theCreative Collective by Ruby Diable

This issue will feature Fashion/ Textiles/Fine Art/ Architecture

t heCrea tive Collectiv

R E

T E

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EDITORS NOTE The creative collective is a publication, featuring the work of university students studying at art universities. Interviews, articles and work will feature from creatives who used to be in the industry, even those who wish they were and candid accounts from future artists. My experience has influenced the theme of the ‘creative collective’ to show how the creativity of individuals has an influence on society. Having the world tell you that your work is not as important as traditional degrees is frustrating. The emotional attachment, cost and time that goes into an art degree is unrecognised, which is the foundation of this publication. A big thank you to everyone who has contributed their work, their story and their time in order for this publication to become a success. It has been really fascinating learning about everyone’s different experiences in and within the creative arts.

CONTENTS 5

Mollie Gorman - Textiles

‘If I Had My Time Again’ Joanne Antoinette

‘Overcoming Adversity’ Ruby Diable

Uni Street Style

Hugo Chizlett - Textiles

Marius Leaf - Fine Art

Questionnaires

Fern Davy - Fashion

Sophie Vallis - Photography

Amy Holt - Fine Art

Molly Diable - Film

Anthony Azzopardi - Leather Cutter

Marius Leaf - Fine Art

Annalaura Fornasier - Architecture

MOLLIE GORMAN TEXTILES

What inspires you? “I would say everyday surroundings inspire me the most, whenever I am lacking inspiration I venture outdoors for fresh air and inspiration comes to me. I am also very inspired by other designers that I work alongside in uni and artists I’ve found online and in exhibitions such as new designers, I go every year. Anything relating to stitch and lots of colour I love.” What fabric do you prefer to work with and why? “I like playing around with a lot of different fabrics, testing out what works well for different techniques etc. and it also depends on what season I am designing for. One of my favourites is leather/leatherettes. It’s really easy to shape and work with and it’s great for fashion pieces. I do however also love working with more delicate fabrics such as silks, in my opinion my stitch work is a lot more effective on softer fabrics. I am currently working on neoprene’s, which is very exciting, as I haven’t used them before.”

Procion print, with hand embroidery.

Based around household geometrics. - Screen printed onto leather, cut up and stitched together.

If I had my time again By Joanne Antoinette

I have always had a keen interest in fashion from a young child. er I tend to know what suits me To earn some pocket money to more and stick to certain styles. buy clothes, I worked in East London’s iconic markets PetAccessorising is a good way ticoat Lane and Roman Road to make an outfit different, be from the age of 13 years old. it a bag, scarf or even a hat, there’s so much to choose from. In the 80’s these markets were well known for having a variety I have always said to my daughof fashionable clothes, the mar- ters, be different in what you wear, kets still exist but not so much for you don’t have to follow the latest clothes, another area close by is trend it’s good to mix it up put your the very trendy Spitafields at theown spin on an outfit, stand out! time it was a fruit and veg market. When I moved to Essex travelling Spitafields has very unique shopsinto London by train I always reand stalls and a lot of young de- called a young lady, I didn’t know signers started there, Dahlia her at the time but we met many comes to mind as I purchased years later at a Rugby Club, she one of her very first designs of recognised me and knew the starain macs, which I still have. Many tion I travelled from. She told me years later I bumped into her at that I always stood out, she said she London fashion week at the Ex- loved my clothes and that I always cel Centre and she recognised looked lovely, what a complement! me, which I was really taken back by. She now has branched out I also enjoy interior design; I love with her own online shopping site, watching any programs to do with with many stockists worldwide. properties and makeovers. Recently I had a new kitchen fitted, which I worked in a Ladies boutique allowed me to express my creative ‘Posers owned by my cousin and side, I loved designing my dream his partner, on London’s Bethnal kitchen from scratch with a comGreen Road in the school holi- pany and having a strong input. days. Most of the time I spent my wages on the clothes as theyWhen I left school girls went straight came in and had them put aside.into work, an office job was considered a good career back then, only A friend once said to me “you’re very few had the opportunity to go like a magpie”, I’m just attract- to university. If I had my time again ed to clothes; it could be a col- I definitely think it would be to do our that first catches my eye with Fashion or Interior Design, or the fabric, clothes make me as that is when I am at my best. feel good. As I have gotten old-

OVERCOMING ADVERSITY BY RUBY DIABLE

When asked in school what I wanted to do I immediately gravitated towards fashion, at first I thought ‘most girls want to work in fashion, don’t they?’, as I got older I realised that it wasn’t just a phase. On paper I’m not the smartest, according to tests I’ve been required to take throughout my school life. The pressure always got to me and I cracked, but ask me the same question in person and I can give you a full mark answer. I hated being judged on my abilities on exams and not my talents that don’t get tested. I felt that I was stupid, a failure and constantly compared myself to others. Nursing and teaching, these were options that I weighed up doing incase my career as a fashion designer failed. My GCSE results day, was sourer than most. I will never forget the words my Headmaster told me “With your grades I’d be surprised if you passed your A-levels”. What encouragment! My results werent awful, I recieved all B’s, 2 C’s and one D which I re took and got up to a C. I have never felt so belittled and worthless, well I made it my mission to prove him wrong! When I reached A-Level I got the chance to study Art- Textiles, which without I probably wouldn’t be studying fashion because I would have no work to show. Finding out I was good enough to get into university straight form A-levels without having to do a foundation course, my confidence soared and I thought yeah I could do this! Even though I was excited to go to university I was still uncomfortable telling people what I study without explaining what I do. Which today I really don’t care about anymore! I do what I enjoy, that’s it. First year allowed me to experiment with design and communication; I wish I knew about image and communication earlier because I love it. Who knew I had such passion for paper and publications. But finally I’ve found something that I’m good at and people cant tell me that I’m not, I’m no longer judged by how much information my brain can contain but how I can meet a brief and make it my own. Without following my gut and choosing to study fashion I can honestly say I don’t think I would be at uni, doing something I love and know the amazing talented people that share and understand the same experiences as myself.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I made it my mission to prove him wrong!â&#x20AC;?

AUB

STREET STYLE

TEXTILES 25

HUGO CHIZLETT

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I'm designing a speciality Porsc for race events and the 2017 gumboil rallyâ&#x20AC;?

Why did you choose to study Textiles? “It was something different from what my friends were all doing and it also gave me a way to combine my unconventional ideas and unconventional materials.” Have you ever experienced a negative reaction from someone about your career choice/ course subject? “Definitely, there is always the idea of creative subjects being joke subjects and not going to take my anywhere. However as a young male doing textiles I have received particular skepticism.” Do you find that you have to explain yourself when telling people what you study? “Yes, no one outside of the creative circle understands quite the extent of textiles and how varied and crazy it can be.” If so is it frustrating or do you think that people aren’t aware of the careers available to textile students? “I think people just don’t know about the varied nature of textiles its always advertised as curtains and cushions, which it definitely can be but it can also be laser etching wall panels or screen printing on concrete for example.”

If so in what ways did they encourage you? “They showed me that textiles was such a broad subject and how you could almost do whatever you want.” Do your family and friends support your career choice? “Definitely, both my parents were interested in creative subject while they were at school but were never able to so that meant they were even more willing to help me pursue my dreams.” Do you have a specialism and what is your end goal? “I don’t have a definitive specialism I just know I prefer and I am better at interior based design.” Would you say there is a stigma attached to people who choose to pursue a career in art, fashion etc. “Yes, there is definitely the idea of them being pretend subjects even at GCSE level all the way up to degree level.” Being a male in a predominately female industry do you find you’re treated differently? “Definitely, however it’s never a negative and I can definitely use it to my advantage as I immediately stand out from a group of female designers.”

Was there much encouragement from your school to pursue art/ textiles or did they want you to focus on academic subjects? If there were one thing you could change about the “Yes, all through my sixth form studies my teachers wanted me to view on people at art universities, what would it be? consider changing my goals from graphic design to textiles and tex- “I think respect is something I tiles at Bournemouth in particular.” would like to change, we are the new generation of designers and I think companies, big companies in particular, should give us a bit more credit and chances to get into the industry.”

MARIUS LEAF FINE ART 31

QUES TION NAIR 32

SNRES

Name: Age:

Alexander Sparrow 22

1. What subject do you study? Business Information Systems

16. What are your favourite names? Fredrick 17. Do you believe in Astrology? No

2. How do you feel about people who work in 18. Do you think that creaan art based industry rather than an academic one? tive people are more open-minded? I feel like people in the arts business are moreYes talented creatively than those in the academic 19. Do you think that there is too much mon3. Do you ever think about how films ey to be made from films, art, fashion etc.? Why? are made when you’re watching them? No, because it makes sense that the more peo Yes who buy the product the more money is made 4. Do you judge someone by the way that they look? E.g. someone who dresses quirky. No, maybe somewhat if they are dressed outrageously 5. Which historical figure do you most identify with? How? I don’t know 6. What is your motto? Slow and steady wins the race. 7. In what ways do you live by this motto? I don’t let the pressure of situations get to me, I stop and think first. 8. What is your favourite occupation? Aeronautical engineer 9. At school were you encouraged to be creative or to be good at maths and science? Maths and Science 10. Tell me about a project or accomplishment that you consider to be the most significant in your career or personal life. Completed a scuba diving course 11. What is your spirit animal? And why? Tortoise because they take their time and know how to relax. 12. Which living person do you most admire? My mum because she always seems to put the needs of others before her own 13. Which talent would you most like to have? Good at maths 14. Would you say the creative arts are dominated by males, females or equal? Females 15. Now apply that question to the industry that you are you. Males

Name: Age: 19

Katrina Istead

1. What subject do you study? Marketing Communications

they love napping and can be sassy. 12. Which living person do you most admire? David Attenborough

2. How do you feel about people who work13. in Which talent would an art based industry rather than an academicyou one? most like to have? I think that is a difficult industry to work in, as I would love to be able to sing. it is highly competitive. I also respect and admire them as they produce all things that 14. Would you say the creative arts I enjoy most, e.g. fashion, film, music, etc. are dominated by males, females or equal I think the creative arts are mainly domina 3. Do you ever think about how films ed by men. However, it is definitely much are made when you’re watching them? more equally split than other industries. I always think about how films are made and I often research how it was made 15. Now apply that quesand all the cast after watching them. tion to the industry that you are you. I think the marketing industry is fairly even 4. Do you judge someone by the way that split and may even be more female domin they look? E.g. someone who dresses quirky. I probably subconsciously judge people by the 16. way What are your favourite names? they look, as there are trends that I like and dislike. Sienna, Indiana, Serena, Zach, Elliott. However, if someone has a quirky and unique look I admire him or her for having the confidence to17. wear Doit.you believe in Astrology? I do but there are some as5. Which historical figpects I am sceptical about. ure do you most identify with? How? I respect Emmeline Pankurst because of her 18. Do you think that creadevotion to feminism and she was a strong tive people are more open-minded? female who made a huge impact on hisI think creative people are usutory and improved women’s lives today. ally more open-minded.

6. What is your motto? 19. Do you think that there Why tip-toe through life to arrive safely at death? is too much money to be made from films, art, fashion etc.? Why? 7. In what ways do you live by this motto? I don’t think too much money is made from I try to live by this motto by going out and en- the arts due to the happiness they can brin joying new experiences as much as possible. and the amount of money it generates. 8. What is your favourite occupation? Any occupation where someone risks their safety to protect animals/people/environment. 9. At school were you encouraged to be creative or to be good at maths and science? At school we were encouraged to choose academic subjects over creative subjects and were limited on the number of arts we could study. 10. Tell me about a project or accomplishment that you consider to be the most significant in your career or personal life. I think the most significant accomplishment for my career and personal life is achieving the grades to get into university. 11. What is your spirit animal? And why? I think my spirit animal would be a cat because

Name: Age:

Emma Dearling 21

1. What subject do you study? Fashion Image and Communication

16. What are your favourite names? Luna and Blue 17. Do you believe in Astrology? No, definitely not

2. How do you feel about people who work in18. Do you think that creaan art based industry rather than an academic one? tive people are more open-minded? I feel art based industries are more open minded 100% but doesn’t mean all other people aren’t 3. Do you ever think about how films are made when you’re watching them? 19. Do you think that there Sometimes, when I wonder how did they dois that? too much money to be made from films, art, fashion etc.? Why? 4. Do you judge someone by the way that Sometimes, some fashion comthey look? E.g. someone who dresses quirky. panies that use fur and use un-enI do judge, but not necessary in a negativevironmentally way friendly fabrics for unnecessary reasons and same 5. Which historical figwith films when they are unethical ure do you most identify with? How? I don’t identify but I admire Emmeline Pankurst for fighting for women’s rights 6. What is your motto? Karma 7. In what ways do you live by this motto? I believe leaving it to karma to deal with bad people 8. What is your favourite occupation? Something creative 9. At school were you encouraged to be creative or to be good at math’s and science? I was taught to be an all rounder to leave your options for the future open 10. Tell me about a project or accomplishment that you consider to be the most significant in your career or personal life. Going to camp America for 3 months 11. What is your spirit animal? And why? Unicorn because they’re magical af 12. Which living person do you most admire? My mum 13. Which talent would you most like to have? I would like to be able to sing effortlessly 14. Would you say the creative arts are dominated by males, females or equal? Depends what sector you look in; graphics is more even than fashion, which is mainly females 15. Now apply that question to the industry that you are you. Mainly females

Name: Age:

Zak Caddy

16. 20

1. What subject do you study? Fashion

What are your favourite names? Eddison and Madison

17. Do you believe in Astrology? Yes to an extent

2. How do you feel about people who work18. in Do you think that creaan art based industry rather than an academictive one? people are more open-minded? They are more creative Not necessarily, but in some cases 3. Do you ever think about how films are made when you’re watching them? Yes

19. Do you think that there is too much m ey to be made from films, art, fashion etc.? No, people are leaving their impact on earth. They reflect the times and are im 4. Do you judge someone by the way that portant for various reasons, the art the they look? E.g. someone who dresses quirky. make lasts forever they become eterna Yes but not in a negative way so any amount of money is not enough 5. Which historical figure do you most identify with? How? Michael Alig, he showed up on the scene that didn’t want him and made it HIS scene 6. What is your motto? Nothing worth doing is easy 7.In what ways do you live by this motto? Push myself daily 8. What is your favourite occupation? Editor in chief of Vogue 9. At school were you encouraged to be creative or to be good at math’s and science? In my later years I was encouraged to do art because I was good at it but there was always an emphasis on more academic 10. Tell me about a project or accomplishment that you consider to be the most significant in your career or personal life. My final foundation show 11. What is your spirit animal? And why? A Lion because they’re fierce 12. Which living person do you most admire? Myself 13. Which talent would you most like to have? To be able to sing 14. Would you say the creative arts are dominated by males, females or equal? Equal to a degree 15. Now apply that question to the industry that you are you. Male dominated

“People have always met me with negativity upon explaining that I am studying a degree in Fashion. I am usually asked what job I can possible go into post - degree, what use is a degree in fashion. I was once told that I was just procrastinating on getting a job and becoming a functioning part of society. It’s frustrating to me as these people don't understand or care how much time and hard work goes into a fashion degree. I work in the studio 10-5pm five days a week and then working from home at any other possible time, especially as it comes to deadline week, then its surviving on four hours of sleep and avoiding a near breakdown! Without creative students there would be no arts. No film, photography, ark work, architecture, music and clothing wouldn't be as fun and inventive. Without creative minds the world would be a lot less colourful.”

FERN DAVY

FASHION 38

SOPHIE VALLIS PHOTOGRAPHY

Why did you choose to study Photography?

Was there much encouragement from your school to pursue photography or did they want you “I chose to study it as my famito focus on academic subjects? ly members told me I had a good eye for photography and en- “Very much focused on the academcouraged me to peruse it. I enic subjects, there wasn’t an option to joyed it a lot and there wasn’teven study photography in school.” much else that interested me.” Have you ever experienced a negative reaction from someone about your career choice?

Do your family and friends support your career choice?

“Some do, some not so much. “Quite a few actually. I am someI think they are glad I’m doing times hesitant to tell people as I something I enjoy, but I know they know the negative reaction it think will I’ll be working in Tesco or cause. People sort of say ‘Oh, something I instead of having phosee’ and you can tell they aren’t tography as a full time career.” impressed by your chosen degree. Whereas if I had said Law, it Who is your favourwould be ‘Wow that’s amazing!’.” ite photographer and why? Do you find that you have to explain yourself when telling people what you study?

“Sophie Calle, she’s a French photographer whose images have a lot of emotion and thought behind them. I like that you don’t immedi“Not so much, the degree ti- ately know what the reason is betle ‘commercial photography’ hind that image until you do your is quite self explanatory. I have research and see how much efhad people say my degree is fort has gone into that one image” ‘easy’ because all I do is take photos, I don’t think they realise how much theory is involved.”What is your favorite thing to photograph? If so is it frustrating or do you think that people aren’t aware of the career that you can make out of being a photographer?

“People. I find people very interesting, the fact that we all have very different lives and things going on. However, there is very little money in documentary photogra“Very, very much so. I’ve had phy, peo- so I won’t be perusing this as ple close to me (my boyfriendaincareer, which is the sad truth!” cluded) who don’t believe I will make any money. There are hints now and then about how I ‘will be the one on the lower income’ which may be untrue. Many people see it as just a hobby.”

Do you think there is a stigma attached to people who choose to pursue a career in art, fashion etc. “Absolutely. You tend to see it in movies a lot, the character who is a photographer, artists, actor etc who struggles to pay their rent. It’s very infuriating to watch as this is not true with all artists.” Do you have a specialism and what is your end goal? “At the moment, its advertising photography. Before this it was documentary. I hope to become more knowledgeable about lighting images in interesting ways, which I hope will lead to a brand wanting me to work for them.” What/ who inspires you?

“Again I would have to say people. like to people watch when in public and try to work out what sort of person they are, then I want to pho tograph them. Unfortunately, many people are uncomfortable with this If there were one thing you could change about the view on people at art universities, what would it be?

“It would be nice to be respected a an artist. I don’t think people quite realise how much photographers/ graphic designers etc really do for ciety. All the people that mock us g home and watch TV, listen to music read magazines, and so on. Artists what make these things possible bu we are treated as if we study a poin less degree (someone has actually called my degree pointless before).

AMY HOLT

FINE ART 46

Why did you choose to study art and to specialise in sculpture making? “Always knew I wanted to study fine art in some way, I thought I wanted to be a prop designer like my father and looked into courses of set design but after my What encouragement did college course I decided I wanted to foyou receive from your family? cus on sculpture/fine art making. These disciplines obviously cross over in many “I was very lucky as I come from a very ways so it seemed an obvious progression.” creative family who encouraged me Have you ever experienced a negative reaction from someone about your career choice?

to study art in any way I wanted to. I know many people whose families were not as supportive/did not understand but that was never a problem for me.”

Did you choose to do a foundation cours “Since I have moved to London negative reactions are much less common, I am immersed within a creative environment and “I didn’t actually choose to do a foundation course, I left school after my AS creative people at most times at Goldsmiths. However, in Essex where my family level and didn’t complete my A2 because I had already decided that I knew is from there were was a lot of negativity surrounding my choice to study art. Many I wanted to study art. The program I people assumed that I was unintelligent andthen enrolled on was a 2-year fine art doing this because I wasn’t clever enough toUniversity of the Arts London diploma. study a more academic/business subject. Most people on completing that course People did not realise that within the study were then expected to go on and do a foundation course because that is the of art you confront philosophy/literature/ course that generally gets you into uniethics/sociology/anthropology etc. and it is not just playing around with materials.” versity. By the time I had done this 2 year course and my year of AS levels I Was there much encouragement from was over 19 therefore would have had to your school to pursue art or did they pay £4000 for my foundation without a want to focus on academic subjects? loan. Many Universities told me that they might not accept me because I had not completed a foundation therefore I had “I chose to go to my school specificalto work extremely hard to get my portly because it was an ‘arts college’ which folio to a similar standard of a student specialiSed in music/drama/dance/art etc. Throughout the years they seemed to who had undergone a foundation and ended up getting accepted into every regard these subjects as equally imporUni I applied for without a foundation.” tant with the academic subjects. However, once I got to sixth form the type of art I was making became a problem for my art tutors and they did not encourage me to pursue this at all. The school was a very conservative Convent therefore any art which seemed challenging/pushing boundaries was not encouraged and this ultimately lead to me leaving school early and going to study fine art at a college.”

Do you think there is a stigma attached to people who choose to pursue a career in art, fashion etc. “I think perhaps it depends where you are situated. As previously stated, reactions differ in Essex when compared to London. Often people think you are incapable of doing something academic, assume you are stupid and that is why you have chosen such a career, creativity is often not seen as an intelligence. “

MOLLY DIABLE Do you think people judge people on the way they look/ stereotype based on the way people look? Artists are more put under stereotypes. Filmmakers donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t look arty. So what do you usually wear on a daily basis? Varies - Jeans, skirt and top, dress, doc martens or trainers. Explain your role as a producer Organises logistics of a shoot. Plans, makes sure the director is happy, find locations and finances.

When you watch movies do you look at it differently due to your profession? Not really, I think those who work more in the technical side of film are more likely to analyse whilst watching movies.

Is it annoying having to explain what you do? Do you think it is because people donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know the different roles in film? I think everyone knows the general role of a producer howev the job role does vary slightly in film or TV. However I think t are a lot of roles in the film industry that people are unawar How long is your course? Training is 3 years plus work experience

What is your end goal? Producer for wildlife documentaries What is your view on art universities? Gives people an opportunity to figure out what to do within the industry. Also enables students to build up connections with each other and in the industry. It is also a great time to experiment and express your work. When you were at school, did they have the resources/ subjects to help you get into the university of your choice? The closest thing relevant to my subject was media studies, which wasn’t available to me until A-levels. It taught me about general media but wasn’t helpful directly to my future career goals. Was it worth doing a foundation year? Personally yes I thought that my foundation year was beneficial. It gave me a year to get a feel for university without being on a BA course. It also allowed me to develop skills, which allowed me to cope better once I started first year. If there is one thing you could change about the view on people in an art subject? That taking an art related subject isn’t a ‘proper’ subject to study at University. Do you think that there should be more funding available for students at art universities? Definitely! Probably the biggest downside to my course is that costs towards a film project has to come out of your own pocket or has to be fundraised for. University is expensive enough without having to finance individual projects. What are your plans for your final year at university? For my final year I am currently writing my dissertation titled: ‘Do wildlife films encourage conservation?’ I am also planning a wildlife documentary in South East Asia where I will be collaborating with a charity dedicated to protecting Orangutan’s.

“taking an art related subject isn’t a ‘proper’ subject to stud at University.”

ANTHONY AZZOPARDI

LEATHER CUTTER 53

“Went to a career officer after school aged 15, that was in 1962”

Born in Malta Anthony Azzopardi one of seven moved over to England at the age of 5. Speaking English at a good level and with the basic education he went to career officer after leaving school, aged 15. Not being confident with English and Mathâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, this is where he found himself thrown into the textiles industry. His first job was as a pattern cutter in London, Fashion Street. (Brick Lane, East London) The job consisted of him cutting dresses and layering them up, with an 8am start he was expected to lay up to 100 pieces of material at a time and cut them out until the day ended about 5-5:30pm

Tessuti

What was your job role? “Eastman, cutting leather” What was your first job? “Pattern cutter, London, Fashion St. Cutting dresses and laying them up.”

Do you find that the new generation of pattern cutters have a different attitude to the craft?

How did you get into the industry? “The industry went abroad “Went to a career officer after to China and India. You don’t school, aged 15, that was in 1962” find many factories now. I started at the peak in What was an average day like? the 60/70’s, everything “Star t 8am finish about 5- 5:30 pm is imported now.” Lay up 100 pieces material, machine put pattern on and Did you think it was ethically/ cut out 400 dresses in one go” morally wrong to use leather? Was your work place fe“Its work, I just got on with it! male or male orientated? Some people couldn’t work “Men did the cutting and womwith it because they got a en were on the machines in rash from the chemicals, another part of the factory” so they had to wear gloves. My wife was a machinest What was your specialism? and she couldn’t touch cash“Leather, my sister got me mere as it gave her a rash.” the job. I started out with fabric (cotton) and then leather”How have times changed? “The was an increase in machines but manual work was quicker. They brought in machines to cut the leather so it would be faster but it turned Did you enjoy your job? out that we were faster than “No choice! Didn’t mind it I earned good money. We got the machine, so the maa wage and then £3 per Jack- chines became redundant. In the East end the factories et. It was a lot busier in winter” were mostly owned by Jewish and Irish people, until more What would you have done Asians took over and it moved other than cutting/textiles? abroad. Girls went into offic“Animals – zoo or Vet” es instead of machinests in order to better themselves. What tools could My daughter didn’t want to you not live without? go into the same industry “- Sheers , I had my as me or my wife (Emanuelown set for 20years la Azzopardi, machinist). So - Click in knife she got a job in an office.” - Butchers board Fur knife” How long did you work in the industry for? “50 years”

MARIUS LEAF 61 FINE ART

ANNALAURA FORNASIER ARCHITECTURE 62

How long is your course? 7 years long in order to become an architect, 3 years of BA, 1 year of internship in between. 2 years of masters, 1 year of internship and then you can take the exam to be recognised as an architect

When did you decide you wanted to be an architect? And why? I’ve always been interested in architecture since I was a kid. My parents used to take me to the Design Week in Milan and we would look at furniture and architecture and discuss about it. When I was 14 my parents decided to buy a house and asked a friend theirs to design it for them. He was a really interesting architect, however once the house was finished we had so many problems with it. Th architect barely listened to my parents’ ideas on what they wanted or needed in the house. The house was not functional at all; we spent yea and a lot of money to fix all the things that weren’t working in it. In the end it was only very nice aesthetically but lacked all the functional aspects needed in a house. So that triggered me to pursue a career in ar chitecture because I wanted to design spaces that could reflect what the clients needed and I also wanted to try and design places that wer functional and that could work, rather than only being nice aesthetical

Have you ever experienced a negative response to you studying an art subject? Among all the art subjects architecture is probably the least artistic one, at least that’s the perception I have often noticed by people that aren’t involved in artistic world. So architecture is much more accepted than other artistic subjects. However, as soon as I mention the fact that I study in an arts university the opinions change and people seem to become a bit perplex and reluctant towards it. They often think it's an easier path that people take to avoid studying “harder” subjects.

What would be your dream building to design? That's a very hard question. I don't think I have acquired enough knowledge and experience yet to even be able to imagine my dream building, especially because I know that my ideas and interests will definitely change as I grow up. However right now I envision a building which beauty lies in the simple and linear forms rather than on funky shapes. I envision a building that focuses on the combination of materials, on games of light and shadow that can create a unique atmosphere for the visitor. Did you receive any encouragement from your school to pursue your dream? I did from my art teachers and from a couple of other teachers that were very passionate about the arts. However, not that much attention was given to me and the others that wanted to pursue a career in the arts compared to those that wanted to study law or medicine. If so how? The majority of the teachers werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t as excited or as willing to discuss our university choices. However overall I was lucky enough that most of my teachers were extremely interested in the arts, whether because they were passionate about it and art was one of their interests in their off school hours or because they had a relative that had pursued a career in the arts. Many still ask me about my projects and want to see my works from uni. What made you want to study abroad? I attended an Italian school up until the age of 15 when my parents gave me the possibility to study in an American school. They left the choice to me. I could've chosen to continue with the Italian education but they gave me this incredible opportunity if I really wanted to. The idea of learning a new language and studying with a completely different teaching methodology that could have given me the chance to travel and go abroad really fascinated me. After high school I didn't see the point in going back to an Italian education and the opportunities abroad seemed much more open minded and suited me best for the kind of person that I am. Where do you get your inspiration? I get my inspiration from looking at architecture magazines and books or from online architecture sources. However, most recently my inspiration had come from lectures that have triggered my interest for more historical examples rather than only very contemporary ones that are usually the most popular online. Who is your favorite architect and why? My favourite architect is Peter Zumthor. He is a Swiss architect that lives in the middle of the mountains in Switzerland. His background and experiences helped him gain a deep understanding of materials and how they work together, as well as the use of light and deeply studied how light can illuminate a space. His book Atmospheres is truly inspirational to me, particularly when he describes how some of the inspirations that he seeks into a building come from his childhood memories of his home. If there is one thing you could change about the way art courses are viewed what would it be? I would encourage upper schools to help both students and parents to become more aware of the artistic world and how important it is to explore. If awareness is brought from a young age, then less people will condemn the arts as a niche or as an easy path to escape from studying "harder" subjects.