Screenprinting!

Finally picked up my prints from the screenprinting induction I did last week. The process is basically choosing what you want to print/making it and printing it on transparency film. Next is coating your screen, exposing the transparency film onto the screen, giving it a wash, drying it in the oven and then you're ready to print! Choose your paint colours/materials (you can print on just about anything - the wall, wood, fabric.. sky is the limit).

I really fell in love with the whole idea of the Arts + Crafts movement so I thought I would print the motto for the society of designers which embodied the principles that hooked me.

Long Live Lethaby!

Today was the crit for the Lethaby project, so I had to haul in my heavy-as tiles to Uni. We were all dreading the feedback we were about to receive from our tutor, as she was rather blunt/borderline cut throat during the interim crits.

I found out she grew up in Canada (Montreal) and it was quite interesting to find out more about her life. Annyway, the crit went well for most of us and I was pleased that she dug my idea/outcome. Everyone had fantastic concepts/work. I am constantly reminded that I am surrounded by a very brilliant bunch.

Here are a few more pics of the tiles and some postcards I picked up from the school museum during the first week of my research.

History + Handicrafts

The current project I am working on is a brief about the Lethaby building at our university. I have since discovered the history of our college which began as the "LCC (London County) Central School of Arts & Crafts" in 1896. It was founded during the Arts & Crafts movement, as a counter to the industrial revolution and mass production. It was created in an effort to reintroduce through education traditional "crafts" or "trades" and keep them alive. The Lethaby building is a part of the purpose-built site for the University which was completed in 1907.

Our University even has a museum on site! The woman there, Judy, showed us a whole collection of historical items, like William Lethaby's (the architect and first principal of the central school) original watercolour of the building plan.

Hussain + I took photos (and he took some videos) of our exploration of the building and museum bits. If you are curious, you can see them here.

Anyway, after researching the initial principles of the University, which I found to be:

• the marriage of traditional crafts + modern technology
• learning the links between crafts + using them in unison
• learning from history
• education for all (including FREE tuition for individuals with the talent)
• craftsmanship
• loving your work/enjoying what you do/putting your heart into your work
• industry connection

The image below is taken from Charles Voysey, which was the motto for the Society of Designers, and the key to understanding the Arts & Crafts movement. 'Head' for creativity and imagination, 'Hand' for skill and craft, 'Heart' for honesty and for love.

I realized that the purpose for most current students at CSM seemed to be drastically different from the early years.

What I wanted to do for this assignment was to remind students the reason they SHOULD be there. Thus I decided to create a serious of commemorative quotes by Mr. Lethaby and other tutors who were there when the University was created. I also wanted to do some handcrafted design piece in spirit of the arts + crafts movement. So I decided to make some tiles!

It has been a struggle and many failed attempts to fulfill this idea. Here is some documentation.

BACK W/ A BANG!!!

It was a lovely holiday in Canada visiting friends and family, but I'm glad to be back.

I started off visiting an Icebar with Emilia, during a random wander in Soho.
She had just returned from seeing family in Finland and I from frosty Canada.
So the Icebar was kind of a funny place for us to end up. It was -5 inside and we were given space like pullovers with fur lined hoods and elasti-tached mittens to stay warm.




The day after Yunnie, Emmi and I went to the Clink Prison Museum.

On the walk...


Here's some info from Wikipedia:

"The Clink was a notorious prison in Southwark, England which functioned from the 12th century until 1780 either deriving its name from, or bestowing it on, the local manor, the Clink Liberty (see also the Liberty of the Clink). The manor and prison were owned by the Bishop of Winchester and situated next to his residence at Winchester Palace.

It was originally used for the detention of religious non-conformists (both Protestant and Catholic, as English religious winds changed). At one point the Clink was reserved for priests who refused the Oath of Allegiance, but came to be used for people who broke the peace on Bankside or in Southwark's numerous brothels. The prison probably fell into disuse after the English Civil War, though it was described in 1761 as being "a very dismal hole where debtors are sometimes confined, but little used". The Clink was burned down during the Gordon Riots of 1780 and never rebuilt.

The name of the Clink is the origin of the phrase "in the clink" (meaning "in prison"). The origins of the name are uncertain, but it may have been an example of onomatopoeia, referring to the sound made either by the prison's metal doors as they closed, or the chains the prisoners wore. The Clink Prison Museum is currently located on the original site in Clink Street, in the basement of a former warehouse. The Clink Prison was the first prison in which women were regularly confined."

It was quite tiny and very eerie - dark and smelly!

Not sure how this shot happened!

Methods of deciding who was guilty back in the day...

Check out this hot prisoner broad!

Yunnie checking things out in the Clink

Yunnie being whipped by Emilia as they used to attached to this device back in the day.

Sitting in the torture chair... eeeee!

This dude is looking a little roughed up!

Sometimes the prisoners ate Rats because they were so hungry! If they ran out of money, since they had to pay for their accommodation/food.

The execution belt.. wouldn't want to have that thing strapped around me!

"Off goes her head" Yunnie chopping me up on the cutting block.

Next we walked along to the Borough Market, full all kinds of fresh goodies! Some scenery on the way:

Looking at the end of the Green Market

Fish, bleh!!!

After my raving about sourdough bread Yunnie was curious... so we both bought loaves!

Mmmmushrooms!

The Green Market. I spotted a hummus stand with crazy flavours of hummus, including Beetroot! What's with these Brits and beetroot. I ran into Elle MacPherson at Wholefoods looking for some beets the other day.

Emilia decided to purchase some Baileys cheesecake with a brownie base. Mmmm.. too bad it wasn't vegan.