My New Blog: The Beholder's Eyes - Fashion, Art, Design & Interiors

Hi,

I have set up a brand spanking new blog called The Beholder's Eyes - a blog about beautiful things in the world of Fashion, Art, Design & Interiors.

Check it out here...for articles on....

Highlights from London Collections Men 2013

 Is Emerald Green Menswear for going to be the big in 2013?

Gorgeous recycled bicycle tyre belts from Velo-re

Brilliant Prints of London landmarks from South London Prints

Fantastic smelling candles from Milkhouse Candles

Cute coasters from Clare Shields lil3birdy range

http://www.thebeholderseyes.com/

Sell A Minute Of Your Time - Part 1

Today I popped into Brixton Village market, in South London to sell a minute of my time for a pound. I had heard about this intriguing proposition over at the Londonist and decided to check it out.


The purchaser of my time was artist Brian Lobel, who has pitched up at the Brick Box cafe as part of his project Carpe Minuta Prima (seize the minute).


Each person gets to step into a darkened room with a camera and can do or say anything they like for a minute. At the end of the week Brian will collect all of the snippets together and produce an installation, from which people can buy their minute back (for a pound) or, interestingly, purchase the time of a complete stranger (burned onto DVD).


I was minute number 81 and Brian had been there since Monday, so by the end of the project on Saturday there should be lots of time collected.


Brian says that the project, "explores themes of economy, the value of our time and our work, the over-documenting of our lives and what it means to sign away your soul."

Brian Lobel: source the Londonist

I don't think my minute was particularly interesting, I am sure there were far more interesting uses of the time. I talked about my new passion for writing, an article I have just finished (about Brixton, co-incidentally) and finding my 'voice'. 


I think when I go back next week I'll purchase the time of a stranger and post the DVD up here for Part 2. It does sound a bit strange, I'll admit. That person may not want to feature on my blog - but to take part we each had to sign something saying we gave up any rights to that minute of time. We had sold it (you do actually receive a shiny £1 coin). So the purchaser of my time, if anyone buys it, will be able to do whatever they like with it. An interesting concept.


Brian is at Brick Box from 10am to 6pm until 26 February. Visit from 4 to 10 March to see the installation. Or find out more here. Brick Box, 41 Brixton Village, Coldhourbour Lane, SW9 8PR.

Brixton: Bringing the Shutters Down in Style

Until recently, like in many areas of London, if you walked through the streets of central Brixton after the shops had closed you'd be met by rows of imposing grey steel shutters.


Many businesses rank the protection of their livelihoods higher than any aestetic impact and these ugly looking barricades, whilst offering security, make many of our streets look like barren ghost towns after dark.


Recently however, the drab-looking shutters along the streets of Coldharbour Lane and Atlantic Road in Brixton, South London have been brightened up.

Shops such as Brixton Wholefoods, Atlantic Meat Market, BEM Music and Clear Prints Digital have been transformed with colourful and interesting grafitti art.


The man responsible, Malarky, is a street artist, originally from South London and his work has been featured on shop shutters in Madrid and Barcelona, where he lived until recently.


I think that they are great and bring an interesting dimension to the streets of Brixton. Hopefully some of the other businesses will follow suit.

Amazing Artist Paolo Troilo: See Him In Action

A few years ago, I wrote on my old blog about an amazing artist I came across when holidaying in Positano, Italy. 


His name is Paolo Troilo, he's from Italy and his work still gives me a tingle down my spine whenever I see it. When i came across this video (below) showing him painting I just had to feature him on my blog again.




Paolo Troilo paints with his hands, creating for me the most powerful self portraits I have ever seen. 


His work is so physical and emotive and I could never tire of looking at his many paintings, each one telling me a story of anguish, struggle and frustration. 


It's interesting to see in the video how he goes about creating something so powerful and using his hands instead of a brush adds to the rawness of his work. 


I hope Paolo exhibits in London one day, so I can see more of his work up close. They may look amazing on the screen but look even more mesmerising in real life. 


It is still my ambition to own one of his pieces and two years after seeing that painting in Positano, he is still my favourite artist.

Paolo Troilo's Handy Works of Art

I came across an amazingly fabulous artist at the Mondo art Gallery, whilst in Postino, Italy last week (more about Positano later - a beautiful place by the way).


The artist is Paolo Troilo and some of his works are shown below. The paintings are all in the image of the artist himself and he paints using his hands - I loved the rawness of this and found his paintings really powerful, especially the way he appears to be fighting or struggling with himself. The images look violent and masculine, almost erotic even and I found look looking at his work quite emotional, not something that always happens to me.

I was too scared to ask for the price of his work at the gallery and at the moment I am still dreaming that I will one day be able to buy one! I will definitely be keeping an eye out for any exhibitions of his work in London.

Update: I am so in love with Paolo's work that I had to feature him again on my new blog Mr Musing where you can see more of his work and a video of him painting.