Explosive and Alluringly Beautiful – ‘Bedsit’ by Timorous Beasties at the PCA Gallery, Plymouth

‘Bedsit’ by textile Design Company Timorous Beasties is an explosive dynamic display of psychedelic acidic colours and daring patterns translated onto sumptuous home textiles.

The installation takes inspiration from bedsits as a starting point and this element of ‘gritty glamour’ is potent throughout the exhibition. From the wallcovering designs with their sporadic, multi-layered blending of patterns; evocative of peeling dirty, graffiti walls to the printed lampshades, their insides printed with scenes of London’s urban city.

The centrepiece of the exhibition is a velvet bed. The alluring tones of deep blue, acid green, strong pinks, oranges and white against the deep black is brilliantly dramatic and attention grabbing. The digitally printed board behind displaying another of Beasties kaleidoscopic designs I felt most obviously visually channels their grime and insect aesthetics.

Some of their pieces have a much softer, romantic feel, this was conveyed through their furniture assemble; it is clear Timorous Beasties channels influences from the ’toile de joy’ fabrics of 1800’s France but reinvents theme in bright, mystifying , zany colours.  I was particularly drawn to some of the chair designs, their bright seats contrasted strikingly with the dark frames. The seat designs themselves sported misty murky designs often blending lighter, airier shades, with darker, murkier tones then over prints them with a clear swirling baroque design in another dark hue. My favourite was magenta, rust and olive green combination. The darker green hues I feel particularly convey a sense of the dingy bedsits of their influence.

Timorous beasties logo sports a beetle bug within a circle and ‘T’ it is clear from the exhibition beetles and insects are a recurring source of inspiration, whether amalgamated into kaleidoscopic wallpaper designs or rendered in a botanical style on lampshades. Beetles, insects and lizards are found interwoven into designs throughout the exhibition. Timorous Beasties ability to create designs using similar influences in such differing styles makes the installation even more enticing and awe inspiring.

I was particularly inspired andenamoured by the velvet cushions displayed on the brown sofa behind the bed. Each design was so individual and the colours were brilliantly vivid, intense, and electric. The surrealist, trippy imagery drew you in, making you stop and pause in order to study each small detail of their complex prints. The kaleidoscopic blue and yellow deign reminded me somewhat of Alexander McQueen’s Platos Atlantis prints. However my favourite was the graffiti drips cushion. Its random, expressive pattern had a raw and passionate, dirty, smoky quality. This I feel sums up timorous beasties work as a whole; it is not pretty but it is alluring, slightly sinister and definitely dramatic and beautiful.

The installation was huge pleasure to be able to see and learn about as their designs will definitely inspire me in the future.