The Amazing Christo (and Stelios too)

Well it tries anyway!

Well half way through CityLit Photoshop course  - ADOBE package  a very sophisticated package that really allows for a lot of clever image manipulation - best way to learn is to get stuck in and Stelios who is our Tutor makes sure we all do this - I'm trying to use it more at home too.




This week we spent a fair bit of time working with layers and also colourising a black and white image - good fun. The challenge will be to keep using the s/ware after next weeks' final session.

Stelios demonstrates and we then try the same tasks.

Christo, Jeanne-Claude and The Mastaba

Christo and barrels

Yesterday I went to see an exhibition in (and out of) The Serpentine Gallery, I've long been a fan of Christo and what is happening at The lake is amazing - it looks like Photoshop but it's for real (Honest!)

In the Gallery you can see work showing the concept, models and the  planning as well as some early work by Christo  but outside it is amazing...

A scale model

A working drawing 

You can find and see more about the actual install here.

And the reality?

Kingsgate Studios Open weekend (and Politicians)

Kingsgate Studios

So I had to do a double take to verify that it is indeed a year since we went to our first Kingsgate Open Studio day (in West Hampstead) - which indeed it was.


The Studios are where one of Debbie's Weaving  course Tutors has a studio and there's a real mixture of media and styles on show - big favourite for me this time was the painting by Si Sapsford (below).

Si Sapsford work referencing Caravaggio's Supper at Emmaus - fantastic work

Now while Boris Johnson seems to have bottled out of his commitment (not too sure he has anything he won't compromise though?)  to oppose Heathrow expansion it was a delight to see Tulip Siddiq MP  addressing the crowd at the Kingsgate Open Studio Day (it's 40th) - here seemed an MP who cared about he community and spoke from the heart - what a contrast.

Not all London MPs are the same -Tulip Siddiq MP 

In Holborn area and Photoshop Training

Doodle

In town yesterday for a City Lit course on Photoshop, as I arrive a little early I took a few pictures in the area - this my favourite back of Courts of Justice (Carey Street)

Royal Courts of Justice on Carey Street -red  'phone boxes and that sad blight the concrete anti-terrorist barriers 

A historic shop

And developments 

The area is under redevelopment (as so much of London is) Carey Street area has some nice looking old pubs (with proper names) and shops (like the Silver Mousetrap, founded in 1690 shown).

The White Horse

George IV

Since completing a Photoshop intro' (at RHACC)  a few months back and taking up 'Student' offer on CC (creative cloud) software I feel I've not really got to grips with this package and the amazing possibilities it offers.

A phrase Theresa might regret?

 I suppose the issue is in a way that it does too much!

 Anyway will put some effort in between Week 1 (yesterday) and next lesson.

Here's a birthday card idea (not mine) and one that is ..

Screen has a lot going on

My idea under construction

Busy weekend

On Friday,

I met up with Mr John Kaye, a man who is always a good host and surprisingly adaptable, earlier in the week he'd been thrown into a bit of a slump at thew prospect of needing to find different accommodation in a  relatively tight timescale, happy to report this prospect has now diminished and he'll be okay at least until the end of the year.

With this still on the horizon John is looking to down-size, he's got quite a library of art books as well as many years of his own work to find space for - This September John will be part of BEAT (Ealing Art Trail) 2018 with his own Gallery exhibiting his work.

Saturday.

More than 35 years ago I was quite heavily involved with ITV's Teletext transmission, Oracle  (a sort of early Digital TV interactivity ) I was very luck to be working on a project headed up by Norman Green who was the senior Engineering figure at the time at ITV - Norman was very patient with those he worked with and has been a great and supportive friend over the years.

The cameraman looks distracted 

This year has been the 50th Anniversary of his marriage to Sandra and to mark the achievement they held a special Lunch at Surrey Golf Club - it was a smashing event - very pleasant guests (some who I knew) and a fantastic meal - thanks to Norman And Sandra.

Swan Visitors to Harrow Open Studios 

What was a highlight for me was to see Michael Cox who I recall from a RTS training weekend  in single camera   shooting, Michael was by then MD of his own TV technology company (a very important piece of equipment in the 1980's)  but so much fun - good to see he's still going strong.

Also met up with George who had worked with Norman at ITCA and Pat Watson from my days at ITN -only hope some of my video recording of the event is view-able (as a slightly spooky connection to seeing Michael Cox again I was on DV recording for the meal and speeches).

and Sunday

A friend of mine , Gordon Cookson who is a an Artist/Crafts- Person  specialising in Wood Turning was a little indisposed following a 'procedure'  and asked if I'd step in and help man his artefacts at Harrow Open Studios - although not too much sold it was pleasant enough day with friendly gang out in Harrow including talented ceramicist Zalina Dewan 

(I'll be there with photographs in November)

Some of Gordon's Work

Documentary making (and some old friends talk Brexit)

When I was working at BT Broadcast services in the late 1990's  I had a severe case of  'itchy feet' career-wise (certainly not my only one) and  looked at doing a full-time documentary MA course at both Middlesex Polytechnic  (as it was then) and Goldsmiths.

As I recall for Goldsmiths competiton was very tight and I think got further along the road to Middlesex, the Art School where the course was run was a good one, formerly Hornsey School of Art (lots of students went on to be big figures in music for example Ray Davies and Art a personal favourite Bruce Lacey) .

JVC mini DV camera

The application required some thoughts to be submitted around subject matter and much thought was given over to what I would use as a subject.

Economics was probably the thing that stopped me going in this direction full time but I did buy a semi-pro video camera (Canon XL1)  and looked for other ways to realise my ambition.

Well I've subsequently spent quite a bit of time taking still photographs and as a result (perhaps) I've been asked to make some video recordings at an Anniversary celebration this weekend using a small DV camera - to remind myself a bit on how to use the camera (loaned to me) I recorded a local artist talking about his work, it reminded me of the fun and I might take further (a modern 'still camera' can do the same job in HD much more eadily now) .

And Talking of days at BT..

On Wednesday evening I met with 4 really nice people I worked with at BT, all doing well in work and personal situations -we met in west end of London at a Pub' and  of course when we got to chatting Brexit popped up, all somewhat (or very) unhappy about this.

Seems to me that in my circles I only know one person who (has said) that has  voted to remain - this means (I guess) this really polarises the UK, and is a battle for the 'heart' (if it had one) of the Tory party - not sure what this wing of the party will wish for next but I fear it is not a liberal modern society.

Somerset House

As well as looking at the Hayward Gallery last week Nev and I had a stroll around - eating some finger food  from street food market  on Southbank before heading for Somerset House.

Southbank - International food with an international clientele 

On a sunny day the area around Festival Hall is a great place to walk and people watch - complete with activities for all ages! 

At Somerset House quite a number of (free) things to see, some perhaps more successful in their realisation than others.

Kimchi and Chips are exhibiting in the courtyard' with Halo, this perhaps is dependent on so many variables that it's not always going to hit the spot - but a very interesting idea.

Halo in action 

Wen also took a look at the 2018 World Illustration Awards - it's easy to think that print and traditional media is a spent flush but some super work on show, really full of life and impactful.

very much alive 

An audience for Illustration 

My favourite an imagined view of Trump in the' Surreal' White House. (by Lennart Gäbel)

Well it is surreal 

Lee Bul at The Hayward

A new name (perhaps) to me

Thinking and looking back over recent years I find that my visit to The Hayward Gallery last week was perhaps the first time there.

And at its heart

 Anyway very happy to report it's a pretty good place to enjoy contemporary Art in its' 50th year (it's July 1968 that it opened) - I feel that recent days have had a Brutalist edge (architecturally) and this a pretty strong example of that ethos.

The featured artist at present at the gallery is a South Korean woman called Lee Bul and there's quite a range of styles and themes that are on show.

The most popular week seemed to be Via Negativa II (which we were told by one of the gallery stewards had seen very long queues assemble to experience the work (it's a maze like piece that the visitors traverses).

Via Negativa II (outside) 

The experience  of this work (according to the gallery) is..


“The installation provides an intense and disorienting experience that disrupts the viewer's perceptual and cognitive bearings, and alludes to the tenets of apophatic philosophy, which posits that divine nature is beyond the understanding of the rational human mind and can only be comprehended by defining what it is not – ‘the negative way' – rather than what it is"

Lee Bul has worked as a performance artist and her work has been political - most of the work on show was sculptural and varied form hard metallic finishes to  some softer more natural works  -some work appeared 'playful' but the ideas behind them it seems were less so.

This is called Willing to be Vulnerable

Broadcasting under pressure, Discovery to move? (and my own 7-Up )

Since I left full time employment about 5 years ago Broadcasting has dropped in importance (to me) - interesting to find so many of my contemporaries now watch Netflix or Amazon Prime  (who have just become successful bidders for Soccer rights) .

Discovery Europe - Chiswick Park, changes afoot? 

Well two (or three) big things that have been brought to my attention are:

BT Tower remains

1) Discovery (my last employer)  are said to be planning to move their UK broadcasting hub back to the USA and (dependent on Brexit negotiations) might move production facilities to the EU.

2) BT (another of my previous employers) are changing their CEO  the current Gavin Patterson's  direction has not delivered either shareholder value or the confidence that's needed.

3) No deal Brexit (and even some deals) could cause some damage to the UK's significant transmission and Playout industry (it's probably already damaged it by slowing investment and creating uncertainty).

 Along with the dangers for both the BBC and UK Independent sectors in the dominance of the Mega corporations lie Amazon, Disney and Google (to name but 3) to diminish their reach and significance the new and almost perpetually smiling Culture Secretary Matt Hancock needs to get to grips or the promise of the 'Creative Sector' will never be realised and will be a further  footnote in the story of UK Plc's Tory inflicted decline

My Own 7 Up

More than 50 years ago there was a Television programme made by the North of England franchised broadcaster called 7 up -the premise being derived from the Catholic Jesuit order's claim that -

Give me a child until he is seven and I will give you the man..

and so after the first programme in 1964 (when I was incidentally 7) the group filmed as young children have come again into focus every 7 years and it has been revulatory in what might be inherent and what life throws at us.

The idea has been used across many countries and often similar things are revealed.

Thus for me reconvening as part of a group of students who shared a flat in 1976/77 has reminded me of this and how we might have foretold our own stories )as do my meetups with Kevin who I have known since was 11).

So what can we say of the 5 couples who met up last weekend?

Well we're all reasonably happy some have put on more weight (and some of the males have lost more hair than others ) we've had health issues (as you'd expect) and some are now grandparents.

Perhaps this as what we'd expect - what fascinates me is how we've seen expectations (are own) skyrocket from what our parents enjoyed and how the background we operate against has changed beyond recognition - goodness me we're lucky - and with this I cant help thinking we ove something who have not had our good fortune.

It's all about the Brand.

For quite a while I volunteer-ed at The Design Museum, first at Shad Thames and then at the larger and more popular Kensington location, initially great fun making personalized tours for visitors but after the move it was just Greetings, explaining where the toilets were and why there was no cloakroom space for people to leave coats and bags.

It's that way -(nice Typeface Margaret)

After a while it became clear that there was no scope for more involvement so I decided (sadly) to call it a day - well fast forward on a year (as they say) and I'm now volunteering at the Museum of Brands,Packaging and Advertising  at their current West London location (nearest tube Ladbroke Grove).


I'm pleased to say that this is a small and friendly museum where there's contact with visitors, minimal bureaucracy and variety - people really engage as the 'Time Tunnel' invariably brings back memories and we've got a nice little cafe and some outside space for those warm days.

It's also rather nice the way people are moved to contribute items for possible display - I feel bigger premises calling!

[This is another example of the fun of volunteering!]

 

Notting Hill Gate - Last Village (for a while)

The last London Village for a while (I'm back with Paul Sinclair's More London Villages in a few weeks) and this week it was all about the area of West London that's Notting Hill Gate.

The Iconic roundel 

We met at Pembridge Gardens adjacent to the underground station.

One of the architectural landmarks , David Game House (said to be a fine example of Bauhaus architecture) is completely shrouded in scaffolding and although still visible the nearby Coronet cinema is undergoing refurbishment too.

David Game House 

The Coronet Cinema

In fact a better view of the Coronet was offered by an artist working 'En Plein Air' .

A lovely day to be working outside 

Next on to an other architectural (but smaller) point of note the Green shelters used by Cabbies.
[You can find out more about them here.]

Cabman's Shelters used to be a place to rest and snack

Now a cafe 'The Queen Elizabeth Laundry' seems something of an anachronism - presumably not where our own queen gets her washing done it's a cafe now.

A Cafe now

There are some fine looking houses in the area many are now multiple dwellings and have been turned into flats.


The area had been a racecourse (Kensington Hippodrome), it had been intended to rival Epsom and Ascot  for some time but was not successful  .

Amazing opulence - great for an oligarch!

St Peter's Church Kensington I found to be a bit of an 'eyesore' and rather poorly proportioned.

St Peter's Church- not my cup of tea

Nearby was the location of a 1970's classic album cover - The Portobello Hotel where Carly Simon was photographed for the 'No Secrets' album (that included You're so Vain)

Paul shows the album art work

The Portobello Hotel

A right olkd mixture

We then saw some of the area used by the Portobello Market - which I've visited a few times as a 'volunteer street photographer' .

The sellers offer a mixture of curios, collectables and 'tat' as well as some fruit and veg
.

For the vinyl warrior

Fresh fruit- Fresh Fruit

London's Notting Hill is associated with the 1950's wave of immigration and slum landlords - riots started here in Totobag riots started and nearby the Powis Terrace is a reminder of Peter Rachman (his name  became a shorthand  for poor landlord) but he was also a name in the Profumo Scandal of the 60's.

Was Totobag Club

Powis Terrace

Tabernacle and a hot drink 

 We even stopped on this walk for a hot drink and the chance to fill out the obligatory course paper work at a former church The Tabernacle before making our way to Ladbroke Grove station (where I was on Tuesday - more about that later)