Arty angels and celestial Christmas curiosities

Have you noticed that we’re surrounded by angels at this time of year? Excuse the rather blurred photograph on the right, but this is the sort of thing you may have seen in shop windows lately…










Much as I adore ecclesiastical carvings and sculptures of angels, it’s sad that a fair few of those sold at antiques fairs and auctions have been purloined from churches over the years. However, it’s great to see that contemporary craftspeople and home accessory designers are once again turning to angels for inspiration - as featured in ShopCurious’ latest trends post.





Anyway, I’m looking forward to hearing choirs of angels singing at the traditional Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols from King’s College Chapel in Cambridge, on Christmas Eve.

Incidentally, after that, at 8.20 pm, during the interval of Handel’s Messiah on BBC Radio 3, there’s a programme called Angelology. For twenty minutes, The Reverend Lucy Winkett, Rector of St James's, Piccadilly, will explain that angels aren’t always as sweet or cherubic as they are often seen to be…








I suppose that probably goes for some of the choristers at King’s College too?

Do you?

Sticks, stones, beasts and bones

This weekend, I thought it would be fun to focus on a curious new trend I spotted: primeval style. So let’s travel back to the distant past - to the dark ages and the very basics of the primordial lifestyle…

You may have noticed that ancient crafts have begun to re-emerge in design, so we’re seeing things like basket weaving, roughly carved wooden furniture, primitive looking skin and stone home accessories, along with age old decorative techniques, such as marquetry.




Unfortuately, the Primal Scream concert at London's Olympia tonight is already sold out. But you can take the opportunity to dine out in proper primeval style instead: Just pop along to Jamie Oliver’s new charcoal grill restaurant, Barbecoa, where the service is certainly bordering on the Neolithic - though the chefs somehow make even the simplest of ingredients taste utterly divine.






If you’re into collecting, you’ll have already noted the current fascination with old techniques and processes. This weekend, Albert Watson is in town for the launch of his vintage photography exhibition at Hamiltons Gallery in Mayfair, selling a selection of his most famous silver gelatin and Polaroid prints.











Watson’s photographs include this shot of Mick Jagger as a leopard, which definitely captures man’s basic animal instinct. And another, of the back of Mike Tyson’s freakishly wide neck. Incidentally, Albert Watson’s father was professional boxer, who told him that the most important thing for a boxer is to have a strong neck.




Moving swiftly on, for The Last Tuesday Society’s winter show, opening today in Hackney, Alice Herrick & Viktor Wynd, will transform the gallery into a Rousseauesque jungle “representing a contemporary Bestiary... regal beasts, enchanted forests, curious creatures and bejewelled nature. The centre of the gallery will be filled with a menagerie of taxidermied animals, from giraffes and polar bears to lion and tiger skeletons.”






For lovers of authentic primitive style, we’ve also got some rather primal curiosities of nature online, at ShopCurious – ranging from stone lizard pendants to genuine frog purses.

And, finally, don't forget to check out the curiously bestial headwear in my latest post at The Dabbler – just in case you feel like unleashing your inner caveman (or woman) this Christmas.

Do you?

The curious art of modern shopping

Funny how our style of shopping changes over time. A curious trend I’ve noticed is that markets are becoming much posher of late. This has a lot to do with creative types selling artworks, retro and crafts based products from stalls and pop-up shops in edgy locations.

In my column over at The Dabbler this week I also talk about the commoditization of art – now everyone seems to want a piece of it.

You might like to get yours for free by immersing yourself in Ai Weiwei’s Sunflower Seeds installation in the Turbine Hall at the Tate Modern - except now you can only look and not touch. The piece has many symbolic meanings, including the overwhelming importance of 'health and safety'. The 15 million porcelain replica Sunflower seeds are supposed to remind visitors of the famines under Mao Tse-tung. But, above all else, they resemble a bed of human ashes.

Alternatively, and also full of symbolic meaning, is this Fake Modern t-shirt by Fake London, currently available at ShopCurious.

By the way, I’d love to hear about any enjoyable arty things you’ve seen or done lately. Do let me know if you’ve any recommendations.

Will you?

Spice boy, or salty old sea dog?

England expects every man to do his duty… and, whilst it’s not obligatory to have kids, being a fabulous father will certainly count in any man’s favour.

Dads are usually great at mending things and can come in handy on all sorts of occasions, especially when flat-packed furniture is involved. It’s probably because they grew up making models of ships and aircraft, and all manner of curious craft, that came in boxes with little pots of paint.

This vintage model making kit of HMS Victory is the ideal Fathers’ Day gift, especially if your Dad’s the handy DIY sort.








Alternatively, if Papa’s the smooth, sophisticated, sailing type, he’ll treasure his memories of the Grand Turk. Over the years, Old Spice containers have portrayed sixteen different ships, which is why we can date this rare and unused gift set to the late 1960s. Old Spice memorabilia is not only collectable, but the after shave smells simply divine (in a curiously old fashioned, fatherly sort of way).

Whether your father’s a fragrantly smooth sailor chap, or a ruggedly self-sufficient old sea dog, ShopCurious has some really cool and original retro gifts for Fathers’ Day.

Will you?

New designers?

At part 1 of the New Designers exhibition in Islington's Business Design Centre yesterday, I was totally overwhelmed by the extraordinary wealth of talent displayed by young designers from around the UK. I was also stunned by the incredible array of stuff on show, from the huge selection of exquisite and professionally produced textiles to some rather primary school inspired ceramic pieces.

I was curious to spot the emergence of any design trends, but was hard pushed to find anything totally new. I did notice that some of the prints are more intricately patterned and that a paler colour palette/more floaty theme is in evidence, after last year's bolder and brighter look. Some of the woven textiles are utterly fabulous. In fact, there are so many wonderful fabrics, wallpaper and applied designs on display that they probably deserve a book rather than a blog - you'd better go and see them for yourself!

As for the rest of the exhibition - it's certainly an eclectic mix. There's a big 'handicrafts' type feel - think arts and crafts, William Morris and basket weaving. Here are some of the things I spotted:










The Middlesex stand (no reference to Lords cricket ground intended) featured some curiously colourful accessories, furnishings and art installations. The upholstery (see above) was very Designers Guild meets Roche Bobois, if you're into that sort of thing.

There was a Barbie-inspired wardrobe (left), the stuff of dreams if you're a six or seven year old girl ... and a rather rude-but-amusing tartan affair (right) which should be x-rated, so email ShopCurious with proof of your age if you want to see a larger-sized version.

I found the enormous jewellery offering rather uninspiring. I am in no doubt as to the exceptional quality and precision of workmanship in some of the fine jewellery pieces, but there was little that really stood out from the crowd. Some of the quirkier items included a couple of twisted metal trees (as shown), which the designer, Jennifer Millar, described as 'communal jewellery'. How long do you think they'd survive in your local park? And there was the delightfully suave and deliciously photogenic Patrick Mavros (pictured here) with his resin and gilded metal rings, necklaces and bracelets some of which light up at night... a bit like Star Trek's Eymorg control bracelet - beam me up Scottie.

Several people have used bits of plumbing equipment and taps to create weird and wonderful sculptures. Richard Tarek Doss from the Royal College of Art has incorporated oxygen cylinders into one of his pieces (see above right and right). Molly Harwood (left) uses cast glass and metal components to "represent vital organs within our body.... visual metaphors that aim to challenge emotions surrounding our inner workings and mortality."Could this be the start of a hot new trend, or is it just the outward manifestation of some bizarre fetish?



On to glass and ceramics, where again I felt I'd seen it all before - for instance this banana style chandelier (left), though I did quite like the familiar looking ceramic Madonna with child by Rebecca Kindred from Swansea (right).







Much more commercial, and fun too, is a range of plates (see right and below) printed with pictures of left over dinners - Britain's Dinners II by Damaris Booth - you can choose from Roast Dinners, Chinese, Curry, Fish and Chips, Pizza and Bangers and Mash. I do detect a whiff of patriotism creeping into some of the designs...






My verdict on part 1 of the New Designers exhibition - it's a veritable dog's dinner. If you've been along, or are planning to visit, I'm curious to hear your comments too.
Will you?