Glasgow International Festival of Visual Art

This year's Glasgow International Festival of Visual Art (Gi Festival) kicked off on Friday with a White Bike ride through the city. 50 white bikes have been provided by NVA for visitors to the festival to use between venues. This is a first for Glasgow - I wonder how many will be left after the 2 week event?? I spotted my first one on the way home from work on Saturday. It was perched against a lampost outside the Glasgow Sculpture Studios.

Further along the same road, I stumbled upon this rather crazy car - covered in Banksy -style graffiti.



On closer inspection, you can see the rather macabre subject matter.



I can't seem to find out any more about it...

Just over the fence from the parked car lies the Sculpture Studio car park. Out the corner of my eye I could see two men up a ladder working away on some kind of metal structure. I assumed it was some more graffiti artists and carried on up the road blissfully listening to Motley Crue at full volume.

Traipsing down the same road this morning and Saturday's 'metal structure' was fully formed. It looked like the gateway to an abandoned theme park or the door to a dystopian underworld. The rusty metallic sign read "Vestiges Park".


Okay, I'm intrigued. I'd read over the Gi Programme and to be honest, it all seemed like the usual wanky, self-indulgent contemporary art that I try to avoid. How wrong could I be??
So, my colleague Fiona (another Art History graduate!) and I went for a wee wander over the bridge this lunchtime. We were welcomed at the gates by the Oolite Sisterhood who gave us a map of the park and told us to mind our feet on the uneven ground. We held up our map to the light, as instructed, to find out where to go: Through the little blue gate...

I've taken a barrage of photos, but I don't want to spoil the magical experience for those who might manage to make it along before it closes on 3rd May. I'll attempt to upload them onto another account and post a link here for those of you who live too far away.

EDIT: Here's the link to the photos - but don't spoil it for yourself!

Vestiges Park does not exist, cannot exist, will not exist. The artists involved deny all knowledge of the project and the authorities are mute. In some cases these artists may not actually exist – they split, double, multiply, evaporate, condense, dissolve and merge until truth and fiction, science and magic become indistinguishable. Vestiges Park is a chimera – there and not there – dare to find us, dare to enter and let us take you to the edgelands, the rotting places where nothing is as it seems... ...and if you cannot find us it is because we have fallen off your maps
- Lady Ada Lovelace

Show Me What You Got

Went to another local fashion show this week. In the Company of Wolves was hosted by SG Events at the Sub Club in Glasgow. For a tenner we got a token for a free drink, although no one told us it was only vodka/mixer, so we had to pay up for our gin n tonics, 'canapes', a darn good show and a jolly good goody bag! The Sub Club is one of the best clubs in Glasgow, but it's a shit venue for a fashion show! Too dark, ceilings too low, very little seating etc, etc. As a result, I got no shots from the show itself.

This piece really got me going!

However, one designer that had me drooling at the mouth was Obscure Couture. Lyndsay Pagan is behind the label. She's made dresses for Paris Hilton and Shirley Bassey, but don't let that put you off - she also spent a year working with Brighton's self titled IKON of customisation, NOKI. This is what she has to say about herself:

I design and make clothes an have a BA(hons) in Fashion Design.
I like rock 'n' roll but not on the dole.
I like the things that i like, but im more inspired by learning to like the things which I think are repulsive.
I like mould.

Shameless

Friday night's get up. Still recovering.

black vest top, H&M // ripped leggings from Urban Outfitters // chain belt I've had so long I can't remember where from // pink fur coat from River Island // Jeffrey Campbell wedges // Vivienne Westwood pearl choker // Primark sunglasses (which we lost on the night...)

Look What The Stork Brought Home

My babies have FINALLY arrived! Parcel Force delivered my Jeffrey Campbell Zero Peep Toes to my work about half an hour ago. I flew up the stairs with the box and here is the result...

Layer 1 - opening the USPS box

Layer 2 - The Jeffrey Campbell box appears

The Reveal!

The Joy!

The Fitting!

First Steps!

I'm off out tomorrow night, so I'll do a full outfit post tomorrow.

These Are Some Of My Favourite Things

Melancholy Lashes from Untamed Menagerie

Lightning Bolt Ring from Superclovers

POW Ring from Superclovers

Diablo Spiked Headband from Rackk and Ruin

Studded Bow Shoulder Bag from Jaff Shop

Leather Half Gloves with Giant Studs from Superclovers

This Is Bad For You

Bought tickets to see these guys on April 20th. Check them out if you haven't already. Durty, noisy, synthy nastiness.

Lipstick Killers

I watched the film 'New York Doll' last night. It's a documentary about Morrissey's attempt to reunite the three remaining Dolls (Arthur 'Killer' Kane, Sylvain Sylvain and David Johansen) in 2004 for a one off gig at London's Meltdown Festival.
I've always loved the New York Dolls, or more specifically, the bands they've influenced such as Motley Crue, Hanoi Rocks, Manic Street Preachers etc, but I had no idea what tragic story lay behind the glitter and sequins...
The documentary is told from the point of view of bassist Arthur Kane who always felt that the rest of the band went on to greater things and he was essentially left behind. After his marriage broke down, he converted to Mormonism in 1989. Living a quiet life, getting the bus to and from the library that he worked in. When he was asked to reunite with the band and relive the rock star lifestyle he so missed, he was ecstatic. The gig looked amazing! Wish I had cared enough to have gone. But it wasn't all roses from then on in. You gotta watch it to find out!
Check out the website. Even if it's just to play with lipstick cursor!