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April 28, 2007
Cyprus 2002 on YouTube
I am only now coming out of my flu bug which really did knock me out for the last two week. I struggled on at work, taking some time off… and when i have time off, my the devil makes work for idle hands! After doing the eca 1989 video, I started to get out all my old videos which I never had time to sort out. An in this age of YouTube, it is great that I can finally share some of them. I had done all this footage from Cyprus College of Art in 2002 (when i was still living in Chichester). So, I put it all together into a 15 minute montage over music (2 parts on youtube as they wont let you go over 10 minutes) and emailed all the people who were at Cyprus College of Art that year. Anyway, it gives a little insight into how I produced the work for this period. I only took a little footage in Limassol 2005 and none in 2006, so I doubt I will add them to the site. Anyway here they are:
The good news is that at last I am going to show a selection of all my Cyprus work in 2008/09 in the Otter Gallery at University of Chichester. It will be good to finally have a show there after my time in the area.
NEW STUDIO
I am moving into a new studio in Edinburgh next week - a space in Morningside - so at last I can get on with some oil painting for the show at the Queen Street Gallery (Emsworth) for November.
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April 17, 2007
Easter, the flu and a video from 1989
I had a great easter week off. I got my art at least started with a few drawings and then Catharine came up for the Easter weekend which was lovely. We walked and walked, went to galleries, shops, pubs and restaurants as you should on a bank holiday.
However, almost as soon as she had gone, I was struck down by a nast flu/bug thing. Last week I was hanging the CCS lifelong learners exhibition with my collegue Derek Maguire and by the end of the week I could hardly walk. So this last weekend was spent being a bit miserable in bed. I did go into work briefly yesterday for the opening of the ccs, but it was a bit premature. So, I have been off work again today and am now feeling better (almost).
So, to keep me amused, I started a little project I have been meaning to start whenever I am stuck at home not able to do much; I started to digitise some of my old home movie tapes, so that I could put them on DVD. This evening, I found the video footage that was taken in my final year as a student at Edinburgh College of Art. This was actually shot by Liz Ogilivie, one of the lecturers, and I am not quite sure how I have a copy on tape (maybe I nicked it and it is the only one). Anyway, I decided to put some of it together into a little short. it shows painting students in my year working and some of their degree shows. And of course it shows me as a young student. I have put it onto You Tube, as I thought it might be of interest to student contemporaries of my time. For the record the clip shows the following people; John Brown, Cath Binns, Angelina Berry, Jane Hyslop, Nerys Ellery, John Houston (Lecturer), Greg Magee, Susan Pettinger, Bill Breckinbridge, Cathy Carpenter, Andrew Parkinson, Linda Henniker and Heather Mackenzie. it also features the work of Claire Banks, David Howard, Paul Rooney, but who are not in the video. I think that is it. I am now colleagues again with Jane Hyslop and John Brown and still see David Howard who is in Edinburgh. As for the rest I am not sure what they are up to. Perhaps they will discover they are on this video and get in touch.. (and tell me to take it down). Anyway here it is…
Music on video: Fools Gold by The Stone Roses and Last of the International Playboys by Morrissey, both from 1989.
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April 5, 2007
Return to Edinburgh Subject Matter
Well so far this week off has been a good chance to settle down and get thinking about what art I should try and do. I started off playing with Gouache in my little cupboard studio in my flat. But while this was enjoyable, I knew that this would lead nowhere without some subject matter. So I have done a couple of pen drawings from inside my flat - a strange return to Edinburgh domesticity - which is where I started back in 1989. The drawings are very familiar but I am glad to have done them and will continue to do more and see where it takes me..
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April 3, 2007
Barry at his opening at John Martin
I am not even at Barry’s opening tonight at John Martin, but by the powers of technology (Catharine is there), I have the first picture while the opening is still going.
Looks like he is having a good time. Well back to my gouaches for me…
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April 2, 2007
The Foals
It is good to see that the long tradition of art students becoming great bands is alive and well. Three students I had the pleasure to teach at Oxford Brookes are now part of tomorrow’s next big thing - The Foals. Walter Gervers plays bass, Jack Beven on Drums and Tinhead does the graphic design (I am not familiar with the other three). The Foals are a five piece jittery punk/funk dance outfit with a destinctive sound. There are more influences from music I was listening to as a teenager than anything that is out now; Josek K, Fire Engines, Orange Juice, Devo, Gang of Four and APB (from Aberdeen recently reformed). Have a listen and look at their song/video for Hummer. Wonderful stuff.
Foals - ‘Hummer’ Video on YouTube
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April 1, 2007
Barry McGlashan at John Martin
Just to alert you all that my good friend and wonderful artist, Barry McGlashan is having his second major show at John Martin in London this week. The work is based around his recent travels in America and I think that this is some of his best work ever. If you are in London over the next month, then I would highly reccommend going to see it.
I particularly liked this one called ‘The Big Eat’…
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Website updated (at last)
I have finally updated my website. This now includes the work I did in Cyprus last July, such as it is. Most of it is unresolved and lay in my Oxford studio for months waiting for the hand of god of intervene and take it further - but nothing ever happened and then I was ‘wheeched’ off to Edinburgh and it all got stored away. But it is good to give it an airing now.
I have also updated my cv, forthcoming events and added more links - so it feel like I am at last starting to be an artist again after months of galavanting.
Well, I have now been in Edinburgh exactly 2 months and I have not galavanted anywhere. This must be a record in recent times. I am now nicely settled here and have been busy getting my head down getting to grips with my new job. After a period of intense workload, things have now quietened down for Easter and I have a week off. I am going to try to paint a little this week to get me back into it and hopefully I will blog some of the progress next weekend. (shout if I don’t). Catharine is coming up for the Easter weekend, so it would be great to have something to show her.
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