Blast from the past II

again, whilst searching through some old stuff- came across this old photo of me in action, roughly 88/89. Working on an arts project set up by my great mate Oz. as I remember, it was set over the course of a week and a number of artists worked with / on a community piece - Oz will probably correct me!!

Please note the winkle pickers - a must form of footwear (currently considering purchasing another pair - debate: should someone in their 40's wear winkle pickers!!), still have the quiff, although these days somewhat shorter!

Blast from the past

Follwing some comments left and past posts I have located an old drawing that I produced in the late 80's. Roughly 20cm x 12 cm, mixed media. The series of work was based on conflict of relationships and a number of large canvases were produced (sadly lost over time!). Some of the influences of the F post maybe be seen and possible Moore, I still like to produce quick studies in this style although looking at my recent paintings this would not appear so! I think of them more as doodles.

Picture artist alphabet - just for fun! G

Picture artist alphabet - just for fun! F

just three words picture association 2

Picture artist alphabet - just for fun! E

Eeeeezzzzyyyy!!

just three words picture association 1

as I'm working on the series of just three words I thought as I was sketching and writing ideas down I would embark on a picture association. Aim, each day to find an image that reflects the series; these images are not going to be the starting point of my own work but just interludes!

Number 1:

a little obvious to start off with!

Strike three - Damien Hirst!!

DAMIEN HIRST DONATES PICKLED COW AND OTHER MAJOR WORK TO TATE
Damien Hirst's cow in formaldehyde is now part of the permanent collection at Tate.

Damien Hirst has donated four major works of art, including his infamous pickled cow, to the Tate collection.
The gift includes an early vitrine, The Acquired Inability to Escape (1991), the sculpture Life Without You (1991), one of the first in Hirst’s series of fly paintings Who is Afraid of the Dark? (2002), and the exhibition copy of Mother and Child Divided (2007) which is on display in Turner Prize: A Retrospective at Tate Britain until January 6 2008.
It is the first phase of a major gift of works from Damien Hirst’s personal collection that he has committed to Tate.
“It means a lot to me to have works in the Tate,” said the 42-year-old artist. “I would have never thought it possible when I was a student. I’ve been in negotiations with the Tate for a few years to make sure they get the right pieces to represent me properly.”
“I think giving works from my collection is a small thing if it means millions of people get to see the work displayed in a great space.”
Works already in the Collection by the artist include the major installation Pharmacy (1992), the shell cabinet piece Forms Without Life (1991), a suite of 13 prints from The Last Supper (1999) and a print from the series London, Untitled (1992).
This latest donation will, according to Tate Director, Nicholas Serota transform the representation of his work in Tate's Collection. “Tate is indebted to international contemporary artists such as Damien Hirst for working with us on building the collection,” he said.

source: Isla Harvey 24hour museum staff

Damien Hirst..... again!

STUFFED tea-drinking kittens and smoking and gambling squirrels could land an international auction house in court.
The former owner of a museum of Victorian curiosities is suing the auction house that sold it for turning down a £1 million offer from the artist Damien Hirst.
The collection of more than 6,000 stuffed animals fetched £336,000 when it was sold at auction in 2003.
Now John Watts, who had owned Mr Potter’s Museum of Curiosities for nearly 20 years, is to bring a claim in the High Court against Bonhams for allegedly failing to alert him to an offer from Hirst. He is demanding that Bonhams make up the £572,000 difference between the sale price and the offer from Hirst, who said that he wanted the collection to stay in this country.
The collection was created by Walter Potter, a self-taught taxidermist, and appealed to Victorian sentimentality with its scenes featuring squirrels taking tea and baby rabbits learning the alphabet. For decades it was on display in Sussex but as tastes changed it came to be regarded as macabre and was sold to Mr Watt, who moved it to Jamaica Inn, in Bolventor, Cornwall.
The collection was sold in hundreds of lots, some of which fetched many times their guide price.
Mr Watts said that he had desperately hoped to keep the collection together and was completely unaware of the offer from Hirst. He said: “It was stated in the contract that Bonhams would consider every serious offer from potential clients to acquire the whole collection and keep us informed of such interest. This did not happen.”
An article by Hirst that appeared on the day of the sale claimed that his offer had been turned down because it was made after the deadline had expired. Mr Watts said: “It should have been obvious to Bonhams that this was a serious inquiry. We are bitterly disappointed with the approach and attitude adopted by Bonhams.
“We have tried to discuss this amicably but with no joy. They leave us with no option but to pursue our complaint in the courts.”
In his article, Hirst said that he wanted to “reopen Mr Potter’s, adding my own pieces, perhaps, and even some artwork”, and described how his children were overcome by “a sense of wonderment” when they saw the animals.
He wrote: “I have always wanted a museum like this. But now the collection will go to auction to be sold in separate pieces. I have offered £1 million and to pay for the costs of the auctioneers’ catalogues, just for them to take it off the market and keep the collection intact but apparently the auction has to go ahead. It is a tragedy.”

source: simon de bruxelles timesonline

Damien Hirst to work on Joe Strummer book

Joe Strummer's widow has revealed artist Damien Hirst is to co-produce a new book detailing lyrics, drawings and mementoes left by the Clash singer.
Lucinda Mellor says she found a whole room's worth of untouched material at their home, collected by Joe on his many tours, following his untimely death on 23 December 2002.
She now wants the material to form the basis of a book which Joe's friend and celebrated British artist Damien Hirst will also work on, with the prospect of a new album of rareties also being mooted.

"It's not something that's going to be rushed into; it's going to be beautifully done," she tells today's Independent, her first interview with a British newspaper since Strummer's death.
"It'll be like an art book, with photographs, lyrics, drawings, maybe unreleased songs, rarities. It'll have CDs in it, rare Joe stuff – we'll see what we've got."
source: C Taylor gigwise

Picture artist alphabet - just for fun! D

I might start putting the name of the artist with the picture!

news from the shed - wince...update

Finally, managed to spend some time on a painting that I've been working on. Its taken several transformations along the way, and has in some way reverted back to earlier work; although I don't feel that it has been a backward step - revisiting past ways of working and colours has taken me forward; in more recent paintings I have felt that some element for me has been missing. Going back to under painting and building up layers and creating slight surface textures is something I like to do and in this painting I feel that some of that has returned.

New work in the just three words series will have elements of this and each painting, although basically the same dimensions will develop differently in terms of materials and styles - its a challenge I am looking forward to.

The other series I am undertaking is one which hopefully will let me explore a different way of working, using many different materials - ones which I am not familiar with and in some cases have no skills in eg creating neon lighting! More on this series as it develops.

At present I have not got a title for the painting... one thought was 'not jimi' (as in Hendrix) which came about in a conversation with Oz one evening!

Still thinking.

Picture artist alphabet.. just for fun C

Picture artist alphabet - just for fun! B

Picture artist alphabet - just for fun!

Recently posted this on a forum and its seems popular. Bit of coffee table fun and light relief!

I'm gonna start it off, hopefully will put one up a day and will continue to respond if there are any suggestions. (post through comments and I will upload work by artist). keeps the mind ticking over!

The more the merrier!!!

Hi Ho its off to .... murals!

One of the forums that I post on had a link going about mural paintings and I thought I would post some that i have done in the past - roughly eight years ago for my sons bedroom. I see them every day and he has intimated that he would like some changes made!! Inclusion of James Bond, an Aston Martin DB9 and some comic book heroes including Dennis the Menace. If i manage to get time over the holiday period I might have a go.

just three words update... completion

Having been unable to spend time painting recently, managed to get back on task and complete the first of this series. Purchased 25 canvasses yesterday and have been priming them in readiness!

Hi Ho Hi Ho Its off to work ......

Been back a day or two, very hard getting back into the swing of things, everyone coming up and asking if I'm alright - not quite, but I'll soldier on!!!

First artistic bit of creativity today - help a pupil make the sky in his The Scream transcription represent the printed out version he had in front of him; using oil pastels, spent time showing him how to layer and blend colours to give depth and tone - easy when you know how!!!

Maybe in the next day or so I'll get back to some unfunished paintings of my own

mind the gap

Again, not up to doing much except looking around ...

following my visit many weeks ago to the Turbine Hall and seeing 'the crack' as it is now being called on its opening its fun just see what is being written about it some weeks later;

here's some interesting comments:

It was supposed to raise issues of desolation and destitution in contemporary society, a jagged, violent fracture driving through the heart of Tate Modern's Turbine Hall. Yet Doris Salcedo's Shibboleth has become, as Adrian Searle so accurately predicted, entertainment. Known as "the crack" - thanks to that banal knack the media have of nicknaming some of the city's most challenging and experimental works - it has come under scrutiny not for its controversial social and political agenda, but for the issues it raises about the way we view art.So far 17 visitors have apparently suffered minor injuries while inspecting Shibboleth, and it's this that has generated much of the press coverage about the work. Yet it isn't just the general public who are left with bruises: the Tate, the media imply, are either cold-hearted aesthetes - viewing crippled visitors as simply the collateral damage of great art - or irresponsibly naive. I am not going to talk about the apparently inevitable stupidity of some members of the general public (put a hole in the ground and someone will eventually fall into it). Let's just take that as a given. What's interesting here is the problematic approach we have to the art object itself.
Those visiting art institutions expect a certain level of security - by that I mean signs that say 'Don't Touch' and gallery guards. It is an irritating but inevitable part of the gallery-going experience. We often behave in art institutions as we would in a church: in an atmosphere of deference, hushed whispers and silenced mobile phones. It is an atmosphere perpetuated by the institutions themselves and designed to increase the magnitude of the art object - this extraordinary, almost otherworldly act of expression that we are here witness. The Turbine Hall is a different kind of place, teeming with people, information points, telephones and an ATM. There is a vibrancy about the space that generates debate - it's the only place outside the classroom that I have found where my students are not inhibited in expressing their opinions. It is the kind of place where art needs to be, yet rarely is.
Public art is too often confined to places that are relatively inaccessible - on a deserted hilltop, a roundabout, a plinth, or submerged into the general hubbub of city life. The Turbine Hall is unique in being a public space designed specifically for art. Where else could Salcedo create such an installation? And where else could we have such freedom of access?
Enough silly-story carping about injuries: we should celebrate the rare opportunities we have to physically explore a work of art and rack up the sprained ankles to our lack of experience.

source: Guardian arts

THE huge crack in the middle of the Tate Gallery has become a seedy hangout for tiny, drug-abusing Borrowers, the Daily Mash has learned.

Det Sgt Helen Barnes on the look out for Borrower drug gangs

More than a dozen visitors to the central London exhibit have fallen into the crack only to be beaten and robbed by heroin-crazed, three-inch junkies.Known simply as 'The Crack' among the capital's Borrower community, the 580ft long artwork was once a thriving thoroughfare for the miniature people until a visiting art history professor accidentally dropped a small plastic bag filled with cocaine."Very quickly the whole neighbourhood was awash with the stuff and it wasn't long before the dealers and the hardened criminals moved in," said Wayne Hayes, a Borrower outreach worker."It's very dangerous to venture in there after dark. Tiny drive-by shootings are commonplace and every street corner is occupied by gangs of incredibly small prostitutes."Police believe that organised gangs of Borrowers are forcing rich tourists into the crack either by tying their shoelaces together or baiting the widest sections with Brussels paté."Why else would so many of them have fallen in?" said Superintendent Bill McKay. "It's not as if they're all complete morons."

source: the Daily mash

further thoughts on how it was made - a long read but some interesting thoughts, I particular like the final one, each has been done in a different colour to make scan reading easier!!

And the crack is big. It starts as a tiny hairline fissure in the concrete floor, beneath a wastepaper bin (is this significant? Reader, we confess: we do not know) up at the hall's western entrance, gradually widening and deepening as it descends in a crazy zigzag, with branches shooting off here and there, until it disappears under the wall at the other end. At its widest it is maybe 10 inches across; at its deepest it is maybe a three-foot crevasse.
There has, obviously, been a great deal of speculation about the origins of the crack. The artist herself has let it be known that it took her a year to create and five weeks to install, and that bits of it were air-freighted across the Atlantic, but has refused absolutely to reveal her precise method. "What is important is the meaning of the piece; the making of it is not important," she says, adding that the work is "bottomless" and "as deep as humanity".
A spokeswoman for the Tate says firmly that it will never divulge how the piece - the eighth in its annual Unilever series of works commissioned specially for the Turbine Hall - was made. "The artist and Tate are not going into great detail other than to say we opened up the Turbine Hall floor in order to create a cavity," a spokeswoman says. "The work was made with utmost precision according to drawings by the artist, and nothing was accidental."

The press, for its part, reckons "concrete sections were lowered into a trench" (the Daily Telegraph), or that the artist "dug into a 'false' floor sitting on top of the original" (the Times). The Independent speaks of "realistic mouldings" and "visible fabrication".

No one, in short, has the slightest clue. Time to call in the experts.

Graham Merton, managing director of Eaton Gate, a prestige building firm operating at "the top end of the domestic refurbishment market", stands four-square across the fissure and rubs his chin. "What I reckon," he says, "is that they dug some of the old floor out - look, that slab there is definitely different, that's the original floor over there. It needn't have been much, maybe just 20 or 30 centimetres. Then replacement slabs were cast in a workshop somewhere, with the cracks already in them, and laid in situ. And where it gets deep down there, they could actually have dug down into the earth with a mechanical tool, and applied a hard slurry finish. No reason why not. But it's certainly impressive."

Ferhan Azman, an award-winning Turkish-born architect with lots of experience in concrete, kneels to probe the crack's sides. "Isn't it great?" she asks. "It works as art for me. It's about how our physical environment affects us. Look how wary, how destabilised you feel in a building with a great big crack down the middle. Anyway, it looks like they've taken a layer off the top here, and then in-filled with pre-cast pieces. It's not that mysterious. There'd be no problem digging down; with a building like this you could go on for ever without undermining its foundations."

Denis Ryan of TM Ryan & Sons casts the experienced eye of a south London builder over the work. "I'd say," he ventures, "that they've dug quite a narrow but quite a deep trench here, probably not much wider than the crack itself, then dropped in narrow pre-cast vertical slabs, all made off-site, to form the sides. Then you use a levelling compound to disguise the joins and make it look like you've replaced an entire slab of the floor. Whatever they've done, it's clever. They've got three builders here and none of us can really agree on the technique."
They can agree on one thing, though: they would all get sued for it. "This is extremely dangerous," says Merton, who otherwise likes the crack a lot, saying it reminds him of "an earthquake, like a reminder to look after the planet, to remember that everything, even the most massive structures, may be at risk. Art should do that, shouldn't it? Challenge you, make you think." Professionally, however, he warns you could "easily break a leg here. I'd never be allowed to let a building out like this. Heels will go in, ankles will get twisted, lawsuits will follow. Health and safety-wise, it's a disaster."
Ryan concurs, but jokes that if he tells his clients people are now paying good money to see eight-inch-wide cracks in the floor, "soon everyone will be wanting one". It probably is good art, though, he reckons: "It's got everyone talking about it, hasn't it? That's the main thing."
Azman only hopes health and safety do not get their hands on it. "There's been so much removal of commonsense from our lives," she says. "People may say children can fall in, but children could fall into the river outside. You just have to tell them to be careful!"
So I thank our experts and head out into the rain, considerably wiser about the techniques of concrete construction but, it has to be said, still not entirely sure I know just how that crack got there.

Fortunately, at the end of the phone is Mr E.
Mr E is a builder who was working at Tate Modern on another project while Shibboleth was being installed, and although for contractual reasons he does not wish to be further identified, he is very happy to recount what he witnessed. So here's the answer ...
"They dug a dirty great trench about a yard wide and a yard deep," says Mr E, still lost in wonderment. "Then they brought in lorry-load after lorry-load of cement and poured it in, using 10-foot sections of what looked like carved polystyrene moulding to form the sides. Then a whole bunch of people lay down on their stomachs for about a week and finished it off with brushes. Looked bloody uncomfortable, I can tell you. It's about racism?

Can't see it myself, but I'm not much of a one for modern art. It was a pretty good trench, though. And one hell of a lot of cement. Good luck to 'em."

best use of fast food

as per usual came across this, there are others like this but heh, the finished piece is good, especially as in our house ketchup is rationed!

from man flu to hospital

Life is strange; earlier in a post I as talking about looking after my son who was poorly, we as you might of guessed, I ended up with the flu - much overused word, because the symptoms of flu are a lot more serious than the usual colds we get. So with aching bones, blocked/dripping nose I bundled myself of to bed armed with an assortment of pills, lemsips, honey and lemon drinks, closed the door and prepared myself for a few days lock down!
Lots of fluids later I started feeling chirpier - missed most of what happened over the weekend, Jo took JJ to QPR, they had grandpa over for a meal, did rugby training etc.
Monday morning, not 100% but thought I'd better get back to work - Swedish group over and I am going to be working with them both here and in Sweden, couldn't miss it really.
It at this stage, that I should mention that Jo pushed me into going back!!!
Driving into work was a very weird sensation; everything was a little woozy and every time I looked in the mirror or onto oncoming traffic I felt dizzy - this had been part of the 'flu' that I had suffered.
Anyhow, got into school, parked the car, felt like a crab walking across playground - sideways but forwards at the same time! Got into classroom and stumbled. My technician helped to my seat in my office, next thing; on the floor with someone telling me the ambulance was on the way!!
Ended up in A&E, lying on bed wearing one of those gowns that allows you to expose your bum and strangle you at the same time! 4 hours later, several tests and prodding by student doctors the results came in; I had a viral infection in the base of my brain and inner ears therefore no sense of balance.
As per usual, Jos mobile turned off so when called her school to inform her I was in hospital she replied instantly and collected me (she says sorry for making me go to work when I wasn't ready!)
currently, sitting in bed, popping pills, head spinning, back to square one.......

Imagine BBC

following last nights program, I have had a closer look at some of the artists shown. One of these was Boo Ritson - basically the idea of actually painting somebody(rather like a form of body art but more abstracted) then taking a photograph of the person; which is the intended final outcome, appeals to me. A different approach to portrait painting? A gimmick? Who knows, but I like the results, the paintings seem to remove the personality of the individual and develop them into almost bland comic book representations with a twist of Auebach (only my opinion!)

Boo Ritson paints people, but not on canvas or on board – she literally coats people with paint. Presented as photographs, Ritson’s portraits are a double masquerade: her subjects coated in sticky disguise, and the documentary image a surrogate representation of the tangible painterly, sculptural, and performative qualities of work. By using photography Ritson capitalises on the associations of snapshot memory and filmic narrative, with each of her characters playing out readily recognisable stereotypes.
Bathed beneath the gooeyness of common household paint, Ritson’s subjects are transformed into athletes, cowgirls, and slot-jockeys. Highlighting the malleability of identity, Ritson’s impostors are rendered oddly totemic as the dripping contours of their wet ‘skins’ create a statuesque effect that’s equally stoically chiselled and insincerely plastic. Balancing between social masks and suffocating veneers, Ritson’s painted effigies stand as psychological animi; a sentiment epitomised in Godfather, where the eyes of her living model are exposed, giving a jarring humility to his hard man mafioso exterior.
info on artist (source: Saatchi online)

the chapman bros download

well as I said, went and downloaded 'money' - not very good piece by either of them. Thought I'd post it up so those who missed it can have a gander and if want, download from here. Still sketching out ideas for its transformation............ looking at it on the site they look crap, not sure if I'll bother

looks mighty fine to me!

saw this and immediately thought of my friends Oz and Ian who are at the moment exploring beard growing - each having several months growth and could possibly now find this item of clothing useful. What a hat, three in one - covers head, moustache and beard, excellent idea, look out for Santa this Christmas lads, you might find one in your stocking!!

chapman brothers.... need I say more!

tonight on tv - Imagine program on bbc - recorded it, managed to see 5 mins when I popped up from the shed - some great stuff, great art and then they focused on the chapman bros at the Frieze art show - for those new to the blog there are several postings about this during sept/oct.
anyhow, thought I would post link to bbc site where you can download your own chapman bros artwork, closes on Thursday 22nd - I'm gonna do my download in the morning - got some ideas of what I shall do with it!!!!
to download

wince - ongoing progress

ummed and arred about colour choice, sat in lounge and looked at Red Indian hanging on wall

I remember the time spent on this painting and it is still one of my favourites. The surface created by underpainting and applying several layers creates great depth (not visible in photo - as per usual!!!). The red used was one I mixed up some time ago, and as usual I store paint in old coffee jars, alas, it had become sticky and unusable. So I spent time mixing up another batch, the aim was to get close, which I managed. I have now applied the first red layer and have made some changes by adding more cadmium red to add a lighter hue/tone, I will see if this has been effective when next layer applied.
again - photo quality is poor......

just three words update... in motion!

since last postings managed to get an hour in the studio and go mad with brush and paint, managed to turn around 'grin smile laugh' almost to original starting point, happy with the use of white instead of the dark blue (although photo image looked brown - I am crap at photography, should get Rhysbaker to do the photography thing for me!

couple more layers of white me thinks. Still unsure about red lettering - do I keep red, if so, lighten/keep the same or darken? do I go back to the original white as intended - a lot more work and thinking, further updates tomorrow

three little words

Just managed to get on with some painting after day of looking after JJ
Had a re-think about current three little words - 'grin smile laugh' - decided to get back and work the background with white. Standing back, I'm happy with the first layer, it will need a couple more to cover the dark blue last painted. the element that I am really chuffed with is when you look closely you can see the under painting - in certain areas the reds and different blues show through.

Banksy again!! or is it?

just found this......

Suspicions have surfaced that underground artist Banksy may have infiltrated a spoof art competition in which the worst offering takes the spoils.

Judges of the Turnip Prize were alerted after unearthing a couple of none-too-subtle clues about one particular entry - it was suspiciously good and it was submitted by a mystery artist going only by the name 'Banksea'.
Under strict competition rules entrants hoping to walk away with the top prize must spend as little time on their "artwork" as possible.
But one of this year's contenders has a suspicious whiff of professionalism about it - and the judging panel are not impressed.
Left outside the home of organiser Trevor Prideaux in Wedmore, Somerset, the piece bears an uncanny resemblance to the work of the Bristol-born graffiti artist, Banksy
It shows a faceless figure holding a rocket launcher and firing a turnip over a pier and a emergency exit sign.
The notoriously secretive artist, who found fame with a series of politically-motivated paintings on city street walls, never confirms or denies if he is responsible for an artwork.
If it is a real Banksy it could be worth tens of thousands of pounds.
And therein lies the problem. The time and effort which has been invested in the artwork makes it a long shot for the coveted competition's top prize.
The Turnip Awards was created nine years ago to poke fun at the "pretentious" Turner prize and celebrates truly appalling art.
The winner of the 'trophy' a turnip nailed through a plank of wood, usually ends up in the hands of the entrant who has spent the least amount of time on it.
Mr Prideaux said he and his fellow judges would have to make a decision on whether to allow Banksea's effort into the competition.
"It does seem to be in Banksy's style and the fact it was left anonymously on my doorstep does add to the possibility that it could well be one of his," he said.
"But we do disqualify those who are perceived to have used too much effort.
"Someone has thought too much about this one and tried too hard. So for that reason it's not likely to win. The odds are very long on it.
"The judges will meet tonight to discuss the matter during the first round of the process."
The Banksea artwork is on display at the New Inn, Wedmore, where it faces stiff competition from a number of awful exhibits crafted by regulars at the pub.
They include Time Flies - a dead fly in an empty jar of thyme; Pay Per View -a blank piece of A4 paper from an artist called Blanksey; and Dog Gawn, which is simply a dog lead and a collar.
The winner will be announced on December 3 at the pub, before an audience of critics.

banal interlude

today was a day of nothing. My son JJ picked up a bug over the weekend, must have been bad as he missed rugby training yesterday morning. With Jo running a workshop at school it was left to me to look after him - sufferer of man flu child size!
spent the day crashed out watching a bit of tv, playing assorted boards games, making sure he was taking medicine and eating and drinking (all the things we know what to do, but get telephone calls reminding us!!!). Managed to recharge some my batteries - long and hard week/weekend (Sex Pistols, Archie Bronson outfit, rugby training, painting etc). took some time out to catch up on a bit of light reading - just about to start the 'time travellers wife' - passed onto me by Jo, have a feeling that some Jeeves and Wooster will be coming my way soon (eh Oz!).

So, as I was in that state of 'inbetweeness' I thought I would list the last five light reads, and me being me, thought I'd do it by pictures! so here goes.... not in any order (can't remember!)

Oh bother, lost the John Peel - will get that up soon

previous posting (on website)

following the toilet posts!!
nothing to do with toilet humour, but when art takes a pee!!
unusual urinals - more decorative than the ones I usually use and probably everyone else for that matter.

If you fancy spending a penny!! heres the link to where you can purchase them: urinal
Looking at some of them Iam reminded for certain artwork by Georgie O keefe

world toilet day

as some might of seen from previous posts, I have an interest in toilets (design) and toilet signs (graphical interest!). This is an actual day, spent a little time looking around and found out its backed by unicef .......

World Toilet Day has been declared to be on the 19th of November each year.

The purpose of having this day is to have people in all countries to take action, increase awareness of toilet user’s right to a better toilet environment, and to demand for it from toilet owners. As such, it is also the toilet user’s duty to contribute towards its also the toilet user’s
duty to contribute towards its maintenance, cleanliness and hygiene. The public marks the day to practice toilet etiquette, the restroom community-at-large celebrates with a new declaration for the forthcoming year.

when art meets TV culture and advertising

just popped into the lounge and noticed a new christmas (its only november!!) advert by John lewis

one has to ask the question - did Tim Noble and Sue Webster have any part in this, did they help make it/direct? Or, did some advertising company visit the summer exhibition

I still prefer the orginal artworks by the above mentioned, I wonder how many people look at the advert and can see where it has possibly come from? judging by the comments made on youtube not many.

Here's possibly the influence:

aha, Hirst outdone!!

Love his work, and seeing this reminded me of the work by Jim Dine who's work I haven't had a look at for some time, me thinks I shall re -investigate his work

Jeff Koons overtook Damien Hirst to become the world's most expensive living artist at auction when his Hanging Heart sculpture fetched £11.3m at a Sotheby's sale in New York yesterday.
The 9ft-tall sculpture was created in stainless steel and consists of a giant heart, weighing 3,500lbs (1,600kg), suspended from the ceiling by two delicate gilded strands and hovering 16 inches (40cm) from the floor. The sculpture took 10 years to complete and was bought by the United States-based Gagosian Gallery. It is one of five uniquely coloured versions of the work from Koons' Celebration series.
The previous auction record was for Hirst's pill cabinet, Lullaby Spring, which sold for nearly £10m at Sotheby's in June. Hirst's diamond-encrusted skull, entitled For the Love of God, remains the most expensive creation by a living artist. It was sold for £50m in a private sale in August.
Koons, a Pennsylvanian who has gained as much notoriety as adulation for his artwork over the decades, is seen by some to have provided inspiration for the Young British Artists movement of the 1990s.
Gaining prominence in the 1980s, he set up a factory-like studio in the SoHo district of New York and employed more than 30 staff for help in producing his work, in a similar style to Andy Warhol's famous "Factory".
Much like Hirst's work would do a decade later, Koons's early conceptual sculptures shocked and delighted in equal measure, including his large stainless steel blow-ups of toys and a series entitled Banality, which culminated in 1988 with Michael Jackson and Bubbles, a life-size, gold leaf-plated statue of the singer cuddling his pet chimpanzee, which was apparently the world's largest ceramic. It sold in 1991 for $5.6m, tripling Koons's previous sale record. This technique for enlarging mundane objects has also emerged in aspects of Hirst's work, including Hymn, an 18ft version of a 14-inch anatomical toy.
Cheyenne Westphal, the chair of contemporary art of Sotheby's in Europe, said it was clear that Hirst was an admirer of Koons' work. In an exhibition at the Serpentine Gallery, which showcased highlights from Hirst's own art collection, there were several pieces by Koons. "If you look at Koons' early work, such as his Hoovers and tanks, there is a direct correlation between this and Damien Hirst's work with formaldehyde. There's a very strong affinity between the two artists," she said.
In an era when artists were not regarded as "stars", Koons went to great lengths to cultivate his public persona by employing an image consultant and placing advertisements in international art magazines featuring photographs of himself surrounded by the trappings of success.
During personal appearances and interviews, Koons began referring to himself in the third person. His personal life continued to create controversy when he married the Hungarian-born porn star Ilona Staller and worked on Made in Heaven, a series of paintings, photographs and sculptures that portrayed the couple in explicit sexual positions.
His work has been bought by galleries and collectors around the world as well as Hollywood celebrities. His sculpture of a West Highland terrier is displayed outside the Museum of Contemporary Art in Sydney, and other works have been bought by the Guggenheim in Bilbao.
At the same sale, Francis Bacon's painting Second Version of Study for Bullfight No. 1, which he completed at the Royal College of Art in London in 1969, sold for £22.1m, more than £5m higher than its estimate, and his Self Portrait, painted when he was 60, sold for a £16m, more than double its estimated value. The total value of the sale was £152m.

source: Independent Arifa Akbar, Arts Correspondent

Taking stock

Able to spend some hours in the studio today - roughly nine hours non stop (apart from cups of coffee). Looking around, apart from the usual mess, there were several unfinished works. I'm getting keyed up for the next series of works... just three words and 100 ways to artfully say bollocks. I decided to work on these and hopefully finish them, clearing the way so to speak. One of the 'unfinished' pieces ' wince' has sat around for a few weeks, after the initial sketch and mapping out. I had worked out the colours - a very pale blue grey with a strong cadmium red overlay. also, at the same time, I sat looking at the initial just three words painting and as usual decided to work on that instead.. when will I learn!

Recently, some of the paintings, although successful, I feel I have been missing a certain feeling, one which I haven't captured for a while. Well, sitting and sitting, getting up and walking around can get your brain working, out with a pencil and started scribbling on the wall - came up with it; I like to layer the surface, putting undercoats of paint which show through in the final outcomes, this was it, I went back to the painting. I originally thought that the background would be white, but after working today, I'm not sure. Then again, I've just had a butchers and not too happy with current state. (the blue doesn't come out on the photo!!)

'Wince' on the other hand is going well, using a colour base I used some time ago, made some changes to the mix more cadmium to sharpen it.

Bad light prevents photographing next stage - the blue is a base layer. Further images to be posted.

Anarchy in the UK - 2007 style!

Be aware - John Lydon on form on this video taken with my phone - some swearing and the usual lyrics!!

As I posted last night, the gig was brilliant, being a little to young to see them live it was great to see them last night. Quote "It's like seeing Elvis; for us" (thanks Oz)

They kept the crowd waiting, came on at 9.30 - what an entrance, they walked through the doors behind the stage (usually used for loading/unloading equipment) to a blaze of white light, casting shadows across the venue.

Swaggering on stage in front, bottle in hand and snarl on face John Lydon greeted the throng - 'hello, I'm a fat f***ing c*** ( I know I swear in my work, but .......) what a way to start.

Then the music - I remember buying the never mind album when it came out, I listened to it in my bedroom wearing a pair of headphones so the parents couldn't hear it, unbeknown to me, dad had heard it already - some one at work brought it in!!!!

The sound was fantastic, they even sounded professional - is that correct for the punk band?!

Song after song brought back memories, singing along or shouting out with angry undertones!

Even when I needed the loo, I held out as much as possible as not to miss a thing, but Guinness after Guinness, bitter after lager - it has to be released! Could still hear them in the toilets - apt really.

They ended on a high, coming back to do an encore - how nice, totally against '76 values!!

Anarchy in the UK shouted out by 50 somethings - reliving their youth, burdened with a mortgage, 9-5 job, families, responsibilities - the anarchists of yesteryear, joined the rest 2007!!!

Outside, whilst waiting for others I over heard a brilliant conversation between 5/6 men (in late 40's/early 50's) ....

quote "that was 'mazing, fancy going to back to mine and having a wild party.....

"yeah, could do with getting rat faced"

"yeah, we'll go back to mine, I'll open up a great bottle of wine.... and I've got some fine cheese"

These 'former punks' were serious!!!

Great night, I've seen the legendary Sex Pistols and seen how all the late '70's anarchist punks have stayed true to their beliefs!!

Off to see Archie Bronson Outfit on Friday - they've got a lot to live upto!