Update

I am now living/working in Edinburgh, hurrah! Have had loads going on this year and with a few moves before this one, no time for updating this thing or the website (I'm still stubbornly insisting on doing it all myself!). I'm trying to sort out a studio through here, but its seriously hard. Everyones after one about in Edinburgh so competition is fierce, but so too am I! So will get something sorted soonish.

We're going to see the rabbit...

We are going to see the rabbit.

We are going to see the rabbit.

Which rabbit, people say?

Which rabbit, ask the children?

WHICH rabbit?

The only rabbit,

The only rabbit in England,

Sitting behind a barbed-wire fence

Under the floodlights, neon lights,

Sodium lights,

Nibbling grass

On the only patch of grass

In England, in England

(Except the grass by the hoardings

Which doesn’t count ).

We are going to see the rabbit

And we must be there on time.

First we shall go by escalator,

Then we shall go by underground,

And then we shall go by motorway,

And then by helicopter way,

And the last ten yards we shall have to go on foot.

And now we are going

All the way to see the rabbit,

We are nearly there,

We are longing to see it,

And so is the crowd

Which is here in thousands

With mounted policemen

And big loudspeakers

And bands and banners,

And everyone has come a long way.

But soon we shall see it

Sitting and nibbling

The blades of grass

In – but something has gone wrong !

Why is everyone so angry,

Why is everyone jostling

And slanging and complaining?

The rabbit has gone,

Yes, the rabbit has gone.

He has actually burrowed down into the earth

And made himself a warren, under the earth

Despite all these people.

And what shall we do?

What CAN we do?

It is all a pity, you must be disappointed,

Go home and do something else for today,

Go home again, go home for today.

For you cannot hear the rabbit, under the earth,

Remarking rather sadly to himself, by himself,

As he rests in his warren, under the earth:

“It won’t be long, they are bound to come,

They are bound to come and find me, even here.”

Great Poem. I was driving along and heard it on Radio 4, while trying to seek sanctuary from the idiocy of Radio 1. Sanctuary indeed. How does Chris Moylles (I hope I've spelt that incorrectly) have a job with the BBC? don't get me started on the others.

Eva Hesse

A collection of Test Pieces by Eva Hesse is currently showing at the Fruitmarket Gallery. I adore her work, and was very influenced by her during my early years at Art College. Here are a couple of my favorite pieces.

One of hundreds of little curiosities at my dads house......

More Kimono yumminess

Its becoming a bit of a trend for British designers to be using kimono fabric, so it pains me to admit that I'm getting more and more into the stuff. No designer wants to admit to following a trend, we all want to be the origin of such things, but I have to say my interest has developed purely by chance. Its not about it being Japanese, or that the idea sounds more exotic, as opposed to say, just using British vintage fabric. The Kimono fabric designs I choose, are often quite subtle generic prints, and don't necessarily feel Japanese. In fact, I don't want the fabric to feel Japanese, I like the idea that it could come from anywhere.  I love that these beautiful fabrics can be bought relatively cheaply and yet still have so much history and amazing handmade detail. These fabrics were once kimonos, but have been unpicked, carefully pressed and then rolled up to be sold on again. The fact that the fabric has such history, but is still completely intact and uncut is just so perfect. As long as the print/weave works for me, I don't actually care where the fabric originates, its design and history are what interests me, plus the fact that the fabric comes in 10m+ roles so is plenty to work with.

Luton

As well as loving vintage ephemera, I'm also from Luton originally, so there lies the connection with the seemingly random town. I'm loving this little leaflet, its a beauty. 

Music Video Costumes for 'Our Broken Garden'

When Your Blackening Shows from philm on Vimeo.


Had a little bit of input for this music video by designing the costume. My good friend Phil Molloy directed it, and so asked if I could help out in that department. The video is very cool, as are the band and their music. Enjoy!

A collage by Picasso