Joseph Franks exhibition

Recordando mi visita a la exhibicion del arquitecto y diseñador textil austriaco Joseph Franks en el Museo de la Moda y Textiles en Londres. Nadie diria que los tejidos aparecieron en los años 30 y 40, se ven tan actuales con tanto colorido. Descubri sus tulipanes  hace años en Liberty's y son fan desde entonces.

 Remembering the Joseph Franks exhibition at the Fashion and Textiles Museum in London. The designs feel timeless, an injection of optimism with such a riot of color. I came across his work years ago at Liberty's and became a fan, buying some tulip place mats which I regret gifting as I cannot buy them nowadays.

Dresses and hats - Entretelas y sombreros

Sabado en Somerset House a ver la exhibicion Isabella Blow: Fashion Galore. Excentrica, irreverente, original  unica. Dos horas y media  entre piezas de McQueen y sombreros de Philip Treacy que pasaron en un segundo. Imagenes del evento en este video, mas sobre McQueen y Isabella en este documental.



Saturday spent at Somerset House, to see Isabella Blow: Fashion Galore. I enjoyed her irreverent style, excentric and original. Hats by Philip Treacy and clothes by McQueen , several video installations e.g. La Dame Bleue , time flew. More about McQueen and Blow on this documental.

Blumenfeld

Casi se me pasa la exhibicion de Blumenfeld en Somerset House , menos mal que un articulo me la recordo, y alla me fui el sabado pasado.  Muy completa, la primera seccion Colour Revisited informa como se reprodujo el color a partir de las transparencias usadas en la epoca. El resto cubria todos sus periodos, el artistico en Europa , cuando se movia entre los circulos dadaistas y experimentaba con distintas tecnicas . Este video muestra mucho de este periodo, sus collages antinazistas e imagenes que no estaban en la exhibicion. Luego su primer periodo como fotografo de moda en Paris con la iconica foto en la torre Eiffel. Original to publication, donde mostraban fotos sin retocar que posteriormente fueron usadas como portadas. Aqui no podia faltar su archiconocida e imitadisima Doe Eye.  American Colour, con su original uso del color, escenificacion y  referencias a obras de arte europeas. Y finalmente su periodo en America con sus trabajos para Harper’s Bazaar y Vogue. Amerika nos transporta al periodo durant la II Guerra Mundial donde el apoyo a las tropas llego hasta Vogue con su "Women who serve" (en la portada del Harpers' Bazaar de 1943) o en el uso  del color.  La BBC emitio un documental sobre su vida "The man who shot beautiful women" del que se pueden ver los primeros minutos en este video.  Me quedo con un par de sus frases.

Era un aficionado, soy un aficionad y quiero seguir siendo un aficionado. Para mi un fotografo aficionado es al que le encanta tomar fotos, un alma libre que fotografia lo que le quiere, y le gusta lo que fotografia. Segun esa definicion yo soy un aficionado, y esa es la definicion que acepto.
 

El publico quiere calidad y belleza. Es el fotografo quien tiene que darselo aunque sea metiendolo de contrabando en la ilustracion sin que nadie lo note.

Saturday morning rushing around leaving home to see the Blumenfeld exhibition at Somerset House. Divided into 5 sections :  Colour Revisited  explains  the process taken to recreate the original transparency films  Kodachrome and EktaChrome as no colour photographic prints exist from them. Europe shows his 1930s work with the Dadaist movement and his experiments with veiled, solarised and shadow techniques as well as his return to them in the 1950s.  This video shows many of his this early work and collages which were not at the exhibition. Original to Publication, has the original transparencies not selected for publication in its raw state un-retouched. American Colour  reflects its kitsch staging, references to European painting like "Girl with a pearl earring" and unexpected use of colour. Finally,  Amerika  shows us his patriotic series during  1940s such as "Women who serve". More photos here and  here with a view of this exhibition when previously shown at the musee Nicephore Niepce. His influence can still be seen nowdays, like in this video for Channell cosmetics.
For a film on his life see "The man who shot beautiful women" .
I like this two phrases from him :

I was an amateur , I am an amateur , and I intend to stay an amateur. To me an amateur photographer is one who is in love with taking pictures, a free soul who can photograph what he likes and who likes what he photographs. By that definition I am an amateur, so that is the definition that I accept.

People really want quality and beauty. It is up to the photographer to give it to them, even if it has to be smuggled into the illustration when no one is looking.



Suzy Menkes por Christie's

La editora debe de andar corta de espacio por sus armarios y subasta algunas piezas. Aprovechando que estaba cerca me pase por Christie's y eche un vistazo. Variedad hay :  Pucci, Lacroix, Saint Laurent, Chanel, Hermes, mi favorito el britanico Ossie Clark, me gusta su linea y los estampados de su mujer Celia Birtwell. Con £200 libras  no seria dificil conseguir algun pañuelo del guardarropa de la Menkes, pero me contento con mi copia de su libro Knitwear Revolution .

The fashion editor must be running of space in her wardrobe and is auctioning some clothes online at Christie's. I was running some errands nearby  last Saturday and popped in for a look. In my fashion, as is named the collection has a mixture of French and British design, my favourites were the Ossie Clark dresses (I like his fluid line and the  prints by his wife Celia Birtwell)  and the Bill Gibbs sketches. I might do with my copy of Ms Menkes book Knitwear Revolution and will pass on the auction. 

 

Mary Delany at the Serpentine Gallery

Hoy aprovechando el solecito sali a correr al parque. De paso entre en la Serpentine Gallery a ver la ultima exhibicion, Rosemary Trockel, A Cosmos, 13 Feb - 7 Abr.  Y cual no seria mi sorpresa cuando me encontre alli con tres collages de Mary Delany, una artista del siglo XVIII que descubri al leer su biografia "Paper Garden". Fumaria , Parnassia and Primula. Tambien tenia Ms Trockel unos cuadros de inspiracion lanera, de lo mas moderno y facil de recrear, unas tiras de lana de colores a tono, parecidos a estos que encontre en unos libros de manualidades de los 70s que tengo por casa.

Today I went for a run in the park. Once there I popped into the Serpentine Gallery to check their latest exhibition by Rosemarie Trockel ,   (13 Feb - 7 Apr).  To my surprise I found they had three collages by Mary Delany as part of the exhibition, They had Fumaria, Parnassia and Primula. I am a fan of Mrs Delany ever since I read The Paper Garden a book about her life and work. I also found some more crafty inspiration from some wool canvases on display by Ms Trockel, which were very similar to these ones  (see photo above) from  a 1970s crafts book.
Edited to add links to images.
Editado para subir enlaces a las imagenes.