The Barbican is such a dream, please can I live there already.
Waste Not, is also pretty dreamy at The Barbican.

http://www.barbican.org.uk/artgallery/event-detail.asp?ID=12878

selfinitiated 2

For my second self initiated project I am looking at hotels. This is because I love them and feel I do not stay in them enough. And here is some hotel stuff/inspiration.

The Madonna Inn is the best hotel I've ever stayed in. It is off the motorway, in California, in the middle of nowhere. And is sooo big and kitsch and camp. The Madonna Suite is the best ever, I think it is every little girls fantasy.

 

Then comes The Overlook Hotel from The Shining. Not sure if this is a real hotel. But I sort of have a weird obsession with it and the film. From the huge reception to the carpets to the maze to room 237 to the ballroom. It is just unreal. Would love to spend a night there.

Another cool hotel that I've only gone to for parties but never done a sleepover in is the W Hotel in Trafalgar Square.  It has the hugest disco ball I have ever, ever seen. Judging from the ball size, I bet the rooms are epic.

Finally, my latest hotel obsession is all about tree house hotels in Sweden. Seriously gorgeous. Want to save up and stay in the mirror tree house in Harads.

Got another two weeks looking at hotels. Will keep you posted on my (ridiculously ambitious) plans.

Go away rain

Haven't decided whether I love or hate this galosh by John Lobb ... hmmmmm practicality vs looking stupid ...

Eames

Lately I have been doing a lot of drooling over furniture. My current favourite to drool over are Ray and Charles Eames. Just want to fill my room full of their things! Such beautiful, considered objects - what a dream team.

http://www.eamesoffice.com/

Bianca P

Bianca Pilet is a little bit of a genius. How great is this image for a comic book convention that she created?

http://www.biancapilet.com/

Earlham Street

This is the book that appealed to me the most in Magma.

David Shrigley is someone who I've always been aware of, but never really been that into. Until I looked into hislatest book and now I am a hardcore Shrigley fan. I think he is such an intelligent man.People who think he is a cartoonist are stupid.And his photography is the best!

Love or hate?

Mad Jack Fuller's Pyramid

This is a piece of design that I encountered over the holidays that I love.  It is one of Fuller's follies* in Brightling, East Sussex. This 23 ft pyramid tomb was built in 1811, twenty three years before his death standing at 7.6m tall. Local legend had it that Fuller was entombed in the pyramid in full dress and top hat, seated at a table with a roast chicken and a bottle of wine.

I like this design because it is just so ridiculous and extravagant. Absolutely frivolous! Fitting totally out of place in the village and around the other (more modest) graves. It reminded me of inequality so much when I was looking at it. To me it says that if you are bossy enough and have enough money you can do whatever you want. And I guess people still do that today but not necessarily with giant monumental pyramids but through trade exploitation and mal treatment of others.

It also reminds me of a film I watched at Pitt Rivers Museum in August, about coffins (read about it here). Sorry, this is the most I have ever written about graves/coffins/tombs ever.

 * a folly is a "foolish and useless but expensive undertaking"