Bristol Street Art

Bristol is the home of street art! In the UK.

This fine Sunday morning we had the opportunity for a leisurely wander around the city centre and came across these wonderful works of art. This is the Nelson Street area of Bristol, and, looking into it later that day, we realised it was the site of the UK’s largest street art project. The paintings are absolutely amazing! There was such a variety of style and content, all very individual and skilfully rendered. Astounding technical skill and imagination. We just walked around with our eyes skywards, pointing at buildings and taking photographs for an hour!

The gallery space itself has its own unique charm and character-stained grey concrete walls, discarded packaging to step over and indeterminate liquids lying in pools on the floor or dripping from walkways overhead. A bleak, anonymous and impersonal urban landscape illuminated by spray can and brush.

The Joy of Modern Architecture

Huge blocks of concrete, reaching into the sky, angular platforms and walkways spanning the void between them. The grey concrete stained with the patina of age and use, the detritus of human city-living and carbon monoxide-belching automobiles. Against a clear blue sky the geometric structures make a bold and overpowering silhouette.

Flat anonymous grey walls, blocking light, creating dark and lifeless valleys. Harsh, knife-edge lines zig-zag around and between the huge grey blocks.

There such a variety of architecture in Bristol, and so many interesting juxtapositions of styles and periods.

The Lord of the Rings

Re-re-re-reading Lord of the Rings at the moment. Just picked it off the shelf for the want of anything better to read. I have been working my way through the films recently as well, which has made me think about how film versions differ from original novels. The films, whilst visually very stunning, imaginatively realised etc. always seems unfulfilling. Things don’t appear exactly as you pictured them; the film version is just one version of the book, tied to a single visual language. And thats before you start to consider the changes to plot, character etc. that are made.

The writing in the books is so richly detailed; the landscapes and their history is so lovingly described that it comes alive in your mind. The descriptions of hill, forest, mountain, stream are so evocative that these almost become the main characters in the books, they are a living backdrop against which the trials of Men are trivial pursuits. Rock, root, water all have a life and identity of their own. The books also have a melancholy quality to them, which permeates the narrative; referring to the passing of an age, and to the nobler and greater times. The rise of Sauron is often referred to as an allegory of the growth of industrialisation sweeping away the rural landscape, life and values. And there is this quality of lament for a green and pleasant land, albeit it one where myth, fancy and reality combine.

Star Wars : Episode One The Phlagrant Money-making

Much as I dislike the idea of continuing to line George Lucas’ already over-flowing pockets how could I not go to see The Phantom Menace in 3D? Even if it wasn’t in 3D you would still find me buying my ticket. Star Wars needs to be seen on the big screen. The sound, the music, the effects!

I’ve obviously seen The Phantom Menace several times now, and it is getting increasingly difficult to see past the flaws, and enjoy it for the spectacle, and it’s place in the StarWars movie canon. Wooden acting (understandable against green screen), cartoon-looking CGI characters, over-reliance on CGI generally, embarrassingly-convoluted and creaky plot, too many children! etc. etc. I must agree with other reviews where they describe it as flat, humourless and passionless.

But!…spaceships, explosions, epic light saber battle, robots, pod race. It is a visually stunning and beautifully detailed piece of cinema, for all it’s faults. I remember waiting for it to arrive through 1998 and 1999, waiting for images, clips and then trailers to download or stream through a primitive and frustratingly slow internet phone line connection! How exciting and impressive it was.

I did think the change of Yoda from hand puppet to CGI was welcome . Though it remains to be seen whether this happens in the original films! Stop tinkering George!

Try to enjoy it for what it is. Or the best that it is.

Bo Lee and Mr B’s

Had a spare few minutes in Bath this morning. So I did the usual and predictable things-MrB’s Book Emporium, Bo Lee Gallery and a strong cup of coffee (and pain au chocolat).

Mr B’s always has gorgeous books, beautifully displayed, and friendly and helpful staff. Its a wonderful place to peruse, and occasionally buy, books. There are books about everything, including books about books, which I particularly like. This time there were no unfamiliar books to tempt me, but still several that are on my list to buy at some point!

Then on to Bo Lee gallery, which I like to pop in to, and have especially enjoyed the larger exhibitions they have mounted at the Octagon.

Again, there were the familiar roster of artists, curated to celebrate Bo Lee’s third anniversary.

There are the beautiful bronze birds and shells of Patrick Haines, here placed within and around books. Very intriguing and beautifully tactile.

The atmospheric and misty landscapes and forests of Gill Rocca I have also seen before. The contrast in scale from the tiny paintings (around 6 cm square) and the larger ones (probably a couple of metres square) is quite striking-from intimate to public. They are deceptively simple and straightforward, and almost fairytale-like, on the fringes of an imagined and dream-like reality.

Finally, the work of Rose Sanderson, who paints delicate and detailed images of animals, as fragile specimens, their transient beauty recorded for scrutiny.

And then on to coffee and pastry before the business of the day!

London Weekend-The Music

Amongst other things last weekend we went along to the Blackheath Halls on Saturday night to see A Concert for Andy. This was a benefit gig, celebrating the life of The Icarus Club’s frontman and compere Andy Ropek.  All the proceeds went to a good cause, The Bexley And Greenwich Community Hospice. It was a fantastic night of music, from a variety of performers who all had links with Andy. For those who knew Andy it was an emotional celebration of a man who loved music, and tirelessly supported musicians and performers. All the acts were brilliant, but some that stood out were Bruise, Mishaped Pearls and Benny Gallagher.

I found myself standing next to half of Bruise at the bar later, and bought a copy of their second CD, which I have played through a couple of times and am really enjoying. They played the track included here-Silvertown. They are a folk/indie group making very interesting and enjoyable music. This track isn’t particularly representative of their work, but is beautiful and funny.

Having looked at their sites on the web I am keen to catch them again soon.

Another brilliant group were The Mishaped Pearls, a mixture of folk, world and classical influences. Beautiful guitar playing and melodies, and stunning vocals. Absolutely amazing.

Heres a video of them..brilliant. I can’t remember what they played on the night, but, again, I will definitely be looking out for them.