My Giant Colouring Book by Jake and Dinos Chapman at The Museum of Childhood in September

An exhibition of etchings from Jake and Dinos Chapman was never going to be innocent but what they have done for this Hayward Gallery touring show is use the principle of the old join-the-dot children’s colouring books and added their own colourful narrative.

This series of 21 etchings was first published in 2004 and shows many of their favourite themes such as monstrous creatures including sabre toothed owls, psychedelic grinning cats and bears trapped in the belly of the Loch Ness Monster. According to Dinos Chapman ” (They) are about how wrong you could make an image”

So if your child loves a good dark evil storytale and won’t be kept up late at night by scary images just the thing for a wet autumn weekend then!

10th September – 8th January at The Museum of Childhood, Bethnal Green, London E2 9PA

My Giant Colouring Book 21, 2004 Copyright Jake and Dinos Chapman and The Paragon Press, London

My Giant Colouring Book 5, 2004 Copyright Jake and Dinos Chapman and The Paragon Press, London

My Giant Colouring Book 20, 2004 Copyright Jake and Dinos Chapman and The Paragon Press, London

All images – My Giant Colouring Book 20, 2004 – Copyright Jake and Dinos Chapman and The Paragon Press, London

All posts copyright to Smudgetikka – permission must be asked for reproduction Nov 2009-2011

Yohji Yamamoto at the V&A retrospective, fashion from a Japanese Master

I quickly passed by the V&A at the weekend and ran in hoping to catch some of the Yohji Yamamoto exhibition. I knew my time was limited but was hoping to photograph some of the exhibits scattered around the V&A and do the full exhibition at a later date.

Well I didn’t get very far as I was sidetracked into the shop where a selection of T-shirts and this great floral sack bag are on sale as well as the exhaustive catalogue. So after 15 minutes deciding whether to buy the floral Furoshiki bag or not (still not decided – it is £85 after all)  I didn’t get much else photographed but just to say, this is one exhibition not to miss.

The website of the V&A has some great information about the exhibition as well as a personal blog about its setting up and info on two other concurrent related exhibitions running in Wapping and other special events.

I still have one of the original Nick Knight catalogues from the 80’s and it is one of my most treasured pieces from my days in womenswear. The catalogue reproduces much from that era and also has a cover image from Nick Knight that could have been an original photo.

 

Yohji Yamamoto at the V&A shop with floral Furoshiki bag March 2011

 

Bags are made from a selection of floral prints used for the s/s 2011 Menswear collection by Yohji Yamamoto

 

 

 

Model at the V&A shop, the simpler safety pin print bag on right is a more reasonable £10!

 

 

 

Plenty of Yohji Yamamoto catalogues for sale at the V&A exhibiiton

 

 

 

V&A Catalogue for Yohji Yamamoto exhibition

 

A Nick Knight image from the original 80's catalogue of Yohji Yamamoto

 

 

Original brochure image by Nick Knight for Yohji Yamamoto 80's fashion catalogue

 

 

With our hearts going out to Japan at the moment this is a timely exhibition, those wishing to give to help the Japanese victims of the earthquake and tsunami can do so by clicking below.

 

 

For Japan with Love, Shelterbox USA donations

All photos by Smudgetikka except those stated from Nick Knight – all rights reserved

Mori Tower Tokyo, a great place to take kids, its not just about the view, buy the Takashi Murakami toys too!

The Mori building is the tallest tower in Tokyo with public access to see that astonishing city spread out below you but it is so much more than just an observation tower. As well as being part of the Roppongi Hills shopping development there is a really good art gallery with a very nice toy shop attached too which is great for kids. The observation level on floor 52 also has restaurants and bars, it is light and airy and spacious with plenty of windows to view from and the view is stunning.

The art exhibition I saw was Metabolism: Urbanism and Architecture which ended in November and I can really recommend if it comes over to the West at all, if the quality of that was the norm then I think whatever is there will be good. For Christmas there is a special Sky Planetarium installation which sounds great fun too.

The museum shop has a lot of great quality tin painted toys and some amazing detailed street scenes and there is a tie in for Roppongi Hills with the well known Japanese artist Takashi Murakami who has created children’s soft toys and hand puppets,fridge magnets, a Monopoly set and many posters and special sweet and cookie tins for the centre.

 

Tokyo view with a typhoon approaching from the Mori Tower

 

 

Takashi Murakami created special soft toys for the Roppongi Hills complex in Tokyo

 

 

Takashi Murakami Monopoly set from the Mori Tower Tokyo

 

 

Tokyo diarama street scene from Museum gift shop at Mori Tower Tokyo

 

Cute metal penguins from Mori Art Museum gift store

 

 

Vintage look tin toys from the Mori museum gift store

 

 

Vintage look tin cars and trucks from the Mori museum gift store

 

 

Waterfall in optical glass from the Metabolism: Urbanism and Architecture exhibit at the Mori Gallery

 

 

White trees floating in gallery space by Kuribayashi from Japanese larch trees, pulp and paper

 

All photos by Smudgetikka – all rights reserved

V&A Museum opens their Reading Rooms cafe with vintage books for sale on Saturday 20th November

In a new venture for the V&A Museum in South Kensington the Reading Rooms will open on Saturday November 20th at 8 Exhibition Rd.

Those familiar with the area will remember it as the knobs and knockers shop by South Kensington tube. The high ceilings, cornices and bay windows remain and the space inside is transformed into a cosy bookstore with a dark wood floor, a bar near to the entrance and high huge bookcases designed with spaces for a glass of wine or a fresh mint tea to rest while customers are browsing the selection of books for sale.

Offering vintage special titles as well as a different edited selection to the titles available in the V&A itself the rooms will be open daily from midday to 10pm making them the perfect place to come after work or for last minute present hunting. Amongst the titles I found some interesting vintage children’s books priced between £15 and £50 according to age and condition.

 

Entrance and bar area in the Reading Rooms of the V&A Museum South Kensington

 

 

Ante room with bar stools at the bay window and floor to ceiling shelves at

 

 

Vintage boys book in stock for Xmas

 

 

Retro boys book on sale

 

 

Vintage book with a modern title at the Reading Rooms of the V&A Museum

 

All photos by Smudgetikka – all rights reserved

Cool Modern Art Museum, the Louisiana in Denmark

The Lousiana Museum is really one of the best Modern Art Museums I have never heard of before. Guided by a design savvy friend it sounded a like must see place.

From the multiple sculptures in its seaside garden to the incredible Art in its permanent collection I was blown away by a visit last week when I was in Copenhagen. Just 30 minutes up the coast on a train and a brisk 15 minutes walk from the station at Humlebæk, its a cultural gem with by the way, a jolly nice cafe too. Lets not even mention the shop which contains some of the best in Scandinavian design ceramics, woodwork, glass, clothing and a huge bookstore. There is also a good kids area where they can cut out and make models themselves.

The current exhibition is also mind blowing, “Warhol after Munch” shows the Munch original prints and the copies Warhol made of them plus a couple of walls of Warhol’s en masse in vibrant colour that are truly inspirational. Personally I also loved the row of polaroids of Warhol in drag – never seen those before anywhere! I wonder if its where Cindy Sherman found her inspiration!

If you visit Copenhagen its a great day out, and do take the day to do it as the grounds and the collection are extensive and it is better not to rush it. We had a rainy day but it was mostly drizzle and didn’t affect viewing too much.

Front lawn facing the sea at the Louisiana with Henry Moore Reclining Figure No 5

Greeting sculpture on front lawn at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art

All of the Art at the Louisiana post dates 1945

Much of the exterior sculpture can be seen through the windows of the museum

There is a sizeable collection by Alberto Giacometti

Connecting rooms at both ground level and a lower level under the garden link in a circular route

The V&A museum – Architects build small spaces, great fun for older kids

The weather was a bit crappy so we headed to the museums at South Kensington this weekend amongst a hord of other families.

Luckily the V&A is always a good bet to be quieter, (I have no idea how horribly packed the Science and Natural History museums must have been) and even luckier to find the Architects build small spaces exhibition which runs till 30th August.

For older children these small spaces are ideal as they came clamber up the ladder into the tiny cute Beetles House by Terunobu Fujimori, immerse themselves into Sou Fujimoto’s inside /outside plexiglass tree and squeeze up the narrow ladder staircase of Mumbai Architects in between architecture house. Then a climb inside the book lined walls of Rintala Eggertsson’s Ark and if its not too busy all the better as only 4 people at a time are allowed to climb some of the structures which sway with movement.

Highly recommended.

Terunobu Fujimori from Tokyo - Beetle's house at the V&A Museum July 2010

Beetle's house interior with pot, mini bicycle and tea set

Sou Fujimoto Architects, Inside/outside tree at the V&A museum July 2010

Studio Mumbai Architects, In-between architecture at the V&A museum July 2010

Interior of In-between architecture by Studio Mumbai

Rintala Eggertsson Architects, Ark at the V&A Museum July 2010

Interior of Ark, book lined walls by Rintala Eggertsson

Rural Studio from Alabama, Woodshed at V&A Museum July 2010

All photos by Smudgetika – all rights reserved

How cool is the Cocoon, Natural History Museum, South Kensington

I visited the Cocoon at The Darwin Centre in the Natural History Museum and was blown away by its graphic shape inside the flood lit hallway of the Darwin Centre. The Scandinavian Architect practice C F Møller is well established and they have done a great job here.

By the way, there is a plain white elephant on the lawn outside the entrance too but too far away for a decent picture from my iPhone.

A glass walled lift takes you to the exhibition on the 5th floor and you walk down around inside the cocoon shape, its great fun and I would highly recommend a visit.

The Cocoon at The Darwin Centre

The Cocoon, ground floor

All photos by Smudgetikka – all rights reserved

Opening this weekend – The stables at Audley End

This week I was invited to see the newly renovated Victorian stable block at Audley End, an English Hertitage property near Saffron Waldren in Essex which opens for this weekends May Bank Holiday.

Part of the Audley End estate the renovations include some new inhabitants in the stables themselves, a new children’s playground and cafe.

The horses and their groom will be used to illustrate how the Victorian household would have lived their daily routine in the stables, a project which follows on from the success of a ‘Real life below stairs’ daily event in the service wing of the main house. Live stable activities will continue throughout the sumer starting on Saturday May 1st.

Those of you with horse mad offspring will find it a great day out this Bank Holiday.

Horse and Groom at Audley End restored stable block

Restored stable interior with Victorian grooming implements

The restored tack room at Audley End

The restored stables resemble a Victorian mansion from the outside

Grand Victorian greenhouse at Audley End Estate

The main house at Audley End seen from the stable block

All photos by Smudgetikka – all rights reserved

Henry Moore at Tate Britain, Feb 24th – August 8th 2010, fantastic new exhibition.

So Monday morning, yet more rain and forget London Fashion Week, there is a new exhibition of legendary Sculptor Henry Moore at Tate Britain to be seen and it really is the most comprehensive collection of his work you will ever see.

Covering the period from his early sculptures in the 1920’s and 30’s to the 1970’s and including his rarely seen Wartime drawings of crowds sheltering in the undergound system in 1940’s London, there is a staggering amount of work included.

I loved the early sculptures the most, especially the smaller pieces he began with which felt as if you could cradle them in the palm of your hands. Its a novelty when we are so used to his massive works to see them at that scale and to realise how his early work which I hadn’t known was in part influenced by Mayan remains in Mexico was so consistant with much later works.

Henry Moore at Tate Britain Feb 24th - Aug 8th 2010 - all rights reserved