Hasta La Ideas

Antiques and fashion take flight in two Dalston boutiques

London’s East End is globally renowned for playing host to some of the world’s most stylishly eclectic fashion houses, art galleries and bars. But it’s the small gems you won’t necessarily hear about—unless you’re a local—that continue to fuel this reputation. Launched in 2010, Pelicans & Parrots is one such treasure. Nestled on Stoke Newington Road, just a short way from the beautiful chaos of Ridley Road Market, it’s a visual paradise, brimming with everything from vintage designer handbags through to antique leather armchairs. CH caught up with owners Ochuko Ojiri and Juliet Da Silva for a quick chat about antiques, aesthetics and avoiding the usual retail pitfalls.

How did the name come about?

We chose Pelicans & Parrots because we like the juxtaposition of the elegant parrot and the awkward—but beautiful—pelican.

You have such a variety of stuff spanning homewares to fashion. Where do you source your stock?

Our stock comes from all over the world. Our furniture and objects are a mixture of new and vintage and come from different antique fairs and markets across the UK and EU. Much of our newer pieces are from the US as well as other areas of Europe. All our clothes are vintage and about 80% are sourced in Italy.

Do you ever have trouble parting with great finds?

Hahaha! We often argue whether or not we want to sell an item! I’ve currently got a rather nice hunting jacket that I’m very reluctant to part with and I seem to recall Juliet carrying a pretty special YSL bag!

You bravely decided to launch a concept shop, Pelicans & Parrots Black, in the middle of a recession. Did you have anything else to fall back on if this hadn’t worked?

Being a pair of creatives in the middle of a recession we felt we had no choice but to try our own thing. We had nothing to fall back on, and bills to pay. I think we have been able to survive as we both come from a strong design and retail backgrounds. We decided early on to concentrate on creating a beautiful space filled with things that we love that also have heritage and longevity. We are constantly sourcing and putting our own twist on current trends and this is something we think sets us apart from every other store.

What are some of the challenges to owning and running Pelicans & Parrots?

Finding the money and convincing people that—although we do love them—there’s life beyond the Pound Shops. On the flipside, it’s a great and rare privilege to have one’s taste and indulgences validated. We also get to meet some fantastic characters!

Why did you choose this area?

After living in the area for many years we could see that Dalston had a fast-growing social scene and nightlife that had migrated from Shoreditch. But, there were no shops! We took great delight in being described as “Dalston’s first proper shop”. We basically created what we ourselves needed. We want both shops to create an aspired spectacle. Whether it’s our life-sized caged flamingo in our first shop or the anthropological chic we employ in P&P Black.

Aside from your own store, where would you recommend people go if they’re just visiting East London for a day?

I would tell them to visit Ridley Road Market in Dalston, eat at Rochelle’s Canteen in Arnold Circus E2 and shop at Afrique Fabriks on Kingsland Road, Dalston.

Pelicans & Parrots

40 Stoke Newington Rd

Dalston, London, N16 7XJ

Tel. +44 20 3215 2083

Pelicans & Parrots Black

81 Stoke Newington Road

Dalston, London, N16 8AD.

Tel. +44 20 7249 9177

Intimacy and illusion in a range of contemporary photography seen at the show

Representing 120 galleries from 16 countries, the spring Art Paris Art Fair offers a prime opportunity to observe the latest tendencies in the modern and contemporary art markets. This year we found particular attention paid to photography, unveiling the intriguing progress of the exploration of intimacy.

The images that stood out to us traced a progression from a series of building facades taken in 2007 to today’s more revelatory shots exposing the private lives of those that inhabit such spaces. Some artists delved even deeper into the idea of home documentation with installations set up to peep through a keyhole.

Dutch photographer Erwin Olaf has built an enclosed booth, inviting visitors to sit on the chair in front of closed doors and look into the keyhole. As part of the PHPA 2011 project (Prix photo d’hôtel photo d’auteur—Hotel photos awards), Elene Usdin displayed the sketches she shot in hotel rooms through a peephole in the door of room 18 constructed for the exhibit.

As the camera pierces a sense of intimacy with the keyhole device, the practice of portraiture heads in the opposite direction as pictures seem to zoom in on the face, often depicting the subject blurred, heavily made up or disguised.

Korean artist Byung-Hun Min is gaining fame with his gray-tone “vanishing” portraits, questioning the ephemeral process of photography as well as the silence and simplicity characteristic of his culture.

Similarly focused on disappearing landscapes and backgrounds is the politically engaged series “Hide in the City” by the Chinese photographer Liu Bolin. Bolin uses his body as a medium of expression as he blends into the environment like a chameleon.

At the Italian Fabbrica Eos Gallery, Giuseppe Mastromatteo‘s photo series “Indepensense 2012” plays on truth and distortion by featuring nude bodies unnaturally intertwined to create vignettes opposing racial and cultural norms. Ruggero Rosfer & Shaokun also shakes up tradition by positing a new universal language that Eastern and Western worlds can share, both geographically and culturally, through the arts.

In a reverse approach from explicitly showing intimacy, the landscape itself becomes an intimate subject in a magical series by photographer Markus Henttonen. His photo of decorated trees in Manhattan marks a highlight in his recent body of work exploring relations between cities and their inhabitants.

Gerard Traquandi‘s beautifully dark photos feature organic details of twisted branches, bushwoods and transparent petals like nighttime-induced hallucinations. Their magical appeal is obtained by the technique of brushing resin pigments and wax into the photo, imprinting a photosensitive sheet.

The diptych and triptych style marked another recurring theme of this show. These two- or three-panel pictures result in a panoramic view responding to each other by echoing patterns and forcing the viewer to make the effort to mentally recompose the picture. This technique is brilliantly used by American artist Stephan Crasneanscki—founder of the soundwalk project—in his thoughtful landscapes like “The Woods of Schwarzwald—Martin Heidegger”.

The 2012 World Press third prize winner Alexander Gronsky uses the diptych technique systematically in “Mental Landscapes”, an image enhanced by the dramatic dimensions of a military show in China. Another piece depicts mice spread on rocks in some misty military-occupied scenery, emphasizing contrast while using the same range of colors.

The Parisian-based La Galerie Particulière features diptych and triptych photography by David Hilliard, an artist who uses the technique to tell personal stories in the form of a diary made of sequential imagery. Also included are a series of diptychs by Anne-Lise Broyer that are reminiscent of illustrations in a book, and the Czech Republic’s Inda Gallery presentation of works by Marta Czene, whose stories flow from a similar perspective.

By using a combination of optical illusions and strategic photography, George Rousse creates graphic signs and geometric images within photographs. By playing visual games, his photos appear to feature huge colored frames and objects within the landscapes he shoots, producing a dizzying effect.

For more information about the 2102 Art Paris Art Fair including comprehensive artists and gallery lists and informative videos check Art Paris Art Fair online.

Our interview with Li Daiguo on the band’s experimental mix of tradition and ceremony

One of the most interesting phenomena to hit Chinese avant-garde music is The Tea Rockers Quintet—a tea ceremony performed by master Lao Gu and accompanied by the all-stars of Chinese contemporary music: contemporary folk singer Xiao He, China’s top noise artist Yan Jun, academic guqin player Wu Na and the young and talented instrumentalist, Li Daiguo. Together they create a mesmerizing blend of traditional instruments, vocalisms, noise music, and harmonious movement.

We recently had the chance to talk with Li Daiguo (aka Douglas Lee)—the ensemble’s eclectic musician and gifted solo performer—just before the release of their first album “Ceremony.”

How was the idea of the Tea Rockers Quintet born?

Yan Jun was invited to participate in a Swiss cultural/arts festival in 2010 and he put us together for two shows that went well. That was probably the catalyst for making us decide that this is a long-term project. Before that, we were all friends and had played together in various formations as duos and trios etc., but nothing regular like the Tea Rockers had become.

You have different styles and backgrounds, how do you work together?

We all love new music, different kinds of Chinese traditional music, improvisation, nature and each other. Finding the right blend is a matter of mutual listening and enjoying each others’ sounds. Musicians are often regularly getting new ideas or developing new skills and techniques, so it’s really important to improvise together to listen to who a person is and what they are saying at that moment and not be stuck in some image you have of their identity or who they should be based on your past experiences with them.

You started playing piano and violin when you were five years old. Where does your passion for music come from?

I trained in different kinds of classical music for years before I realized it was a form of expression that really works for me. It has become an important practice for me, and one of the guiding things in my life because it is such an integral part of how I keep learning more about my body and consciousness and other important things.

In your work you’ve been exploring several music traditions from all over the world—what contributed the most to shape your own style?

Western classical music and the classical musics of the erhu and pipa were huge influences early on in terms of technique. Later I studied bluegrass, played a lot of heavy metal, and was getting into different kinds of new music. Aesthetically I am really touched by so many different sounds, but I would say in recent years I have been influenced most by Shona music of Zimbabwe and different music from Mali. Of course I am still practicing 5-8 hours a day, so my ideas and techniques are still developing.

You grew up in Oklahoma and you studied in San Diego, why did you decide to leave the U.S. and come back to China?

Since I was young and was interested in erhu and other things about Chinese tradition, I was attracted to the idea of coming to China to live. My father is a pretty spiritual person and is really interested in Daoism and Buddhism, and that had some influence on me for sure. By the time I moved to Sichuan in 2004 I was already very interested in different kinds of spiritual practices, so one of the things in my mind in coming was to get closer to some of those traditions. When I arrived and stayed for a year there were so many doors opened and so many possible roads to go down I just decided to stay and eventually built my life here.

Released on 4 April 2012, The Tea Rockers Quintet’s debut album “Ceremony” is now available through Amazon and iTunes.

South Africa’s diverse cycling culture celebrated in a beautiful book

While commuting by bike has long been a natural choice in countries like the Netherlands and China, other nations around the world are only just starting to consider it a serious mode of transportation. In South Africa bike culture is lacking—especially outside of major cities—but cyclists Stan Engelbrecht and Nic Grobler aim to change that. Taking to their own bikes, the enterprising duo rode nearly 4,000 miles around South Africa for the past two years photographing people who use bicycles everyday as their main means of transport.

From their extensive endeavor they produced “Bicycle Portraits“—a series of three books featuring a motley of 162 cyclists and their bikes. Originally intended as a study on South African commuter culture, the books go well beyond beautiful imagery. Engelbrecht and Grobler began a conversation with each person they approached about how their bike fits into their lifestyle, pairing their unique stories—along with the person’s name and location—with their portraits to showcase a diverse range of enthusiasts united by their passion.

Adding even more charm to their handsome set of books, Engelbrecht and Grobler tapped South African artist Gabrielle Raaff to hand-paint individual watercolor maps for each cyclist’s location. The overall layout builds a story that is as visually alluring as it is informative, enticing readers to understand the distinct relationships the cyclists have with their bikes.

Engelbrecht and Grobler detailed the project in greater depth in a recent TED Talk they gave in Stellenbosch, but explain on the “Bicycle Portraits” website that their main objective is to “promote cycling as a means of independent transport to empower the underprivileged, and in fact, to encourage everyone capable to ride a bike as an alternative to driving a car, or even using public transport.”

Designed by Gabrielle Guy, the books are now available for purchase online, and will ship internationally. Those who pre-ordered a book in Cape Town will receive their copy by bike delivery, which Grobler tells us has been “an awesome experience” so far. “Bicycle Portraits” sells as a set of three for $100 or for $39 each.

See more of Engelbrecht and Grobler’s portraits in the gallery below.

Man-made materials outfit a series of wildlife sculptures from Rachel Denny

Making a name for herself by way of her “domestic trophies“, Rachel Denny reinterprets the impact of human contact with the natural world in her sculptures. Her wool and cashmere-coated faux-taxidermy creatures represent our instinct to remake that world in our image, an extension of carefully groomed gardens and domesticated animals. Her upcoming solo show “Works of Nature” at Foster/White Gallery in Seattle demonstrates a movement beyond cable-knit game creatures to animals composed of various man-made materials.

Denny’s unique perspective comes from summers spent in the wilderness hunting with her father balanced by winters of embroidering indoors, creating a fluid and unencumbered fusion of domesticity and wildlife. A few of standouts from the upcoming show include “Sweet Tooth”, a beast composed of cellophane-wrapped hard candies and “War Horse”, a penny-plated mare’s bust that raises questions surrounding money, war and the natural world.

We recently caught up with Denny to discuss the new works and her fascinating process.

What are some of the new materials and how did you select them?

I love working in a variety of materials and have always collected interesting odds and ends for future studio use. “War Horse” is armored in train-flattened pennies and I chose the material for its duplicity of meanings and the aesthetic quality of the shimmering copper. I generally work with the materials of each piece to bring more meaning to the place that these creatures hold in our lives and how we interact with them. I try to make the work aesthetically pleasing with rich materials to draw the viewer in and then hope that the other layers of meaning sift through.

Can you tell us a bit about the construction of “War Horse”?

That piece took a little over five months to create and quite a bit of patience. It started as rigid polyurethane with a steel frame inside and wood supports with a covering of tar to seal the foam and prevent any UV damage. Then it was a process of taking thousands of pennies to the railroad tracks and laying them down, going for a hike and returning to pick them up. I had to hand-drill each penny and applied each one with copper nails and a marine-grade adhesive. I was thrilled when it was completed and I could hang it on the studio wall to see the final result.

How does the process of sourcing materials and making patterns work for the knit pieces?

I collect discarded woolens and clean each piece—sometimes felting them if the knit is too loose and occasionally dying them to make the colors more vibrant. I have lockers full in the studio and use them as needed to match the correct curvature of each piece. Each work is made individually without the use of a pattern and each one is unique.

What constitutes the frames for your sculptures?

Each sculpture is different, depending on what is needed for the shape and scale of the work. I sometimes use taxidermy forms and carve them down for a specific look or pose. I also use rigid polyurethane foam blocks and carve them down with wood or steel “skeletons” inside to support the weight of the piece. I have also used wood frames and aluminum armatures with clay and plaster. It really just depends on what the individual piece needs and what will look the best while supporting the weight of the work.

Portland or Seattle?

I have lived in Portland since 1993 and it is a very comfortable city that has a slower pace of life and it is a very supportive community for the arts. It is also a smaller city that doesn’t have a wide collector base and I rarely sell work to my fellow Portlanders. I love the landscape of the Northwest and that there is still a wildness to the area. Seattle is a bit more cosmopolitan and has a different feel than Portland—a bit more energy and seriousness. I have had positive experiences with the galleries there and appreciate the quality of work that they show.

“Works of Nature” is on view at the Foster/White Gallery through 28 April 2012.

Foster/White Gallery

220 Third Ave South #100

Seattle, WA 98104