Cadburys

Perfect for children (like me), this website is like one of those cd-roms you have when you're little where you can click on anything and something happens. And for those who aren't interested in this, there's a simple list menu along the top. A website designed for children to navigate alone or with their parents, it is fun and friendly, and uses the distinct Cadbury's purple throughout. I also really like the loading bar which was bouncing around the page carried by hot air balloons (as seen in the background landscape of the site)... it really is the small details which make all the difference. 

I particularly like the gift section, where hampers and presents are available to buy and get delivered, for work or at home. Dozens of recipes to try out at home, all including Cadburys. Not a good website to visit if you're on a diet (unless you have very strong willpower) as it really does make you crave chocolate! 

If you're interested in having a look, click here.

Tate Britain- Turner Prize nominees unveiled

An exhibition showing the work of 2009's Turner Prize nominees opens to the public tomorrow at Tate Britain. Not being able to go and have a look, I went on the Tate website to have a look at their work, and I'm significantly more interested by the work this year than I have been in previous years. I particularly like the work by nominee Roger Hiorns, who produced an installation work in a derelict flat in South London. For this work, he filled the flat with copper sulphate, which (after time was allowed for chemical reactions to take place) covered each surface within the flat in bright blue crystals. This creates a very surreal installation, which is both aesthetically pleasing yet slightly disorientating and confusing. I also like his use of such unusual materials and the effect that it has on the audience.

Don't be a numptee

I came across Numptee when my boyfriend came home from work, and being an employee of Yorkshire Water, told me about the new campaign which they have launched to try and reduce sewer flooding. Whilst this isn't a very nice subject, I went to their website to check out the video of Numptee being, well, a numpty. Flushing nappies down the toilet and cooking fat down the sink are two ways which contribute to sewer flooding, and Numptee aims to educate people in a fun way to try and get them to change their ways when it comes to disposing of waste. 

Now, I know that nappies shouldn't go down the toilet, and I also know that kitchen roll shouldn't go down the toilet. I didn't however know that cooking oil shouldn't go down the sink, and therefore in my opinion, even if I wasn't the biggest numpty in the world, I have still benefited from seeing the video as I have learnt something new from this character. The tone of voice of the video is fun, with the animated character getting himself covered in waste more than once. The flippant tone of the animation makes the viewer more inclined to keep watching, as a lecture in what not to do would just turn viewers away. By making the subject more fun, this animation has made the topic more likely to be listened to, as it is friendly as opposed to patronising. The use of the character also makes the video appeal to younger ages, who are often unaware of the consequences of flushing stuff down the toilet and in the sink, and therefore it acts as an educational video as well as a fun animation. 

Tate Liverpool

On Sunday, I had planned a day trip to Liverpool in order to do some shopping and check out the new exhibitions at Tate Liverpool, which began on 2 October and run until the middle of March next year. Unfortunately, due to unforeseen lack of funds, we were unable to get there, however we do still hope to go at some point before the exhibitions end. 

One of the new exhibitions is called Joyous Machines, by Michael Landy and Jean Tinguely, which is co-curated by Landy and investigates Tinguely's early works and how they have influenced Landy's own work. However, it was the Mark Rothko exhibition of Seagram murals which I was most looking forward to. The 9 paintings by Rothko will be shown in conditions exactly as he intended, in small spaces with background walls painted gray, and reduced lighting in order to increase dramatic effect of his works, and I think it would be really interesting to see this after having seen some of his work previously at Tate Modern on a trip to London, and always enjoying the effect they have- calm and peaceful, but yet quite overbearing. The mysterious quality to Rothko's work is something that is rarely replicated by other artists, and I think this exhibition would be fascinating to see. 

Dark Entries

I am currently halfway through reading the graphic novel written by Ian Rankin, and illustrated by Wether Dell'edera, and I even though I haven't finished it, I still think its worth writing about (and recommending) in this blog. 

I have read some of Rankin's previous novels, those of the written kind, and whilst I enjoyed them, they were nothing compared to his experiment with writing graphic novels. Not being anything of a comic reader, I was expecting to struggle to follow the storyline at times, as obviously there are fewer words explaining what is going on, and it requires interpretation of the images in order to get to grips with whats happening. However, I found that the images were easy to read, as Dell'edera's sketches are full of excellent body language and emotive clues to ensure easy-reading. At times, I have found myself re-reading sections in order to work out who is saying what (which could be improved by the use of colour within the book, as it is purely black and white), but on the whole I am not struggling too much to interfere with the reading of the book.

The book is based around the comic-hero John Constantine, who is the protagonist of the comic series HellBlazer. The storyline of the book is surrounding a reality TV programme called 'Haunted House' which Detective John Constantine has been placed into as a mole, as there are some seriously spooky things going on in the house which the producer swears he has nothing to do with. I have reached the point in the book where Akiko, one of the housemates, has disappeared in a blackout, and Constantine takes it upon himself to find her. 

I am really enjoying reading such an unusual novel, as this is something that I am not used to seeing at all. I think that the collaboration between notorious crime writer Rankin and distinctive illustrator Dell'edera works really well, and tells the story expertly with both words and images. Dark Entries is a mystery story not to be missed. 

Leeds Art Gallery and The Henry Moore Institute

Never having been to the Leeds Art Gallery or the adjoining Henry Moore Institute, I was originally sceptical about how interesting it could be (that being my reason for never having been before, despite living near Leeds for the majority of my life). However, wandering round the gallery on a sunny afternoon in September exceeded all my (admittedly low) expectations immediately.

Walking into the gallery and seeing a sculpture of a human made of miniature bricks was the start of an enlightening experience for me in Leeds. As one of my previous posts, I discussed the art that is the fourth plinth in Trafalgar Square, by Antony Gormley. As soon as I saw the sculpture of bricks, I was instantly drawn to the notes on the wall which explained details of the artist and the date etc. I was completely surprised to find that it was none other than Antony Gormley, of previous-post and Angel of the North fame, who had created this fascinating sculpture. I found that it was made in 1986 as part of a proposal for a 180ft high sculpture to be erected on waste ground near Leeds Railway Station. Despite the fact that it was never erected due to denied planning permission, this smaller version of a possible outdoor brick giant is still really very interesting, visually and in its history.

However, this was not what I found the most exciting about my visit to Leeds Art Gallery (and HMI). Once inside the Henry Moore Institute, I was informed that the main gallery space was closed. I was however, directed to the Research Library, where I was told that there was a photographic exhibition showing the artist Peter Randall-Page at work. During May 2009, photographer Sarah Dale spent a week observing him at his studio, having access to his archive, workshop and studio. Her photographs reveal the working processes behind works such as Fructus and Corpus (see below), and are really interesting to see if you get the chance.

CR Photography Annual 2009

This month's edition of Creative Review comes with 6 alternative covers, all of which have been selected from entries of the fourth Creative Review Photography Annual. I chose the issue with the image above on the front, which is 1 of 3 images in a series called Four Heads by Jenny Van Sommers. This is such a simple yet striking image, and I particularly love the white against white (with obvious splash of orange) which the photographer has adopted. Interestingly, she has also used grey paint against the head, which is barely visible unless you look closely due to the left side of the head being partially in the shade. The clean lines of the white head against the white background are really striking, particularly on the left side where the neck looks elegant in its elongated form. The image is calm and serene, despite the dripping paint down the face of the obviously female sculpture. I love the minimal use of colour and the simple form and composition of the image, and I agree that it is worthy of a place on the cover of Creative Review.



The rest of the photographs selected for inclusion in this edition of CR are all very interesting, some more so than others. What I found fascinating was how even photographs which were not very aesthetically pleasing, or which photographed subjects which were significantly less 'pretty', were still enjoyable to look at. One example of this is Terry, by Larry Dunstan. This photograph whilst not necessarily being aesthetically pleasing, is an interesting photograph. Looking at the detail in the photograph and the expression and personality of 'Terry' which is conveyed in the image is fascinating, and leads the audience to wonder what makes him so special as to be chosen for the subject of Dunstan's photography.



I would definitely recommend buying this month's issue of Creative Review, if only to make your own opinions on the judge's choices of winners. Because photography is so subjective, you could have a completely different set of winners.