Billy Kidd

Billy kidd is a self taught photographer who was originally from Florida but now has a studio in New York he has worked for huge companies such as Nike, Vogue, Details magazine and Elle. His portraits include George Bush Jr, Zoe Deschanel, James Franco and Lenny Kravitz. His personal works include images of Samburu Warriors, Trees, Nudes, Decaying leaves and my favourite Decaying flowers. The images of the flowers are dark and sad yet somehow manage to be bright and vivid at the same time .

I love the sharpness of the photograph as it allows all the detail and colours to be seen but then contrasted against the soft shadow that sneaking around the flowers which I think helps gives them a mystical look. I would love to recreate these but in a different form and using a different media wether it's dying fabrics or painting onto fabrics.

http://iwasshotbybillykidd.com/

Comparing Artists

                             Evaluation of artist research

My top three choices would have to be Gillian Lee Smith, Billy Kidd and Alyssa Zukas. The three of them have very individual and different practices but I feel as though I could play around if I joined them together. Zukas technique of splashing and letting dyes mix would be a greate way to try and re-create one of Billy Kidds Decaying Flowers I could use bright vivid dyes along side dark colours and see the effects. I chose Gillian Lee Smith because I liked her theme of storytelling and using memories to create her artworks which fit well if I was to create a costume. Billy Kidds work remind me of Gillian Lee Smiths work becasue both pieces are dark and fairytale like due to the use of light, shadow and splashes of bright colours. I have thought about carrying on with the story of Alice in Wonderland and these images would be a great palette to create a costume with especially the Mad Hatters, but it could also work on other fairytale stories.

Piero Gilardi

Piero Gilardi is an Art Povera artist from Italy who focused on social relations through art and had a huge influence on the movement in the late 1960's. The pieces that he creates are mostly made from foam which he carves into the different shapes. Gilardi's work is the type that would work in theatre for a play or pantomime as they are bright and look almost real from a distance but for pieces of art they didn't really impress me. The nature pieces used to be interactive but over time they have become to delicate for people to touch. The stone pieces looked effective and the colours and patterns used made each stone look realistic a couple of the pieces hade cleverly been cut to make it look as though a small river was flowing through the rocks.

The idea for the nature carpets comes from the an idea that Gilardi had when chatting with a friend about what it will be like in the future. He thought about the image that Si-Fi films gives us of the future and thought of a more natural enviroment but everything would be made from synthetic materials for a more hygieneic and comfortable living. Using the theme of ' the furture' is a Controversial topic as they are many different theories and superstations on the topic. I could explore films that have been made based around the furture and put my own spin on them or research into what other people opinions are on the topic.



Alyssa Zukas

 Alyssa Zukas aka Two String Jane is a self-taught artist based in LA. Most of her pieces involves a lot of splash dyed and hand stencilled prints on to clothing but she also explores ways of working with different media such as painting, drawing, jewellery-making, sculpture, photography, interior design and vintage up cycling. Zukas influences come from the everyday simple things and turning them into wearable pop art. Her process is to start of by sketching designs onto paper and then cut out into stencils and the coloured dyes are then splashed or sponged on.

Her other works are just simply plain peices of clothing that have had dye splashed and flicked onto them. The dyes often bleed into one another creating many different colours in one piece. I love all her works I think they a really up to date in fashion, style and she is bringing dyeing back but in a more modern way. The splashed dyed pieces are my favourite though they remind me of doing tie dye as a child and summertime.



Another way that Zukas keeps up to date and modern is having a website that she can sell her pieces that aren't to expensive to buy, she also has a Esty account from which she also sells her works. I would like to try dying fabrics and playing around with tie dying agian and maybe try embroidering patterns on top of the fabric.







http://www.twostringjane.com/

Elly Mackay

Elly Mackay is a Canadian based artist and educator who creates scenes from moments in stories or plays often based around the theme of childhood. Mackay first started as a teenager creating tunnel books which she sold at her local gallery this led her to take an Art and Design course at college and then an illustration, print making and electronic art at university. While studying Mackay started freelance illustration.

To help create her works she explores her own childhood, experiences as a mother, vintage book illustrations, set designs and the surroundings were she lives. Her works today are a return to the style of layering. Mackay starts with thumbnails and concept drawings and a bit of writing about the atmosphere she wants to create. She uses a strong plastic paper as it bends easy, crease, takes ink and the strength allows it to stand easily.



Once some of the layers have been created she starts installing them to a theatre 'above' which is open on all 6 sides including the bottom. This allows her to play with the lighting from all angles to find the right mood for a scene to then take a number of photographs.   

Mackay has now published her very first children's story book, If You Hold A Seed, and is due to publish four more over the next year.

Her works remind me of Gillian Lee Smiths, both have a fairytale look and feel to them and this is because they both play with light but in different ways, Mackay uses physical light but Smith uses mixed media to create light and dark.

http://www.ellymackay.com/

Vin Burnham

Vin Burnham is an award winning costume designer and has worked on feature films, TV commercials, TV, theatre, opera, ballet and rock n roll. Vin Burnham was always surrounded by theatre and performers, both her parents were actors and her grandfather was an opera singer.  

Her long list of works includes the Chronicles of Narnia in 1988, Batman in 1989, the Fifth Element in 1997, Wind in the Willow in 2007 and Zing Zillas in 2010. But before getting any of these jobs Burnham went to art school but dropped out before she got her degree and went on to work selling programmes and working behind bars at West End theatres. She then got a lucky break at the Royal Opera House in Convent Garden in the prop department and then went onto work in the Wardrobe department at the Nottingham Playhouse where she created her first creature. After many doing many jobs Burnham decided to go a freelance with a close friend in London as costume maker for Oscar winner James Acheson.

Vin Burnham is also the creator of the Little Costume Shop which shows of small scale models of opera and ballet dresses in her own designs. Most recently She has created the Little Wedding Dress Shop were she creates small scale mementos for peoples wedding days. Burnham has also published a book in 2009 named the Best Ever Kids Costumes, which reminds me of what Iain Simons said about writing a book to help getting your self known.

 

Iain Simons

Iain Simons is now an event producer, researcher and a festival director for one of Nottingham's biggest festivals, GameCity which started in 2006 and is now held annually in Market Square. The festival is for gamers and non-gamers to come together in Nottingham and play some of the most up to date games and play on the newest consoles. 

All types of creative designs are involved, including dance, architecture, art and sometimes theatre designers who help create the surroundings and atmosphere of the game by bringing parts of the game to life. Simons wanted  people of all ages to have the opportunity to try the finished products and have fun at the same time. Before Simons came up with the idea for GameCity he had many different jobs including a piano player, performer, follow spot in a theatre, musician, writer and once was a journalist for video games which meant playing and reviewing them.

Iain Simons talked about making your self known, write a book, send emails, ask around, create propsals and invoices as this all adds up on your CV and is great for gaining experience.
The idea of bringing people together through videos games is something that could keep growing and developing into something much bigger than what it is today as new games and technology are always being released.

Sarah Turner

Sarah Turner is an Eco artist and designer based in Nottingham and focuses on turning recycled materials into wonderful lighting and decorative pieces. It all started when Turner wrote  a dissertation on recycled materials at university and while sat in a coffee shop saw how many plastic bottles were being thrown away. This sparked an idea and created a challenge for Turner along the lines of, how can I take something that is rubbish and turn it into something it isn't. Turner now specialises in using recycled plastic bottles to create lighting and decorative pieces she does this by first cleaning them, then sandblasting them, and last cutting and sculpting them.

Her works have been shown all around the world including exhibitions in Milan, Paris, LA and London. In 2012 she got the chance to really show of her work at one the UK's biggest events, the 2012 Olympics. Her role was to create a number pieces for Coca-Cola  for their Hospitality Centre at the Olympic Park. 

The pieces included a number of lighting features which featured 30 plastic Coka-Cola stuck to a circular board with light in between each circle. Turner used the circles as she thought it fitting that they looked like the Olympic rings. A few other pieces she used were circular can cut outs which were individually hung to created silhouettes of gymnasts and divers.

Sarah Turners works really appeal to me, I  have always liked using recycled materials and the challenges it gives you. Though I like applying the materials to clothing more than lighting and sculptures. I think recycling within art is something that we are going to see much more of and it's artists like Turner that show people just because something is recycled doesn't mean it has rubbish.

Gillian Lee Smith

Gillian Lee Smith is an artist and model maker who originally studied costume design at university were she learnt to illustrate characters which she now uses in her work today. Smith's inspiration comes from the idea of story telling, personal emotions and the use of imagination, helped by her job working with people with dementia were she uses objects to stimulate memories.

Her work includes mixed media pieces with media like acrylic, chalk, ink, water colour and oil pastels which create a dark but almost mystical, fairy-tale feel to the pieces. Within her sketchbook, along with costume and character designs, is writing of her most deepest inner thoughts which she then develops into her larger mixed media pieces.

   

I absolutely loved the pieces that I saw at the creative industries day and would defiantly consder buying one. I think the appeal is the use of emotive faces and colours that Smith uses I also like the idea that she links her job with her passion as I think it's something thats quite rare but is something that everybody would love to be doing. I am defiantly inspired by her works and I really want to try using the theme and design of her works but put them into a textile format.



Sue Bulmer

Sue Bulmer  is a Nottingham based artist who focus the theme of home, family and love and illustrates them into simple yet detailed black and white images. The idea of the birds, trees and bird houses stems from her living on a farm when she was young and would sketch her parents chickens and her love of nature, the natural landscape and the natural world and its changing colours and textures of the seasons. She is also greatly inspired by her 200 year old cottage and the comfort and sentimentallity of home and famliy. Originally Bulmer studied pharmacy at Nottingham Trent Uni and stayed in pharmacy for 15 years, but couldn't get away from her creative roots and in 2005 she took a foundation course in art & design which helped develop her technique and creative skills.

Bulmer uses ink pen to draw her design then scans them into a PC and digitally prints them. Bulmers work includes prints on ceramic tiles, tea towels, greeting cards and in frames.

I would love to see these on tote bags and as t-shirt designs, as they are simple and have a peaceful feel to them and would sell for quite a but of money. I have always loved painting and drawing in black medium but sometimes can make a pieces a little boring, but Bulmer cleverly adds just enough detail to make the piece interesting and appealing to look at.