London Trip

Yesterdays' trip to London was very inspiring and I am now clearer and more motivated with this project. We visited the Design Museum, Dover street Market and the Wellcome Collection.

The Design Museum was my favourite of the day because there were so many new and innovative things to see. The exhibition which surprised me the most was the, 'A Graphic Odyssey', exhibition by Wim Crouwel, a graphic designer whose work spans over 60 years.

A selection of catalogue covers designed by Wim Crouwel

On display were samples of his posters, magazine covers, record covers to name a few. When you consider everything he made he made by hand it makes his collection of work even more remarkable. He uses a huge variety of layouts, fonts and graphics to make individual images for a huge client base. He works with a grid based methodology to place everything required perfectly on the page. It is his rigorous process that has made him one of the best designers of the twentieth century. 

This was one of my favourite pieces at the exhibition. The way it has been constructed is really fascinating to see because you can see it taking shape layer by layer.

Endless from Dirk Vander Kooij on Vimeo.

This wall lighting instantly catches your eye as you enter the second floor of the exhibition. It changes between different coloured soft lighting from reds to greens and purples.

I took a close up shot so the actual construction and layout can be seen clearly. I think this is a really elegant piece and it also has quite a space age feel to it.

Thin Black Lines- Nendo 

This furniture collection is by Japanese company Nendo and is called, 'Thin Black Lines'. I really liked these pieces especially the chair because it was so unique and unusual. The collection they have created is very sleek and sharp.

Ohne Titel S/S11

Gareth Pugh S/S

Ohne Titel S/S11

This was part of the exciting and innovative fashion part of the exhibition. The shoes are amazing, I love the use of colour and pattern which is displayed in the dress as well.

This is a dress from Gareth Pughs' new Spring/Summer 2011 collection. As usual he has created an amazing eye-catching design which pushes the boundaries of fashion.

To see the video of his collection directed by Ruth Hogben follow this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcB8NZ8R60s&feature=related

Melonia Shoe- Naim Josefi

Finally these are the much publicised, 'Melonia Shoes' by Naim Josefi. They have been created using a 3D printer which moulds the shape of the wearers' foot creating the perfect fit. I was so excited to see these as I had read so much about them and watched videos of them being created. The design is quite skeletal and looks incredible when being worn. 

Overall this exhibition is definitely a must see for anyone looking for exciting innovation and a glimpse into the future. 

As well as the Design Museum we also went to Dover Street Market which is home to some of the most incredible clothes I have ever seen. The fabrics used are so luxurious and the detailing on some of the garments is unbelievable. There is also an incredible selection of jewellery and shoes to view. 

New in was the Comme Des Garcons collection which was spread over the 4 floors along with stunning dresses, shirts and jackets. Even some of the displays were works of art and each floor had something new and exciting to offer. 

Of course the price of all this luxury and refinement is high but if you have the money it is absolutely the place to shop for all your labels.

Dover Street Market
17-18 Dover Street
London, W1S 4LT

                                    

The final stop was The Wellcome Collection where there was an exhibition on called 'Dirt: The Filth reality of everyday life. Probably not the best thing to view if you are squeamish but I found it fascinating. Works featured in the exhibition include artifacts, films and images from, William Alfred Delamotte, Thomas Annan, Joseph Lister, E.H Dixon and Friedrich Stark. The journey begins with 'The Home' and continues onto 'The Street', 'The Hospital', 'The Community' and 'The Land'. 

Through each part the role of dirt and cleanliness is explored through photographs, diagrams, posters and artifacts as well as films. The role of dirt is explained as being magical, a marker of civilisation and something we often avoid confronting. 

The most profound piece I found was 'The Land' where the dumping ground called 'Fresh Kills' on Staten Island in New York was shown. It was so large it could be seen from space and stood as high as the Statue of Liberty. Now it has been cleared and although the ground is thought to be irreparable the plan is to convert it into a park called 'Fresh Waters'. 

Fresh Kills- Staten Island

It was also fascinating to see 'The Street' part of the exhibition because it shows how different London is now and how terribly people lived not too long ago. The advancement has been great and the streets look nothing like they used to which is quite remarkable. 

The most harrowing part of this exhibition was 'The Hospital' which featured artifacts including old specimens of urine and blood and also some quite graphic images of gangrene, it was however incredible seeing how terrible our medical system was and it makes you fully appreciate what we have now. 

This was an exhibition I did not think I would enjoy very much but it surprised me and I came away having learned a lot and appreciating that we have to keep the level of dirt and rubbish we produce under control. Although it might sound quite scary and strange this was one of the more fascinating exhibitions I have seen and I think anybody interested both history and the future should go and see it.