Lady Caterpillar

 I just realised that I never posted about this lovely lady who I helped make for Christian Louboutin while I was at Studio XAG. Tricky stuff.
I've been a bit slow on the posting, due to Christmas window madness at Millington and flat hunting. But the windows are up, and the dream pad has been found and is being painted. Although now full of Christmas window glitter. Which I have discovered is indestructible. 

Up To Now

I can't believe it, but these chaps (who were just little squirts in their first year when I left university) are graduating this year. And as if having two shows at the end of the year to do wasn't enough, they're having another one in a few weeks! My lovely chum Ros is helping to organise it and it will most probably be amazing.
See their website here, and follow the blog here.

Details below:

An exhibition of work from Graphic Design & Illustration students from the University of Brighton currently starting in our third and final year.

Private View
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Friday 30th September 2011
7:00pm to 10:00pm

Show continues until Sunday 2nd October 2011

Venue
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Red Gallery, 3 Rivington Street, London EC2A 3DT

Toby's photos

Toby is a bit good at taking photos. Have a peek at his flickr.

The Vamoose

Not only does Kathryne Blackmore make some serious gorgeous jewelry, but her blog is full of amazing images of her inspiration. Worth a peek.

Kevin Buist

kevinbuist.com/

Back in the UK

Well I am back after nearly 4 months in New York. It is grey and cold and wet. And I missed it!

Mr Big and Frida.

Quite possibly the oddest looking thing I have ever seen. Part bat part deer but surely not a dog?

Ellis Island

Some lovely old posters and things from the Ellis Island museum. Why can't things look this nice anymore?

Ellis island

We took a trip to Ellis island, which used to be where all immigrants were held while the authorities decided whether they would be let into New York or sent home. It's worth a visit, it's very moving to think of what those people had to go through. And coming from a family that has moved around for the last 4 generations, it means a lot to me too.
Top image is the main hall where people would have had to wait to have their papers processed.
Middle image is an eye test to be used for people who were illiterate or whose language didn't use the European alphabet. People found to be ill, mentally or physically, or who were not able to support themselves, were sent home. The US also imposed quotas, different numbers for different countries, and once that number of people had arrived, all those behind them were turned away. Quotas for places like England were always disproportionately higher than places like China.
The bottom image is a campaign poster that would have been common around the turn of the last century.

Bleak Coney Island

Coney Island is quite possibly the most depressing place that I have ever been. But it's still quite amazing.

Beach

Delighted to find out that we can get to the beach on the subway from NY in an hour and a half!

Dia Beacon

We took a little train trip upstate to go to Dia:Beacon. Which is, without exception, the most amazing gallery space I have ever seen. You can't really convey it with photos. But there's just so much space! And it's almost entirely lit by natural light. And the work wasn't too bad either!

postcards

Many many amazing postcards were bought at various flea markets and stoop sales around New York. My particular favourites (apart from this little gem, obviously) were on the subject of prisons, car parks, Holiday Inn, man eating fish and some very dubious photo editing. To see more, head over to my ephemera blog, daily miscellany, where I will post the lot. Eventually.

murals

Coney Island Type

It may be crap, but Coney Island has some amazing signage!

Harvard Natural History Museum

Flowers made of glass. Hard to believe but I assure you it is true.

Harvard Natural History Museum

I am a little bit too keen on taxidermy!

Rocks

ICA Boston

We went to the ICA Boston. All I can say is that it was $15 not very well spent at all. Be Warned.

Mark I

Harvard has the first computer, just sitting in the hallway. And very odd it is too. I even has a few typewriters connected to it.

MIT 2

The two most exciting things at MIT: The ROBOTS! Some students were making robots to stick inside teddies and things which made the workshop look a bit odd with teddy body parts strewn around among robotic arms. The second most exciting thing was this 3D printer that carved your face out of chocolate. I think the brief was to make a 3D printer for under $100. Pretty cool eh?

MIT 1

A friend of Toby's has a brother who is studying at MIT and he took us round the media lab, which is nothing short of awesome! Full of mad scientist students making cool things and getting paid for it by big companies. The top photo is a digital harp that has several sets of strings and people can stand inside it and play it. Next is one of the workshops, below that is a set of shelves just casually full of prosthetic foot prototypes. And this was all just 2 rooms. The whole place was so full of amazing things that I couldn't even begin to document them here!

Boston

Toby and I finished work and after a very hazy weekend took the greyhound to Boston to have a little nosy around and stay with my aunt and uncle.