100% Design: The Round Up

We are back now from 100% design and what a 4 days it was! The acrylicize 'bar' was open for business on stand L35 and it proved to be a busy few days. Several 100 Jelly Bellys later we're already looking back with fond memories at our first appearance at the show. As you will see from the pictures below, our stand featured a tribute to Jimi Hendrix made of 60 acrylic 'bricks' marking 40 years since his untimely death. We also unveiled a one off acrylicize neon logo commissioned specially for 100% design to mark our 7th anniversary. Music over the 4 days was served up by our very own resident DJ Missy Marks, we will be posting the playlist on our facebook page very soon so watch out for that...

So its all over now, we're already missing arriving at an empty Earls Court first thing in the morning, taking down the bar stools, sipping on a coffee, switching on the neon and waiting for the masses to arrive. We want to thank everyone who visited our stand for the interest and enthusiasm you showed us. Enjoy the pictures below. Until next time...

Greg Loading the Van

James putting some final touches to the camo

Sean's best camera face

Paul trying to contain the excitement of being up a ladder

A change to the front of the stand

Jeremy talking to some early visitors

The neon

The most popular item on the stand

The PR crew in town

Happy days

The acrylicize steps to success

Peter Newman pops in

Jez and Anna

A view from behind the bar

Mr Green Swings by

Our Fiends at Fulwell 73 come and say hello

Come and say hello at 100% Design!

Thats right, for the first time ever we will be at 100% design. Come and say hello, we will be at stand L35. Lovers of 60's rock n roll will especially love our stand. See you there!

PS) If you are interested in becoming a field agent then give us a nod and a wink and we will divulge the details of your secret mission.

Inside the Artists Studio: Volume 1

Hugo Nowhere // James Burke

What is Hugo Nowhere?

Red Tape Man or Hugo Nowhere as he was later named was commissioned by Esselco LLP for permanent installation at Warnford Court, a stones throw from the bank of England on Threadneedle street. He is a life size London Banker taped to the wall with his own 'red tape'.

What does it mean?

Hugo represents the mood of the nation towards the banking industry at the time. The country was in deep recession and the bankers were the guys taking all the blame. Hugo is probably the embodiment of what the vast majority of the public wanted to do to these guys as they were made to pay the price of the big banks antics. At the time the papers were dominated with headlines vilifying the banking sector and for me this was a tongue in cheek way of representing the story. Hugo's status as a banker is emphasized by his bowler hat and umbrella - two icons of the british banker which for me always conger up images of Mr Banks from Mary Poppins. I also wanted to play on the fact that the building Hugo sits in once had ties to the bank of England and is itself just around the corner from the main Bank of England building.

How did you do it?

It was important that Hugo looked life like. The shock factor of this piece was a key ingredient in it's impact so I wanted to get this just right. I enlisted the help of Sunita Parmar who is a special effect expert whose backround is TV and film. Together we agreed on a look for Hugo and she then set about working her magic

Everything from his hair style to his clothes were considered - his clothes come from Ede and Ravenscroft the oldest tailors in London and are styled specifically on the 'bankers' look.

Installation was a fun process as we started to witness peoples reactions to the piece. Hugo's location in also playful. As you come out of the lift on the ground floor he is there - you may even miss him the first time round as he sits quite high.

What has been the response to Hugo?

What's great is that in a building like this, there is no suggestion that there is going to be an art installation of this nature around the corner and the unexpected engagement you enter into with him forces a response, what ever that may be. Its fair to say that there has been a mixed reception to Hugo form the users of the building (mostly corporate companies) but it does force you to asses your views on the subject - either you sympathize with Hugos predicament or you feel perhaps he has had his comeuppance. This element of viewer response is the true nature of the piece.