EXPLORE | Love is Enough - Andy Warhol x William Morris

Sly photo of the Andy Warhol tapestry of Marilyn Monroe.

Andy Warhol and William Morris are both iconic names in the art world yet for very different reasons. Warhol was a sixties icon creating a legacy that defined the time whilst Morris' name is equally as renowned worldwide. Despite their different styles, the parallels between the two artists, as highlighted by this exhibition, were enchanting to an art illiterate like myself. 

Love is Enough contrasts the two artists' trademark pieces side by side in an informative visual feast comparing themes of printing, mass production, society and collaboration.

Walk into the room at Modern Art Oxford and you see a striking tapestry of Marilyn Monroe created by Warhol mounted on a backdrop of classic Morris print. Delve a little deeper as you scan the photographs, books and printing materials and the connection between the two figures becomes clear.

It was a treat to see Warhol's iconic pop art, which was the initial draw to my visit, but also a delight to broaden my perspective of both artists and their techniques through this wonderfully curated display.

THINGS ON WALLS | BANKSY

Potential new Banksy mural

Angel with paint tin on her head

Mobile Lovers

On a quest to solve clues on a recent treasure hunt around Bristol, we stumbled into the Bristol Museum & Art Gallery to come face to face with some original Banksy pieces. 

The provocative flair of the faceless graffiti artist is infamous and it was an unexpected treat to meet the recent and controversial Mobile Lovers mural in the very city notorious for being the artist's stomping ground.

EXPLORE | One Thousand Cranes @ O3 Gallery, Oxford

Tucked away in the corner of Oxford’s castle quarter is the O3 Gallery, a stunning contemporary art space which hosts a dynamic variety of displays throughout the year.

I stumbled across the One Thousand Cranes exhibition on a spontaneous visit home for Easter and, having developed an amateur interest in paper cutting, I was curious to discover more about the craft. Showcasing an array of designs from the UK’s leading artists, the exhibit is named after the belief that the folding of one thousand origami cranes bestows eternal good luck on the folder.

Walking around the rustic space, here’s what I found…

Anna Howarth

Anine Bosenberg

Anna Howarth

Su Owen

Anna Howarth

Su Owen

Su Owen

Davy and Kristin McGuire

Astrid Jaekel

Kate Hipkiss

Callum Russell

Sarah Dennis

Brigitte Parusel

I adored the mix of contemporary vision versus fairytale romanticism all exquisitely crafted through the medium of paper. A perfect display of multi-dimensional design, from silhouette films to 3D structures, each piece grasped inspiration from an eclectic array of sources ranging from modern architecture to literary classics.

Thank you to the O3 Gallery and all the artists involved for an enjoyable afternoon losing my imagination amongst paper cranes.  

MAKE | Carrie Ann Schumacher's Book Dresses

AS ORIGINALLY POSTED ON THE OXFAM FASHION BLOG...

Oxfam is a treasure trove of pre-loved literature seeking a new bookshelf and, continuing the celebration of World Book Day, it can be exciting to see how artists, designers and creatives reuse the tattered pages of discarded books in their work. The idea of ripping precious books to pieces feels almost sinful but they can be artfully revived into a whole new story.
American artist/dressmaker Carrie Ann Schumacher has crafted a wardrobe of novel dresses creating a beautiful fusion of fiction and fashion. Working her way through a box of abandoned romance paperbacks, and armed with simple scrapbooking tools and techniques, Schumacher is not trained in fashion design or sculpture but instead let creativity, inspiration and imagination take charge with these glorious gowns.
As an avid reader herself, she takes inspiration from personal experiences, colour, cuts of paper and different textures which she then recreates in unique paper form. She said: "having that one piece of inspiration, whatever it is and wherever it came from, jump starts the entire dress and I react intuitively to what I have placed down and work off of that."
Although the dresses are not wearable, with exception of Desiree and the Boy that Broke Her Heart which can be physically worn but with little movement, they are an exquisite ornamental fashion statement. "I get emails from women all over the world who want to wear these dresses and it is one of my dreams to have they pieces made into wearable fabric garments. So, whoever you are out there who wants to make this happen, contact me.  I'm ready!"
In her own words, here are some of the fantastic fables behind the frocks...

HARLEQUIN
"Harlequin was the first dress I created and was specifically made for a show themed around the dichotomy of invisibility and visibility.  I had sworn off gender specific work after my undergraduate career, but the theme of the show made me think of the visible and invisible parts of womanhood.  For me, romance novels and fashion represent the visible parts, the ideas of love and beauty we sell to girls as they grow into women.  These concepts are seductive, and they hide the not so pleasant aspect of inequality." 

^Harlequin

DESIREE AND THE BOY THAT BROKE HER HEART
"I made Desiree and the Boy that Broke Her Heart next with the intent of seeing if I could make one of these pieces wearable and it is although very uncomfortable.  One day, one of my classmates told me a story about how our friend Desiree had her heart broken years before and was never able to move on.  When I related this story to Desiree, she burst out laughing because none of it was true but I found the fabricated story to be enthralling. I tried to imagine what kind of dress would be a visualization of this heartbreak and made a dress for an innocent and shattered girl."

^{Desiree and the boy who broke her heart}

NEVER THE PROM QUEEN
"For Never the Prom Queen, I really wanted to work with colour.  I used back issues of magazines, bought a large hole-puncher and knocked this out in a weekend.  I keep changing the title of this piece and I'll probably change Never the Prom Queen when a better phrase hits me.  I feel this one is for that girl who keeps trying to be "it".  She reads the magazines, follows the trends, puts in the work and effort, but never quite makes it.  On paper she should be the prom queen, but she never is because it is just not her."

ALICE AND THE BOY SHE LEFT BEHIND
"Alice and the Boy She Left Behind was made the week after my grandmother's death and somewhat covered all the emotions I have regarding that time period. I felt that my grandmother was having trouble leaving this world and moving on to the next; I felt her presence very strongly in the weeks after her death.  There was a very ritualistic aspect to this dress and it was extremely laborious to make but the mindlessness and repetitiveness became meditative. Secondly, the grief of my grandfather upon losing his wife was quite overwhelming. Their relationship was all-consuming to him and losing her was devastating beyond words.  The enormity of this dress demonstrates the engulfing quality of his grief and desperation; It's poetic and tragic, all in the same breath."

^{Why you don't kiss and tell}

WHY YOU DON'T KISS AND TELL // OH, YOU'RE GONNA LOSE YOUR SOUL
"Why You Don't Kiss and Tell and Oh, You're Gonna Lose Your Soul are sorority sisters, with Kiss and Tell being the young naive sister and Lose Your Soul being worldly and a bit jaded.  Kiss and Tell arrives at college fresh-faced, friendly and eager but then she will kiss and tell and get her heart broken in the process. It's the dress that she'll wear on her first real night out, when her hopes and dreams are still untouched. Lose Your Soul is the aftermath."

^{Emil and le vie en rose}

EMIL AND LA VIE EN ROSE
"My newest dress, Emil and La Vie en Rose turned out to be about my grandfather which was not a preconceived concept but what happened as the piece was coming together.  This one is a delicate little slip of a thing that seemed fit for someone who lives in their own little world, a daydreamer who only sees the world through rose-colored glasses."


If you prefer your books in a more readable form, visit the Oxfam Online Shop for a literary feast.