says Ingrid

'So, what is it you do?'/ Blog Secret Santa

2011-12-26T21:49:00.001Z

Hope you all had a lovely Christmas, sorry I've been rather absent on here. I know, yet another 'sorry I've not updated in ages' excuse, they seem to be a common theme on blogs, and in particular this one!! Even so I appreciate you all for sticking around and hope you've all got something exciting lined up for New Year's Eve!

This year has been a bit of a weird one for me, I got into a new career path unexpectedly, which I have fully considered and decided is probably not what I want to be doing forever. Having said that I am enjoying it day by day, and it is a HARD time for jobs right now so its important to be grateful for what we have and it really can be so difficult to remember this. This Kurt Vonnegut quote really spoke to me when I came across it the other day:

I guess what I mean is that, you can let your job define you. You can work so hard, do loads of voluntary work and unpaid internships looking for a way in to a career you want. You can invest in yourself, do courses, get qualifications and all of that. But outside of your day job, what are you doing? Because being creative is everything to me, outside of work I like to visit museums, do different writing projects, listen to and learn to play music, read books and I used to enjoy loads more things which have fallen by the wayside. I read once that the most creative thing most people do everyday is pick out what they are going to wear that day. This year I did project 365 (and gave up, admittedly after about 10 months) and took a picture of what I wore each day, trying to see what I could come up with, with what was already in my wardrobe without feeling like I had to buy new things all the time.

I seem to have lost my point a bit now, and gotten off track, but what I'm trying to say is that next year I'm going to try and be more creative in ways that nourish my life. I will update this blog at my leisure as I enjoy doing it without feeling pressure to update every day or anything, but I will also make a point of doing other projects because even if I'm not in the career I hoped, yet, it doesn't mean I can't have meaningful things going on. The next time someone asks you 'What do you do?' the answer doesn't need to be your actual day job, if that's not the most important thing about your life. That is an important thing I learnt this year.

Page from Wilson by Daniel Clowes

On an altogether different note, this year I decided to take part in a blogging secret santa hosted by my friend Rani who blogs about clothes and Edinburgh amongst other things on her blog Cupcake Couture, so I'm going to write about that. I don't always really feel part of a blogging community as while I have met some fantastic people through blogging, I don't write a blog about fashion and as such, this might be a weird post compared to my average entry. Apologies if you were hoping for museums!

Anyway it all came wrapped in the most delightful brown paper stamped with snowflakes and tied up with string!

I must say it was a real trial to follow that instruction!

Inside was...

Some incredibly awesome foamy cushiony dinosaur stickers, amazing. I write a lot of letters so they will always come in handy.

An amazing scarf with horses on! I'm really obsessed with horse adorned things so this is spot on, also it is made of man-made fibres rather than silk which is perfect as I'm vegan.

A lovely Belle & Sebastian tote bag! Amazing. I love this band, and I love totes and this design is really super. Also my favourite colours are red and blue so the colour scheme of the bag and scarf are fantastic. All in all everything was really me, I feel like you know me really well santa, and this is one of the best Secret Santa's I've had!

One of many reasons why I don't have a fashion blog: took about 1,475,973 goes at trying to take an appreciation picture of the wonderful pony scarf! Went for a cowgirl style ;)

Thanks SO much to my Santa, the reveal happened here and I found out that it was Jen of the awesomely titled 'let's all do colouring in' that was behind this really thoughtful set of gifts. And you can see who I bought for too, which was a lot of fun. Many, many thanks to Rani for organising it! ♥

On a final note, lets have a nice B&S song in keeping with the season:

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T16:27:00.001Z

Hope you all have a good one, don't forget loads of museums are open around this period and are a great place to visit as they are often free of charge, don't be forced into consumption!

I'm sad I'm not in the North East this Christmas; by the looks of it, Beamish has some exciting festivities going on, check out this trussed up Tram!

Image Credit: Beamish Transport Blog

Respite from Christmas madness at the National Portrait Gallery

2011-12-19T15:01:00.002Z

I hadn't realised how much was on display in the free entry galleries at the National Portrait Gallery, I have to admit I have dismissed the National Portrait Gallery somewhat in the past, possibly due to my first visit there being a very short one.
We visited on Saturday just gone, hoping for a day out in London which didn't involve last minute mass consumption, and spontaneously decided to drop in to the National Portrait Gallery.

It was very interesting to see the portraits of prolific politicians and also scientists on Level 1, many of whom have their own works on display in The Science Museum including Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Michael Faraday and Mary Seacole - who you can also 'meet' at The Science Museum.

Image Source

I also really loved the above picture of the Brontë sisters on display in room 24, it was thought lost and discovered folded on top of a cupboard as you can tell from the damage to the canvas. I like it when paintings have a really interesting history, and this one had a column painted behind the sisters which underneath had what is thought to have been an attempt at a self portrait of Branwell Brontë, their brother and the artist.
Rather fitting actually, as it was on this day that Emily Brontë died: 19th December in 1848 at just 30 years old, she is a sitter in several portraits at the gallery which you can see here on their website.

My favourite thing about the National Portrait Gallery is the different histories and stories of the people who come to life before you, in a variety of mediums, there is really good detail on their website and its actually one of those places where I would advocate getting an audioguide to give you extra in-depth information. The place made for a lovely visit, the atmosphere was calm and peaceful in contrast to the bustling streets outside and I would recommend it for anyone after a bit of social history in amongst some art over the holidays.

I have to say I'm also rather excited about their forthcoming exhibition of work by Lucian Freud- from February 2012 - click here for more details - he was one of my favourites for doing bad a-level copies of famous paintings back at school, haha!

Salford Zine Library at Salford Art Gallery

2011-11-15T15:51:00.004Z

I haven’t been as timely as I would have liked with my third blog instalment on my trip to the Lake District, but will aim to have the post up soon. In the meantime I recently visited Salford Zine library’s exhibition at Salford Art Gallery. Here are a few thoughts I had on it, apologies if you've seen this already.

I recently had the chance to check out the exhibition at Salford Art Gallery of the collection of Salford Zine Library which is usually at Islington Mill. I must say that I didn't realise photography wasn't allowed until midway through visiting, so if I should remove any images let me know, I just thought it would be nice to take photos.

The exhibition is set over two levels on the stairs which I thought was really nice space. Zines and artwork from zines were displayed on walls, and upstairs the exhibition film was projected onto a wall, and there were some seats and books about zines. If you had the time you could really sit and read for hours, which you are encouraged to do:

There is a film to accompany the exhibition which is actually quite a long and well put together film with input from loads of other people who make zines which is really great. It gives an insight into others experiences of making zines and self-publishing in general. I found myself learning new things from others aswell as nodding my head in agreement at a lot of the opinions on self publishing.

I'd recommend checking it out if you can and you have plenty of time to do so as the exhibition runs until January, I found the presentation really accessible aswell, so that people who are unfamiliar with zines got a great experience of a varied collection of them. I did donate my zines to the exhibition but couldn't see them on display, so hopefully they are safe and sound at Islington Mill. It's certainly a good exhibition to take friends and family to if they are confused about zines, or find them odd for any reason.

Going from images of the Library itself I think this exhibition is probably a small snippet of their collection and reason enough to visit the library itself which looks amazing, I'll definitely make a point of doing so when I'm next in Manchester.

For a more interactive idea about zines, check out the video they made prior to the exhibition:

For more photographs of the exhibition check out the blog post at Salford Zine Library's blog.

Lake District 2/3: Keswick Museum and Art Gallery

2011-09-27T11:37:00.004+01:00

Keswick Museum and Art Gallery describes itself as "A Victorian Cabinet of Curiosities" on its website and I must say I totally agree. It is the only purpose built museum in Cumbria and was free to visit making it a must while in Keswick on a rainy day, and in a way I enjoyed it more than the pencil museum, probably as I had no idea what it would be like and came away pleasantly surprised.

We were greeted by a lovely volunteer on entering the museum and he seemed happy to answer any questions, offering some interesting information about some of the items on display.

Like a lot of small museums, it is seeking funding, more information about this can be found here http://keswickmuseum.webs.com/keswickmuseumappeal.htm on it's website. We were more than happy to leave a donation in the donation box as the range and quality of objects on display was super and the museum as a whole was really charming.

Yes, there actually was the remains of a victorian cat in the above chest. Rather disturbing!

I loved the above quilt, put together by various community members!

A rather impressive collection of taxidermy birds look over the interesting map of the entire Lake District on the left in the above photograph. It was made by Joseph Flintoft, taking 17 years and finally displayed for the first time in 1834. The maker painstakingly made drawings and measurements to ensure it was to scale (3 inches to the mile, horizontally and vertically!) William Wordsworth himself was reported to have viewed it and liked it. It is very fragile but incredibly impressive in person!

I was really struck by the above painting, entitled 'Skaters on Derwentwater' by Joseph Brown Junior. Thought it was quite Lowry-esque, but that's another blog post for another day. Don't accept my poor reflection-ridden photograph though, go and see the real thing yourself!

In the end room was a Heritage Sport exhibition - as part of the lead up to the 2012 Olympics a lot of venues are focusing on this theme, see here for more details. Anyway, there were a lot of old photographs on display and above, these 'Road Skates' - (early rollerblades I guess!) belonging to a local man called Alexander Goodall. He sounded like a pretty interesting man, the display noted that besides his job as a foreman printer "he was particularly fond of climbing and was well known, having written several articles for magazines. He taught shorthand at evening classes and was about to become a member of the St John Ambulance Brigade" before his untimely death in 1903 at 26 in a climbing accident on nearby Skafell Pinnacle.

- The museum was full of these stories about local people which were all really interesting to read. I would highly recommend a visit if you are in the Lake District.

Lake District 1/3: Derwent Pencil Museum

2011-09-26T20:42:00.001+01:00

Since my best friend went here in primary school it has basically been a lifetime wish to go to the Pencil Museum in Keswick. We arrived by bus from another town and it was a couple of minutes walk from the main bus stop near Booths (best supermarket in the UK, totally amazing, go there).

I was a bit sad that it wasn't in the above building really, and you didn't get to see the pencils being made in person(?!), that was what I was really, really hoping for. Despite these letdowns, it was really interesting!

It was really busy to be honest, we picked a rainy day in august so it was peak time I suppose. Entry was £3.50 which before visiting I thought was a bargain but having been I would retract that, to be honest.

The museum was all on one level, in one room with another space which served as an auditorium for showing a short ten minute documentary on the history of the pencils. This was really interesting as you saw footage of how they were made, making up for not getting to see it in real life.

I didn't get a lot of good pictures of the interior as it was packed with kids running about doing the trail which seemed really fun! I would certainly reccommend it for families with children of primary school age. I have found some fantastic pictures here on Flickr which show the exhibits though, well worth a look. The cases and exhibits were all really thoughtful and well cared for, and showed some fascinating aspects of the history of pencil making.

My personal favourite display was a section on pencils during the war. Normal pencils were made and sold unpainted due to limited materials. An exception to this was a special type of pencil, designed for the soldiers in World War 2. The exterior of the pencil appeared utterly normal, with a lead and rubber on the top, however the rubber could be unscrewed to reveal a compass and a map of Europe!

There was also the worlds longest coloured pencil on display! It was a real working pencil too, not just a decoration as I'd assumed on first sighting.

Image Source

(There is another awesome photo here!)

Not the longest pencil though, that title is for the 76 foot long pencil constructed in Queens, New York, back in 2007 - check it out!

So yeah, it wasn't quite what I was expecting in a lot of ways but it was still well worth going while I was in the area and really interesting. I went to a couple of other museums whilst in the Lake District so will be updating about them as soon as I can.

Salford Lads Club

2011-08-23T20:22:00.002+01:00

I did wonder if this fitted in with the theme of this blog but then I thought, Salford Lads Club has a LOT of history and heritage and is a place Smiths fans frequently make a pilgrimage to, so why not!

Of course I had to have an obligatory photo taken...

The club was founded by Sir Robert Baden-Powell in 1903, who later founded the Scout Movement in 1907. As a guide for many years it was exciting to see what is apparently one of the best examples of a purpose built youth club dating pre First World War. It now welcomes girls too, and quite rightly.

It really gained notoriety thanks to The Smiths who used it as a backdrop for album art in the their album The Queen is Dead in 1986.

Photographer: Stephen Wright

Image Credit

Standing on the corner of Ignatius Way and Coronation Street

I was not disappointed by the exterior. Much of the local neighbourhood has gone the way of new housing and big superstores but Salford Lads club is a total gem.

Here are some shots of the interior...

Sadly no shots of the reception and stairs area but it's gorgeous! This is the main room and you can see the Smiths room on the bottom left...

The wall is covered with images of the Smiths and Smiths fans, aswell as hundreds of tribute messages by visiting fans. All in amongst old fashioned boxing equipment, as it served as a dressing room.

The ceiling

There is this booth where you can write your own message on a post it note...

More fun facts about the building can be gleaned from its Wikipedia page, including details of its longest serving volunteers and the fact that it was apparently on The Secret Millionaire programme on channel four! How did I miss that? Think you can watch it online here!

Salford Lads club will be open as part of Heritage Open Days! This will be on the weekend of 8-11 September 2011, click here for further details. Other opening times and details of activities are on the Club's website here, though it is advisable to always ring ahead if you want to enquire about visiting. Otherwise you can take a picture outside 24/7!

It is about 10 minutes walk from Anchorage Tram stop, or about the same from Salford Crescent railway station, so easily accessible from Manchester city centre.

All the colour photos in this post were either taken by me or fellow Smiths devotee, Tim. Sorry not all of them are terribly clear, the light was fairly uncooperative, but you get the jist!

Tracey Emin 'LOVE IS WHAT YOU WANT' at Hayward Gallery

2011-08-20T22:27:00.005+01:00

August weekends always seems to be totally packed for me and seemingly everyone else, so I was relieved when I was able to take a day off in the week and catch the Tracey Emin show at the Hayward, entitled 'Love is what you want' (after her work of the same name, see below)

With the show coming to an end there have inevitably been excellent reviews on Emin's work and the show itself, notably the fairly critical one on the Guardian here, and also honest takes on the exhibition from the Telegraph and the Independent.

What is it about this female, feminist artist that irks some people? I don't quite know myself. She is the subject of her own work but in some ways it is the autobiographical style which reels you in. Tracey is clearly an interesting woman, not afraid to confront her demons, address her flaws, analyse her own personality. I can relate to that. Elements of her work make me think of letters, diaries and zines.

My personal highlights were the quilts...

‘Hotel International’ (1993)

‘Mad Tracey from Margate. Everyone’s Been There’ (1997)

I read Strangeland a couple of years ago and it provoked negative comments from some friends at the time. I can't put my finger on why. Its as if some people begrudge her for making art about herself, or they feel she has no talent or she should keep schtum. I wonder if she was a man, would people feel the same way. I think she's really brave, and really bares her soul, she is clearly creative and original and as a result whatever you think of her, her work is engrossing.

I do recommend going to the exhibition as the works on display span the 90's to the present day across a variety of mediums. I loved Strangeland, for the record. I also loved some of the films in the exhibition including 'How it feels', a 25 minute film of her recalling personal experiences of abortion. Incredibly moving, I really felt for her.

Tracey Emin’s I’ve Got It All (2000)

The neon signs showed her funny side, often being more lighthearted in many ways. Her later work is more sketches and sculptures rather than being text based and in some ways I found this less interesting. Maybe what we all want is the enigma of Tracey, rather than her artwork. Who knows... While I don't agree with everything she says, I could relate to her work and I bet I'm not the only one who finds themselves taken with it, begrudgingly or not. Beware, strong language features heavily in the exhibition, if you're worried about that sort of thing.

This show runs for one more week, until 29th August, but if from what I've said you think it will interest you in any way, I urge you to make time and go to see it and the £12 odd it costs is worth it for a substantial retrospective which sheds new light on a well known artist. The gallery will open late on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. I would also say that this review from The London Review of Books is the best I've seen for a descriptive overview and references to other artists that you might like if you're a Tracey fan.

Australian Season at the British Museum...

2011-08-19T18:17:00.002+01:00

I was lucky enough to visit the British Museum lately, on a day where the weather was actually fairly Australian! My main reason for dropping by was to check out the Out of Autralia print exhibition in particular, but on arrival I did enjoy the cheerful contribution out front thanks to Kew Gardens.

It did feel rather like Australia had landed in London!

The exhibition itself did not disappoint in the slightest. In the usual temporary exhibition spot were 125 works by 60 Australian artists, in what the museum claims to be "the first exhibition of Australian works on paper of this scale and ambition to be held outside Australia".

I always think their free exhibitions are really great, and found a lot of the work to be really inspiring and visually eye-catching and interesting. Here are some of my favourite works on display:

Image Source

"200 Years: Willy Willy" (1988)

Ann Newmarch

I love the use of different media in a collage style, I think this piece is really eye catching. Newmarch is a renowned printmaker, feminist and activist.

Image Source

The family tree stops here darling (1994)

David McDiarmid

McDiarmid is a leading gay activist famous for his witty, ironic art confronting attitudes to AIDS and anti-gay legislation. Some of his works were made famous after being used for safe sex posters in Sydney. A few are on display from this series entitled 'Rainbow Aphorism', inspired by the AIDS-related death of artist and one-time partner Peter Tully in 1994.
This was the one that I thought was probably the most stark statement in particular.

Image Source

Untitled (Jelly fish drawing VIII) (1999)

Peter S. Graham

Peter S. Graham was reportedly somewhat reclusive in his student days, but was invited to have his first solo show at the age of 20, at the Australian Centre for Contemporary Art (ACCA) by its Director in 1990, still only in his second year. His work often uses the natural world, or themes of geography and exploration, with an ethereal quality.

The exhibition runs until 11th September so you have a few weeks to catch it. Don't miss it though, it is my favourite free temporary exhibition in a while.

Art and Science / Melanie King / Conrad Shawcross

2011-07-12T17:53:00.006+01:00

It's that time of year when all the arts graduates put on their final year show, exhibiting some of their best work. These shows are often a great way to spend an evening as they are free entry and you get to see up and coming artists' work at the same time.

I wanted to post about Melanie K, I have followed her progress through her blog as a student at Leeds College of Art and she graduates soon, with a place at the prestigious St Martins school of art to study the intriguingly titled MA in Art and Science. As her work progressed it became more and more inspired by science and as a result she started a blog called Art Catalyst which I would recommend checking out for regular posts on inspiring inter-related work.

Bubble (2011)
Enlarged Photogram Print, Perspex Frame

Melanie King (Image Source)

The work of Melanie and her coursemates will be on display in their show Tacit Knowledge as part of the Free Range Art and Design Show in The Old Truman Brewery off Brick Lane between 14th-18th July, that's this Thursday coming, details of opening hours can be found here. Free Range is a showcase of work by Art and Design graduates across the country. I have attended a few events in this space and its a great location, I'd highly recommend dropping in if you are in the area while the exhibition is running.

The link between Art and Science in general is something I've been interested since learning about the Science Museum's arts projects. Artists interpretations of science can make the subject seem more accessible and enjoyable, and vice versa really. I recommend a visit to the Science Museum to check out their long term installation Listening Post

I used to find it very calming sitting there for ten minutes or so, it is a live feed of the internet presented in a really interesting way, obviously the unpredictable nature of it can incite all sorts of feelings and it can be a bit rude, just to warn you.

A list of current and future projects at the museum can be found here... recently an series of works entitled 'Protomodel' were put on display in the Mathematics gallery, by the museum's centenary artist in residence Conrad Shawcross.

(Image Source)

For more pictures of the installations (the above is one of five in the gallery) check out the Science Museum website here. The works are a response to the mathematical instruments on display in that gallery, which are quite beautiful, see below for a glimpse in one of the cases I found on the lifestyleetc blog.

(Image Source)

The Science Museum says "Protomodel opens up a playful, questioning dialogue exploring how model-making, natural processes, cultural practices and historical circumstances all play their part in mathematical thinking." So yeah, one to check out this summer, remember the Science Museum is free entry!

I will leave you with Circularity by Melanie, I love the striking nature of the photogram (cameraless photography) effect, and how it can produce images that transform into something else completely. For more detail on photograms, click here. It'll be interesting to see how Melanie's work develops while she is at St Martins! If London is a bit far away for you, she is doing a residency at the rather lovely Nexus Art Cafe in Manchester. I recommend their smoothies and jacket potatoes and the lovely creative space in which you can relax, surrounded by absorbing exhibitions.

Circularity (2011)

Photogram

Melanie King (Image Source)

Cutting costs? BBC Report "Should councils cash in on art?"

2011-07-11T22:07:00.006+01:00

Apologies for my lack of updates recently, I have loads of exciting things to report in the next few weeks however so I promise you'll see me return to updating more regularly as well as explaining my absence!

I saw this news piece on the BBC website today, and I have to say the discussion beneath also makes for interesting reading...

"Should councils cash in on art?
As local councils cut essential services to make ends meet, should they cash in on the paintings in their vaults? Or should public art be saved for future generations?"

In the times of cuts to council funding, what are the ethical consequences of selling work bequeathed to local collections such as Bolton Museum, who are selling 35 works to cover costs after funding has dried up?

In 2006 Bury Council were thrown out of the Museums Association after selling a work by local artist L. S. Lowry, their argument being that it was not central to their collection. The MA said the reasons were at odds with policy and threatened their status as a registered museum. Bury council reports that alternatives to selling the painting included raising council tax and parking fines, and cutting opening hours of libraries and art galleries in the Borough.

According to the MA statement:
"The sale of A Riverbank, by L.S Lowry contravenes the following principle of the Code of Ethics:
6.13 Refuse to undertake disposal principally for financial reasons (either to raise income or decrease expenditure). Apply any money raised as a result of disposal, if this exceptional circumstance arises, solely and directly for the benefit of the museum's collection."

Riverbank by L. S. Lowry - sold by Bury Council for £1.4m (Image Source)

I think on an individual item by item basis it would be justifiable, taking into account how the piece was obtained and its value to the council. Frank Cohen, an art collector, was quoted on the MA website saying: "I realise that they are under-funded, but people won't want to give things away to museums if they think they might be sold in future. If I give something away, I make it a condition that it is never sold." This seems to be the logical way to go about donating to a museum, and it goes without saying that any museum worthy of a donation would not sell the item if it was under that kind of instruction.

At the end of the day, Bury Council bought the lowry for £175 in 1951, and as Simon Jenkins reported so well at the time: "Nobody running a big London gallery under the munificent gaze of ministers and officials can imagine how grindingly tough it is to run a local one in supposedly rich and art-loving Britain... The Museums Association is not protecting galleries by punishing those whose relationship with their council has collapsed under government force majeure."

Of course art is of great value to local communities, but at the end of the day, if you donate something to the local council, they have so much more to deal with financially than a single museum's collection and arts funding comes low on their priorities, especially since further government cuts. Selling work is clearly not ideal, but what are councils expected to do if they are sitting on valuable art, often not even on display but in storage, yet cannot deliver crucial public services or have to cut the hours of the art gallery in the first place. It is easy for an art collector to criticize this decision but in my opinion the wider public will gain more long term from extended opening hours of the service and staff presence as a whole, than from one artwork in the collection.

It is easy to say that their decision shows a lack of respect for the work but I know local museums which have incredible collections yet they have restricted means to display and conserve such valuable works thanks to completely outdated gallery spaces, which they don't have the money to restore. Until the government is prepared to give adequate funding to local museums and archives, councils are left with little option but to downsize in service provision, staff, and in some cases, the collections in order to make ends meet.

This is obviously a contentious discussion and I am just putting down my own personal opinion. Bigger galleries who get greater funding don't have to make the decision whether they should sell an artwork or have less social workers for example. Local museums and galleries are sadly lower on the priority list, after council funds have provided other vital services. I'm sure that every other possible channel of income would have been fully looked into, before the council decided to sell such an iconic and beautiful Lowry painting, and the same goes for Bolton who are currently in the process of selling their 35 pieces, and the money in the case of Bolton must go on the museum in question, as the BBC report states.

Just something I felt like covering briefly, it's a difficult one but I expect we will see more of the same in coming months, especially since Arts Council England completely cut funding for 206 organisations earlier this year including some local councils. If you're interested in reading more I recommend the Guardian's Culture Cuts blog.

Kader Attia - Oil & Sugar

2011-06-15T22:09:00.001+01:00

Following on from my last post about the now finished New Cartographies exhibition, I wanted to feature the work of Kader Attia.

I had been particularly struck by the video on display entitled 'Oil and Sugar #2', but forgotten to make a note of it on the day, I want to thank co-curator Edward Welch for getting in touch and letting me know who it was.

The video shows motor oil being poured onto a sugar cubes arranged on a silver platter. The neat, architectural form collapses, and turns into something of a ruined landscape.

These screencaps below are actually of the original 'Oil and Sugar' but give you an idea of the bold imagery involved...

© Kader Attia. 'Oil & Sugar'. 2007. Video.

Images found here.

For a better description of the video than mine, and some insight into what is represented beneath its exterior as a rather lovely visual, I recommend Megan Lee's write up here.
Sadly I couldn't find the video online, Tate seemed like it might have it, but the link was broken.

Cornerhouse: New Cartographies

2011-05-20T15:28:00.002+01:00

The Cornerhouse in Manchester is a lovely multiarts venue, they show interesting films, display unique and interesting exhibitions and serve vegan pizza. Win win.

I had the extreme pleasure of seeing Chico and Rita here in winter, a fantastic vibrant animation telling the story of the evolution of jazz music with a little romance thrown in.

Currently on display in the art gallery (free entry) is an exhibition of art by both established and emerging artists on the subject of the relationship between France and Algeria. I really enjoyed the exhibition and would wholeheartedly recommend a visit.

New Cartographies - 8th April - 5th June - at Cornerhouse from Cornerhouse on Vimeo.

(cover of A Biography of Disappearance by Omar D)

I was particularly struck by the photography by Omar D on the disappearance of various people during the Algerian Civil War. He has released a book of his work entitled A Biography of Disappearance which sounds fascinating yet incredibly sad.

There was also a particularly mesmerising film on display of oil and sugar dissolving, which I am annoyed that I didn't get the details of, so if anyone can tell me the artist I will amend this post. But it was brilliant. Edited to add - this was in actual fact 'Oil and Sugar #2' by Kader Attia, see my post about it here for more details. Thank you to Edward Welch, the co-curator for letting me know.

You've got a fortnight to catch the New Cartographies exhibition at the Cornerhouse in Manchester before it closes, or for more information on the artists and curators, click here or check out this Flickr for some photographs of the exhibition space.

Letters, Zines, Films, Friends.

2011-04-20T14:39:00.005+01:00

Last night I watched Broken Flowers for the first time since it was out in the cinema. I have to say the first time I saw it I felt perplexed and frustrated by it, and almost bored at times. Which is why I wanted to re-watch it really.
It's funny, this time I really, really enjoyed it. I loved the storyline and the characters and the simplicity of things. What I really loved, and really wanted to share on this blog was the opening sequence, but sadly it's not online anywhere.

We see a pink envelope being posted into a mailbox in America, and follow its journey to the recipient... a Don Juan-esque Bill Murray. Being so bright and colourful you see it amongst all the other letters being processed in the mail system.

It made me think of my own adventures in letterwriting. There is something I have always loved about 'snail-mail' and I will continue to love even though email seems to have taken over.

I have always received a lot of post. I have had penpals since I was 9, and these days I order a lot of parcels from the internet and communicate with penpals still to this day, even if we are also friends on facebook now.

A major part of this is ordering zines and communicating with the people that make them. Seeing the pink envelope in the intro to Broken Flowers reminded me of receiving zines from Amber, who favours bright cheerful envelopes. Imagine how much more exciting it must be for the postmen and women to work with things like that. When I post things I like to decorate the envelopes and the lady who works in the local post office always comments on them and says she likes to see what I've done. She's so lovely.

I wish I had known about zines as a teenager. I edited my sixth form magazine and loved the excitement of doing the layout and the photocopying and putting the pages together. The feeling of anticipation between finishing the content and getting it into people's hands is almost unrivalled. After a period of questioning myself and my own abilities, I have made my own zine, and two issues now. You can get the most recent on Etsy here and the lovely Sophie reviewed it herself here which was a total honour as I have been fond of her work for a good while. It is also available at Marching Stars Distro and was hanging out on their table at the Symposium. I love that I can self-publish something in a not-for-profit way, and I'm hooked now.

Image by FeverZine (check out their amazing website and stuff they do!)

It's really exciting, and it was only on Sunday at the London Zine Symposium where it really became real. I had gone last year having seen a blog post about it on Sophie's blog but this time was so much better. Seeing all the artists and zine distro people I had come to know from their blogs and twitter and actual zines and letters and everything was so exciting and I felt really welcome.

I don't write about this sort of stuff on this blog, but I felt like taking a break from my usual format to highlight how important zines are for artists and writers and creative types and activists alike, I met some really inspiring people there.

I can't talk about it as well as others have, so read about my companion Caitlin's purchases here, look at Sophie's charming pictoral guide to her day out here, and check out the best take on it I've seen so far, with indepth discussion and photographs by Amelia of her Magazine on her blog here.

The Whitworth Gallery/ Mary Kelly: Projects

2011-04-12T19:08:00.004+01:00

I had the pleasure of visiting the Whitworth Gallery for the very first time last month, and loved it.

What a grand building.

Outside are a group of Willows set into concrete upside down. This work is entitled 'Flailing Trees' and is by artist and political activist Gustav Metzger, who intially created it for the city's Peace Garden as part of Manchester International Festival in 2009.

"The piece explores the desperate need for change in the way humans interact with nature, inspired by the destruction of rainforests and the growing threat of climate change."

Not a dissimilar concept to the Ghost Forest display in Oxford that I previously blogged about.

On a side-note, this Biennial festival will return to the city this year, with highlights including a three-week residency from Björk and an intriguing group show at Manchester Art Gallery entitled '11 Rooms' and incorporating the work of artists including John Baldessari, one of my personal favourites.

Our main reason for visiting was to see the Mary Kelly retrospective, having heard brilliant things about it.

Image by citylife.co.uk

Mary Kelly is an influential feminist American artist and the exhibition at the Whitworth covers four decades of her work. No photography was allowed, which I didn't realise at first, so the images that aren't mine will be credited. In the first room was this incredible house, made of what looked like white perspex with messages cut out of it.

The above image and below image capture the real beauty of the house, and are from the artist's website here - I highly recommend taking a look as the images are brilliant. It is a collaboration with artist Ray Barrie. I wasn't expecting to be able to go inside the house but you could! It was lovely, I want one of my own to have book club meetings in or something. The piece explores themes and experiences of being a woman, and evokes memories and feelings. Being inside the house felt pretty personal.

The room we spent the most time in displayed Post-Partum Document - concerning motherhood, this body of work was first diplayed in the seventies and provoked tabloid outrage because of the inclusion of stained nappies. The exhibition documents her role as a mother to her son, from birth to nursery. I found the nursery ones the most engaging, with the child's writing ability documented and an update from Kelly on finding a suitable school in Hackney.

Mary Kelly

Post-Partum Document: Documentation VI

Pre-writing Alphabet

Exergue and Diary , 1978

(detail)

Perspex unit, white card, resin, slate

1 of the 15 units, 20 x 25.5 cm each

Collection, Arts Council of Great Britain Image Credit

"Issues relating to the emergence of gender difference and the controversial topic of female fetishism are central to the work. Psychoanalysis, in particular its linguistic reformulation by Jacques Lacan, presents an important reference for this work. The discussion of these insights in consciousness raising groups as well as the collective activism of the women's movement in London in the seventies forms the practical backdrop."

You can click on the above image to zoom in and read the writing. I found the repeated way of recording and documenting the child's progress to be quite depressing at times, but it was really interesting and insightful. The complex emotions about motherhood throughout the display were really engaging and fully explored, making it, in my opinion, the highlight of the exhibition. Despite the ignorant views of the interviewer, she makes some nice points about the work in this interview.
More images of the original show 'Post-Partum Document' in Vienna can be found here including more close ups like the one above.

In no way does my account of the exhibition even begin to sum up Mary Kelly's acheivements, there were 3 other rooms of different bodies of work inspired by the Second World War aswell as the wars in Kosovo and Iraq, these were really thought provoking pieces too, especially the memories of those born around the Second World War which you have to look into a mirror to read...

If you live in the Manchester area and this exhibition intrigues you, I implore you to go, you have until June 12 and more details on the exhibition are here.

Aswell as the Mary Kelly exhibition there were some other brilliant temporary shows including a video in an intensely dark box room entitled Fireworks which screens every half hour from 10am to 4.30pm inclusive. We were intrigued and able to watch it so we did. What ensued was a video six minutes long, of exhilarating yet terrifying fireworks or rather pyrotechnics which were originally rigged up in Liverpool's FACT gallery by duo Nick Crowe and Ian Rawlinson.

Image Credit: Whitworth

At times it created the sense of a war zone, and rather than being something beautiful to look at, it was pretty awe-inspiring, in a technical sense. This video will be playing through summer 2011 and more information is on the website here.

Here is one of the delightful wallpapers on display as part of the Private Paradise exhibition, which runs until 21st August 2011. On display are huge historic wallpapers and contemporary designs too, exploring our desire to have nature featuring inside the home... they are so pretty. I wish they had created some gift items for the gallery shop to go alongside this.

So yeah, go to the Whitworth when you get the chance, it was my best day out in a good while and all of these exhibitions were free to go and see. They also have a charming little coffee shop in the front of the building!

ps. I have had a revamp of my twitter recently, I deleted the old one and have a new simpler url here, if you'd like to follow me again feel free, the background image is artwork from my favourite illustration design team: Sukie.

Stockport Hat Museum / The Hatworks

2011-04-03T11:04:00.002+01:00

Not so long ago I went to explore the 'Hat Museum' which I have regularly passed on the train to Manchester lately. This picture does not convey how impressive this huge chimney is, as it is clearly visible from the train and intrigued me very much...

It's about a five minute walk from Stockport train station and on arrival, quite frankly I wasn't sure if we were at the right place. Looks like a bit of a dodgy internet café...

We were warmly greeted by the lady on reception who gave us a map and explained the exhibition to us.

It all begins on the very bottom floor, where you find the building was once an old Hatworks. I think the most interesting part of being there was realising what a big industry hat making once was. Everyone wore hats!

They were mostly made from the pile of animals, sometimes sheeps wool, and also often rabbits - the fibres were manipulated to form a durable kind of material which could be shaped using heat.

I found the signage on the ground floor of the museum a bit confusing to work out without being on the guided tour, which actually looked really good. Each part of the hat making process is explained on panels and there are old videos of the factories. The machinery was donated by the William Plant hat makers in 1976 after the death of the proprieter.

The first stage was preparing the wool or fur, using the Bow Garret - see below. The pole would have been ash, with a string of catgut which was plucked causing it to vibrate and pass through the fur.

Seperated fur would be shaped into triangular shapes, of which 2 would be placed together to form a cone-shaped 'hood'.

The hoods would be taken to the Planking kettle (see above, and below) which was a container of boiling water. The hoods would be dipped in the water and rolled and the conditions of the heat and moisture would cause the hood to shrink and stiffen.

The Bow Garret and Planking Kettle processes were later replaced by the machinery below... furs would be imported already prepared, and would be blended and dyed in a series of machines.

Below are the hoods, after being planked they are ready to be transformed into hats.

Brim-breaker machines would open out and create the hat's brim, and the Tip-stretcher machine would keep the top of the hat shaped well. Then the Blocking machine and Steamer would finish up the shaping process. Below the wooden or metal blocks would determine the fit of the finished product.

The last part of the hat making process was the embellishments...

A 'hatters'

As with many industries there were unions and strikes and the exhibition addressed the differences between the male and female factory worker. Male hatters actualy saw women as a threat because they worked for a lower wage so were seen as cheaper labour for factory owners. As a result it wasn't until later that women were given the same union rights as men.

So what happened to hats? Well with the birth of the motor car, new types of headgear developed for drivers (goggles for men and veils for women). When cars developed to have a roof and doors, hats would not fit inside and eventually by the late 20th Century the fashion started to die out.

The museum's display said:

'The car must shoulder a large part of the blame for the demise of hat wearing and millinery."

The rest of the museum had extensive hats on display, from all around the world, up to contemporary hats such as these Vivienne Westwood ones above. I didn't take many pictures as to be honest the lighting was hard to get a good shot. There was an interesting section on headwear as part of different faiths and religions which had some really amazing items in.

In the 'Hatting Info Lounge' (the name made me laugh a bit, I have to admit) you can learn more about the people whose livelihoods depended on the Stockport hat industry. You find out how Stockport and the surrounding towns were really the epicentre of hatting. Nowadays some of the companies (largely family businesses) still exist but their manufacturing takes place overseas. You could watch videos and listen to memories of the old local factory workers which I really liked hearing about.

I'll leave you with the above image. It's mad to think how important hats used to be, and how it really is a lost art. If you are interested in visiting the Hatworks it is free to visit and for more information on opening times click here.

Here are more details of the guided tours which involve a small fee but I would highly recommend one from having been and seen them going on. The tour guides are able to demonstrate a lot of the machinery which is really interesting and helps you to picture how complicated the process was and what it must have been like to work in a factory making hats.

The Hatworks is running various activities over Easter, including easter trails, childrens tours and different things to make such as easter bunnies. Click here to find out more!

I made a Polyvore thingy for hats currently available in the shops right now, which look ever so similar to those made by these traditional methods. Going to the hat museum really gave context to the fashion of wearing a hat. As a vegan I personally choose not to consume wool so wouldn't necessarily go out and buy these but I do think the social context and historical influence on contemporary fashion is something that we don't always think about. Whether the manufacturing methods used in the past is still used now is another story...

Top row (L-R) Borst Felt Trilby Hat £33 Mango @Asos
Camel Felt Unstructured Hat £25 at Topshop
Linen Fedora $24 at Urban Outfitters (US)
Middle Row: ASOS 70's Floppy Hat (Black) £20 @ Asos
ASOS 70's Floppy Felt Hat (Blue) £20 @ASOS
Bottom row:
Coal the Celia Felt Hat was at Urban Outfitters, now sold out.
Wool Floppy Hat £39 @ American Apparel
Brixton Gain Cap $48 @ Urban Outfitters (US)

Also, how could I refuse... the one and only Don Draper representing men with great hats everywhere.

(Image found at dondraperwearinghishat.tumblr.com)

Art Project: Is Big Society Working?

2011-03-29T17:48:00.004+01:00

The cuts have affected a lot of people in this country, and many of those are working in the arts. [30/03/2011: See this Guardian report for a full run down of the latest Arts Council decisions in particular] this collaborative art project asks people from all walks of life to contribute to a huge quilt with their own story.

The quilt will come together to form a huge union jack in the colours of the coalition and once complete, will be displayed from the 27th May to the 30th May in The Clore Centre, Hampton Court Palace.

If you want to get involved check out the website for detailed information about the project and how you can submit your story, if you really hate sewing you can write your story on your piece of fabric for the organisers to stitch for you.

I think this is fantastic and think everyone should get involved, all of us are affected by the cuts in one way or another.

http://www.isbigsocietyworking.co.uk/

I would also like to say a thank you to everyone who follows me and comes back to read, I recently deleted my Twitter and I'm not sure if I'll go back on as it was really distracting and I want to put more into this actual blog. I hit 60 followers this week which means a lot, it really does. I shall be posting a museum post in the next week. Ingrid x

The Bate Collection of Musical Instruments

2011-03-07T18:51:00.002Z

On Saturday I had the absolute pleasure of being at the Bate Collection Family Day!

The Bate Collection is a collection of over 2000 musical instruments of which at least 1000 are on display, covering the Western orchestral music traditions from the renaissance, through the baroque, classical, romantic and up to modern times. Have a look at some of the lovely items on display...

I loved the decoration on this reproduction...

There was a family trail on the go...

This is Phillip Bate (1909-1999) the collection belonged to him and comprises instruments given and leant by him to Oxford University throughout his life. It was eventually bequeathed on his death on the condition that it was used for teaching and was provided with a specialist curator to care for and lecture on it.

Check out this gem of an oven glove in the gift shop here...

The instruments below and more were on hand for kids of all ages to have a try!

There was a talk on Theramins by the maker of some in the collection: Richard Hellyer.

There is a great Wikipedia Page on Theremins if you feel like you want to understand more about them. They are instruments which require no contact from the player, so "the controlling section usually consists of two metal antennas which sense the position of the player's hands and control oscillators for frequency with one hand, and amplitude (volume) with the other, so it can be played without being touched. The electric signals from the theremin are amplified and sent to a loudspeaker."

This was really exciting, especially for the kids at the museum, as it's almost a magical feeling playing them, and the sound produced is very otherworldly and therefore is popular for film soundtracks.

The Theremins above were simpler designs and great for introducing children to music.

The Theramin above was so fantastic, and in fact all of them are, so much so that only a video can really depict what they can do, I have just acquired a better digital camera so I did just that. Here is a short demo of the above one, I might actually add another video to this post in due course.

Richard Hellyer Theremin at Bate Collection from Ingrid Says on Vimeo.

For more details on these Theremins in particular see this local news report including an interview with Andy Lamb, curator of the Bate Collection.

If you'd like to visit the Bate, admission is free and opening hours can be found here.

Next weekend a concert is being held on Saturday evening to celebrate the Bate's 40th Anniversary and tickets are FREE, accomplished musicians will be showcasing instruments from the collection and it sounds like it will be marvellous. I wish I could go, but I've already planned a visit to Manchester.

You must email to register for your ticket... further details are here.

So yes, I love this place, it may well be my new favourite museum!

If you are in Oxford and can visit it you won't regret it.

Frankie Magazine available in the UK once more!

2011-02-28T10:43:00.003Z

I blogged about magazines here previously, saying how I always find it hard to feel satisfied having shelled out the best part of a fiver for something which doesn't reflect my tastes in any way.

I was in WHSmith this weekend (fun fact: as a child I used to pronounce it as Whitsmiths) actually browsing for Oh Comely Magazine which I have previously enjoyed I must say... I always feel like I go in and can never find a new issue though, unless everyone else in Oxford is doing the same thing. Hmmm. I also like Bust, and I subscribe to it, I love the reviews and the things to make and recently there was a plus sized fashion shoot which I thought was far more aspirational than anything in Elle or Glamour, but I do at times find that Bust can be a little too focused on Sex.

Since Borders shut down there has been a huge demand for these kinds of Magazines, and I like to think that many people write blogs as a reaction to the magazine industry just not writing about things people always want to read. I have heard rave reviews of Frankie for ages and therefore wanted to read it for years but had to make do with the website as postal costs from Australia are ridiculous just to try out a new magazine. Anyway all I can say is thank you WHSmiths, and everyone should go and and do the same by having a look and possibly buying a copy.

This is the Jan/Feb 2011 issue so it does concern things like Christmas which is a little too late, but it does also have loads of interviews with amazing creative people, a piece on family, and terribly atmospheric photography for its fashion shoots.(very Lula-esque). What I like best is that the entire magazine is adorned with lovely original illustrations by artists. While you could compare Frankie to magazines out there already I would say it is less affected and more attainable than many I've read lately, also not focused on brands at all really, and more on individualism and finding your own way.

I found my copy in WHsmiths, but if you go to the Frankie website here you can find your nearest stockist.

Something else I read this weekend and actually really affected me, was the incredible 'experience' piece entitled 'I was run over by a freight train' in the Guardian Weekend magazine. Do read it, the lady tells her story beautifully and it does have a happy ending. All of the experience pieces can be browsed through here and I usually find them to be really moving and insightful, and usually with a sense of real hope.

Ingrid likes Blogs

2011-02-27T20:20:00.009Z

So I have been thinking about writing a post about blogs I read for a while. Blogs that I aspire to, and blogs that inspire me. These are pretty much my go-to blogs for ideas on life, style and culture in all its forms.

Book Odyssey - JK is a total bookworm and she reads such an array of books, afterwards writing them up religiously in a style that feels like a friend divulging in a literary secret. I love to go back and see what she has thought of something once I've given it a read, and a lot of books I have actually read based on her honest recommendations.

Buckets and Spades - Mat's insights onto mens fashion frequently take you off the beaten track of fashion blogging, he also manages to include a regular dose of Art and Design and on top of that is terribly well-dressed; makes me wish I was a boy!

Mizhenka - I love this girl's constant stream of fantastic photographs of her travels. She also has a great eye for brilliant inspirational illustration and photography.

Oh My Clumsy Heart - I devour Sophie's blog. Her work is really thought provoking and personal, she makes beautiful zines and accessories and the lists on the blog are full of great ideas of things to read and watch.

Stephanie Says - Stephanie had me at her rich leafy header on this blog. Love the peeks into her sketchbook as well as posts of awesome patterns and quirky design ideas.

this isn't happiness - Nevver regularly posts some of the best design images I have seen. Tumblr kind of stresses me out but this one is it's saving grace. If I could reblog the lot I would!

überlin - Husband and wife James and Zoe quit London for Berlin and are blogging the experience. I find the blog covers an enviable whirlwind of exciting Deutchsland times with gorgeous photographic documentation. I recently became an überfan, a title I take very seriously!

A Year In Museums - The blog I wish I had time to do myself! Aidan has set himself a right challenge with this one, hoping to visit all of London's museums in 2011 - as I write I find he managed 15 in the short few weeks of February, impressive stuff. Also his informal, friendly style take you through the things you really need to know if visiting yourself or just hoping for some inspiration.

Hope you find some good reading and inspiration with these, I certainly do. :)

Manchester Art Gallery

2011-02-21T20:56:00.004Z

I've been to a fair few art galleries in my time but Manchester Art Gallery really stands out. Everything is so well presented and fantastically thought out, the collection isn't too much to be an afternoon's work, yet is so welcoming and lovely I have been back again already since my very first visit in October and will be going back very, very soon that is for sure.

Here are some reasons why:

1. Local Artists:
Many gorgeous works by L.S. Lowry and other local artists are on display. Including his depiction of a Piccadilly Gardens of the past and more moody tempestuous images of the inner city.

2. Epics:
Nothing, honestly nothing can prepare you for how incredible this picture is in the flesh. You can sit on a bench and have a proper stare at it, but after a while it does feel a bit like they might gallop out of it.

[Image Credit]

3. Temporary Exhibitions:
It just finished, but the Recorders exhibition was really interesting, Mexican-Canadian electronic artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer created several interactive artworks, including the one below, which was called Pulse Room.

"Pulse Room premiered in Puebla, Mexico in 2006 and [was] shown to critical acclaim in the Mexican pavilion for the Venice Biennale in 2007, this compelling work is made up of 100 light bulbs which are activated by a sensor to flash at the exact rhythm of participants' heart rates."

Fret not though, as from 5th March Anish Kapoor descends on Manchester Art Gallery for the next temporary and it is FREE. I will be going and I certainly will be reporting back here.

4. Interactive things:

("Hogwarts")

("I want to be lounging on the beach")

The above things are just some of the fun ways to explore your own creative side in a huge area filled with various activities. Great for all ages. I saw adults doing the still life one, as well as families playing with sculptures and I took part in the suitcase one. Can't remember what I wrote though...

5. The lovely shop:
Below is a card I found which made me smile, not only that, there is an extensive postcard selection (I have a real thing about postcards... an obsession? Possibly.) including a big one of the Chariot Race painting which I obviously just had to have.

I promise to be back soon, thinking of doing a monthly round of artsy/cultural blogs this week. Also sorry for the quality of some of these pictures, I shouldn't leave home without a camera.

Amazing Museum Time-Lapse Videos

2011-02-18T10:44:00.002Z

Gosh, I've been more absent than I would have liked this month due to real life things, all good things mind you.

I just came across these Time Lapse Videos from museums on You Tube and think they are a really brilliant behind the scenes take on what Museums get up to. Visually brilliant too, have a look!

After being absent for nearly four years for intensive cleaning and conservation, the spectacular Humboldt fin whale specimen returns home to the Museum (Natural History Museum in Los Angeles) in a newly renovated gallery.

This summer, the much-anticipated new Dinosaur Hall opens to the public at NHM in California. Find out more.

The 2010 'Green Awards' - an event hosted at the Natural History Museum in London.

An elephant skeleton is moved from the Zoology Museum to the entrance hall in main Hunterian Museum (Glasgow, Scotland) to form the centrepiece of the new displays being installed to celebrate the Hunterian's Bicentenary in 2007.

Time Lapse of the Burke Brise Soleil opening at the Milwaukee Art Museum (Wisconsin). The architecture was designed by Spanish born architect, Santiago Calatrava. Music is the intro to "Light" by Phish found on the album "Joy."
- this building is gorgeous.

More museums should get posting these kinds of things, I think they are fantastic. The only downside seems to be me now wanting to travel across the world to see them in real life which could prove costly!
Just had a look at the Milwaukee Art Museum Website and saw this incredible Frank Lloyd Wright Organic Architecture Exhibition - anyone reading from the area should certainly check it out.

Baltic Mill/Centre for Contemporary Arts

2011-01-26T20:12:00.001Z

I spent my birthday in Newcastle last year, and went to the Baltic. I have been loads of times but always, always enjoy myself.

I LOVE the building, a converted mill. It is ever so imposing and on a fantastic Tyneside spot.

Crossing the bridge to the Gateshead side you can see the gorgeous Sage building. If you don't know what the Sage is, it is a Southbank Centre or Barbican Centre for the Northeast and attracts fantastic live performances from classical and contemporary artists, Belle and Sebastian played there last month!

(Image Credit)

When I went they were just de-installing Tomas Saraceno's work as the exhibition had just ended... entitled 14 billions. This installation was initially inspired by a Black Widow Spider Web. Along with the help of arachnologists, astrophysicists, architects and engineers he was able to develop this piece over several years. The initial concept was that science often uses the imagery of spider's webs to symbolise the origin and structure of the universe.

In person it was really impressive, the sheer scale of the installation and complex nature of it made it really intricate and detailed.

Click here to find out what is currently on display... at the moment it is the awesome photography by Dan Holdsworth... Baltic says:

"Occupying a space between documentary and the make-believe, Holdsworth’s photographs combine traditional analogue methods with digital processing to transform the elemental terrain of a giant glacier as it melts away."

(Image Credit)

Sounds and looks gorgeous, doesn't it. It runs until February 20th so I probably won't manage to get up there as I've just started a new job and won't get paid in time. If you go, please give me your thoughts, really wish I could go! My favourite past installation was probably Wang Du's The Space Time Tunnel do click the link there and have a look... it was brilliant fun.

If you take a look back at the first photo in this post you will see at the top of the Baltic building is a square box shape window compartment. This is on the upmost level of the building and is a viewing area for the fantastic view of Newcastle/Gateshead and it's bridges. See below...

I hope that, if nothing else, this post has inspired you to check out the Baltic if you are ever in the Newcastle area and if you don't plan on visiting check out my other posts about museums and galleries in the North East here. Plenty of excuses to visit, especially with the exciting news that the 2011 Turner Prize will be held at the Baltic! Read more about that here as it was announced last autumn that every other year it will be held outside London, a fantastic idea in my opinion.

If you can't get to the Baltic do have at look on their website anyhow, they constantly have an influx of innovative comtemporary art and temporary exhibitions which are always free. I have mentioned it before but their online shop is also fantastic. I want everything...

ps. any thoughts on my slightly different looking blog? I have changed things around a bit and added 2 other pages including a 'more about me' section... thought it might be interesting... possibly!

The People's History Museum: Manchester

2011-01-23T22:28:00.008Z

I had the pleasure of going to Manchester for the very first time in October and since then have been a few times, I really love the city and there is so much culture to be sought out!

A couple of weeks ago I went to The People's History Museum and here is what I found...

The museum was re-opened last February having undergone a huge redevelopment... located on the Left Bank in the Pump House - the only surviving Edwardian hydraulic pumping station in the city. Water used to be pumped in the building, from supplying power to warehouses to winding the Town Hall clock and raising the curtain at the Opera house it was one of Manchester's vital organs!

The museum is free, and it is open every day.

Detailed information about opening times can be found here on their website.

The museum is really informative but keeps the interaction going right from the start with this brilliant clock in machine!

The main collection was in the upstairs of the building...

The above sculpture by Stephen Charnock greets you as you walk in the first gallery, it was commisioned by the museum to represent everyone who fought for the vote.

You are also greeted by this lovely wall with the Peterloo Massacre handkerchief. This is actually one of the BBC History of the World in 100 objects and more information can be found on the BBC website here.

'The handkerchief commemorates a key moment in British democracy - the Peterloo Massacre in 1819. It shows the attack on a group of reformers demanding the right to vote by the military that left 18 dead and over 400 injured. Hundreds of these handkerchiefs were produced after the massacre and would have been carried by radical supporters to spread the reform message.'

- Dr Nick Mansfield, People's History Museum

Hereon the museum kicks off with information on what life was like with a King and the aristocracy making the decisions for the country.

The next part is focused on the era where although voting had been introduced, women still could not vote. It covered the life of a suffragette and how they would be expected to do all the housework and cooking as well as their campaigning. There was also information about the formation of early Trade Societies.

The above poster was on display, this image was found here at the fantastic online resource: www.20thcenturylondon.org.uk where you can read more about the suffragette movement. Do check out the website it is like an online museum itself.

The next part of the museum was about 20th Century politics...

It covered the north south divide in the inter-war period where recession hit the north and the south boomed with commuter towns.

There were some great family activities related to the exhibition... below is a box making activity to highlight the role and workload of young children in factories. There was also a badge making machine so you could make badges for your own political/social cause.

Sorry about the quality of the above picture but I really wanted to include it... I was really surprised to learn that things like bread used to have a tax on them!

The exhibition moved on to post WW2 England, the introduction of the Welfare State, the NHS and so on...

The museum has so much ephemera on display and posters, I have taken some pictures of the ones I thought were the most eye-catching but my images by no means do the collection justice.

The last part of the exhibition shows campaigns against racism and homophobia and has some great documentation of banners and protests and badges that were worn to create awareness of causes.

Here is the interior of an early co-op...

...and a working men's club!

I found this museum to be really educational. As someone who isn't totally up to speed on politics it was nice to see all the things on display and be able to imagine life in the different times. It's easy to forget how lucky we are being able to vote these days. This is the permanent collection which I have spoken about here, so it is always on display. I would highly recommend this museum if you have an interest in social history or politics, or like me, just want to learn more about it in an engaging way.

The temporary galleries were downstairs and I wasn't as impressed with them to be honest. A community exhibition on political christmas cards was in one room, and it was quite interesting but I didn't really understand some of the jokes. The other exhibition was about the history of funerals and while it was pretty interesting, it was terribly sombre!

I do have a few things to write about other places I have been in Manchester over the next few weeks so will be back with more.

This afternoon I have been listening to Guy Garvey on BBC 6 Music as he talks about the history and culture of the city in his Rainy City show. Well worth a listening to via here.

'Gallery Rage'

2011-01-17T21:28:00.003Z

Reading this article in yesterday's Observer reminded me of something I kind of wanted to post about a while back, but didn't. The article discusses how the extreme popularity of the recent Gauguin exhibition at the Tate Modern marred the experience for some visitors. I actually didn't go for several reasons... first of all Gauguin isn't an artist that appealed to me, mostly as I wasn't that familiar with his work. Secondly, and the reason that cemented my initial indecision, was that I had heard it was ridiculously busy in the exhibition. I'm sure I would have enjoyed the content had I gone in spite of this; I have previously been to the Tate's paid exhibitions with little or no expectations of the artists on display and thoroughly enjoyed myself.

It just is this 'busy-ness' which totally repels me, interesting really, this coming from someone who blogs about wanting exhibitions to be popular and for more people to participate and visit galleries and museums.

It all stemmed from my visit the Royal Academy's Van Gogh exhibition last year.

In fact it took me three attempts to see it all, and only because I had the luxury of a reciprocal museum staff pass back then, allowing me to get in for free and do it a bit at a time. I mentioned the first attempt in my blog post last March. Each room was terribly crowded, and like the description of the Gauguin experience in the article I mentioned, at peak times you would have to queue and wait to view each individual painting properly.

Image found here at the Guardian Website

Don't get me wrong, the 'Real Van Gogh' exhibition was incredible. The depth of research into the topic and volume of beautiful paintings and letters on display was well worth the £12 price tag, or at least it would have been, if it hadn't been such a stressful experience.

I do urge major galleries to continue putting on fantastic exhibitions like both of these, because they bring in the crowds for all the right reasons. The opportunity to see paintings by Van Gogh was one not to be missed. Some of the paintings were ones which I had desired to see in person ever since studying them at school, and felt lucky to see so many. I couldn't help thinking that the management of the exhibition space and the allocation of tickets could have been better designed to accommodate for the crowds. Mounting paintings relatively close together can create dynamic atmosphere but in a popular exhibition it becomes a nightmare. Just look at The Louvre's example. Mona Lisa has her own area and quite frankly needs one. It makes things more accessible for all who wish to view her. In the Observer article a man is quoted as saying his wife, who requires a walking stick, just would not have been able to cope with the Gauguin exhibition and this needs to be thought of in the planning of big exhibitions such as this.

One other major issue is that having paid around £12 per person to see the exhibition, and on top of this, for a lot of visitors, having travelled from afar for the privilege - they want to spend as long as possible in the exhibition and see absolutely everything. And fair enough, its an experience you may not get any time soon, as the paintings will be whisked away after the exhibition to be proudly displayed elsewhere in the world. How length of stay can be managed is a hard question to consider, and one with probably no solution. Even with timed/staggered entry, the duration of the visitors stay is hard to limit and really it ought not to be limited anyway.

I just don't like the idea of so many people going home with a bad taste in their mouths. I went home from the Van Gogh exhibition (all three times!) feeling stressed and angry. Isn't going to an art gallery meant to induce the opposite of that? For so many members of the public, these blockbuster exhibitions are one of the only experiences they have of going to a paid exhibition, or a gallery at all in 2011 or for many people even less regularly. They need to be encouraged to come back again, not put off the idea entirely. Of course there is the more discerning art lover to please on top of this. Maybe you can't please everyone, but more compromise is needed and surely everyone wants the most pleasurable experience possible?

I wonder if any of you have experienced this sort of situation in a gallery or museum exhibition? It would be interesting to hear both good and bad examples of crowd management.