little london visit.

Recently the university took us first years on a trip to London overnight to visit the Tate Modern and also the National Brand Museum. The trip was a great insight into how brands have developed over the years and also introduced us to a few photographers/artists relevant to the to visual side of the course.

The Museum of Brands in Notting Hill was fantastic, I didn't realise how established some brands were and the journey which they had taken to get where they are today. What I found really interesting was the way certain brands had a sell by date, it seemed that after a some time they slowly faded out of the market. This made me think about why this happens, after some consideration I decided that brands must keep on top of their game and their market- they have to think about new ways to ensure that they remain current and modern.

Museum of Brands Notting Hill

We also visited the William Klein exhibition at the Tate Modern. I was very impressed by the work on show; Klein is an American Photographer, painter, film-maker, documentation and graphic designer. His work has a urban edge and airs an combative energy experimenting in the worlds of fashion, boxing and politics. Klein was born in New York in 1928 and grew up in the city but spent 60 years of his life living in Paris.

His work relates strongly to our Visual and Cultural module where we are focusing on glamour: some of the images we found at the Tate exhibition display sixties silver screen glamour and Klein is becoming a great artistic influence to the work we are developing.

Glamour and Art Nouveau

Art Nouveau is a style of Art, Architecture and Applied Art, especially focusing on the decorative arts, most popular between 1890-1910. Art Nouveau literally means 'new art'.  A reaction to academic art of the 19th century, it was inspired by natural forms and structures, not only in flowers and plants but also in curved lines. Architects tried to harmonize with the natural environment. It is also considered a philosophy of design of furniture, which was designed according to the whole building and made part of ordinary life.

Art Nouveau was particularly popular in Europe, but it's influence global. Magazines such as Jugend helped to publise the style in Germany, especially as a graphic form. Art Nouveau was also a style of distinct individuals such as Gustav Klimt, Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Alphonse Mucha, René Lalique, Antoni Gaudí and Louis Comfort Tiffany, each of whom interpreted it in their own manner.

When art nouveau was showcased first in Paris and then in London, there was outrage; people either loved it or loathed it. Within the style itself there are two distinct looks: curvy lines and the more austere, linear look of artists such as Charles Rennie Mackintosh. Some aspects of art nouveau were revived again in the 1960s.

Style
Sinuous, elongated, curvey lines
the whiplash line
vertical lines and height
stylised flowers, leaves, roots buds and seedpods
the female form- in a pre- Raphaelite pose with long, flowing hair
exotic woods, marquetry, iridescent glass, silver and semi precious stones

Audrey Beardsley

Audrey Beardsley was born in England in 1872 and from a young age his illustrations and drawings were published in school newspapers, after advice from several he decided to take it up as a career and attended classes at the Westminster school of art.

He travelled around Europe for inspiration. In Paris he discovered poster art of Henride de Toulouse Lautrec and the Parisian fashion for Japanese prints, both of which are major influences on his work. He co-founded the magazine The Yellow Book with American writer Henry Harland and he served as art editor for several renditions and designed the cover illustrations. Most of his images are in ink and feature large dark areas contrasted with large blank ones and areas of fine details, contrasted with none at all.

He was most controversial artist of the Art Nouveau area, renowned for his dark ad perverse images. His art work has erotic connotations. He produced extensive illustrations for books and magazines such as The studio and Savoy (which he was co-founder).

Beardsley was a public as well as private eccentric. He said, "I have one aim—the grotesque. If I am not grotesque I am nothing." Wilde said he had "a face like a silver hatchet, and grass green hair." Beardsley was meticulous about his attire: dove-grey suits, hats, ties; yellow gloves. He would appear at his publisher's in a morning coat and patent leather pumps.