Chris Ofili exhibition

Ofili has built an international reputation with his works that bridge the sacred and the profane, popular culture and beliefs. His exuberant paintings are renowned for their rich layering and inventive use of media, including balls of elephant dung that punctuate the canvas and support them at their base, as well as glitter, resin, map pins and magazine cut-outs.

Ofili's early works draw on a wide range of influences, from Zimbabwean cave painting to blaxploitation movies, fusing comic book heroes and icons of funk and hip-hop. For the first time, these celebrated paintings are presented alongside current developments in his practice following his move to Trinidad in 2005. While adopting a simplified colour palette and pared-down forms, his recent works continue to draw on diverse sources of inspiration, and are full of references to sensual and Biblical themes as well as explore Trinidad’s landscape and mythology.

Blythe House Archive

The V&A's Archive of Art and Design holds the working papers of individual artists and designers, as well as the records of companies and associations involved in all aspects of applied art and design. The archives can be consulted by appointment at Blythe House, located near Olympia in West London. Further information about the Archives .

The Archive of Art and Design's holdings for Fashion Textiles demonstrate a number of different facets of the creative process, from the design of textiles to their production and promotion to costume research. There is also an extensive collection of sewing and knitting patterns which, as well as providing an overview of changing fashions, act as a reminder of a time when making clothes at home was the norm.

Some of the textiles in the archive were all original print from Liberty's and other floral prints popular all the way back to the 50's. There were also home furnishing prints and wall papers dating back to the mid to late 1800's. It was really amazing to see how some of the ways in which theses textiles were made are still being done the same way in the 21st century.

EFF

The Ethical Fashion Forum aims to develop a collaborative movement which will transform social and environmental standards in the fashion industry within a decade. What they hope to promotes and support is listed below:

• The eradication of exploitation, hardship and environmental damage from the supply chains to the fashion industry and the practices of fashion businesses

• The creation of a movement led by the fashion industry, for the fashion industry, which upholds and practices more than doing no harm- actively striving to add value for people and the environment, across the entire industry sector

• Industry training and resources freely available which ensure that every single UK fashion business is aware of how they can become more sustainable, why it is important, and where to find the tools to do so

• The raising of consumer awareness in relation to sustainable fashion.

• The creation of a clear and consistent system for communication of ethical standards by fashion businesses

• A system of standards and regulations ruling out exploitative practices in the fashion industry

• Broad and fundamental change towards better practices in the fashion industry within the next 10 years

• The creation of a model and precedent for industry change which can be drawn from and built upon by other industries

One of the companies at the show was called Moluche, which was an organic hand made textiles made from alpaca hairs. They hand dyed all of there products and are very strong on keeping there company environmentally friendly. Their website shows the a ray of colors that there products come in and also give credit to the artisans who help to create the one of a kind piece.

take a peek! http://www.moluche.com/the-artisans/

One company that is very popular here in the UK is Primark. Unlike Moluche, they mass produce hundreads of thousands of products that are not naturally dyed or cared for and help to fill the landfill each year. Their clothes are of a cheap price and quality and are more of throw away clothes then of anything you would want to truly keep.

The Ardabil carpet

The Ardabil carpet will form the centre piece of the new Jameel Gallery of Islamic Art at the V&A which opened in July 2006. This most famous of Persian carpets has been the subject of endless copies ranging in size from small rugs to full scale carpets. There is an 'Ardabil' at 10 Downing Street and even Hitler had an 'Ardabil' in his office in Berlin. The real Ardabil was first seen in London in 1892 when it was exhibited in a dealers showroom in Wigmore Street. William Morris described it as 'a remarkable work of art . . the design is of singular perfection . . its size and splendour as a piece of workmanship do full justice to the beauty and intellectual qualities of the design'. It was Morris, in his capacity as one of the V&A's Art Referees, who persuaded the Museum to raise, with the aid of public subscription, the then vast sum of £2000 to purchase the carpet in March 1893. The Ardabil carpet measures 10.51m x 5.34m (34' 6" x 17' 6") and is thought to be one of the largest carpets in the world. Unknown to the Museum at the time, there was a second Ardabil, more finely knotted, which is now in the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. This carpet has lost its borders and part of its central field; a portion of the missing areas are thought to have been used to repair the carpet owned by the V&A. Occasionally fragments originally taken from the Los Angeles carpet have appeared on the open market. The two carpets were almost certainly a royal commission and would have taken about four years to weave. Their origins remain unclear but they are said to have come from a complex of shrines and mosques at Ardabil in North West Persia, burial place of Shaikh Safi al-Din, ancestor of Shah Ismail, founder of the Safavid dynasty. At one end of the Ardabil carpet, a cartouche contains an inscription which dates it to 1539/40 AD. The large central medallion is characteristic of carpets woven in Tabriz (North West Persia) and the fantastic design of the ground of the carpet consisting of two layers of swirling leaves, stems and flowers is typical of the art of the early Safavid dynasty.

Horniman Museum

The Horniman Museum was designed in 1898 by Charles Harrison Townsend, a leading architect of the Arts and Crafts movement who also designed the Whitechapel Art Gallery.

The client was a Victorian tea trader, Frederick John Horniman, who wanted a new museum to house his collection of specimens and artefacts from around the world. Horniman's mission was to bring the world to London, and he even opened part of his family home to the public so people could view the riches he had collected.

The Horniman Museum was opened in 1901 as a gift of Frederick Horniman. He, and his father John, had made their fortune in the tea trade. The business had begun in 1826 importing tea from China and India. Their breakthrough came in 1875 with the production of tea in sealed packets marketed as a cheap drink to the fast growing poulation.

Frederick as he travelled the world developed a passionate interest ethnography and became an enthusiastic collector. He lived at Surrey House in London Road and soon was overflowing with his fast expanding collection. It was open to the public and by 1890 he had moved out to another home to make more space. This was not enough and it was replaced by the current purpose built Museum in 1901. Designed by Harrison Townsend it was, and is, one of the most original Art Nouveau buildings in England with its distinctive clock tower and barrel roofed main hall.

It has expanded over the years with some less distinguished architecture. Then it benefittedfrom Millennium funding to replace these with a stunning new extension including the Musical Instrument Gallery and Education Centre. these were opened on 14 June 2002.

Sir John Soane's Museum

This heritage-listed museum was once the home of Sir John Soane (1753-1837) who, as well as being the famous architect behind the Bank of England, was also an avid collector of rarities and curiosities. He actually designed the house himself and positioned a favorable glass dome in the atrium so light could constantly spill onto every level. Manned by an enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff, the collection is not specific to a particular era or genre, instead taking in Egyptian, Classical, Medieval, Renaissance, Neo-Classical and Oriental antiquities, sculptures, paintings, casts, furniture and timepieces. Perhaps some of the strangest and rarest acquisitions are the Egyptian sarcophagus, the paintings by Turner and Canaletto, the drawings by Christopher Wren, William Hogarth's original Rake's Progress cartoons, and a mock medieval monk's parlor. Look out for the secret panels in the picture gallery which reveal more works of art when unfolded. Admission is free but the number of visitors are limited due to the building's small size and fragility, so you may have to wait in line. It's best to arrive early and always avoid Saturdays or, better still, go on the first Tuesday evening of the month to see the place bathed in candlelight. Tip: download a free audio tour from the museum's Website prior to your arrival.

Rough Guide: Brick Lane

Brick Lane

is a long street in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, in the East End of London. It runs from Swanfield Street in the northern part of Bethnal Green, crosses Bethnal Green Road, passes through Spitalfields and is linked to Whitechapel High Street to the south by the short stretch of Osborn Street. Today, it is the heart of the city's Bangladeshi-Sylheti community, and is known locally as Banglatown.

History

Winding through fields, the street was formerly called Whitechapel Lane, but derives its current name from former brick and tile manufacture, using the local brick earth deposits, that began in the 15th century. By the 17th century, the street was being built up from the south. Successive waves of immigration began with Huguenot refugees spreading from Spitalfields, where the master weavers were based, in the 17th century. They were followed by Irish, Ashkenazi Jews and, in the last century, Bangladeshis.The area became a centre for weaving, tailoring and the clothing industry, due to the abundance of semi- and unskilled immigrant labour. Brewing came to Brick Lane before 1680, with water drawn from deep wells. One brewer was Joseph Truman, who is first recorded in 1683, but his family, particularly Benjamin Truman, went on to establish the sizeable Black Eagle Brewery on Brick Lane.

The Brick Lane Market, developed in the 17th century for fruit and vegetables, sold outside the city. The Sunday market, like the ones on Petticoat Lane and nearby Columbia Road, dates from a dispensation given to the Jewish community. It is centred around the junction with Cheshire Street and Sclater Street and sells bric-a-brac as well as fruit, vegetables and many other items. Nearer to the junction with Hanbury Street are two indoor markets; Upmarket and Backmarket.
Emma Elizabeth Smith was viciously assaulted and robbed in Osborn Street, the part of Brick Lane that meets Whitechapel High Street, in the early hours of April 3, 1888. It was one of the first of the eleven Whitechapel Murders, some of which were attributed to the serial killer, Jack the Ripper.

In 1742, La Neuve Eglise, a Huguenot chapel, was built on the corner of Brick Lane and Fournier Street. By 1809, it had become The Jews’ Chapel, for promoting Christianity to the expanding Jewish population, and became a Methodist Chapel in 1819 (John Wesley having preached his first covenant sermon at the nearby Black Eagle Street Chapel). In 1898, the building was consecrated as the Machzikei HaDath, or Spitalfields Great Synagogue. In 1976, it became the London Jamme Masjid (Great London Mosque) to serve the expanding Bangladeshi community.The building is Grade II* listed.Early Bangladeshi immigrants in the area attracted more larger immigration from Bangladesh in particular from the Greater Sylhet region, where many settled in the area of Brick Lane. These settlers helped shape Bangladeshi migration to Britain, families from Jagannathpur and Bishwanath tend to dominate in the Brick Lane area.

Revival

In the 20th century the Brick Lane area was important in the second wave of development of Anglo-Indian cuisine, as families from countries such as Bangladesh (mainly the Greater Sylhet region) migrated to London to look for work. Some curry houses of Brick Lane will not sell alcohol as most are run by Muslims). More recently the area has also broadened to being a vibrant art and fashion student area, with considerable exhibition space. Each year most of the fine art and fashion courses exhibit their work near Brick Lane. Bengalis in the United Kingdom settled in big cities with industrial employment. In London, many Bengali people settled in the East End. For centuries the East End has been the first port of call for many immigrants working in the docks and shipping from Chittagong port in Bengal (British Empire in India was founded and based in Bengal). Their regular stopover paved the way for food/curry outlets to be opened up catering for an all male workforce as family migration and settlement took place some decades later. Humble beginnings such as this gave birth to Brick Lane as a famous curry house centre for London. Curry is eaten in almost all part of the Indian sub-continent and nearby regions, namely , Bangladesh,India and Pakistan. It has varying degrees of style, taste and aroma, depending on which local ingredients are used. Bengalis of Sylheti origin constitute only 10% of all South Asians in Britain; however around 90% of all Indian restaurants in the UK are Sylheti/Bengali owned.

Since the late 1990s, Brick Lane has been the site of several of the city's best known night clubs, notably 93 Feet East and The Vibe Bar, both built on the site of The Old Truman Brewery, once the industrial centre of the area, and now an office and entertainment complex.
Nearby buildings of interest include Christ Church, Spitalfields, The Jamme Masjid or Great London Mosque on the corner of Fournier Street - the building represents a history of successive communities of immigrants in East End, and the head office of Habitat on Princelet Street.
Brick Lane is world famous for its graffiti, which features artists such as Banksy, D*Face and Ben Eine. The lane has been used in many music videos such as "Glory Days" by Just Jack and "All These Things That I've Done" by The Killers. The nearest tube station is currently Aldgate East. A campaign has been launched to change the name of the station to "Brick Lane" by 2012, but this has no official support. Upon the reopening of the East London Line in 2010, the new Shoreditch High Street station of the London Overground will be very close to Brick Lane.

Recent Culture Wars

The street is the location for Monica Ali's book Brick Lane, published in 2003, also a film of 2007 starring Tannishtha Chatterjee. The novel provoked a controversy with some of the local Asian community because of a perceived negative portrayal of them. Parts of the Bengali community were particularly opposed to plans by Ruby Films to film parts of the novel in the Brick Lane area, and formed the "Campaign Against Monica Ali's Film Brick Lane." Consequently the producers of the film used different locations for certain scenes, such as that depicting Brick Lane Market. Despite this the director of the film, Sarah Gavron, attests on the DVD commentary of the film that genuine footage of Brick Lane does appear in the finished movie.

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