Leeds Royal Armouries

Before I went to the Royal Armories, I was skeptical; however, I quite enjoyed the day. What appealed to me the most was the offensive kind of protection, a.k.a weaponry. Firstly, I was truly shocked by the amount of seized weaponry that there was from 2006 in Yorkshire. Some of these weapons were truly terrifying especially the baseball bat. It was covered in Duct tape, with nails and screws in the top and then chains were attached. This object was obviously created for maximum damage and to think that this was being carried around on the streets almost makes me afraid. The 3 in 1 weapon, the gun with a knife and knuckle duster, is also quite scary but also impressive, it would be effective no matter how close the enemy, or victim, was. Another focus of mine was how ornate some of the weapons were, with carved handles and pear inlays. Also, the mosaic gun handles and decorative blades. The final thing that drew my attention was, inevitably, war. The shocking images of men in the war quite upset me, to think of how many horrific experiences they encountered, and how these weapons will have saved their lives on many occasions. All-in-all, weaponry is produced for mainly 3 reasons: to show status and wealth, for protection and also, to inflict crime in an almost hobby like way.

Chatsworth Sculpture Show

This year, there were only a few sculptures in Chatsworth that I really liked. Yayoi Kusama’s sculptures were probably my favourites. I found them really bold and exciting. They contrast greatly to what are considered to be classical sculptures. When I went, it was a miserable day, and they appeared really bright against the weather, they also seem to evoke happiness and curiosity. Damien Hirst was also a favourite of mine, his sculptures ‘Myth’ and ‘Legend’ were fascinating to me, I love mythology, and to think about these creatures in a very real way appealed to me greatly. Showing the anatomy of a Unicorns body and that of Pegasus brought the animals to reality.

Yorkshire Sculpture Park

What I like about Yorkshire Sculpture Park is the diversity. Jaume Plensa, although naive to some, is focused on the idea of language, thoughts and emotions surrounding his sculptures. I really like this concept, although it may seem childish, I like the combination of text and characters with sculptures and people. When it comes to Henry Moore, I much prefer his sculptures that focus on shape and form rather than the human figure, I find his figures admirable but there is a certain dislike I feel that I can't place. However, his giant sculptures that express curves and forms are really beautiful. Then there is also Antony Caro's Promenade - which seems eerie when you stand in front of it. I can imagine them as almost human beings waiting, and I like the mysterious quality. Then there are the trees strewn with almost junk, these are some of the most interesting sculptures I have seen, however, I dislike that they are mainly about concept rather than the actual making of a sculpture. 

                                                      

Kedleston Hall

At Kedleston Hall - i mainly focussed on the exterior of the building. It looks almost Gothick, with its dark stone bricks. So much detail has been put into the building, like the ornate pillars, the detailed frming around every window and especially the stair case leading up to the back of the Hall. I love the elegance of this stair case, and how when you view it from different angles, the shape looks different. In the gardens, all the little out buildings are different, and my favourite is the tiny green house like building, although it is tiny, i like the domed roof and the octagonal shape. 

The interior also amazed me, the sheer amount of detail in each room shows such time and effort. However, it seems almost pointless. The majority of the interior is there to wow, it has no function other than that - which makes me think of all the people who need a home or belongings.

History of My Life in Four Objects.

This water colour painting was done for me by my mother in 1995, when I was only two years old. The painting is obviously of Humpty Dumpty in his classic ‘Sat on a Wall’ scene, and is of a teddy I had as a child. Whilst I was growing up, painting was a hobby that my mum practiced often and was extremely good at. She doesn’t paint much anymore, which is a shame, so this is important to me as it reminds me of her. I chose this object because I can remember it hanging on my bedroom wall when I was about 3 years old, so it brings back many memories – from the clowns that decorated my bedroom to the furniture, the teddies I had and even the clothes that I wore. The object brings back so many memories for me. When I saw this painting for the first time in 8 years, all of those memories came flooding back.

 

 I'll always remember my trip to Disney World, Florida. In 2002, my nana died and we had to cancel our holiday - so the next year my parents took us on the holiday of a life time Walt Disney once said that he created Disney World because he wanted there to be a place where adults and their children could play together. The characters are all trained to sign their signatures in the same ways and the only thing unique about my book is the order in which I got the signatures, and all that Esmeralda signed it upside down, however, it simbolises a holiday that i will never forget. I used to be in love with Disney - and I still am. I love the classic cartoons like Aladdin and Pocahontas (on VCR). Without the occasional crackles and lines down the screen they wouldn't be the same. Watching these films is a window into my past.

 I can remember getting my second iPod Nano - a 4th generation model, with 8GB of memory in my favourite purple. The first Nano I had was a 2nd generation white model with only 1GB of memory - I could only fit approximately 220 songs on it, which frustrated me to no end. Obviously, my 4th generation iPod was very welcomed. There was also the change in the kind of music I put on my new iPod - changing genres from pop to metal and screamo. It contains so many songs that are reminiscent of certain times in my life, of my boyfriend, childhood friends, dead relatives and holidays. I love music, it is very important to me due to the way it can prompt the recalling of different, precious memories.

This Pandora ring is the latest present given to me by my boyfriend; it was given to me for our 2nd anniversary. I asked for this ring because, although I have jewelry from him apart from this, I wanted something that I could wear all the time to remind me of him. It feels so strange when I’m not wearing it, and I feel somehow lost. It's important to him, as it reminds me of him, and what he does for me.

Getting Dressed Up