Binary Box

I contacted The Binary Box by phone. They are a wall sticker company also working in bespoke sticker designs for clients.

I was surprised when I spoke to Chris when he said I could drop in a couple of days later. It was a complete contrast to what I have become accustomed to when contacting the industry.

The studio is run from a building complex hosting a variety of businesses so when I arrived at reception I waited to be greeted. When I got there James and Andy who are two of only four working at Binary Box met me. They took me to a couched area to sift through my portfolio and were impressed with the variety of work I had especially some of the screen-printing I produce in my spare time.

Once we’d chatted about my projects for a bit they to give me a tour of the studio and how it runs. It was good t see how a professional and fast expanding printing business could run from one average class size room. The thing I liked about the setup was that everyone did a little of everything from illustrating the vector designs to feeding and printing the stickers making everyday a little different. I like the idea of mixing up energy and focus this way; it keeps work from becoming stale.

After being shown how everything was run and helping out for a bit to peel stickers and find stock they told me tat they are often looking for volunteers and to give them a shout when I’ve got the time.

Raw

I managed to contact Tom Heaton from RAW in Manchester. It was lose to the normal situation where people are too busy but thankfully he did offer to take a look at a PDF version or website.

It took me a while to get this together and unfortunately I had to leave a fair bit out of compared to my physical version. These were all of the prints I’m yet to have scanned into Indesign to uniform the overall portfolio format. I also left out the storyboard for the cross pathways collaboration as I thought it might be a little difficult to digest if I was not present to explain it.

I didn’t really get to ask Tom about his opinion on the industry or the ins and outs of the RAW studio but he did say that he liked the work in my portfolio but that maybe I should experiment with my layout a little more.

I am trying to stay in contact so that I can gain a visit as soon as things calm down in the studio.

Blue Apple Design

I discovered that the Houldsworth Mill in Stockport host a number of businesses and a number of design studios. One of those I contacted was Blue Apple Design. They produce a number of refreshing visually stimulating and lighthearted solutions for their clients.

When I first same across them I found their website opening animation really engaging and I loved the “Plastic Fantastic” project they produced for Cumbrian Containers, they managed to fun and energetic.

I decided it was best to call up the Studio to save time and get a straight answer. This gave me a direct email to contact as opposed to an information address that generally gets you nowhere. I emailed David at Blue Apple Design and didn’t get a response so I decided to call again as the receptionist friendly and helpful and far from intimidating. She told me to send another email and it worked as this time David replied asking for a digital version of my portfolio (which I expect feedback from shortly) I decided to send the animations I created for the End Sting project but needed to upload these onto a site for them to be downloaded from. I was also told we could arrange a visit to the studio once we’ve discussed his feedback. Fingers crossed.

WALL BUTTING

During my attempts to ascertain a portfolio visit I have contacted so many different studios and to no prevail! Amongst these only a handful bothered to reply and of those only one asked to see a copy of my portfolio, of which would have to be a digital version as mounting deadlines meant they wouldn't have face time free for a while. The whole process has been fairly disheartening at points especially when my email is interpreted as me asking for a placement as apposed to just some tips advice. The majority of replies were thankful and friendly but held the point of having no placements available. It is a true lesson in persistence and if anything I feel as though it has given me more motivation and determination to hunt down these illusive designers!

Below were my favored studios and a few of many that did not reply:

DRUM BEAT

TRUE NORTH

FLUID CREATIVITY

ATOMIC DESIGN

CREATIVE LYNX

ASHCROFT CREATIVE DESIGN

DESIGN BY DAY

These are the people that took the time to let me down nicely:

Janet Moses - WHY NOT ASSOCIATES

Tom Heaton - RAW

Samuel Netherwood - INFLUENCE

Paul Heaton - REFORM

Jo Garland - JACKNIFE

And then there were two. From it all there were two people that could spare any time at all it would seem, the first being Richard Stote from CURB from which I gained a good insight into what goes on in the studio; the second being Tony Moore from FRONT ROW that couldn't offer me any face time but was more than happy to look at a digital version when he got chance.

... and the search goes on....

OSCAR MUÑOZ

Oscar is a Colombian artist working with many media such as photography and print making as well as installations and moving image. This exhibition Biografías at the Cornerhouse is a collection of moving image that take the form of distorted self portraits. He works a lot with the ideas of memory and human loss both of which you easily get a sense of here.

The darkened room immediate draws your attention to the lit squares on the floor. As you watch these disappear into a makeshift drain the eery sense of disintegration is coupled with the audio of water trickling down a drain, this really seems to emphasize the despair in the faces of the portraits. The technique used in this method in an interesting one using a combination of screen printing and coal dusting on water to help bleed the images away.

The portrait of Oscar himself is probably one of my favorites to date. It consist of a short film in which you see his face reflected in water cupped in his hand. Throughout the video the water is constantly in motion twisting and distorting the reflection and as it plays on and the water trickles through the fingers his face becomes more and more distorted and confined.

OSA/MERZEN/

This latest exhibition at the Cube gallery has bee brought to you by Office For Subversive Architecture which is a treat as they never usually exhibit indoors. The exhibit at first glance is a collection of street rubble and as the exhibition is gradually erected over a number of days you are greeted with a reception of gathered rubble yet to be used.

As you wander around the exhibition you realise layers amongst the collection. As bits and bobs fit together in the space your attention is drawn to the actual structures and forms these pieces of rubble make. It was really interesting to see the marriage between different random everyday materials and the spaces they created. It challenged the perceptions of how we can experience our everyday outdoor tat. Initially the idea was to have the exhibit extending through the building and out onto the street but this unfortunately has been met with some resistance from local businesses. The object to create the exhibit have been both salvaged and donated offering a nice collection of local media including a Manchester City Council litter bin which I'm looking forward to being used.

There was a certain sense of familiarity in some of the collection such as the road signs and old doors, these have always grabbed my attention because of their lived in characteristics and grubby aesthetics. A few architects of Osa will be giving a talk about their exhibition on the 28th March this year. I'd like to go and get a further insight into Osa's concepts of trying to bring the outdoors in and other aspects of their work.

YORKSHIRE SCULPTURE PARK

(more pics coming!)

The sculpture park was most probably the best combination of inspiration and exercise I've ever embarked upon. For first timers like myself I can't imagine how you could get a sense of the scale and surrounding atmosphere without spending the whole day exploring.

The fact that all the sculptures were either bleeding into or protruding from the natural landscape was exciting as well as engaging. Although you are aware that these are man made at the same time you can't help but feel as though you are discovering something new and special and even a little magical.

The experience stretched from points that felt as though you'd found a forgotten relic to others that gave me visions of a giant alien returning to collect forgotten goods. It's hard to explain how the sculptures are so diverse and yet still sit amongst nature and each other so comfortably.

Visiting the park has inspired me to look at external exhibition spaces and even into the sculpture process itself. I hope to be able to work with 3D artist or masons at some point in the future in order to develop some similar skills through collaboration.