Inspired

A packet of collar supports, a German envelope with an anonymous photograph inside, a raspberry jam jar label, and an exercise wallchart titled ‘Woman: Her Heath and Beauty’

Tara Hanrahan
Thomas Matthews


A packet of collar supports, a German envelope with an anonymous photograph inside, a raspberry jam jar label, and an exercise wallchart titled ‘Woman: Her Heath and Beauty’.

My passion for fairs and whatever graphics they throw up started during blurry student mornings spent riffling through old boxes at the Sunday Market in Brighton. Since then, markets have become a staple in my work ethos and an important excursion from the studio.

I enjoy the thrill of rummaging and the guiltless opportunity it provides to revel in the aesthetic. I love the atmosphere, and the chance it gives to explore a kind of chaos that brings unexpected ideas and connections.

All of this is in addition to the fantastic variety of things you can find – others may call this ‘stuff’ ephemera, but I disagree, as for me their usefulness as a source of inspiration is infinite. It also offers an impromptu insight into different periods of history.

My most recent find is a selection of striking Cuban revolutionary posters I uncovered in Havana. What could be more exciting than designs such as these, which have visual impact, clarity of thought and passion?

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