Two framed flexi discs from the 1950s Soviet Union where underground samizdat recordings were pressed onto discarded x-ray film for the distribution of jazz music, which was prohibited after WW2. Continue reading “X-Ray Discs”
X-Ray Discs
Mingus Says…
Conference Of The Birds
David Rees Davies brought us a few of his joyful paintings of birds. These are the first arrivals and hopefully more will follow soon, maybe a spring migration. He sent some words too. Continue reading “Conference Of The Birds”
Folly Hill Return
July just before the Olympics I sat on Faringdon Folly Hill. Bright sun. Clear colour. White Horse Hill in the distance. From the west a ripple of coloured bands. Wavering smoke rainbow. Drawn through the Vale of the White Horse by a squadron of the Red Arrows as they practiced for the Olympics. Paul Nash battle of Britain paintings enacted just for me. Continue reading “Folly Hill Return”
Beckett At Sixty
Samuel Beckett rehearsing Endgame and ‘having an idea’ with the San Quentin Drama Workshop at Riverside Studios in Hammersmith in 1980. I worked there intermittently in those days, even had a small exhibition of my paintings there, and the house photographer Chris Harris, knowing how much I loved Beckett, gave me a print of this photograph for my birthday. Continue reading “Beckett At Sixty”
Sutra
Five years after its first performance I finally got to see Sutra last week at Sadler’s Wells. It was worth waiting for. It’s an intense, concentrated burst of energy. 20 Kung-Fu monks behaving like curious cats in an exuberent exploration of the ins and outs of boxes. It opens with a ‘choreographer’ (down right) describing a moving line by hand over miniature boxes whilst a monk (centre stage) dances the same line over full size boxes. This duality continues throughout the performance, playing with ideas of thought/action, self/other, inner/outer, micro/macro… Continue reading “Sutra”
Five French Gardens
I was looking at Greg Becker’s Pinterest page, The Wild Allotment, a lovely collection of green-fingered imagery and a great escape from our endless winter. It got me thinking about visits to other, slightly more manicured gardens, but most importantly gardens filled with sunshine. Indulge me while I recall warmer days. This is Le Prieuré d’Orsan where we stayed for one memorable night in 2006. Continue reading “Five French Gardens”
Compass Update
Susie Freeman’s Compass exhibition opened last week. This is her piece Bacteriology Illustrated in the window of Art@42 late on Saturday night. It features Susie’s signature machine-knitted pocket fabric formed into a dress. The pockets contain fragments torn from the pages of the book. Continue reading “Compass Update”
Secret Session
I’ve been listening to Free Magic, the new album by Medeski, Martin & Wood pretty much non-stop in my car since I got it about two months ago. I’ve tried changing it but nothing else sounds so good for driving so I keep it on repeat. I looked for a video but there’s nothing yet from the album though I did find this impromptu performance from a concert soundcheck. It’s not really typical but then no one single piece ever is with MMW, they’re just so versatile and eclectic. Enjoy!
Sounds And Silence
This is a short trailer for the film Sounds And Silence from 2009. It is subtitled Travels With Manfred Eicher and it tells the story of his record label, Editions of Contemporary Music, following him over five years as he records musicians around the world. I discovered it thanks to Richard Williams via his very welcome new blog, The Blue Moment where he’s written about the exhibition ECM: A Cultural Archaeology, until recently at the Haus der Kunst in Munich. Continue reading “Sounds And Silence”