Everything I know I learnt from POP.......

Went to the YSP again the other day and had another look round the Jaume Plensa exhibition. One of the best  pieces is the gong room. It's darkly lit room with circle of huge gongs hung from the ceiling. They let you into the gallery in 5's and you get to hit the gongs not in full Bombardier Billy Wells mode but in a wonderfully echoing throbbing rumble. Incised into the gongs are passages from what worked out must be "the Song of Solomon" but it was only when I got this one did I have a head slapping moment . I never heard the song of Solomon in Sunday school but I heard it on top of the pops!!

So Pop not just for getting through the journey to work, or ready to go out on the lash, or through the long dark nights of the soul but the world's best University!



Did you know Rasputin was "a cat that really was gone...."

The sound of the Progeometric Age and other London tales

The sound of the Progeometric Age
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

" Progeometric is not a commonly used term...."

so says
Katja Strunz at Camden Arts Centre art and whom am I to doubt her. Ms Strunz's work was part of arty trawl through town these last few days.

It was a cheery piece whereby a forest (well a copse) of old brass instruments are fitted with speakers and eerie postrock ambient sounds played through them, it was really intriguing. Never been to CAC before and even  a dreadful tube journey didn't spoil this work.

After that it was off to Old street with S &R to see William Egglestone show , which was good. I do fear his work has been absorbed by every one myself included trying to take shots like his although this expo is worth a look .

The day before  we had a lovely time wandering round the Courtauld institute with K & L (let's not leave so long next time) which was a real joy as usual. They have the best works and the lack of crowds make looking at them a real pleasure (it's only £4 quid for concessions) and the cafe is good too.

To round off my arty nosiness I had a poke around the London fashion week tent in Courtauld courtyard. I took a punt on door  to sneak in and almost wandered into the dressing rooms! So I scurried out and just watched the fashiony types trying to hide their excitement at being stopped by various journos/camera crews and asked what they were wearing "what this well it's vintage I got it in Oakland ..."

Seeing the Bigger picture: Tate Britain

Off to the tate with A, R, E & A yesterday mainly to see the  Turner expo but also to drink tea and have natter. It's a really fascinating collection showing how he fits in with past masters and the talent of his own age. Oddly this was my favourite pictures in the show and it's by Thomas Girtin.

Also went to see "our David's" (Hockney that is)big picture of Trees near Warter. It's really impressive and has strong feeling of the rural parts of God's own county you can really feel the misty grey space and smell of  the musty leaves you find in copses like this. Worth popping in to see in it's tryptic glory.

Happy New Year

fox hill upper norwood (after Pissaro)
Originally uploaded by bltphoto

Had a lovely NYE round at S&R's for which many thanks. New Years day in the bright blue sky sunshine we went hunting for an Impressionist painting. In 1870's Camille Pissaro moved to London and famously lived in Norwood area and made some pictures.
Anyway we wanted to see if anything was still there If you click through to the flickr page you can see the original. A surprisingly number of buildings homes were still there. My pic is slightly further down the road, the trees on the right were similar to old Camille's.

Art Yule either love or......

Christmas Art Review!!
Jonathan Jones is attempting to disappear up his fundament in this piece in the paper today .

here's him taking about a Christmas Tree by Tactita Dean.

Unpretentious, melancholy, exact, Dean's Christmas tree lightly brushes against themes of transience, reality and truth that are at the heart of her work

Ms Dean's artistic breakthrough is lighting it with candles, which sounds really nice but the likes of Jones do her no favours with nonsense like this. Surely you can say you just like a Christmas tree without too much guff.

Those pesky artists are at it re-imagining the nativity elsewhere in the paper (as they do) Mr Parr is back on form with his and there's some others including John Squire from T'Roses.

All well and good but if you want the Christmas story interpreted look no further than  Family BLTP's  latest Auteur Our W. The boy's really got something he just disappears to his room to make these film on his playstation (which is very cool). Look out for the tantrum from king Herod played of course by a robot!

Tanks for the memory

Chariot: My new film or more accurately moving picture . Putting aside any obession with rusty russian technology this old T-34 standing on hillside in peak district is strangely imposing. It's hard not be influenced by Ian Hamilton Finlay on this one and his playing off of martial imagery with nature. Enjoy!

Which side are you on?

The Genius of Don Mcphee:

After seeing this masterful shot again, I wrote a long post about my whole experience of the miner’s strike and how it affected community and people I grew up in and with but then I realised what I’d written was half formed bile at best ! Particularly when Don Mcphee picture tells the story much better than me. Go here and read the story of the two main characters and if it doesn’t move you well you are David Cameron and we’ll know which side you are on the..... wrong one.

Things we learned this weekend although I’m not sure how much use they are or how deeply they will sink in.

To Hyde Park and Saatchi Gallery and that there Kings road with E.R.R.S in the gloom and icy winds.


Learning point: Hyde Park was full of Alsatians, a Ferris wheel and roller bladders. Also that the best suggestion for my costume for my works “1970’s fancy dress” lower circle of hell (sorry Christmas Party) was to go as Shirley Crabtree sorry Big Daddy. As you can imagine although this might be a wheeze I fear the horror of me in leotard matched with incomprehension on the faces of the 23 years dressed in flares and porn wigs might make it pointless. My earlier suggestions of true seventies characters to go as, didn’t go down well: so scratch a skinhead, a trade union convener, and a member of the Red Army Faction. I fear I main have some Un-anesthetised root canal work booked on the night in question.

Knightsbridge: was Knightsbridge, lots of people trudging along to buy some thing to get a bag at Harrods. Loads of shops whose names I only ever see on bottles of scent. I couldn’t tell if trade was good as these shops are fairly empty at the best of times. Anyway not having 1,657 quid for jacket we chugged down to Sloan square and into the Saatchi gallery.

Learning point: I don’t have the Armani Code but I think you have to dial 9 for outside line and M for murder.



I have to admit I didn’t know it was such a big affair, I never managed to go to either of his previous gaffs , so this huge old Georgian barracks off kings road is impressive if very brightly lit.

At the moment it’s full of Art from China which I have to admit was a bit patchy and uninvolving apart from the odd painting and a installation in basement. This installation had lifelike dummies of aged world leaders and religious types in electric wheelchairs randomly moving around stopping robotically when they crashed into each other. It was engaging, in a sort of "we are all the same under the skin death comes to us all how the mighty are brought low sort of way".

The rest of the gallery wasn't that vital but it was all free, seems to be well run, so good luck to him.
Learning points: You can take pictures in Saatchi gallery, the British Museum but not the VA.

After seeing some the best Xmas lights (more of which in 14 days time!) and a bit of bus spotting we retired to the bar of the Royal Court Theatre, which is nice apart from some shrieking student thesps who seemed to be having the first drink ever and also they were out of Dabs, cheese, sausage well most things, but we did have nice time : congrats to E & R by the way.

After that we retired (further) to The Antelope which for this horribly Yahry area of town wasn’t too bad with Tasty Fullers on tap.
Learning point: I have some very nice friends Hurrah!

Other things I’ve learnt.

I Heard Enya on the Radio and she seemed not at all away fairies, seemed quiets normal if a bit arty, she even did a song that didn’t seem too bad.

This is the oldest news going but I was sorting out my cd’s and collected up all the free DVD they give you with paper and because it was raining watched the film of Buena Vista social club. Now I haven’t knowingly heard the lp always the way through but the film was really good it’s by Wim Wenders and was nicely shot.

The main singers and players are really serene and accepting ......anyway you’ve all seen it probably but I was really enthralled.

Because they introduced themselves and gave there age before their interviews, my term of Spanish came in handy “mi nombre Ibrahim….
Oh Learning point: all the BVSC’s songs are pure filth! They all seemed to be about the effect Maria’s arse has on you when you are on the beach which is as it should be.... oh and they all seems to have lived to be 90 whilst smoking cigars like a babies legs and 2 of them didn’t know who President Kennedy was.

The Espistles of St Paul's

The Writings on the Dome.



I saw this on the way home last night and so I thought I'd make film, it's a installation by Mark Firrell made up of post from a blog (*added later*and it turns out the dean of the Cathedral and philospher AC Grayling).
It was a nicely engaging piece the banal ,sometimes gnomic posts reflecting the diverse and sometimes pompous, sometimes profound thoughts of the Cathedral's visitors. Anyway here's my film shot on my phone apologises for the rough cut I wanted to get it out instead of fretting over every last second. It's better viewed full screen so you can read the words clearly.
Here's the Artist Mark Firrell's website

I knew I was right

Things to do on your day off.

1.See the Battersea shield.
2.Have a very good steak and kidney pudding
3.Make a film
4.help curate the pictures at The National Portrait Gallery.

Yes, me and SF had a very good day, we spent most of it plotting, breaking off for the aforementioned repast washed down (for remedial purposes) with some excellent pride in the Newman Arms.

We took a stroll down town to NPG, which was as good as ever. One thing caught my (gimlet-like!) Eye in the modern gallery the print of Joe the fist (or whatever his nick name is) seemed to reversed, the “Everlast” on his shorts was back to front.

A quick check on the inter web confirmed my suspicions his tattoo had moved shoulders. Anyway the diligent “C” a curator at the museum was quick to hold their hands up and the caption is being changed.

I am Andrew Graham Dixon and I claim my ……

* gets out pen* “Now Dear Senor Prado I was surprised to see….”

Here’s the email.

Dear BLTP,
Thank you for your e-mail about the Joe Calzaghe portrait by Sam Barker. The photographer confirmed that the portrait was taken in a mirror and the slight texture on the print, is the boxer’s sweat! It is very confusing and I am now going to add a line on the caption. Thanks very much for drawing this to our attention.
All the best
NPG

Ps. please god I’m not turning into the sort person who starts every sentence "I think you’ll find….”

Wednesday wonders!

A rag bag of stuff for your perusal!
Spam email arty novel title of the week:
"Agree to be sick Norway! By Geraldine Paxion (out now in paperback) "

Things you hear as you flick through the radio dial:
“pass me grog, where’s me Noggin shirt, where’s me Noggin shirt”.


Nice sleeve shame about the songs.
Sadly these two lovelies are a little ropey so here’s the just sleeve.






























Swedish Blue Grass:
On Monty Don’s world tour of gardens I got to see some real blue grass the other day growing in prairie! As with most blue plants it looks more kinda grey. Anyway a bit of blue grass never did any harm and while we wait for the next Gillian Welch LP, I found this here “Would you cry” by the Blue Eyed Blondes what’s so great is the female singer stunning beautiful voice, the lyrics are a patch ropey but they show promise.


This is simply a good thing to do:
I saw this on the news the art gallery owner Anthony d'Offay's has sold at cost price 725 picture to us. Which is really good idea the super rich in Britain have given up paying taxes , squirrel their money aboard so it’s good to see some doing something positive, apparently they are going to available to see across Britain which is also great.


Nikon we have problem!



I found these excellent messed up pics on flickr next time your camera messes up keep it and post it!






Has there ever been a bad version of Louie Louie?
If you like 60’s Seattle garage listen to Mark Lamar programme on listen again load of big dumb garage bands. Do your self a favour and buy a Sonics compilation you won’t regret it.

Spain!

Just watched the last episode of the Andrew Graham Dixon's Art of Spain on BBC4 I-play. The whole series was excellent, with obvious problem of having to cover Goya, Picasso, Miro, Dali and Brunel in one hour long programme aside, the last show was full his usual thoughtful engaging passionate stories.

The section about Luis Brunel reminded me that although Feb is my year anniversary over here at chez blogger I had another blog in another life over at casa yahoo. (it was a pain to use, the whole structure was annoying comentators had to sign up to yahoo etc).

Being a pretentious git or just at loss what to write my first ever blog post was a review of Brunel's most famous film 1960 Viridiana.
here's what I wrote. I seem to have not liked it which isn't what I remember which is the good thing about diaries I suppose.

It contains description of the plot not sure I'd heard of SPOILER at the time! Oh and bad joke to start with.

"Entry for November 02, 2005
did ya hear the one about the dyslexic pimp who bought a ware house?

Just got back from seeing a Luis Brunuel film "Viridiana".
It was a dark satire ie it wasn't very funny. I think if you were a very devote catholic in1961 you would be really shocked but it is less striking now. Basically it is parable about how trying to do good can prove the undoing of even the most pure of heart. The main character is trainee nun sent home on the eve of her marriage to Christ to see her Uncle. He is obsessed by her and after drugging her and attempting to rape her, tops himself . She along with her cousin inherit the uncle's estate and she sets about turning it into her own religous comunity, peopled by the local down and outs.
In the end her good intentions come to nought in an orgy of violence, booze, sex and custard (all to the tune of Handel's Messiah).There are allsorts of codes and messages in the film as well as the general onslaught against organised religion. Scenes where you get to see a nuns legs must have been totally new in 1961 , but are now the stuff of bad light entertainment. Even socialism doesn't get off lightly the poor and the oppressed are shown to be offish, venial and amoral not your upstanding chiselled saints pictured in soviet art. In fact all humans are shown in pretty poor light."

Ps . I included Goya's May 3rd at the top as it was conspicuous by it's absence from the programme. Goya's "black paintings " are great and weird but I found this as moving, although it was included in the excellent secret life of masterpiece series from year ago, so we'll let Andrew off.

Top Town Action

Spent a few days up in Yorkshire what follows isn’t post ironic or gosh look culture beyond the north circular just a list of good things to do if you are in God’s own county. Some are worth making a longish detour for:

Go to the Yorkshire Sculpture Park:
Set in a dramatic and striking valley a couple of miles from my old school, the YSP was set up to provide a setting for the work by local “boy and girl” Henry Moore and Barbara Hepworth (amongst others).





A few years ago it got a pep up with lottery money for a new visitors Centre (it got the obligatory fancy café and shop but also some excellent gallery space too.

At the moment the YSP is hosting a retrospective of the work of Andy Goldsworthy work. See my little film (for some pics I took when they weren’t looking fight the power).

I must admit I’m not totally taken with Goldsworthy’s work. It’s obviously very popular and the exhibition is thorough and the park is the perfect setting for his “environmental” art. I just find him a bit of a one trick pony and outside the nice patterns with natural elements (twigs, stone, sheep shit and snow) I can’t find much else in it. If it forces people to look at nature a new so be it but it leaves me cold. I fear one of his chief appeals for the British public is the old "he is a very clever man it must have taken him a long time" school of art appreciation. This shouldn’t stop anyone going along to the YSP and deciding for your self.

The art work I did like was by James Turrel an American who works with light. I tried to write about his work but this piece from the paper says it really well. His work is beguiling and incredibly beautiful and for much more engaging and emotionally fulfilling than Goldsworthy’s work but well that’s art for you.

Go to the Theatre:
After the plastic arts we took in some of the performing variety at Barnsley's Lamplight theatre. The Lamplight is set in a converted youth club behind the town hall and is a surprisingly well run little theatre. A very comfortable studio auditorium of about 60-70 seats, hosting productions by mainly amateur local actors. We saw "Up and Under 2" by John Godber. A seemingly stereotypical choice for Barnsley, a play about Rugby league (except it is a mainly “football” town) the non-professional cast carried it off really well especially in the second half. I just felt the whole thing was under written with some strange changes in tone almost mid sentence in some cases.
The lamplight puts on a range of mainly mainstream work but its audience obviously loves the place so long may they prosper.

Go to Barnsley market:
If you ever gone out of your way to go to a French or Italian food market you should do your self a favour and visit T’ market. It looks a bit grim (that’s 60’s brutalism for you) but if you are after northern fare this is the place: a cornucopia of pies, black pudding, excellent meat and superb fish. There's tripe (brown and white) complicatedly named bread rolls, marvellous cabbages, a home brew store and some stupendous crabs. A must.
Sorry no pictures I rather shot myself in the foot with this rant on this one doh!


Go to see the mighty reds:
Sub titled “ all quiet on the Preston front”
lower league football isn’t unfortunately about "glory"as ex Tyke Danny Blanchflower once said it’s a more a life long meditation on the vale of tears in which we all live, leavened from time to time with the occasionally victory (Barnsley 1 Preston North End 0).


Barnsley try to play attractive football with only their lack of skill getting in the way and were saved by our marvellous goalie Heinz Muller (the only non porn star German I’ve ever cheered for!). Other highlights are our mascot Toby Tyke and the pies (which were bloody lovely)