Today was a fun filled day. In the morning, the Sienna flats took a little trip on the southside fo the Thames and went into this interesting neighborhood. The houses here are quite interesting. Bill mentioned that politicians' families live in the area. I can imagine it. So we made our way to a suburban house with a huge garden and a couple garages connected to each other. There, we met Richard Kindersley, stonecarver. Now Richard's is a very rare profession, ever more rare than Sehmi's calligraphy. Richard mentioned that there are probably 4 stonecarvers in the USA. Only 4, the closest one being in Connecticut.
The studio and process of carving stone is fascinating. It dealt so much with typography and why the letters are shaped the way they are today. It comes from a couple millenium old practice of carving stones at the same angles. That is how the stresses of a letter are born. We also received many postcards. Richard was definitely worth someone seeing.
In addition to see Richard, a few others and I made our way to the London Dungeon for a so called "scary" amusement ride. It was fun to go through except for paying adult fare. I wish that I had my stupid student ID. It was really funny too to find a couple of Czech teens get confused and called out on by some of the judges or actors. It was really funny.
The best part of the day was going to see Antony Gormley at the Heyward Gallery right outside of Waterloo Station. Antony Gormley had the most amazing pieces of art including Blind Light, a room in which you can't see two feet ahead of you due to a thick mist. It is a weird experience breathing this partial mist, but it is even more intriguing being in a lost fog and not seeing anything of anyone. The rest of Gormley's pieces are all about where the human body is, what space the human body occupies, and its relations to its surroundings. I see a lot of Eastern influence in his work. Quite neat.
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
6/20/07
We got to see Sehmi again. It's been over a year since we have seen him at Delaware. He still has that weird, dry wit. He also still has that certain air about him. However, he's all good. So is his calligraphy. He showed us the video again at the bday party with the guy making a comment about Sehmi using a f*ing sponge.
So we saw his studio and saw more amazing work. It makes me want to become better at writing and calligraphy. Calligraphy is certainly underappreciated. It is an amazing craft though. There was another part to the day that I would rather not mention. The lady, the zoning out, the bum coming to join our group in the park. I was way too sleepy and zoned out for some reason. If I sit for too long, then I always begin to yawn. It's nice to have, but at the same time annoying.
So we saw his studio and saw more amazing work. It makes me want to become better at writing and calligraphy. Calligraphy is certainly underappreciated. It is an amazing craft though. There was another part to the day that I would rather not mention. The lady, the zoning out, the bum coming to join our group in the park. I was way too sleepy and zoned out for some reason. If I sit for too long, then I always begin to yawn. It's nice to have, but at the same time annoying.
Monday, August 27, 2007
6/19/07
We started off from our flats around 9 in the morning to go back to Brownlow Mews to meet up with Kerry William Purcell. He was quite different from our usual trips because he was a writer. He did not specialize in graphic design writing, but he's been sucked into it. It was interesting that his writing and research veered towards graphic design because as he said, "There is a very little bit about the history of design and the big name designers." He reminds me of Steven Heller in that respect because the two write profusely about design trends, history, and more.
After that, a few selected number of us (or rather 19 I believe) went to the CIA! Yeah, it's that important. A comment I want to add is that there seems to be very little illustration in London. I don't know why. The English don't like illustration I suppose. It's definitely more photography and design in advertising. Even the comics here are bland.
The person we talked to, Ben, is a nice straight forward guy. He handled the business end of the illustration agency which was insightful for me. The biggest parts that I want to say is that there are business ends to a lot of agencies and people that work for artists. His biggest piece of advice was to try doing field illustration by yourself before coming to get yourself an agent.
Lastly, at 6 PM, we went to this gallery and opening exhibition that supposedly had illustration work as it was written in the yellow booklet. Big lie. It was documentary photography. Nice. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the entire thing. Some interesting photos and ideas, but the majority was just people standing and looking serious at the camera. Reeaaaaal creative there. Portraits of working class people, everyday activity of poor people, poverty, and so on. It is something that I am used to, and I have been unsensitized by the public media. The media I see of something with a frame around it. Simply because of that, I get less shock. That's how it feels for me.
After that, a few selected number of us (or rather 19 I believe) went to the CIA! Yeah, it's that important. A comment I want to add is that there seems to be very little illustration in London. I don't know why. The English don't like illustration I suppose. It's definitely more photography and design in advertising. Even the comics here are bland.
The person we talked to, Ben, is a nice straight forward guy. He handled the business end of the illustration agency which was insightful for me. The biggest parts that I want to say is that there are business ends to a lot of agencies and people that work for artists. His biggest piece of advice was to try doing field illustration by yourself before coming to get yourself an agent.
Lastly, at 6 PM, we went to this gallery and opening exhibition that supposedly had illustration work as it was written in the yellow booklet. Big lie. It was documentary photography. Nice. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the entire thing. Some interesting photos and ideas, but the majority was just people standing and looking serious at the camera. Reeaaaaal creative there. Portraits of working class people, everyday activity of poor people, poverty, and so on. It is something that I am used to, and I have been unsensitized by the public media. The media I see of something with a frame around it. Simply because of that, I get less shock. That's how it feels for me.
6/18/07
Monday, June 18th was a weird day. We were all supposed to be going to the RCA show, but meeting Bill and Ashlet was difficult to figure out. Some thought that it was 10:30, others thought that it was 12 PM, and so on. I was just going to wait for some people in the flat downstairs, but I decided to go by myself to the show. I got there around 11 to find my roomie sitting outside the show. The show wasn't open until 12.
Hence, we got food and drinks at the coffee place right inside the Prince Albert Ballet School which was cool. 12 came around, and the huge tent with the block letters "great" on the side of the tent opened. It started to pour once we got it. Talk about timing.
The RCA show in the tent was pretty neat. The ceramics area was really cool. I would like to have some of those pieces decorating my living space. They're aesthetically pleasing. Graphic design was OK for the most part. The architectural design was very futuristic. I can't imagine many of those buildings taking shape until maybe 25 years later. I hate and like these shows sometimes for the same reason. The reason is that I never know the context that these pieces are designed or for which they are created. I feel that a lot with graphic design exhibitions that the piece doesn't make any sense by itself. Then I need to read what it's all about or be told. I saw a lot of that here when I came across a plush chair on grass with a lamp too. What was that all about?
There was much cool work too, and the pieces that I enjoyed most were the little illustration/children's storybooks. Of course. Afterwards, I met up with some people to go back to the flats. I went to go see POTC : At World's End finally. I saw it in Leicester Square that day which was a good break from London. Watching a movie in the theaters definitely helped. It was nice. The movie itself was OK I suppose.
Hence, we got food and drinks at the coffee place right inside the Prince Albert Ballet School which was cool. 12 came around, and the huge tent with the block letters "great" on the side of the tent opened. It started to pour once we got it. Talk about timing.
The RCA show in the tent was pretty neat. The ceramics area was really cool. I would like to have some of those pieces decorating my living space. They're aesthetically pleasing. Graphic design was OK for the most part. The architectural design was very futuristic. I can't imagine many of those buildings taking shape until maybe 25 years later. I hate and like these shows sometimes for the same reason. The reason is that I never know the context that these pieces are designed or for which they are created. I feel that a lot with graphic design exhibitions that the piece doesn't make any sense by itself. Then I need to read what it's all about or be told. I saw a lot of that here when I came across a plush chair on grass with a lamp too. What was that all about?
There was much cool work too, and the pieces that I enjoyed most were the little illustration/children's storybooks. Of course. Afterwards, I met up with some people to go back to the flats. I went to go see POTC : At World's End finally. I saw it in Leicester Square that day which was a good break from London. Watching a movie in the theaters definitely helped. It was nice. The movie itself was OK I suppose.
6/17/07
I slept in today. I still woke up between 9 and 10 though. It is still sleeping in considering the past few days. Virginia was gone from the flat going to see Windsor Castle. That left me all by myself. It felt really good now to go at my own pace and do whatever! I got my things together and I went to see the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace at 11:30. That didn't happen though. So I still saw the palace and what not. Pretty neat. It seems like a White House to me, being one of the tourists taking pictures of a building that you're not allowed 100 yards near. Yeah.
I walked through Green Park which was quiet and peaceful. I got to Hyde Park Corner and walked about the huge lake which contained many different types of birds and ducks. I walked along the lake seeing everybody out and about since it was such a gorgeous day. I sat down, and started sketching people around.
I saw the Princess Diana Memorialthen on the other side of the lake. It was a cool fountain that was shaped like a doughnut on an angle from the ground. There were ridges in it that the water flowed up and down over it around in the doughnut. The fountain screamed for people to soak their feet in. There guards however that prevented this from happening. They yelled at people who were walking on the fountain or had their feet int it. What's the point of the fountain then if you can't be in it? It was designed that way I believe!
Anyhow, I walked up to the other end of Hyde Park, and found the Central Line tube. I took it to Covent Garden where I started drawing people around me. I even got paid by 2 teens from Sweden for drawing them! I found it quite amausing. At the end of the day, I went back and worked on my sketchbook some more until I fell asleep. People came backthat night from Edinburgh and Amsterdam. Fun times.
I walked through Green Park which was quiet and peaceful. I got to Hyde Park Corner and walked about the huge lake which contained many different types of birds and ducks. I walked along the lake seeing everybody out and about since it was such a gorgeous day. I sat down, and started sketching people around.
I saw the Princess Diana Memorialthen on the other side of the lake. It was a cool fountain that was shaped like a doughnut on an angle from the ground. There were ridges in it that the water flowed up and down over it around in the doughnut. The fountain screamed for people to soak their feet in. There guards however that prevented this from happening. They yelled at people who were walking on the fountain or had their feet int it. What's the point of the fountain then if you can't be in it? It was designed that way I believe!
Anyhow, I walked up to the other end of Hyde Park, and found the Central Line tube. I took it to Covent Garden where I started drawing people around me. I even got paid by 2 teens from Sweden for drawing them! I found it quite amausing. At the end of the day, I went back and worked on my sketchbook some more until I fell asleep. People came backthat night from Edinburgh and Amsterdam. Fun times.
6/16/07
Today was Bath. It took a full three hours on a coach bus to get there, but we made it. I went with Caitlin, Craig, and Virginia for the day. We left the bus station around Victoria around 9 Am and got there at noon. Most of the time on the bus, I slept. It reminded me a lot of Scotland buses that week. The coach buses here put me right to sleep.
So noon rolls around when we get there. Bath is situated in the middle of all of these rolling hillssimilar to yesterday. It was a partly sunny day too when we got off the bus. Bath itself is a moderte sized town with much going on. It is REALLY touristy however. I will admit that the town was a lot like a few other US towns at home. There's really not many difference from this town compared to New Hope let's say.
The Roman baths themselves were very impressive. Though much has be built on top of it for us tourist(or replications), it is still an amazing achievement that is here to this day. The bath still works and is really warm. The water stills amazingly underneath this labrynth of rocks and caves. I enjoyed it for I explored the baths for over an hour.
I got myself a Cornish pasty for the first time. I think that it had lamb and other stuff in it. It was really heavy, but delicious. Yummy! Then we went looking around at all the shops. The town is just a huge shopping area on weekends I suppose. We hit a couple stores, a pub, and then wandered around. We came upon this really nice park that I would have liked to go into, but the park was only for residents of the area. Keeping out the tourists. That is good for the townies I believe. 5:30 rolled around and we went back home on the coach. We chillazed once we got back and stayed in the flats that night.
So noon rolls around when we get there. Bath is situated in the middle of all of these rolling hillssimilar to yesterday. It was a partly sunny day too when we got off the bus. Bath itself is a moderte sized town with much going on. It is REALLY touristy however. I will admit that the town was a lot like a few other US towns at home. There's really not many difference from this town compared to New Hope let's say.
The Roman baths themselves were very impressive. Though much has be built on top of it for us tourist(or replications), it is still an amazing achievement that is here to this day. The bath still works and is really warm. The water stills amazingly underneath this labrynth of rocks and caves. I enjoyed it for I explored the baths for over an hour.
I got myself a Cornish pasty for the first time. I think that it had lamb and other stuff in it. It was really heavy, but delicious. Yummy! Then we went looking around at all the shops. The town is just a huge shopping area on weekends I suppose. We hit a couple stores, a pub, and then wandered around. We came upon this really nice park that I would have liked to go into, but the park was only for residents of the area. Keeping out the tourists. That is good for the townies I believe. 5:30 rolled around and we went back home on the coach. We chillazed once we got back and stayed in the flats that night.
6/16/07
Friday, the illustration flat and I got to Waterloo Station a bit before 12:30 PM. I got a couple of chocolate bars for the first time here. A Flake and something new which I can't remember, but I liked it. I tried the Mars Bar here too, and it's really a 3 Musketeers bar. No, Milky Way.
We all got train tickets to West Malling which was a hour ride outside of London. THe countryside whizzed by as the urban landscape gave way to beautiful fields of grass. The countryside has rolling hills that go beyond anything. Trees, lines of them and patches decorated the green hills. I got pictures of course. We also passed a deer farm on the way. It was pretty interesting for one second.
When we got to West Malling, we took taxis to the place. Taxi drivers here in the country whirled down small, windy roads which is impressive. It's almost like taking a NY driver and letting him have free reign on tiny country roads. One thing to point out is that the foot pedal configuration is the same as ours. So, it's make it a tiny bit easier to learn to drive here.
Baseline then. . . .there were situated on this huge manorhouse estate that used to belong to a noble family since the 1600's. The manor itself is lavih and filled with Victorian design and splendour. Very elaborate, many paintings fill the walls, and the rooms are very gorgeous. The dining room where we sat and had our lecture had a table of fruits, snacks, and little pastries with tea and coffee tins filled to the brim. All this before out talk with Baseline. The talk began and I felt a bit tired from the warmth of the room and the food. Nonetheless, I listened to Baseline's philosophy and approach to its magazine. The magazine was quite a different magazine that didn't follow a specific style of design. Rather, the layout and design of the pages varied from one article to the next. We discussed whether that was a good thing to do as a magazine, and how the inventiveness adds a special kick.
Afterwards, we walked around the fields, the HUGE open spaces by the manor and lake. The place is amazing to see. I took the train back early then and started off the free weekend.
We all got train tickets to West Malling which was a hour ride outside of London. THe countryside whizzed by as the urban landscape gave way to beautiful fields of grass. The countryside has rolling hills that go beyond anything. Trees, lines of them and patches decorated the green hills. I got pictures of course. We also passed a deer farm on the way. It was pretty interesting for one second.
When we got to West Malling, we took taxis to the place. Taxi drivers here in the country whirled down small, windy roads which is impressive. It's almost like taking a NY driver and letting him have free reign on tiny country roads. One thing to point out is that the foot pedal configuration is the same as ours. So, it's make it a tiny bit easier to learn to drive here.
Baseline then. . . .there were situated on this huge manorhouse estate that used to belong to a noble family since the 1600's. The manor itself is lavih and filled with Victorian design and splendour. Very elaborate, many paintings fill the walls, and the rooms are very gorgeous. The dining room where we sat and had our lecture had a table of fruits, snacks, and little pastries with tea and coffee tins filled to the brim. All this before out talk with Baseline. The talk began and I felt a bit tired from the warmth of the room and the food. Nonetheless, I listened to Baseline's philosophy and approach to its magazine. The magazine was quite a different magazine that didn't follow a specific style of design. Rather, the layout and design of the pages varied from one article to the next. We discussed whether that was a good thing to do as a magazine, and how the inventiveness adds a special kick.
Afterwards, we walked around the fields, the HUGE open spaces by the manor and lake. The place is amazing to see. I took the train back early then and started off the free weekend.
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