Space.
Have you ever had a space that is yours? Not necessarily a physical place but one in which you can feel, be yourself and be free? At Space we explore the concept of personal space, allowing you to discover each individual’s surroundings and the meaning and emotion attached to each. Welcome to the different issue. The theme of diversity is explored through eight contrasting spaces and the individual’s that have chosen them. Relax, enjoy and explore the microcosms of each magazine.
CRAIG
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What three words would you use to describe yourself? In work and in this space, I guess, those three words would be different to when I am in any other space. Fair but tough. What emotions do you feel when you are here? I feel good and bad. Both, depending on the day. This isn’t a job where you turn up and know what to expect, know what is going to happen and know what emotions you will feel. When you walk through that door you just don’t know what to expect. It can put you on the edge, make you uncomfortable, you just do not know. As soon as you come through that door you are anticipating the worst but it could be the best. You just have no idea every single day, which is a really weird feeling. How does that make you feel not knowing what your day holds? Erm well I guess I am used to it. Twenty years of not knowing what is going to happen. This job, this environment, this space is completely different to most, you do not know what is going to happen day to day. Then what do you do? It is something you get use to. What does this space mean to you? It is not a normal job and space, there was a passion there, its not quite like it was. I used to feel passionate when I walked through those doors and into this space. When you come in you forget everything else, home, anything. You are just in here, your head space is in here, nowhere else. Even if a friend or family member calls it will always be ‘I will call you back later’ because I am just here, physically and mentally. No, this is not me. (laughs) This is not me as a person at work anymore. I am not the same here in this space as I am anywhere else. This is just what I do. How would your life change if you lost this space? For the better. If I never had to come back to this space again it would make me feel good. But to not go back to a space, you have got to be secure in what you are about to walk away from. Let me get away. Even if you love your job and the space you work in, everyone at some point after twenty years would ask ‘what is this all about?’ This is not who you are, this is just what you do. When you are not here, you are a completely different person, you feel differently, think differently and act differently.
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Be a worker. Do you want the opportunity to physically experience Craig’s personal space? Email Craig for the chance to explore and understand what it is like to work within this unpredictable environment. craig.marsh@retrogradeclothing.com Location: Erith, London.
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What three words would you use to describe yourself? Oh my gosh. (Laughs) May we come back to that one. What does this space mean to you? How does it make you feel when you are in this space? This is the space where I relax the most, especially if I have had a really horrible day. I just want to come home and put my music on and bake, and that is how I relax and just feel, well feel like Karen. I feel as if I am in the always wish if I could be a time traveller and actually go back in time, but this space here is my closest thing to actually doing it. So I suppose in some ways it is my own time traveling machine, which allows me to feel like me. What is your reason for this space? I wanted an expression of my personality, not just a basic need of a kitchen but a space that represented me, and is mine, a space where I can go to be me. How would your life change if you suddenly lost this space? If you woke up one morning and this was not here? I would be devastated, I really would. There are so 19
representation it means more than that. It is my whole lifetime, ideas and the way I was brought up, my family ideals I was brought up with. The music I was brought up with, the food, everything. Everything that is all here in this space. That would all feel as if it has disappeared and that, that would be devastating.
ideals, my beliefs, my upbringing, they are all part of me, and that part of me is here in this space.
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When you are here in this space what emotions do you experience? Mainly I suppose to relax. I come in here put my music on, and as soon as my music is on.... I have a rule in this part of the house it has to be ‘oldies’ in here only. Music that represents this space, and and I am instantly relaxed and gives me that inner peace. So I can focus on what is ahead of me for that day. So peaceful is the main emotion, yes peaceful. How would you describe this space in three words? Oh my goodness. This space for me is uplifting, calming and fun. I suppose as this space is an expression of who I am, I suppose they are the three words I would like to think represent me. Well I like to think. (Laughs) It is interesting as I suppose this space really is an outburst of me.
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Let the music take you. Listen to the only music played in Karen’s kitchen and feel how it transforms the space around you.
What three words would you use to describe yourself? I suppose I would say I’m chilled out. That can count as three words, can’t it? How would you describe this space? This space is free, it is freedom in the form of a physical space. What does this space mean to you? For me this space is my own freedom in a physical form. It is liberating for me to be in a space that is outdoors and natural, that is unspoiled by man. A space where I can truly be myself and not restrained by the world, ideals, beliefs, worries and expectations. How does this space make you feel? What emotions do you experience when you are in this space? When I am here I feel completely at one with myself and with, well with the world. I feel free, this space is freedom. I do not have to worry, I do not have to think, I do not have to conform to what I am expected to do, to who I am expected to be. I feel liberated. I feel as though nothing matters as if nothing exists. I am simply here in this space just being. This space to me feels more homely than home. It has real resonance and meaning for me. It is a place that is natural and real, and that is it is, and you can be who you are. I feel me when I am here. How would your life change if you were to loose this space? I would loose the one space that allows me to feel I can be myself without being judged or expected to be a certain way. I would feel lost without it, angry without it, distraught. It is the one place I can experience any emotion and feel free. It would change drastically, I would loose all sense of myself. Would you say this space makes you Wayne? Does this
am and understand myself as a person.
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Go to the space. Blackhorse Lane Chipstead Surrey KT20
Phyllis:
How long have you lived here? Oh 21, 22 years. I was in Purley for a very long time, it was nice, there was room. Cathy Tester she So what do you do here? Sit here and do a little work too. Sheila came here and and has gone home, wheres your mum? your nan? I’m very nosey aren’t I? Do you go very far from here? No I don’t go anywhere on my own. Do you like living here? (giggles)...no I don’t like it. Why? Oh because there isn’t a lot of room here, the old place there was plenty of room. What do you need room for? No there was a big front room, a long hallway, toilet and bathroom, Harry built a screen then there was the dining room. Then the kitchen was there and there was a spare room the other side. So you just wanted the space for you? Yes, this room isn’t much. Cathy Tester took me here and said ‘its nice, its nice’, I said ‘yes it is nice, but I don’t want the keys, take them back.’ I didn’t choose to live here, this is damn rubbish, I liked Downs Court in Purley. I’m very vain for my age. I still colour my hair. For my age I shouldn’t have such big earrings. Theres a lady living up there, Winnie, she’s 97, lovely person. She’s been here once. Did you decorate here? here? I ask too many questions don’t I? Do you sit on the sofa and look out the window at the world? Yes sometimes. I see people, sometimes they come by. I see them walking outside.
Lock yourself alone in one room for an hour to simply sit and watch time pass. Discover the emotions you feel through this entrapment in an environment you cannot ignore.
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If you could describe yourself in three words what would they be? Pirmin: I am a sentimental, generous and private person. What does this space mean to you? Pirmin: My ruin. It has been my home, my grounding in this country for 50 years but I haven’t spent much time here since it started falling apart. The memories of it mean a lot to me and I am This space was my family home, it has survived a hurricane and a drout, not many people can say that about their space. There are so many mile stones and turning points here in these walls, in these grounds, and to not have a space that holds those memories any more, well that is quite hard to fathom, but I can’t hold on to it anymore. It is time for someone else to see it’s potential and beauty, just like I did. When I private humbleness and beauty of the space, now the grass has turned brown. It is almost a sign ou see, a sign I need to move on from this space. I guess you could say it has deteriorated over time, but I have just left it to be what it is suppose to be. Tom: It is Buba’s house. It is my mothers childhood. I have fond memories of being here. It will always signify a place of happiness and joy for me, but I feel, I feel it is time for Buba to move on, to allow the house to become a deep, meaningful memory. For this Space to be in his heart
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How do you feel when your in this space? here that I had never experienced before. I had to have this space as my own. The space surrounding the house sold it to me, the bright green tennis court. I walked out the back door and just thought ‘this here and making it our home. This continued right up until my wife started getting ill, the house then changed. It was a darker and a more sombre place. The love is still their though, it always, always will be, I love this home. I really do. It will always be ‘our home’, and yes it will always be ‘my space’ even if it is just a memory. Tom: You know I’m not sure. I feel close to Buba when I am here, as I know how much it means and will always mean to him. I suppose now there is some sadness there as I know that this space and the memories it houses may not always be here, well not for much longer anyway. It is a really beautiful space that holds such a great place in an old mans life and heart, but to others it is run down, a ruin. Others won’t see what he see’s and that makes me feel almost solemn when I am here. I know he will always have the memory of this space and this house, and the sentimentality will never change.
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memories I have, the happy memories I have of my family home. Tom: It does not make him who he is. It will just forever be Buba’s house. Even when he no longer lives here and the house is someone elses, it will always sentimentally be his. How would you feel if you lost your space? Pirmin: Well I suppose I have come to terms with this idea as I know I have to move on from this space and allow it to become personal and meaningful for someone else, but to loose what it means to me and what it will always mean to me, to loose the happiness that it once house would be.....I can’t even think about it. I......I can’t describe how, how crushing that would be. Tom: I know that if the memory of this space was taken away from him it would be devastating for him. Unfathomable. For me in a certain respect I have already lost it, it does not look how I remember even from a child, it has deteriorated quickly. He only lives put of three rooms now in this big house. It isn’t what it was. It is Buba’s ruin. 56
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Tom & Pirmin Here is 30 pence to go and purchase a single apple. Space asks you to cut the apple in half and watch how it detiorates from bright to dull due to the effects of time.
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RICHARD
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What three words would you choose to describe yourself? Well, do you mean me or Olympia? You? Me. I would say industrious. I am going to combine hot-shit into one word, and quite large. How would you describe Olympia? She is drunk. She is, she is, do you know this is actually really hard. She is Australian, that is a really bad description I know, but she is. She is just an ass hole actually.
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Is she based on anyone? Does she have any attributes of Richard? She is a bit of me, she is a bit of my mum, she is a mixture of people. She is every sitcom I have ever watched. She is a ridiculous character.
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Why have you created a personal space in this way? art form. I suppose some people would say when they want to just go away to their room and paint, it is an extension of their personality just exploded out on to a canvas. It is just the same thing except it is just on me, I am the canvas.
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How do you feel when you are ‘in’ this personal space? I feel empowered. I feel more free, she does not have any responsibilities whatsoever. It takes away all my worries. It is an escape. An escape so I can create that feeling of freedom.
her as a complete separate person, so it is almost like multipersonality disorder even though it is not. So I wouldn’t say she some weird thing I do every so often to experience freedom.
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How would you feel if you lost this personal space? If you could never escape as Olympia again? It combines so many different elements of creativity, it is like a high almost. You are creating a whole new person. If I couldn’t do it it would be pretty devastating, yeah I could get kicks else where but this allows me to escape me, what other personal spaces can do that?
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Look in the mirror. Fill in the voucher below to send off for your free shade of lipstick. transformation.
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FANNY 82
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What three words would you use to describe yourself? They call me ‘Mad Granny Fanny.’ What does this space mean to you? Hmm the whole farm means to me.... well obviously it is a means to an end, I have to earn a living. So I have to get it so people enjoy coming and hopefully people enjoy it and they come and it pays the bills. Yes, I just share everything that I enjoy. Everything I do, I enjoy doing. How do you feel when your in this space? Hmm, my emotions...I get very fed up when staff let me down, that really riles me. They want a job but they want it on their own terms and that isn’t how it works. Otherwise I can cope with most things. Some people get a bit shirty if they want things their way and we cant do it. But i’ve learnt to keep my mouth and I am very content in this space. It isn’t the space itself that effects my emotions in a bad way, its the people in it.
and i was left here with about 10 acres, about 3 chicken houses and 3 children and I had to think ‘what can I do?’ and I turned it into what it is now. And I just keep adding things, because people want something new. I mean i’m trying to do new things all the time. This is my work environment and my constantly develop it rather than leave it. The children had a tree house of their own and when I used to ask them to help me out in the house or the garden they would run up into the treehouse and hide. So I always said when I have the money one day i am going to have my own treehouse and now I have it. So we’ve had it for little tea parties and now we have got it passed for weddings. For us its lovely its something different and we play a little part in their day, we are witnesses sometimes. How would you feel if you lost your space? I think i’d feel very empty. Very isolated. I love people I like there being a buzz about the place. I love seeing people coming and going. I could cope but what would be the point?
Yes. Because I have made something out of nothing. I was a war baby and I had nothing so i’ve never thrown anything away and i’ve always made use of everything i’ve ever had. Everything has a story, everything tells a story. I came here in 1969 but the farm shop started in 1979. We used to own a farm up the road and we used to sell the surplus at the gate with an honesty box, which you couldn’t do now, things get nicked now. It was 1983 and father-in-law died and the farm up the road had to be sold up
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Let go of your control. Invite somebody to your personal space. Ask for the date but not the time they will arrive. Experience this feeling of being out of control of your space due to dependency on other people.
Could you tell us three words that you think best describe your personality? Stubborn, assertive, cheeky. You know, I don’t really know. So would you say tattooing is your personal space? getting lost in what I am drawing, I do no think or worry about anything else other than drawing. It could be when I am tattooing, illustrating or simply just doodling. How do you feel when you’re tattooing someone? Uhh depends what it is. If I’m doing something that I’m fun to do. But if its something I don’t feel comfortable doing then I hate every minute of it. I still have to do it, its a public service job, people come in ask for stuff and I have to do it. Unless I can get my colleague to do then yeah I have to. Do you mean you hate every minute of it when you are tattooing someone with a design you don’t like? Like sometimes its just hard. Its the hardest thing i’ve ever had to do, tattooing. Sometimes you are just faced with things that are really really challenging. So if its something like that, if it goes well obviously its really rewarding but its still a fucking nightmare doing it. It challenges the way I relate to tattooing, it makes it more of a challenge and less of an escape. Do you prefer it if it pushes you or not? I mean if someone comes in and wants something that I like to do, yes. My style is like sailor tats and traditional americano type of stuff, anything with heavy lines ands lots of colour. But portrait or something then I’m just gonna hate it, but I have to do escape through it but it is satisfying to push me creatively, and that in it’s self gives me a new way of thinking. Would you say this personal space, your tattoo parlour makes you who you are? No as I’ve only been doing it for a few years. I’d say I’ve changed a lot since starting tattooing but I think thats more down to age. I think I’m much happier now I have something solid in my life. I like the solidarity of having a work space.
personality, more emo and dark in personality. The thing is with tattooing its not really an art form, to me its more of a craft. You know learning to be a carpenter you have to go through extensive training similar to tattooing. I’d say its 30% to 40% creative as obviously you have to draw the designs but I mean theres plenty of people out there that just rip designs off books. There are a lot of tattoo artists out there that are really expressive and create art on the skin but for me its more of a craft. Im much more interested in the to express how I am feeling. Thats why it works for me as I never found that satisfaction from drawing
Do you feel emotionally attached to every tattoo you do? position where you are sat in a shop and anyone can come through the door. It could be a star on a wrist I do. When you know that person isn’t going to come into the shop again and you’ll never see it again as its a throw away art. You are making this piece of artwork which theoretically you are never going to see again for someone else’s enjoyment. In a way that is cool as well as when you progress you might not want to see it again and you don’t have to think about it.
Would you say this personal space, your tattoo parlour makes you who you are? No as I’ve only been doing it for a few years. I’d say I’ve changed a lot since starting tattooing but I think thats more down to age. I think I’m much happier now I have something solid in my life. I like the solidarity of having a work space. How would you feel if this personal space disappeared? It would be weird. It would suck but I’m sure I’d What emotions do you feel when you enter this space? To be honest, sometimes the shop can be awesome and buzzing, everyones working and people are coming and going. Sometimes it can be a bit stagnant and through the winter it gets really hard as no one really gets tattooed in the winter unless its regular clients. During the winter it can be pretty boring but I’ve learnt how to cope with that, I usually just sit and paint. Then by summer time I have a whole new collection to show people. I mean me and my boss have built this space from scratch. All we had was the room. And I mean if you saw photos of it when we got it, it was so different and I mean now, its a proper tattoo shop. Its quite different to other tattoo shops as its quite bohemian. It isn’t so clean cut and clinical as others. Its quite rough round the edges and arty. Because of that our demographics different, its nice that our shop is more art based. People come because they like the artists artwork, it’s not replication. 7. I’ll always have routes in this shop. This space is a platform for me to be a professional and I feel that here.
Draw your personal space. Physically see your own honest expression of your space. How does it
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Why a camera? You’ve seen their personal spaces, now go discover and shoot your own.
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