Tag Archives: Gallery

Contextual / Historical

Exhibition: ‘Amy, Beyond the Stage’, The Design Museum

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This exhibition was a blast from the past! Amy Winehouse was always iconic for me as a teenager – not only did she come from my ends (Southgate) but she was an amazing talent. She spoke and wrote songs from the heart.

Visiting the Design Museum, to see this small exhibition was such a treat. It was a wonderful display of her fashion, brand and music and ultimately a celebration of her life. We tend to see celebrities as the ‘main character’ of the story – Amy definitely ended up as the main character but she started from humble beginnings.

I began to think about the facets to a character and their needs/wants. This display was curated as the journey of Amy Winehouse, she had her ups and downs but gradually rose to fame. The timeline included musical events that grounded what she liked, vocalists she admired – which alluded to her sense of fashion. All these things contribute to her character, yet she was grounded – she knew her roots. As the ‘main character’, she was adored for her talent, her style and her humbleness.

Everything from the ground up was reflective of Amy’s style – this aesthetic leans into the atmosphere of the show. Also it’s easily identifiable and connected to Amy’s branding – checkerboard tiles and hot pink wallpaper. It was interesting to see her fashion style and her music became a part who she is – not just what she wears or does.

The exhibition really did showcase a story arc of her life, including a big virtual animated performance right at the end.

Contextual / Historical, Perspective / Audience

Exhibition: ‘Black’, The Cartoon Museum

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Exhibition: ‘Black’ was held at the Cartoon Museum which had recently been moved. It was a very small exhibition but it definitely made an impact. Written by Tobias Taitt and illustrated by Anthony Smith, the autobiographical graphic novel allowed for a different style.

I really enjoyed this exhibition. The Cartoon Museum is quite small, so it was an intimate exhibition within a small room.

Text from website:

‘Celebrating Black History Month, this powerful new exhibition explores the story and world of BLACK – the unflinching but uplifting new graphic memoir by writer Tobias Taitt and cartoonist Anthony Smith.

When Tobias was three, his mother killed his uncle. She was sent to prison, condemning him to spend his early life in a series of bleak institutions across rural England. As a black youth growing up in 1970s Britain, Tobias learned first-hand that the world could be a cold and uncaring place for a child of the state. But he also learned to navigate the system – and eventually to fight back against it. 

When Tobias discovered life outside the institutions that held him, so began his involvement with the world of crime. Yet at the same time, a love of literature, with all its possibilities, grew within him.

With words by Tobias and illustrations by Anthony Smith, BLACK tells the uncompromising true story of Tobias’s life. Displaying 24 original pen and ink illustrations and video narration from Tobias, this intimate new exhibition invites visitors to experience a powerful and personal encounter with the art, story and people behind this remarkable graphic novel.‘

Youtube.com. 2021. Anthony Smith at London Cartoon Museum launch of BLACK: The Story of Tobias Taitt graphic novel. [online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ljaoz07jJY
Contextual / Historical

Exhibition: ‘Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser’, The V&A

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This exhibition was quite astounding, it showed various worlds that derived from one story: ‘Alice and Wonderland.’ The photos below show just a glimpse of the artwork developed for the multiple media outlets for the story. It was interesting to see how designers, artists and animators depict the main characters of the story. The exhibition was laid out in a theatrical way, the high ceilings and vast space led to a very interactive exhibition, which also included projections and VR. It began with the traditional elements of ‘Alice and Wonderland’, introducing the printing plates for the book. I found this quite intriguing as the words described were also being used in a visual way. The rooms led to a ‘modern’ Alice, the character designs were quite clean and bold using singular bright colours.

Images taken from the ‘Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser’ Exhibition
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bi-V9tuc2FA
Compilation of videos taken at the ‘Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser’ Exhibition

I really enjoyed the animations in this exhibition. They not only showcased the well known Disney animated feature on a large projection but displayed the artwork behind the film. Installations were included as a path to another room, it was almost like rippled canvas hanging from the ceiling with projected images of illustrations from the original book. Although, this installation was static and not animated – it allowed me to think the way we view information can come into play when planning an animation. The installations in this exhibition enlightened my perspective on how my animated film or animations could possibly be viewed or interactive.

My favourite installation was the animations that were projected onto the table and table cloth. There was a voice over narrative and sound that allowed me to be fully immersed in the installation. It just made me wonder if I could project an interactive animation.

From photography to films posters, the world of the character is so internationally well known that it is open to so much interpretation both artistically and imaginatively. I feel this exhibition really covered the world of ‘Alice and Wonderland’.