23.9.10

Want....


Whilst I have zero £££s in the bank, I turn to the internet and virtual shopping. Dreaming one day of owning such beautiful wonders of the fashion world. I hope its not an exaggeration to say that I feel I was born to have these items and that somehow, some way, I will one day be sporting the Bengt wooden earrings with my Westwood jacket and impossibly high R&B boots whilst clutching my designer coffee on the way to work on a winter's morning. Or maybe I've driven to work in my imaginary brand new Fiat 500?
Coat Vivienne Westwood, Boots Russel & Bromley, Shoes Christian Louboutin, Bag Miu Miu, Dress M&S, Furry Boots Russel and Bromley, Love Ring exclusive to Liberty's by J.W. Anderson, Winter Knitted Cardigan Bengt, Tea Dress Bengt, Wooden Earrings Bengt. 
www.liberty.co.uk
www.marksandspencer.com
www.viviennewestwoodonline.co.uk

22.9.10

Creative Review Photography

Thomas was selected to have his work in the Creative Review Photography annual this year. Featuring several images from his photo story on female world champion boxer Katie Taylor. Tonight I'm off to the launch party and apparently all the selected works will be on display. Will report back after the event...

....Upadate: Fabulous party at the Print Space on Kingsland Road, grabbed an armful of the annuals to give out to friends. Finished off the night sitting in what felt like a Parisian coffee parlor drinking wine and talking about photography and art but mainly about boxing!

Photos copyright Thomas Butler


The Aliens at the Bush Theatre


Last night I trekked over to Shepherd's Bush to see Annie Baker's play The Aliens with Ralph Little and Mackenzie Crook. The theatre space was tiny and an outstretched arm, even from the third row, would definitely have chafed a real life actor if one had so desired. This was theatre in the round and we entered seemingly by the back of a building, passing corrugated iron shutters, wheelie bins, gravel paths with the odd stray weed. The beginning of the play was as quiet and unspectacular as the end. Mackenzie Crook's character Jasper sloping idly onto the stage with what seemed like the mother of all hangovers. Then on ambles Ralph Little as KJ who immediately sings us one of many songs about maths and philosophy whilst concocting magic mushroom tea. After musings about wind farms, poetry and a glimpse at the underlying tortures of woman trouble in Jasper's life, Evan, a young cafe worker
played by Olly Alexander, fumbles onto the stage and into (or intertwined in) the the lives of  these two unlikely allies.

The play presents us a small slice of the trio's lives and though there were points in the action where I expected sudden energetic bursts the narrative would then return to its naturally slow-paced musing. The performances were really strong and genuinely funny, the american accents faultless and the sweet-natured characters impossible not to fall for, but there was something about the play that seemed to lack. I couldn't quite put my finger on it and at first I thought it was bad pacing. However after reading other reviews I found a summary of my own feelings that I couldn't say better:

This is a surprisingly tricky play, which sometimes treads very near the edge of making a statement far larger than its characters are able to think of, but then steps back and contents itself with, well, being itself. Just like its characters. So while we sometimes expect an explosion of feeling, and have to endure an unnecessary interval, what we are left with is a gentle ache - and a sense of compassion for life’s losers, its incapables and its hurting souls.
Quote by Aleks Sierz 
The Aliens is at the Bush Theatre till October 16th.




16.9.10

Luís Alves illustration



Just came across Luís Alves' work on the Swatch website. Swatch have some great content on their site, collaborations with artists, musicians and athletes, blogs, tv, free downloads and even a free monthly magazine to peruse. Surfing through the site, this Portugese graphic designers work really stood out. Enjoy.
Images copyright of Luís Alves

15.9.10

Cardboard horses by Ann Wood

What started as a self-imposed assignment to get the creative juices flowing ended up as an exhibition of 100 cardboard horses in an LA art gallery. Simple but lovely to look at and step by step instructions on Ann's website if the urge takes you to make your own.
Photo copyright Ann Wood