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January 30, 2005
house hunting in oxford
Well I have yet another very tiring week commuting from London to Oxford, now with the added pressure of looking for a place to live after work. And this without a car or much familiarity with the layout of Oxford. Have pity on me. Saw a couple this week and one might be good, but a bit expensive. The good news is that there is an art studio come up for rent and i am going tomorrow (my day off) to have a look. Maybe I will get a studio before I have anywhere to live.
Came down with the inevitable man cold at the end of last week which meant I had to cancel seeing the Gang of Four with Billy on Friday night. Read his blog to hear all about it.
Had a nice weekend in Milton Keynes visiting a friend. My first time there and it really is a new town and the MK Dons (formerly Wimbledon Football Club) really do play at the Hockey Stadium. And the town is surprisingly aesthetic in layout and design. Very Pan-europeoan. Still struggling with my cold, so will not go on and on. Getting strong urges to draw, but I need to concentrate my efforts on getting settled. Should get back to Hastings next weekend, where I must update the website a bit, and put up all the last works of 2004 which have only appeared on the blog pages.
If any of my new students are reading this, make sure you get the chance to read up about and have a look at the new show at the Saatchi Gallery The Truimph of Painting. An interesting review in todays Observer
Posted by robbie at 7:44 PM | Comments (0)
January 23, 2005
Surviving the Coach to Oxford
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| 6th Jan, Staff Card | 20th Jan, Swipe Card |
I think the two images of me on my new Brookes staff card and swipe card taken two weeks apart demonstrate, how the toll of getting up at 6am to catch a coach from Victoria to Oxford each day, and then returning to Kentish Town about 8pm is effecting me. It was an exhaustung week. Not anything to do with the teaching, but simply the travel. I must get sorted out with a place in Oxford soon. Let me know if anyone hears of anything.
I have not really got any significent impression of life in Oxford, but talking to my students has put my mind at rest that there is life beyond Headington Campus. The students are great so far, but the space they have to work in is extremely cramped and will effect the type of work they are able to do. But that is a normal cry from an art lecturer.
I have obviously made no work at all since Christmas. But as soon as I can get a studio in Oxford, I dont see it will be very long before I am off at 'it' again. I will need to deveote a bit of time to finding out where everything is in the next week or so, and start to make contacts.
toodle oo for now.
Posted by robbie at 5:53 PM | Comments (0)
January 14, 2005
Berlin Museums
Well I am now at the end of my week in Berlin and I must say I am complelely saturated with visits to museums and galleries, walking, U and S Bahning, eating, drinking beer and keeping students enthused!! But Berlin is a great city and I woould like to take some time to write a bit about my week here, but I am too knackered to be honest. Will di it when I get back.
Anyway, below are links to some of the museums I have visited and you can see for yourself for the time being....
bauhaus archive
Deutsche Guggenheim
Jewish Museum
Brücke Museum
New National Gallery
Hamburger Bahnhoff
Pergamon Museum
Posted by robbie at 3:50 PM | Comments (0)
January 13, 2005
Berlin
Well this is my 5th day in Berlin and I am completely knackered from all the walking. museums and galleries. Too many things to mention as I type this from the Hostel staff computer. (German keyboards are all all over the place, so finding it tough just to type this.) Today we are going to the Neau Nationalgallerie and the Jewsish Museum. My new students seem very nice and are of a very international flavour. Eating too much carbs and sausages!!!
Posted by robbie at 7:10 AM | Comments (0)
January 6, 2005
First days at Oxford Brookes University
Just a quickie to say that this is my second day at Oxford Brookes University. I am commuting from London at the moment using the Oxford Tube coach service from Victoria(for those of you who love to read about my travel arrangements).
There are no students around yet and I have been just getting my head around the course and preparing for next weeks trip to Berlin. It all seems very familiar so far, but i think i will be happier once i get to know the students and have a place and a studio in Oxford... (anyone out there from Oxford??)
Hopefully will find an internet point in Berlin next week to make a fewe blog on the move so to speak.
Posted by robbie at 3:52 PM | Comments (0)
January 3, 2005
Last Day Living in Hastings
Well today is my last day living in Hastings before I start my new job in Oxford on Wednesday. Although I will be coming back for weekends until I can find a place to stay in Oxford. SO, today I packed up my studio with too many works unfinished, alas. I am afraid that my Christmas burst of art activity did not emerge as I did what most of us do at this time of year; eat, drink, sleep and be merry.
The challenge for me now is to get the best of my 2004 work exhibited in group shows up and down the Uk, while I continue to make new work and lecture in Oxford. A challenge, but one I now think I am ready for.
My first duties as a lecturer is to take the foundation students to Berlin from next saturday for a week. So, this is a great opportunity to get to know the students and staff, while looking at art and culture. I am really looking forward to it.
So no new work to be posted on this site. I was hoping to put up a Best of 2004 page, but time has just run out really. I want to thank all those Hastings who made my time here fantastic. If it does not work out for me in Oxford, then I would gladly come back to Hastings as it is in many ways the perfect place to be an artist with little money.
A happy new year to all my blog readers (I know who you are!!) and I think it will be interesting to see how the site and the blog develop over 2005 with less time to devote to it.
Posted by robbie at 2:11 PM | Comments (0)