Welcome in to the hidden world of Ian Berry - in full 360° of indigo blue. Filmed in his London studio it follows Ian Berry around as he speaks to Kasper Daugaard of SYS Visual in some of the different sections of his atelier. Please use the guide in the top left hand corner to see in all the different directions as you move around.
Ian says ‘The technology has really advanced and I was really impressed with the guys at SYS Visual with what they could achieve. I think the added interview part gives it another element as I always wanted to show more people around the studio but never really knew how. This is the closest thing to being here yet’
This is the first episode as we take a tour into Ian’s world at his East London base. Whenever people visit the studio they are always amazed by the ‘organised mess’ and to see so many shades of denim jeans all in a palette and arranged by shades. There’s denim hanging on the walls and his tools of his trade with all kinds of store rooms leading off from the main studio room.
‘I’ve never been able to really show online what the studio is like and, like my work, seems only good in real life. People’s reaction as they walk in are always something quite special. I’ve had great photographers in and it shows a section, but as the ceiling is low at the front (only 2 meters) it always looks a bit strange. It never really shows the large size of it and all the areas - and always looks a mess! With this it really shows the feeling of the studio and where I work.’ Ian added.
SYS Visual came in and filmed over a morning and then stitched it together in the edit room and in this episode you see Ian Berry’s working area, they filmed throughout his home (above the studio) and where he lives at the Limehouse Cut canal area of East London. Watch out for further episodes where you see his own art collection, and even in his kitchen and living room of this amazing factory conversation in the old Spratts Factory that survived the war. Ian overlooks the oldest canal in London, the Limehouse Cut were you can see barges going up and down as well as swans and all kinds of wildlife.
Spratts made pet food and the factory at one point was the largest dog food factory in the world. Built in the late 19th Century with beautiful red bricks and having the original writing still on the building. It was the first live work building in London and has been home to the likes of the Queen's tapestry restorer Ksynia Marko, Roger Law of Spitting Image, sculptor Michael Green and ceramicist Elizabeth Fritsch along with many other creatives. With Ian Berry and many notable others now, it carries on the tradition of being an artists building.
Another interesting fact also shows there was a dog-show department, possibly owing to James Spratt's initial 14-year-old assistant, the future dog show founder Charles Cruft. During the war they made dog biscuits for the soldiers on the front line.
After the imposition of purchase tax on pet food in 1969, the factory closed down, left derelict for many years.
Spratts factory on Limehouse Cut, by Debbie Bragg
Watch out to see further episodes to see more of his Studio, home, and the building.
made by www.sysvisual.com
produced by FARDI: +44 7968 538 767 fardi@sysvisual.com