Françoise Nielly x IRMDESIGN - Paris

The recent Françoise Nielly x IRMDESIGN collaboration opened at la Galerie Menouar in Paris to a well dressed crowd greeted with champagne and canapés.

The collection was based on the literal interpretation of Françoise Neilly’s bright canvas paintings into a series of dresses by Marion Lalanne and Pierre Hermet, the up and coming duo behind IRMDESIGN.

The exhibition also featured IRMDESIGN’s own rope accessories and some of Nielly’s framed paintings, as opposed to the ones used to make the collection.

Check out more of Francoise Nielly’s work at la Galerie Menouar, 75003 Paris, between 27th November and 10 January, visit www.irmdesign.fr for the full collection.

Words: Frederic Bourgoin

Images:  Frederic Bourgoin, Coutesy of IRMDESIGN

Interview with photographer Carol Burri

How did you get into photography initially?

During my first study in post-industrial design, I did a lot of computer graphics, particularly in 3D applications. I played with virtual physical light and for this, I did tests with cameras and lighting. Through this process over a year I mixed computer graphics and photography but ended up being more interested in natural photography.

What do you generally look for when you choose a subject?

I like subjects that look like they come from another planet. For that I often have to create my subject with a lot of organization. Another important fact is that the image tells you a story or makes the audience think, how the hell did he do this. Of course I’m always looking for strange faces for portraits. They’re hard to find but they have always a place in my photography.

What is the most important aspect of photography to you?

One of the most important things for me is that I can convert an idea in my head as close as possible into an image through photography. Most of the time I’m not able to do that but I’m happy when it works. The second important aspect for me when I shoot people is that they feel comfortable in front of the camera. This is not always easy but most of the time they’re still talking with me after the shoot. And of course having fun in what I’m doing.

How do you build a relationship with the subjects you are photographing?

Often I have to go to the place I would like to shoot two or three times before I feel comfortable shooting it. With people it’s quite the same. You meet them by chance and then you have to tell them you would like to shoot them within your own idea. You show them your work and hope that they say ok and feel comfortable with it. Most of the time I have to wait two or three months for the images I really want. Because you have to find the right location and sometimes you need also the permission. The people don’t always have time or the weather is not good. But in fact I like the process of building a relationship with the subject.

Commercial VS Artistic photography?

I’m not a big fan of commercial photography. I don’t really know everything about it but I find that sometimes it’s really not that creative. On the other hand it’s hard to live from personal projects alone. So you have to mix it up. Nonetheless I’ve had lots of fun with some commercial projects and often you can work in a team with cool people. But I’m definitely trying to do as much of my own work as possible.

Digital / Manual ?

It’s similar to commercial and artistic photography. If you shoot analog you need time and you don’t see the result immediately after you shoot. For me, I enjoy the process of shooting analog.  But I wouldn’t say that analog photography is better than digital. It depends on what you do with your images and what you use them for. It might be that the best way of shooting something is with a mobile phone or the cheapest camera on the market. And sometimes the best way of shooting something is just not to shoot it.

Hasleblad.

Personally some of my favorite cameras. Can be pretty big monsters, and sharp as hell. The good thing about them right now is that they’re much less expensive than they were ten years ago.

What role does digital retouching play in your work?

At the moment it’s really common to retouch images. I’m not a big fan of it. I try to shoot an image in its entirety, to be honest retouching isn’t what makes a good image, and hours of retouching isn’t what makes the difference between a good photo and a bad one. If you have a good source and you have to do some minor retouch, it’s definitely a good thing.

Where do you see in the future of photography?

I’m trying to work hard on my photography series and hope I love what I do for as long as possible.

Words: Frederic Bourgoin

Images: Carol Burri

LaBoca design for Black Swan

As one of the most highly apprehended films of this cinematic season, Black Swan has acquired a great deal of media and creative attention.

LaBoca Design is an independent design firm specialising in art and design for a variety of the creative industries. They too have stumbled across the artistic affection that is Black Swan, creating four official teaser posters for 20th Century Fox.

Swan embodied

Inspired, I assume, by the Constructivism and Futurism movements, each of the aforementioned posters embrace modern geometrics, simplifying each aspect into a fundamental, yet simple blueprint.

View more of the geometric works of LaBoca Design, based in Portobello Road, London. They put “the ape into apricot” :www.laboca.co.uk/

Read the full review of Black Swan on our blog: Review- Black Swan by Darren Aronofsky

Images: LaBOCA DESIGN

Words: MEGAN McDOWELL

AL MANAKH: GULF CONTINUED - A Rare Insight into the Gulf

AL MANAKH: GULF CONTINUED, the continuation to AL MANAKH, published in 2007 is a collaboration between REM KOOLHAAS and Dubai-based consultancy, PINK TANK.

In essence, this is an insightful, in-depth book exploring the Gulf cities. It touches on the challenges faced by the region – in the wake of the financial crisis – and raises questions about the future.

Consisting of interviews, travel logs, analyses, propositions, info graphics and photography, Al Manakh Gulf Continued provides an intimate look at six Gulf cities in five countries - UAE, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.

With over 140 contributors to the book, it is a wealth of information. Boasting endless credible sources it dissects the events of the financial crisis and analyses how the Gulf coped. Never before have the Gulf cities been documented in such a manner. It questions urban development in the future, human rights and raised cultural concerns, topics which are still considered sensitive and very briefly documented in the region.

Never mind that Al Manakh: Gulf Continued does not seem like a typical book you would pick up. Flipping through the book, it allowed me to view the Gulf cities in a whole different manner.

The main voices and editors of the book include, Rem Koolhaas, TODD REISZ (OMA), DANIEL CAMARA, MITRA KHOUBROU (Pink Tank), LILET BREDDELS and ARJEN OOSTERMAN (Archis/Volume), and OLE BOUMAN (Netherlands Architecture Institute).

When Mitra and Daniel first started Pink Tank in 2008, she spoke of how one of their main objectives was to re-launch the Al Manakh project and how they passionately felt that it was “time to initiate another level of investigation on Gulf cities”.

That’s exactly what Al Manakh Gulf Continued represents. It gets to the heart of the problems and challenges faced in this region, in the hopes of supporting the movement towards a more transparent identity in the Gulf region in communicating and executing its visions. And, they do so smartly by integrating the use of credibly verified statistics and research with charts, data, diagrams and visuals, making it easier to digest.

Sketchbook managed to speak to Mitra about the story behind Al Manakh: Gulf Continues, the significance of the book and how the idea first came about.

How did the collaboration between Rem Koolhass and Pink Tank first happen?

This relationship dates back from the time Daniel Camara (co-founder of Pink Tank) and I worked at Dubai Holding. HANS-ULRICH OBRIST from the Serpentine Gallery and STEFANO BOERI from Domus Magazine at that time had recommended we approach Rem in view of the International Design Forum and Initiative we were organising. Rem accepted to become a board member of our Design initiative with the intention of creating content together. 

How did people respond to Al Manakh?

The response to the first Al Manakh was extremely positive. There is little documentation in the region on the rapid development it has undergone over the last 30 years. Both internationally and regionally, the first Al Manakh triggered a lot of positive reactions. We just launched Al Manakh Gulf Continued and so far the reaction has also been very positive.
 
What is the story behind Al Manakh Gulf Continued?

Al Manakh: Gulf Continued delves into the region’s new challenges by profiling six cities in five countries. It uncovers the structures and networks that lay underneath the stories and events of 2009. The book is not a summary of a year of crisis but an attempt to define what these transformations mean for the future of the Gulf and what are the lessons to be learnt.

Who does the Al Manakh Gulf Continued hope to speak to?

Almost everyone. At Pink Tank, we always try to present it as an urban/economic/social guide to the region. Whether you are an architect, urban planner, economist, student, artist, you will find something of interest in Al Manakh Gulf Continued. Our analysis of the crisis on Gulf cities is multi-layered and multi-dimensional and therefore accessible to everyone.

With over 140 contributors, tell us how you are able to pull that many people in?

We are a great team. Some of us are based in the region and travelled in the Gulf over the past 14 months to meet and interview personalities. We also have a number of team members based in Holland who were in touch with international contributors.  Thanks to the networks of the OMA, Archis and Pink Tank in the region we managed to reach out to some of the most interesting thinkers and players in Gulf cities.

Where is the book stocked?

In most of the bookstores in Dubai and Abu Dhabi thanks to the help of Jashanmal and Magrudy’s. We are also collaborating with galleries, art centers, universities and think tanks in the region (including Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar) to make sure that Al Manakh Gulf Continued has a presence there. Internationally Al Manakh Gulf Continued is distributed through the wide network of Volume Magazine. Orders in the region can be placed at info@pinktank.ae

What is your next project and are you looking to any new collaboration?

Pink Tank continues to provide advisory services to governmental and private companies in the region. This role is less visible as we don’t directly own the projects but advise our clients on their strategies. Pursuing our passion in design is something we are extremely committed to.

Text JOYCE SEE 

Images Courtesy of AL MANAKH 

The bigger picture with Florence Bamberger

Sketchbook went for coffee with Parisian artist FLORENCE BAMBERGER. Her talent and creativity have already provoked recognition by the likes of Givenchy – and she hasn’t even finished her studies yet! This Illustrator / Graphic Designer / Artist / Social Commentator looks very promising and we were intrigued to learn more about her inspirations, expressions and aspirations…

Can you recall when you first became interested in expressing your thoughts through images?

Art has always been in my family, but at the age of 11 I realised my passion. My parents and I who lived in Paris would go to art museums on a Sunday. My Aunt studied at Central St Martins some 50 years ago and my brother works in textiles so we are quite a creative family.

What inspired you to dedicate yourself to imagery?

Although I was always interested in Art, when I was doing my A-levels, at 18 I had a very strong interest in Science and found myself having to choose between the two subjects. In the end I thought I’d regret it if I didn’t follow my art and this was the direction I took. However I struggled at school because I found studying technique boring and always ended up using my own methods which would often frustrate the teachers!

I would say that your images reflect a typically ‘French’ art style; which artists have inspired you?

Yes, many people have commented that my art has a French style. My inspiration come from many areas of art; I take note from graphic designers both in the UK and Japan as well as French artists such as EMMANUEL PIERRE and British artists DAVID HOCKNEY and FRANCIS BACON.

Talk me through how you go about creating your imagery?

I usually sit down with lots of books, taking inspiration from other designers and artists. I started out with fashion drawings and evolved my style though mixed media. I now want to express the things I see around me and create a story that people can interpret further in their imaginations. I usually make collages and collect images. I’ve recently started using a graphic pad, although as I said I love to use a mixture of mediums, that’s why I have produced graphic design pieces, animations, photography and drawings.

What is the one piece your most proud of and why?

The project I did for Givenchy was a great achievement for me. I won a competition at Central St Martins where I designed a limited edition range of lipstick covers. When I received the brief, I spent long time thinking about the concept. I wanted to take a journey to visually translate what the brand represented, making a transition between fashion and cosmetics. I ‘opened up’ their logo and made it into a labyrinth. It was a proud moment when I saw a woman applying her lipstick with my design on it. I enter lots of competitions which I find allows me to expose myself to these brands.

Your artwork seems to reflect simple everyday things in a far more complex and meaningful way, do you find yourself looking for things to paint and draw or does it come to you?

I look for things, but find inspiration in society. I love to observe people. I spent a day just stopping people and asking where they had come from and where they were going, I wanted to draw their journey. I like to tell a story in my art so I can entertain my audience.

Do you think that’s why you have ventured into advertising, because you like to create a story behind a simple image?

Yes, and this is why I like advertising in England, it’s very entertaining and full of humour and represents what I enjoy creating. I am actually interning for an advertising agency in Paris for two and a half months. I find that advertising follows a pattern of design to story to sale. By using your imagination you can interpret a product in this way and leave a lasting impression on the customer.

How do you feel that the art scene differs between London and Paris?

London’s art is more accessible, there are lots of free exhibitions and you can always see art on the street. Paris tends to be more formal and going to art museums is more of a family affair.

Paris has a huge trend for graffiti art at the moment, a lot of which seems to be very political, is this something you’ve considered taking to?

No, I don’t feel my art would translate well to graffiti but I understand that in this type of art has its place and certainly addresses social problems. I do like to take my art to the streets though, and have designed posters for a theatre in Paris recently; its given me the opportunity to get in front of more people.

Where do you see your work taking you in the future?

For my final project at University I’m creating a book of images, similar to my online visual diary, showing the cultural difference between countries like England and France. Drawings interpreted from subtle cultural observations such as the way people eat, how they act when they are on the tube etc, are so different, and I find this fascinating to interpret.

I have also recently collaborated with poets in London to create imagery from their words. I was flattered that the poets suggested that they turn this round and write poetry inspired by my art. I’ve always liked using words in my art and found that when I came to England it was harder to include English words to express this so the poems have worked very well.

To see more of Florence work and to find out more, you can see her portfolio at: www.florencebamberger.com 

Text: CHANTAL-LAWREN SAINSBURY

Images: FLORENCE BAMBERGER

Sketchbook at this year’s Clothes Show Live!

CLOTHES SHOW LIVE turns 21 this year and for the second year running is coming to London, taking place from 25th – 27th June at Earls Court. 

For the first time ever, Sketchbook Magazine will be playing curator to the Carnaby space at this year’s Clothes Show Live! 

 
Editor WAFA, illustrator, ANNIE DRISCOLL, along with a team of 10, will be working hard to recreate the streets of Carnaby - Kingly Court, Newburgh Quarter- in Earls Court. Annie will be replicating the Carnaby experience from the 60s and 70s with iconic hand drawn portraits of TWIGGY and VIVIENNE WESTWOOD.

There will also be live music, with bands performing at the event – truly encapsulating the essence of Carnaby.

Sketchbook will also be documenting the views of 50 shoppers by asking them the question: “50 years ago, if you were in Carnaby, what would you be doing?” The film will be shot by Sarolta and Sketchbook TV crew who are all really excited about this project.

These moments will then be made into a short film that will then be accessible to all you Sketchbook readers!

So, what are you waiting for? Jot the dates, 25 – 27 June down in your calendar and join Sketchbook at Clothes Show Live! Get your tickets at theticketfactory.

Text JOYCE SEE

Images ANNIE DRISCOLL

Sketchbook at Pick Me Up

Sketchbook have been invited to be part of The Pick Me Up Fair, the UK’s first contemporary graphic and art fair.

Held at Somerset House this Sunday with the Publish and Be Damned magazine pop-up fair, we will be there to sell some of our famed artwork as well as having copies of our latest issue, The Designers Issue for you to come and have a flick through. 

Sunday 2nd May
11am-7pm
Somerset House
Strand 
WC2R 1LA

Text NATALIE MILLER
Images Courtesy of Somerset House

www.somersethouse.org.uk