What does a supreme testing machine even test??
Wednesday, 30 April 2008
Nostalgic Machines
I am developing a fondness for antique technology. It just seems so quaint. I couldn't ever start a collection however, it is just too psychopathic. Baudrillard wrote an entire theory on the eccentricity of collecting; I think he conceded that it was beyond anal. I do have an uncle in California who has a garage full of retro gardening equipment, wirelesses and blowtorches. The latter is especially weird, he even came over to the UK to attend a blowtorch collectors' convention. He said he came to visit us but I don't know. Maybe that's what sun does to you. Hell, it sounds better than being permanently grey.
What does a supreme testing machine even test??
What does a supreme testing machine even test??
Ian Adams
I took shelter from the tempestuous weather in a book shop today and had a a good flick through the creative journals. Looking through CMYK I noticed the work of Ian Adams. He has a set of photographs he has called 'grey days', and I can see where he is coming from. Grey is not just a colour, it is a mood. Much to the amusement of my housemates, I often make it known that 'today is a grey day'. I do a lot of sleeping on these days.
Contemporary Artists' Book Fair
Something I went to a while back. Wish I had taken my camera as there were some interesting looking creations.
Tuesday, 29 April 2008
Matt's Site
I have started to design a portfolio website, as he is a silly bugger and doesn't have one yet. Despite his messy personality, I think that the emphasis really ought to be on his work; without distractions.
I was perusing Merlin's blog and followed his link to alextrochut.com, which has to be the simplest, cleanest website I have ever seen. You might think that his work is just as minimal, but it is actually very colourful and extrovert. I'm not too sure this would be appropriate for Matt though.
Go here to see how Matt's site looks so far.
Also...I wish the people across the street would shut up...all I ever hear is beep beep beep thud thud thud woof woof woof.
I was perusing Merlin's blog and followed his link to alextrochut.com, which has to be the simplest, cleanest website I have ever seen. You might think that his work is just as minimal, but it is actually very colourful and extrovert. I'm not too sure this would be appropriate for Matt though.
Go here to see how Matt's site looks so far.
Also...I wish the people across the street would shut up...all I ever hear is beep beep beep thud thud thud woof woof woof.
Monday, 28 April 2008
Wednesday, 23 April 2008
Peliculas
That's Spanish for films. I have been watching quite a few recently, to help with the learning.
Volver - Pedro Almodovar. A soap opera of a film. I like the colourful palette in Almodovar's films.
Bad Education - Almodovar. An almost comic treating of a taboo subject, with Gael Garcia in tighty-whities.
All about my Mother - Almodovar. This films wraps up so well.
Take my Eyes - Iciar Bollain. A film about domestic violence. Nothing new, but a contrast to the often sensationalist approaches of Hollywood.
Talk to Her - Almodovar. This film did not touch me in the same way Almodovar's other films have done. Perhaps it was the controversial subject matter, or just the fact the protagonists were male.
The Shrinking Lover: the short film within Talk to Her: a metaphor for an unspeakable act.
That clip reminded me of something I came across a while ago, and has been residing in my screensaver folder for some time. It is a still from an erotic Italian film made in the 60s, 'Femina Ridens'.
Volver - Pedro Almodovar. A soap opera of a film. I like the colourful palette in Almodovar's films.
Bad Education - Almodovar. An almost comic treating of a taboo subject, with Gael Garcia in tighty-whities.
All about my Mother - Almodovar. This films wraps up so well.
Take my Eyes - Iciar Bollain. A film about domestic violence. Nothing new, but a contrast to the often sensationalist approaches of Hollywood.
Talk to Her - Almodovar. This film did not touch me in the same way Almodovar's other films have done. Perhaps it was the controversial subject matter, or just the fact the protagonists were male.
The Shrinking Lover: the short film within Talk to Her: a metaphor for an unspeakable act.
That clip reminded me of something I came across a while ago, and has been residing in my screensaver folder for some time. It is a still from an erotic Italian film made in the 60s, 'Femina Ridens'.
Art as a Smell
'If There Ever Was'; the title of a new exhibition at the Reg Vardy gallery in Sunderland. "Opening on Tuesday April 29 2008 and running until Friday June 6 2008, fourteen different scents will be on display in an exhibition of extinct and impossible smells." Well, well. I read Perfume by Patrick Suskind only last year, and was captivated by the idea of fabricating a scent (albeit in that case through homicidal means). I am also disgusted at the notion that shops actually pump synthetic smells into our noses in the aim of selling to us tickling our connotative nose buds. Not to mention all of that celebrity endorsed toliet water. When in Barcelona, I spent hours with my sister searching for the cheapest, latest designer scent she just had to have. If I decide I need to smell nice, I shall go to Grasse to concoct my own personal scent from freshly cut dandelions.
My father works in Sunderland, so if I ask nicely he'll give me a lift.
My father works in Sunderland, so if I ask nicely he'll give me a lift.
Tuesday, 22 April 2008
PGCE
I attended a talk today on the option of becoming a teacher after I graduate. Although I am seriously considering teaching one day, I am not sure if I am passionate enough about art and design. Obviously I need to convince myself of my enthusiasm before I could even contemplate convincing others. Even then, I would like to travel and pursue other vocations first.
Fry and Gutenberg
Flicking through my parents' Radio Times last night I came across this listing. Shame my parents never seem to have THIS week's copy. It will probably be on IPlayer actually, I will have to watch it as it sounds rather interesting.
A hour or so later...
"I've always been rather fond of books. Infact I think they are just about the most important things we've ever created; the building blocks of our civilisation." Fry.
Oh, I want one of these sets!
A hour or so later...
"I've always been rather fond of books. Infact I think they are just about the most important things we've ever created; the building blocks of our civilisation." Fry.
Oh, I want one of these sets!
Tuesday, 8 April 2008
Paper Record Sleeves
A reference for vinyl geeks and graphic artists. Ms Kavel Rafferty's collection of company sleeves. Site designed and managed by illustrator Kavel Rafferty, www.kavels.net
Once again I have ferreted out design seeped in nostalgia. Maybe I ought to think about the implications of this.
Once again I have ferreted out design seeped in nostalgia. Maybe I ought to think about the implications of this.
Museum of Forgotten Art Supplies
..where tools of the trade that have died or have just about died a slow slow death are cheerfully exhibited
Harriet Russell
Looking around for book cover illustration I came across the portfolio of Harriet Russell. All of her work is handdrawn, often with Illustrator colouring. I feel as though I could create something to this standard, as I don't particularly enjoy using digital manipulation to a high degree.
Wednesday, 2 April 2008
Henry Moore Institute
Often I forget how close by I can find inspiration in culture.
At the moment the Institute has two exhibitions. I particularly liked 'By Leafy Ways', the early works of Ivor Abrahams, exploring the unnatural realm of the English Garden. The way in which we tame nature for our own is quite fascinating, a topic that struck me in Kate Fox's 'Watching the English' (recommended reading).
I followed the stairs down and came to the second exhibition; 'Against Nature: the hybrid forms of modern sculpture'. Once again, the balance between what is human and what is nature is in address. One of my friends recently deemed the word 'unnatural' invalid and I think he has a point. It is a rambling point though, not yet fit for blogging. Below is a 'Chimera' by Dimitrie Paciurea (1975-1932).
I have never been very excited by sculpture, for reasons that I will try to apply to this particular visit. Abrahams' screenprints emit a nostalgic quality that his 3D work does not, making me wonder of the psychology behind it. Hold an object in your hands and it is immediately real, whole. The flat surface of an photograph or film perhaps allows us to peer in, imagining an existence beyond.
At the moment the Institute has two exhibitions. I particularly liked 'By Leafy Ways', the early works of Ivor Abrahams, exploring the unnatural realm of the English Garden. The way in which we tame nature for our own is quite fascinating, a topic that struck me in Kate Fox's 'Watching the English' (recommended reading).
I followed the stairs down and came to the second exhibition; 'Against Nature: the hybrid forms of modern sculpture'. Once again, the balance between what is human and what is nature is in address. One of my friends recently deemed the word 'unnatural' invalid and I think he has a point. It is a rambling point though, not yet fit for blogging. Below is a 'Chimera' by Dimitrie Paciurea (1975-1932).
I have never been very excited by sculpture, for reasons that I will try to apply to this particular visit. Abrahams' screenprints emit a nostalgic quality that his 3D work does not, making me wonder of the psychology behind it. Hold an object in your hands and it is immediately real, whole. The flat surface of an photograph or film perhaps allows us to peer in, imagining an existence beyond.
Barcelona
Barcelona was a good trip (excuse my English indifference, it really was very good). I went with my sister aka young grasshopper and we only got lost once.
Evidence...I collected a paper bag full of flyers, tickets, receipts and so on. Also kept a travel journal. I have yet to get my photographs developed.
BCN week is an trendy, alternative newsweekly in Barcelona. The fact that a lot of it is written in English is slightly Anglophilic, but it gives it an international feel and certainly makes it easier to read! The issue I picked up had a promising article on sustainability. Of course, it has it's own website.
Shame I can't read this literary paper. But then, I wouldn't be able to read the books featured either. I'm definitely taking up Spanish.
Of course, I did the compulsory tourist stuff. The Casa Batllo was undoubtedly fantastic in real life, but when filled with tourists glued to those boring audio guides (myself included) all wonder is sort of dampened. The cathedral and the Sagrada Familia were both under partial construction, which meant that they lost some of their majesty, but the museum under the Sagrada was interesting enough. The polyfunicular model used to calculate the construction weights caught my eye.
The Frederic Marès museum was fascinating. The eccentric sculptor spent a lifetime collecting everything from 16th century iron castings to Victorian ladies' trinkets. Seeing thousands of examples of the same item left me astounded, but not in awe for one item in particular. In fact the presence of one was rather dulled by the sheer volume of others alike. Only wish I had been to see it before the collections project last term.
I wonder what all of these keys open..
The Centre of Contemporary Culture in Barcelona (CCCB) has an interesting exhibition on called 'Post-It City'. Through photography, film and printed documentary, it explores the different forms of temporary space occupation, that is to say urban territory that is in opposition to homogenisation. Issues of homelessness and poverty are addressed by some contributors, where other have taken more of a lighthearted approach. You can see most of the projects on the site. Here are some stories and situations that I found particularly interesting for one reason or another.
Czech summerhouses by Veronika Zapletalova. There appears to be a cult in the Czech Republic, whereby people build the most extraordinary holiday shelters. To see the full collection of photographs visit her website and click on Chatarstvi.
Also, when I was googling Zapletova, I came across evidence of an exhibition in London called Compressed Homes in Central Europe (windy title). Two years have passed since, but I was intrigued by this photograph (different photographer) of a homeless clockmender's bed. Although I'm horribly claustrophobic now, I do remember making pretend homes as a child behind the back of the sofa using pegged-up sheets and various junk for decoration. There is something comforting about a small, self-sufficient space.
The inhabited cemeteries in Cairo. Very macabre, but perfectly normal for those who cannot afford to live elsewhere.
Home Street Home: a phenomenon that occurs on Barcelona's furniture recycling day, when unwanted objects left outside for collection. The streets are infused with an intimate scenography. There is a blog here; it is in Spanish but you get the idea.
This one is strange in my eyes... In the Jewish month of Tishri, Orthodox Jews commemorate the Exodus by building a structure known as a sukkah (plural:sukkot) outside of their houses and live in it for seven days. I think this tradition started as a humbling experience of living under the heavens, but it seems commercially tapped now, especially in Western countries. Just search 'sukkah' on the internet and a multitude of companies will be returned.
The anarchist groups who settled in the Todesstreifen (the strip of land left untouched after the fall of the Berlin Wall in). This project was video based. It interested me simply because, like many others, I had idea of its occurrence.
I also found out that there are 25,000 stray dogs in Valparaiso. If you are reading this Will, I thought it would interest you!
I thought I ought to do the art thing and visit the MACBA, but there wasn't much on there of interest to me. Just something about pigeons in Venezuela. The best thing I saw there was a dancy drum band outside. You wouldn't see people dancing in the street like that in England.
I didn't go to many bars, due to grasshopper's tender age of sixteen, but I did find a nice one that doubled up as a bookshop. One of my new favourite restaurants is a quirky little Mexican, where the walls are lined with Day of the Dead artefacts and when you ask for water you get tequila (if you speak bad enough Spanish). Just don't order the cheesy sausage or disenchantment will inevitably ensue.
On our last night, we went to the cinema. I saw Juno, and my sister saw some dreadful chick flick. I'm not sure Juno is deserved of all its accolades, but it was refreshing and had a nice soundtrack.
Evidence...I collected a paper bag full of flyers, tickets, receipts and so on. Also kept a travel journal. I have yet to get my photographs developed.
BCN week is an trendy, alternative newsweekly in Barcelona. The fact that a lot of it is written in English is slightly Anglophilic, but it gives it an international feel and certainly makes it easier to read! The issue I picked up had a promising article on sustainability. Of course, it has it's own website.
Shame I can't read this literary paper. But then, I wouldn't be able to read the books featured either. I'm definitely taking up Spanish.
Of course, I did the compulsory tourist stuff. The Casa Batllo was undoubtedly fantastic in real life, but when filled with tourists glued to those boring audio guides (myself included) all wonder is sort of dampened. The cathedral and the Sagrada Familia were both under partial construction, which meant that they lost some of their majesty, but the museum under the Sagrada was interesting enough. The polyfunicular model used to calculate the construction weights caught my eye.
The Frederic Marès museum was fascinating. The eccentric sculptor spent a lifetime collecting everything from 16th century iron castings to Victorian ladies' trinkets. Seeing thousands of examples of the same item left me astounded, but not in awe for one item in particular. In fact the presence of one was rather dulled by the sheer volume of others alike. Only wish I had been to see it before the collections project last term.
I wonder what all of these keys open..
The Centre of Contemporary Culture in Barcelona (CCCB) has an interesting exhibition on called 'Post-It City'. Through photography, film and printed documentary, it explores the different forms of temporary space occupation, that is to say urban territory that is in opposition to homogenisation. Issues of homelessness and poverty are addressed by some contributors, where other have taken more of a lighthearted approach. You can see most of the projects on the site. Here are some stories and situations that I found particularly interesting for one reason or another.
Czech summerhouses by Veronika Zapletalova. There appears to be a cult in the Czech Republic, whereby people build the most extraordinary holiday shelters. To see the full collection of photographs visit her website and click on Chatarstvi.
Also, when I was googling Zapletova, I came across evidence of an exhibition in London called Compressed Homes in Central Europe (windy title). Two years have passed since, but I was intrigued by this photograph (different photographer) of a homeless clockmender's bed. Although I'm horribly claustrophobic now, I do remember making pretend homes as a child behind the back of the sofa using pegged-up sheets and various junk for decoration. There is something comforting about a small, self-sufficient space.
The inhabited cemeteries in Cairo. Very macabre, but perfectly normal for those who cannot afford to live elsewhere.
Home Street Home: a phenomenon that occurs on Barcelona's furniture recycling day, when unwanted objects left outside for collection. The streets are infused with an intimate scenography. There is a blog here; it is in Spanish but you get the idea.
This one is strange in my eyes... In the Jewish month of Tishri, Orthodox Jews commemorate the Exodus by building a structure known as a sukkah (plural:sukkot) outside of their houses and live in it for seven days. I think this tradition started as a humbling experience of living under the heavens, but it seems commercially tapped now, especially in Western countries. Just search 'sukkah' on the internet and a multitude of companies will be returned.
The anarchist groups who settled in the Todesstreifen (the strip of land left untouched after the fall of the Berlin Wall in). This project was video based. It interested me simply because, like many others, I had idea of its occurrence.
I also found out that there are 25,000 stray dogs in Valparaiso. If you are reading this Will, I thought it would interest you!
I thought I ought to do the art thing and visit the MACBA, but there wasn't much on there of interest to me. Just something about pigeons in Venezuela. The best thing I saw there was a dancy drum band outside. You wouldn't see people dancing in the street like that in England.
I didn't go to many bars, due to grasshopper's tender age of sixteen, but I did find a nice one that doubled up as a bookshop. One of my new favourite restaurants is a quirky little Mexican, where the walls are lined with Day of the Dead artefacts and when you ask for water you get tequila (if you speak bad enough Spanish). Just don't order the cheesy sausage or disenchantment will inevitably ensue.
On our last night, we went to the cinema. I saw Juno, and my sister saw some dreadful chick flick. I'm not sure Juno is deserved of all its accolades, but it was refreshing and had a nice soundtrack.
Tuesday, 1 April 2008
Long Time
I cannot believe I have not posted in so long. Things have been busy but that is no excuse! I went to Barcelona last week so there's a lot to be said about that, but I need to go food shopping desperately first. Here is a stock photo to illustrate the state of my victual situation.
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