Borders: An EDGE show

So, another PhotoHastings and we put up some work at the station.

In the concourse and at the edges.

We all put up three images. One of mine seemed to stick to every darn thing except the window - grit, air, flies.   It looked so unbelievably nasty with all that stuff going on between it and the window that I took it down today.

Perhaps the two that remain sitting opposite each other work.

The other work works.

It's a good show.

Come along and see for yourself.

http://edgehastings.blogspot.co.uk/

What if?

What if we used this question every day: 

What if...?

Stretching a Line at Hastings Railway Station

New work, new EDGE exhibition

Really happy to be involved in this group who individually produce such interesting work and collectively help me to remember why I do this and the benefits of it.

 

The show has just gone up, there's an amazing diversity to the interpretation of the theme 'Line'.  It's in the two waiting rooms and on the bridge. 

The mystery of Existence

Today I found a book that might help me more completely determine my position, and that of my art.  Where it sits in relation to my thinking and belief compared with philosophical thought. 

What surprises me is how thin this book is, given the weight of its contents.

 

Thinking about making new work

Run

In considering a call for proposals around and celebrating the work of Fay Godwin, I discovered I was interested in Peter Stokes question “How many more Aveburys will be there, perfect under future moons”

Referring to Godwin's work 'Land' Stokes wrote that she is 'dealing with issues of exploitation and industrial damage;  albeit with the possibility of a suggestion, in the way in which the material is associated, that all things pass, and that the land will heal.'

I remember writing 'This too shall pass' on my wall at home in thick blue paint in utter frustration and in response to a particularly nasty relationship. We sometimes have a nasty relationship to the 'other'. Witness politics. Tara Brach calls 'the other' 'unreal other', it means that we can feel able and justified to hurt 'the other' partly because we are afraid of it/them and partly because they don't exist to us, so far removed from us do they seem. This can relate to animal, vegetable, human, mineral, the sea and the land. We choose. Our rubbish litters the land, the sea and the air making it difficult sometimes to see, to breathe or to move about safely regardless of the physiognomy.

As a vegetarian heading towards veganism I find it difficult travelling past sheep and frollicking lambs on the marshes soon to be travelling to the abbatoir. We used to see lorry loads of animals on their way to death. Now it's rare to see that. Is it that there are now abbatoirs in every town and village? Everything is being cleaned up in terms of what we are allowed to see, so we aren't so inconvenienced or distressed, despite wanting to buy 'meat' at rock-bottom prices which has to equate to rock-bottom humanitarianism. It might be better if instead of 'meat' we selected an animal with an identity at the supermarket. Let's face it, if you're going to eat animal why not have it's name and species branded on it, cheese and wine have to declare what they are. My sister-in-law once yelled out the train window at the sheep at the top of her voice 'RUN!' but then she had visited an abbatoir. I share her horror at what will become of them, a shank on a plate. The rot, in our country, is not just in our minds its in our bellies too, via our attachment to the hog roast. Godwin promoted the organic route not for nothing.

I'm interested in how, as Margaret Drabble wrote (Guardian... http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2011/jan/08/margaret-drabble-fay-godwin ), Godwin's change of diet contributed to her recovery from “advanced cancer”. If our cancers are related to the desecration of the land and life, Godwin's concern over our sites of mystery, pilgrimage and contemplation becoming lucrative sideshows devoid of meaning and mostly untouchable identifies them as also troublesome. Mass conscious life that is out of touch with its centre, with little spirituality or deep meaning other than a monetary drive for survival, allows us to treat each other as unreal and develop deeply rooted psychological pain as a result.

Looking to the sky at night when the land and our destruction of it has disappeared into a shimmering blackness offers hope. The twinkling lights of distant stars, light years away, scribe their images onto my hand-held lens as I, who wobble while looking upwards (not being a tripod), am inconsequential beneath them. Is it my subconscious that has me wobbling an image that might be the equivalent of an ancient chalky white horse or a long man scribed into the side of a hill? 

 

Languishing

I'm languishing, making work, being a bit more organised.  Teaching.  Meditating.  Developing myself.  Enjoying the new work that is appearing.

How to follow anything?

Really, it's a tricky question.  For example, how do I follow a post that has a title like 'The Greatest Thing Ever Known'?  Is it possible?  The other day I was reading about Entanglement, it's a particular interest, along with the Observer Effect.  So it's possible that while I am struggling to imagine what kind of post could follow the previous one, it might already exist and be resonating or lighting up elsewhere which saves me the bother.

In order for you to read it, you'll have to look for it, notice it and then look at it but don't for goodness sake interfere with it because that will set off a whole new chain of events.

The Greatest Thing Ever Known

Hmmm, it's been a while I know.  Remember my post about warm Italian air?  Today I found a book that looked really promising (imagine something so promising yet only costing £2, which is very nearly the bus fare one way into town) but, being wrapped in its original sealed film, is tantalisingly inaccessible.

Googling tells me that it was originally published in 1898 and that this copy was probably published nearly a hundred years later, that's longevity for you.

I can't bring myself to unwrap it on account of the potential to be disappointed.  Does that point to a poor attitude?  Possibly.  But to discover that The Greatest Thing Ever Known wasn't would be a bit like finding out that I didn't like Limoncello after all.

Meanwhile new work is emerging from the depths of my consciousness around the idea of air.

Swimming

I swam.  Today.  Tonight.  The very fat full harvest supermoon overhead shone it's light towards my gaze and I sunk myself into the sea and swam.   Hurrah!   Breaking a 7 year bad habit and immense fear.  The water was amazingly warm, it's gentle but huge ferociousness horrifyingly worrying and yet calming once in it!  I know: what a scaredy cat.    Couldn't have done it without my lovely friend Tracy Jones (check out her work - it's really good).

Ha! It's been a while.

And it has. 

Meanwhile I've been looking around as ever.  And been affected by what goes on around me. 

This is what I saw in the Ensign

It's been quite a while since I worked with black and white, 12 years or so, and I'd forgotten how thoroughly satisfying it can be.   The little Ensign Greyhound has worked a kind of magic for me, spitting bits of its internal dust and whatnot onto the the film as it wound its way through the camera, the effects of time affecting the image during the making.  I'm intrigued by how it seems that the modern film used couldn't compete with an ethereal memory retained within the mechanical parts because the results look as though they could have been taken decades ago, perhaps at the time the camera was originally produced for the mass market.

Fortunately I know a brilliant person who very sensibly has retained all their darkroom kit, uses it regularly and very kindly developed the film for me since I'd forgotten how and had given away my kit years ago (thanks Alex Brattell).  Ironic really, since my storeroom is so full of stuff that it's barely possible to get into it.

Check out the viewfinder

Yes the whole thing looks kinda ugly, but trust me it's beautiful.  It's an Ensign Greyhound camera. I'm hoping that this gorgeous piece of engineering is going to reveal something interesting.  Strangely the above is already interesting because it's a scan and yet the only thing in focus is the viewfinder.  Perfect - in my mind.  The image in the viewfinder reminds me of the landscape I see every day.

January

Tut, how did that happen?

  Time to get another website.  

 

Testing, testing

Working hard again - heart heavy, hope it doesn't implode before I'm ready.  Let's make it lighter and have some fun.

I like exploring.

Playing.

Finding out.

Life is a dream, isn't it?  Anyway?

Hope David Francis doesn't mind me posting this since it's his playing?  Ace Dude.

Sediment

This year has been a bit like stepping off unstable sure ground and leaping onto a highwire tightrope wearing flippers.  Without any intention, I was in danger of becoming the pavement version of Philippe Petit.  Following life cycles with a flat tyre rather than a taut life line.  Various visits to various locations has grounded me, surprisingly.  Beachy Head is one, I went there again to capture the sea - crazy idea, how can one capture the sea in all it's majesty - impossible.  I spotted a group instead.  Captured them while I could.  Later I ventured to the beach - not the one at Beachy Head, having no head for heights - but my beach, the one that's close to me, capturing a smaller version of the sea...

Ever since I was ejected from a fairground ride I've avoided them.

Having gone again for change/flux/excitement/fear despite my primeval aversion to fairground rides all manner of ordinary things need addressing: these are my bookmarks from the laptop that needs to be returned.  Because I've 'bookmarked' them presumably they had or have a resonance with me over the last few years.  They are in date order of bookmarking, so the last is the most present.  Some I haven't visited in years.  Some are visited often.  In a partial way they catalogue my interest over that period. 

http://www.yahoo.com
http://www.msn.co.uk
http://www.lucindawells.co.uk
http://www.dmu.ac.uk
http://www.tvguide.co.uk/
http://artistbooks.ning.com/profile/RuthShawWilliams
http://lucinda-wells.blogspot.com/
http://www.yh485press.org/
http://www.apengine.org/
http://www.andyfoulds.co.uk/flash_design.html
http://www.forteantimes.com/features/fortean_traveller/156/snorris_hot_tub_reykholt_iceland.html
http://greg-lucas.blogspot.com/
http://www.antiqbook.co.uk/boox/colle/102525.shtml#
http://www.sheldrake.org/homepage.html
http://www.fourcornersbooks.co.uk/JetAge.html
http://www.memorymegastore.com/logoutuser.asp?logged_out=Y
http://hatters-domain.blogspot.com/
http://silencesprung.wordpress.com/wp-login.php?redirect_to=http%3A%2F%2Fsilencesprung.wordpress.com%2Fwp-admin%2Fusers.php&reauth=1
http://schmid.wordpress.com/
http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/clickToGive/home.faces?siteId=2
http://jades-photography.blogspot.com/2010_01_01_archive.html
http://www.facebook.com/
http://www.publishandbedamned.org.uk/
http://www.1000wordsmag.com/
http://www.kenwilber.com/blog/list/1
http://www.youtube.com/ytscreeningroom?gl=GB&user=ytscreeningroom
http://www.artquest.org.uk/
http://noplace-xxx.blogspot.com/
http://www.electrocomics.com/weekly/weeklydata/Blegvad/html/en_Blegvad46.html
http://www.ohiomagazine.de/
http://www.p000m0000.com/
http://mubi.com/login
http://books.google.com/books?id=zunn9VqsHQ0C
http://www.rhubarb-rhubarb.net/
http://glenjamieson.blogspot.com/
http://ow.ly/user/Lucinda_Wells
http://vimeo.com/user2289957
http://www.proamimaging.com/
http://www.unity.org/prayer/prayersAffirmations/healingPrayerAffirm.html
http://www.neromagazine.it/n/?p=3609
http://www.ubuweb.com/
http://www.hotukdeals.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wizards_Project
http://www.celiahammond.org/index.php?module=pagemaster&PAGE_user_op=view_page&PAGE_id=23&MMN_position=32:32
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=deiWnZK-duM&feature=share
http://paulocoelhoblog.com/2010/11/14/character-of-the-week-gibran/
http://www.rnli.org.uk/who_we_are/press_centre/videos/video_detail?articleid=612976&category=-1&region=-1&mediatype=video&listing
http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to-do-shake-uke-180365/
http://www.ukuncut.org.uk/
http://www.youtube.com/user/MusicTeacher2010#p/u/35/pJme1gtN1SM
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/158770.html
http://www.blublu.org/sito/links/links.htm
http://inmotion.magnumphotos.com/
http://www.openculture.com/freemoviesonline
http://www.indiemoviesonline.com/
http://mediastorm.com/
http://www.kinoblatz.com/html/films.html
http://www.shortfilmfests.com/content/passing-through
http://robinhoodtax.org/how-it-works/everything-you-need-to-know
http://audioboo.fm/
http://www.satellitedirect.com/?hop=ndmuscle12
http://www.foxyinks.com/
http://huss.moonfruit.com/#
http://www.wix.com/potearooms/tossers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QTprkPg9yVw&feature=related
http://soundcloud.com/groups/jawdance-photography-competition/info
http://soundcloud.com/reinventing
http://doctoruke.com/index.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJ26H1G_1eA&feature=related
http://www.esotericschool.net/
http://creativecoast.blogspot.com/2011/05/project-at-stade-hall.html

Washed up

I've neglected this blog for a while.  It's due to having too much to do.  Too many directions being looked at.  I'm still making work but not sure where it's heading.

My time is taken up with worrying.  A useless exercise.  Although is it?  It's not entirely unproductive and it's certainly time consuming.

I've never been an Activist - always viewed them as very odd.  But now it seems even my ire is irked and so I've joined in.  I don't like it.  First time was in the snow, it was so so cold.  There were only maybe 20 demonstrators.  Almost matched by security and the police.  Some plain clothed who asked us our intentions, some uniformed up with batons and who knows what else.  One nasty one, in different gear, who tried to goad a protestor outside BHS of all places.  A tactic they (the police) used was to not allow the BHS customers to exit the store while we were outside.  Fairly obvious why: make the public cross with us.  And some of them were.  It's a crazy shame.  The police are going to be affected the same as the rest of us.  1100 jobs in Sussex Police are going.  Meanwhile we sang(? kind of) 'No cuts, no cuts, no public sector cuts'.   Which of course applies to the police as well.  Ironic.

Today was another day of participation this time in the rain, I wore a very fetching hat - one with a beak, and we kept it short - only an hour - the police still almost outnumbering us but the men in overcoats weren't in evidence (excuse the pun) and neither was the mean guy.  Maybe they've lost their jobs already and are joining the homeless on the streets because their benefits have been cut (they didn't like the job that was offered to them - BHS cleaner or the next two - runners in Barclays or Lloyds TSB - which means no benefits for 3 years).  They've defaulted on their key-worker mortgages and they can't claim disability living allowance at all.   Their working tax credits are up the spout and their kids have lost the EMA.   Those kids would have liked to go to university but the fees have priced them out.  They will have to live under the poorly pier in Hastings because the homeless funding has been cut, if they need an op on their baton operating elbow they'll be out of luck due to the NHS reforms (even the BMA are revolting at this one - imagine GP's marching - it's getting more like Egypt every day).   Thinking of that likeness leads me onto some more, how our police force kettled, beat and charged (not in the arresting sense) at people with horses.   And they're planning other similar tactics, if you've got the time to watch, by the way it is utterly boring: http://www.policyexchange.org.uk/events/event.cgi?id=285

And so, what about art?  Well that's being cut too.  Our govt doesn't appreciate it.  They don't appreciate anything unless it fits in their pockets or overloads their bank accounts with more dosh.  Then they love it.  Then they support it.   23 millionaires sat last week and deliberated over welfare reform.  Like they give a shit.  I don't think so.  If they did they'd stop getting rid of tax inspectors and go after the damn unpaid taxes of their buddies.

Let's look at this another way

Do you see the clouds as I do?

You are there and I am here and wondering: do we see the clouds in the same way?  The shapes and the forms they take,  their fleeting nature?  My friend gave me a book on clouds:  'The Cloudspotter's Guide', knowing that I have great views from my windows.   It's blue cover has gone bluer, the print's reaction to the sun's rays, placed as it is in it's obvious space next to a window.  A local bookseller must have gone to ground - all the books in his window have turned blue, even the yellow plastic designed to protect them has taken on a blueish hue.   It's quite a spectacle. 

Cirrocumulus lacunosus undulatus is something that particularly draws me visually.   Although to be fair most do apart from those damn dark flat grey ones that allow no sunlight through.

While taking photo's of clouds I'm reminded of my friend who dislikes the retinal photograph/image and conversely Alfred Stieglitz and Minor White: their interest in metaphysics and their attempts at making the photograph as metaphor or symbol.  Lynn Silverman too who photographed them and made them large (as if they aren't already).  Unlike Turner's paintings which were shockingly small, I'd always imagined them to be large having until that time only seen representations in books.  I am interested in how images of clouds become more like abstract paintings.   How, once their context is removed, they might imply something else.   The last but one painting I made might have been of clouds except it was vividly, lividly gyrating deep red, the last was blue and rising, it was about the sea where I'd finally landed.    Does the sea reflect the sky or is it more of a collaboration - so each reflects the other in a cosmic distant flirtation?

And then, in amongst all that dreamy retinal gorgeousness, my eyes are brought down to earth by the crazy eejit across the road who doesn't want his dog to look where the dog wants to look. 

Spot the difference...