"BRICK LANE IS A VERY POPULAR PLACE TO LIVE, EVERBODY COMES HERE.. TOURISTS, STUDENTS, THE ASIAN COMMUNITY, FAMILIES, YOUNGSTERS.. THERE IS A CULTURE HERE THAT FACINATES PEOPLE."
"WHEN YOU LIVE HERE, YOU DON'T WANT TO LIVE ANYWHERE ELSE."
very passionate about their ends
"AND WHEN YOU LEAVE, YOU WILL ALWAYS COME BACK."
All of the above are things that were said to me in restaurants I visited on my journey through Brick Lane.
I also spoke to someone else but this was in Hoxton. It was a man who worked in an art shop right outside the overground station, I think it was called Paintworks. Anyway I needed to get a couple of sketchbooks for the project and they had a sale advertised in the window. When I went to pay he said their card machine was down so I asked where the nearest cash point was. He replied saying 'There is one just around the corner but its right next to Hackney Community College and you'd be heading there bang on their lunch break and that's something you really don't want to do'
hmmm.
The only other communication I had from a stranger was some hooded figure speeding by on a bike and gesturing a gun going off at me with his hands.
Needless to say this wasn't my favourite day of research.
ANYWAYYYYYY>>>>>>
Rough Guide Object Analysis Task:
1. Choose an object/product from a market stall or second-hand shop or found object from the area you are exploring for the Rough Guide.
2. Choose an object/image /product from a shop, department store, boutique
3. Choose an object/sculpture/painting/artwork/image from a museum or gallery
Object no. 1- found in area I was exploring
I found this little man perched on a rafter on the under side of a roof as I was looking up at some of the buildings as I was walking through Brick Lane into Shoreditch. I often look up rather than down as I'm taking photo's, especially around London because you find so many interesting things hidden away. He looks like has been made from some sort of stone/clay and molded into his shape. There's actually a fascinating amount of detail that has gone into such a small piece of art- and I will call it art because to me that's what it is. His legs are closely held together with no separation and his hands are shown to meet in the center of his lap rolled into fists. He appears to be about the size of my hand.
When I look at this object words that come to mind are: small/cold/stone/knowing/distant/secretive/intricate/
religion/worship/truth/high hopes/purity.
I chose this object purely because of the context of which I found it in. Here it is sitting up high somewhere people can't even reach. It looks so peaceful and at rest and this is what reminds me about religion. It has a very zen feel to it. If it were to be in a a gallery I would immediately relate it to Asian art and imagine it holds a lot of value (historically and financially). If it were placed in a shop say for interiors or decorative objects I would think it has little meaning and value. It is so strange how imagining something in a different surrounding can change the whole idea you have about it but where I found it sitting up high, I thought it was beautiful.
Image no 2: object found in a shop/boutique (vintage shop)
This was something I looked at in a vintage shop around Shoreditch area. It is quite obviously tragic however something was drawing me to it for this study task. Knit wear jumper made sometime during the 80's/90's depicting Mickey Mouse ice skating with a snowy mountain background but mainly blue. Mickey's dressed up warm.
Words that come to mind when looking at the piece: Horrific, twee, guilty pleasure, childhood, fun, games, kitsch, America, warm, itchy, retro, hipster,
As I said I came across this in a vintage shop. It is funny how putting incredibly ugly pieces of clothing in vintage/retro shops suddenly makes them overly cool and 'must-have's'. If we are looking at the piece for what it is, then nobody can deny that it is very twee and quite painful to look at. However, when I am looking at it from a retro perspective , I am somehow finding myself liking it and possibly considering wearing it? If I were to find this in a charity shop in the children's section I would automatically think it is horrible. If It was part of an exhibition for Disney in a museum or something along the lines of I would appreciate it and approach it in a different more respectable way. Seeing this on a model in an urban fashion forward magazine styled with electric colours and accessories would probably make me see it from a quirky, on-trend perspective. Very interesting.
Image no 3: object/image found in a gallery/museum
AV summa that: To me, the whole of this area in the east end is a gallery and museum. If you walk in any direction for around an hour you will have seen every variation of graffiti and street art; it is huge here. I thought it would be more interesting to look at something like street art as a piece of art instead of something inside the walls of a gallery. I was walking along commercial street and then turned right onto fashion street to find this at the end of it. It made me laugh to myself because it is humorous and it is intended to be. It depicts David Cameron as a football player and Nick Clegg to be a referee. It's by T.wat and represents Cameron and Clegg’s AV referendum campaign, which adapts the famous shot of Vinnie Jones manhandling Paul Gascoign during a match.
Words that come to mind: politics, lies, honesty, corruption, humor, black and white, brave, bold, freedom
Personally, I think that this sort of street art is very different to a lot of other material. All street art is normally trying to convey some kind of meaning however most of the time it is very personal and secretive to the artist and not totally obvious to the normal eye. This however is very black and white and says exactly what it wants you to understand about it. It does always seem weird seeing something like this in the street. You almost cannot believe that people are allowed to put such things about the prime minister across buildings for the world to see. I also found it interesting that the artist tagged themselves too, it still conceals identity but makes it obvious that they're not afraid to make a statement. It is also comical which I think is so great because politics needs to be portrayed this way to rationalize the whole thing. As this is in a street you immediately understand that it is meant to convey something and make a statement. If I saw this in an actual gallery then it would have to be put in the right context, it could not stand alone. I don't know if it would even hold as much meaning if it was put somewhere so confined with restraints. It survives on the every day street culture and the people walking by.
