LONDON 20/01

Wednesday 20th January - my second trip to London to see some exhibitions: Alice in Wonderland at the British Library and Shoes: Pleasure & Pain at the V&A.

ALICE IN WONDERLAND

20th November 2015 - 17th April 2016
The British Library is celebrating the 150th anniversary of 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland'.  Alice's story began on a boat trip in 1862, that Dodgson took with his friend Robinson Duckworth and the 3 daughter's of Henry Liddell, where he told the story of 'Alice's Adventures Underground' to the girls as they rowed up the Thames to Godshaw.  The youngest of the girls, Alice Liddell, asked Dodgson to write down the story for her to keep.  Two years later in 1864, he presented the girl with the handwritten and hand-illustrated story.  Dodgson was urged to publish the story, so he rewrote and added two chapters to the book, before publishing it in 1865 under the name Lewis Carroll.

The exhibition guides you through Alice's history, beginning with how she was born (see above) and guiding the viewer through the various adaptations and appropriations throughout the years since Carroll's book was first published.  From further alterations of the book, to film adaptations, paintings and souvenirs, the British Library has information on everything that you need to know about Alice and her different formations.

SHOES: PLEASURE & PAIN

13th June 2015 - 31st January 2016
Shoes are an important element within society and culture, and have been for many years.  They express one's personality and passion, as well as reveal their position in society, before becoming a note of aspiration to elevate your status.  Shoes represent different ideas of beauty amongst different cultures which have developed and changed over the years.  For example, bound feet at a total of 7.6cm was the suggested ideal and alluring length for a woman's foot in China, and in today's western society, the red sole of a Christian Louboutin shoe is often desired.

Held at the V&A, the exhibition was held in a circular room filled with glass cabinets filled with various shoes.  It took you through various elements of shoe wearing on the bottom floor of the exhibition, from transformation and signal of status, through to the seduction behind shoes and the need to follow trends.  Upstairs, the exhibition shows the viewer how shoes are made and created, along with video footage of shoe icons - Manolo Blahnik, Marc Hare and Christian Louboutin (shoe designers), and Caroline Groves and Sandra Choi (shoe maker and creative director) - talking about how they design and sell their shoes.

The above exhibitions were both insightful and interesting to visit.  I learnt a lot about the history of Alec in Wonderland, and a lot about the origins and reasoning behind shoes and their designs.  Going forward, reviews will be written about the exhibitions that I visited.

LONDON 13/01

Wednesday 13th January 2016 - my first trip, of many to come,  to London to see some exhibitions: Liberty in Fashion at the Fashion and Textile Museum, Alexander Calder and The World Goes Pop at the Tate Modern.

LIBERTY IN FASHION

9th October 2015 - 28th February 2016

Liberty, founded by Arthur Lasenby Liberty 140 years ago, started out as a warehouse that supplied fashionable goods from the Far East.  Since opening its doors, Liberty has offered an exciting mix of goods that have been sourced from around the world.  The exhibition celebrated Liberty's contribution to British fashion; items produced and sold by the company, and its impact on the work of other designers.

The exhibition, held at the Fashion and Textile Museum, guides the viewer through the history of the brand.  The tour opens with a timeline, pinpointing specific years and turning points for the company, and then the rest of the tour guides you through with more information about each point shown on the timeline.  From how Liberty started out through to the brand today, the exhibition has all the information that you need to know.

ALEXANDER CALDER: PERFORMING SCULPTURE

11th November 2015 - 3rd April 2016

Alexander Calder (1898 - 1976) is widely celebrated as the originator of the 'mobile'.  He was one of the most innovative and influential American artists of the 20th century.  The exhibition focused on his pioneering approach to sculpture.

The exhibition was spread across 11 rooms, each containing information on Calder and his work, as well as some of his works.  The layout worked in a historical manner, starting at the beginning of his career, with a little background history and some of his early works displayed.  Through each room the displays grew in the same way that Calder had grown with his work; from wired outline sculptures through to his moving abstractions.

THE EY EXHIBITION: THE WORLD GOES POP

17th September 2015 - 24th January 2016

Pop art is an art form that involves mass-produced imagery borrowed from popular culture.  Although it is often referred to as a North American and British phenomenon, this exhibition celebrates the concept of pop art in a wider context.

Made up of 10 rooms, the exhibition shows how different cultures and countries contributed to the pop art movement during the 1960s and 70s, introducing themes and issues that are addressed in the works of art.  Each room holds a different theme, or works of a specific artist.  From pop politics and pop crowds (based on political actions across the world), to consumerism pop and pop bodies, the exhibition showcases a wide variety of genres within pop art.

The exhibitions that I visited were really interesting and I think that they will be useful to help me move forward with my project.  I learnt a lot about the rise of Liberty, about the works of Alexander Calder, and more depth about the pop art movement in the 60s and 70s.  Going forward, I will write reviews on each exhibition and create a series of images in a reflection photoshoot of one of the exhibitions that I viewed.