Jaqueline Almagro Chiavarine. Spanish, 21, currently based in Leeds.                                              Leeds College of Arts –BA (Hons) Graphic Design -2014-2016

Has her own personal website with her work and projects, her visions and ideas. She has started to design products for VIDA shop, an original online business and clothing store where people can submit their designs and get their products promoted and put into market

What was the most exciting university project for you and what was your concept?

The university project I enjoyed the most and felt most passionate about was the ‘Ban Guns In America’ campaign. My aim for this campaign was to distribute colouring books across America in schools, community centres, hospitals, out reach programs, town halls, etc. As a way of marketing my personal brand, my logo was placed at the back of the book; there was a continuity with online sharing on instagram, facebook and behance. (…)’Kill nothing but time’ is the coloring book title. It  represents exactly what the message behind my book is. It is also a metaphor for when a person is day dreaming. I used this quote in this book to portray the message kill nothing but time, not people (…)​

How would you describe your style of design/illustration?

I would say personal and really colorful, handmade and eye-catching. I like my work to look very graphic and strong but inventive and inspiring at the same time. I pay a lot of attention to detail; and I mainly use vibrant and contrasting colors for a strong result

Are you working on a new project right now? And what are your ideas for the next project?

At the moment I’m playing with new ideas, pushing my creative boundaries and developing my passion, I’m designing a lot of tattoos and working with a few start up businesses helping create logos to promote their brand, also I’m working with some businesses social media platforms designing them eye-catching visuals

From where do you take inspiration for your work?

I admire Kate Moross’ work; I take a lot of my ideas from her. And in terms of concept and design I also get really inspired by colors and shapes of nature, flowers and how music makes me feel. Music is an important thing for me that makes me dream, and I portray that ‘dream’ in my work

. Some of her work

BY BEN MALBON

In his book, published in 1999, Ben Malbon shows and explains in a detailed way the whole clubbing experience, exploring every moment from the beginning till the end of a typical night out, and includes a wide variety of interviews to young clubbers and music lovers that give their own views and opinions about club culture and everything that has to do with it – music, dance, drugs, etc.

I was attracted to the advanced and creative language that he uses throughout the chapters when describing the different sensations happening when going clubbing.

With an informative and analytical manner, he also talks about all the sub-themes relating to youth and nightlife. I really enjoyed reading the chapters ‘Dancers from the Dance’ and ‘Moments of Ecstasy’, which inspired me to write the article about clubbing as escapism and sensation seeking.

”Many clubbers describe a sensation experienced while clubbing of being in a state or in a place that is in some way removed from the ‘normal’ times, spaces and social relations of their everyday lives, of being in a realm of fantasy, fun and freedom” Ben Malbon

This quote was the starting point and basis of my article.

MAIN SHOOT FOR THE MAGAZINE

EDITORIAL ON NEON LIGHTS & THE CLUBBING EXPERIENCE

ISSUE 1 – ‘ESCAPISM’

Concept & Introduction to magazine
(written by me)

When we talk about everyday life we directly think of everything that is habitual, ordinary, repetitive and quotidian, like particular practices, habits and behaviors that we have, ways of experiencing the world and responding to one’s environment. It can evoke feelings of ordinariness, monotony, emptiness and relates to everything that involves responsibilities; but it also contains elements of the non-everyday, like leisure activities or pleasures that are more ‘extraordinary’ activities within the ordinary daily existence… seen as forms of escapism or ‘breaks’ from everyday life, embedded in it.

In modern life and modern times, people tend to look for different ways to escape, psychologically or physically, to achieve distraction, relaxation, relief or emotional refuge from reality… from the banality of daily life and stress. Escapism means seeking for a better place, either created in our mind or an actual place made for that purpose; a place of fantasy, memories or dreams and out of the real world, where we freely just focus on ourselves, our feelings, senses and state of mind.

Why do we feel the need to escape?.. And what are our own ways of escapism?