Kalopsia issue 1
Kalopsia (n.) the delusion of things being more beautiful than they really are. Pronounciation | Ka-’lop-sE-a English | Origin Greek
A note from the Editor... There is something mysterious about the way in which we each see the world. Each individual interacts with their surroundings in alternate ways as experience continues to light the fires in our eyes. The mysteries of the human mind may never be fully uncovered. The reasons one loves someone, the reasons one chooses that colour over another, the reasons why one craves to travel and why one purchases this white shirt instead of another. The ways in which the creative industries tap into our minds is brilliantly shrewd. The presence of selling and marketing now often goes undetected. Everyday the media feeds to us ideologies and subtly alters how we connect with the world. Essentialism and the ordinary are impaired, whilst heavy consumerism and unappreciative desire for what we don’t need or really like is continuously communicated to us through every medium. Our senses are intelligently convinced, our emotions are subliminally toyed with, and we often fail to notice the influence of consumerism. Kalopsia is a sensorial exploration of the ambiguity of influence and persuasion in the fashion industry and the obscure ways in which we are manipulated. Kalopsia wants to open one’s eyes to make us think more deeply about ourselves, what we truly want and what truly makes us happy.
Annabel Carden
Photography & Creative Direction: Annabel Carden. Model: Mollie Birmingham
Sensuality Sells Intimacy is no longer intimate. The beauty of the body in its most natural form is now in many ways an obscure communicator of success and happiness. Provocative eroticism has long since been a platform for consumerism,
Touch An assurance of reality, to feel is to exist. The longing for the warmth of skin against skin, bringing passion and pleasure and everything in between. A fearful sting of punctured flesh, followed by a hot dribble of blood falling from the surface. The devotion of a kiss, evoking a dizzying rush of goosebumps on the arms of lovers. The coarse metallic texture of crumpled foil to the luxurious silken stroke of taffeta. The hazy thickness of calidity and enduring sweat of exhausted bodies, to the sharp pinch of cold, suspending rain into crystals provoking a sharpness to our breath. The interaction of fingers on copper cloth or clay, with touch we have the power to create, modify and destroy. To touch is to begin the foundations of society, to build life and opportunity.
Sensory Awakening
I Enjoy A Simple Life. Uncomplicated Unmaterialistic Rich in Experience Photography & Creative Direction: Annabel Carden. Model: Toju Evbuomwan
Percy Lau Jewellery Designs
Extraordinary Clutter
y
Sound A web capturing the vibrations of our surroundings. A song reminiscent of a first dance, a first heartbreak, a first kiss. The crackle of fireworks to the screech of chalk on slate. The bounce of laughter to the crumble of devastation. The opportunity of a lock unlatching. The soft thud of a tennis ball against pavement, the tranquil serenity of waves against sand. From the manmade music which cradles the soul, to the harmonies of nature refusing to be controlled. A memory, a time, a place. Sound is emotion, sound is flawed, sound refuses to be ignored. It rattles us like thunder, and yet soothes us like rain. It can’t be defined and yet it defines us and keeps us sane. Sound holds power and owns persuasion.
Notice The Potential in The Ordinary
The Enigma of the Black Friday Spectacle by David Attenborough Words: Annabel Carden
Our planet is home to millions of different species of animals and plants, each individually locked in its own never ending fight for survival. On perhaps the busiest shopping day of the year, Black Friday is a perfect example of the extraordinary lengths living things go to conquer any territory. A tradition which effectively initiates the critical holiday season, Black Friday attracts millions and millions of migrating shoppers. Simple but primitive, thousands of differentiating species of subcultures gather from all corners of the country to hunt the high street, and some begin their wait for open even before the crack of dawn. Not for the faint hearted, the tradition causes for a lot of hungry competition, and the weaker tribes tend to hunt in packs.
The terrain is a patchwork of looming sale posters, fixtures overflowing with game, and ravenous predators, it’s a zone that is to be ventured with caution. Here, at a John Lewis department store, we see the locked front doors of the watering hole. Though bursting with stock ranging from premium beauty brands and leather travel luggage to games consoles and flatscreen TVs, the nest of shoppers push and shove to keep close to the front, their eyes fixated on their prey. Two young daring cubs dressed in clads of Adidas try to dart between the larger consumers in an attempt to get to the front of the herd, but they are quickly pushed back with warning growls from the protective alpha shoppers. For these next few minutes, it is crucial that mothers keeps their young close if they are to survive the impending swarm of bargain hunters. If a false move if made, a stampede could be imminent, which is potentially dangerous for the vulnerable .
As the doors finally swing open, releasing the mob of shoppers to storm the terrain, we see a pack of mothers cackling like hyenas with their young in tow, clutching to the arm of their mothers well-groomed coats. The stampede exposes a straggler sales assistant, and the pack of mothers react, pouncing on their prey, demanding answers to their questions. “Where is the Estee Lauder counter?” “Why can’t you accept student discount on top of sale price?”. The terrified sales assistant plays dumb and directs them to another advisor, as keeping a low profile is its best chance for survival. Across the pond, we can see a troop of fathers who have booked the day off from work haunching through the crowded turf of electrical appliances. One male can be seen typically puffing out his chest, bellowing a proud call of ownership as a retort of dominance to his fellow pride members when claiming a Bargain. Nervously, a flock of young students hastily back away as the troop approach, signifying submission as they turn away from the deals to browse the nondiscounted shelves. Amongst the confrontational standoffs of the openly cut-throat territory, a full-time blogger slithers between the clusters of tribes. Keeping a low profile, the incredibly intelligent blogger can outsmart any shopper. The sly predator survives by scavenging and quickly stealing prey which is dropped by other species. A rather stunning natural occurrence that very few get to witness, we may never understand the brutality of Black Friday. Whether it is the impressive strength and determination, or the intelligence and courage of the consumers, all we know is that the Black Friday spectacle remains a beautiful enigma.
Reveal
We See What We Want. Selective hearing, selective seeing, we all suffer from it. The subconscious mind whispers subliminal messages to us without us even knowing. As understated as the sombre hue of taupe. As subtle as the blossoming taste of sweet peaches. As faint as the curious sound of soft rain. As simple as the comforting feel of supple cotton. As delicate as the spectrum of aromas hidden within garden herbs. The short attention span and closed minds are afraid to open up to possibility. They are left trapped in a delusion, a dangerous comfort zone. To see beyond what we know, to recognise and grasp the fears hidden within our subconscious with open arms allows us to truly see ourselves. Draw what you see.
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Sight
A window into our souls with the power to trap the light. A reflection, a dream, a vision in colour. The heavy nights that way the eyelids down, and the early sunrise which light the iris fires. Se The brilliance of sunlight, the uncertainty of night. To watch the first falling leaf of fall, to observe grand shipwrecks cast on white sandy beache Towering skyscrapers force the eyes up into the distant skies, near invisible textures upon pee To behold a loved one smile, or a camera flash, to the mundane still life watched through a w
ris fires. Seeing is believing, seeing is security.
dy beaches. upon peeling paint make them appreciate unnoticeable details. hrough a window pane.
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If Only Our Eye Could See Souls Creative Direction: Annabel Carden. (Left) Models: Harriet Gillholm & Jack Robinson.
Models: Sarah Morley, Ben Bellamy & Seb Ainsley
Models: Maddii & Liz Needham, Will Retallick
Rebecca Louise Law Words: Annabel Carden
Rebecca Louise Law is one of the few skilled creatives who use floral inauguration as an interactive art form. Living in East London she creates extraordinary floral installations, sculptures, paintings and exhibitions for impressive public spaces. Ranging from her intricate still life series at the Victoria & Albert Museum to permanent grand canopies in Melbourne, Australia, Rebecca’s magical artworks- some of which use over 150,000 mixed flowersare admired by many. Passionate about organic preservation, her focus on natural elements releases an aura of sensuality with each masterpiece. Rebecca experiments with the connection between the individual and nature as the flowers are dried, bringing the outside world into permanent displays. Her eye-opening alternate approach to beauty has led her work to be commissioned in breathtaking spaces such as Times Square, the Royal Academy, the Onassis Cultural Centre and more. Her parents were artists and gardeners, which inspired Rebecca’s fascination with nature. She chose to specialise within painting and printmaking at Newcastle University for her degree studying Colour Field Art. After feeling discontented with the restrictions of 2D art, she began to look for ways in which to fully immerse the observer within an interactive and sensorial environment. Her curiosity in flora and fauna led to Rebecca’s inspiring botanic sculptures.
Image credit: Rebecca Louise Law
What emotions do you try to convey through your installations? What sort of reaction do you wish to provoke? I have always wanted to recreate an experience I had as a child. Sitting in a field of flowers in awe of nature. I love to share nature’s beauty with the viewer. My installations are a snap shot of the natural world, I’m always striving to create artworks that allow the viewer to observe and appreciate what we have been given on this Earth. When you are completely surrounded by flowers the feeling is fantastical. Would you say that human experience and senses are communicated through your work? I think this depends on the environment. Within a gallery setting my work in elevated to communicate a particular human experience or sense. Within a public space my work is often forced to compete with the surrounding environment, which can dilute the sensory communication of an artwork. How do you try to challenge or inspire people? The purpose of my work is to challenge the way that people consider natural materials within art. What inspires your installations? The relationship between man and nature is at the core of my work. Do you feel that humans can be manipulated through the stimulation of the senses? Yes, of course. How do you believe that human senses interact with the world? Every single person is unique in the way that their senses will react to the world and the world is fed to every person in a unique way. Do you believe that we see what we want? I think we see what we know, not necessarily what we want.
Image credit: Rebecca Louise Law
It is Okay to Have Everything I Need
Welcome to The House of Fun It was a beautiful thing really. A delightful scene from the depths of dreams. Glancing at my distorted figure, appearing as a flicker of light bouncing across the vast shard of glass, I peer into the eyes of my reflection. The gnarled cut of the glass twists and warps my flesh, contorting my body into comical bulbous shapes as charming sounds of the distinct tinkle of carnival melodies echo around the space. I reach out and touch the accents of the scratched metallic frame, marvelling at its crooked shape supporting the glass, and suddenly become aware of my surroundings. A single bulb of light hangs low just above my head, bright enough to boldly illuminate the room of wonders. I am surrounded by mirrors, just like the one in front of me, and tall heavy oak wardrobes bursting with lavish fabric line the room. My nostrils fill with the nostalgic scent of melting sugar. Hanging from the ceiling are dozens of gowns, boasting their beautiful colours of deep ruby and scarlet, vibrant ochre and peach, and elegant violet and begonia. Their beaded ruffles and sheer skirting swell with arrogance as they sway around me. In the reflections of the mirrors are visions of millions of fashion spectacles at once, of bodies adorned with logos, paint falling from their faces, filling their eyes and mouths with sparkling gold liquid. The visuals are too much for my eyes to handle without feeling nauseous. As I glance back at myself again, I recoil as my reflection smiles. The floor beneath me starts to rotate, but I am unable to move. The kaleidoscopic colours of the room fade as heavy darkness spreads through the room like smog. The sickly sweet smell corrodes into a stench of sickening decay that sticks to the air, filling my lungs with dust that I choke on to swallow. I feel the weight of the room closing in, crushing down on top of me, smothering my ability to scream for this overwhelming fear. The floor stops spinning.
Illustration: Circleyy Meng
The light above my head now burns like a dark glowing ember as I clamber to grab onto the dresses and regain my balance. Old and tattered, their lacklustre plumes of textures which were once vibrant have now shrivelled and wither in my hands. I look back at my reflection, however I no longer sense that the person in the mirror is still me. With my gaze locked onto what is now a normal mirror, no misshapement, her face remains contorted and the corners of her mouth twist into a smile. “Welcome to the house of fun” the words croaking from her cruel lips sound like an old man whose sad lungs have filled with ash. I cower as a piercing feeling punctures my skin and I feel hot liquid dribbling down my back. I reach my hands behind me to feel the wound but realise that I am suddenly in a glass space too confined to move. Panic rises within me as I can already feel the oxygen diminishing. The girl who was me turns away, leaving me in her place. Banging on the glass I scream as she walks away, but she doesn’t look back. It is a beautiful thing really. Forever living in the depths of dreams.
Celebrate that others will not see what you do Styling & Creative Direction: Annabel Carden. Models: Alexis Gavan & Lauren Palfreyman
Scent We are inspired by scent. Demanding attention and demands opinion, it motivates and intrigues. To sense is to remember the days that leave our minds when we are grey and old. The familiar fragrance of vintage perfume that has been used down to the bottle which clings to our clothes. The native aroma of domestic cooking is the tender sense of home. A translation into colour in the mind. Scent transports us to a different time, a different place. The ripe sugariness of Mediterranean fruits. The earthy, smoky notes of Brazilian street food. The fresh saltiness of Spanish seasides and the botanical essence of the Western Ghats rainforest. Scent provokes sexuality, impulse and desire.
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The Worst Battle is Between What You Know And What You Feel.
Creative Direction: Annabel Carden. Models: Ryan Francis, Mollie Birmingham & Cara Scott
Has our meaning of wanting changed? In the dictionary, to want is defined as “absent; lacking” and “not measuring up to standards or expectations”. To originally assume that the desire for something comes from necessity would be logical. However, in modern times where our lives are becoming increasingly enriched and complex, so have our needs. We undeniably take our lifestyles for granted and arguably, social media may have caused “living” your life to become an after-thought whilst possessions and self-image have taken centre stage. We even package ourselves almost as brands do, selling an ideal version of our lifestyle online. As for the psychology of purchasing, what exactly is the reason that we choose one version of the same thing over another? How has this brand persuaded us more than that one? These questions are about as easy to answer as “Why is my favourite colour Violet purple yet I hate lilac?”. It isn’t completely clear exactly why we choose one slight variation over another, but the psychology behind desire and attraction is all clearly linked with personality. Some psychologists argue that the reason behind wanting something is linked with our interpretations of concepts such as safety, confidence, intelligence, and curiosity amongst others. Whilst other psychologists point out that we link our desires with what we deem as appropriate for a situation, such as picking a light coloured blue hue for a bathroom wall over a muddy-brown colour.
The Diderot Effect is a classic interpretation for modern desire. French philosopher Denis Diderot lived in poverty until 1765 when he co-founded Encyclopédie. In the light of his new-found wealth, Diderot acquired a new luxurious robe. He realise that his robe did not fit-in with the rest of his cheap, small wardrobe and he believed that there was “no more coordination, no more unity, no more beauty” in his collection of possessions resulting in the Diderot Effect. This in turn caused him to spiral into an emptiness of unnecessary consumption which resulted in him purchasing new things that he previously never needed to feel happy or fulfilled. Humans have always had a natural inclination to always improve and build, however more and more people have a goal to acquire items based more on _ and less on quality and optimal usage. We have drifted further and further away from what satisfies us biologically, resulting in mindless consumption driven by the incredibly intelligent tool, marketing. This powerful *tool taps into the different personality types and the ways in which we interact with our surroundings and connects with our emotions and senses. But is our modern approach to consumption really a negative? Apart from driving the economy and new businesses, supply in demand of all forms has encouraged new inventions, a lot of which turn out to be things that we need. So whilst minimalism and essentialism is often viewed as the “healthier” attitude to consumption, heavy consumption has also provided positive contributions to society.
Bruce Munro Words: Annabel Carden
British artist Bruce Munro is internationally acclaimed for his magnificent largescale light installations and sculptures. Inspired by his attraction to “shared human experience”, Bruce has been capturing and recording his own responses to environmental stimuli such as music, art, and science to inspires his subject matter for over 30 years. After training in the manufacture of light, Bruce produces extraordinary environments that play with the viewer’s senses. Experimental with interactive spaces, Bruce has created over 28 grand-scale international artworks which intimately capture their surroundings in new and exciting ways. From his simple Snow Code installation at Waddesdon Manor. UK in 2014, to his vast blazing Field of Light installation at Uluru, Northern Territory in Australia this year Bruce explores a vast range of innovative light sculptures to capture the interaction between man and environment. His iridescent landscapes and glowing sculptures create an enchanting atmosphere reminiscent of the mythical gardens of our wildest imaginations, revealing and naturally changing themselves from dusk until dawn at nightfall. The colours alter as the shadows and light of day shift across the formation of these marvellous displays. Lighting up cities and scenery all around the world, Bruce has become inspired by the non-permanence of time and the connection of interacting and experience.
What emotions do you try to convey through your installations? The installations come from ideas and life experiences . Creating a piece that resonates with others is always an aim but not always achievable. What sort of reaction do you wish to provoke? I don’t plan pieces to create a reaction. I follow my instincts and try to convey an idea in a clear and concise way. Would you say that human experience and senses are communicated through your work? If and when works do resonate with others I am thrilled. Empathy is the spice of life! How do you try to challenge or inspire people though your art? I don’t try to challenge others, but I do challenge myself in the hope that my endeavours make sense and convey/share my experiences with others. What inspires your installations?. Just life; corny but true! Do you feel that humans can be manipulated through the stimulation of the senses? We perceive the world through our senses so yes. However I have an instinct that there’s an area to be discovered beyond the physical senses ...but sadly it’s not something that can be grasped or acquired. How do you believe that human senses interact with the world? Humans are sentient beings that perceive life existence through the senses. The conglomeration of the senses creates the ego. The Buddha was able to unravel the ego until the “I” morphed into “am”. Science would probably disagree but I believe that “am “ is a state of non- being that cannot be defined in physical terms because it’s beyond the pentameters that define our reality. Do you believe that we see what we want? We all see differently but we share the knowledge and fear that existence is finite. One day it will all come to an end and then start again!.
Clothed in Nothing But Desire Creative Direction: Annabel Carden. Model: Lewis Connell
Taste A deceitful element to our complex anatomy. The power of taste causes riots in ones mind. Food that nourishes us, energises us and repairs us bites our tongues with bitter edge. Food that which slows us, fattens us, and comforts us, kisses our palette with delicate sweet satisfaction. Taste challenges the mind and soul, either through the discovery of a seasoning or bittersweet appetite. We’ve never known karma quite like taste. An explosion of colour on the cheek with vibrant and unrelenting potency, the ability of the flavour palette is infinite. Nothing quite translates into wanting as powerfully as taste. The luscious succulence of cleansing juices, to the disorientating bitterness of vodka. We romanticise through savour and bond through flavour.
Savour Me
Creative Direction & Styling: Annabel Carden. Model: Rowena C Cole
Taste Me
Don’t touch Don’t see Don’t hear Don’t taste Don’t smell
fe n lis ap de
ch feel. notice. r listen. e appreciate. ell detect.