SHAME Target, SHAME

Regular readers will know of my love of Peaches + Keen – gorgeous women, beautiful artwork, amazing process and just all-around wonderfulness.

Perhaps you saw the segment featuring them on ABC 7:30 Report last night (29th June 2015)? If you haven’t yet, get on it.

Effectively Target – the retail behemoth – has been caught ripping off their designs.

SHAME Target.

I ask how can they possibly defend such an act?
The answer is pretty clear that they can’t – they ‘declined’ to be involved in the segment.

I can’t help but wonder:

• did they buy the design from someone external to the organisation? If so, have they ceased all contracts with that external group, for they are essentially THIEVES
• or were the designs made in-house? If so, Target is guilty of THEFT. Unacceptable.

It is absolutely certain this isn’t the first and only time – how many times have you done this Target? When will you STOP doing this?

Peaches + Keen have my highest regard and utmost respect … they already did, but they were so impressively strong and dignified in this interview! I feel they’ve handled this horrid situation in an elegant and courageous way. As many have said on their Instagram feed, “nailed it”.

If this were to ever happen to me (of course that’d require me to make something worthy of admiration and replication … so that’s clearly almost impossible), I would contact the IP lawyer in the ABC segment and also the journalist. If this has happened to you, perhaps you could do the same.

I hope this gives other independent artists encouragement to name-and-shame any retailer doing the same. I think it’s important to highlight such SHITTY behaviour. There is so much support in the community, you can be assured of like-minded makers and lovers-of-makers to get behind you and withdraw their spending from organisations engaging in such disgusting behaviour.

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Also: my story from a number of years ago , “Copies and rip-offs”

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Know what though? I bet Peaches + Keen want to put all this behind them… and I really really hope that being so brave to tell their story will mean that many many more people will become aware of their amazingly beautiful work and that they will be loved more and by more ❤

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Want to see some lovely things? Check out previous stories …

• Mar14: Peaches + Keen ‘Botanical Calamity‘
• May13: launch of Golden Peaks
• Apr12: ‘The Hanging Garden‘ @ Craft Vic
• Nov11: @ Dagmar Rousset
• Sep11: An Exhibition

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Peaches + Keen ‘The Hanging Garden’ @ Craft Vic

Peaches + Keen latest show, ‘The Hanging Garden‘, in the window of Craft Victoria, is gorgeous.

Joyful. Colourful.

The Hanging Garden

There are enamelled vessels and hama-bead jewellery from Lucy Hearn.
There are embellished prints from Lily Daley.
There is a large terrarium; crocheted hanging planters; and new beaded hanging planters (I loved them!!).

The Hanging Garden

I only managed to see the window on a public holiday, and so wasn’t able to pop inside – which I really want to do soon, as I want to see the book they’ve made too (the open pages in the window are lovely!).

The Hanging Garden

Make sure you check out their blogs … so much to love.

‘The Hanging Garden‘ is at Craft Victoria until 5th May 2012.

A few more images below….

I don’t draw much

I’ve been reading blogs for years now, and that experience combined with my degree, has highlighted even futher to me just how different everyone works.

I don’t draw much.
I admire those jewellers who do – draw, doodle, collage, paint…

Uber-famous examples of course include Hermann Junger, who (it seems) would make almost exactly what he drew.

from Ganoksin; please click on image for original source

My-world-famous examples include:

• Lucy Hearn [blog, artist profile]
  

  from Lucy's blog; with permission; click on image for original

• Katherine Wheeler [blog, artist profile]
  

  from Katherine's blog; with permission; click on image for original

• Katherine Bowman [blog]

Sometimes I wish I worked this way too … though I just don’t.
So I do what I do, and that’s okay too.
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Peaches + Keen Exhibition @ Dagmar Rousset

Such a fabulous manner in which to spend a beautiful Friday late afternoon – at an exhibition opening for and with gorgeous friends!

Lucy Hearn (also see artist profile) and Lily Daley are Peaches + Keen (see my review of their previous exhibition); their latest exhibition is at Dagmar Rousset (Gertrude Street, Fitzroy).

photograph with permission

A significant part of the exhibition is in the window – which makes for wonderful walking past, though not so wonderful photographs in the late afternoon due to reflections.

In this exhibition the ladies concentrate mostly on hanging plants and continue their employment of gorgeously bright and cheery colours. I do love the crocheted plant holders and the scale is just lovely.

photograph taken with permission

There is also a small number of stunning two-dimensional works – black and white plant highlighted with bright colour collage or thread. The one second from the right above is particularly effective.

And yes, there were lollies at the opening – I do have a soft spot for lolly bananas.

photograph with permission

The above little plant was my favourite. You can see that each little plant had a Lucy pin planted in the soil, too cute. And that’s Lucy in the background of this image.

Dagmar Rousset is an outrageously colourful store and it lightens the heart to see such playfulness and joy.

photograph with permission; at the opening

Lucy has some super images on her blog too.

I’m not actually sure how long the exhibition will be up for … so saunter by at your earliest convenience and share the colourful love.