Archive for the category: london

:: It’s a bit Eye up!

Posted by Kirsty on May 8, 2008 | Permalink

Despite being pretty sure that I’d freak out and curl up in a ball under the bench until the ‘flight’ was over, I booked a go on the London Eye for my man’s birthday a couple of weekends ago. Read more…

Categories: adventure, london
Tags: london, London Eye, South Bank, view

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:: Political hippo, bear and zippy

Posted by Joelle on April 30, 2008 | Permalink

Four Good Corners doesn’t really stray into the political, but when I saw Vanessa’s political pig post this morning, it reminded me of these three political animals. A clever bit of dubbing and such spot on characterisation for the three main candidates for the London Mayoral Election. For anyone without the cultural references of a 25 year old in London: Rainbow is one of the TV programmes I fondly remember watching as a kid, the audio is from a newsnight interview with Ken Livingstone (Zippy), Boris Johnson (George, the pink hippo) and Brian Paddick (Bungle the bear).

Anyway, fellow Londoners, remember to vote tomorrow!

Edit: Updated video as that version got taken down.

Categories: adventure, london
Tags: politics, rainbow, video

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:: Dorkbot

Posted by Joelle on April 28, 2008 | Permalink

Last week I went along to Dorkbotlondon #54, a geekout love fest full of dorks getting really excited. I felt seriously out-dorked, by the programming jokes I didn’t get, and feeling like the only person who wouldn’t know where to start to solder a circuit board, but still it was great. It was like walking straight into a copy of Make magazine.

The guy in the picture, Eric Raymond, had made these little robots that drew pictures generated from internet data like satellite maps. Dan Storell was beatboxing through a ZX Spectrum he had tinkered with to respond to the timbre of his voice (hot geek alert!).

There was another guy, who had made a brockenspiel - an instrument that played music generated by the magnetic strips on a credit card. Someone asked if it could be rigged up to play barcodes as well, and lo, someone in the audience just happened to have a barcode reader on their person, and during the break they adapted it and played tunes from the barcodes of the bottles of beer we were drinking. It was that kind of place.

It’s so cool that these people are all working on such crazy fun projects, and the atmosphere was really buzzy and supportive. Here’s to DIY creativity in all its forms!

P.S Sorry for the quiet posting week last week. All four corners have been kinda busy, but we’ve all pledged to post some lovely things this week, so do check back. We haven’t forsaken you!

Categories: adventure, craft, london
Tags: brockenspiel, dan storell, dorkbotlondon54, dorks, eric raymond, make, robots

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:: Mark Pawson and possessions

Posted by Sonja on April 12, 2008 | Permalink

Last week I went to a private view of Mr Mark Pawson’s new exhibition at the Horse Hospital, one of London’s best venues, and miraculously still little known. A bit like Mark himself - one of our best visual conjurers, but miraculously still little known. He probably likes it like that.

He prints his own signs, badges and postcards. He collects things, mostly plastic figures, and always completes the set. He works in bright colours. He is the coal miner of culture.

I invited my friend Katie, who recently had all her possessions stolen and destroyed in a lock-up break-in. As we entered the exhibition, and I saw what a feast of objects Mark had assembled, I had some misgivings about bringing Katie. She saw one of his signs, that said something about listening to all the unplayed records you’ve ever bought, and reading all the unread books, and had “a moment”.

But we stayed and looked at his full set of plastic Kinder polar bears, and read his ‘cultural workers’ manifesto, and Katie seemed stoical about her losses. I may buy her a set of his badges, to set her back off down the road to ownership.

Categories: adventure, art, design, london
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:: Anorak free

Posted by Joelle on April 11, 2008 | Permalink

Danish Blue by Zakkaliciousness on Flickr

Copenhageners have it. Amsterdammers have it. Londoners still need to catch on. What am I talking about? A culture where cycling is just a normal thing everybody does to get around their everyday business. Where there are no ‘cyclist’ just normal people, in business suits, in high heels, loaded with shopping, just being normal. The lovely picture above comes from the Copenhagen Cycle Chic blog, providing inspiration everyday for how it could be. Read more…

Categories: green, london, style
Tags: bobbin bikes, copenhagen, cycling, style

9 comments

:: No Letters

Posted by Joelle on April 7, 2008 | Permalink

Leigh Clarke - Love

The trouble with a lot of contemporary art, and also with so much of the media, is it so often focuses on the negative aspects of modern life. Important stuff I know, but it can get you down, especially since a trip to a gallery is supposed to be an enjoyable way to spend a Saturday afternoon.
Read more…

Categories: art, london
Tags: art, hackney, leigh clarke, nettie horn, posters

3 comments

:: William Morris - my new hero!

Posted by Sonja on March 31, 2008 | Permalink

Oh don’t you love it when you find a new hero?

I went to the William Morris Museum in Walthamstow.

Amongst all the tapestries, stained glass windows and old cloth-bound books was a piece of linoleum (yes, linoleum) designed by the man himself. We’re talking linoleum from the 1800s! And they found it in a skip.

They also had his satchel, that he used to carry all his socialist pamphlets around in. He was quite the socialist, being against mass-manufacturing, for workers’ rights, and believing in good design as the route to a decent life for all (he put it better than that - seriously, you need to visit this museum).

He also had some interesting things to say about pattern, and they had his original designs, blocked in on squared paper like a cross stitch pattern, and then the resulting woven fabric.

I’m already planning a second visit. It’s pure pattern porn. Mixed in with a bit of politics.

Speaking of politics, “they” are trying to shut the place down. Disgrace.

Categories: adventure, art, craft, design, london
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:: Cross over the road

Posted by Sonja on March 4, 2008 | Permalink

My boy and I fancied going to an exhibition, but we didn’t fancy public transport, so we decided to go for a walk in the park instead.
There is a small gallery opposite my block of flats (I can see it from my kitchen window), but I’d never been in before.
We went in.
And happily so - the exhibition was all about pattern, particularly graphic pixelated patterns, with plenty of craft influence. Just my cup of tea.
There was a rose made from vinyl crosses stuck on the wall to look like cross stitch. There were cards wrapped in thread, with photographs printed on the thread. I got a belly laugh from a video of a JCB doing a painting.
The girl who does the cross stitch stickers was there, so I can tell you her name is Polly Glass. She has some really amazing homewares stuff that you have to do a bit of hand-crafting yourself to complete. I’m trying to decide whether to buy the rose and stick it on my new desk at work… You can email her if you’d like to do the same.
:: A Pattern Emerging is on at the Library Gallery, Edwards Lane, London N16. It’s open Mon - Sat 10am-5pm and Sun 1pm-5pm until Sunday 9th March. And you can drop in on me for a cup of tea afterwards.

Categories: adventure, art, craft, design, london
Tags:

3 comments

:: Oh baby

Posted by Joelle on February 21, 2008 | Permalink

What is going on round here? Is everybody conspiring to make me hopelessly, inconceivably broody? Read more…

Categories: adventure, design, london
Tags: babies

8 comments

:: Gung Hay Fat Choy!

Posted by Kirsty on February 21, 2008 | Permalink

Okay, so I’m a bit late, but I just had to share my lovely, vibrant Chinese New Year parade photos wth you all. I tend to err on the lazy side of life, so even now I’m surrounded by a thousand things to do in London, I, well, don’t. This must change! If you’re canny, there is plenty of free and cheap entertainment, culture, and fun to be had in many a city. For now, though, just clicky to enjoy my favourite photos from the day.

Read more…

Categories: adventure, london
Tags: chinese new year, colour, london

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