Old B&G styling pics I forgot to put up

Charming- Bird Yard (23rd Dec 11)

I left London, why? See my post on the 29th Sept... but I visited this before I left.

https://www.proudonline.co.uk/exhibitions.aspx

And this was a nice bonus...

Think Outside the Box

 Art increases your ability to understand the world better, provides you with new ways of seeing things, and equips you with new skills that may well be applicable laterally, allowing you to "think outside the box" and come up with new, creative solutions to your everyday activities

Sorry I've neglected you.... heres Jane Birkin

"If I'm sane, then your all fucking mad"

I'm writing this because I'm concerned, angry and bewildered by how many of us live or lives with the same invisable questions hovering above our heads that ask "Is this okay?" "Am I doing this right?" How so many of us rely on other people for reassurance and "The OK" for our way of thinking. The death of individuality.

Everytime I see a fashion whore adopting the latest "trend", its make my soul physically ache when you know their hearts not in it. Somewhere the curator of this crazed "creativity" is laughing at you. The ironic, what can only be describes as a tornado of greed and vanity, has created a nation of wannabes. Soldiers against the war on individuality. And so that I don't contradict myself, I beg of you, don't agree with me. I'm not trying to revolutionize you, or ironically become an idealist, I'm simply venting for my sanity, or lack of. I'm trying to seperate myself from you. I guess you could say my tolerance is broken.

Recently I've found myself subconsciously pretending I'm stupid, I'm not aware I'm doing it until I look back on the situation in question. It's a social defense, to avoid indepth debates about creativity. So many people who move to London go to find themselves and to find success. But success is clouded in conformity, whether you like it or not. It kills the idea of individuality, and I don't want to die.
This may sound like the insane ramblings of someone struggling with the day to day of modern life, maybe this is true, but if I have to find clarity in insanity, so be it. Cause if I'm sane, then your all fucking mad.

Berty & Gerty Christmas Shoot Styling

Fashion Week Sept 11 My Thoughts

Fascinating Faces

Clara Bow

Clara Gordon Bow (July 29, 1905 – September 27, 1965) was an American actress born and raised in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, who rose to stardom in the silent film era of the 1920s. Her high spirits and acting artistry made her the quintessential flapper and the film "It" brought her global fame and the nickname "The It Girl." Bow came to personify the roaring twenties and is described as its leading sex symbol.She appeared in 46 silent films and 11 talkies, including hits such as Mantrap (1926), It (1927) and Wings (1927). She was first box-office draw in 1928 and 1929 and second in 1927 and 1930 Her presence in a motion picture has been described to have ensured investors, by odds of almost 2-to-1, a "safe return" with only two exceptions.At the apex of her stardom, in January 1929, she received more than 45,000 fan letters. Bow ended her career with Hoop-La (1933), and became a rancher in Nevada. In 1931 she married actor Rex Bell, later politician and Lieutenant Governor, with whom she had two sons.

Edie Sedgwick

Edith Minturn "Edie" Sedgwick (April 20, 1943 – November 16, 1971) was an American actress, socialite, model and heiress. She is best known for being one of Andy Warhol's superstars. Sedgwick became known as "The Girl of the Year" in 1965 after starring in several of Warhol's short films, in the 1960s. Dubbed an "It Girl", Vogue magazine also named her a "Youthquaker".

Édith Piaf

19 December 1915 – 11 October 1963), born Édith Giovanna Gassion, was a French singer and cultural icon who became widely regarded as France's greatest popular singer. Her singing reflected her life, with her specialty being ballads. Among her songs are "La Vie en rose" (1946), "Non, je ne regrette rien" (1960), "Hymne à l'amour" (1949), "Milord" (1959), "La Foule" (1957), "l'Accordéoniste" (1955), and "Padam... Padam..." (1951).

Panic on the Streets of London- Location scouting the day after 8.8.11 riots

So last night there was panic on the streets of London. After the shooting and killing of a man in Tottenham by police, people around London protested and rioted around several communitys in London. Living in Camden, we were also effected by the riots. However, my boss and I has organised to do some location scouting around Hamstead Heath and the East end before we were recommended to go home and stay away. I made notes on the locations we visited, and also took pictures of the devastation in the Camden area.

Location notes-

Photo 1- Camden Bridge and tree by Lloyds
Photo 2- Camden Lock arch by River and Berty and Gerty- starjump
Photo 3- Camden Graffiti by the Lock, symmetry
Photo 4- Camden Lights under Pirate Castle Bridge
Photo 5- Camden Steps and sign three way
Photo 6- Primrose Hill- first bench and light
Photo 7- Primrose Hill Chalcot Square
Photo 8- Havestock Hill- The Havers
Photo 9- Southend Road- Twin Telephone
Photo 10- Hampsted Heath- Gate and Pond
Photo 11- Pond 2 Trees- Houses on right
Photo 12- East London- Old St- Hoxton Square- Gherkin
Photo 13- Red Church St- Ebor St- Chance St- Whitby St
Photo 14- Side st off Cheshire St- Bridge
Photo 15- Grimsby St off Brick Lane- Industrial Bridge
Photo 16- Pedley St- Fire Escape
Photo 17- Big Chill- Greasy Spoon and Benches

Been busy being promoted and this...

Berty & Gerty on Portugese TV

http://g1.globo.com/videos/globo-news/mundo-sa/v/concorrencia-causa-mudancas-no-setor-de-calcados-no-reino-unido/1482602/#/Todos%20os%20Vídeos/page/1

Louis Wain

Louis Wain (5 August 1860 – 4 July 1939)

 was an English artist best known for his drawings, which consistently featured anthropomorphised large-eyed cats and kittens. In his later years he suffered from schizophrenia, which, according to some psychologists, can be seen in his works

I came across this artist whilst watching Antiques Roadshow (you know you love it too), I have always loved cats, what with my name being Cat and having three cats growing up, when I saw his work on the show I was intrigued and wanted to learn more. After doing a bit of research I found the original drawings in comparison to the paintings after he was diagnosed mentally ill; disturbing. I found myself being quite fearful of the mental condition that Louis Wain must of been in to create such alarming, satanic and pyschedelic paintings in comparison to his cute, endearing original paintings of his youth. Heres a bit more about him (taken from wikipedia):

(Before his mental illness was diagnosed)

Louis William Wain was born on 5 August 1860 in Clerkenwell in London. His father was a textile trader and embroiderer; his mother was French.^[2] He was the first of six children, and the only male child. None of his five sisters ever married. At the age of thirty, his youngest sister was certified as insane, and admitted to an asylum. The remaining sisters lived with their mother for the duration of their lifetimes, as did Louis for the majority of his life.



(Before his mental illness was diagnosed)

Wain's cats began to walk upright, smile broadly and use other exaggerated facial expressions, and wear sophisticated contemporary clothing. Wain's illustrations showed cats playing musical instruments, serving tea, playing cards, fishing, smoking, and enjoying a night at the opera. Such anthropomorphic portrayals of animals were very popular in Victorian England, and were often found in prints, on greeting cards and in satirical illustrations such as those of John Tenniel.



(Before his mental illness was diagnosed)

His mental instability began, and increased gradually over the years. He had always been considered quite charming but odd, and often had difficulty in distinguishing between fact and fantasy. Others frequently found him incomprehensible, due to his way of speaking tangentially. His behavior and personality changed, and he began to suffer from delusions, with the onset of schizophrenia. Whereas he had been a mild-mannered and trusting man, he became hostile and suspicious, particularly towards his sisters. He claimed that the flickering of the cinema screen had robbed the electricity from their brains. He began wandering the streets at night, rearranging furniture within the house, and spent long periods locked in his room writing incoherently.

Some speculate that the onset of Wain's schizophrenia was precipitated by toxoplasmosis, a parasitic infection that can be contracted from cats. The theory that toxoplasmosis can trigger schizophrenia is the subject of ongoing research, though the origins of the theory can be traced back as early as 1953.^[3][4][5][6]
When his sisters could no longer cope with his erratic and occasionally violent behavior, he was finally committed in 1924 to a pauper ward of Springfield Mental Hospital in Tooting. A year later, he was discovered there and his circumstances were widely publicized, leading to appeals from such figures as H. G. Wells and the personal intervention of the Prime Minister. Wain was transferred to the Bethlem Royal Hospital in Southwark, and again in 1930 to Napsbury Hospital near St Albans in Hertfordshire, north of London. This hospital was relatively pleasant, with a garden and colony of cats, and he spent his final 15 years there in peace. While he became increasingly deluded, his erratic mood swings subsided, and he continued drawing for pleasure. His work from this period is marked by bright colors, flowers, and intricate and abstract patterns, though his primary subject remained the same.

Dr. Michael Fitzgerald disputes the claim of schizophrenia, indicating Wain more than likely had Asperger syndrome (AS). Of particular note, Fitzgerald indicates that while Wain's art takes on a more abstract nature as he grew older, his technique and skill as a painter did not diminish as one would expect from a schizophrenic.^[7] Moreover, elements of visual agnosia are demonstrated in his painting, a key element in some cases of AS. If Wain had visual agnosia, it may have manifested itself merely as an extreme attention to detail.^[8]
A series of five of his paintings is commonly used as an example in psychology textbooks to putatively show the change in his style as his psychological condition deteriorated. However, it is not known if these works were created in the order usually presented, as Wain did not date them. Rodney Dale, author of Louis Wain: The Man Who Drew Cats, has criticised the belief that the five paintings can be used as an example of Wain's deteriorating mental health, writing: "Wain experimented with patterns and cats, and even quite late in life was still producing conventional cat pictures, perhaps 10 years after his [supposedly] 'later' productions which are patterns rather than cats."^[9]
H. G. Wells said of him, "He has made the cat his own. He invented a cat style, a cat society, a whole cat world. English cats that do not look and live like Louis Wain cats are ashamed of themselves."

(Post mental illness diagnosis)

(Post mental illness diagnosis)

(Post mental illness diagnosis)

Bad Stuff...

Crocs with Socks

Hangovers

"Comedic" t-shirts

Puffa Jackets

 (the long shiny ones tourists wear)

Gold Teeth