Trend Prediction Autumn/Winter 2012/13 - The Lighthouse, Glasgow

The Trend Presentation highlighted the upcoming Textile Trends for the autumn/winter 2012/13 season. The presentation includes fashion, knitwear, accessories and interior trends 18 months in advance to assist design and product planning for our Fashion accessories at CARi & Co 

The event was a good opportunity to network with other creative designers in Scotland along with meeting a few other familiar faces.

Anne Ritchie gave a presentation on Textile Trends for the Autumn/Winter 2012/13 season and it was so exciting to see what's up and coming a year in advance.Anne has worked in the textile and fashion industry since 1982 and has an extensive knowledge of both the global and the Scottish textile, fashion and accessory industries – from design and product development to market research and promotional activity.

The trend presentation was followed by a review of retail activity and some feedback from the key trade shows and was good to talk to others who had done some of the shows we had not.

Matt x

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Saachi Gallery London, June 2011

Took a trip to the Saatchi Gallery during our short stay in London and it was well worth a visit!

A short walk from Sloane Square in among fashionable boutiques and cafes was the Saatchi Gallery showcasing the latest  contemporary art from Sculpture, Painting and Textiles on its fantastic 70,000 sq ft building. 

There was some really fantastic exhibitions on including the work of Dundee artist David Batchelor who's work with its use of bright illuminated artificial colours reminded me instantly of the Chinese Streets at night. 

Dirk Skreber's work features as part of the exhibit – it draws upon perceptions from his childhood in Germany, inspired by the overwhelming industrial presence in his home town. His work focuses on creating a dystopian visionary wastelands from cars wrapped round poles and bike parts lingering across barren roads. Photo below of me crawling out of one of the wrecks.

John Baldessari’s work seen below is one I found particularly interesting as there was a consistent urge to delve in to the piece named Beethoven's Trumpet (with ear) and listen to see if you could hear any sound, however I suppose its the ear listening and for us to make the sound.

Entry to all exhibitions at the new Gallery are free. 

For more information on visiting the Saatchi Gallery Click here

Matt

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Confucius Temple by day - Nanjing China

Chris Cunningham Live @ Camden Roundhouse

My friend/housemate Holly (Below) got two tickets to see director Chris Cunningham live as a Birthday present from her parents, so  knowing I was also a  massive fan she asked me to come along.

After a grueling train journey from Edinburgh to London we were in London town and ready to be inspired.
We decided to take as many galleries and exhibitions in as we could in the short time we had in between going to Chris Cunningham.

Below is my favorite Video directed by Cunningham, for the band Portishead and the on the night of the show at The Camden Roundhouse the atmosphere felt as thick as the air in this Video.



Chris Cunningham is known for the shock factor.... after all who remembers normal?
Below is my Video taken at the Camden Roundhouse...the atmosphere was unbelievable and has to be the most intense experience I have ever had.
 The Speakers that were used vibrated our clothing and you can understand how loud it was through the distortion in the video I took with my iphone!



Such an inspiring inspiring director, his use of the human emotions is just fantastic!
Chris Cunningham is probably best known for his music videos for Aphex Twin and Bjork. 

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Mochou Lake Park, Nanjing, China

We occasionally had some free time in Nanjing on a Sunday so we often decided to jump in a cab and point at the map to see where we would end up, one of the best destinations we discovered was Mochou Lake.

According to one legend, the name of the lake came from a young woman of beauty and virtue named Mochou.who lived during the Northern and Southern Dynasty (386-589). She married a man from the Lu family in Jinling (now known as Nanjing City) and had a baby. They lived a happy life until one day Lu was recruited to the army. Because there had been no news of him since he had left, she missed her husband dearly day and night. Finally, it is said that Mochou turned into a lake, with the hope of flowing to her husband's side. In memory of the young woman's undying devotion to her husband, the lake was aptly named Mochou Lake by the local people.

The Statue of Mochou herself.

It was such a pleasant place to visit and it was full of locals spending a lazy Sunday afternoon in the sun away from the madness of the congested city. 

Matt 

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Chinese Painting Class Experience

Above is a photograph I took of our Chinese Painting teacher at Nanjing University.  

During my time spent in China we had various lessons, most frequenty was our Chinese language classes which took place every day, from starting as early as 8am. 

Along with this we had culture classes where we undertook painting classes where we were taught the traditional way of Chinese painting.

During my time at Art School in the UK I have had lots of painting classes, however this was completely different as Art in Asia is so different to that of Europe's.

 We learned that Chinese art in particular is so different to that of the west because artists in China are seen in a completely different light. Historically Art in China was not usually  created by "artists" as such but the art that was produced was usually created by philosophers or Poets that were respected at the time, often therefore a painting would be used to create a feeling towards a particular poem instead of being a visual representation of something which was originally the case in the west.

This means that chinese paintings are very often not lifelike, or directly a representation of something in paticular, making each artwork into an abstract metaphor.

Saying this however is making it seem as though their painting has developed in order to create this metaphoric representation, however the art of China has not changed very much in the past 2000+ years that its been around.

Why has it not developed like the art of the West? Well in my experience with the chinese they found it difficult to understand the purpose or prospects in Art, they are after-all still a developing country trying to feed themselves.

Art seems to the Chinese luxury not necessity, however with the economic climbing China does every day - becoming closer and closer to being the economic center of the world they become closer to their World of Art taking off.

With the wonders and masterpieces I saw in Chinese traditional art such as "Chinese paper cutting" and the wonderfull embrodery they have behind them, I can only dream at the moment for the wonders that the Art of China in the future will bring.

 Me (Matt Russell) with my Chinese painting teacher holding my first -poor- attempt at Blossom tree's.