Dear Victor

Since the dawn of the Alpines myspace, a striking image of a futuristic, tribal bust of a woman has made her mark on the page. I took the photo in Barbican, London over the summer. It was only a few days ago that I learnt the origin of the work of art: Victor Kaifas. Below are a few more of his works and a photo of his store. This chapter is for you Victor wherever you may be.









S

Space to breathe

Geometry + Nature

Geometric forms are those which correspond to named regular shapes, such as squares, rectangles and circles. I like the fact that not all naturally occurring objects are organic and it is the precision and regularity of forms within the natural world which I find particularly inspiring. Below are just a few of many examples.

Halloween Special: Louise Bourgeois

Last week I went to the late Louise Bourgeois' exhibition entitled 'Fabric Works' at Hauser and Wirth on Saville Row. It marks the last exhibition she worked on before her death in May this year. It showed 70 fabric drawings, most of which are labyrinthine formations representing spider webs and 4 large-scale sculpture works, which have never before been shown toegther. By the 1990's the use of fabric in her work became a more predominant entity:

“I always had the fear of being separated and abandoned. Sewing is my attempt to keep things together and make things whole”.

The Spider and her Webs

Hans Holbein + The Tudors

I wanted to do a chapter on the Tudors because all of my life I have lived near to Hampton Court Palace. I used to drive past it every day on my way to school. The Tudors are fascinating and I especially love the way Hans Holbein captures them in his work. The Tudors have also inspired contemporary designers such as Josie Beckett and KTZ.

The Ambassadors (1533)

Arguably Holbein's most famous painting. This image is riddled with hidden symbols and illusions. Both of which I find fascinating and influential on the songs I write with Alpines.




Portraits

Here are some more paintings of the Tudors by Holbein.

Henry VIII


Mary Tudor


Catherine Howard


Lord of Morette




Miniatures

Holbein focused on painting miniatures during the last decade of his life. They were small portraits which worn as a kind of jewel or brooch.







Jewellery

Hans Holbein also designed jewellery and these sketches display his interest in using precious gemstones and ornate gold patterns (also known as polychrome enamel) .




Tudor influence on contemporary fashion

Josie Beckett A/W 2010 Collection





Krizia




KTZ