Week 21

Hey ducks!
So it's been a busy week as usual, and while I should be writing an essay about the significance of the Etats Generaux in the lead-up to the French revolution, I've found a lovely quote for you all:
"From an early age, Sieyes was fanatical about public happiness"- Francois Furet
Now I'm not suggesting that you start a revolution, distribute agitational pamphlets or harass the Queen (she's an old lady, just leave her alone) but wouldn't it be great if someone said that about your life?
"Timothy Watson was fanatical about public happiness"
"Anna Buckingham was fanatical abut public happiness"
"Average Joe was fanatical about public happiness."
I don't know, it just seems like a really nice thing to be remembered for.





And I've been getting urges late at night
To walk and walk for days and throughout lights
Through people's houses, picking food from plates
Through people's gardens, picking locks on gates

So we are moving to a lighthouse, you and I
While seas drown sailors, we'll be locked up safe and dry
And though our doors may knock and rattle in the wind
I'll just hold you tight and we'll not let those fuckers in

This here is my very first pop up card, it's about 30 by 40 cm and is pretty adequate despite being super fragile.Really, really wish I could make this picture bigger but maybe you can see that there's a little boy in a Pierrot hat and a girl with her hair in a bun sailing in the ship. I think they'll have a really nice time together.

This week we love...



This week I am extremely proud to announce that I had an interview with a real live artist. One that has a studio, and exhibitions and manages to sell all his work. Not only that but a man who took the time out to write back to not one but three of my emails and give me some very good advice to boot.This here is John Dilnot, illustrator, collector and god of small things.

What is your daily routine?
Routines are a great idea in theory but they don't last long with me as I'll get bored with it. I do like to start work early in the day and then I can relax knowing that I have achieved something, I think that is the nearest I get to a routine.

If you had to make a box to represent your life, what would it look like?
They all represent my life in some way, I'm sure that I would feel that any work that is more personal to me would represent my life in part but it would probably not be obvious to anyone else. I would like to see everything I've ever made put in the same room and see what that says.

Which of your pieces are you most proud of?
I hate to choose but I have just made a box called 'Bad Apples' that I am very proud of. The box contains rows of apples labelled with names that are largely forgotten old varieties, names such as Harvest Festival and Newton Wonder but each apple has been affected by rot, insects or a disease. It is a piece that I think has a lot of layers to discover and it also means a lot to me personally.

You seem to like collecting things, what is your most prized collection?
I had a very nice collection of milk cartons ( I collected them for the graphics) when I was a student, but despite washing them out they eventually got very smelly and I had to throw them away. I now have a collection of illustrated natural history books, many are often real labours of love and I find them inspiring.

What are you most inspired by: music, films or books?
I could be inspired by anything, inspiration comes when you are not looking for it. I listen to music or the radio when I'm working and sometimes a line from a song will jump out and hit me with an idea.

Your top 5 favourite artists?
Ed Ruscha, HC Westerman, Paul Nash, Max Ernst, Magritte.

What's your favourite font?
I wouldn't think in terms of favourites, I like all fonts and I would use anything that feels appropriate.

There is no way that I could adequately describe John's works so I suggest you check out his website where you can not only see his beautiful boxes and prints but can also buy some of his postcards (75p), little books (8.50) or kits to make your own accordion books (11.75). Magical.









The Cat Empire- Cinema

I remember seeing these guys play at Splendour in the Grass back in 2007 and being completely blown away by trumpeter Harry Angus (no pun intended). Three years on and officially Australia's 2nd biggest music export The Cat Empire have stayed true to their role as performers and created an album explicitly for the stage. Now I don't know about you but in a day and age where any tone deaf tween can become a 'musician' through digital remastering and implants, I find this very refreshing. Having played their 800th gig earlier this year the band is a genuine troupe of travelling musicians and the full bodied sound of Cinema reflects this experience. Th band's been dubbed as a fusion of jazz, ska, funk and rock with a heavy Latin influence but while in the past they've been happy to try their hand at whatever takes their fancy, theur 5th album emerges with a sound that is completely their own. "At times it's thoughtful, at times it just makes you forget and dance" says percussionist Felix Riebl. Reminds me of careless afternoons, burned shoulders and driving with the windows down. Favourite track is 'Call Me Home' but that could change as soon as the next one comes on.


All About my Mother- Pedro Almodovar

"Part of every woman is a mother/actress/saint/sinner. And part of every man is a woman." Take that tagline as literally as possible and you'll still be shocked by the content of Almodovar's dark but witty melodrama. Dealing with AIDS, transvestitism, faith and what it means to be a woman, the films begins fairly simply: On his 17th birthday, Manuela's son Esteban is run over by a car and killed. Distraught, she returns to her home town of Barcelona to find the father of her child whom she hasn't seen in over 17 years and happens to be a transvestite called Lola. Lola is impossible to find but by meeting up with her old friend Agrado (who is also a transvestite) Manuela becomes involved with Hermana Rosa, a pregnant nun with AIDS, acclaimed stage actress Huma Rojo and her heroine addict lover Nina. As you can imagine drama is often at fever pitch with this unlikely group of characters but while many of the issues dealt with make for a depressing experience the scripts wit and characters good humour create something really interesting. The acting is melodramatic but the emotions are sincere, the topics sordid but presented extremely stylishly and in nearly all the relationships you get this mix of mothering and sexual tension. Huge nod of approval to Penelope Cruz who plays Hermana Rose with the most wonderfully childish mannerisms. Absolutely charming. Favourite quote on the other hand has to be: "How could anyone act so macho with tits like that?" Just watch it.


Student protest, from outside ULU to Downing Street

So this Wednesday I joined the 3000-odd people demonstrating against George Osborne's Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) outside Downing Street, and may I say, there's nothing quite like being in a big group and chanting about how pissed off you are. I'm pretty much the least politically aware person out but even I'd cottoned on to the fact that the government's looking to increase university fees to 10000 pounds a year, and I think that's plenty to be angry about, so I got hollering. Then there were loads of banners, and pamphlets being passed around and people asking you to sign petitions and shouting about the 'bastard bankers' and the 'cabinet's millionaire club' and we're all like 'shit, that's really awful..' Then came the talk about protecting our black brothers and following in the steps of our French cousins until we were all pretty much ready to rape and pillage Parliament. So we went to the pub. All in all an interesting experience, and one I'd recommend to anyone with a little bit of excess energy and a penchant for screaming. Plus you get the great feeling of solidarity and just a smidge of self righteousness at the end of it all. so why not? Oh and if you are into politics there really are about a million good causes to be fighting at the moment so you should probably get on it, the next big one I know of is the Anti Racism march on the 6th November. Click here for more information.

Also...

Percy pigs. Those disgustingly great sweets from M&S. Can't put a picture up because they're fairly hideous and you won't want to buy them, but their delicious.