St Dunstan-in-the-East

Last Sunday I went to a group photoshoot all by myself for the first time. I travelled down with my suitcase to Bank station and found a quiet street to get changed as discretely as possible. It was not easy to manoeuvre all the layers in the right order without getting half naked in public! I still don't quite know how I put on my crinoline, two skirts, a pannier, an overskirt, a lace top and finally my corset without showing too much flesh! ^-^’

The shoot took place in the medieval ruins of St Dunstan-in-the-East, a very special place in my heart and here are the very first pictures...


Picture by Deane Thomas





Picture by Jim Nemer

Handmade Everything

Handmade Everything, all things lovingly made by human hands :)

Alternative Bring & Buy Sale

I just booked my stall at the next Bring & Buy Sale in December! I hope to see most of you guys there for your Christmas shopping! :D
More details here

Terraway Industries Products

One of Terraway Industries' fantastic Steampunk Sentinel Goggles has been selected Etsy's Victorian Treasury: "A lot of Victorian Nonsense"

Steampunk Sentinel Goggles

Terraway Industries Products

One of Terraway Industries' fantastic Steampunk Sentinel Goggles has been selected Etsy's Victorian Treasury: "A lot of Victorian Nonsense"!

Steampunk Sentinel Goggles

Sacred made Real

A retrospective of some of the most realistic religious art to be produced in 17th century Spain, “The Sacred Made Real” presented at the National Gallery, is the result of 10 years of work giving art lovers the chance to see masterpieces rarely seen outside of Spain, including work by Velázquez and Zurbaran, as well as other artists involved in the Counter Reformation. Most pieces are still paraded through the streets of Spain during the Easter processions.

This is the first major exhibition to explore the relationship between sculpture and painting during the Spanish Golden Age, taking a closer look at the ways in which artists combined their skills to bring their religious subjects back to life with arrestingly real depictions designed to inspire feelings of awe and to make viewer feel the presence of Christ.

Dramatically lit against dark grey walls, the marvelous and often disturbing exhibition spares its audience nothing – gaping wounds, rivers of blood, severed heads, ruined flesh, Christ's tortures, excruciations and morbid miseries.

“Dead Christ”, Gregorio Fernandez, 1625-1630

The first image visitors confront is the "Head of Saint John the Baptist", an impressively realistic severed head, complete with detailed rendition of the anatomy of a neck by master carver Juan de Mesa. According to Curator Xavier Bray the artist may well have used a real severed head as a model, "as a lot of people were decapitated in those days."

“Head of Saint John the Baptist”, Juan de Mesa

Sculptures from this era were painstakingly carved from wood, gessoed and intricately polychromed, many of them by Francisco Pacheco, who taught a generation of painters, including Velázquez and Cano.
Some artists used glass eyes, stained ivory for the teeth, tears made of glass and ox-horn fingernails in their work to achieve the most life like effects, reflecting a certain macabre ingenuity.

“Christ as the Man of Sorrows", Pedro de Mena, 1673

“Christ as the Man of Sorrows" (detail), Pedro de Mena, 1673

Intended to be seen from a close up, the skill with which this carving has been panting is exceptional. Blue paint has been applied beneath the flesh tones in order to suggest the bruising of Christ's skin. The rivulets of blood which trickle down his body are soaked up by the loincloth. Glass eyes have been inserted and real hair use for the eyelashes.

The sculptures were artists' response to a challenge laid down by Dominican, Carthusian and Franciscan orders who wanted to bring the sacred to life, in order to shock the senses of the faithful and strengthen their devotion.

“Dead Christ” (detail), Gregorio Fernandez, 1625-1630

“Dead Christ” (detail), Gregorio Fernandez, 1625-1630

Gregorio Fernandez's “Dead Christ” uses cork bark to simulate congealed blood and bull’s horn for Christ’s fingernails. His corpse has not yet been washed and prepared for burial; blood still oozes from the wonds.

“Dead Christ”, in situ, Church of Santa Maria de la Nueva,Valladolid.

"The Virgin of Sorrows" (detail), Pedro di Mena, about 1673
Painted wood, ivory, glass and human hair.

For those interested in finding out more about how the 17th century artists created their polychrome sculptures, “The Sacred Made Real” is accompanied by a free exhibition running alongside the main display.

Sacred Made Real

Tomorrow I am going to see “The Sacred Made Real”, a retrospective of the most realistic religious art to be produced in 17th century Spain, presented at the National Gallery.

It will be a remarkable chance to see masterpieces rarely seen outside of Spain, including work by Velázquez and Zurbaran as well as arrestingly real depictions such as Gregorio Fernandez 's "Dead Christ” only to quote one.

“Dead Christ”, Gregorio Fernandez, 1625-1630

Telling Tales: Fantasy and Fear in Contemporary Design at the V&A

"Telling Tales" explores the recent trend for unique or limited edition pieces, inspired by the spirit of story-telling, that push the limits between art and design.

“Design art” are products that transcend the boundaries between function and art. Function is not of primary importance anymore, artistry in the details takes over whilst familiar domestic items are invested with strange properties.

In the first room, entitled “The Forest Glade”, subtle sounds of creaking forest incite the visitor to become attentive to the natural possibilities of beauty and danger.

'Fig Leaf' armoire by Dutch designer Tord Boontje is at once a place to hang clothes and an artifact of insane beauty, with its 616 leaves enameled by hand.

“Else” by Julia Lohmann is a bench in the shape of a decapitated cow covered in blood-burgundy leather.

'Bathboat' by Wieki Somers

The 'Bathboat' is like a small boat turned inside out, designed to keep water in rather than keep it out, making the connection between floating on the water and bathing in the water because they evoke many similar feelings and elements.

'Petit Jardin' chair by Tord Boontje celebrates nature's fecundity and is constructed entirely from stylised plant fronds. However the verdant growth threatens to engulf or impale the sitter, giving a sinister undertone to the chair's decorative appearance.

'Linen-Cupboard-House' by Jurgen Bey.

Just as children imaginatively build fortresses, so Jurgen Bey used old furniture to create this guest room. It is like the gingerbread house in the classic fairy story, where Hansel and Gretel were promised sanctuary but were deceived by the witch.

'Sculpt' wardrobe by Maarten Baas pretends to be made from rough-hewn wood, but despite its appearance, the wardrobe is not carved from a single massive tree trunk, but was made from sheet steel that has been veneered.

Out of the woods and into the “Enchanted Castle” section, symbols of wealth and status are prodded and parodied.
The "Robber Baron" collection by Belgian design duo Studio Job includes a black cast bronze and gilded jewel safe topped with the head of a clown and a table crafted in the shape of golden smoke rising from four factory chimneys.

"Robber Baron" table by Studio Job.

The exhibition ends with the gloomy rooms of the "Heaven and Hell" section where visitors have to peer through windows to distinguish the sinister items designed to remind them of their own mortality.
Fredrikson Stallard’s red, urethane-rubber rug intends to represent the exact amount of blood in two people.

Heaven and Hell section.

"Sensory Deprivation Skull" by Joep van Lieshout.

'Damned.MGX' chandelier by Luc Merx.

The tumbling bodies that make up this chandelier were inspired by Rubens's depiction of the Fall of the Damned at the moment of God's last judgement.

Kelly McCallum's stuffed fox, "Do You Hear What I Hear" has gold-plated maggots squirming from its dead, dry ears.

In design as well as fairytales, things are not always what they seem and designers featured in this show will most certainly give you nightmares instead of happy endings!

Sophronia Choker

Bright and sunny Sunday and I have just uploaded one of my last creations on Etsy :)

Frieze Art Fair 2009: Sculpture Park

This year’s Sculpture Park presented in the wonderful setting of the English Gardens of Regent’s Park demonstrates a distinctly international feel, presenting work by a strong and broad spectrum of artists.
I love Regent's Park at this time of the year, with autumnal shades starting to shine and all the squirels trying to gather the very last nuts before the Winter like crazy!
Here are few of the sculptures taken during my lunch break :)

Louise Bourgeois, The Couple - 2003

Daughter of a devoted mother and an unfaithful father who openly took his children’s tutor for a mistress, Bourgeois’s works have always combined the innocence of childhood with the wisdom of age, using overt metaphor to challenge gender roles, sexuality, and what it means to be a woman. Couples are alternately reviled and revered as seen in “The Couple” swirling luminously above the ground, the largest in a series of hanging aluminium sculptures.

Neha Choksi, A Child’s Grove - 2009

Neha Choksi, A Child’s Grove - 2009

Rémy Markowitsch, BONSAIPOTATO - 2001/09

A giant translucide talking potato!

Zhan Wang, Artificial Rock No. 16, 2007


Maria Roossen, Breast Berries - 2009

Erwin Wurm, Pumpkin - 2009


Eva Rothschild, Someone and Someone - 2009

Graham Hudson, Edward VIII - 2009

Edward VIII was the only monarch since Elizabeth I not to have a statue or monument of commemoration in England until Graham Hudson’s last sculpture. Wish I found a bit more explanation about this one...

Paul McCarthy, Henry Moore Bound to Fail (Bronze) - 2004

American artist Paul McCarthy’s work is an homage to the oeuvre of Henry Moore and will remain on display for six months.

Busy & exciting art season this Autumn

I am planning to see the following exhibitions so if anyone fancy coming along, feel free to let me know, my planning is fairly flexible :)

Two intriguing free exhibitions are currently running at the Victoria & Albert Museum: “Telling Tales: Fantasy and Fear in Contemporary Design” and “All the better to see you with, my dear’: Fairytales and Enchantments”

I am going to visit those two tomorrow evening during the late opening as “Telling Tales” finishes next week already...

The more than fascinating “Moctezuma: Aztec Ruler” can be seen at the British Museum is on until 24 January 2010. The British Museum has late openings on Thursdays and Fridays, I’ll probably pick a Thursday as most museums only have late openings on Fridays only.

Whilst there I’ll also pop in to “The power of dogu: ceramic figures from ancient Japan” which is free and runs until 22 November 2009.

Goggle-eyed dogū. 1000-300BC. Tokyo National Museum

The National Gallery displays “Sacred made Real - Spanish Painting and Sculpture 1600 – 1700” until 24 January 2009 and again I will pick on of the late evening opening on Fridays.

Gregorio Fernández's Dead Christ (1625-30)

“Pop Life: Art in a Material World” runs at the Tate Modern until January 17th 2010 so I’ll pop in before my membership expires!

I can't really miss an exhibition that has a bunny on the poster, can I?

And last but not least in my little selection, “Anish Kapoor” at the Royal Academy of Arts seems definitely interesting and disturbing from what I have seen so far…

Orpheus Britannicus

Last month I had the wonderful opportunity to shoot the rehearsal of Mercurius Company's last production, Orpheus Britannicus - The Dance of the Hearts at the Cadogan Hall.

Here are a few backstage pictures, more can be seen here.

The Cadogan Hall's ghost