Tapestry and ceramics by Rob Ryan

Tapestry and ceramics by Rob Ryan

It was at Chelsea Flower show in an artists conservatory where I first  met Rob Ryan. He has long been a hero of mine and is an original and witty designer. We got talking about design , design theft  and copy right,  as he is one of those talents who is often copied. He kindly invited me to a talk he was giving to the association of Illustrators at The Courtauld Institute.

Rob Ryan Lecture at Courtauld Institute

Lecture at the Courtauld Institute

Rob is not a trained illustrator but a painter, although it is  for his illustrative work that he is mainly known, particularly his intricate paper cuts with words compositions that are now used on ceramics,

Rob Ryan ceramics

Rob Ryan ceramics

fabrics, cards, jewellery  etc. He has written and illustrated two books, ‘This is for you’ and  ‘ A sky full of Kindness’  he is currently working on a trilogy.

Detail of a Rob Ryan print

Detail of a Rob Ryan print on denim

He has collaborated with Paul Smith, Lulu Guiness, Tatty Devine and Liberty of London.
Rob says he had no career strategy, after doing a foundation at Birmingham Polytechnic and a degree in fine art at Trent Poly. He studied printmaking at the RCA, in those day sit was a three year course. As he,  in his self deprecating way, says he studied for seven years and when he graduated in 1984 he didn’t feel qualified for anything. There weren’t the number of galleries there are nowadays,  so for many years Rob did his print making in the day and in order to feed himself and his family he worked in a cinema in the evenings and at weekends. His wife worked full time and he did the taking the children to and from school. It was only when the children  were in secondary school, and Rob had more time, that he took  that leap of faith and gave up his part time jobs and started doing creative work full time. He was doing small print runs for other people. He was represented by a gallery for his prints and ‘This is real art’ for a short while. ‘This is real art ‘ found applied outlets for artists, such as book jackets and he was asked to ‘create  all of Liberty’s fifteen windows for Christmas. His big break came when he was asked to collaborate with Paul Smith and produce a fabric design for the Japanese market.

Rob ryan design for Paul Smith shirts

Paul Smith shirts for Japan

It was after this that Rob began to be widely known and copied. It got to the point where people were not only being influenced by his work but were doing wholesale copying. Rob decided the only way to protect himself was to sign all his projects and to go to to court when he was copied.

Paper cut made at Chelsea Flower Show

Paper cut made at Chelsea Flower Show

As a passionate hands on maker Rob is now in the fortunate position of  having a licensing deal with Wild and wolf. This means that he now has  the might of their organisation  to back him up if his copyright is infringed and  he has to go to court again to defend what is his intellectual property.

Rob Ryan art work at Chelsea Flower Show

Rob Ryan art work at Chelsea Flower Show

He continues to produce goods for John Lewis , cards for Roger Le Borde and he can still makes with  his own hands craft goodies  that he sells through  both his etsy  and his own shop on Columbia Road. Rob Ryan a lovely man and a great quirky talent.

https://www.facebook.com/robryanart

http://www.misterrob.co.uk/

 

 

This years Royal Academy Summer Exhibition is its 245th . The Summer exhibition has always had its critics.  Perceived as  a bit of a pot boiler, with its mixture of professional and amateur artists somehow not quite good enough.

TSIATSIA by artist El Anatsui

TSIATSIA by artist El
Anatsui

This year’s exhibition is proof that this is no longer, if it ever were, the case. However this post shows some of the more witty, and amusing pieces of work, those that made me smile.

The exhibition is co-ordinated by Royal Academicians Printmaker Norman Ackroyd RA and Architect Eva Jiricna RA

The Charles Wollaston Award, with its £25,000 prize has been given this year to the West African artist El Anatsui for TSIATSIA – ‘searching for connections’ The work in question is made from a collection of discarded bottle tops, roofing sheets and printing plates. The piece measuring 15.6m x 25m hangs from the façade of Burlington House.

As Rachel Campbell- Johnston wrote in The Times.

“It’s the cultural equivalent of dressing the Lord High chancellor up in drag.”

A clever move has been to paint the architecture and sculpture room canary yellow. This works as a convincing back-drop to the mainly monochrome pieces, and shows them in their best light.  As it happens my favourite pieces in this room are Somerset House West wing a design by Eva Jiricna.

Somerset House West Wing by Eva Jiricna RA

Somerset House West Wing

In amongst the beautiful, the obscure, the painterly, the abstract and the photo realism: not to forget almost any twentieth century art movement you like to mention, there are some real gems. I love the humour to be found in many pieces of the work:

Cornelia Parker’s Stolen Thunder is a clever idea, a white canvas with a border of  ‘sold’ red dots.

The gentle whimsy in Cows in a Churchyard by the late Mary Fedden RA

Cows in a Churchyard by the late Mary Feddon RA

Cows in a Churchyard

The Princess has a pea by Chris Orr RA

The princess has a pea by Chris Orr

The princess has a pea by Chris Orr

Trouble in the Museum by Glen Baxter

Trouble in the museum by Glen Baxter

Trouble in the museum by Glen Baxter

‘It reminds me a little of an early Glen Baxter, drawn by a much more sophisticated hand” observed the deputy art critic 2011

Glen Baxter......art critic 2011

‘It reminds me a little of an early Glen Baxter, drawn by a much more sophisticated hand” observed the deputy art critic 2011

Inebriate Owl by Ivor Abrahams

ated Owl by Ivor Abrahams

Inebriate Owl by Ivor Abrahams

Metamorphosis by Margaret Barrett – a caterpillar constructed from wool and plastic bottles.

Metamorphosis by Margaret Barrett

Metamorphosis by Margaret Barrett

In one gallery a rabbit sits drawing a self portrait. apologies to the artist as I didn’t write down the details.

Rabbit drawing a self portrait

Rabbit drawing a self portrait

Anthony Green RA will always provide a smile with his brightly coloured, detailed paintings of family intimacy, painted onto odd shaped boards and canvas.

A head full of pictures by Anthony Green RA

A head full of pictures by Anthony Green RA

Painting his own shadow by Christopher Jonas

Painting his own shadow
by Christopher Jonas

Ursula with virgins by Liane Lang

Ursula with virgins by Liane Lan

One compelling reason for visiting the Summer Exhibition is given by President of the RA,  Christopher Le Brun,

“One of the founding principles of the Academy was to ‘mount an annual exhibition open to all artists of distinguished merit” to finance the training of young artists at the RA Schools. This has been held every year without interruption since 1769. The Royal Academy receives no public funding so each purchase made at the Summer Exhibition directly contributes to maintaining our free art school”

Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition 10th June -18th August 2013

 

 

 

Last night I was very fortunate  to attend the opening of a exceptionally good exhibition of work from the BA  Students from London College of Communications. Both the photography course and the photojournalism course had some very thoughtful and inspirational work.  Joshua Hughes photographed I Carbonai for his final project. He is a talent to watch.

Josh Hughes

The Carbonai stop work for a cigarette. Although they spend everyday surrounded by smoke from the burning wood all of the Carbonai smoke.

This is what he said about them

‘I Carbonai means The Charcoal Men in local Calabrian dialect. It is the name affectionately given to the small number of men who continue to produce wood charcoal using centuries old methods in the mountains of Southern Italy.

http://josh-hughes.co.uk/

Bruno, 40, stands on top of his burning Scarazzu, feeding the fire at its centre.

There are a number of charcoal sites dotted around the mountains of Calabria dating back hundreds of years, these photographs were taken on a site just outside the remote town of Serra San Bruno. The site itself has been in operation since the start of the 20th Century but the process has been around much longer. The wood gets dropped off at the site where it is sorted based on size and then arranged into a conical shape with the larger wood in the centre and smaller pieces on the outside. A flume is created in the middle to allow in oxygen during the burning process. A layer of hay, mud and clay is then compressed around the wood to protect it as it burns, the completed structure is called the Scarazzu.

I carbonai

Sacks of charcoal wait to be loaded into a lorry and taken to Sicily and Puglia where they are sold.

 

This project focuses on three of the Carbonai, Angelo aged 50, Nazzareno aged 43 and Bruno aged 40. The three Carbonai are brothers, sons of a Charcoal Burner they come from one of the most famous charcoal families in Italy. By focusing on these three brothers the project has a more personal perspective but also highlights the close family nature of the work.’

I Carbonai

The three brothers, Angelo, Nazzareno and Bruno relax in the sun after lunch.

 

http://josh-hughes.co.uk/

http://www.lcc.arts.ac.uk/

Creative Patching, Darning and Stitching

By Kristin. M. Roach  creator of CraftLeftovers.com

Published by Storey Publishers

Recycled baby jacket

It is a rare and talented woman that can make the  subject of mending interesting and even engaging. Kristen Roach has managed to do just that.

After a brief history of sewing there is a very pertinent chapter ‘To mend or Not to Mend’ the relevant questions are :D o I love it?

Will someone else love it? How much time, money, and skill will it take? Is it a junk item? Is the fabric high quality? Is the rest of the garment in good condition? Is the area to be mended stretched or distorted? Frayed? Is the fabric easy to work with?

This chapter is followed by Helpful Hints for Mending, tool kits and stitches.

Patchwork, embroidery, skirt shortening and lengthening, are all covered as are replacing zips, machine and hand darning and using elastic.

Add a false hem to lengthen a skirt

Amongst the very useful projects are how to fit a hidden pocket, a button patch pocket. There is a lovely mend  of a child’s jacket using  a star motif. There are solutions for stains and ways to embellish using sequins and beads.

Darning Stars

Recently whilst  rummaging around looking for  decoupage materials I came across an old copy  of Woman’s Realm, that I had previously found under some floorboards in my old house.  As  mid century modern shows are so popular, See the comments at the bottom of this post, I thought I’d post this  original advice from way back then.

Colour planning from  1971

Colour planning

Six ways in which colour can improve your rooms:

  1. Colour gives your room a dash of fashion. Bring a modern, boxlike room with no outstanding features bang into the 70’s with a trendy colour – like our purple. For a minimum of expense and effort and for a new look, try painting the ceiling and one wall.
  2. Colour makes your room look a better shape. Here, we made the room look taller by using tones of the same colour, keeping the deepest tone to the floor, medium for the walls, palest for the ceiling. Use colour cleverly to give your rooms the proportions you’d like. For example, lower the ceiling of a tall room by painting it a deeper colour than the walls, make a darkish room look lighter by painting the wall opposite the window white. Remember that pale, cool tones (like blues, greens, shades of beige and white) will seem to move the walls and ceiling outwards and the deep warm tones (like reds, browns, golds) will bring them in towards you.
  3. Colour acts as an eye catcher. Does your room need a focal point to make it really interesting? Then highlight its most attractive area with strong colour. You could pick the liveliest tone from your carpet or other patterned area. Use colour to make the most of alcoves or chimney brest.
  4. Colour makes the most of a tiny room. Small rooms like halls, or bathrooms, or even bedrooms, can look more interesting if you use a colourful patterned paper all over walls and ceiling. Pick a paper with a white background if you want to lure the light in.
  5. Colour makes the uglies disappear.  When you have too many doors, awkward corners, ugly pipes of mantelpiece, keep the same colour paint over the lot. You can even make awkward bits of furniture like wardrobes less dominating this way too.
  6. Colour makes the most of your prettiest features. If you’re lucky enough to have a room with good bits of period decoration; moulded doors, cornices, ceiling details, tall windows, highlight them with white paint.

 

Colour scheming round one colour

Just Green

 

The foolproof way of colour scheming- the one colour room.
You just can’t go wrong if you colour scheme this way. It’s simply based on one colour and all its tones. First, pick your favourite colour- the one you’ve always loved and longed to live with. Then use all shades from light to dark, rich to pale. Finally enliven the room with pattern. Sounds easy? It is- just follow our three secrets to success.

Secret one. Remember the colour tricks and use dark and light tones to make the most of your room. Keep the deepest practical tones to the floor or your basic upholstery (see how our dark rug will take most of the heavy wear). Use plenty of white for sparkle and keep the palest tones to large areas if you want a space making effect. Keep the most brilliant tones, which can be tiring and impractical in large doses, for cushions, lamp shades and accessories.

Secret two. A one-colour scheme can be a bit unexciting without the liveliness of some pattern. See how the varied patterns in our room give extra interest but blend in with the total scheme. Geometrics and floral patterns mix happily together when they have a bold colour in common.

Secret three. Mix as many different textures together as you can for a varied look without the addition of the other colour. We used shiny chrome, see-through glass, stained wood and a tufty rug to give lots of variety.

 

Colour scheming around what you've got

colour scheming around what you’ve got

 

Colour Scheming round what you’ve got

 

Have you a lifetime buy in your room-like a patterned carpet or suite?  Here’s the  foolproof way to build a colour scheme round it and the three practical tips will make the room a success.

Tip one. If you have a dominating pattern like the one in our room with several colours in it, like our carpet, let it make its point on its own. Don’t complicate things by adding more patterns.

Tip two. Tie up your colour scheme with the colours in the pattern. Choose the most liveable one for your large areas, like walls. We picked the yellow in our carpet. Pick the deepest most practical colour for your upholstery, like the brown of our chairs. Choose a medium tone from the pattern for your curtains. Finally use the most brilliant pattern for the accents like lamps, cushions to brighten the deeper tone of the upholstery. Why not try bright stained or painted finish for your dining furniture?

Tip Three. Be adventurous Make your own wall hanging, like our collage on the chimney -breast, it’ll help to tie your colour scheme together.

another tip from th e70's

As I am a great lover of  well designed Mid Century classics, below are a few comments made about the Mid Century Modern shows.

Mid Centruy Moderns

‘This show could cause design lovers a cardiac arrest.’ Grand Designs

‘Midcentury Modern is a dangerous show. All the must-see vintage furniture, lighting and accessories dealers in one place makes for serious temptation. Lucy and Petra organise the shows with their idiosyncratic verve and energy and in atmospheric locations so the events feel like an occasion / day out and not just a shopping experience.’ Jenny Dalton. Freelance. How To Spend It. Financial Times.
‘Held in the beautiful and very appropriate Christison building designed by Wates in the Sixties, this show is stuffed with all the recognisable classics of Scandinavian, American and British heroes of 20C design. It’s like visiting a design museum where you can sit on the classics, talk to knowledgable people and then take the exhibits home with you. I enjoy every show immensely and would recommend this show to any lover of design.’ Matthew Hilton’

The next show is on Sunday 1st December 2013 10am–4pm Dulwich College London SE21 7LD @modernshows