Oliver Jeffers

I received a postcard this morning with Oliver Jeffers' illustration on the front, and was completely drawn into it. The illustration was of a child in a rocket, reaching out to try and catch a star. I wanted to find out more about Oliver Jeffers, so I visited his website listed on the back of the postcard and was fascinated (which, as it happens, is an interesting website in terms of design). I found that the illustration on the postcard is actually part of a picture book, called 'How to catch a star', and some of the other illustrations for the book were shown on the website, as were examples from his other picture books. 

The illustrations have been produced using watercolours on paper, which is how the muted colours have been achieved. The simple illustrations are really cute, and it is interesting how little needs to be shown to detail the story that Jeffers is trying to tell. He illustrates in an almost childlike fashion, without being condescending, with a simplicity that amounts to a spherical head, two dots for eyes and a curve for a smiling mouth. Despite this, the obvious emotion of the boy in the pictures is apparent, which makes the illustrations genuinely moving. As the boy's imagination takes him on a journey to catch a star, it is charming to see the world of the child which is not affected by the restrictions of the reality.

Nick Brandt Photography

I saw a snippet of the work of Nick Brandt in the Sunday Times magazine a couple of weeks ago, and my attention was immediately captured. Having travelled to Kenya this year for a holiday and safari, his photographs struck a chord with me having seen it first hand. I found a more complete portfolio of his work on the internet, at www.nickbrandt.com, and I think his photographs are absolutely fascinating. I just wish some of my photographs could have looked like this! 

Krzysztof Wodiczko

The wall between those who have been to war and witnessed its atrocities, and those who have not, is a difficult thing to overcome for soldiers who have returned home. 'War Veteran Vehicle', the name of this project by Krzysztof Wodiczko, beamed the words of six war veterans onto the walls of some of Liverpool's landmarks, as they struggle to readjust to life at home, which were accompanied by audio recordings of the interviews played through a PA system on the street. 

Wodiczko intended the vehicle to be used as a platform for the survivors to reach out to their commuities, to aid understanding about what they have witnessed and how they are still suffering despite no longer fighting in the war. They are fighting a different kind of war at home, with the society that sent them there in the first place. He interviewed 6 people in total, veterans of the conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia and the Falklands, as well as the wife of a soldier who had returned from the war. 

Wodiczko said of his work: "We're basically firing our ammunition- firing the truth, trying to create some impact, acoustic and visual." 

His work has really admirable intentions, and to even partially succeed in raising awareness about the plights of British (and other nationalities, for that matter) soldiers, in conflict and at home, will make his hard work worthwhile. The bravery and courage of the soldiers interviewed is truly humbling, and the way in which Wodiczko is drawing attention to their situation is to be commended. The sheer impact of his work is huge, due to the stark honesty of the veterans combined with the no-holds-barred presentation of their words. 

The project will run for 4 days in total (3 nights left) and will be projected onto various landmarks around the city of Liverpool between 8:30pm and 11pm.

Anne Geddes

Anne Geddes is an Australian photographer who specialises in work surrounding babies and nature. It is her focus and dedication to portraying infants in stunning photographs which makes her work so distinctive and appealing to the viewer. I particularly like her work because of the way it makes me feel- it never fails to bring a smile to my face.

What is also inspiring about Geddes’ work is the painstaking operation she goes through for each photo shoot, making the costumes for each baby and the props for the set. Her attention to detail to ensure that every last element of the photograph is perfect in both aesthetic and composition to create her perfect picture is inspirational. One example of her meticulous attention to detail is a sheet of material which Geddes wanted to have more sheen. To correct this, one person spent a week pulling out every second thread of the 10 metre long sheet of material, in order to achieve the required sheen. 

Below are some of my favourite examples of her work. 

Rosie Hardy

Ok, we've all done it at some point. Googled ourselves. Well, when my 19 year old self did this (ie, 2 years ago), I came upon the photographer Rosie Hardy, and I was intrigued by her work that I've been following her work ever since. Every few months or so I return to her Flickr Page to see what she's been up to, and I am always amazed by the work she has produced. Above are some of my favourite examples of her photos.

Her photographs all display distinct emotion, and you can really feel the emotion within each photograph. I love the way she uses costume and make up as well to reinforce the emotion she is trying to portray, and this produces a story-like feel to each image. It almost feels as if she is in another world, like a fairy tale within each photograph. The impact that her photographs have on the audience is stark, as each image conveys such strong emotions that the audience cannot help but to feel the same. Her photographs are often quite surreal, which immediately grabs the attention of the audience, and the concepts behind her photographs are always really interesting. It is also worth mentioning that she often uses a timer to produce her work, so that she is able to be the subject of her photos. As a result, the photographs are much more raw as she is able to portray her own emotions to the camera rather than directing a model to act. This is particularly appropriate in her 365 portfolio, which contains a photograph for each day. 

I like the way she collates several photographs (presumably on Photoshop) to create such arresting images. The way in which she translates thoughts into photographs is fascinating, and the expression of self and emotion in her photographs is something to aspire to.

The fourth plinth...

After following the saga of The Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square for the past couple of months with some vague sense of curiosity, today I saw the highlights of Naomi McDonald, a lap dancer, taking to the plinth wearing only heels and a black pair of knickers... with a pole as an accessory.

Now whilst Naomi perhaps isn't the best example of how the plinth should be utilised (mainly because half the population don't actually want to see a half-naked woman writhing about for an hour), the idea in general for the plinth isn't actually a bad one. Whilst it is generally getting mixed reviews from the public, in my opinion it could actually be quite interesting.

The idea is that for 100 days and nights, 2,400 members of the general public will have the opportunity (for an hour each) to be involved with this piece of 'art', doing whatever they want on the plinth. Because they are just members of the public, with no experience of performing arts, this reality experiment opens up the world of 'art' to a wider audience, and makes it more accessible and inevitably more interesting. By constantly changing the 'model' on the plinth, it is instantly made more interesting because people will come back to see what has changed. I've seen Nelson's column once... and I won't be going to see it again. However, with a changing sculpture on the fourth plinth, I would definitely be more inclined to return to Trafalgar Square (if I lived anywhere near, which I don't).  And whether you like how they're spending their hour or not, it still gets you talking either way.

You might not agree with this, however it cannot be disputed that the amount of public interest and debate he has created surrounding his work is something we could all aim for. 

Hirst vs Cartrain

When I first heard of the feud between one of Britain's biggest artists ever and a teenage street artist (December 08), I was shocked at the pettiness of it all. The basis of it is this: Cartrain used images of Hirst's diamond-encrusted skull (entitled 'For The Love Of God') in collages, superimposing the image of the skull onto photos in place of the regular head. In one picture, the skull was pictured in a shopping basket next to some carrots. 

The images by Cartrain were being sold on the internet for approx £65, however when Hirst found out about the images, he demanded that all works were handed over (presumably to be destroyed), and all profits from the works be given to Hirst. Which in itself is pretty pathetic. However, when coupled with the controversy surrounding 'For The Love Of God' upon unveiling it (ex-friends of Hirst's claimed that they had come up with the idea and had been producing such works since 1993), it is not only ironic, but seems downright cheeky.

What I most enjoy about the work of Cartrain is not only that it angers the likes of Hirst, but more so, WHY  it angers him. Such a harsh, yet successful, caricature of Hirst (as seen above) has been burned into the memory of everyone who sees it, and I think this is the reason for his bad mood. 

I would like to take this opportunity to applaud Cartrain for his funny and memorable work.