Katryn Kruger by Craig McDean in Stella McCartney for Interview April 2012

Images

The Red House in Bexleyheath by William Morris

At the weekend I went to the Red House, just outside of London; the only house commissioned, created and lived in by William Morris, the founder of the Arts & Crafts movement and renowned for his floral patterned fabrics and furnishings. When it was completed in 1860, it was described by Edward Burne-Jones as 'the beautifullest place on earth'. Morris lived with his wife Jane in the house for only five years, during which time their two daughters, Jenny and May, were born. Features to look out for include: hand painted tiles by Burne-Jones featuring Morris's motto 'si je puis' (If I can), hidden murals by Morris concealed behind hinged panels in the living room, and don't forget to look up to the ceiling for colourful painted patterns. 

(I also recently did a post about an exhibition on Morris, which was at Two Temple Place in London).

Hand painted tiles in the Pilgrim's Porch featuring William Morris's motto 'si je puis'

Stained glass windows by Burne-Jones

Cabinet by William Morris

Aphrodite embroidery 

Dining room

Hallway ceiling with pinpricks in the plaster to denote where the pattern should be painted.

Protected Morris painting behind white panelling. 

Image: my own

William Morris: Story, Memory, Myth at Two Temple Place

Housed in an extraordinary late Victorian mansion built by William Waldorf Aster, on the Embankment, Two Temple Place is a museum that has only recently been open to the public for exhibitions. From October, and sadly until this weekend, the house played host to a free exhibition on the artist William Morris. The inaugural exhibition, showcasing tapestries, pattern tests and printed tiles, describes how Morris was inspired by poetry, myth and folklore. From Chaucer to Arthurian legends and Greek myths, Morris and many of the Pre-Raphaelites- Edward Burne-Jones included- featured these tales and poems in their work. For myself, it was not so much the tapestries in the exhibition that were interesting, but much more, the hand painted and block printed patterns; some showing the designs in progress with panels half sketched/ half coloured. The building itself provided an extremely apt setting, and as much a reason to see the architecture as to see the exhibition. This seemed readily accepted and utilised by the museum, who provide doubled-sided A4 sheets of information on the architect and designers. Some features to look out for: the beautiful mosaic floor in the main hall made of jasper and onyx, the stain-glass windows by Clayton and Bell, the wood carvings of the Three Musketeers on the handrail of the stairs, and also the stunning glass roof light at the top of the hall. 

Images: My Own

Some examples of his beautiful fabrics:

Acne's Capsule Collection with Daniel Silver

Launched on October 11th, last week, Acne's collaboration with the London-based artist Daniel Silver, has created a capsule collection of dresses, shirts, trousers and skirts, all brought together with a mood of fun and freedom. The collection will be sold exclusively at the Acne Studios store in London (13 Dover Street), and the items have inspired the new look of Acne's website: AcneStudios.com. Daniel Silver described the process of pairing of art and fashion in an interview for Dazed Digital; "For the Acne collaboration, the fabrics came from shops around my studio in Dalston and samples that Acne sent me which I worked on like a collage, cutting and gluing, layering over and over until something came up which made sense to me." See the full interview here. 

Images: AcneStudios