Rowley Gallery Blog
Ever since my daughter saw the post about Pina Bausch she has been saying I should see the Gandinis. She saw them give a free performance of Smashed, their homage to Pina Bausch, last year in Greenwich Park. So finally I did, and I was not disappointed. Here is a short promo filmed on the South Bank outside the National Theatre. They are sharp and funny and dextrous and witty and skillful. I almost want to run away to the circus and join them! Continue reading “Smashed”
Here is a little home movie of Jelly Green painting a Charolais, one of her grandfather’s cows (hence the grandad song) from his farm at Dallinghoo, famous not only for dairy cattle but also for the Dallinghoo Treasure, a hoard of Iron Age gold coins discovered in 2008. Jelly will be exhibiting some of her own treasures at the Alde Valley Spring Festival from 21st April until 20 May. More of her paintings can be seen at The Rowley Gallery.
Another type of Comb. Not the hollow in the hills of Combe, sheltered from the wind, but here is a place to witness the wind. Eduardo Chillida’s Wind Comb. Three steel sculptures anchored to the rocks at the western end of San Sebastian bay. There are also some quite effective blow-holes beneath the pavement. Continue reading “Wind Comb”
There are no excuses really, except I love this song, and today’s my birthday (and Jessie’s), and I’m very glad Mr Infinite Green made this delightful cinematic compilation. It also marks the 100th post on this blog. Join hands and get on board.
A miniature houseboat on the roof of the QEH designed by Artangel for Living Architecture, an organisation set up by the philosopher Alain de Botton to build innovative holiday homes around the shores of Britain. It sounds intriguing and fun, maybe crazy and very exclusive, though guests seem expected to sing for their supper. A little like Big Brother’s little brother house. Read more here.
I’m not sure I know what this song’s about. Mostly it brings back embarrassing memories of the 1970s. But this movie redeems it. It looks like a lot of fun. So this is for my mum, my wife and my daughter, all of them mammas. And happy birthday to my granddaughter Mia for next Sunday, xxxx.
Now that’s what I call a pair of lungs! Rahsaan Roland Kirk at the Montreux Jazz Festival 1972. I saw him later at Ronnie Scott’s and he blew me away. He was magnificent, spirited and generous. He could take a sweet ballad and stretch it fearlessly, rolling it out until he’s blowing constantly, exhaling and inhaling both at the same time. Circular breathing and circular singing. He was a musical whirlwind. Continue reading “Blow Rahsaan!”
I’ve just seen the most beautiful film. It’s undeniably slow but that’s not to say it isn’t action packed. There’s a lot to look at. There is no spoken dialogue as such, just a sequence of gorgeous images that make up a visual poem. It’s premise is the Pythagorean idea that there is a four-fold transmigration of souls, from human to animal to vegetable to mineral. The film follows the passage from man to goat to tree to charcoal, the soul moving through four successive lives, to be discovered four times. It is set in the present day in a medieval village in Calabria. The goats are the stars, but there is one amazing prize-winning performance from a dog. This is my favourite film and I can’t wait to watch it again.
See Philip French’s review in The Guardian, but better still see the film.
Continuing our goatee season, we dedicate this post to the most notable Picodon, a spicy medallion of crusty goat’s cheese, whose delights are celebrated each year at Saoû in France. The younger cheeses are mild and elegant but the more mature they are the more piquant they become, ideal with a glass of Cotes du Rhone Villages. Blessed are the cheesemakers. Most are also goat farmers which means they don’t make large quantities, so Picodon is a rare cheese, hard to find outside of France. Continue reading “Le Picodon”
A four piece string band featuring Yo-Yo Ma on cello, Edgar Myer on bass, Stuart Duncan on fiddle and Chris Thile on mandolin.
A ‘goat rodeo’ is a chaotic situation where a group of people with differing viewpoints have to work together to avert disaster. These guys seem to manage pretty well. See more here.