PROJECTED, SIGRID ASTRUP ― Friday 29, 2009
Sigrid Astrup is a one-woman creative company, and a part of the Copenhagen based “Hurraaa Studio”. She has contributed some great motion graphics to be projected as part of the showreel displayed in Nation of Shopkeepers. In their small workshop / showroom you can find her in the basement creating miniature landscapes, or in the store with a new creation of unusable pottery. “My work is is all about trying to make things alive. Creating to me, is to break down “the everyday”, by making the surreal ideas come to life.”
AN INTERVIEW WITH NOUS VOUS ― Thursday 21, 2009
Leeds based arts collective Nous Vous were commissioned to visually respond to poems featured in the zine, and also to create hand-drawn artwork to adorn the walls of the venue. Here, they share their thoughts on Leeds and its cultural heritage…
Why are you called Nous Vous?
We toyed with a few different collective names in the very early stages of our collaboration, one favourite being ‘We Appreciate You’ which we looked at in different languages to account for foreign influences in our collective work, literal or otherwise. It translates into French as ‘Nous vous apprécions’. We liked the sound of Nous Vous but felt ‘apprécions’ was a little superfluous. Nous Vous said what it needed to and communicated what we wanted it to, plus it rolls off the tongue quite nicely.
What did you think of the poems you were given to interpret?
They were nice. It’s great to do work where you have something inspiring to work from and support with imagery, it’s a challenge because the poems are strong and its always difficult to conjure up an image to support such strong words and add something extra to the reading of it..
Is it inspiring to have such a literary heritage in Leeds?
It is always inspiring to find out about new pockets of culture in Leeds, the trouble is is that it usually seems confined to the pockets. Culture doesn’t really appear to be at the forefront of the Leeds City Council’s agenda. Therefore a lot of interesting and exciting things you could potentially know about, or be encouraged to find out about, go by the wayside and you never actually find out about them. But it is promising to know that people continue despite this and still create great things, of which there are plenty.
Tell us something we don’t know about Leeds.
It is considered by some that cinema was born in Leeds, by a Frenchman living here in the 1880s, named Louis Le Prince.
THE GRYPHON, A ZINE FROM NATION OF SHOPKEEPERS ― Thursday 21, 2009
We have our own zine. You can pick up one up at Nation of Shopkeepers, or download one as a PDF here.
LOVEFOXXX (CSS DJ SET) PLUS GUESTS ― Wednesday 20, 2009
Lovefoxxx (CSS DJ Set) / Dinosaur Pile Up (Live) / Skull Juice / Casper C / Good Form Club / Kill The Rhythm / No Bones DJs / The Old Romantic Killer Band (live) / Drowned in Sound vs. Death By Shoes / Er…Kentucky DJs and more.
We’re proud to present Lovefoxxx who is the lead singer from provocative art-dance sextet CSS from Sao Paolo, Brazil. She will most likely be spinning everything from Bowie to Diplo and we imagine she’ll be as unpredictable as she is on stage. Bloggers Delight residents Casper C and Skull Juice will stop over another night in Leeds after playing Stag and Dagger at The Faversham, good lads!
PROJECTED, DAVID WILSON ― Wednesday 20, 2009
David Wilson is a music video director based in London. David has contributed some fantastic motion graphics to be projected as part of the showreel displayed in Nation of Shopkeepers. His technique driven work revolves around using intriguing in-camera tricks, and mind-bending psychedelic hand drawn animations. Commercial clients include Ford and MTV, and he has produced work for bands such as the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, We Have Band, and Moray McLaren. He is currently represented by Blinkink and Colonel Blimp.
PROJECTED, KONX-OM-PAX ― Wednesday 20, 2009
Konx-om-Pax is 24 year old Glasgow based multimedia artist Tom Scholefield. Tom has contributed some stunning motion graphics work to our projection currently on show at Nation of Shopkeepers. In recent years he has worked with Warp Records, DFA Records in New York, Planet Mu, Underground Resistance in Detroit, Universal Everything and Optimo Espacio. Current projects include website design and art direction on the forthcoming Juan Atkins/Model 500 release.
JIGGERY POKERY IN THE SHOP WINDOW GALLERY ― Tuesday 19, 2009
Anna Lomax and Lauren Davies (AKA Jiggery Pokery) are the first to install something special and colourful into our Shop Window gallery.
How do you describe yourselves?
It’s hard to define what we are or what we do as it is always evolving but the best description we have come up with so far is ‘Life Size Illustrators’. We use a mixture of set design and art direction to create colourful, bizarre installations using handmade, customised and found objects.
Where do you look for inspiration?
Your granny’s bedroom, your auntie’s jewellery collection, your dad’s garden shed, your brother’s toy box, your sister’s dressing up chest.
If you could go back in time where would you go?
Lauren- 1967 and release my inner flower child.
Anna- 1989 and go to all the massive field raves.
If you could invent an animal what would it be?
Anna- An iridescent dolphin.
Lauren- A flying rainbow unicorn with the alertness of a meerkat.
What makes you happy?
Lauren- spray paint, sequins, strange retro colour palettes, festivals, Ribena, constant laughter.
Anna- carnival, glitter, yellow triangles, New York, fresh trainers.