London MET Summer Exhibition 2010 – 29.06.10 – The Secrets of Shadows

Article written by Boidus Contributor Francesca Miles
francesca.miles@btinternet.com

The Secrets of Shadows

One of my early modules at London Met was a photography project under the theme of inside and outside entitled ‘Knowing London’. As the name suggests, we were encouraged to explore London and photograph spaces that we felt responded to the theme in a literal or abstract way. Fleeting encounters with various public spaces urged me to look for a place in London that exposed itself to this theme in a very natural but ambiguous way. Seeking inspiration, I was drawn to an article ‘Hidden Gardens in the City’. It was a vague account but enough to convince me that an eerie Church at St Dunstan’s Hill near Monument might hold the answer.

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Contributor’s Corner: Goldsmiths – from the inside

Blog written by Boidus Contributor – Sam Hill

You may – depending upon your background – know a little or a lot about Goldsmiths College. Chances are you’ve heard of the contentious Fine Art course (now based in Will Alsop’s ‘squiggle’) that spawned Damien Hirst, Marcus Harvey and most of the other YBA’s in the nineties. You might also know about the sterling BA Design course, which is where I graduated in 2008.

Of course, if you are interested in the BA or MA courses on offer at Goldsmiths, all the information you would ever need to know about the college is online but I’ll try and deliver an impassioned, recent-graduates perspective.

Goldsmiths College is not perfect, but it is pretty bloody brilliant. Deep in the grubby arse of south-east London (between Deptford, Lewisham and Peckham), it’s exactly the right breeding ground for experimentation, invention, fusion and raw, frontier culture. That’s not to say that the place is intimidating. Honestly, it’s not. It was the general un-stuffiness that led me (and plenty of my contemporaries) to choose the BA course over many of London’s other successful design institutions.

Goldsmiths Studio

Photo from Sam Hill

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Ghost Forest @ Trafalgar Square – exhibition review

“What can be imagined, can be achieved.”

Photography by Mark Ellery

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Ghost Forest is an original and ambitious art installation highlighting the connections between deforestation and climate change. It will feature 10 real rainforest tree stumps, most with their buttress roots still attached, positioned on Trafalgar Square. Nelson’s Column stands at 169 feet (over 50 metres), the approximate height these trees would have been in the wild.

Trafalgar Square events

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Click here for some more images by “davegrave@” on flickr

Click here for the BBC News feature

Click here for the Telegraph Trees video

Click here for some amazing ghostly images by Londonist by DeanN

Click here for more Flickr images by chrisjohnbeckett

Click here for some wise words by the Financial Times rainforest review

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The Ghost Forest display was on between the 16th and 22nd of November and has now ended

My Dream – 1

Over the past 9 years of my construction and architecture education I have collected a scrap book of images and drawings depicting ideas and ideals for my dream home.  One day I want to design and build a place that for me and my family will be paradise on earth.  Here is a selection of my most recent collections, let me know your thoughts.

Dream Holiday Home

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The Diversity of Hyde Park: The 7/7 Memorial

Article contributed by Victoria Lee – Architectural Assistant and RIBA Part 2 Student

On a bright sunny Sunday afternoon between Lovers Walk and Achilles Gate in London’s bustling Hyde Park stood 52 pillars of strength shining and gleaming serenely in the summer sun.    London’s largest park and neighbour Kensington Gardens are no stranger to memorials, including the Albert Memorial and the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain, a celebration and commemoration of life and a place for reflection.

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Interior Design and Architecture Showcase @Free Range 2009

Free Range

Above: Visual by Amanda Wheatley

The question that must be posed by this exhibition is what is your interpretation of interior design? Looking at the exhibition from an Architecture perspective should you be expecting an exhibition that deals solely with the shell left behind by Architects? If you consider the answer to be yes then surely you reduce the role of an Interior Designer to that of a painter and decorator. Hence on inspection of the work at Free Range you become aware that Interior Design is a holistic discipline where the best work emerges when the designer thinks outside that box, engages with the building and city, and adds something new.

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Featured Artist: Charlie Field

Welcome readers, to a new section of Boidus – the “feature corner”.  We at Boidus are all about promotion of good quality art, architecture and design and it is our goal to provide a platform for upcoming professionals.

For our first showcase I would like to introduce Charlie Field, a local photographer and student at Camberwell College of Arts. Charlie is interested in architecture and photography: his current project is titled ‘Liminality’ Boidus is proud to announce that he has kindly allowed us to feature his most recent work in progress -

Bridge 1

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Free Range 2009 Graduate Art and Design Shows

Week 3: Photography

http://www.free-range.org.uk/cgi-bin/index.pl?yearID=14
http://www.trumanbrewery.com/

The 9TH annual Free Range graduate art and design show is in full swing at the Old Truman Brewery, Brick Lane, London. The freshest new talent is rubbing shoulders with the east end crowd in search of their big break. It is a free event and I took full advantage by venturing down on Saturday afternoon.

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International Garden Photographer of the Year

See the finalists in the International Garden Photographer of Year 2009 here

These are a few of my personal favorites:

Matthew Bishop

Dennis Frates

Nigel Burkett

Having been to New Zealand I can appreciate this photo for its sublime beauty and for portraying the majesty of this awe inspiring country

Jonathan Berman

Adrienne Brown

This is an emotive portrait.

Tell us which photos you like best and why?

Jamie Mtz Photography

Boidus feature profile – Jamie Mtz Photography

Below is a selection of Jamie’s photography, sometimes edgy, sometimes seductive, one thing is for sure – it is good.  The girls don’t always look like “models”, they are not “unnaturally posed, and it doesn’t seem like they are trying to sell anything (except maybe sometimes themselves?!), are these your average fashion shots – I think not.  But maybe I am wrong, after all – what do I know about fashion?

This one is slightly sadistic, the bath looks dirtly and the plant has seen better days.  Taken differently, or using other colours this photo could have a very different meaning.

I think this looks like the girl is about to be sacrificed or punished.

A somewhat seductive photograph?  I guess each person will see this in a different way depending on their individual mind.  What do you think?

Inviting?

I will leave you with one of my favourites from Jamie’s site.  This photograph is not difficult to d and is definately somethign I will be trying out – remeber where you saw it first, and by whom.

Jaime Martinez is a photographer from Mexico City. Click here to see more great work from his portfolio.

Click here for Jamie’s CV