#FridayFive with Shillington Design Teacher Hilary Archer

Inspiration can come from anywhere. So, on the first Friday of each month, we’re sharing some of our Shillington team’s favourite things from the past four weeks. This month, Shillington London Teacher Hilary Archer tells us what was on her radar in February.

1. To Follow: Vivianne Sassen

By now a household name across various industries, Vivianne Sassen is a Dutch photographer working across fashion, fine art and photojournalism. Most known for her striking work in Kenya, her photography seems to beautifully surpass an actual subject and focus on abstraction and the interplay between shape, colour, light and shadow.

2. To Read: Topics of Conversation by Miranda Popkey

Perfectly apt for the world we find ourselves living in today, Topics of Conversation by Miranda Popkey is a book that assesses the degree to which the stories we tell about our lives are fiction. The novel involves conversations almost exclusively between women and spans almost two decades covering topics such as desire, art, pain, feminism, anger, envy, guilt, and violence, among others.

3. To Go: Steve McQueen at Tate Modern

Steve McQueen at Tate Modern has been described as “a brass-knuckled punch of reality in the face of everyday complacency”. Tackling racism, violence, greed, oppression, manipulation and sadness, the exhibition forces you to confront the heavy weight of reality in true Steve McQueen fashion.

4. To Listen: The 27 Club

A new podcast featuring the lives of infamous celeb members of the 27 club, season 1 features twelve episodes on the life and mysterious death of Jimi Hendrix. “Tales of kidnapping, mafia intimidation, drug busts, bad acid trips, Otis Redding hallucinations, an intimidated Eric Clapton, a jealous Keith Richards, a bloody Mick Jagger, anarchists, hippies, nihilists and British spies.” Upcoming seasons will feature Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain and more.

5. Wildcard: Bio-Logics: Designing with Nature

Bio-Logics at the Design Museum, London, explores how designers can collaborate with living systems to help tackle global problems such as pollution and waste. Design agency Faber Futures presents design research, experiments and prototypes that investigate the use of bacteria to dye textiles instead of synthetic dyes.

Take a look back at what’s been inspiring our team over the last two years!! And for some drool-worthy visuals from our Shillington students, read 16 handmade album covers and 14 app designs.