Thursday, April 28, 2005
The Knitting Map
Another great piece of knitted art in progess: Cork's Knitting Map:
"Above the earth there is a satellite which looks down at Cork and watches the movements of people and cars around the city. Through a strange technical alchemy, this information is transformed into a knitting pattern, which constantly shifts - some hefty cabling during rush hour; quiet lulls of stocking stitch on Sunday mornings; bobbles of blackberry stitches for the un-quotidian gatherings of Cork mortals. Down in the city there is a large empty hall, with a semicircle of chairs. It is here that fifty people knit for a year. They work in relay, their knitting moving slowly into the space between them, where the strips are sewn together to form a single vast document of the city. The hue of yarn shifts with the weather, and the descent of the year. During the day, people arrive to view the installation. They hear low voices, and the tapping of knitting needles. Before them this great knitted cartography, moves gradually across the space and then begins to pile up of the floor of the hall in the half-light..."
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Another great piece of knitted art in progess: Cork's Knitting Map:
"Above the earth there is a satellite which looks down at Cork and watches the movements of people and cars around the city. Through a strange technical alchemy, this information is transformed into a knitting pattern, which constantly shifts - some hefty cabling during rush hour; quiet lulls of stocking stitch on Sunday mornings; bobbles of blackberry stitches for the un-quotidian gatherings of Cork mortals. Down in the city there is a large empty hall, with a semicircle of chairs. It is here that fifty people knit for a year. They work in relay, their knitting moving slowly into the space between them, where the strips are sewn together to form a single vast document of the city. The hue of yarn shifts with the weather, and the descent of the year. During the day, people arrive to view the installation. They hear low voices, and the tapping of knitting needles. Before them this great knitted cartography, moves gradually across the space and then begins to pile up of the floor of the hall in the half-light..."
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Wednesday, April 27, 2005
Book art: curious and cold...
This looks amazing: M.L. Van Nice’s installation The Library at Wadi Ben Dagh at the National Museum of Women in the Arts:
"The Library at Wadi Ben Dagh uses the book as an artistic medium to produce an insightful response in the visitor. Visually translating such popular titles as Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Joyce’s Ulysses, and Baudelaire’s Flowers of Evil, Van Nice allows the visitor to see the books and the ideas they contain in a new light..."
And in other book art browsing, I spotted this: 'Ice Bound: Antarctic Bookworks'. Book artist Rachel Hazell has produced tissue bergs and ice shelves inspired by her recent visit to Antarctica as artist-in-residence on an expedition ship which travelled 5,000 miles from South America around the Antarctic. Brrrr!!! It's weird though - lately I'm hearing a lot about trips to Antarctica... and I'm starting to think it's something I'd like to do one day, money permitting. Which is barmy - I hate the cold! I'm always cold and always wingeing about being cold! I'm even scared of walking on ice since I slipped over years ago and knackered my coccyx... I wouldn't last five minutes in Antarctica. How contrary.
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This looks amazing: M.L. Van Nice’s installation The Library at Wadi Ben Dagh at the National Museum of Women in the Arts:
"The Library at Wadi Ben Dagh uses the book as an artistic medium to produce an insightful response in the visitor. Visually translating such popular titles as Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, Joyce’s Ulysses, and Baudelaire’s Flowers of Evil, Van Nice allows the visitor to see the books and the ideas they contain in a new light..."
And in other book art browsing, I spotted this: 'Ice Bound: Antarctic Bookworks'. Book artist Rachel Hazell has produced tissue bergs and ice shelves inspired by her recent visit to Antarctica as artist-in-residence on an expedition ship which travelled 5,000 miles from South America around the Antarctic. Brrrr!!! It's weird though - lately I'm hearing a lot about trips to Antarctica... and I'm starting to think it's something I'd like to do one day, money permitting. Which is barmy - I hate the cold! I'm always cold and always wingeing about being cold! I'm even scared of walking on ice since I slipped over years ago and knackered my coccyx... I wouldn't last five minutes in Antarctica. How contrary.
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Friday, April 22, 2005
One more robot learns to be
Something more than a machine...
As soon as I saw the wonderful robot which the very talented Hillary at Wee Wonderfuls had made back in January, I knew I had the answer to the thorny 'What on earth shall I give Plums for her 30th birthday?' question. Heavily indebted to Hillary's original design, I give you PHIL:EO, the robot of loving friendship:
PHIL is made from red felt and black glitter felt, stitched with button thread and is decorated with bits and pieces from my button box, along with Plums' name in letter beads and a '30' cake decoration.
PHIL's heart is a clear resin heart with a red rose inside, which has been on my keyring for years and finally fell off a couple of months ago. I bagged out a 'cupboard' in PHIL's chest and secured the heart inside with a criss-cross of red thread, adding a door over the top. I fastened PHIL's head and legs on with toy joints and made arms from rolls of felt and lengths of french knitting.
My procrastination about getting started because I didn't know what I was doing and was nervous about making a mess of it has meant that PHIL:EO arrived two months late, but I really enjoyed the work in the end, and Plums was very pleased with her pressie. Which makes it all worthwhile. Cuz I luv her.
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Something more than a machine...
As soon as I saw the wonderful robot which the very talented Hillary at Wee Wonderfuls had made back in January, I knew I had the answer to the thorny 'What on earth shall I give Plums for her 30th birthday?' question. Heavily indebted to Hillary's original design, I give you PHIL:EO, the robot of loving friendship:
PHIL is made from red felt and black glitter felt, stitched with button thread and is decorated with bits and pieces from my button box, along with Plums' name in letter beads and a '30' cake decoration.
PHIL's heart is a clear resin heart with a red rose inside, which has been on my keyring for years and finally fell off a couple of months ago. I bagged out a 'cupboard' in PHIL's chest and secured the heart inside with a criss-cross of red thread, adding a door over the top. I fastened PHIL's head and legs on with toy joints and made arms from rolls of felt and lengths of french knitting.
My procrastination about getting started because I didn't know what I was doing and was nervous about making a mess of it has meant that PHIL:EO arrived two months late, but I really enjoyed the work in the end, and Plums was very pleased with her pressie. Which makes it all worthwhile. Cuz I luv her.
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Tuesday, April 19, 2005
"'He has been singing these past few days... his tuning needs working on."
Extra brain op for singer Collins
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Extra brain op for singer Collins
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Monday, April 18, 2005
Plankton Portraits - Invisible Monsters
Part of Fleetwood Museum and Lancaster Maritime Museum's Netting the Bay website, this online exhibition of John Angus's images of Morecambe Bay plankton is very inspiring... I'm thinking embroidery. They remind me of the embroidery I did as part of my A-level Art - I'd been flicking through biology books looking at microscopic bacteria and cell formations. Got to dust down that embroidery hoop and get myself some silks...
Part of Fleetwood Museum and Lancaster Maritime Museum's Netting the Bay website, this online exhibition of John Angus's images of Morecambe Bay plankton is very inspiring... I'm thinking embroidery. They remind me of the embroidery I did as part of my A-level Art - I'd been flicking through biology books looking at microscopic bacteria and cell formations. Got to dust down that embroidery hoop and get myself some silks...
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Friday, April 15, 2005
Vote for your favourite hymn!
Songs of Praise is running a vote to find out the Nation's Favourite Hymn. They're down to a top 20 - I've voted for In Christ Alone - I love Stuart Townend's songs.
I also dearly love And Can It Be, which my Dad got me into and which I chose for my baptism; How Great Thou Art, which an old Welsh friend of my dad's sang solo at his baptism and Great Is Thy Faithfulness, which reminds me of my Nanna and makes my mum well up when we sing it in church... which makes me blub too.
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Songs of Praise is running a vote to find out the Nation's Favourite Hymn. They're down to a top 20 - I've voted for In Christ Alone - I love Stuart Townend's songs.
I also dearly love And Can It Be, which my Dad got me into and which I chose for my baptism; How Great Thou Art, which an old Welsh friend of my dad's sang solo at his baptism and Great Is Thy Faithfulness, which reminds me of my Nanna and makes my mum well up when we sing it in church... which makes me blub too.
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Thursday, April 14, 2005
Silent Witness: The Story of Lola Rein and her Dress
While browsing the other sites nominated for Webbys, I came across this site from the US Holocaust Memorial Museum: Silent Witness: The Story of Lola Rein and her Dress. It's based around a dress donated to the museum by a Jewish lady, Lola Kaufman, nee Rein. Lola's mother had made and embroidered the dress for her when she was an eight-year old girl living with her family in Poland. She ended up wearing it for seven months whilst hiding from the Nazis in a 4x6 ft hole with three other Jews.
There is so much detail here - the story of one family's experience of Nazi persecution, their love for each other and their determination that at least some of them would survive. It's both horrifying and incredibly moving.
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While browsing the other sites nominated for Webbys, I came across this site from the US Holocaust Memorial Museum: Silent Witness: The Story of Lola Rein and her Dress. It's based around a dress donated to the museum by a Jewish lady, Lola Kaufman, nee Rein. Lola's mother had made and embroidered the dress for her when she was an eight-year old girl living with her family in Poland. She ended up wearing it for seven months whilst hiding from the Nazis in a 4x6 ft hole with three other Jews.
There is so much detail here - the story of one family's experience of Nazi persecution, their love for each other and their determination that at least some of them would survive. It's both horrifying and incredibly moving.
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Wednesday, April 13, 2005
We're up for a Webby!
I am so chuffed - the kids' website I work for has been nominated for a Webby ('The Oscars of the Internet' - New York Times) in the Education category. It's thrilling considering that other nominees include big shots like Eddie Izzard, Vogue and The Guardian - we're a very small team and it's lovely to be recognised. Yay us!
Help us win the Webby People's Voice Award by casting your vote HERE!
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I am so chuffed - the kids' website I work for has been nominated for a Webby ('The Oscars of the Internet' - New York Times) in the Education category. It's thrilling considering that other nominees include big shots like Eddie Izzard, Vogue and The Guardian - we're a very small team and it's lovely to be recognised. Yay us!
Help us win the Webby People's Voice Award by casting your vote HERE!
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Tuesday, April 12, 2005
Hitchhiker's film out on April 29th!
I am so looking forward to The Hitchiker's Guide To The Galaxy. Martin Freeman as Arthur Dent, Alan Rickman as Marvin the Paranoid Android and Stephen Fry as the Voice of the Guide? Fan-bluddy-tastic!
Edited to add: And Bill Bailey's in too - voicing a sperm whale! Now there's a frood who really knows where his towel is.
BBC: 'bloomin' brilliant'.
Empire: 'mostly harmless... very British, very funny'
Guardian: '42 and all that'
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I am so looking forward to The Hitchiker's Guide To The Galaxy. Martin Freeman as Arthur Dent, Alan Rickman as Marvin the Paranoid Android and Stephen Fry as the Voice of the Guide? Fan-bluddy-tastic!
Edited to add: And Bill Bailey's in too - voicing a sperm whale! Now there's a frood who really knows where his towel is.
BBC: 'bloomin' brilliant'.
Empire: 'mostly harmless... very British, very funny'
Guardian: '42 and all that'
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Monday, April 11, 2005
Portrait of John Peel
Finally got around to taking a picture of this loving tribute to Peelie on the side wall of the Prince Albert pub, which is at the end of the road where my office is (and regular home to excellent gigs - I got to see the awe-inspring Laura Cantrell play here to an audience of just 70). I noticed them starting it on the day before Christmas Eve, as I was leaving for the Christmas break, and when I came back to work in the New Year it was done. So now every morning when I'm on Trafalgar Street on my way to work, I give him a nod and say, 'Morning, John'.
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Finally got around to taking a picture of this loving tribute to Peelie on the side wall of the Prince Albert pub, which is at the end of the road where my office is (and regular home to excellent gigs - I got to see the awe-inspring Laura Cantrell play here to an audience of just 70). I noticed them starting it on the day before Christmas Eve, as I was leaving for the Christmas break, and when I came back to work in the New Year it was done. So now every morning when I'm on Trafalgar Street on my way to work, I give him a nod and say, 'Morning, John'.
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Sunday, April 10, 2005
A Very Stylish Girl
I thought Camilla looked lovely on her wedding day, particularly the outfit for the blessing, which was stunning. The long pale blue and gold coat really came into its own as she walked back down the aisle with Prince Charles after the ceremony and it billowed out softly behind her.
Sarah Buys, Tom Parker Bowles's lady, had the stand-out outfit of the day. Granted, her very short skirt was a bit extreme for such a high profile occasion - she did nearly come unstuck getting back on the coach after the civil ceremony - but she was definitely the most stylish family member (from either side - not that we expect much from the Windsors in the fashion stakes). I like a girl who'll mix black and white polka dots with pink patterned shoes.
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I thought Camilla looked lovely on her wedding day, particularly the outfit for the blessing, which was stunning. The long pale blue and gold coat really came into its own as she walked back down the aisle with Prince Charles after the ceremony and it billowed out softly behind her.
Sarah Buys, Tom Parker Bowles's lady, had the stand-out outfit of the day. Granted, her very short skirt was a bit extreme for such a high profile occasion - she did nearly come unstuck getting back on the coach after the civil ceremony - but she was definitely the most stylish family member (from either side - not that we expect much from the Windsors in the fashion stakes). I like a girl who'll mix black and white polka dots with pink patterned shoes.
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Friday, April 08, 2005
Elegant explosions in Edinburgh
This sounds great - a daytime 'firework' display by Simon Patterson, as part of his exhibition at The Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh.
"Free Public Art Event JUST CONFIRMED: Simon Patterson’s Landskip, 2005
Saturday 16 April,1.45pm. Calton Hill, Edinburgh.
In a spectacular and elegant sequence of timed explosions, British contemporary artist Simon Patterson detonates a series of coloured smoke grenades at strategic points on Calton Hill on Saturday 16 April 2005 from 1.45pm. The public artwork, entitled Landskip 2005, is to be staged near the National Monument - Scotland’s unfinished memorial to casualties in the Napoleonic Wars - and will be documented by Patterson in a series of photographs.
The event is a re-creation of Patterson’s public artwork, Landskip, 2000, which was staged in the grounds of Compton Verney House, Warwickshire, and inspired by its landscaped gardens historically used as a secret British Army location for smoke screen tests.
The main entrance to the event is at Waterloo Place. Families and picnic-goers are welcome and stewards will be on hand to assist the public. The event, which will proceed in wet weather, will end at approximately 3pm. Spectators are advised not to bring vehicles to the site.
Admission to the event is free but ticketed. Tickets are available from The Fruitmarket Gallery bookshop until Friday 15 April or on-site on the day. T: 0131 225 2383. E-mail: bookshop@fruitmarket.co.uk
Says Patterson: ‘I wanted to create a daytime firework display in much the same way that artists were commissioned in the 17th and 18th centuries to design spectacles, including mock battles and fireworks displays, for their patrons’.
Landskip, 2005 has been realised with the generous support of the British Territorial Army, Tayforth Universities Officers Training Corps. It is staged on the occasion of Simon Patterson’s exhibition, High Noon, at The Fruitmarket Gallery until Sunday 1 May."
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This sounds great - a daytime 'firework' display by Simon Patterson, as part of his exhibition at The Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh.
"Free Public Art Event JUST CONFIRMED: Simon Patterson’s Landskip, 2005
Saturday 16 April,1.45pm. Calton Hill, Edinburgh.
In a spectacular and elegant sequence of timed explosions, British contemporary artist Simon Patterson detonates a series of coloured smoke grenades at strategic points on Calton Hill on Saturday 16 April 2005 from 1.45pm. The public artwork, entitled Landskip 2005, is to be staged near the National Monument - Scotland’s unfinished memorial to casualties in the Napoleonic Wars - and will be documented by Patterson in a series of photographs.
The event is a re-creation of Patterson’s public artwork, Landskip, 2000, which was staged in the grounds of Compton Verney House, Warwickshire, and inspired by its landscaped gardens historically used as a secret British Army location for smoke screen tests.
The main entrance to the event is at Waterloo Place. Families and picnic-goers are welcome and stewards will be on hand to assist the public. The event, which will proceed in wet weather, will end at approximately 3pm. Spectators are advised not to bring vehicles to the site.
Admission to the event is free but ticketed. Tickets are available from The Fruitmarket Gallery bookshop until Friday 15 April or on-site on the day. T: 0131 225 2383. E-mail: bookshop@fruitmarket.co.uk
Says Patterson: ‘I wanted to create a daytime firework display in much the same way that artists were commissioned in the 17th and 18th centuries to design spectacles, including mock battles and fireworks displays, for their patrons’.
Landskip, 2005 has been realised with the generous support of the British Territorial Army, Tayforth Universities Officers Training Corps. It is staged on the occasion of Simon Patterson’s exhibition, High Noon, at The Fruitmarket Gallery until Sunday 1 May."
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Monday, April 04, 2005
Depp gunged at Kids' Choice Awards
This looks like he's standing inside a Dale Chihuly chandelier:
Now if that was chocolate sauce I might help him clean himself up... (Ben Stiller can keep out the way though).
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This looks like he's standing inside a Dale Chihuly chandelier:
Now if that was chocolate sauce I might help him clean himself up... (Ben Stiller can keep out the way though).
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I'm going to see Kylie!!!
...at Earls Court in May. I've always wanted to go to a Kylie concert but other stuff has always got in the way. But the Blonde was up for it, it was just about affordable AND we managed to get seats which are not in another county, so we're on our way! I'm so looking forward to a real spectacle. It's all very well devoting your gig life to indie bands, but you do miss out on glamour. I can't believe Kylie's 37 - suddenly I feel so young...
Mixed reviews of the Showgirl tour so far from the nationals:
Guardian Unlimited
Times Online
Telegraph
Independent
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...at Earls Court in May. I've always wanted to go to a Kylie concert but other stuff has always got in the way. But the Blonde was up for it, it was just about affordable AND we managed to get seats which are not in another county, so we're on our way! I'm so looking forward to a real spectacle. It's all very well devoting your gig life to indie bands, but you do miss out on glamour. I can't believe Kylie's 37 - suddenly I feel so young...
Mixed reviews of the Showgirl tour so far from the nationals:
Guardian Unlimited
Times Online
Telegraph
Independent
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Sunday, April 03, 2005
The Down-The-Pan Daleks
Coinciding neatly with the first episode of the new Doctor Who, I've found a transcript in an old teenage notebook of one of the brilliant Dalek sketches which were on the Steve Wright In The Afternoon show when he was still on Radio 1 in the 1980's:
(Loud Dalek voices): WE ARE THE DALEKS!!!
Dalek 1: No we're not, no we're not - we're just innocent, God-fearing citizens...la, la, laaa...
Dalek 2 (suspiciously): What have you done?
D1: You know the gas man was coming to read the meter?
D2: Ye-eess...
D1: I forgot, and he... he startled me.
D2: Which one did he look like then?
D1: He was a bit Tom Baker-ish. He's in pieces on the floor. I think he's dead.
D2: As a rule, when one is in pieces one IS dead. You HAVE to get over this irritational paranoia that everyone is Doctor Who! The milkman has his head zapped clean off, because he was a little on the Patrick Troughton-ish side. The lollipop lady, heaven knows why, reminded you of Jon Pertwee and the poll tax collector ended up a steaming pile of goo on the doorstep!
D1: I just felt like nuking him...
D2: It's got to stop!
(Door opens)
D1: Aaagh! Peter Davison!!
(ZAAAAAAAPPPPP!!!)
D2: Er - no - Jehovah's Witnesses...
D1: Oh, nice one!
(Both) LEAVE IT.
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Coinciding neatly with the first episode of the new Doctor Who, I've found a transcript in an old teenage notebook of one of the brilliant Dalek sketches which were on the Steve Wright In The Afternoon show when he was still on Radio 1 in the 1980's:
(Loud Dalek voices): WE ARE THE DALEKS!!!
Dalek 1: No we're not, no we're not - we're just innocent, God-fearing citizens...la, la, laaa...
Dalek 2 (suspiciously): What have you done?
D1: You know the gas man was coming to read the meter?
D2: Ye-eess...
D1: I forgot, and he... he startled me.
D2: Which one did he look like then?
D1: He was a bit Tom Baker-ish. He's in pieces on the floor. I think he's dead.
D2: As a rule, when one is in pieces one IS dead. You HAVE to get over this irritational paranoia that everyone is Doctor Who! The milkman has his head zapped clean off, because he was a little on the Patrick Troughton-ish side. The lollipop lady, heaven knows why, reminded you of Jon Pertwee and the poll tax collector ended up a steaming pile of goo on the doorstep!
D1: I just felt like nuking him...
D2: It's got to stop!
(Door opens)
D1: Aaagh! Peter Davison!!
(ZAAAAAAAPPPPP!!!)
D2: Er - no - Jehovah's Witnesses...
D1: Oh, nice one!
(Both) LEAVE IT.
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Friday, April 01, 2005
Darth Vader statue to go up in town centre
The only April Fool I've spotted so far (apart from a spoof letter on the sign-in page of LiveJournal) is this story from the Borehamwood Times / This Is Hertfordshire.
Edited to add: 10 stories that could be pranks - but aren't (BBC) and Britain's press play the fool (Ananova)
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The only April Fool I've spotted so far (apart from a spoof letter on the sign-in page of LiveJournal) is this story from the Borehamwood Times / This Is Hertfordshire.
Edited to add: 10 stories that could be pranks - but aren't (BBC) and Britain's press play the fool (Ananova)
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