world, are sexually active, and are at risk for HIV infection. HIV PEP is not placed in PCV medical kits, rather it is available from Peace Corps health units. Nevertheless, most PCVs are able to access HIV PEP within 72 hours after an exposure. HIV PEP is offered after sexual and nonsexual exposures, and together with interpersonal counseling and education, constitutes an important part of a comprehensive HIV prevention strategy for persons at risk.
Jimmy Choo and Elton John are trying to aware people about AIDS problem in undeveloped countries, but most importantly to help infected women in Africa, by raising funds. This competition is an example of their work on this problem.
I love Jimmy Choo shoes and I am in love with Elton John as an artist and I like his songs. It was a pleasure to take part in this competition, especially knowing that by getting together and paying attention to the subject of AIDS in poor countries we all can help and contribute for a better future
To see my work please follow the link:
http://www.jimmychoo72.com/activity/71
The competition is now over. I didn't win the main prize but I got an additional prize, eco bag from Jimmy Choo.
On the top you can see two images. The first one is Tamara Mellon, CEO of Jimmy Choo, and Elton John with the eco bag that I won. The second image is the winning photo.
I enjoyed taking part in a competition with such a great generous idea and very pleased to get a prize.
Thursday, 3 December 2009
Ethical Forum
BA (Hons) Textile Design
Stage One - Theory Study Task – Friday 20th November
Ethical Fashion Forum (EFF) Global Sourcing Marketplace event – attend at the time slot you have signed up for. Independent study day.
Description of event from website
‘To promote sustainable fashion practices, and facilitate sustainable sourcing amongst fashion professionals. This event aims to create a platform and opportunities for suppliers with exemplary practices. Ultimately, its goal is to reduce the environmental impact of the industry, support fair and equitable trade, and reduce poverty.’
Your task:
Research one of the companies that interests you at the event. Find out as much as you can about their approach to sustainability.
Compare the company with another company (not at the marketplace) who is selling a similar product that is less sustainable.
Use this link and the web links below to help you gain some knowledge of the issues and terminology. www.tedresearch.net – TED (Textile Environment Design) research group. See the TED link on Blackboard in the pink menu. Resource sheets from the TED website can be downloaded with information on some of the above themes.
Focus on one of the following themes to research:
• Organic raw materials – what is ‘organic’?
• Fair Trade – what is Fair Trade? And/or ethical production
• Natural vs synthetic dyes
• Certification – e.g. labelling of products
• Re-use and recycling – pre-consumer and post-consumer waste
• Local materials and production vs globalised production
Write up your study task reflections on your blog by 27th November. Your blog will be reviewed in the Spring Term and as part of your Unit 1C assessment in the summer term. Write at least 500 words but enough to show your research and ideas.
Friday 27th November – there will be a seminar from EFF at 10.30am in the Lecture Theatre.
Other Useful Websites
www.ethicalfashionforum.com – Ethical Fashion Forum
www.fashioninganethicalindustry.org
Stage One - Theory Study Task – Friday 20th November
Ethical Fashion Forum (EFF) Global Sourcing Marketplace event – attend at the time slot you have signed up for. Independent study day.
Description of event from website
‘To promote sustainable fashion practices, and facilitate sustainable sourcing amongst fashion professionals. This event aims to create a platform and opportunities for suppliers with exemplary practices. Ultimately, its goal is to reduce the environmental impact of the industry, support fair and equitable trade, and reduce poverty.’
Your task:
Research one of the companies that interests you at the event. Find out as much as you can about their approach to sustainability.
Compare the company with another company (not at the marketplace) who is selling a similar product that is less sustainable.
Use this link and the web links below to help you gain some knowledge of the issues and terminology. www.tedresearch.net – TED (Textile Environment Design) research group. See the TED link on Blackboard in the pink menu. Resource sheets from the TED website can be downloaded with information on some of the above themes.
Focus on one of the following themes to research:
• Organic raw materials – what is ‘organic’?
• Fair Trade – what is Fair Trade? And/or ethical production
• Natural vs synthetic dyes
• Certification – e.g. labelling of products
• Re-use and recycling – pre-consumer and post-consumer waste
• Local materials and production vs globalised production
Write up your study task reflections on your blog by 27th November. Your blog will be reviewed in the Spring Term and as part of your Unit 1C assessment in the summer term. Write at least 500 words but enough to show your research and ideas.
Friday 27th November – there will be a seminar from EFF at 10.30am in the Lecture Theatre.
Other Useful Websites
www.ethicalfashionforum.com – Ethical Fashion Forum
www.fashioninganethicalindustry.org
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