Mellor/Booty Bag

I'm really enjoying collaborating with fashion designer Charlotte Booty at the moment. Her garments push the boundaries utilising unconventional embellishments but still really wearable through their carefully considered design and construction. The opportunity of creating pieces using her beautiful crochet skills has been a joy, and combined with my studies at the moment into Mesolithic hunter-gatherers has resulted in this bag which combines her intricate textiles with sturdy leather, metal jump rings, nuts & bolts and natural stone.

I have made it big enough to accommodate my big sculpture books (regular totes are frustratingly a tad to small) and a few other essentials for a modern hunter gatherer existence. I think I may eventually make several liners in different colours so I can change it as they will show through nicely in the open weave. 

Flint: Hewn Through Nature at Manchester Museum

Collection Bites are a series of short talks put on at Manchester Museum once a month. Featuring a range of experts from different areas of the museum they share their knowledge over a lunch time slot to a small group. The talk usually features some objects from the collection, giving the public a chance to get up close and even handle some of these precious artifacts allowing a bit more in depth focusing on one or two things in particular. Today's objects were stone age tools presented by Museum director Nick Merriman.

Gripping the ancient axe it was amazing to fit my finger tips into the purposely made grooves, and I happened to be wearing a pair of my "Hewn Rings" which were originally inspired by the contrast of worked surfaces with rugged edges found in objects like these.

Pieces of the flint were carefully chipped off by hand to create sharp edges

Victorian enthusiasts collected whole flint rocks believed to be the predecessors of the hand sculpted tools. The lack of evidence for them means they are now just kept as curios.

More info on the next Collection Bites can be found  here.

The "bulb of percussion" shows a piece of flint was worked rather than weathered.

blades were carefully made for hand held scrapers and implements to be hafted onto wooden shafts

Triumph & Stylist Supporting Women in Making

HELP ME WIN FUNDING AND DESIGNER SUPPORT FROM TRIUMPH & STYLIST!!!

  Triumph have literally supported me for years now with their super underwear with a classic vintage feel, and now they are showing another kind of support by offering a once in a lifetime opportunity for a women maker.
 

I am so over the moon to be in the running in an exciting competition with Stylist Magazine where my fave lingerie brand Triumph are supporting Women in Making. It features a once in a lifetime opportunity to be mentored by the unique team of Roksanda Ilincic, Gizzi Erskine, Grace Woodward and Paloma Faith. All amazing, strong women who have achieved great things and stood out from the crowd by marching to the beat of their own drum. It would be amazing to have the advice from these women: even though they make it look so easy I know that the elegant gliding of the swan is powered by the continuous paddling under the water and it requires massively hard work. I'm familiar with the hard work but the industry knowledge from these figures will be priceless for me.  Their own unique experiences mean they are a great choice to help a new creative woman turn her ideas and designs into a great career.

A red bra and a good idea helped the gang win in Private Benjamin

See, great underwear CAN help you achieve great things (even if it just helps you feel more confident underneath it all).

Private Benjamin is one of my all time favourite films. Initially a spoiled brat, relying on marrying a rich husband and accustomed to her family's wealth, through the film the glitteringly gorgeous Goldie Hawn suffers a crisis and in her panic mistakenly joins the brutal U.S army (with "hilarious consequences"). Here she toughens up, discovers how strong and independent she can be and gets a great career and a group of feisty friends that help each other through it all. Here's a photo from the brilliant war game scene where they disguise themselves as members of the opposing team by ripping up a non-issue racy RED BRAZIER worn by one of the tough cookies in her squad. 

If this wasn't enough, Triumph are also generously offering a bursary of £10,000!!! I can't express how this sum of money would completely transform a independent maker's life such as myself. Being independent and self funded is incredibly hard but you learn the skills of being a great budgeter. A massive rocket of funding would make all of the ideas that have to be cut back or shelved actually possible. The projects, collaborations and new research into making contemporary and informed wearable art pieces are so exciting. I could also set up the workshop of my dreams, investing in equipment to make more things possible and daily working more efficient as a hub for me and creative people to come and share in. Imagine Willy Wonka but with jewellery.

So now it's up to YOU to make this possible. In this section of the competition I NEED YOUR VOTE

Original Black Cube, Silver, Pyrite ring hand made by Jade Mellor

It only takes a second to enter your email address and you don't have to sign up to ANYTHING. It's just a vote. Here's the link to the Stylist Website

And here's the ring of mine on their page you need to look for: 

Please, help me by showing YOUR support!  

Thank you! 

Open Studios/Pop Up Third Floor & Rogue

 Only 5 working days to go, then it's time for a fun weekend of art and jewellery as I invite you to join me in my workspace. Friday evening will have music and a few drinks, Saturday will be a more leisurely day for you to drop in and see us and our work. Housed in an old textile mill in the heart of Manchester, Third Floor Studios is the newest addition to the already established collection of Rogue's Studios and Project Space.

The whole building will be open to the public for this annual event, it is my first one in this building and I will be showing my work, inspirations and selling one-off pieces, old and new designs and some amazingly priced samples. And it's a good excuse for me to tidy up, open up a bottle and try on some giant jewels.

 Most updates will be on the Facebook event open to join HERE and my TWITTER (@jademellor). Any other queries or to let me know if you are only around at a certain time, feel free to drop me an email. info@jademellor.com

If you can't make this weekend and you are interested in viewing my collection can also arrange a future visit, just get in touch!

Hope to see you there! x

Alexandra Groover: Rebirth S/S14

 I was at Alexandra Groover's presentation of her Spring/Summer 2014 collection REBIRTH at London Fashion Week last Friday. My review is now up on the Tricky Customers site! Check it out HERE. 

Working Outside The Box

Love these dropper bottles. Inky medicine.

 I met two really nice artists last night Ali Spechler and Mair Cook, the former from Florida and Mair from Suffolk but soon returning to Falmouth Uni. I was at the final exhibition of a residency they had undertaken in Manchester. Both took up their spaces for different reasons which was in a modern terraced house with living and studio areas. Not a particularly charming area, and slightly out of the way it got me thinking about where you find the difference between inspiration and distraction, and the benefits of entering a different space to work in. Sometimes you need to lock yourself away to get on with a project, other times the input of your environment is vital in your work. 

Selecting what you will take with you if you are working somewhere else can also be liberating. We are lucky enough to have access to so many mediums and ways to be creative, but it can actually drown us in possibilities, and hamper productivity.  

Studio space of artist in residence Mair Cook

If you're having difficulties concentrating, maybe you need to organise your space. The satisfaction alone is a great boost and often you will discover things (both physically and mentally) during the process: such as the "good" scissors you'd lost, or the final touch on a piece you were struggling with.

I'm definitely due a tidy up and plan to edit in my studio space this weekend, especially as the Open Studios where you can meet me and see my space and my work is only a week away!!! Details HERE.

Closer to Godlee

An evening spent at Manchester's beautiful Godlee Observatory... 

Many thanks to Manchester Astronomical Society! Visit them here 

Designpanoptikum - Surrealist Museum For Industrial Objects

The truth of objects: is it weirder than science fiction?

 Russian photographer Vlad Korneev's sculptures provide an eerie environment throughout the 10 rooms of his Designaoptikum allowing us two options: The first is as an art gallery casually soaking up the visual ensembles, the second is to use your brain by thinking and learning about the collection of objects housed within.

Some insight curiosity, some are unsettling but all have at least once provided some function. As intimidating as some of these look, there are no weapons in the museum, it is up to our own imaginations how we perceive them, and the structures Vlad has created make them unfamiliar, providing them with a new identity. He describes it as similar to Frankenstein's laboratory. To give you an idea, imagine of what kind of companions you might construct in your solitary survival of an apocalyptic event trapped inside the basement of an old department store.  

Many of the scariest looking devices were actually designed and built to help people, from learning how to resuscitate an accident victim to actually having a machine like an iron lung to breath for you for your entire life. As Vlad had said there are no objects intended to cause pain or destruction in his museum, but the huge metal box he had as an example of the treatment for polio was made after the First World War when Germany had nothing other than weapons so an iron lung was made from submarine parts.

During this visit to Berlin I also found myself inside the Museum of Medical History. This is not for the faint-hearted or those with a weak stomach (there were jars containing both of these) and I found myself in need of a stiff drink and some fresh air from my encounter here. There were no gimmicks or sensational presentations, just human specimens, historical facts and the real-life stories of individuals thus having a deeper effect than any Oscar nominated weepie or late night teen gore-fest. And the largest display of gallstones you will ever see.

Although unable to take photos in the Medical Museum I found the text from the introduction significant for both collections so I have included it here with  my images from the Designpanoptokum. 

"Objects generate effects. They may be just standing in a room, be obstacles in the way or displayed in a showcase. Their sheer presence, their explicit 'thingness" evokes feelings in the viewer. If we want to learn more about the objects, we usually need additional information about their inventors, producers, users, applied materials, age or distribution. The stories deriving from them may be manifold.  Frequently, however these stories remain undetected or undiscovered."

"Sometimes the objects fall into oblivion, lying in the dark corners of a museum's depot. The objects do not grant the curators a consultation hour. Nevertheless, we could interact with them further. They are sharp, colourful, fragile, pretty to look at, common, unique, useful, used, or unwieldy. "

"For a long time, only the respective museum curators were interested in these stories. To follow their own research and interests they developed an individual 'thing' expertise. Other people, however, would be able to tell quite different stories. Partly because of this, more and more researchers beyond the museum world have  turned to historical objects in recent times. They ask: what is our relationship with these things? What meaning do they have in our culture?" 

Here's the Designpanoptikum  Museum if you want to see it all for yourself! Torstraße 201, 10115 Berlin, Germany

The Minister Of Chance

 "...excellent... gripping." The Guardian "    ... a masterclass in mythos building..."Starburst    "...compelling drama..." Elaine Cameron, Producer, Sherlock    "...terrific... wonderful..." Warren Ellis

                                                                  Check out the WEBSITE & FACEBOOK PAGE

SO INCREDIBLY EXCITED TO BE PART OF THIS FILM!!! If you haven't checked out the first series of podcasts, download them now while you can - they're completely free!  Written by Dan Freeman the amazing cast of Julian Wadham, Lauren Crace, Jenny Agutter, Jed Brophy, Paul Darrow, Philip Glenister, Beth Goddard, Tamsin Greig, Peter Guinness, Sylvester McCoy & Paul McGann. which includes not one, but TWO DR. WHOS and stars from The Hobbit! I first listened to them in wintertime when I was in a very small and rather freezing workshop, welcome escapism to accompany the busy days and nights making and even better with a huge steaming mug of something warm (tea, coffee...gluhwein, it was a VERY cold winter). 

I have been designing the jewellery for the film, an unusual task as the technology varies with the different countries and the planets which have developed in different ways. The mixture of space rockets and glorious countryside is inspired by our amazing home of Cheshire and the imagination sparked by the wonders of the universe. If you have ever been on the train past Jodrell Bank, seeing the massive Lovell Telescope in the middle of rolling stretches of green gives you an idea.  

Lovell telescope at Jodrell Bank

"We have cast members in common with the Lord of The Rings and Hobbit - this gave us the idea to follow New Zealand's lead. Instead of going to Hollywood, director Peter Jackson's team brought the production home, wherever possible using and promoting local talent."

Beeston Castle

Growing up in Cheshire I draw on my experiences there as inspiration for my work. Surrounded by castles, crumbling ruins, exploring breathtaking caves and hills and the remnants of Roman Civilisation gave me the thirst for discovering and enjoying my surroundings. Being asked to join the Cheshire-centric team now dubbed as "Chanceshire" is a real honour, and I'm excited to produce some spectacular pieces that will become part of the world within this film.

Caves at Beeston, near where I grew up.

The Podcasts have already collected rave industry and fan reviews for its first season, along with nominations from the BBC and the USA Parsec Awards.

Here is some more info from The Ministry of Chance Website:

"The Minister of Chance began life as a sonic movie - a Sci-Fi/Fantasy story created using film technique but told with sound alone.

It is the first of its kind - funded entirely by donations from a vocal community of supporters. The first season is entirely FREE to download from this site or from iTunes.

And now the Sonic Movie goes to Feature! We're in production turning the acclaimed series to motion picture, filming in the North West of England.  Find out how you can be involved here."

This is not a meteorite...

This is not a meteorite. 

No, honestly. This is not a meteorite. 

This is a meteor-wrong! And it is actually man made slag. It may attract a magnet (meteorites should be magnetic) but this is because it can contain iron, often a waste product from smelting. Even though the surface looks like a close up of the surface of some far-off planet, this was actually made by bubbles of gas when this was a material in an industrial process. A meteorite will never have bubbles. The ripples in the surface also tell us it is not a meteorite. Although the surface of a meteorite burns in the atmosphere it just forms a crust (fusion crust)  it never melts to solidify in this style.

Today at Manchester Museum the Curator of Earth Sciences Collections, David Gelsthorpe held a workshop on how to identify a meteorite. The above was an example of a meteor-wrong, used to point out the distinguishing features a meteorite should (and shouldn't) have.

These are the first, most basic ways of beginning to identify if the rock you have found is a meteorite:

Question 1. Have you seen a bright light streak across the sky? 

Question 2. Have you heard a bang? 

Question 3. Have you seen a crater where the meteorite hit the ground? 

The Moon's surface is battered with craters from meteorites crashing into it's surface. It gives us an unadulterated view of what their impact looks like.

My black and pyrite Hewn ring and the Museum's lovely 70s model of the Moon.

This is an example of a fusion crust. Where the burnt black areas have chipped off the metallic silvery colour can be seen underneath.

This thumb print shape in the meteorite above is known as a Regmaglypt (which is what the word translates as). 

To study a meteorite scientists will cast a model of  to record its shape then slice it to look at the inside. This one on the right shows lightning bolt flashes or threads of metal running through it, beautiful!

It's wonderfully exciting to hear about the latest discovery of meteorite-beads found in the jewellery of Ancient Egypt, I'm sure more of their place in history will pop up as studies progress. (more on that here). It combines my love of ancient civilisations, outer space and our lovely natural goodies worn as jewellery! Imagine making jewellery at that time using an item fallen from the sky, it would seem like a gift from the Gods themselves.

Scans of the beads from Manchester Museum, showing their nickel metal content.

Meteorites continue to capture our imagination, so when we find an unusual rock that looks out of place in it's surroundings, we hope that it might be extra-terrestrial. However, meteorites are very rare and there is a long checklist to determine if your miscellaneous chunk is from far, far away...

This online meteorite lab shows you how to look at your specimen using a rotating mock-up.  

Here is a link to a great, rather tongue-in-cheek checklist for identifying a meteorite which is also really informative to what else your specimen might be and how it's formed, but be warned you might prefer the mystery... 

Meteorite Identification Checklist

The Galactic Exhibition at the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists showcases the work of contemporary craftspeople inspired by the Universe and what lies beyond our skies. It's on until October 19th, with items all available to purchase including a wide selection of my work. If you would like to enquire about a bespoke piece made using your own precious metoerite (or meteor-wrong), or any more questions into my jewellery get in touch!  info@jademellor.com

Shivering Mountain

Last Thursday I went on a field trip to Castleton with Manchester Museum. The purpose of the outdoor adventure was to try out a new app which would give geology students instant access to information from experts via videos, figures and readings. I had my smart phone with me so I could see how it worked for myself. It was quite straight forward, and would be even easier if you were used to augmented reality apps although it's probably best shown on a tablet to make the most of the multi-media features.

A view of Castleton from Mam Tor

Mam Tor means "Mother Mountain" possibly due to it's breast shape but also as it appeared to have "given birth" the other mini hills around it, in reality caused by landslips due to unstable layers of shale lower down. This also led to the moniker; "The Shivering Mountain".

A noble sheep

One of the features was "Beneath Your Feet" showing a map of the kinds of rock making up the area around. By accessing your camera function (which does sap your phone battery so charge up!) the view in front of you appears with markers showing points of interest you could choose to click on, accessing videos, commentary and maps. This will allow instant access to localised information whilst out and about. This technology is easy to keep up to date and add to, unlike textbooks and abandoned websites. The alternative would be carrying around huge educational tomes or having to print out current figures on lots of bits of paper to faff about with (which would have been impossible on Mam Tor which was sunny but VERY WINDY). 

Beneath Your Feet: here are some of the rocky slabs that make up the steep path.

This old path looks quite serene and well-trodden, like a natural part of the landscape. In contrast this huge crack in the abandoned road further along our journey clearly shows the layers of tarmac of recent years in futile attempts to patch up the constant deterioration caused by the landslips aggravated by heavy lorries from the quarry.

I enjoyed getting out in the fresh air with a really nice bunch of people and the view from Mam Tor was amazing, from far and also near if you looked closely. Part of the route was interspersed with some really nice metal markers displaying it's Iron Age history as a fort.

Face of the Sun God "Lugh"

Torque

Urn

Here is a site featuring Blue John, a precious mineral only found in some special areas in Derbyshire. This area was originally full of sea creatures, and fossilised chrinoid specimens can be seen in the rock. Examples of chrinoids were brought along by Manchester Museum's Curator of Earth Sciences Collections, David Gelsthorpe.

Chrinoids clustered together on the left

Chrinoids in Castleton rock

The museum has many specimens from this area. It is rich with finds having been a route for animals such as bison in ancient times.  It was great to see them in the places where they could be originally found and discuss them and learn in situ. 

his trickle of oil you can see under the grass is the product of the ancient sea-life remains that would have lived here. Combined with the maternal name and visible changes and movements, it really seems as if the rocks here are alive, and I think the aim of the app will be to animate the science and information learned from them in the same way.

 To learn more about the rocks and fossils collections of Manchester Museum (and lots of other interesting stuff), David Gelsthorpe has his own curator's blog you can check out here.  Another good blogpost on this trip can be found at MancOnline. There's always great stuff on at the Museum, so to keep your eye out for more events like this check out their website here. If you join their mailing list too, you can be the first to know!

Gray Magazine

Really excited to be featured in the latest issue of Gray Magazine! 

 "A reflection of the Pacific Northwest's vibrant design + architecture scene. GRAY is a print and digital magazine filled with resources, engaging features, and interviews covering architecture, landscape, interior design, industrial design, décor and fashion—all things that are imagined, made or available in the Pacific Northwest."

This issue is inspired by contrasts and duality, with the content literally halved into two sections so that in the middle you flip the mag round to read the rest!

I've always been into turning convention on it's head, and two of my Hewn rings feature in this middle two page spread where it flips! Check it out below, a black and a white Hewn ring available at Craft & Culture or directly from me made in your size. Just email me for details on how to have your bespoke ring made to your preference! 

Here's the online version for you to read for yourself! This issue has some interesting write ups on designers with split careers, which is becoming even more common as people take a sudden change in their path or bring polar opposites together so that they feed the different needs in their life. Check out the gorgeous cutting edge objects to window shop for some inspiration!

Sweet Ombre

Getting out of the workshop and discovering the majority of my clothing is covered in splashes and smudges of pigment (not in a good way) I have I have made a couple of purchases recently to freshen up my existing wardrobe which currently spill out of vintage suitcases in my "cosy" apartment. The questions I have had to ask when considering a new item have been: "How can I make this work for the crazy/unpredictable weather we continue to have??!" The answer seems to be simple pieces in light fabrics cool enough for coping with the city's public transport in hot spells, but with the prospect of adding interesting tights, knitted  layers of cardigans and scarves and my favourite high 70s leather boots as the leaves change colour...

Cue Craft & Culture to create an amazing new lookbook, shot by  the talented Fiona Pepe which along with a selection of my handmade jewellery also feature;

interesting knits, tactile leather and THE most amazing ombre tights!!!

Ombre tights by BZR,

Hewn Bangles and ring, Jade Mellor

 The colours add autumnal interest with their faded tones and are made even more wearable by the fact the opaque colour is darker and heavier at the top (thank you!) which flatters even non-model legs drawing attention to the narrowest part of the ankles!

These graded colours and wonderful textures are just what we need for the transition from Summer to Autumn.  Here's a look, but check out the whole feature and new items joining the Craft & Culture site here.

Delicious colours...crème brûlée!!!                                                                                                          Black bangles and Hewn ring

One of my white and metallic Hewn rings ,Leather wallets by Anoukis, metal bracelets by Rah&Rah and Jesse Harris.

My Hewn RIngs in marbled grey, and black & pyrite

Hendrick Lou knits, Annoukis bag, Rah&Rah bracelets and my white Hewn ring (just seen)

                                 The beautiful Neko

Rad Gals

Craft & Culture have just published a new piece on Theresa Crim, local curator and champion of the creative scene in Seattle. This is the first of a series called "Rad Gals" which will interview creative women and who have styled themselves by selecting from the designer pieces curated on the site. Theresa has been involved in so many creative endeavors, from magazines to events and the article illustrates her passion for her talented friends and how she has started up projects and platforms to encourage and share art. I'm really thrilled that she chose many of my hand made pieces for her photoshoot! You can see the full editorial here at Craft & Culture.

These gorgeous images of Theresa are by Elizabeth Rudge, makeup by Katja Mistrel and article written by Hana Ryan. My jewellery and the other pieces she wears in the shoot are all available at Craft & Culture here. 

Button Up

Last chance to see the amazing Button Project exhibition in Macclesfield's Heritage Centre & SIlk Museum! 300 amazing, unique pieces make up the work on show by as many different artists, designers, jewellers, crafts persons from all over the World.

Sarah Bradney's Parachute Button

Inspired by Macclesfeld's Heritage in silks, Sarah Bradney made a cocoon like button, hiding a parachute complete with a silk map. You can see original silk maps used in the museum!

Sarah Bradney's Silk Map

Silk Map and tie! In the museum.

The exhibition has been created by Chair of the Contemporary Glass society, Victoria Scholes. Thanks to all of the participating artists who ansewered her open call it showcases different skills, techniques and a love of making.

Starting a new project or trying to learn a new skill can often be daunting but I think events like  this provide really great motivation to get on with your own creative projects, even if it as small as making one beautiful little button.

All of the buttons are for sale at a wide range of price points so you can take away one of your favourites to keep or to wear! I have a soft spot for these sunny little daisies, they would look so sweet on a vintage blouse.

The Heritage Centre and Silk museum are also great sources of inspiration full of gorgeous textiles, beautiful old machinery and even some fun science where you can use a microscopic camera to get a close up view of the clothes you are wearing! Really makes you appreciate the construction and textures of the materials we take for granted giving you a chance to look at them so closely.

Silks in the museum

Macclesfield itself is a lovely place to visit when you have finished checking out the exhibition. This is Jack Sevens, art gallery the pretty yard leads into a nice little shop of design products and a great range of cards and goodies.

This is the view inside the Cafe at Jack Sevens, which serves up tasty treats while you are surrounded by the art on show. It's a really nice bright, airy space.

Here is a cheeky owl-ish sculpture, the gallery is on several levels and rooms to discover the artwork in different settings. This is St. Michael's Church, around this area are several nice little vintage shops so you might find an item you can customise with a new artistic button or two or a bit of inspiration for making some of your own!

The Button Project is on until 8th August at The Heritage Centre, Macclesfield.  See their website here for details on how to get there (it's really easy by train!) :)

Galactic Exhibition

One of my necklaces at the exhibition: Pyrite encrusted cube necklace on oxidised silver chain

An Exhibition of Jewellery that is Out of this World!

At the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists 

22nd July - 19th October 2013

Here's a new pair of earrings in granite and sterling silver

I was so excited to be invited to take part in this exhibition. There will be ceramics, jewellery and glass all by artists inspired by outer space.  Here's a list of those taking part: 

Tracey Birchwood, Annie Cracknell, Jemma Daniels, Christine Davies, Simon Denvers, Samantha Donaldson, Emma Farnworth, Alice Gow, Akiko Hirai, Jade Mellor, Ros Millar, Myung Nam An, Mandana Oskoui, Danny Ries, Charlotte Sale, Alex Shimwell, Emily Thatcher, Perin Towlson, Irena Maria Varey, Charlotte Verity

Take a seat...

A chair can stand alone as a striking three dimensional object in a way most other furniture can't. A universal object, one in every home. Well hopefully at least one each, but if you not you had better be quick when the music stops. Sometimes they wait patiently in the corner ready to accommodate the extra guest. Sometimes they move frequently: in and out from under the table, admiring the view from the window or holding steady under your feet in the dimness as the new bulb twists into place. How many chairs does it take to change a light bulb? Just one.

 This is a chair from my Nan's bedroom. As a little kid I would sit in it while she brushed the tangles out of my hair. It's been with me in my student houses and various bedrooms getting itself a bit scuffed on the way but I just can't paint it. I never knew what happened to the cushion which I keep meaning to replace but in the meantime (erm the past 12 years) this wooden top off an old coffee table fits perfectly in place.

 There were several chairs nominated for The Design Awards at London's Design Museum. As a chair they all begin with the same simple purpose of a seat, but the designer's approach, material choice and processes makes them so much more. They are examples of unique textures utilizing imaginative processes and even expressing thought and ideas. Here are a few I snapped while I was there.

A Seat for Support

From the 60s satellite shape, to the bold colours, woven construction and graphic lines this really is Marni as a chair. As well as looking so great, there is substance behind the style.

These woven designs are from a collection called 100 Chairs as a collaboration between Marni and Colombian craftsmen. 

The frames are reclaimed from traditional Colombian furniture, with the colourful PVC woven by ex-prisoners in a social rehabilitation program. The profits got to ICAM, an institute to help children of imprisoned mothers.

100 Chairs Marni

100 Chairs Marni, rocker. There is also an amazing sofa if you check out the Chairs for Charity site.

Reimagined Chairs

Studiomama

Studiomama

More salvaged frames below, found on the streets in East London by the designer's studio. Powder coated and reupholstered these once sad office rejects take on a bold new personality. It would be great if their Reimagined chairs encouraged others to mend or do-up their own pieces or go hunting for their own to recycle and reuse making them fit with their personal style.

The Studiomama online shop has some great projects giving you a tutorial on how to make your own chairs, lamps and play houses. There's even a free PDF to make your own outdoor kitchen. Its is a perfect way to escape a hot cooking zone to get out in the great outdoors, and own a piece of great design but satisfyingly made by your own fair hand!

Furniture Winner

The Winner of the furniture award is this Medici chair whic you can see/sit on & purchase for yourself at the Aram store. It looks simple even with it's joints left in full view and it's honest elegance comes from the well planned construction and knowledge of materials by cabinet maker Konstantin Grcic. Using thermo treated ash, and precision joinery the shapes are created in Northern Italy by family firm Mattiiazzi, who have embraced modern computer technology to give meticulous accuracy.

This back to basics approach illustrates how a familiar material and the traditional skills of a craftsman can combine with the digital technology we have available today.  Grcic says:

"Designing for Mattiazzi was like a personal time travel. It took me all the way back to my professional roots. At the very beginning of my career, I was trained a cabinet-maker. Working with wood is what I learnt from scratch. It is where it all started for me."

WINNER: FURNITURE

Medici Chair, Konstantin Grcic

Well Proven Chair, James Shaw & Marjan Van Aubel

Well Proven Chair

This edible looking chair isn't a big baked biscuit, but as it's name suggests is formed by a chemical reaction between wood shavings and bio-resin just like the yeast making your ball of bread dough double in size. This material can actually expand up to five times its original and was discovered by Marjan Van Aubel and James Shaw through RCA workshop "Out of the Woods" looking at ways to use some of the 80% of material that is wasted in furniture manufacture.  Like the DIY fabrication encouraged by Studiomama, this expanding material looks like it could have a use as a product for individuals where a small amount of mixture that is easier to transport can provide you with a solid piece of simple furniture, like a llittle stool.

Here is a video of the two designers discussing their discovery and getting their hands dirty squidging the material in place around their chair mould.

As well as highlighting the problems of pollution to raise our awareness of the state of our own coastline, another positive of this piece is it actually uses the offending material and transforms it into a useful object with infinite colours and a unique texture. After the plastic waste is swept up in fishing nets and sorted to go into a hydraulic press and furnace named "The Sea Press" this new material is moulded and shaped with hand tools. 

The designers propose this could become an opportunity for fisherman as a micro industry, using their skills to trawl for this material and make these products, helping to clean up the seas as they do so.

Sea Chair 

This intriguing object originates in Cornwall. Contrasting the idyllic family holidays and beautiful sea views that have inspired so many artists, it is made from plastic waste collected from Porthtowan beach. I had no idea that it is one of the most polluted coastlines in the U.K for this, and that is what U.K designer Kieran Jones and the Brazilian based Studio Swine want to draw our attention to with this piece.

A chair in a bottle

I love this alchemy of making something from nothing, and the object they produce becomes much more interesting and organic-looking like the texture of a strange pineapple or layers of oil paint zoomed into a painting.

Engineering Temporarilty

Tuomas Marunpoika created this chair by encasing wooden furniture in metal rings, before burning away the original piece to be left with the shell he created. On his website he says: 

"The use of language in Western contemporary culture implies that memories are often conceived as possessions: we ‘keep’ memories alive or ‘preserve’ them, as if our memories were materialised objects. These objects become mementos and our personal possessions of which we are responsible for. When objects impregnated with memories are created, they become precious and irreplaceable because of the transference of memories into that object."

This was his own personal response to his grandmother's Alzheimer's disease. Watching her health decline, losing her memories and the strong person she once was he wants to represent the fragile shadow left behind: "vaporising the very core of her personality and life...turning her into a shell of a human being."

The designer states his design aim as to: "translate human fragility into a design object and introduce humanistic, more profound values into the field of design where functionality, aesthetics and mass produced perfectness are the paramount." 

Below is an atmospheric video of one of his other beautiful creations using this method.

Gravity Stools

I was very excited to see these next sci-fi looking stools by Jólan van der Wiel after reading about his amazing process a while ago. My own work is inspired and informed by the construction of minerals and learning about geological processes that form the Earth over millions of years. These stools have that same appearance of organic growth and mysterious, almost unbelievable natural processes to create a unique shape. 

“This is a departure from the idea that everything is influenced by gravity,"

Even the tallest stalagmites start with one drip, and these remarkable pieces are due to the tiny iron fragments in their composition. Using a machine a bit like a vice with magnets in both parts, when drawn apart the plastic and iron filing mixture betwixt them is magnetically pulled forming the legs. He is also experimenting with other objects, I really like the candlesticks, I could imagine Labyrinth Bowie hosting a dinner party with those.

A great thing about the Design Awards is that they exhibited the machine in the actual display. When I was given a tour by one of the curators he spoke about the careful planning and budget constraints of the exhibition. International shipping of these kinds of objects isn't cheap or easy which is why it's a great opportunity to see these new, ground breaking inventions behind the product.

Here is a video of the magnetic magician at work where you can actually watch it form before your very eyes! To learn more on the Design Awards and find out what's on at the Design Museum here's the link: Design Museum

Style Tag

Interior and fashion designer April Pride is the first to be snapped for Seattle Met's Style Tag.  A lover of mixing vintage family pieces and new designers, here she is wearing a gorgeous (slightly malachite-y?) green dress and a black & gold Hewn Bangle! Purchased from Seattle based online design store Craft & Culture.

You can read about the feature here at Seattle Met online and see the jewellery here at Craft & Culture

Finding Sculpture

Sharing some of my inspiration...

I enjoyed a really fun trip to the beach last weekend. After a lazy day in the dunes, by the early evening the lively beach had nearly emptied and we took our time finding strange and unusual rocks to show to each other.

The geology class I finished this year gave me a deeper appreciation for them, but I will still have to do some homework on the things I found. Here's a selection of these wonderfully weathered formations.

If you have your own specimens you would like to know more about, Manchester Museum has lots of events where you can learn more from their experts. Here are some dates for things coming up...

How to identify a meteorite Wednesday the 21st August 2-3pm

Meteorites grab our attentions like nothing else. Join us to see fantastic examples from the collection and discover how to identify if your rock is from outer space.

Spaces are very limited so please email museum@manchester.ac.uk to book your place.

Rock Drop - drop-in Geology Identification sessions
Our Curator of Earth Sciences, David Gelsthorpe, will be in the Collections Study Centre on the dates below to answer your questions and identify your rocks and fossils.

Come along on:
Thursday 18 July 2013, 2-3pm
Thursday 22 August 2013, 2-3pm
Thursday 26 September, 2-3pm
Thursday 24 October, 2-3pm
Thursday 28 November, 2-3pm
Thursday 12 December, 2-3pm

Brittany Nelson: Science

These ambiguous shapes and fragmented textures are from Brittany Nelson and her use of the technique "Mordançage". It bleaches and lifts the emulsion from silver gelatin prints allowing it to be manipulated through the artist's hand. Based on bleaching and etching techniques first documented in 1897 by Paul Liesegang as a reversal process for film negatives, modern Mordançage was created by Jean-Pierre Sudre during the 1960s. There is a definite 60s feel to these graphic shapes and the psychedelic way they melt with merging colours belonging in another world of semi-consciousness.

Brittany's work is currently exhibiting at David Klein Gallery, Detroit Michigan.

Photos are from the artist's website: www.brittanynelson.com