trepidation
trep·i·da·tion [ˌtrɛpɪˈdeɪʃən]
n.
1. a state of fear or anxiety
2. a condition of quaking or palpitation, esp one caused by anxiety
[Latin trepidti, trepidtin-, from trepidtus, past participle of trepidre, to be in a state of confusion, from trepidus, anxious.]
trepidatious | adj.
Friday, 29 June 2012
Tuesday, 26 June 2012
contemporary film and video showcase
I went to the MMU Contemporary Film and Video showcase tonight at 20-22 Dale Street on the outskirts of the Northern Quarter in Manchester tonight. There was eight films to watch at this event and a bar that was adequately supplied with Vedett bottled beer.
A friend of mine (Kieran Izquierdo) was starring in one of the films called Solace that was filmed by CFV graduate, Liam Healy. As I was privy to information about this film and knew the actor on a personal basis, I was quite interested and tentative to see the final outcome.
His film was the sixth to be played and this created a sense of fervour, somewhat. The films in themselves where on the social drama side of things with some being quite sugary. Two in particular which was called Heavenly Hands and Grandpa's Girl had the subject of loss playing heavily within their contexts but for me the best of the bunch was a film based on the last moments of Bette Davis, directed by Nagwa Rahman.
Of course I enjoyed my friend's called was was named Solace. This film centred on the protaganist who had problems with self-image. It was a very moody affair and with just one line of dialogue that read 'it doesn't get any better'. This dialogue happened within the last moments of the film and gave me goosebumps. There are references to the myth of Narcisuss within the context and I may need to watch it again.
Back to the Bette Davis film, this was the only film that had a surreal and abstract feel to it. As said previously, all the other films had a social drama and realistic edge to them. This film felt like what it would be like to be on the cusp of death..a sort of liminal time. That feeling when you have been held within the grasps of a fever and have an out of body experience. I found this film quite personal, more personal than the films about loss of somebody close. This is because it centres, to me, on the loss of identity.
The other notable film was the last of the buch and was called Hunter, dirested by Mike J Scott. This was rightly left for the ending as it was a quite dark and brooding novella about the breakdown of a schoolboy who witnesses the sudden death of his quite obnoxious but influential father. His father dies in a bath by a strangely placed electric radio beside him.
For some reason, the schoolboy takes his father's rifle and shoots his friend whom he lured to the woods and the final scene is him murdering his mother by suffocating her with clingfilm. This film was well-shot and with Solace, the only two that has the capacity to become feature length of any worth.
I'm not poo-pooing the other films and GreyHound was quite an interesting affair but my favourites of the night was the Bette Davis, Solace and Hunter.
Bette Davis | Nagwa Rahman
Solace | Liam Healy
Hunter | Mike J Scott
A friend of mine (Kieran Izquierdo) was starring in one of the films called Solace that was filmed by CFV graduate, Liam Healy. As I was privy to information about this film and knew the actor on a personal basis, I was quite interested and tentative to see the final outcome.
His film was the sixth to be played and this created a sense of fervour, somewhat. The films in themselves where on the social drama side of things with some being quite sugary. Two in particular which was called Heavenly Hands and Grandpa's Girl had the subject of loss playing heavily within their contexts but for me the best of the bunch was a film based on the last moments of Bette Davis, directed by Nagwa Rahman.
Of course I enjoyed my friend's called was was named Solace. This film centred on the protaganist who had problems with self-image. It was a very moody affair and with just one line of dialogue that read 'it doesn't get any better'. This dialogue happened within the last moments of the film and gave me goosebumps. There are references to the myth of Narcisuss within the context and I may need to watch it again.
Back to the Bette Davis film, this was the only film that had a surreal and abstract feel to it. As said previously, all the other films had a social drama and realistic edge to them. This film felt like what it would be like to be on the cusp of death..a sort of liminal time. That feeling when you have been held within the grasps of a fever and have an out of body experience. I found this film quite personal, more personal than the films about loss of somebody close. This is because it centres, to me, on the loss of identity.
The other notable film was the last of the buch and was called Hunter, dirested by Mike J Scott. This was rightly left for the ending as it was a quite dark and brooding novella about the breakdown of a schoolboy who witnesses the sudden death of his quite obnoxious but influential father. His father dies in a bath by a strangely placed electric radio beside him.
For some reason, the schoolboy takes his father's rifle and shoots his friend whom he lured to the woods and the final scene is him murdering his mother by suffocating her with clingfilm. This film was well-shot and with Solace, the only two that has the capacity to become feature length of any worth.
I'm not poo-pooing the other films and GreyHound was quite an interesting affair but my favourites of the night was the Bette Davis, Solace and Hunter.
Bette Davis | Nagwa Rahman
Solace | Liam Healy
Hunter | Mike J Scott
word of the day part:fifty-one | quixotic
quixotic
quix·ot·ic [kwɪkˈsɒtɪk]
quix·ot·i·cal
adj.
1. Caught up in the romance of noble deeds and the pursuit of unreachable goals; idealistic without regard to practicality.
2. Capricious; impulsive.
[From English Quixote, a visionary, after Don Quixote, hero of a romance by Miguel de Cervantes.]
quixotically | adv.
quixotism | n.
quix·ot·ic [kwɪkˈsɒtɪk]
quix·ot·i·cal
adj.
1. Caught up in the romance of noble deeds and the pursuit of unreachable goals; idealistic without regard to practicality.
2. Capricious; impulsive.
[From English Quixote, a visionary, after Don Quixote, hero of a romance by Miguel de Cervantes.]
quixotically | adv.
quixotism | n.
Friday, 22 June 2012
word of the day part:fifty | cantankerous
cantankerous
can·tan·ker·ous [kænˈtæŋkərəs]
adj.
1. Ill-tempered, irascible and quarrelsome; disagreeable.
2. Difficult to handle.
[Perhaps from Middle English contek, dissension (influenced by such words as rancorous and cankerous), from Anglo-Norman contec, possibly from Latin contctus, past participle of contingere, to touch; see contact.]
cantankerously | adv.
cantankerousness | n.
can·tan·ker·ous [kænˈtæŋkərəs]
adj.
1. Ill-tempered, irascible and quarrelsome; disagreeable.
2. Difficult to handle.
[Perhaps from Middle English contek, dissension (influenced by such words as rancorous and cankerous), from Anglo-Norman contec, possibly from Latin contctus, past participle of contingere, to touch; see contact.]
cantankerously | adv.
cantankerousness | n.
Wednesday, 20 June 2012
word of the day part:forty-nine | sacrosanct
sacrosanct
sac·ro·sanct [ˈsækrəʊˌsæŋkt]
adj.
Regarded as sacred and inviolable.
[Latin sacrsnctus, consecrated with religious ceremonies : sacr, ablative of sacrum, religious rite (from neuter of sacer, sacred; see sacred) + snctus, past participle of sancre, to consecrate; see sak- in Indo-European roots.]
sacrosanctity, sacrosanctness | noun.
sac·ro·sanct [ˈsækrəʊˌsæŋkt]
adj.
Regarded as sacred and inviolable.
[Latin sacrsnctus, consecrated with religious ceremonies : sacr, ablative of sacrum, religious rite (from neuter of sacer, sacred; see sacred) + snctus, past participle of sancre, to consecrate; see sak- in Indo-European roots.]
sacrosanctity, sacrosanctness | noun.
Tuesday, 19 June 2012
Monday, 18 June 2012
Interactive Arts Degree Show 2012
This is a showcase of art from Interactive Arts Degree Show 2012 that has been held at the Holden Gallery at Manchester School of Art. These are some of my favourite exhibits..
Arnold Pollock
Marcin Wozniak
Katie Rose Barnes
Adam Renshaw
Samantha Hipkiss
Enya Koster
Helen Austin | Runa Begum
Emma Hardaker
Kieran Izquierdo
Ryan Higgins
David W Jones
Marcelle Holt
Arnold Pollock
Marcin Wozniak
Katie Rose Barnes
Adam Renshaw
Samantha Hipkiss
Enya Koster
Helen Austin | Runa Begum
Emma Hardaker
Kieran Izquierdo
Ryan Higgins
David W Jones
Marcelle Holt
Wednesday, 13 June 2012
word of the day part:forty-eight | haptic
haptic
hap·tic [ˈhæptɪk]
adj.
Of or relating to the sense of touch; tactile.
[Greek haptikos, from haptesthai, to grasp, touch.]
hap·tic [ˈhæptɪk]
adj.
Of or relating to the sense of touch; tactile.
[Greek haptikos, from haptesthai, to grasp, touch.]
Tuesday, 12 June 2012
Chair Project
I am investigating the phenomena of empty chairs within gallery spaces, waiting rooms and other social environments. What interests me is the almost ghostly apsects of the unused furniture and the aura of loneliness and want that the situation governs.
Also, I think the scenes are very enigmatic and is reminiscent of the project that I have started that involves empty and negative space within family and friend social circles.
Also, I think the scenes are very enigmatic and is reminiscent of the project that I have started that involves empty and negative space within family and friend social circles.
word of the day part:forty-seven | esoteric
esoteric
es·o·ter·ic [ˌɛsəʊˈtɛrɪk]
adj.
1.
a. Intended for or understood by only a particular group: an esoteric cult.
b. Of or relating to that which is known by a restricted number of people.
2.
a. Confined to a small group: esoteric interests.
b. Not publicly disclosed; confidential.
[Greek esterikos, from ester, comparative of es, within; see en in Indo-European roots.]
esoterically | adv.
esotericism | n.
es·o·ter·ic [ˌɛsəʊˈtɛrɪk]
adj.
1.
a. Intended for or understood by only a particular group: an esoteric cult.
b. Of or relating to that which is known by a restricted number of people.
2.
a. Confined to a small group: esoteric interests.
b. Not publicly disclosed; confidential.
[Greek esterikos, from ester, comparative of es, within; see en in Indo-European roots.]
esoterically | adv.
esotericism | n.
Sunday, 10 June 2012
Chris Floyd
Chris Floyd is a photographer that I have admired from afar. I have an interest in fashion and men's style and after watching his video series - The Way I Dress in which stylish celebrities and businessmen describe their dress sense in under two minutes, I decided to have a look at his website and blog. These particular videos are fascinating snippets of information and quite beautiful in their construction.
On his website is the photographic series entitles One Hundred and Forty Characters in which he has photographed a selection of his followers on twitter. Thisd has now been published as a book and I have bought a copy. I think the money goes to charity. This book has a simplicity, as with all Floyd's work as is very stylish.
I like Floyd's work, it has a aura of simplicity and honesty..very humane in it's production. The twitter series is reminiscent of the Hoardings Project that the MMU conducted last year, a project that I myself had a part..I want my print even though it is over 7ft tall..
His other work is equally gratifying with the celebrity headshots being warts and all, the other projects that he does captures the essence of it's subjects and he is going to be well remembered in hush tomes such as David Bailey et al.
David McAlmont - The Way I Dress
Selection from One Hundred and Forty Characters
Shelia Hancock
On his website is the photographic series entitles One Hundred and Forty Characters in which he has photographed a selection of his followers on twitter. Thisd has now been published as a book and I have bought a copy. I think the money goes to charity. This book has a simplicity, as with all Floyd's work as is very stylish.
I like Floyd's work, it has a aura of simplicity and honesty..very humane in it's production. The twitter series is reminiscent of the Hoardings Project that the MMU conducted last year, a project that I myself had a part..I want my print even though it is over 7ft tall..
His other work is equally gratifying with the celebrity headshots being warts and all, the other projects that he does captures the essence of it's subjects and he is going to be well remembered in hush tomes such as David Bailey et al.
David McAlmont - The Way I Dress
Selection from One Hundred and Forty Characters
Shelia Hancock
International Anthony Burgess Foundation _ Still Ticking
It is the 50th anniverary of one of the most influential books of the twentieth century, a book that I have read and reread four times; A Clockwork Orange written by Anthony Burgess. The IABF on Chester Street in Manchester decided to put on an exhibition event last Thursday within it's building and with A few friends, we decided to visit on that wet night.
A friend of my mine from uni was exhibiting (Mike Fowdrey) as well as two tutors from MMU, Dave Griffths and Andrea Zapp. The show was being put on by the IABF, madlab and the Manchester School of Art. Of course, each exhibit was influenced directly and also indirectly by the book.
As I knew that Mike was exhibiting I asked if I could help in any way and nearly got the chance to be a waiter a'la Korova MilkBar with wig and everything..I'd be a mannequin handing out the White Russians but a few days before the event I was told that they wanted female manequins..so that was a bummer. I could've easily fitted into a polyester dress a bright wig but that's another story.
So, we trotted down and entered the foundation and got ourselves a drink each and proceeded into the gallery. Some of the usual suspects where there and we said hi and then began to cast our eyes on the exhibits. Some bits where quite good and very much new media such as video work and Griffiths's slide projector based on primary school infomercials of the Fifties and sixties was interesting. Andrea Zapp decided to do a piece based on Burgess's colourblindness.
The desk of Alex with his facebook page open waiting to be fraped was one of the highlights because it shows how contemporary the moral of the book is and the relevance/relationship with youth and technology today. Seeing that we came here to support fellow Interactive Arts student Mike we found ourselves down to viddy his installation.
I'd seen him work on this piece for a couple of weeks now and got to see it in the flesh.. It didn't disappoint. He made a tower of TVs and had this particular phrase from chapter four played on three screens in almost random ways [I do what I do because I do]. You had to see this installation with 3D glasses on, it was quite hallucinatory.
After giving pleasantries we decided to leave and I had a bus to catch..not before another drink and buying a new book, The Doctor is Sick by Mr Burgess. I visited the gallery the day after to see the show without the crowd from the previous night had a halloumi and roast veg wrap and left to go to uni..
A friend of my mine from uni was exhibiting (Mike Fowdrey) as well as two tutors from MMU, Dave Griffths and Andrea Zapp. The show was being put on by the IABF, madlab and the Manchester School of Art. Of course, each exhibit was influenced directly and also indirectly by the book.
As I knew that Mike was exhibiting I asked if I could help in any way and nearly got the chance to be a waiter a'la Korova MilkBar with wig and everything..I'd be a mannequin handing out the White Russians but a few days before the event I was told that they wanted female manequins..so that was a bummer. I could've easily fitted into a polyester dress a bright wig but that's another story.
So, we trotted down and entered the foundation and got ourselves a drink each and proceeded into the gallery. Some of the usual suspects where there and we said hi and then began to cast our eyes on the exhibits. Some bits where quite good and very much new media such as video work and Griffiths's slide projector based on primary school infomercials of the Fifties and sixties was interesting. Andrea Zapp decided to do a piece based on Burgess's colourblindness.
The desk of Alex with his facebook page open waiting to be fraped was one of the highlights because it shows how contemporary the moral of the book is and the relevance/relationship with youth and technology today. Seeing that we came here to support fellow Interactive Arts student Mike we found ourselves down to viddy his installation.
I'd seen him work on this piece for a couple of weeks now and got to see it in the flesh.. It didn't disappoint. He made a tower of TVs and had this particular phrase from chapter four played on three screens in almost random ways [I do what I do because I do]. You had to see this installation with 3D glasses on, it was quite hallucinatory.
After giving pleasantries we decided to leave and I had a bus to catch..not before another drink and buying a new book, The Doctor is Sick by Mr Burgess. I visited the gallery the day after to see the show without the crowd from the previous night had a halloumi and roast veg wrap and left to go to uni..
Lytham/St Anne's Beach
Lytham/St Anne's photographed in evry season starting with Winter and ending with Autumn.
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