Thirty six years at one firm is a fantastic achievement, which I am sure brought with it many memorable adventures that would keep the ‘Robin Hood Costumed’; ‘Banjo flaunting’; ‘Armed with melodies o’ plenty’ illustrated BBC story teller from my childhood (…’I am a story teller and a story must be told’...) in business for the rest of his tree bound life. But being asked if I could bring key moments from this illustrious career to life on one canvas, now there was a challenge! One I welcomed with open arms. My first corporate commission (the painting of the London Eye for another PwC retiring partner’s in 2010) and the Movember Photography project, later that same year, allowed me to gain more artistic exposure across the PwC firm. It was through this exposure that I was approached by Liz Smith (Director), Dolores John (Senior Partner PA) & Chris Venner (Director) in the summer of 2011 (prior to my leaving the firm) about potentially producing a more elaborate piece for Mr Wright’s retirement. The concept was to create a canvas that would encapsulate as much of his time with the firm as possible. The collective design process: The initial seed was planted and after formal confirmation was received greenhousing sessions were arranged with the clients to gather initial information about the subject (as you can see from the attached project timeline above). This allowed me to start to visualise design options for the final canvas. Liz, Dolores & Chris were able to provide me with a lot of information about Philip’s career but I encouraged them to get someone to interview him under the premise of a partner exit article (as the artwork was a surprise gift). In the meantime, during the ‘Nurturing’ phase of the project, I began to mock-up a selection of concept sketches and ideas (a few of which can be seen below) to present back to Liz, Dolores & Chris and to work with them to shape them further. Many people see the development of a collective vision as an impossible task, I disagree! Involving everyone in the process and shaping ideas together is a rewarding experience, allowing the final composition to contain input from everyone – the feeling of being involved, listened too and having your ideas acted up on is very powerful. Liz & Dolores managed to arrange for an internal interview to be conducted with Mr Wright which coverd his life at the firm and what memories he would take with him into his retirement. As I mentioned the commission was a suprise gift and therefore the interview was conducted under the premise of an ‘exit article’. The interview provided me with a plethora of detail that allowed me to shape the concept sketches further. After consideration we then chose a preferred composition; I produced a final mock-up (see above) & sought final feedback as this is essential in creating very strong bespoked piece of art! The final composition was agreed on the 21st December 2011. The Final Composition: Everything in the final design was arranged based on the information I received, with each component working with its surrounding elements. For example;
The final pieces of the jigsaw were provided by Philip’s wife Ziggy & Dolores in the form of numerous photographs of Philip and Pricewaterhouse black and white corporate head-shots of Anthony , Brian and Quentin. Dolores explained that Philip, Anthony and Brian were known as the ‘Three Amigos’ as the rampaged through the ranks of the firm and he mentioned them heart warmingly in his interview. Unfortunately, neither of them is still with us and they were both represented at the presentation dinner by their elegant wives. Quentin and Philip are also close friends who will be following in the footsteps of Philip’s son by embarking on the Digital Theatre initiative (as his son mentioned in his speech ... isn’t this usually the other way around!?). I started to prepare the canvas and obtain the required materials over the Christmas period. Although, I committed to the task fully from the 2nd January, which left me 16 days to complete the work. Throughout these few weeks I was able to provide my clients with images showing progress and a platform to discuss any composition additions (e.g. the ‘no holiday’ reference). Receiving the interview feedback so close to the Christmas period always meant that this was going to be a tight deadline to meet, especially, as I had to work around my new career at KPMG. This meant some late nights (including an all nighter on the 17th) and two very productive & long weekends. This was a fantastic experience!! Not being able to relax, as I felt I should be working on the commission, was a challenge but I loved every minute of it! I have always worked well under deadlines as it focuses my mind like nothing else! That said if the deadline was Christmas 2012 I would, due to my slight OCD nature probably be still working on it . The Presentation: Finishing a commission is always amazing, and this was no exception. The feeling of accomplishment and succeeding in ‘hopefully’ producing something that will be treasure is amazing. The euphoria carried me through the final touches – compliments slip explaining how much effort Liz, Dolores & Chris had put in and how I was grateful to be involved; personalised stationary; attaching the wire to the back of the frame for hanging etc (see below). I am very grateful to Liz & Dolores for inviting me to see the painting being presented by them at Philip’s retirement dinner at the Savile Club in Grosvenor Square. It was a great venue and a fantastic evening! It was full of Mr Wright’s close friends and colleagues who relished sharing in this special occasion. It was probably the best PwC networking event you could have ever wished for, but for me it came 6 months after leaving the firm :) Liz & Dolores presented the painting at the end of the meal and I was able to grab a few photos to capture the moment. Thanks again to everyone involved in helping shape the commission, thanks to Liz & Dolores for inviting me to the event and to Philip for thanking me in his closing speech. It was amazing to be part of and I hope the painting is treasured for the passion that went into it from people who Philip obviously had a great impact on during his time at PwC!
Edge ... over and out....... PS – If anyone is interested in discussing potential commissions please contact through my site or at lee@lee-edge.com. Bienvenidos Chicas y Chicos,
Well my focus is definitely improving, as the posts are arriving like buses at present… you wait ages for one then 2 or 3 come along at once. Although I have made an effort to leave a day or so between them, so 2 of them don’t pass you by! Take heed of that simple concept BORIS! I decided to split this post into three smaller chunks in recognition of the chaos you the reader will be living in (oh the irony). The chance of anyone having the time to read all three in a day in today’s world of pure noise is zero! Following on from my brief foray into the ‘journey’ aspect of my thoughts, I would now like to focus on the possibility of signs that may be given to use as we progress through life. You choose to interpret the world before you in your own way and there is a possibility messages present themselves to you, as you progress down life’s path. It is whether or not you are in the right frame of mind at specific junctures, which will enable you to firstly; see them for what they are and secondly; choose to acknowledge them as such and take action! “With our thoughts we create our world” (The Buddha) Sign Language I have often thought about the concept of contentment, that moment where you have no cares in the world; no insecurities; no thoughts about anything that causes you past regression or future tenseness; where for whatever or whoever the reason you are content with yourself. For many of us these can be fleeting moments but often in these states you may notice that ‘random things happen’ (hence the comment about things happening when you least expect it… as in this frame of mind you are not expecting or wanting anything). You will bump into a friend you haven’t seen in 10 years walking down the street, a unexpected job opportunity will emerge etc. Or as has happened to me on a few occasions; individual words, randomly seen on the street, are linked and resonate with you (anyone else had this? Names on a postcard please). A journalist friend writing an article for a well known men’s magazine questioned me the other day and we had a long discussion on whether ‘love for someone else’ actually exists, or whether as a well known author once commented, it is actually at this moment that you are in love with yourself! As knowing someone cares for you and is attracted to you, allows you to reach that self state of contentment without having to achieve it on your own. An interesting concept and not one I am going to dwell on here. When you are at one with yourself and the world around you, or as some people might say… your ‘chi’ is inline with the world’s energy, things are drawn to you. I like to think of it more as following your true path in that moment and because of this you attract good from around you (perhaps what some people have termed karma). The Alchemist touches on this subject as the quotes below illustrate and this is why the book made such a connection with me: “…whoever you are, or whatever you do, when you really want something, it’s because that desire originated in the soul of the universe. It’s your mission on earth” (The Alchemist) You may or may not agree with this concept but I also think ‘luck’ is another word that has developed for this. The old saying about ‘you make your own luck’ might well be true! By this I mean, you make it through being content with whatever life has thrown at you, may be you help others in need, may be you are following your passion, may be you are old couple in Scotland enjoying your later years (I am speculating here, it is true) and the big spongy Lotto finger smacks you in the face!! ‘The Men that stare at Goats’ is all about being at one with the energy of the universe! The basic concept that put a lot of people off watching the film was the power to stop a goat’s heart beat with your mind. The central theme is Jeff Bridges character exploring hippie beliefs and forming a specialised unit of jedi mind warriors – bare with me here!! The premise is that these warriors are able to combat weapons with the power of control over the mind and through manipulation of the universes energy. For me the film is a lot deeper than this and nothing sums this up better than the scene where Jeff Bridges is reciting the following prose, while doing yoga with Ewan McGregor on top of a jeep in the army compound at daybreak: Mother Earth you are my life support system; As a soldier I must drink your blue water, live inside your red clay, eat your green skin; Help me to balance myself as you hold in balance the earth, sea and space environments; Help me to open my heart knowing that the universe will feed me; I pray my boots will always kiss your face and my footsteps match your heart beat; Carry my body through space and time; You are my connection to the universe and all that comes after; I am yours and you are mine; I salute you !!! I immediately felt compelled to write it down and annoyed my fellow viewers by rewinding it to do so! Just reading it seems to sum up how insignificant all our worries are. We are such a small part of the overall universe, yet we seem to have created a huge bubble of superiority over all other species and even the natural environment. Everyone living in their own selfish small worlds and being subconsciously manipulated by media, advertising and government (anyone heard about the Chem-trails??). Having an unseen structure unwittingly forced upon us all, surrounded by a chaotic spiralling poisonous unyielding cloud of psychological warfare = how we should all look and live in social stereotypes, cosmetics that change their names every week promising the holy grail and clothing labels making you feel special… and the frickin London text dating game WTF? (We don’t have that rubbish up north… it’s … a pie & pint, check her banter & cooking skills and bob is your uncle; fanny is your ant!). Pythagoras Edge went off on yet another tangent there, so lets get back to the concept of omens/signs. In all the autobiographical prison break novels there are specific moments when fate or chance decides to intervene to change the outcome of a dangerous situation. There are countless examples in ‘Papillon’, ‘Banco’, ‘The long Walk’, and ‘Shantaram’ when the main characters are incarcerated and toiling with the dangers of escape and fellow inmates. Henri Charrier eventually escapes from French Guyana in Papillon after 14 failed attempts; he had visions in his dreams of returning to France, for vengeance and to proving his innocence. He was able to swim across shark-infested waters while others lost their life’s. In the Long Walk they endured starvation but on finding a lonely girl in the mountains and allowing her to join them they succeeded in finding food at the next village. In A Million Little Pieces James Frey was given a book called ‘Tao Te Ching’ by his brother that was to be his talisman throughout his recovery; a girl in the rehab centre also entered his life as did Leonard a mafia boss, who was to become a close friend. The Alchemist is littered with omens to challenge and guide Santiago. What is apparent through the novels’ is that all the main characters while hitting rock bottom, all show compassion for others; Santiago to the shop owner, Henri Charrier and Slavomir to weaker inmates who wouldn’t have made it; James Frey eventually to fellow addicts. Is this why they succeeded in their journeys?
“At some point in their lives, everything is clear and everything is possible. They are not afraid to dream, and yearn for everything they would like to see happen. But as time passes, a mysterious force begins to convince them that it is impossible for them to realise their destiny” (The Alchemist) “And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.” (The Alchemist) Some direction is required, as without it we will be tumbling through the chaos, in order to embrace it you need to be following your true destiny and then the universe will applaud you! [End of part 2]… Hi Comrades,
In ‘Invisible Light’ posted on March 16th 2011, I implied there was a more cathartic article to follow concerning embracing the chaos that surrounds us all, in everyday life. Well, following a concerted effort over the last few weeks to structure my personal productivity, I have actually managed to allocate time to pull together my notes and overall message(s). I have two aims for this article 1) to help articulate the thoughts I had while reading the books/films discussed; and 2) facilitate a response of any kind from anyone reading it - be that a direct correlation/alignment to my thoughts or even just a positive or negative opinion on the overall content. It is said there is no such thing as bad press! …Well… bar Kinga & the wine bottle on BB6, this is probably true! Considering the cathartic countenance of this post, it seems somewhat bizarre that the initial creative spark that gave birth to it came from watching the film ‘The Hot Tube Time Machine’. During this time travelling comedic romp with John Cussack, there is a cameo appearance made by the legend that is Chevvy Chase as a mystical hot tube engineer. Ok, so on the surface it is doesn’t seem like a deep thinking film, but it does challenge how events in our early lives affect our future states (Sliding Doors-esk). But there was one line delivered by Mr Chase in the film that has resonated with me ever since: “Embrace the chaos... that way life might just astonish you!” This quote formed the corner stone (not Veronica of Anchorman fame) while pulling together my thoughts on; The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho; Papillion and its follow-up Banco by Henri Charriere; The Long Walk by Slavomir Rawicz; and Shantaram by David Gregory Roberts. These books all have an underlying theme of personal challenges and physical journeys of self-discovery. While, A Million Little Pieces by James Frey; Survivor and Fight Club by Chuck Palahnuik; are more centred on the internal manipulation of the mind and its challenges. I will endeavour to articulate how all these publications and the film 'The Men that stare at Goats’ fitted neatly with the chaos (check out the paradox there!!). A Challenging Journey As I have mentioned in previous posts I have been riding the natural flow of ‘what will be will be’ when it comes to literature lately. Drawn to each book through random discussions with friends and impromptu meanders through bookshops. However these books found me, they all did so at a specific time in my life that allowed me to see shared themes between them all. I wasn’t expecting much from George Clooney’s film ‘The men that stare at Goats’ but it surprised me and is now definitely one of my favourite movies (Point break being firmly at number 1 – 100% Utah)! It has a very spiritual undercurrent, which we will discuss later in the post. It was while watching this movie that a friend mentioned ‘The Alchemist – by Paulo Coelho’, a book I had bought 2 yrs ago but had not read. While Papillon, Banco and The Long Walk are all about prison breaks and the many adventures that occur; The Alchemist is about a young Andalusian shepherd’s recurring dream and the journey to discover his destiny. At first it may not seem like there is much in common but many of the messages which Coelho conveys in the Alchemist exist in Papillon, Banco, The Long Walk and Shantaram. A critical person might suggest that certain aspects of these autobiographies have been embellished to ensure these messages are present. I know for certain if I was writing a novel about my experiences after a daring escape, I might bend the truth slightly (…yep 3 sharks killed with my bare hands, two babies saved and my leg grew back … a normal day for me sunshine…). So what messages I hear you ask… well let me give you a very brief overview of the Alchemist:
“A consistent man believes in destiny, a capricious man in chance” (Benjamin Desrali) “It is in moments of decision that destiny is shaped” (Anthony Robbins) Whether you believe in the notion of destiny or not we all have to make decisions that impact on our journey don’t we? Is it possible to deviate from the plan and fight the flow of the river? Or is fate going to lead us back to the same place or is fate just an excuse for not taking action? (I will explore this more in part 2). “I will find a way or make one” (Hannibal) The Alchemist is summed up on the back of the novel eloquently as…. a transforming novel about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, learning to read omens/signs strewn along life’s path and above all following our dreams. In a sense the characters in Papillon, Banco, The Long Walk and Shantaram were on a journey to achieve their dream – that being of escape from the confinement they all were in. They too had omens and signs on the way to stop them from being recaptured or surviving dangerous events (e.g. Shantaram – his time in Afghanistan; The Long Walk – starvation and the elements). In all the books the world seems to present a dichotomy by conspiring against them, while also providing solace and embrace to guide them along their way. The main characters have to overcome mental as well as physical anguish. Three further novels present more of an internal journey of self-discovery, while no physical journey in terms of crossing country boards is made, I read into them similar messages to the books mentioned above. ‘A Million Little Pieces’ by James Frey, ‘Fight Club’ and ‘Survivor’ by Chuck Palahniuk all depict mental journeys. In ‘A Million Little Pieces’ James has to overcome drug and alcohol addiction (it was since proved on Oprah that he had great embellished the truth, with regards to how far he had fallen). The novel is a riveting read and depicts James journey in graphic detail and similar characters and events seem to guide him at times through choppy waters. He regains compassion by the end of the book and is able to connect with people and the world again. Both Chuck’s books have darker messages and almost revel in putting a mirror up to the chaos we exist in and the negative effects it can course. I am sure you are all aware of ‘Fight Club’ about a ticking-time-bomb insomniac and a slippery soap salesman Tyler Durben (who are one and the same) channelling primal male aggression into a shocking new form of therapy. The crux of the story being that the main character is unable to cope with his dull working life existence that he creates a character in his mind to express his anger through, attaching to him traits that he dreams of having (e.g. cool persona, a womanising rebel non-conformist). ‘Survivor’ is a story about a soul survivor of an American cult and the journey is about his re-introduction into the real world, becoming a TV religious icon and then ultimately committing suicide. A slightly darker take on ‘Embracing the chaos’ you would have to agree. The main character Tender Branson lives in a spiralling freak show of an existence, which has a massive affect on his frame of mind and the way he views world around him. All the books apart from Chuck’s, in one way or another, depict triumphs in the face of despair! Where as ‘Survivor’ and ‘Fight Club’ depict a less desirable alternative. We are all on our own journeys and I have to remind myself of this when I find myself comparing my current situation to some of my peers. I realise that everyone is different and we have all succumbed to different effects of the nature & nurture process. I often wonder what is must be like to have known your calling from an early age, chosen your academic route to achieve this goal. It seems to me that there is a sense of contentment to knowing where you are heading and that you are immersing yourself body and soul in achieve your dream. But this is probably a rose tinted spectacle look over the garden fence at the grass in its greener glory! Or more likely I see my past lack of direction as being a blockage to me achieving my own contentment. The vast majority of us will never experience trials and tribulations like the characters in the novels. Life is a challenge for all of us, in different ways, and I strongly believe that the journey I have had over the last 10 yrs in the big smoke has shaped me in a way to help me fully achieve my dreams (ok… probably not the one about the huge calculator and a the girl elephant smoking a cigar, playing tennis and talking in an American accent! … I just made that up before any of you try and analyse it ….. e.g. Lee is calculating his chances of finding Beautiful American woman who is as dirty as Monica Lewinski, as athletic as Anna Kournikova and with the intelligence of a savant so they can win BIG in Vegas!!). It has taken me some time to realise it but I have always been on a journey to where as a young wipper snapper (child for none northerners), I wanted to be (e.g. drawing, painting, photography, business). May be we have all been heading in the right directions and we just need to open our eyes and see the signs to guide us….. Destiny - “It’s what you have always wanted to accomplish. Everyone, when they are young, knows what their destiny is” (The Alchemist) [End of part 1] … Howdy partners,
I am still in the process of finishing the final instalment of the "Embrace the Chaos' trilogy.... the reason it has taken longer than expected is due to me reading a book on the Chinese philosophy - Tao Te Ching! As well as watching the film Limitless and finishing a book by the awesome alternative comedian Stewart Lee. This will follow shortly and these will intertwine with the previous prose and summarise my thoughts neatly (well as neatly as possible ... calming chaos etc). In the mean time, I am setting myself a challenge of writing a review on the National Portrait - BP Portrait of the year 2011 exhibition, in the 30 minutes I have before I have to be at some good friends wedding reception in my favourite place in London (Wilton's Music Hall)!! So here goes.... Even as I approached the National Portrait gallery from Covent Garden, I was confronted with an ultra realistic portrait of a gentleman on one of the large banners adorning the front facade. For someone whom is trying to break away from producing artwork verging in the OCD photo-realistic side, I was already a little disillusioned. As you walk into the building and through the ornate entrance hall you emerge into a bright and spacious reception room. A set of photographic portraits confront you as you enter the ground floor viewing areas (some photos of athletes preparing for the olympics and some images of Danny Boyle and one of his creatives). As we move further in to the depths of the building there are usual suspects hanging in different places than they were the last time I visited ( I am thinking here of the paintings of Prince W and Prince H, the video of D. Beckham sleeping etc). Don't get me wrong these images are there for a reason and each have there aesthetically pleasing dimensions but I swiftly weave through the throng of tourists and dawdlers! Boom, and we're are in ! Straight away I am confronted with portrait after portrait of ultra-realistic photographic images!!! I walk and speed read the text by each... skipping over the educational backgrounds of each with added velocity as their various backgrounds have made little difference to the final images offered to us. Ok there are a few I am taken with and I will come to those in a second and I would like to stress I am not undermining these individuals who have probably worked ridiculously hard to get these images to look so perfect. I am not, I stress not saying these aren't great works of art but what I am asking is ... Are they pandering to a high percentage of society which will marvel at the skill they see in recreating a perfect carbon copy of the sitter??? Lets draw a line here between this and what Stewart Lee stresses in his fantastic book 'How I Escaped My certain Fate - The Life and Deaths of a Stand-up Comedian', within which he describe main stream comedians (Peter Kay, Michael MaaacciinTIIIRRREeee etc) as repeating peoples lives to them for comedic effect! Is this comedy ? Yes to the masses of people who refuse to come out of their comfort zones and exist in a stepford wives parody. No to those of us that like to be challenged, have our opinions / beliefs questioned and see things from someone else's point of view. Therein lies my cause for concern for this years competition! As someone who will enter something next year (which will NOT be photo realistic) I am dissappointed in the choices made this year. We have hundreds of portrait photography competitions in London, so rather than going through the turmoil and doggedness of doing the paintings, why don't they just submit the photographs to these?? The perfection seems to over power any meaning they were trying to convey to me. I found myself moving on to the next image without having my attention grasped! Which is the job of the artist! unless it is his or her intent to move you away from the canvas in this way (and I am sure this was not the intention of any of these artists). The photo-realistic was a outstanding achievement before the technological revolution brought us Mac Books and digital cameras. Now it is all to easy to take a few study images and work away to your hearts content. Before this there was skill in setting up the model and background and painting from real life. Let me just move my little soap box out of the way .... done..... So as I said there were some exceptions. The fifth painting in, is of a student wearing a blue and black stripy jumper he has made himself and holding his lucky plectrum. It is achieved through acrylic and permanent market pen by Rual G (see above). There is a something fresh about the way it works and stands out amongst the other pieces (there may be some resonance here due to my penchant for acrylic and working over with pens and inks.. but I try to be independent lol). Daniel Fook has produced some amazing images of Paul Capaldi (of In the Loop fame), these are striking and I felt the tiredness and age within Paul's numerous faces. A piece of work by Diaz Alama, a fantastic dark portrait of a young girl and a pet bird (shown above) - I loved the Munsters factor of this painting, a kind of weird Lily Munster and the raven element! - By the way I am not old enough to have been around when this was aired, it was reruns when I was 6 in the mid 80's, you cheeky punks! The winner of this years BP Portrait Award was Wim Helden's 'Distracted' with his portrait of a young man he has been "studying" since he was 7 in dark thoughtful pose - I would be distracted if I was being followed by an artist since I was 7 !! Artistic resolve or verging on disturbing obsession? we don't know enough to pass judgement but it is an interesting piece and you do feel the subjects distraction / melancholy. All in all, an interesting exhibition which is free, so get your limbs moving in the national Portrait direction!! Please please please NPG lets not pander to the artistic Peter Michael McIntyre audiences (nothing against these too, ultra successful but are they doing the comedy they started off with as young stand-ups? I agree with Mr Lee on this one). Right I better get to that wedding ! It took 40 minutes to write this .... that's not too bad at all! Although, it will have cost me £20 for the taxi to Wilton's now.... sod it, I would have paid £20 for the enjoyment I have had in writing this!!!! Edge out.......... Arise Sir Phoenix & may focus be your weapon: Well like a phoenix from the flames, I am back after 4 months of radio-blog silence. This wasn't a planned break, infact, I have penned numerous posts but alas managed to finish none! The main reason being that I have been engrossed in 2 other projects - mocking up festive greetings card illustrations for showcasing in April and a personal & corporate photography project. Those of you who know me, will be more than aware of my tendency to keep a plethora of schemes/projects in my head and the distinct lake of focus that ensues. I am currently learning about 'Mindfulness', a technique which is all about being able to control your thoughts to allow you to block out invading ideas/concepts, in order to allow you to focus on one project at a time. To a certain extent 'Embracing the chaos' (refer a following post for more of my thoughts on this) and focusing on the important things for YOU. Not worrying about inane administrative tasks and what other people think of your actions etc.....'What you think of ME is none of MY business' !! Anyway, I will keep you updated on my progress in 'focus management' .... if I remember ! Cogs begin turning once again: So what prompted the phoenix's ascendance? Well it was actually a company training module on 'Diversity & Inclusion', stay with me..., which I took only this fine morn! Although primarily aimed at promoting diversity in the workplace (e.g. high-lighting various bias) it also had 2 psychometric tests around behavioural habits and ability to flex personality traits to different situations. I have a keen interest in all things related to personal behaviours and interaction and this started the cogs turning once again. Such a reaction to internal communications is unheard of and infact I usually run them in the background and afford them little attention. But this one was engaging, as the message it was trying to get across was to challenge your bias and stereotypes, to try and view the world in a different way, and to show there are hidden stories about places and people you have yet to discover - so don't prejudge through conditioning that you developed through your childhood nurturing, past experiences and the media. Included in the course was a link to a video clip of the novelist Chimamanda Adichie. She talks about her experiences as a Nigerian writer, of being judged as an African women and her attempts to start changing the global images of the African nation and it's people. She spoke about stepping back, challenging your view and seeing things through different eyes '...when we reject the single story (bias), when we realise there is never a single story about a place or person, we gain a kind of paradise!' http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story.html Can art change the world?: After watching the clip above, I was drawn to watch further clips on the TED website. I watched one with John Maeda on design and was astounded by what he had accomplished in his field and how he had progressed from a mathematical background in MIT, to Art & Design. Then I stumbled on a spell bounding presentation by a French street artist called JR, who won the 2011 TED prize. http://www.ted.com/talks/jr_s_ted_prize_wish_use_art_to_turn_the_world_inside_out.html Everything in this post is about vision and seeing things in new ways ! The work JR has been doing across the world is amazing (see the first 3 images below). He challenged the Israeli conflict in a project called 'Face to Face', by photographing both Palestinian's and an Israeli's, who do the same job, and pasting them next to each other on either side of the wall and around the major cities. He also explained how working in a drug cartels backyard brought the community together. Art is a form of expresssion that seems to have a neutral platform to promote and empower people through debate. I believe this is true as long as it is built on genuine empassioned beliefs and has no form of branding or political associations attached, freeing it from any propoganda in the viewers eyes! I would also like to draw your attention to two photographic projects that also challenge what we see; 'Infra' by Richard Mosse, and 'Afghan Police on Opium - The best view of heaven is from hell' by Bran Symondson. The former explores how we view the Congolese Civil war (last two images above), by using a film format design by the US for Vietnam he playes with 'Invisible Light' to show us a different view of the conflict. The latter challenges the publics view of the Afghan police:
http://www.i-donline.com/i-spy/infra-richard-mosse http://animalnewyork.com/2011/01/afghan-police-on-opium-the-best-view-of-heaven-is-from-hell-draft/ Beyond Sport / Play31 - every child has a right to play: I have recently been introduced, through my current employers, to a charity called 'Beyond Sport', who are utilising sport to overcome social issues across the world. I am hoping to utilise some of the thoughts above to assist them where I can. One of the projects Play31 (which spreads joy and peace through football) is a charity run by a fantastic Danish chap called Jakob Lund (http://play31.org/?p=608) based on the UN directive 31 - Every child has a right to play. Jakob is currently working on a project in Sierra Leone. I would love to contribute to these initiatives and if at all possible emulate JR (not of Dallas fame) !! Thanks for your time, I hope you found this post in someway thought provoking. Edge .... over and out......... Intro:
Child = paradox ? Sweeping generalisation but hit the spot for me. I have a few irons in the fire at the minute, one of which led me to do some in-depth research on the effects of the working environment on different generations of employees! My Thoughts: For those interested there are four generation categories used for such studies: Baby Boomers (1950-1968) Generation X (1969-1979 = Me) Generation Y (1980- 1999 = Edge Junior) Generation Z (2000+) Reading a summary of the traits of a generation X individual, made me think, for a moment, that the prior post about non-conformity was more a paradoxical child of my own making!! Rather than a profound call to arms against formality (Rage Against the Machine BABY!!)….. its due to seeing your parents work hard ... as after the war they were forced to buckle down in what ever job they had to and their mentality meant the neglected their children slightly. I have attached the document below for anyone who is interested in reading the 4 generation groups in more detail. I wouldn't advise reading any further than the methodology as it gets very technical: Workplace Fun - the moderating effects of generational differences I have proactively restrained myself from venturing out on the beverages for the last two Saturdays – A Dick Dastardly & Muttley-esk meddle has been dually earned!!. The reason for this self induced isolation is the very unproductive aftermath that ensues such tom foolery… Or… Have I succumbed to the inevitable onslaught of maturity? Surely not!! This is something I swore an oath never to conform too! My Thoughts: I read somewhere that it eventually dawns on the majority, that they are very similar to the thousands of other people they pass on the street! By this, I mean they are all programmed the same, have the same issues and flaws. I believe this is true for the majority of society, who subconciously conform to the ‘norms’ and be driven by social rules, governmental spin and media/advertising etc. While a driven few accept their flaws, accentuate their gifts & achieve a dream or manage to keep the pursuit of that dream alive (which in some cases is just as valuable). Currently, I seem to be existing somewhere in between – My own personal purgatory or a state of unwitting paradox?… thinking my thoughts about non-conformity/flaws profound, when actually everyone born of my ilk is thinking the same !! The inspiration for this post came from reading an aricle on Picasso's new exhibitions and 2 Guardian articles (11th July) covering female artists that do/did not conform to the commercial norms of aesthetically pleasing artwork. The new Picassso exhibitions at Tate Liverpool and the Gagosian address the political undercurrents of his work, his later years in the med and provide a microscopic study which illustrates his many different characters: the lover, the icon, the ego, the genuis, the monster. I am very intriged by political undercurrents hidden within artwork, but I am also aware that with enough research, hypothesies and assumptions you can make a case for an apple being an orange!! So shouldn't we cease our penchant for over analysis and view him in totality; as 'brilliant, complexed and flawed'?. The late Alice Neel’s incorporated individuals flaws within her portraits, she did not induce an 'Emperor’s clothes'-esk feeling to pander to the subject's ego. They are if anything a ‘characteristic accentuation’ of humanistic features (or what advertising and media peddle to society as 'flaws') we all posses and feel compelled to hide. While, 76 yr old Rose Wylie, produces 7ft stretch canvases working immensely hard to produce a piece of work that looks like she hasn't made any effort at all. Images trail of the edge of canvases, wording is spliced between subjects as if scrawled in haste. What I admire about Rosie (apart from she is having a good innings) is she still refuses to conform to gallery recommendations to scale down or rework her technique. She thrives off being 'an escapist from the Royal College of Art' in order 'to a return to untaughtness and spontaneity'. You may become aware of her work over the year as Sienna & Susannah Miller are using her images in their latest range of clothing.
Message to take away and chew the fat with: History is littered with artists breaking rules, whether these be visable or hidden messages. 16th Century Netherlandish painters such as 'Bruegel the Elder' for example were thought to have painted hidden religious meanings within their work, messages deemed heretical in nature, during their time. I see our progress being driven by non-conformists, without them who would challenge entrenched/antiquated beliefs? Without such visionaries life would be governed by a few and be very dull! What I am taking from this post is, you have to dare to live, accept your flaws, challenge & question everything & enjoy doing it while chasing your dreams. Granted this may have been a little deep (...Deep Deep Down ... as East 17 would say)... but I enjoyed writing it, I hope you enjoyed reading it!! Edge PS - Andrea Bocelli's - Dare to Live Well England have exited the World Cup in a highly embarrassing way!! Was it Fabio's fault, the media's or the over paid millionaires ?? I believe it is a combination of all three. We need to reassess english football from the grass routes up. Anyway this isn't a football blog its and art one! But now we are out I can now get back to concentrating on building up me portfolio and laying future plans for starting this as a real venture.
As I mentioned in my post the other day, parents edge recently unearthed some of my art homework from when I was 14. While I was back in the shire this weekend I decided to have a quick dig around myself. As I rummaged through the boxes a bright light emanated from a dark corner, angel's began to sing, seraphim's carrying the lord himself appeared..... and there it was.... the drawing bible of my youth!!!...... RH's - Your Cartoon Time I spent many hours learning from the oracle through these pages.... It was from hours of doodling and this book that my love for drawing cartoons came. I also found a drawing of a leopard I did at 13 for a competition for Chester Zoo - these were exciting times in Cheshire obviously! I won my age group with it and received some local press coverage (small column in the Chester Chronicle with my side parting and cardigan shining in the sunlight). But more importantly, I won a ALBA Hi-Fi (yep one of those crappy ones) and the sponsorship of a leopard for 2 yrs (which I creatively named Leo on my plaque and the Zoo forgot to remove for 6 yrs). A brief view of the past I thought might be of interest. Now to the future. Edge For the last 2 years I have been reading classic literature during my daily commute. I recently made a conscious decision to return to more biographical and fictional works as it isn’t easy imbibing ancient Greek sophist material, while surrounded by the weird and not so wonderful characters of SE London! Imagen trying to analyse ‘The Allegory of the cave’ with an armpit in your face or a drunken tramp cackling in your ear; while also trying to anticipate the random braking patterns of London bus drivers. I doubt that’s the kind of environment Plato would have wanted his work read in!
I wasn’t sure what lighter material I wanted to read, so I decided to let them chose me (taking guidance from a plot line in the Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón). This may sound a little ridiculous but leaving it to chance/fate has been working a treat! With the last 5 books approaching me in the following ways; a random post from a friend on facebook about ‘Headlong’ by Michael Frayn, accidentally finding out Henrie Charrier did a follow up to ‘Papillion’ called ’Banco’ on Amazon, reading a review of the Long Walk by Slavomir Rawicz, ‘The Men that Stare at Goats’ film leading to a conversation about ‘The Alchemist’; and, a 2 hour browse in a book shop on Russell Square leading to the purchase of ‘The Book with No Name’ by Anonymous! I have provided a brief overview of two of these books below (and no I am not trying to take over where Richard & Judy left off !). I will address the remaining books and related material in a later post, as these all had a similar theme. A theme which presented me with some thought provoking and cathartic moments (it may be surprising to see ‘The Hot Tub Time machine’ film written about in the same prose as the classic fable ‘The Alchemist’). Overview Michael Frayn’s - Headlong: Michael Frayn's Headlong begins with the main character Martin Clay, deciding to leave his job as a philosopher to pursue a career in art history. He is in the process of writing a book on the iconography/iconology (reading of the paintings and hidden messages) of 16th Century Netherlandish art. Clay is invited to his neighbours, Tony Churt, who wants him to have a look at some old paintings that he wants to offload. One of the pictures is - so Clay believes - a missing masterpiece by Pieter Bruegel the elder. He doesn't tell Churt what he believes (and how it may be worth millions), and begins hatching a devious plan to bring the picture into his own possession. Clay investigates the possibility that the painting is the missing masterpiece, and tries to figure out how to get Churt to part with it without arousing his suspicion. Bruegel’s life in the 16th century is also examined in depth, as is the horrible Dutch history of that time, and the circumstances that might have led to the disappearance of this particular work. The fictional theories and ideas entwined with factual history make for fascinating reading. All in all a clever and fun novel which is a must read for any art enthusiasts. Overview of ‘The Book with No Name’ – Author Anonymous: This book flaunted itself at me from the bookshop shelf, like a cheap hobag ! I was hunting for a book to read while I was in Edinburgh for the Comedy festival (fat chance of any reading up there with Shirley & Shirley!!) and in Barcelona for my photography course (blog updates on both to follow). I was looking for something that had the ‘I will just read 1 more chapter’ effect on me like ‘The Shadow of the Wind’ by Carlos Ruiz Zafón and ‘Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell’ by Susan Clarke (my favourite book to date) did. I had never heard of this book and it turns out it was created as an internet based publication. The combination of the name, cover design and the epilogue sold it to me! ‘Tarantino meets The Da Vinci Code’. The characters in the book say it all; Sanchez the bartender, El Santino the crime boss, several bounty hunters, a hitman dressed as Elvis, two ass kicking monks, a retired cop and a detective from the Department of Supernatural Investigations. With a full moon on the way, a missing mystical stone called the ‘Eye of the Moon’ and some restless vampires all thrown in to boot! Although it is difficult to follow all the character introductions at the start, it is well worth persevering with as this is a fantastic read. The writing may leave a little to be desired in places but the constant Tarantino style slayings and mystic intrigue had me spell bound. Highly recommended especially if you miss your flight and have to wait 4 hours on standby. Edge...krrrr.. over and out Fact of the day - I recently received my first blog review!!! Although, it was very informal and conveyed after a few beverages, the chap in question (my cricket team captain to be precise) stated he..open quote... 'really likes it, especially the way it is written as you think it'...close quote. By this, I believe he meant that the posts read well in a cathartic, brain dump way and he is able to connect with the content. But he may also have been saying it was poorly structured and unedited!! ha.. All feedback is encouraged for continued development, so feel free to add comments where you deem appropriate.
I am conscious I need to develop some structure going forward, but for now I see the brain dump as the best way to capture and provide a slight glimpse into my inner thoughts. It would be too dangerous for the reader(s) for me to divulge more (think Jacob’s Ladder meets Mulholland Drive)…. And on that bomb shell, I bid you adieu. Edge |
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