INTERVIEW WITH FLO MORRISSEY // FEMINIST CHIT-CHAT WITH POLYESTERZINE EDITOR AND ARTIST LULU WILLIAMS // MEET THE EAST STREET ARTISTS // DISCUSS THE CONTEMPORARY SITUATION WITH THE ‘IT’S ALL TROPICAL’ COLLECTIVE // SIT DOWN WITH NEOHIPPY REDESIGNER SARAH GAMBLE + LOADS MORE GD STUFF.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: ROBBIE HODGES // DIGITAL EDITOR: ELLIE LANGFORD // DEPUTY EDITOR: RACHEL THOMPSON // MANAGING DIRECTOR: FLORENCE MITCHELL // HEAD OF PHOTOGRAPHY: THOM CORBISHLEY // PHOTO EDITOR: BIANKA CSENKI // HEAD OF ADVERTISING: ALEX IGHALO // HEAD OF MARKETING: ERIN RODGERS // HEAD OF DIGITAL MARKETING: SALLY TOLSON // FASHION EDITOR: SOPHIA ANDREWS // FASHION DEPUTY EDITOR: ISOBEL WILKINSON // FASHION DEPUTY EDITOR: KITTY ROBSON // FASHION DEPUTY EDITOR: AMELIA RICHARDSON // ACTING CULTURE EDITOR: JONNY CLOWES // CULTURE DEPUTY EDITOR: BELINDA QUESTED // ARTS EDITOR: CATRIN PODGORSKI // ARTS DEPUTY EDITOR: NADIA HUSEN // HEAD OF PRODUCTION: ALICE YOUNG // EVENTS: MILENA BRUM // EVENTS DEPUTY: MARIA FAZIO
THE TRASH EDITION. What is it? I thought I knew four months ago when, over pinot and pizza, I coerced the reluctant HARD team into The Trash Edition. “Look to the glitter-guzzling graduate runways of London, to the posh kids repping their thrifted nike; scroll through your insta-feed for a vapid emoji overdose and declaredly ‘ironic’ text tlk: Trash is crap but we’re lovin’ it” I merrily testified. 9 interviews, 3 photoshoots and 1 London Fashion Week later and we’ve uprooted trash, exposing our obsession to be far more than a love of crap. A lace skirt found in the kitchen at Grimston House, some gold transfer foil that featured in an Issue 6 photoshoot, magnetic vhs tape recklessly prized from a mini-bus safety video collecting dust in our office: the found-object scans comprising the visual backdrop for Issue 8 say more than I ever could. Trash is a rebellious reclamation of cultural stuff that has been ‘reasonably’ rejected; it’s ideological; it’s contemporary punk. Whether this is in the form of men championing the expressive power of makeup, the £1 art of the It’s All Tropical collective, the queasily pink digi-feminism of Polyester Zine or Sarah Gamble’s recycled vintage-wear (the “ugly old stuff” that your parents will “never understand”), we’re in pursuit of that which has been hidden from us, driven by an innate wanderlust.
LONDONFASHIONWEEKAW15
EVERYTHING BUT THE CLOTHES. FIND OUR LFW COVERAGE AT HARDZINE.COM
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PUM ‘Savannah does not simply subvert convention or tradition, she reinterprets them for today’s dynamic and globalized world’.
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This is how Savannah Baker is described in her online bio. Credited as a stylist, photographer and Creative Director, she splits her time between London, New York and Jamaica. Add to this a repertoire littered with international big names (the likes of Lana Del Rey and Rita Ora) it would appear there are few corners of the fashion world Savannah’s left untouched. With the launch of her latest venture, the frilly-fun sock brand ‘Pum Pum’, the stylist looks set to continue her winning streak. Kitty Leech sits down with the young creative to chat socks, Lana Del Rey and what it takes to make it in today’s rapidly-changing fashion industry.
KL: The question that comes to mind straight away is why ‘Pum Pum’? What does this mean and why did you choose this name for your sock line? And why socks in general? SB: Well, it’s a lifestyle brand that happened to start with socks. The name ‘Pum Pum’ actually translates in Jamaican to mean a woman’s lady parts. I grew up in Jamaica surrounded by reggae dancehall culture and I found that this male-dominated environment was lacking a strong female presence in it so essentially this lifestyle brand is fighting that culture. The whole concept for the brand started in early 2009/ late 2010 when I went to Japan. I was into socks but couldn’t find anything that was interesting enough… I then started playing around with my own designs, wearing them myself and making them myself. Most of the images, for example the ones that Rita and Lana were wearing, were ones I made myself. Underwear as outerwear was a trend that started to become more popular and I was photographed by Topshop and fashion bloggers.
collecting clothes and dressing up when I was young and it was my sister who first gave me the push to try it professionally. I actually started in the music industry as the fashion industry turned me off quite a lot, the bitchy side of it didn’t appeal. My number one motto is ‘treat everyone the same’. Sometimes I have to suck it up and bite my tongue but generally I’d rather not work with people where there is a hierarchical relationship. I found with the music industry it was different; you’re getting to know an individual and building a personal relationship with them. I like the idea that with the styling of musicians you create a whole world both around and within them.
KL: Is there s specific person who you feel has been a great credit and influence to you and the fashion industry itself? SB: I assisted Johnny Blueeyes; he’s Lana Del Rey’s main stylist and the most empowering person I’ve ever met. He’s such a positive light; not pretentious at all, very down to earth and he gave me such motivation. He came to my dad’s wedding and is a best KL: Is this always what you planned to do? friend of mine now. That’s what is important; to find SB: I always wanted to be in fashion but I didn’t want someone you gel with. If I’d worked with a stylist who to go down the art college route. I never ever thought hadn’t been so supportive then maybe I wouldn’t be I’d be a sock designer but again this is just a start and doing what I’m doing right now. the brand is, as I said, more of a lifestyle, all linked with Jamaica and music. I wanted to do something KL: Finally, if you could give any advice to anyone that is not generic at all and accessible for different with a desire to go into the fashion industry, as age groups because Jamaica is about unity. We really a stylist or a creative director of a brand, what wanted to include an older woman in the look book would it be? but unfortunately she dropped out at the last minute. SB: If you have any free time just test shoot. Motivate When we expand the brand we want it to be availa- yourself. Whenever you have a spare moment find ble to everyone. The best parties I go to are the ones other creative souls and make something, experiwith your friends and your parents and their friends ment and test yourself. Experience is the key, build up and just a huge range of people. I cannot stand public a portfolio and work as an assistant as this gets you school things, I will not go to them, I just hate seeing contacts. Try out different things, there are so many the same kind of people, it’s not branching out at all different aspects to the industry. Maybe you prefer and you just stay in this bubble and it’s not healthy. the creative side, maybe you prefer the business side. Concerning styling, I think it’s wise not to go to a speKL: Describe your journey to where you are now? cific styling school because, at the end of the day, it SB: Okay, well I’m primarily a stylist, and a photogra- is about you. The best way is to assist because you pher as well, although that’s more of a hobby. I didn’t can learn a lot about the kind of stylist you want to be go to university. I started interning from 16, at all ends through this instead of being taught how to style by of the spectrum, from Vivienne Westwood to River an institution. Island. It really was important for me to experience many different things to see what I liked. I always liked
“WE’RE BORN NAKED, AND THE REST IS DRAG.” DRAMATIC MAKEUP ISN’T A SEXUAL INVITATION, IT’S A FORM OF SELF-EXPRESSION. WHY AREN’T GUYS JOINING IN? AMELIA RICHARDSON WRITES.
Trashy is too much makeup, fake this and that, seeking attention and breast augmentation; a saturated vision of collagen-plumped perfection; overboard. When the word ‘trashy’ is mentioned you immediately think ‘woman’, but why? According to UrbanDictionary.com, ‘slutty’ and ‘bitch’ are amongst a myriad of other misogynistic labels considered synonymous with the term. These sorts of words have been clustered together in a simmering vat of degrading qualities to which men are apparenty immune. But what if men were to indulge in makeup? On the set of our ‘Slap it on’ gender-neutral beauty shoot, our male models squirmed and shuddered as we prodded them with makeup brushes. Previously unconsidered questions such as “Why would women do this to themselves?” were repeatedly asked and the shrieks that echoed through the studios were accompanied only by masculinity affirming statements; “I am so glad I’m not a girl”. Despite their immaturity, they made me question, why do I wear makeup? Some may think I do it for sexual attention but, to be honest, I just genuinely love it as a fashion statement, as another means of personal expression. From day to day I can vary my look to suit my mood and if I wake up feeling tired, I’ll splash on a bit of eye glitter and bam instant confidence boost ven if my fa e tan is described as ‘tacky’ it shouldn’t bother me; it’s a fundamental human right that one has autonomy over one’s body/ appearance and, for want of a less crude phrase, one man’s ‘trash’ is another man’s treasure.
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up? Society’s distorted understanding of gender identity pretty much inhibits it; men are rarely taken seriously when dressed as women although this would never apply vice versa. Of course some men do branch out, such as spectacular drag queens who adopt everything listed in my opening sentence and more. I’ve watched enough episodes of RuPaul’s rag ace to now that they definitely ta e their makeup seriously. But drag is a performance that seeks to imitate women on an exaggerated level, a costume that is removed when the final curtain falls. Drag queen empress Rupaul once stated, “we’re born na ed, and the rest is drag , hear hear fail to understand the taboo surrounding men and makeup. Why shouldn’t men experiment with lipstick, not solely as a means of female imitation but as a means of individual expression and empowerment? I’m on the fence about whether some drag shows are misogynistic; it is my guilty pleasure in terms of light entertainment, but the way in which women are stereotyped and ridiculed for the amusement of others is questionably problematic.
SOME MAY THINK I DO IT FOR SEXUAL ATTENTION BUT, TO BE HONEST, I JUST GENUINELY LOVE IT AS A FASHION STATEMENT.
Judith Butler asks in her book Gender Troubles “is drag the imitation of gender, or does it dramatise the gestures through which gender itself is established?”. Makeup and glamour is becoming more extreme in the media (just visit Kylie Jenner’s Instagram for looks that are not far from those of drag queens), but why To what extent is how we present our- should makeup be seen as strictly feminine? Makeup selves dictated to us? If makeup is seen as is illusion, power and joy and I hope someday it can a desexualised form of personal expres- be experienced freely by all, regardless of gender or sion, why don’t more men explore make- creed.
SLAP IT ON
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PUT YOUR FACE ON.
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PAINT IT ON THICK
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PRODUCER: AMELIA RICHARDSON PHOTOGRAPHY: BIANKA CSENKI ASSISTANTS: ISOBEL WILKINSON, SOPHIA ANDREWS, KITTY ROBSON, THOM CORBISHLEY, NATASHA DOLEY MODELS: FABIAN SINDELAR, IMMIE DENTON, ELLIE WINTOUR, TAMAKI MIYAWAKI, SAMUEL LI, KWASI LITHUR MAKEUP: AMELIA CLARKE
WHAT DOES THE POLITICALLY LOADED TERM ‘WHITE TRASH’ MEAN TO YOU: TRAILER PARKS, BADLY CUT DENIM, BEAT-UP CAMAROS, INBREEDING? THINK AGAIN. - ISOBEL WILKINSON WRITES The controversial term ‘trailer trash’, coined in 1820s Baltimore, USA by African Americans as a term of abuse to disparage local poor whites has certainly moved a long way from its disparaging roots. In today’s popular culture there are many who wear ‘white trash’ as a badge of honour, signalling rebelliousness and the rebuttal of a colourless, bland mainstream society that sti es and oppresses. White trash’s popularity and in uence can be seen clearly in the likes of young stars such as Lana Del Rey. As a privileged middle-class woman it is interesting, perhaps ironic, that she should choose to align herself with a term previously viewed as a derogatory slur. However, the way in which the phrase has been reclaimed as empowering despite its maligning origin is refreshing; almost as if Lana Del Rey prides herself on the privileges of being born a white western middle-class woman, thus reassigning the meaning of this offensive term. The in uence of white trash culture is particularly prominent in her music video ‘Born To Die’. Del Rey confronts her fans with the image of a bare chested embrace in front of a large, billowing star-spangled banner. Wearing nothing but a pair of frayed denim shorts, her hand is adorned by a diamond-encrusted knuckle-duster and provocative red-tipped acrylic nails; did someone say trailer trash? ot only has white trash in uenced pop artists, it can also be seen as a prominent source of inspiration on the catwalk. Look no further than Jeremy Scott’s Mcdonalds referenced collection of yester-season. Despite the fact that the capsule range of 10 items from the show that went on sale the next day instantly sold out, Scott’s collection was greeted with cries of
trailer TRASH taboo
outrage and horror. Was he making fun of the poor who wear these uniforms daily, toiling in the fast food industry, or was he satirizing the rich who pay extortionate amounts to wear his luxe versions of them? Either way it is clear to see white trash’s continued in uence on the arts scene. White trash has grown from its discriminatory roots and transformed itself into a springboard for creativity, inspiring artists, musicians and fashion houses alike. So, I challenge you: when you are next confronted with the term ‘white trash’, look beyond the clichéd stereotypes and towards a future of self-expression and creativity. Embrace what it is to be ‘trashy’ and join the growing group of creative individuals who seek to challenge this cultural stigma. Question what society deems to be acceptable, and help to re define and reclaim white trash. ILLUSTRATION BY ABIGAIL LEWIS
their makers and avoiding the ‘buy- wear-trash’ mantra we can get far more out of the clothes we wear. The threads that define our silhouettes also define our character and we would never want ourselves to be seen as throw away or trash now, would we? My mantra of “Don’t trash, preserve” has found a companion in the form of York’s very own new store Harper and Carr. On speaking to them, they expressed how their designs are focused on quality and durability. All of the garments are handmade, using British manufactured fabrics with basic pattern cutting and natural dyes. They don’t subscribe to trend culture so the clothes don’t share the same expiry dates as mainstream fashion and every item is handmade in York. This York based brand’s aesthetic is grounded in a strong ethic- sustainability and functionality.
PRESERVATION POWER; WRITES RACHEL TRASH THE TRASH. THOMPSON When I was thinking about this edition, the main idea that sprang to mind was the dispensable fashion found in our beloved high-street chains. Throwing away clothes is something I will never be comfortable with: I prefer fashion that is lasting. Each item holds a memory or has the potential to be reinvigorated with the odd ‘nip and tuck’. Each of our own individual histories can be found within the material of our clothes. Instead of being caught up in mainstream throw-away fashion we should be investing in exquisite goods that abide by timeless standards of quality and care. Think how wonderful it is to discover something that has been cast aside, to pick it up and restore it to its original beauty. It may sound rather romantic, but I am constantly on the search for those precious relics from bygone eras that can be found in the back corners of vintage stores, laced with memories and with sentimentality in every stitch. Preserve is within all of us and together, by championing such garments,
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Harper and Carr are not alone in this ethos of standing against the mainstream fashion culture; just take a look at current pinterest trends. The web-collaging site is full of ways to restyle clothes or turn them into something different. Just because it’s ripped or has a stain on it doesn’t mean you have to throw it away. There’s no excuse not to DIY; learning to sew doesn’t take that much effort and once you’ve grasped the basics you can immediately start making your own designs. I have seen some inspiring sewing projects on blogs such as ‘Trash to Couture’. We should all take heed. Get creative, share ideas and let’s provide a less wasteful alternative to the mass-produced fashion mainstream.
FROM TRASH TO TREASURE MARC JACOBS’ AW14 PARADE OF STERILE CLONES WAS A FITTING BREAKOUT SHOW FOR KENDALL JENNER AND A LANDMARK MOMENT IN FASHION’S APPROPRIATION OF TRASH AS TREASURE. KITTY ROBSON EXPLORES HIGH FASHION’S NEWFOUND RELATIONSHIP WITH LOW CULTURE. elevating select models to celebrity status. Trash – it is without doubt that upon hearing this, the associations which spring to mind are far from pretty; so why is it that this word has entered an industry usually deemed superficial by the masses? Perhaps, it’s the accessibility of trash culture; unlike the somewhat elusive and elite high fashion that existed in and before the 90s, nowadays bloggers like Tavi Gevinson are sitting front row at the age of 13 and the Golden Arches of McDonald’s are making it to the Moschino runway. The switch to an approachable nature indubitably defies the cold stereotypes which have been long recognised, but, could it be argued that this accessibility has no place in the world of fashion? Surely it is supposed to be select and exquisite; a skilled art rather than a disposable lifestyle? With each passing second the industry evolves. Recently this has been highlighted by a creative embracement of Trash culture, a culture which appears to have been fostered by the ourishing of celebrity culture. The growing significance of famous icons becoming a part of a designer’s image – whether as a model, endorser or co-designer – shows how important the changes in media have been to this once exclusive world. Even renowned and longstanding publications like Vogue use celebrities to sell more copies, ousting models from the American cover since the late 80s, as directed by Anna Wintour. Arguably, both nglish and merican ogue fi ate greatly upon popular culture above all else and take an active role in
The clearest example of this being, of course, Cara Delevingne. Alike to every capitalist industry, nepotism and elitism are ingrained in the world of fashion. Without Delevingne’s societal position and family connections – her Godfather, Nicholas Coleridge, being the President of Condé Nast International, and older sister being socialite Poppy Delevingne, a reported muse to designer Matthew Williamson – it is unlikely that her notoriety would have reached such stratospheric heights. Kendall Jenner is another model who reveals the nepotistic nature of the industry; it is clear to designers and magazine editors alike that using an individual from a family as publicised as the Kardashians can boost their sales dramatically. The Kardashian family seem to be taking an ever growing position in the fashion world, with even fashion business blogger @TheFashionLaw sarcastically tweeting “Is Love magazine on the Kardashian payroll or something?”, following the inclusion of various Kardashian-Jenner family members in the high-culture magazine. All aspects of this trash culture represent the epitome of privilege; with celebrity models becoming idolised by the industry and consumerist, Western icons like McDonald’s and Barbie being appropriated by designers like Jeremy Scott for Moschino. No longer are trashy reality TV like ‘Keeping Up With the Kardashians’ and fast food considered the utter antithesis of stylish ideologies, instead we seem to have evolved to a much more celebrity in uenced world, whether we like it or not.
IT’S ALL TROPICAL. Created in 2013, the Sheffield based art collective - formed by Lea Torp Nielsen, Josef Zachary, Shanley Jackson, Hannah Shaw and Lindsey Mendick - define their main aim as being, “to have a bit of fun whilst beating some life back into the contemporary art scene that we are a part of.” For the ‘Trash’ edition, Catrin Podgorski talked to It’s All Tropical about all things contemporary, contested, and trashy.
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are hard for artists.” She continues, “we are under no illusion that there is no money in art for emerging artists unless you are very good and lucky (and from a London Art School). We are all great artists in It’s All Tropical and should be represented by galleries and shown at art fairs but we are based in the North of England which holds ridiculous stereotypes.” For an artist, the balance of multiple forms of work is not rare, with finance being at the forefront of everyone’s mind. With the combination of living in a state of post-economic crisis circa 2008, and the tripling of university tuition fees in 2012, the perceptions of ‘new art’ have changed dramatically. In a recent Radio 4 discussion, aptly titled “Art School, Smart School”, Brian Eno and Grayson Perry talked of the movement of Art Schools towards institutionalisation, and the growing exclusivity of this study leading to the potential creative stunting of those unable to afford the fees. Hannah echoes these concerns, saying that she is “worried” that the arts are becoming something that only the rich can afford to be a part of. And for those who do succeed in gaining a place and completing study, the financially successful endgame of being an artist is, to her, “no longer a realistic option. I think now people’s concerns are simply needing to be financially secure. But how does this affect creativity? Joe tells me, “the pressure to be financially successful is manufactured within this Art World, and can lead to poor decision making in regards to the type of work you make and the reasons you make it. Where does the value lie in a work whose critical provenance is determined by what the artist thought would make them money?” As a group built from predominantly young graduates from the past three years, the question of perception of the current graduate art world is inevitable in any discussion. The Art World, seen by some as a seemingly frightening ether of pseudo-exclusive commercialisation, readily highlights the difficulty of balancing income and passion. Lea tells me that, “in today’s art climate you have to have steely determination, be stubborn as f*ck and have two full time jobs; your arts practice and the job that pays the bills. With the art market being the only unregulated market, times
n the creation of wor for finance’s sa e, there is perhaps an element of true self expression lost. Subverting these ideas, the collective hosted their final e hibition of in their home base of heffield, entitled £1 Fish. The angle of the exhibition was especially unique: each artist had a budget of £1 with which to create their pieces, encouraging an ‘art for the people’ for a climactic open auction on the opening night. It was, as predicted, a great success.
According to Lea, there was, “a real sense of what can be achieved with very little to no money.” The group reiterate this. Hannah stresses in particular the accessible nature of, not only this event, but of previous exhibitions held by the group too. “It was celebratory”, she tells me. “The whole event, from the ridiculous drinks through to the way the work was auctioned off, was inclusive. There was no “us and them” of curator vs. collector or guest vs. artist. It was loud and all-encompassing, with no club some feel unable to join.” It is in this that I see It’s All Tropical really come into their own: the fun, challenging, and “almost performative” aspects of enjoyment set these shows apart, and project the group’s paradigm perfectly, bringing in a unique aspect into contemporary art. But, naturally, the contemporary art that the new generations of artists are working within is hotly contested. With the likes of commercial commodity artists such as Damien Hirst and Jeff Koons perceived as trash’, or as selling out’, am een to find out what those inside the Art World think. Trash is, of course, subjective, with one man’s trash becoming another man’s £1m treasure. Joe argues that, “…if we are true believers in art then we should be able to believe that Martin Creed’s Work No. 340 is as valuable as any Rodin of Koons monolith.” In past shows such as Overseasoned Parts I and II, artists represented by the group have toyed with the idea of kitsch used by the same controversial artists, with materials used ranging from the more ‘traditional’ ceramics and painting to appropriation of tourist shop paraphernalia and calendars of Take That. As Lea tells me, “the contemporary object-oriented ontology philosophy of creativity negates the hierarchy of objects… so now, anything goes. The rule book has been burnt.” As for painting and sculpture, Joe puts it faultlessly: “they are not negated by trash; they are trash too.”
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“THE WHOLE EVENT, FROM THE RIDICULOUS DRINKS THROUGH TO THE WAY THE WORK WAS AUCTIONED OFF WAS INCLUSIVE. THERE WAS NO ‘US AND THEM’ OF CURATOR VS. COLLECTER OR GUEST VS. ARTIST. IT WAS LOUD AND ALL-ENCOMPASSING.”
EGO TRASH. (BODY/FORM/TEXTURE)
DIRECTION: ISOBEL WILKINSON PHOTOGRAPHY: THOM CORBISHLEY MODEL: MILENA BRUM ASSISTANCE: AMELIA RICHARDSON, KITTY ROBSON, LIZZY JAMES HAIR/COSMETICS: AMELIA CLARKE THANKS TO ORILLO STUDIOS
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BORING ART.
NADIA HUSEN ON NOUVEAU RÉALISME AND FINDING ART IN THE MOST UNASSUMING PLACES. In the cold winter months hearty food is a prerequisite, and so my friend decided to make soup (tomato and celeriac, if you’re interested). When the happy moment of tucking in arrived, she asked to borrow my eggshell blue bowls, rather than using her own earthy brown ones. Simply, ‘they weren’t the right colour’ for the (disturbingly) orange soup, and thus her enjoyment of the soup would have suffered. Such sensitivity to everyday aesthetics is usually either seen as perceptive attention to detail, or the madness of an extreme perfectionist, but, either way: does one understand it as ‘Art’? Certainly there are artistic principles at work, but would we go to an e hibit to see such specifically arranged articles? THE NEW REALIST WORKS MAY NOT BE AS OBVIOUSLY AESTHETICALLY PLEASING AS THE IMPRESSIONISTS’ WORKS, BUT THEY PROVOKE CONFUSION AND THUS THOUGHT IN THE ONLOOKER THAT TRANSPARENT BEAUTY CANNOT. The answer is a resounding ‘yes.’ This less easily identified art phenomenon is the Noveau Réalisme movement founded in the s, whose official manifesto declares it as ‘new ways of perceiving the real.’ Of course, whatever ‘the real’ may be is highly subjective, but in this sense it is the ordinary objects that make our lives what they are. The movement spawned artists such as Daniel Spoerri, who, just like my artistically inclined friend, created a careful arrangement of empty coffee cups, cigarette ends, cutlery, glasses in his ‘Trap Pic-
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tures’ series. Meanwhile, the sculptor Jean Tinguely created monumental works of cogs and wheels from scrap metal into what, deceivingly, appeared to be working machines, paying homage to the decline of the Industrial Age. Another New Realist, the artist Arman, dramatically developed his style. His art left traditional painting and culture and instead cut them up to reveal their internal structure. Such distortion of conventional objects forces the observer to focus past their mere function; to understand them from the inside-out. t is not difficult to relate this to more than objects; while the New Realists emphasis lies in the reality of objects, it is each other we fail to recognise beyond the superficial. ut is this moral just too tenuous to support the label of ‘art’ that is not akin to Monet’s Waterlilies? The New Realist works may not be as obviously aesthetically pleasing as the Impressionists’ works, but they provoke confusion and thus thought in the onlooker that transparent beauty cannot. New Realism is easily the most disregarded and trashed art movement; inquisitive outsiders look at the very same everyday obects labeled as rt’ in galleries, that they find in their houses, on their streets and in skips, and wonder what the difference is. Indeed, I would argue there is very little but a label and intention; Art is everywhere – you just need to look and think a little deeper.
ILLUSTRATION BY LUCY WEGERIF
“Life in general would be a lot less interesting without trash. There’s a whole world of utter sh*t out there to explore.” - ROB JAMESON.
MEET
THE EAST ST. ARTISTS SINCE 1993, THE LEEDS-BASED ORGANIZATION, EAST ST. ARTS, HAVE BEEN AT THE CORE OF THE NORTHERN ART SCENE. RENOVATING DISUSED BUILDINGS INTO STUDIOS AND PROVIDING PROFESSIONAL SUPPORT PROGRAMMES FOR NEOPHYTE ARTISTS ARE JUST A COUPLE OF THE GOOD DEEDS THEIR TEAM UNDERTAKE ON A DAILY BASIS. ELLIE LANGFORD CHATS WITH SOME OF THEIR TALENTED BENEFICIARIES RECYCLING OLD STUFF AND MAKING ART..
Do you think ‘trashy’ is always synonymous with bad taste? What does ‘trashy’ mean to you? Poor quality, cheap and generally a bit crap, I guess ‘trashy’ doesn’t have many positive connotations. But it’s good to have around in all forms of art; a bit of ‘lowbrow’ doesn’t hurt. What is the central inspiration behind your most recent project? ‘Mechanimals’ is an ongoing digital dystopian project building on a theme of man’s destructive nature and ignorance using a mix of 1950s graphic novels and 1970s history books.
ROB JAMESON.
Many feel that discarded items have a romantic depth or a story to tell. What is your response to this? I agree totally. The history, story, and aesthetic in many found objects and abandoned places interest me greatly. Nostalgia is always nice to do, but to find a new purpose from them and add another chapter to their story is so much better.
LORNA BARROWCLOUGH.
What made you choose to work with recycled/pre-loved materials in your artistic works? I generally combine found, and re-appropriated objects as and when I create. My work actively seeks out more commonplace materials, using pre-formed associations with them. I work to import a history, and reawaken histories that should be remembered. Many feel that discarded items have a romantic depth to them or a story to tell. What is your response to this? I think this is quite an instinctual human reaction for us to attach narratives and emotional ties to objects. I love the beauty an object can take after it’s initial use,
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What is your central inspiration behind your most recent project? I am currently collaborating with artist Hondartza Fraga on our ‘Curio*sea*ty’ project focusing on both natural and manmade elements of the sea, combined with superstition and past traditions.
STU BURKE.
Do you think ‘trashy’ is always synonymous with bad taste? What does ‘trashy’ mean to you? o. Trashy is a uni ue way of viewing the world in which we live. don’t thin it has anything to do with taste, it’s more of an aesthetic that some of us en oy and others don’t, yet. What made you choose to work with pre-loved materials in your work? arly on discovered obert auschenberg and loved his wor . e creates combines’ a collaboration between painting and sculpture - using materials found locally to him in . This inspired me to e plore or as part of my wor .
What is the central inspiration behind your most recent project? I am working with rewriting existing literature into sculpture. I translate words into objects and put them together li e a boo . The final piece is a boo of sculptures that is a direct translation of the original.
TIMID ELK (REBECCA HOY) What made you choose to work with recycled/preloved materials in your artistic works? It started with recycled train tickets, I enjoyed the aspect of connection they conveyed so used them in my early work. Each piece I create connects hundreds of people in a way that they will never now about.
Many feel that discarded items have a romantic depth to them or a story to tell. What is your response to this? The thing with discarded items is that a person can ta e out of it as much or as little as they li e. t’s the same with art I produce and viewers each interpreting it differently; it’s really satisfying to now that you as an artist have enabled someone to have that interaction.
What is your central inspiration behind your most recent project? ’m currently e ploring the theme of repetition in my most recent pro ect The urious ommodities ollection’. The potential that repetition can bestow on an item is fascinating; the most rudimentary of ob ects can evolve into something grandiose.
SHE DROPPED OUT OF BRIT SCHOOL AT 17,
UPPED STICKS TO LOS ANGELES AND IS BACK WITH AN ALBUM SET FOR MAY RELEASE FLORENCE MITCHELL SITS DOWN WITH FLO MORRISSEY WHILST ON TOUR WITH THE STAVES TO CHAT 60’S STYLE, MEDITATION AND THE IMPORTANCE OF GOING WITH THE FLO(W).
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IN A SMALL ARTS CENTRE IN POCKLINGTON, FLO MORRISSEY IS SAT AT HER KEYBOARD PRODUCING A HAUNTING RENDITION OF ‘IF YOU CAN’T LOVE THIS ALL GOES AWAY’, HER LAST SONG OF THE NIGHT. HER RAW, LILTING VOICE AND INTANGIBLY ETHEREAL BEAUTY HAVE THE AUDIENCE ENTRANCED. FLO OOZES CALM, BOTH WHEN WE MEET HER BEFORE HER PERFORMANCE, AND ON STAGE. “I LIKE TO MEDITATE A BIT AND THEN LISTEN TO RELAXING MUSIC”, SHE LAUGHS AS SHE TELLS ME OF HER PRE-PERFORMANCE RITUALS. ON THIS, HER FIRST TOUR AS SUPPORT ACT TO THE STAVES, FLO ADMITS SHE HAS A LOT STILL TO LEARN: “IT’S BEEN A GOOD THING HEARING THE GIRLS WARM UP HOURS AND HOURS BEFORE A SHOW. IT MAKES ME THINK MAYBE I SHOULD BE DOING THAT!”
s a newcomer to the touring circuit lo’s still finding her feet with audiences; ’d li e to thin my music is something people can resonate with but you never now’ she muses. t’s daunting when you’re performing to people that aren’t coming specifically to see you. t’s a bit of a gamble. ll the audiences are coming to see The taves, they love The taves, they now The taves songs, but they don’t now me at all t’s scary but also uite a nice feeling to be anonymous, then you can either win someone over, or not.’ lo’s no stranger to ma ing decisions that are a bit of a gamble’. he left her ondon secondary school after s to attend the T school, whose famous graduates include dele and my Winehouse. owever after a year she’d decided it wasn’t her sort of place and left, aged , to pursue music on her own. eaving school so young was a bold move for lo. er mother is of ewton nvestment, her elder brother has ust graduated from ford, haven’t even got a levels’ she laughs. owever, she insists that despite seeing many of her friends head off to university, she doesn’t regret it. ince leaving behind academic life her music career has ta en off. aving ust landed on home turf following a stint in , where she recorded her debut album set for ay release, as her what’s been her most bi arre e perience since she started out. fter some re ection she decides; meeting my manager, but also signing to my label, that’s really changed so much. oth of those were uite random, meant to be ind of things and have paved the way for other stuff’. andom’ is definitely the right word for such moments. lo was found by her manager on a apanese blog, and at age , was spotted by the head of her record label, aniel lass, at a ondon gig. lo tells me of the surreal nature of that incident. e’d own in from ew or that day, he’d never heard of me but he brought his family, and the person who’s now head of the ondon branch’. learly he li ed what he heard as lo signed to lassnote ecords two wee s later. lthough she was in tal s with other labels at the time lo insists this sudden deal ust felt really right’. The more we tal the more it’s clear these spontaneous events are in line with lo’s general ethos. try
to go with the ow’ she o es, want to allow things to ust come to fruition naturally. find with my writing, or performing, or even with what ’m wearing, it’s when ’m least trying and when it has less of my conscious thought in it, that’s when it’s the purest and best.’ espite this free approach, lo could never be accused of being rash or disorganised. he’s created a routine for herself when at home in ondon, getting up at every morning to meditate and do yoga ou’re not distracted worrying that your eans aren’t before starting to write. lo e plains these practices nice ’ help her eep focused. They also remind her that music isn’t ust her hobby, it’s her ob, something that’s s lo progresses she’s aware the more e posure she easy to forget when you don’t wor a standard nine gets the more scrutiny she’s under. ow everyone to five. has a phone people can ust video you at the concert. could be having an off night, so that is uite scary, you “I WANT TO ALLOW THINGS can’t have a moment to slip’. or now however, lo has to worry about. s she finishes her set, the TO JUST COME TO FRUI- nothing audience deliver a rapturous applause. can’t imagine TION NATURALLY. WITH MY there will be bad reviews tonight.
WRITING, OR PERFORMING... WHEN IT HAS LESS OF MY CONSCIOUS THOUGHT IN IT. THAT’S WHEN IT’S THE PUREST AND THE BEST.”
This move toward a more professional approach to her life is something that is also manifesting itself through lo’s evolving style. efore was really into that hippy thing, but not consciously, ’ve ust always li ed to dress that way, with lots of bracelets and that ind of stuff. ow ’m more into the s and arisian styles, they’re slightly more chic. They’re not as much li e let’s ust put a braid in my hair’. he also cites her parents as style inspirations. When we meet she’s wearing a pair of her um’s vintage silver trousers. lothes are important to how lo feels when she’s performing, ’ve recently felt have to wear trousers when perform, thin it ma es me feel more grounded. feel too oaty if ’m wearing a dress. now it’s slightly materialistic, but thin you feel happy when you li e what you’re wearing, you feel more confident and you can let other stuff shine though.
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SHE’S MADE IT
SARAH GAMBLE STARTED HER RECYCLED VINTAGE BUSINESS AS A SIDE -PROJECT TO HER PSYCHOLOGY DEGREE. NOW, ALMOST A YEAR SINCE GRADUATION, THE ADORNED FOUNDER ADVISES SOPHIA ANDREWS ON HOW TO GO ABOUT DOING IT YOURSELF. What made you decide to make the leap from this simply being a hobby / side project to virtually your career? I suppose the most important two factors are that I love what I do, and that it’s working! Adorned has seen a massive growth in popularity and sales in the past year, thanks to our relaunch on ASOS Marketplace and setting up our own website (only took us two years like). It was working so I thought why not do this full time? I’ve moved back home so my living costs aren’t too high, meaning if Adorned has a bad month it isn’t the end of the world. Thirdly, what I do is ethical. I love Topshop and Urban utfitters as much as the ne t person, don’t get me wrong, however I don’t want to support businesses that e ploit disadvantaged countries. The fashion in-
dustry is moving too fast – do we really need all these new clothes all the time try to fight bac by providing rewor ed and vintage clothing, handmade ewellery and airtrade ndian te tiles, more often than not at around the same price as the high street. Win win What advice would you give to a young creative looking to set up their own business? o your research. n a world that is ever changing it is really important to now what already e ists and what you can offer that is different. nd it’s so easy too have a good browse on nstagram, aretplace, epop etc to find new brands. or e ample, when first started selling cho ers on ar etplace they were ying out, because was one of the only people to offer them. owever, now many other people sell them, ’ve had to evolve and offer something they don’t namely sets with two four different charms. ow they’re my best seller e pro active, especially on social media. se as many social medias as is relevant to your business, but also now how to use them; test out a variety of styles’ of post to see what engages your audience. With aceboo posting more than twice a day becomes e cessive and detrimental, whereas nstagram is a lot more fast paced and you can get away with three or four posts a day, if they’re temporally well distributed. Thirdly, loo at what help you can get. There are so many people who can offer support, from the areers service at uni to the rinces Trust. on’t be afraid to see who you can wor with
range of si es for the same design, without buying cheap sweatshop garments. The vintage pieces come from a trusted supplier have myself and my mum get to go and hand pic everything to ensure we have a boho beautiful range of uality garments. practice what preach, and this year I have decided I need to wear more of my own rewor ed garments, always sell the ones mean to eep and in addition my personal wardrobe is vintage and thrifted Why do you think people are embracing the neo-hippy look so readily right now? thin it’s definitely been popularised in recent seasons so of course people are going to buy what’s on trend specially this ’m over that s loo of suede s irts and peasant blouses. ut there’s such a beautiful femininity to bohemian dressing long hair, ma i s irts and oaty imonos that are easy to wear, and have a timeless appeal. t’s also not an over polished loo , which is great if li e me you have ero hair styling ability and don’t wear a lot of ma eup. What do you see in the future for Adorned? deally it would involve a W campervan and travelling round festivals selling all summer, but in reality it’ll be a little car instead.
The main aim is to get a big variety of pieces available online to try to mirror the choice customers have in There are so many other things could say, so if any- person there is so much ewellery that ust haven’t body would li e to chat more please ust get in touch gotten round to photographing for the website. Time permitting, ’d also love to create my own homeware ere d y u find t e cl t es pieces using recycled fabrics. ut as of last wee end am hoo ed on crochet no pun intended so want to lot of the rewor ed tees and sweats incorporate that into dorned nd want to do more are from charity shops, which is great as menswear. nd childrenswear. asically, have a lot of it means dorned supports a number of ideas and should probably ma e a plan, but my best good causes. never thrift rimar though ideas come out of creativity, not thorough planning also sourced some eco friendly, brand new o, eep an eye out. white tees for this season our rewor ed tees sell so fast and I wanted to offer a
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CHEAP - EASY - DELICIOUS
Direction: Sophia Andrews Photography: Thom Corbishley Assistants: Isobel Wilkinson, Amelia Richardson, Lizzy James, Florence Mitchell Models: Miho Yeap & Lucy Wegerif Clothing: Dog & Bone Vintage
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You can’t avoid it, everyone’s at it. It’s an aesthetic assault which, with each freshly emoji-splattered instapic and glitter-guzzled retro garment, is growing more violent in its lustful embracement of bad taste. Whilst some choose to accept the dogmatic teachings of good taste, from the most garish corners of the deep web a new wave of feminists have emerged who proudly wear trash on their bedazzled sleeves. Lulu Williams, a young artist working predominantly in digital medium and co-editor of Cuntry Living zine, is one such devotee. But at the printed helm of said movement is Ione Gamble, Editor-in-Chief of Polyester Zine. “Have faith in your own bad taste” read the slogan of Issue 1, now with Issue 2 under her belt and ever-amassing fashion cred from the likes of Dazed&Confused to name but one, Ione sits down with HARD to explain “the intellectual underpinnings” of her Trash culture zine and why bad is actually good. - ROBBIE HODGES WRITES
SURFING THE WEB:
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“Polyester started as a group of us who were unsatisfied with the way trash culture was being reported as a trend within fashion and cultural journalism” says Gamble. Ione explains how, “trash culture subverts the idea of good taste and therefore plays on ideas of class, gender, sexuality and lots of other things as well”. Indeed, the linchpins of Trashiness; retro dressing, gender-bending and flashy flamboyance are all cited by Vogue as ‘must-have’ fads for the fashion-conscious. But are those with a fashion conscience so ignorant as to reduce an ideological-
ly-latent creative movement to a formulaic list there’s anything wrong with being distasteful” of dispensable commodities? They may be, but a says Lulu and “bad taste shouldn’t be seen as a glimpse at the fresh-face of London would sug- bad thing” adds Ione. gest otherwise. Bad taste is, after all, the visual language spoken Champions of trash, London’s most promising by cyber-feminists of the moment. It’s a delibyoung designers are ensuring that tacky sticks erately repulsive, belligerent mother-tongue around. Christian Cowan-Sanluis’ AW15 pres- that is incomprehensible to the “cis white middle entation was a guilty embracement of power class” population; those who believe themselves via beauty. Plastic-perfect models in glitter hot to be arbiters of good taste. Interestingly, both pants flirtatiously perched on star-spangled Lulu and Ione cite the revolutionary feminist unelectoral podiums whilst editors across the room derground movement of decades past, RiotGrrgrammed the bitingly vacuous hashtag ‘#VO- rl, as a core influence at both of their respective TE4ME”. The presentation was a microcosmic publications. But more than feminist, the semanexposé of human nature and a happy-slap to the tics of trash culture are overwhelmingly queer in elitism of the fashion industry. their elevation of bits and bobs that have been discarded as ugly by-products of society. “InterAlthough trash culture is most definitely a trend sectionalist ideas are reaching places they hadn’t (despite Ione’s words) in its momentary rele- accessed before” thanks to the internet, says vance, her belief that a plastic-coated necklace Lulu; feminism has “used the web to its advanis as deserving of celebration as a 20 Karat chain tage”. ‘Girl-power’ is no longer exclusively limited is hard to dispute. Ione weighs in, “bad taste im- to girls and ‘girl gang’ no longer synonymous with plies a certain amount of irony, although… artists, ‘cliquey clan’. Previous only spoken by native designers and visual people who work under the women, feminism is no longer a women’s probtitle of ‘bad taste’ or ‘kitsch’ all have intellectu- lem and the queer language of trash culture is al underpinnings within their work that should testament to this. “Don’t be defined by the past” be discussed with the same amount of depth as says Edward Meadham (of Meadham Kirchoff their non-trashy peers”. Hear hear! fame) in Polyester Zine’s second issue, “it was a totally different context then, it was a different A code-master, Lulu Williams takes the web as world. It’s pointless trying to cling to what the her canvas and its inconsistencies and perceived Riot Grrrls were.” flaws as her subject. On the side of her art degree she co-edits the much-famed feminist zine And so marks the advent of fifth-wave feminism; of St Catherine’s College in Oxford; Cuntry Living digital, fabulous and all-inclusive. In conclusion I Zine. Glitter, fluff, sequins and more innocuously ask the girls to offer one piece of advice to HARD silly referents defined the girl-power of the late readers. “Support your local girl gang. Reach out nineties and early noughties but Lulu sees weight to people who you want to work with, and try not behind the fluff. “I’d say it’s [embracement of to care what other people think!” from Ione and a trash] a form of resistance, asking questions far less promising but just as creditably true anabout human taste and ideology. A reclamation swer from Lulu; “Learn to code because in a few of narratives that have been imposed on women years 11yr olds are going to be taking your jobs”. by the media”. Is modern day feminism’s trash love affair then the product of a deep-seated resentment? A bitterness towards the digtal world which framed girl-power with superfluous frou frou and laughably bad taste? Both Lulu and FIND MORE @ LUWILLIAMS. Ione are quick to defend bad taste, “I don’t think COM + POLYESTERZINE.COM
YOUNG AND DIRTY.
HARD BRING YOU THE PHOTOGRAPHY OF SLY PANDA AND BRYONY HARPER
“The Intricate Delicate series (some of which is shown above) is ongoing and focused around the mating game and displays of public intimacy. I find some of those moments magical.” - SP
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“I really enjoy capturing what people would class as ‘Trashy’ moments or behaviours... they present a harsh reality of modern life that many people would like to hide from or ignore.” - BH
“The light leaks, the dust marks, warped colours and unintended scratches I feel they are all things that make film unique. I love the idea of fossilising a photograph as a hard copy negative rather than just a digital file to make prints from.” - SP “Being young in 2015 is to be excited and open minded” - BH
LET THE GOOD TIMES SCROLL :)
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