Sunday 28 October 2012

Tacky and Tasteful




After going on the trip to Chatsworth House and looking through all the photos i took i noticed i took a lot of pictures of ornaments and small objects that covered all the tables where as everyone else was looking at the large paintings and statues. In Chatsworth i knew the ornaments were probably veryyy expensive made of rare materials or were shipped from other countries to show culture and wealth, but even though i knew this i coulnt help remembering all the ornaments of women in big dresses, dogs and vases that my nan use to have all over her house.


My nan loved carboot sales and would come back each week with random pots and ornaments that were about 50p each that look similar to the things i saw at Chatsworth. i think this just shows how expensive taste from the upper classes was mirrored and reflected into middle class life where poorer families would replicate their homes on expensive and ornate decor to seem 'posher' and richer. Where as looking back now it reminds me of tacky cheap ornaments that seem so ugly and mismatched but i still love them! My rooms filled with mismatched styles of decor and ornaments that are usually from charity, carboots or stuff i got from my nans house.

When i went to the Harley gallery and into the Hope and Elvis studio, instead of taking pictures of their work i took pictures of the things on the shelves that reminded me of a strong British heritage but made over the top and tacky. The ornaments are usually hand painted so in its own way is a piece of unique art.



This tacky and distasteful style of home furnishings has become fashionable and popular within vintage style shops that replicate this but are mass produced and very very expensive to say you can go to the charity shop for similar stuff...they are similary painted with an airbrush or water colour effect that looks aged and vintage, these ornaments are from Urban Outfitters and are about £20 each.

From this i want to base my final piece for Rakes progress on an outcome that has references to taste but also combined with another element of the story. I'll take reference from Grayson Perrys Program 'All in the bets possible taste',







I took pictures of random objects in my room and house and want to use these as references and research for my final piece.

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