ThrobGoblins International

Marc Roberts creates wonderfully topical, no-nonsense cartoons for ThrobGoblins International

Check them out on the blog and subscribe to the cartoons

Further Info:
ThrobGoblins International

The Age Of Stupid

UK Release: 20 March 2009

From: The Age Of Stupid
"The Age of Stupid is the new film from director Franny Armstrong (McLibel) and producer John Battsek (One Day In September). Oscar-nominated Pete Postlethwaite stars as a man living alone in the devastated world of 2055, looking at "old" footage from 2008 and asking: why didn’t we stop climate change when we had the chance?

Further Info:
The Age Of Stupid / Spanner Films

From Biro To Daisy Vase

From: Giffin Termeer

DAISY VASE, 2003

"The Daisy Vase changes our casual relationship to this hugely produced item into a personal and sometimes fragile experience. Made from ballpoint pens these little vases are hand blow-molded by Jim. As the plastic becomes flexible it stretches allowing the vase to sit naturally."

Daisy Vase measures 5"x2"x4" and is made from a bic(tm) pen.
Further Info

Environmental Graffiti

35 Greatest Works of Reverse Graffiti



From: Environmental Graffiti, Aug08

"Welcome to the world of reverse graffiti, where the artist’s weapons are cleaning materials and where the enemy is the elements: wind, rain, pollution and decay. It’s an art form that removes dust or dirt rather than adding paint. Some find it intriguing, beguiling, beautiful and imaginative, whereas others look upon it in much the same way as traditional graffiti – a complete lack of respect for the law. Reverse graffiti challenges ideals and perceptions while at the same time shapes and changes the environment in which we live, whether people think for the better, or not."

View the complete listing

Wardrobe Refashion Tips

The folk at Nikki Shell's fabulous and newly revamped site Wardrobe Refashion are geniuses (genii?). Have a look at some of the wonderful stuff they have created from used and pre-loved items of not only clothing but food cartons!!

Minnietheminks takes an old rice bag that has served its time as a rice holding implement and transformed it into a useful peg bag simply by inserting a hole in the front, a wire hanger at the top, stitching all in place, et voila - one unique and beautiful clothes peg holding product - hurrah!

Meanwhile, PumpkinNiki has made not one but two new items from a drinks carton (or in this particular case a pumpkin eggnog carton!! - those statesiders will consume anything, ha!). With some clever cutting, folding and stitching, this recycler extraordinaire has a new coin purse and business card holder - FAB!

Many more refashioning ideas can be found at Wardrobe Refashion

What's In Your Pants?

From: More Than Pretty Knickers
"Morethanprettyknickers has one aim: to change the textiles industry for the better! We want to see standards raised at every level of production from growing to sewing, from cotton to bottom! We want to see fashion become a sustainable business driven by the demands of well informed shoppers who give a damn about where there stuff comes from."

Further Info:
More Than Pretty Knickers / Eco Boudoir

Ethical Fashion Forum Events

"The Ethical Fashion Forum (EFF) is a new kind of trade association for the fashion industry, led by businesses, for businesses, and focused on social and environmental sustainability.
The Ethical Fashion Forum aims to facilitate broad and fundamental change towards better practices in the fashion industry within the next 10 years."

Fashion + Seminar: Sustainable Fabrics and Components
Tuesday, January 20 2009, Rich Mix, Brick Lane, London

Spotlight on Sourcing: 1 year seminar series
Rich Mix, Brick Lane, London

JOIN THE ETHICAL FASHION FORUM As an individual
WORLDWIDE

Fashion+ Workshop: Sustainable Fabrics & Components
Tuesday, March 17 2009, Rich Mix, Brick Lane, London

Bread and Roses

Protest song of women textile workers from Lawrence Massachusetts, USA, who went on strike for 11 weeks in 1912 demanding a better quality of life and working conditions for all workers. The words were written by the poet James Oppenheim and the song has since been taken on by trade unionists, particularly women's groups.

"As we come marching, marching in the beauty of the day,
A million darkened kitchens, a thousand mill lofts grey,
Are touched with all the radiance that a sudden sun discloses;
For the people hear us singing; 'Bread and roses! Bread and roses!'

As we come marching, marching, we battle too for men,
For they are women's children and we mother them again,
Our lives shall not be sweated from birth until life closes;
Hearts starve as well as bodies, give us bread but give us roses!

As we come marching, marching,unnumbered women dead
Go crying through our singing their ancient cry for bread.
Small art and love and beauty their drudging spirits knew.
Yes, it is bread we fight for but we fight for roses too!"

Source: The Bread and Roses Pub, Clapham, London
YouTube

30,000 Mile Ride Home

Peter Gostelow is a friend, cyclist, photographer, speaker and above all, a world traveller. He has spent the last 3 years on his bike cycling from Hokkaido, Japan across 30 countries back to the UK.


The journey was originally intended to take 1.5 to 2 years but, as happens on all the best journeys, plans altered along the way and the trip stretched to almost 3 years. Luckily for us less well travelled folk, Pete documented the experience on his online journal Long Ride Home at Crazy Guy On A Bike.

As well as storing up countless memories in words, Pete recorded his journey with incredibly beautiful and telling photographs.

From Pakistan to Kyrzygstan, through Korea, China, India and beyond, Pete has captured an enchanting essence of the places visited giving us a mouthwatering taste of the astounding beauty of landscapes and people he encountered along the way.

Back in the UK, Pete is sharing his amazing experiences of life on the global road by giving talks that are both inspiring and educational. To preview the presentation and book Pete to speak at your school, business or community group visit the Peter Gostelow website here.

Further Info:
Peter Gostelow / Flickr / Long Ride Home / Red Bubble Calender

Amoeba Vs Enamore Movie 2

Helena Smith: Mirage Pictures, Edinburgh

Mirage Pictures
Filmhouse Cafe, 88 Lothian Road, Edinburgh
until 4th January 2009

We've surely all come across a set of old photographs and wondered what was the story behind them. We assume there is a story simply because the photographs exist and perhaps this is a fair assumption.

But what if the images within the photographs are staged - contrived to stimulate our imagination? Can we tell the difference? Questions of perception and reality arise. What is 'real'? And if a history is 'faked' or staged does that make it any less real? After all, unless we were there when the picture was taken how can we ever really know what is behind a photo? Appearances are often deceptive and all 'truth' is transient.

Helena Smith's exhibition of photographs from her Mirage Pictures project throw some light as well as shadow on the subject of the 'real and the imagined'. The pictures are stills, publicity shots and a candid behind-the-scenes on-set peak from the lost archive of Mirage Pictures. But the 'set' is constructed not for a movie but for the photograph - for the Mirage project. Mirage Pictures is an imagined film studio and each film depicted is from the artist's imagination.

Developed from Helena's work whilst studying at Central Saint Martins College of Art this fascinating photographic project is well worth a visit. Mirage Pictures was previously exhibited at the Curzon in Soho, London last year and is currently on display at the Filmhouse Cafe, Edinburgh until 4th January 2009.

One Million Beer Bottles

... and it’s a Buddhist Temple


From: Doug, 24Oct08, greenUPGRADER
"Thai monks from the Sisaket province have used over one million recycled glass bottle to construct their Buddhist temple. Mindfulness is at the center of the Buddhist discipline and the dedication and thoughtfulness required to build everything from the toilets to their crematorium from recycled bottles shows what creativity and elbow grease can accomplish."

Amoeba Vs Enamore

The Enamore Collection of womenswear, lingerie and accessories has long been a source of eco fabulousness. Using recycled, organic and other sustainable fabrics, designer Jennifer Ambrose and her team have consistently turned out beautiful, unique pieces of ethical fashion that delight and inspire. So it should come as no surprise that the Enamore movies, made in conjunction with Amoeba, are just as beautiful and inspiring.



There are four short films in the series. You can watch them all when you join the Enamore Group on Facebook as well as on YouTube. bluAngel loved them and we're sure you will too. We will post the next one here shortly - enjoy!

Further Info:
Enamore / Amoeba

Green Porno With Isabella Rossellini

I am rendered almost speechless. Disturbed? A little. My flabbergasted yet quietly impressed jaw is still on the floor. I have to share this with you, to see what you think. Wow!

Watch here: Green Porno

Warning! Some viewers may find these videos offensive as they contain scenes of a very sexual nature. If you don't like it, don't watch it. Click PAUSE or STOP, close the window... Go make some tea and calm down.

Take the quiz instead:

Go Ganesha Go: Peace Made Visible

Naturalmente Roma is an art initiative, founded in 2003 by Rose-Marie Gnausch. The group are requesting expressions of interest from worldwide artists to take part in an exhibition next May celebrating peace. Entries demonstrating peace, manifest in the symbol of the elephant inspired by Hindu deity Ganesha, son of Shiva and 'Remover of Obstacles', will be shown in Cyprus with the possibility of travelling further afield thereafter. To take part apply here.

From: Go Ganesha Go
"AN INTERNATIONAL CALLING FOR ARTISTS OF ALL DISCIPLINES AND ALL MEDIUMS

Topic: Elephant as symbol of PEACE
Site: Ledra Street, Cyprus
Proposed time period: May 2009

The common symbol for this project is the elephant. The elephant stands for grandeur and peacefulness, it being an animal that lives in harmony with its disparate surroundings.

Artworks in the form of elephants in all different shapes, sizes and mediums will be exhibited on Ledra Street, on both sides of the dividing line, in Spring 2009. Through its calm presence, the elephant will transcend its status as a symbol and become a real, visual and tangible experience of peace open to everyone. The works will be shown alongside the artists name, address and nationality. Thousands of different elephant figures created by people from all around the world will be testimony to a worldwide affirmation of peace."

For more information and to enter the exhibition visit Go Ganesha Go

How Things Could Change...

From: Amnesty International
"Billions of women, men and children face levels of deprivation that undermine the right to live with dignity. Hunger, homelessness and preventable disease are not inevitable social problems or simply the result of natural disasters – they are a human rights scandal.
In 2008, we have a great opportunity to take a leap towards securing justice for people everywhere whose economic, social and cultural rights are violated."

Further Info:
Amnesty International

Take The Handmade Pledge

The silly season is approaching fast and I can see your mind ticking over gift lists, wondering where to shop, what to get, how to wrap. Well, hang on just a minute dear reader!

Before you traipse your generous self and eco shopping bag down to the stores, make a cup of tea, find some paper and a pencil, have a little sit down, doodle a little, maybe nibble on some cake (I find it helps loosen the creative urge), let your mind wander and think about gifts you can make instead.

'What?' I hear you screech from down the cables of the internet highway.
'Me, little old me? Make something? From scratch? Moi? Non! Ce n'est pas possible!'

Well, my friend, protest as much as you like, but I don't believe a word of it. We can all make something. Let's think. Perhaps you can bake a cake, cook up something fruity, brew some beer, draw a pretty picture, sew and stuff a small toy, knit a bobble hat, crochet a long scarf, take a photograph or two and frame them, write a heartfelt poem on beautiful handmade paper, plant a seed in a pretty pot, carve something out of wood, make an interesting clay model, paint an abstract, colourful picture on canvas...

Perhaps there is something you used to make at school but have forgotten how? Well, look it up on the internet (that's what it's there for after all) and remind yourself how. Perhaps you've harboured dreams of being a photographer, well get out there and practice - see what you can come up with.

If you're unsure, there are heaps of places online and off-line that can offer advice and tips for everyone no matter how lacking in skills or creative inspiration you may think you are. And if you don't get it right the first time, persevere and you may even find yourself having fun along the way.

There is definitely at least one thing we can all make using our skills and resources that will make someone else smile when they receive and unwrap their gift. I guarantee it - only give it a go!

And if you really feel you can't come up with the goods, then find someone else to make it for you. Whatever you decide to do, take the pledge with us and buy handmade this year.

From: Buy Handmade
"Buying Handmade makes for better gift-giving.
The giver of a handmade gift has avoided the parking lots and long lines of the big chain stores in favor of something more meaningful. If the giver has purchased the gift, s/he feels the satisfaction of supporting an artist or crafter directly. The recipient of the handmade gift receives something that is one-of-a-kind, and made with care and attention that can be seen and touched. It is the result of skill and craftsmanship that is absent in the world of large-scale manufacturing."

Further Info:
Buy Handmade

Graffiti Reborn

So you think you know graffiti? You're down with Banksy. Friends think of you as an expert in street art, perhaps? Think again. Watch and learn...

The new graffiti is here, in reverse. It's clean, literally. It's green and greenwash simultaneously. It looks great.

From: Reverse Graffiti Project
" Standing in one of the moss and dirt covered tunnels in Leeds, England, Paul Curtis, "Moose" as he calls himself, saw marks on the wall where the shoulders of unsteady drunks and the fingertips of curious children had exposed the shiny white tile. And with only a pair of socks as his tool, reverse graffiti was born.

No paint. No defacing. Moose makes his art by cleaning; removing the ills of dirt and pollution by de-defacing- wiping away dirt into large type and shapes, leaving nothing behind but a beautiful work of 'green art.'"

From: Street Advertising Services
"Street Art by Street Advertising Services with Water pressure cleaning is not illegal, we are simply cleaning the streets and are not in breach of the Highway Act"

Further Info:
Reverse Graffiti / Street Advertising Services

Get Crafty With Wardrobe Refashion

As an artist, I am blessed with a natural predilection for creating stuff from other stuff. As a woman I can lay claim to a magpie eye for shiny, pretty things, particularly haberdashery and fabrics and the patience to source and return them to the nest.

This talent (which some neanderthals may refer to as a design fault) sits very well in combination with the desire I have been cultivating over the past 10 years to lessen my impact on the planet. Thus, I have in recent years, along with many others it seems, developed an addiction to salvage, reclamation and re-design.

The hunt for perfect and potentially perfect pre-loved items is one that beats regular shopping hands down. Whether it's vintage shopping at the local market, hunting on the never ending aisles of the internet or good old charity store foraging, taking new-old finds home and turning them into something else is a magical experience that I highly recommend.

Often the new item turns out to look less than 'perfect' in the commercially-branded-made-from-new-ingredients-hot-off-the-production-line sense. This is because it isn't one of those. It is a handmade piece of me and all those who previously owned it with a history that stretches further than a faceless person in a far flung sweatshop. I can take pride in this and the kind of individual 'faults' and unique quirks that only come from free creativity.

Thinking about having a go yourself but not sure where to start? There are a growing host of sites (many of which are listed in the bluAngelAlmanac sidebar) full of information and tips for beginners as well as more advanced ideas and patterns for when you become an expert.

Give yourself time and a lot of patience to discover and develop the right skills for you but don't expect to become an expert overnight. Practice, practice, practice and the art of salvage and re-creation can be yours. Think of all those surprised happy faces at holiday times and birthdays as beautiful, handcrafted, thoughtful gifts are unwrapped instead of shop-bought, homogenous items. And no more traipsing round the high street searching for perfection in the house of smoke and mirrors either!

To encourage your handmade fashion recycling, creative Nichola Prested has set up Wardrobe Refashion, a blog site where users can take the following pledge and vow not to buy new items for either 2, 4 or 6 months at a time. There is a simple list of Rules to follow and support from other users. If you have a needle and thread, some time and a desire to connect rather than disconnect through fashion - why not give it a go?

"I __________________ pledge that I shall abstain from the purchase of "new" manufactured items of clothing, for the period of 2 / 4 / 6 months. I pledge that i shall refashion, renovate, recycle preloved items for myself with my own hands in fabric, yarn or other medium for the term of my contract. I pledge that I will share the love and post a photo of my refashioned, renovoted, recycled, crafted or created item of clothing on the Wardrobe Refashion blog, so that others may share the joy that thy thriftiness brings! Signed__________________"

Read Nichola Prested's interview with the V&A here.

Further Info:
Wardrobe Refashion

Woooooogy: Short Experimental Film

Korean director Woooooogy surprised us with this delightfully disturbing debut piece simply entitled, Short Experimental Film. bluAngel is not entirely sure which character applies to the director's descriptions but this added sense of confusion and unpredictability makes for a very appealing film. Let us know what you think...



Further Info:
Short Experimental Film / Woooooogy on YouTube

Elephant Paints Self-Portrait

Not sure what to say about this yet, so will just let you watch...



From susty.tv on Vimeo

From Catwalk To Congo - Rankin At The National Theatre

Fashion photographer Rankin's latest exhibition is a collaboration with Oxfam, sponsored by The Co-operative Bank, to raise awareness of the plight of people displaced from their homes in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The temporary camps in Mugunga are now home to thousands as a result of the incredible violence taking place in the region.

Rankin's well-known portrait style, usually reserved for fashion industry celebrities, has been put to good use here, photographing these courageous people, suffering but not suppressed. Aptly representing the resilience of the Mugunga camp residents the name of the exhibition is Cheka Kidogo which means 'laugh a little' in Swahili.

Photo by Andrew Davies

From: Oxfam News Blog, 20oct08

"Rankin swaps fashion world for African war-zone
Famous for his portraits of Kate Moss, Kylie and the Queen, photographer Rankin has joined forces with Oxfam to bring the faces of those caught up in the war zones of the Democratic Republic of Congo to London’s South Bank.

Opening tomorrow (21 October 2008), his exhibition – sponsored by the Cooperative Bank and hosted outside the National Theatre – sees Rankin’s celebrity portraiture being used with entirely different subjects – the residents of Mugunga camp, home to 17,000 people displaced by Congo’s harrowing violence."

Further Info:
Full Press Release / National Theatre

Kounter Kulture, -19th Oct08, London

Wednesday 15th - Sunday 19th October 11am - 6pm
Truman Brewery - T3 and T4, 91 Brick Lane, London, E1 (Wilkes St) Map
Liverpool Street Station or Bethnal Green / Old Street tube
www.opus-art.com / www.opusunderground.com
0191 213 0295

"A refreshingly edgy and exciting art fair bursts onto London’s arts scene this October. Kounter Kulture, an Opus Art production, offers a launch pad for new and established international talent. Kounter Kulture is all about the art, the artists and a sense of discovery - bringing the essence of London’s arts week back to its roots.

For those reaching stalemate with the usual suspects at Frieze, the artistic offering at Kounter Kulture provides a welcome relief. The free art fair, spread across 11,500 square feet of the Truman Brewery offers a variety of artists to fit all tastes, with areas dedicated to Urban Art, Contemporary, Recent Graduates, Chinese Contemporary and the very best from the print world. Artists include Stuart Semple, Ju$t Another Rich Kid, Miss Bugs, Pure Evil, Hush, Wang Jie, Rob Carter, Josie McCoy, Justine Smith, Will Tuck and Dave White."

Blog Action Day - Poverty & Human Rights

Today is Blog Action Day and the topic is poverty. Poverty is a result of inequality between people. It is a result of those with power allowing themselves more substantial rights than those without. Poverty comes about when we - the human race - forget that we are all part of the same being. It thrives when we strive only to satisfy our own needs and desires regardless of the negative consequences these desires heap upon others.
Without human rights there can be no end to poverty. We have the chance to make a difference to this status quo. There is no better time than now to start acting as responsible citizens of this planet and instead of continuing to squander it's resources and take advantage of our fellow inhabitants we can make a change.

We can insist that our governments act now to limit the negative effects of climate change. We can insist on equal rights for all regardless of differences. We can stop consuming more than we need and we can make valid efforts to support systems such as fair trade. Let's do it - today!

The video below is cool. It is well designed, attractive and inspiring. Watch it and then act to make it's message a reality. Let's put these cool thoughts and ideals into practice, everywhere, for everyone...


The Universal Declaration of Human Rights from Seth Brau on Vimeo.

Video Source: An Unreliable Witness

Creative Culture and Telephone Sheep

A few months ago, over at greenUPGRADER Doug was promoting discussion around the function of art and creativity in relation to the 'green' movement and perhaps questioning how important art and design are in our current culture. The wonderful example of Jean Luc Cornec’s Telephone Sheep (pictured left) exhibited at Frankfurt's Museum für Kommunikation, 2006 was used to examine the issues.

Of course, in our view, art, design & creativity are vital components of green and eco movements both current, past and undoubtedly in the future. An appreciation of art, particularly in nature, inspires the desire to protect and support one's environment whether that environment is viewed as immediate, nationally or global. The ability to design and create also emanates from this need to protect and support as well as incorporating the desire to improve one's surroundings or situation, to solve problems and, as in all the most pertinent art, to achieve an ideal.

Even art and design which may seem superfluous or purely aesthetic on many levels rather than coming from a positive functional or progressive angle; if it captures a sense of beauty, inspires an idea, or simply makes us think about bigger questions than what we will eat for dinner, it is serving an important and necessary purpose. It almost goes without saying that beauty is in the eye of the beholder and that 'good' art is not defined by being framed ornately and hung in a large white room; 'good' design is not only that which is proudly displayed in a museum or shop window. Positive art, design and creativity is all around and within us all the time. We only need to open our eyes.

I heartily agree with Doug's assertion in his post: "Work like the Telephone Sheep force us to see new uses and value to otherwise expired products. The importance of art can stretch far beyond entertaining some web surfers or museum patrons. It can spawn in any of us the ability to think with a more malleable mind. Perhaps in even a simple way on a daily basis we can look at common refuse and see further life, another form, continuing function…less waste."

By placing the objects in a totally new environment, what once were out of date communication devices, deemed unusable and deficient, are in this exhibition cleverly revived by the artist. This act or reusing, replacing and re-seeing gives the subjects an entirely new life for us, the viewer, as our view of them shifts entirely.

"The ability to see materials outside of their traditional roles is key to reducing the mass of products our society currently consumes and reusing that which surrounds us everyday to its maximum potential."

Further info:
greenUPGRADER article / Museum für Kommunikation
Photograph source: Hanneorla via Flickr

Shutting up Shop, Museum of London

From: Museum of London - Foyer exhibitions

Shutting up Shop
2 October - 23 November 2008

"Explore the demise of the traditional local shop with this insightful photographic display of old-style London shops from the 1970s and 1980s taken by John Londei. These beautiful and moving large-scale photographs, taken with a 10'x8' plate camera, will be accompanied by recordings of interviews with some of the former owners for whom these shops were much more than just a business"

Our Eco Shop

Lisa Harland of Organic Furnishings and Sarah Baulch of Revampit are offering eco designers an opportunity to display and sell your wares in their Eco Shop near Portobello Road, West London over Christmas. Apply before Friday 17th October:

"Calling all eco designers and makers..
Would you like to be involved in running an eco friendly shop in central London on Westbourne Grove, just off Portobello Rd for a flat fee/shared rent of £60.00 per week over the Christmas period?

Then look no further, Sarah Baulch and Lisa Harland are setting up Our Eco Shop for the second year running at 303 Westbourne Grove (opposite Paul Smith) over the next two weeks. We are looking for likeminded designer-makers to be involved in opening and manning the shop for 9 weeks leading up to christmas. Rent is shared equally between all involved and all monies on each sale goes to the individual designer."

More info here

We Can Go To Sweden, Okay

This is not strictly an eco piece but it is about the thing that makes us all want to do better, live better, be better - watch:



Thanks to An Unreliable Witness

I Met The Walrus by Josh Raskin

Discovered this gem at LADG - thanks guys!



From: I Met The Walrus, YouTube, Jun08
"In 1969, a 14-year-old Beatle fanatic named Jerry Levitan, armed with a reel-to-reel tape deck, snuck into John Lennon's hotel room in Toronto and convinced John to do an interview about peace. 38 years later, Jerry has produced a film about it. Using the original interview recording as the soundtrack, director Josh Raskin has woven a visual narrative which tenderly romances Lennon's every word in a cascading flood of multipronged animation. Raskin marries the terrifyingly genius pen work of James Braithwaite with masterful digital illustration by Alex Kurina, resulting in a spell-binding vessel for Lennon's boundless wit, and timeless message."

Further Info:
CTV.ca

If you go down to the V&A...

If you've not figured it out yet but are still intrigued, go down to the South Kensington / Knightsbridge area tomorrow (Wednesday 24th September 2008) area from around 6:30pm and see if you can solve the puzzle.

Clues and further details on the Facebook Group here and Enjoy!

The Charity Shop 18th - 20th Sep08, Gallery5 London

I meant to post this this morning but got distracted by the Dymaxion, apologies...

Opening today for just 3 days (er, 2 now, sorry again!) The Charity Shop is an exhibition of work for children, about children although adults and perpetual children such as us are welcome I'm sure.

Shannon Conley has collaborated with Sardine & Tobleroni (of The Monkey In The Box) for this project aimed at raising awareness of and provoking change around the global issue of children in need. The work incorporates charity shop finds (hence the title) which have been transformed by the artists to reveal new meanings related to the theme, in a very unique style.

20% of sale prices will be divided and donated to both the Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust and Green Tara Trust.

Venue: Gallery 5
Address: 5 Blenheim Crescent, London W11 2EE
Open: Today with private view tonight, oh no, we've missed that...
Friday 19th Sep - 11am to 7pm / Saturday 20th Sep - 10am to 7pm
Go see. It's free!

Further Info:
The Charity Shop / West11

It's Getting Hot In Here...

You think you have it all figured out,
and then
something else crops up,
or rather, you notice something that was there all along (or was it?).

TRUST NO-ONE particularly not this one and certainly not a big armadillo... but maybe they are the ones who know everything - assuming there is anything to know?

Questions, ought to be followed by answers. If you think you have any let us know?

There may be some here, here and perhaps here

dim3 ak7ion

...I'm placing my bets with Banksy... or something to do with Nokia... hmmmm

Shame I won't be a Londres to enjoy the spectacle...

UPDATE: Got location - huzzah! Know who it is. But still, can't be there, so check it out for me...

24th September, 18:45, London. In the spirit of mysteriousness, I will post the location nearer the time... said Alice...

Stay connected...

Curiouser and curiouser...

... said Alice as she closed her eyes, took a deep breath, crossed two fingers for luck and leapt feet first into the rabbit hole...

...blue air unwrapped it's cool arms and spread itself round about her, supporting and yet pulling Alice down through the slow motion tunnel visioned space...

...she couldn't remember landing on her feet, but somehow Alice found herself standing before a monstrously tall and impossibly narrow teak door with the word '7thsyndikate' scratched heavily into it's gnarled surface...

...glancing down, Alice noticed the bottle of green hued liquid in her hand. Carefully holding the glass stopper in place, she tipped up the bottle to read the label placed confusingly along the bottom edge. 'dim3 ak7ion' was all it said. 'Curiouser and curiouser' said Alice, not for the first time today...

Further Info:
is not available at this time

Banksy's Donation

Banksy's intended donation to the Labour Party via auction of a piece of his typically witty work had to be declined due to his lack of an official identity.

But thankfully for Labour, Steve Lazarides who successfully bid £195k for the piece was kind enough to make a personal donation to the party of the bid minus the estimated value of the piece - £75k.

Thus Mr. Lazarides got to keep the piece as well as his peace of mind; Banksy got to keep his identity secret and the Labour party pocketed a tidy sum of £121k, so alls well that ends well eh!

From: BBC News, Politics, 29Aug08

"Banksy's secret costs Labour dear
Graffiti star Banksy's secret identity caused some problems for Labour's accountants, after he donated a piece of art to raise funds for the party.

The piece, Sketch for Essex Road, was the star lot at a private fundraising auction at a gallery, raising £195,000. But the party could not accept the full sum as there was no way of checking Banksy was a 'permissible lender'.

The party gave £75,000, the original valuation of the piece, to the gallery and accepted the remaining £120,000. There are various rules governing who can donate sums of more than £200 to UK political parties - for example individuals must be on a UK electoral register."

Further Info:
BBC News

Stugbags: Recycled Print Blankets

Here's a clever design idea from the Netherlands which recycles rubber print waste into bags and other funky carrying products. Stugbags salvage the rubber 'blankets' used as a backing for all sorts of graphic print items and which are then discarded by printers after use. A natural felt lining is added and hey presto - a new colourful, unique bag or laptop holder is born ready for you to carry your stuff in - brilliant! Check out the fab minimal packaging too.

Sourced from: greenUPGRADER, 22Jul08
"“Promoting the waste=food principle”
Stug Bags use reclaimed rubber to construct their multipurpose line. Rubber printing blankets are commonly found in the offset printing business where the rubber is a coating over a compressible substance and is used to transfer ink to the printing surface. Using this material Stug then manufactures a variety of bag types using natural felt lining. Each bag is unique with different ink characteristics left on the rubber surface from the last time they were used in the press."

More info: Stugbags

Superuse: Where Recycling Meets Design

For some amazing recycling design ideas, inspiration and awe look no further than Superuse. From the clever-why-didn't-I-think-of-that ideas to the downright-how-can-that-possibly-work-crazy. Peruse at leisure and vote for your favourites.

"Superuse - where recycling meets design

Superuse is a online community of designers, architects and everybody else who is interested in inventive ways of recycling"

Vincent Chong @ Art In Mind

One of RecyclingCDs valued and talented artists will be exhibiting this month at the Brick Lane Gallery in London. Vincent Chong will be joining a group of other emerging and mid-career artists promoted by the gallery in this regular featured exhibition.

The show runs from 30th July until 11th August 2008 with a preview opening night on Wednesday 30th July, 6-9pm.

Venue: 196 Brick Lane, London E1 6SA / Tel: 0207 729 9721
Tube: Liverpool Street / Aldgate East

Saint Darwin's Spirituals by Vincent Chong

Further info:
Art In Mind / Brick Lane Gallery / Vincent Chong

Battersea Power Station Renewal

Last Saturday Ecomonkey took a trip down to Battersea Power Station to see the latest redevelopment plans by Treasury Holdings Ltd. The information centre is well organised with an impressive display of photographs, architectural drawings and plans as well as a fascinating model of the huge 38 acre site with the planned redevelopment in context.

Treasury Holdings is promoting their design as sustainable - 'A New Energy For London' which sounds great. How exactly this will be manifest is a different matter. The information contained on the Battersea-Power Station website is vague about the actual sustainable aspects to say the least. So we visited the site with a healthy dose of cynicism alongside more than a little excitement.

The £150 million plan centres around a 300 metre high chimney and 'eco-dome' which will house retail and office space as well as residential on the chimney itself! Frankly, we're unsure who would want to live on a chimney but you can't fault the developers for innovation! The 'eco-dome' will draw air up and out through the chimney enabling natural ventilation which will, according to the press release, reduce energy demand by 67%. It's a shame that the chimney looks so ugly and will dwarf the original chimneys which, in Ecomonkey's humble opinion, ought to retain a level of dominance!

The other main plan is to bring back the energy supply function of Battersea Power Station but this time to use renewable energy -'biofuels, waste and other renewable energy sources' using two of the current chimneys. The site will include further residential, retail, commercial and hotel as well as public space - a square, riverside walk and 6 acre park. There are also plans to extend the underground to the site.

If planning permission is granted, Treasury hope to commence building in 2012 and complete by 2020. It all sounds very ambitious and we are still not sure how much of the plan is green-wash or how realistic the sustainable aims are.

It's one thing to say the site will be 'Zero Carbon' and that the 'eco-dome' will not need air-con but surely all the houses, offices, hotel etc on the site will still consume energy and expel emissions. Will all of these buildings be powered by the site's power plant? There will undoubtedly be carbon emissions in the construction (which includes demolition and rebuilding of the existing chimneys) - have these been accounted for in the 'Zero Carbon' calculation? Will there be affordable housing or just expensive apartments to fund the development? A truly sustainable development needs to at least cater for all budgets if not focus on those at the lower end of the wage scale.

If the plans are fulfilled and the site does in fact become 'totally independent from reliance on public utilities', source all drinking water from an on-site borehole, harvest rainwater for grey-water recycling, collect, store and treat storm water for reuse, make good use of river transport etc. as it claims, we will be very impressed and ecstatically happy!

There is one day left for the public to visit the site and consult the plans. So to have your say get down to Battersea this weekend:
Saturday - 19th July, 10am - 6pm.
Gate 2, 188 Kirtling Street, SW8 5BN (Tel: 0845 262 2625).
Visit the BPS website for more info.

NB: All photos are under copyright of Racheblue

Grow Bags @ London Architecture Week

As part of the London Festival of Architecture which started at the weekend and runs until 20 July, the What If team present Grow Bag.
Is it art or a solution to a problem? Isn't that what art is? A creative solution to a problem or discussion of an issue? Hmmm, whilst you ponder that, hop on the bus to N1, WC1 or EC1 to view What If's work.

"A SOLUTION TO INNER CITY LIVING? How can we meet the demand for 'grow-your-own' within dense urban areas where available land is scarce? What-if: projects place GROW BAG installations in Hoxton Square, Store Street and Cheapside to promote the use of vacant, neglected and undefined spaces in the inner city of London for the growing of vegetables."

VACANT LOT (allotment): Chart Street, N1
GROW BAG installation 1: Hoxton Square, N1
GROW BAG installation 2: Store Street, WC1E
GROW BAG installation 3: Cheapside, EC2V
PLANT ROOM: East Road, N1

More info here