Fresh growth, Colonialism and Red 233

We've (in London) had a blast of what feels like spring, I've  managed to spend some time down on the allotment and also performed the first cutting of our lawn for 2016.

Back to Ground

It's good to do these things as the seasons all have their good points but Spring does feel like a fresh chance to get things right and prove that we can learn from mistakes.

A Grassy roof

Small fire

Of course a big part of the pleasure of being down there was seeing and hearing what people are up to - a shed with grass on the roof?

It's true!

Colonialism

So much talk and thought of colonialism today.
I have read a very challenging chapter of Frantz Fanon's 1952  book Black Skin White Masks (The chapter The Negro and Psychopathology)  - I came to it cold without realising the writer's own history and the context of the writing - it made for an uncomfortable reading for me - I wonder what he'd write on the subject if he were alive today- it does (to me) have an element of  a 'Victim mentality' which I would hope is less prevalent  in the 21st century but I have undoubtedly not had to experience or the struggles that Frantz did.

The weight of language and the significance of translation should not also be totally discounted

Also I heard further discussion of the topic of statues and commemorations of those  once heroes of empire  now discredited as racist colonialists - should the colleges of Oxford be renamed and the statues removed?

I can understand the nature of the  discomfiture but am not sure if the statues to Cecil Rhodes should be removed - how would Plato measure up against modern morality - is there any one individual who can be viewed as anything other than a human being (including Gandhi for example)?

And a more nuanced and celebratory example of the British Empire could be seen (as one reading anyway) of the British-Nigerian Artist Yinka Shonibare who was Kirsty's guest on Desert Island Discs today.

Yinka provided a nuanced example of an artist and of nationality who has risen above his physical limitations and constructed his own identity beyond the simple one we may choose to impose on him, he was too the subject of a smashing BBC 4 TV documentary on What artists do all day which you might be able to find somewhere.

Red 233

as seen on army knives

This weeks's favourite TV and Radio along with Red 333

In Our Time stands as a beacon to finding out about things (often ones you didn't know you wanted to know about) odd the way that topics impinge on other things you know just a little about an example for me being recent edition about the  Salem witch trials - sadly it's filled in only some of the gaps that appeared after recently seeing Arthur Miller's The Crucible -so no doubt I'll be looking further.

I like Channel 4's First Dates too (Paternoster Chop House)

Away from what some might describe as the higher culture I'm greatly enjoying The Food Channel's
Mystery diners

In some respects it feels a bit of a forbidden pleasure, it's a hidden camera show (and I suspect some staging too).

Premise is where cheating staff are exposed and they invariably marvel at their bosses duplicity.
This week was a rather nice one where some redemption at least was offered to the  Waiting staff who had became unhinged by the glamour (and best parking space) after becoming 'Waitress of the Month'.

Duplicitously she'd removed rivals kitchen tickets and bad mouthed attire of another waitress- inevitably a fall was anticipated but mercy was offered by boss.

Always room for more

And somewhere in the middle of the cultural range is BBC 4's
What do artists do all day?

In this last week I watched the engaging and inspiring British/Nigerian artist Yinka Shonibare in the What do artists do all day?








Why do I love it?

Well

1) Because the individuals profiled/profiling themselves are inspiring (true particularly of Yinka) and

2) Because I feel some sort of association with them/want to be them

[I was quite excited to see that there was a programme in the series on Craig-Martin (of whom I wrote last week) - couldn't play from BBC iPlayer but did  find on YouTube - very good it was too].

Red 333

and look how it goes with yellow

Hard to miss