19.05.10

Designer’s Dining Al Desko

Designer’s Dining Al Desko

This idea of “Dining Al Desko” originally came from an annoying dating advert on Spotify but has become a bit of an in-joke amongst local east-end creatives.  With overlapping last minute deadlines, we are all too busy to put down the paintbrush and stop for a proper meal.  It’s all about jamming up your keyboard by dropping donut jam down the keys whilst you hastily try to type out correspondence in-between paint drying. SO with this in mind, I got in contact with my fellow prop makers to see whats on the menu of this week’s “dining al desco”.

1) Alun Davies - Art Direction- “ Picture-book Picnick”- Couscous and humous salad c/o tesco desco with home made Brownie by prop maker David Curtis-Ring and real apple non Dzd.” (FYI – DZD is a supplier of artificial flora and fauna).

2)  Andy Macgregor – Set Designer / Illustrator- Andy’s photo didn’t come with any blurb but I can make a good guess that this is Hovis granary slice tuna mayo sarny with cup of strong English Breakfast tea.  I used to share studio with Andy Macgregor, Andy Hillman and Alex Cunningham for a few years.  We all got to know our own habits and once when we cleared through collected carrier bags we had a guessing game whose shopping it had been by looking at the receipts…………..Andy’s was always the tuna……….. 

3) Anna Lomax – Jiggery Pokery - “I'm finishing my MA (start hanging tomorrow) so this is my college desk
rather than the studio desk in Deptford. Anyway because I'm finishing college my eating habits have gone out the window so snacking supplies are low. Tea is vital and standard and never runs out. Oats so simple porridge for breakfast/ late night emergencies. Nutella for when I remember to buy bread and my lunch pret tuna sandwich and crisps because the canteen is skanky here and I lost my last Tupperware box.

Left overs are in the fridge at home for tonight, oh- and blueberries which I try and buy because otherwise I realise I have gone 2 days without eating any fruit and veg (naughty). Lauren and I both love food and it's rare that it is this low on the snacks front. When we are quiet with work we pretty much plan the day around breakfast, lunch and dinner and when we are busy we forget to eat which not very clever.

What I have realised is that despite the lack of real food I have a rather worrying amount of fake food related bits on and around my desk. From my KCF poster to two bowls of fake fruit to a variety of made teeth and mouths and even Prince Charles pouring a pint. Weird.”

4) Lauren Davies – Jiggery Pokery - “Atmospheric Sushi -  The Glamorous Life of a Set-Designer. In contrast to Anna's current working habits, spent mainly in a bright white gallery space, Today I am working in the underbelly of 'Pop-Up Pirates' our latest collaborative venture, getting installation freaky with yes, you guessed it - glitter. I doubt many other girls spent their lunch hour today eating sushi (and a tropical Onken yogurt with chopped banana. YUM YUM) in a toilet lobby.

At least lunch was fairly healthy today, I have been so busy recently that come five o'clock each day I often realise I haven't eaten a crumb. I like to think of it as a subconscious diet (the only kind I ever indulge in). Other lunch times this week have mainly been taken up with trips to the local hardware store, followed by a very quick trip to Benugo,where I really exploit my feminine side by dropping plasterboard fixings all over the floor and stabbing myself with screws whilst fishing for my purse. When I finish this job, I will fill up my handbag with lipsticks and jewellery and all things girly again.”

5) Me and Craig-  We seem to be on a diet of mostly pickles and tea this week………… just recently settling in to our new studio we are still using a knitting needle to stir our brew …….except for a special occasion today I stole a spoon from upstairs because we had a guest for tea……..Fabulous Russella, who kindly took this portrait of us

Images- Top 2-Alun, 3rd- Andy, 4th Anna, 5-Lauren, 6-8- Fred and Craig

Posted by Fred Butler

Tags: Dining Al Desko Fred Butler