Universal Works

Universal Works is an exciting new British label headed by David Keyte, a kindred spirit, with over 20 years experience in the industry. David spent 10 years at Paul Smith, starting off in retail but moving into product development and production. Since then, he spent 5 years as head at Marharishi, and has worked closely with both Margaret Howell & Albam.

At a certain point, David realised he was "less interested in fashion and more in the function, fit and cut of garments". Wanting to explore this further, he decided the best way was to set up a label of his own. Universal Works has been set up with the aim of producing good honest menswear - well made, well considered, and easy to wear.

The Fell Jacket makes no exception. This is a truly stunning, lightweight waxed cotton parka, which is perfect rainy weather-wear. 100% cotton, and with buttons and drawstrings in all the right places, this garments vivid colour and contrast makes it aesthetically timeless. And, for £230 it is high quality, yet attainable.

Philip Jones

Until today, I had no knowledge that Norfolk possessed it's very own landscape abstract expressionist, Philip Jones (1933-2008). Currently, he has a show at the Fermoy Gallery, King's Lynn Arts Centre. A retrospective of sorts. The paintings on display encapsulate the fields and horizons that surrounded him in Nelson's County, as well as depictions of the land from his travels abroad.

Evidently talented, I do however feel an air of borrowing within Jones' work, from the St. Ives school in particular. Peter Lanyon's height and perspective, Alfred Wallis' sense of scale and proportion, coupled with Ben Nicolson's geometric lines and circles resonate, ghosting the pictures somewhat. But, despite the comparison, I left feeling chuffed that the East has such a gem in Jones!

Tennis - Cape Dory

Listening to Tennis is literally like a delightful holiday. It's the music you want to make after floating around on the sea. What's more, this band have lived just that, which is inherently why this has come together so damn well!! Basically, husband and wife duo Alaina Moore and Patrick Riley had a simple plan. They bought a boat, and went sailing. After a 7-month excursion along the Atlantic coast they took their experiences on the open sea and put them into song, creating this truly fantastic debut full length, “Cape Dory” (named after their sailboat).

Reminiscent of Vampire Weekend, Best Coast or Dum Dum Girls, the songs are 60’s retro, nautical and nostalgic for a more innocent time. Moore’s breezy & candy sweet vocals float above Riley’s jangly guitar and lo-fi production. The melodies are catchy and the lyrics are wistful: “We’ve been gone for so very long that we’ve forgotten where we are from.” There is a sincerity and charm in the simplicity of their concept. “Cape Dory” is a buoyant and carefree journey; and lucky for us, we’re invited.

Go Get Yourself Loved

So, this film looks like 2011's first effort in continuation of indie/alternative movies that only 'cool people' go see at independent cinemas. Ironically, I instantly get the feeling that this film is still not able to fully break from the shackles of having massive mainstream appeal, yet it seems wanting, as it strives hard to achieve 'cult' filmic martyrdom, much along the lines of '500 Days Of Summer'.

With that said, from the trailer, Josh Radnor (director) has created something really endearing and sweet, whilst exposing the frailties people genuinely (and often) feel and struggle with, yet rarely allow to surface. The tag, 'adulthood is not about waiting for the right answers to get the life you want, but simply stumbling ahead and figuring them out in the process' - a statement that I kinda can relate too.

Ultimately, a film about confused people who in turn present their confusing relationships, troubles, and how they try to overcome them... I want to go see it.

Out this March - Happy Thank You More Please

Surf's Up!!

Dirty Gold - California Sunrise from Panaframe ▲ on Vimeo.

For the famed Cali-shooter, Leroy Grannis, this utterly beautiful video is as close to surf-porn as it gets!! Sitting here, Boxing Day, with last nights Morgan's spiced rum marinating my liver, I just took these three-odd minutes and used them well. I have never felt so close to 'doing' the West Coast, USA. What a treat! Although, in reality, it's probably mutated from this zen, trendy, surf/skate Mecca, to more like a gross, obvious, over-commercialized, hell-pit, much like Great Yarmouth. C'est la vie!!

Ben Lamb

I saw these about a week ago, and instantly fell in love. Oi Polloi, them trendy bastards, have only gone and commissioned a super-talented illustrator, Ben Lamb, to design a series of über-cool cards. The range starts with three standout American heroes in the shape of Hunter S Thompson alias The Good Doctor, Jack Nicholson as George Hanson in Easy Rider, and of course the King of Cool himself - Steve McQueen. What's more, even eco-warriors will be pleased to know the cards are printed on 100% recycled paper, using soya based inks. Buy them all! Quick!!

FREE VOINA!!

Voina (Воина) have got to be up there as one of the World's most controversial performance art groups!! Hailing from Russia, their works are extremely provocative and politically charged, which is why at present it has members behind bars! The group was founded in 2007 by philosophy students at Lomonosov Moscow State University and is led by Petr Verzilov and Oleg Vorotnikov who conceive works that act/work as 'protest political street action art'.

Voina came to widespread public attention with their 2008 work Fuck for the heir Teddy Bear!, when they staged a "mass fuck" (массовая ебля) the day before the election of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, whose last name is derived from the word medved, "bear" in Russian. Five couples involved with Voina, including one pregnant woman four days from giving birth, had public sex in Moscow's Timirayzev State Museum of Biology.

The groups reasons for Fuck for the heir are as follows, "We do not have a goal to necessarily be radical provocateurs. We have a goal to be honest artists and tell what we think. We think that the government fucks the people, and the people like this. This is why the action 'Fuck for the heir Puppy Bear' was born". They continued to say that, "This is a portrait of pre-election Russia: everybody fucks each other, and the puppy bear looks at that with an unconcealed scorn".

Currently, Oleg Vorotnikov along with Leonid Nikolayev have been detained by the Moscow police in connection with an anti-corruption protest, and possibly face a seven year prison sentence. In response to their detention, controversial street-graffiti artist/enigma Banksy decided to raise money for the 2 artists by donating all the proceeds of a recent online print sale, raising £80,000 for Voina's cause.

Taken from The Moscow News, Banksy approached the group at the weekend. “[He] asked his journalist friends to find us and personally offer us help. On Dec. 11 at midnight in London and 3.00 am in Moscow his journalist friends found us and discussed everything. We thanked him for his help and brought his attention to the problem of the extermination of human rights in Russia,” Alexei Plutser-Sarno, Voina’s chief ideologist, told gzt.ru.

Voina has directed many of its actions at state officials and politicians, saying they are part of a war waged for the “destruction of outdated repressive-patriarchal socio-political symbols and ideologies,” the Guardian reported. Go Voina! BE FREE!!