Website Spotlight: whatsinyourbedroom.blogspot.co.uk

whatsinyourbedroom.blogspot.co.uk is a blog showing a series of portraits of people in their bedrooms.

To me a bedroom is a very secretive and personal place and I rarely let people into mine. So to see other people's is interesting. You can pick up on certain quirks and how it reflects their personality. Whether or not they are an organised messy person or just plain messy...

Bedrooms are a person's 'safe place'. We let our defenses down in bedrooms for example we sleep in them because we are comfortable and relaxed. We don't feel threatened or vulnerable. This is because we associate our bedrooms as a place of solitude and privacy. We can be ourselves in them. Inviting someone into a bedroom, as I mentioned beforehand, is making yourself vulnerable, and allowing them to explore a personal space is like having them explore your mind.

whatsinyourbedroom brings out the creative side in me as I analyse the layout, how they've decorated the room, whether or not there is a particular colour scheme, the small intricate details etc. It could also help others who are decorating there room to come up with ideas. So yes I am in love with this blog and I hope you will be too.

Peace out readers!
-Natasha xx

Actor Spotlight: Aidan Turner

Now if you've seen 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey', you may know who I am talking about. Aidan Turner has been acting for quite a while now, according to Wikipedia, since 2007. Now I didn't know who he was until 'The Hobbit' as I'm sure many of you may not have either.  The way he has played Kili is what caught my attention: he's a lovable, joyful, foolish yet fantastically brave warrior and Aidan has really built this character up. In the novel he's more of a side character thus preventing any characterisation.

Aiden Turner as Kili in 'The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey'

Now after I had seen 'The Hobbit', I do my research as per usual on actors who have caught my eye and learn more about them and find other shows/movies they have been in. I found 'Being Human', the name of the show sounded familiar and I remembered how one of my friends had recommended it to me a few years ago but for some reason I put it off; something I constantly berate and curse myself for. Aidan plays the character Mitchell, a vampire, and he's truly remarkable in it.

Aiden Turner as Mitchell in 'Being Human'

The lore behind vampires has always intrigued me and often characters who are so flawed and worn down fascinate me even more so this combination ruined me (I mean this is a brilliant way). I've got through series one so far and barely recovered emotionally after so I had to force myself to have a break from it. The other actors, Lenora Crichlow and Russell Tovey are also fantastic and if anything I love their characters, George and Annie, just as much as Mitchell. (I'll review this show once I've finished all the seasons)
So through this break I found something else to watch with Aidan in it, and that was 'Desperate Romantics'. Now I love period dramas and to have a show set around artists, the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, is just a huge bonus for me. In fact it's got me drawing more than ever.... Anyway, back to the main topic: I always find that the characters who make me jump from loving to hating them, and then back and forth throughout are my favourites, and of course this was Aidan Turner's character; Dante Gabriel Rossetti. I mean you can't help but be frustrated by his character's choices and how you can't tell who he genuinely loves and is constantly flitting back and forth between women.

Aiden Turner as Dante Gabriel Rossetti in 'Desperate Romantics'

I look forward to the future Hobbit movies and the rest of Aiden Turner's career. I can tell it will be a wonderful one.

Peace out readers!
-Natasha xx

Music Spotlight: Mikky Ekko

I'm well renowned for watching fanvids of my current tv show or movie obsession of the time, so when I came across a Loki centric fanvid with the song 'Who Are You Really?' by Mikky Ekko...well I was automatically hooked on this artist. (the fanvid is really good too!)
What else could I do but find out more about Mikky Ekko? He has his own blog where he posts his new songs, which are also free to download! Which, lets just say, shocked me slightly 'cause his songs are what I'd imagine to be on a £10 album in HMV.  What I like about him in particular is that he doesn't rush to get new songs out. With the time gaps between each one you can tell he takes his time and really puts all his effort into them.
The combination of dramatic drum beats and fiery voice in 'Who Are You Really?', gets me raring to go. You can feel the emotions conveyed in the song. It doesn't feel fake or bland. There's real power in everything going on; the instruments, the singing, the lyrics...etc.

Recently, Mikky Ekko released a new song called 'Pull Me Down', also free to download. It's light and relaxing with a slow beat. Yes it is currently my favourite song. The lyrics are undoubtedly romantic and is sung in such a way that washes over you whether or not you want it to.

So whoever is reading this, go and download the songs available on his website/blog, www.mikkyekko.com. Seriously, you won't regret it!

Peace out reader!
-Natasha xx

Artist Spotlight: Francesca Woodman

So I thought I'd start of this blog with one of my most favourite photographers, Francesca Woodman. I ended up being introduced to her work by my art teacher whilst trying to figure out what my coursework would be based on, and the instant I saw Woodman's work I knew that she would become a huge influence over me.

Untitled, 1975-1980

 Here's a few facts before I start delving in:

• She was born in 1958.
• Most of her prints are 8 by 10 inches.
• It is believed that she was influenced by Duane Michals, so not a fact per say but still an important speculation!
• Unfortunately Woodman committed suicide in 1981. The exact reason has never been stated but it was believed to be because of the lack of interest others had in her work and also her failing relationship. Both of which caused her to become depressed.  

House #3, Providence, Rhode Island, 1976

What I find captivating about Woodman's work is the setting which she surrounds herself in. 

Often it is a decaying or empty room creating a foreboding presence, emphasised by the blurred and distorted figure. The settings are simple and could be seen as underwhelming, yet the way Woodman frames and angles her work effectively defeats this notion, and instead creates this intriguing image that the viewer can't help but be pulled in by. This is because the framing gives the feel of it being contained; a world the viewer cannot reach or interact with.

From Angel series, Rome, 1977

Some may describe Woodman's work as disturbing and uncomfortable, or even dark and melancholy. However, with the movement and blurred figures, Woodman appears to be depicting freedom; it's as though she is limitless. With photography Woodman is able to explore and express herself without confinement, and she uses this to a great extent. It can be said that Francesca Woodman was also influenced by the supernatural, due to the influence of Gothic Fiction, and that her some of her work reflects portrayals of the afterlife. This leaves me wondering the story behind each photograph due to the ancient mood she creates,  making it feel as though the ‘ghosts’ in the photographs have stories which have been long forgotten.

Self Deceit #1, 1978

Her work isn't just focused on the blurring of figures, but also on exploring the female body. Woodman, rather than sexualising the female body, uses it as a way to explore herself and her identity through her work. This is implied as she analyses herself in the mirror in 'Self Deceit #1' (see above). A wonderful analysis of the photo, which I stumbled across as I was searching for Woodman's photos, is from the National Galleries website,  "Alone and naked, Woodman appears vulnerable as she undertakes a personal self-exploration, underlined by the small and intimate format of the photographs. The photographs are not self-portraits in the conventional sense, as the photographs explore the possibilities of representation instead of revealing the artist’s identity. In the photographs she uses a mirror as a prop – it becomes a symbol of artistic self-reflexivity, reflecting the ‘eye’ of the camera back upon itself."[link here] Unfortunately it does not state who has written this, but their interpretation of her work is truly fascinating. I have to agree with the concept of how Woodman's 'Self Deceit #1' reflects how artists are constantly analysing themselves and their minds as they produce their work. 

From Angel Series, Rome, 1977-78

When I first came across Francesca Woodman's work, I felt excited to finally find a photographer whose work I absolutely adored and hoped to find more recent works. That was until of course, I found out she committed suicide many years ago at the young age of 22. I was absolutely saddened. I wanted to find out more about Woodman and her mind and how she came up with these ideas and why she did this or that. I was fully intrigued and curious about her. All I had to go on was the small number of articles about her provided by the internet. I suppose it's the mystery of both Woodman and her photographs that continue to intrigue viewers even many years after her death. It's a shame when artists are not appreciated in their own time.