The Arts University College Bournemouth Graduation show for its very talented Photographers is showing over the coming few days at the Maverik Gallery on Redchurch Street, Shoreditch.   The Maverik is showing works from 5 students, Ginny Marsh, Dave Atkinson, David Powell, Clare Hewitt and Katie Higson.

Ginny Marsh

There is work here for everyones taste, fashion, documentary, portraiture and the Maverik gallery has allowed these 5 students to really spead out there work and show a real consistancy within there bodie of works.

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Thomas James Hole

Meanwhile over at The Proud Galleries, Charing Cross the exhibition continues with a further 10 students each showing 4 photographs each from there portfolios.

Both exhibitions are well worth a look and show the immense and varied talent coming out of this Bournemouth College, so go take a look whilst you can.  Shows end this weekend!!!!

Maverik showroom

68-72 Redchurch street

Shoreditch

London

E2 7DP

Ballad of headed down to the Truman Brewery, Brick Lane, to check out the Winchester Graduate fashion show as part of London graduate fashion week.  There is some immense talent coming out of this prestigious college at the moment.  Excitingly each designer has opted to show through many varying themes.  As well as wanting to showcase there skills and talents, certain themes did crop up throughout a lot of the designers work, forcing me to think the pupils at this collage, as well as being experimental, do have there fingers on the pulse.

Military, French Riviera, Victoriana, National Romanticism and Nomadic Equestrian Costume were just some of the themes running through the 20 designers on show.

The attention to detail and some wonderful accessories, along with some carefully pleated, draped and exquisitely cut fabrics made this show both interesting and occasionally pleasantly surprising.

Stand outs where Gemma Landings cleverly pleated collection. Her soft dreamlike colours wonderfully pleated skirts & trousers mixed with a much harder jacket shape caused a wonderful juxtaposition between soft flowing Victoriana garments below, and much stricter, tailored jackets.

Virginia Handley, again, showed some fantastic pleating, with layered garments cut from suede, silk and cotton.  Her fairytale inspired collection ran through themes of flowing white dresses, military style jackets and a wonderful, short, almost lederhosen outfit reminiscent of an old Austrian folk tale (believe me it works).

The highlight of the show had to be the fantastic work of Lisa Jordan.  Her ‘Mongolian Journey’ collection was both creative, daring and perfectly accessorised.  Her work is a great interpretation of Nomadic costume translated into unusual, clever and wearable garments with real identity.  Her split buckled, almost punk like, trousers, beautiful hooded riding tops with matching ankle cuffs, and an amazing horn saddle bag were just wonderful.  Lisa has created a collection that is out there on its own and yet, despite its hard edged, unusual quality, is completely wearable and is definitely a talent to look out for.

Ballad Of has been down to check out the new talent coming through at Graduate Fashion Week.  And boy is there some exceptional talent coming up on the horizon. . . . . .

Reviews to follow. . . . . keep an eye out.

Designer Anneka Moore of Spanner & Wingnut uses traditional manufacturing techniques to create a sense of youthful fun combined with contemporary shapes.

Anneka developed her trade at Central Saint Martins and took a few moments to speak to us at Ballad Of about her work

B.The name Spanner and Wingnut implies an industrial yet playful quality which seems to be reflected in your work.  Is this the intended connection, and if so what prompted you to work with this juxtaposition?

A. The name has been a bit of a happy accident! Spanner and Wingnut have both been lifelong nicknames. As a baby my dad decided I looked like a wingnut bolt because of my enormous ears. I felt that using these two nicknames made the company name sentimental to me, and also blended well with industry terms with in jewellery.

B.Your work seemed to begin with abstract forms that were open to interpretation such as your use of bubbles but has now moved on to more representational and concrete forms, why is this?

A. 6 years ago, when I began using metal as a medium, I created the bubbles range. I was still playing around with techniques and understanding how silver could be manipulated. After my degree at Central St Martins, I actually worked in the bespoke textiles industry for two year, whilst I found my feet. So in my spare time I would doodle uncomplicated shapes, which then became my first collection for Spanner & Wingnut. I wanted to create jewellery which has a slightly rock n roll edge, but can still be worn as an everyday piece. I find the plain shinny surface of precious metal can be very beautiful, and alluring, creating a certain amount of luxury within the piece. I don’t think you always have to put precious stone in jewellery to make it luxurious.

A.  I am only just getting my feet wet in the jewellery industry, so I am eager and excited to evolve as a business. I would love to collaborate with fashion designers, and create some Haute Couture catwalk pieces. I absolutely love the collaborations between Hannah Martin & Hannah Marshall, and also Shaun Leane’s pieces for McQueen.

For more information you can visit her sites below

www.spannerandwingnut.blogspot.com

www.spannerandwingnut.com

Since Ap-arts arrival in December 1999 on Londons Portabello road, the founder of the gallery, Adrian Palengat, has consistantly surprised with his shows popping up all around the world, from Tokyo, Paris & Berlin, to its new home in los Angeles.  Now back temporarily for a second year running Ap-art returns to its first home in Notting Hill with a 10 year retrospective.

Mandela on Coke - Pakpoom Silaphan

Following on from a successful show of Pakpoom Silaphan’s ‘Continuous Junction’, who uses aged metal Coka Cola, Pepsi & Fanta signs as his canvas, Pakpoom’s show was an excellent pop culture precurser to what was to come.

10 years of Ap-art

The exhibition, which opened on May 19th, is an international retrospective group show, with many names that have shown with Ap-art since its birth 10 years ago.   The show is sometimes cheeky, sometimes subtle in its approach, but mostly the work on show here just comes right out and slaps you with its politics and pop culture references.

Autumn Harvest - David Hollier

Always inteligent, the show features paintings on car bonnets, a sculpture of an African woman carrying a baby Madonna, many images of iconic pop art figures including a Kate Moss collage made from hundreds of small badges!!!  The show is definately fun, and thoroughly recommended before Ap-Art up sticks and move on to another part of the world, only to, hopefully, return again next year.

10 years of Ap-Art

10 Years Apart

113-117 Westbourne Grove

London

W11 2RS

Until June 27th

10 years Ap-art