Tuesday, 29 March 2011
Sunday, 27 March 2011
Catching The Butterfly
It was a year ago last Sunday that my ex girlfriend, Emma, died. She was only 29 years old. And a few weeks shy of her 30th birthday.
I was sitting in work on the Monday morning, running through my emails when my friend Jamie called with the news. On this enlightenment, I thought it wise to leave work then. Although I had only seen Emma briefly in the last few years, I still thought of her often, wondering how she was getting on and only two days before this, I was talking about her with one of my good friends as we enjoyed a few beers, blissfully unaware she would be taking her last breath and exiting planet dust in a matter of hours. It came as a massive shock to be honest, like a deep void had suddenly been created in my life and I really didn’t expect that. I suppose you are not in control of these things. So as I went into partial meltdown for the week, my fiancée patiently waited for me to resurface on the other side.
This is a sad story from start to finish. A hard battle that she often faced alone. Sadly, Emma had been struggling badly with depression and had recently been diagnosed as bi-polar, which would explain a few things. With some questionable life choices in the mixer, the outcome didn't look overly optimistic. There is a lot that I could write with regards to this but I won't. I shall save us all from my badly conscripted tale of these events, for her sake at least. I just didn't want the occasion to pass without being noted.
They say you learn something new from everyone you meet. I believe this is also true of people you simply pass in the street, acknowledging each others existence with only a smile. But from Emma, I'm not sure what I learned. A total melting pot but much more than I first realised. First love and heartbreak. Life and friendship would also be true. Maybe it's that you have to enjoy what you have at the time, as your time is short. You are here and then you are gone. And where after that, we do not know. We should just be good to each other. She will be sadly missed but hopefully now, she is in a better place.
I was sitting in work on the Monday morning, running through my emails when my friend Jamie called with the news. On this enlightenment, I thought it wise to leave work then. Although I had only seen Emma briefly in the last few years, I still thought of her often, wondering how she was getting on and only two days before this, I was talking about her with one of my good friends as we enjoyed a few beers, blissfully unaware she would be taking her last breath and exiting planet dust in a matter of hours. It came as a massive shock to be honest, like a deep void had suddenly been created in my life and I really didn’t expect that. I suppose you are not in control of these things. So as I went into partial meltdown for the week, my fiancée patiently waited for me to resurface on the other side.
This is a sad story from start to finish. A hard battle that she often faced alone. Sadly, Emma had been struggling badly with depression and had recently been diagnosed as bi-polar, which would explain a few things. With some questionable life choices in the mixer, the outcome didn't look overly optimistic. There is a lot that I could write with regards to this but I won't. I shall save us all from my badly conscripted tale of these events, for her sake at least. I just didn't want the occasion to pass without being noted.
They say you learn something new from everyone you meet. I believe this is also true of people you simply pass in the street, acknowledging each others existence with only a smile. But from Emma, I'm not sure what I learned. A total melting pot but much more than I first realised. First love and heartbreak. Life and friendship would also be true. Maybe it's that you have to enjoy what you have at the time, as your time is short. You are here and then you are gone. And where after that, we do not know. We should just be good to each other. She will be sadly missed but hopefully now, she is in a better place.
Wednesday, 23 March 2011
The girl with no name
She has no name but a pretty face? An emulsion soul and a heart of grace?
Hungover and tired, Sunday was indeed a day of 'productive rest'. I was going to be spraying up some stencils outside as it was nice and warm but the back garden (that is shared) had some of the neighbours clothes hanging out to dry and no doubt, they were going to end up being covered in overspray, which would have been a bit of an inconvenience for them I'd imagine.
So undeterred, I painted in the living room instead, exchanging spray paint for wall emulsion. I have a few small (some may say extensive) decorating jobs to finish in our flat and one of these was putting the final coat of paint on the bathroom roof. In the process of digging out all my tools and brushes, I found some old paint samples that we had laying about. You know the story, the colour looks great on the tin but once you get it home, pop it on the walls, it turns into something completely different. I'd cut this stencil a while ago and it was one piece that was going to be incorporated into another but I was just glad to be painting something (other than the bathroom roof) to be honest.
It turned out alright but it's fairly rough in comparison to using cans and it takes ten times longer to do. The paper also starts to curl up and peak when the paint goes on making it a little harder to work with. I might add some more to this or it might just be best to set her free and paste her up somewhere around town. Fly my little one, fly!
Hungover and tired, Sunday was indeed a day of 'productive rest'. I was going to be spraying up some stencils outside as it was nice and warm but the back garden (that is shared) had some of the neighbours clothes hanging out to dry and no doubt, they were going to end up being covered in overspray, which would have been a bit of an inconvenience for them I'd imagine.
So undeterred, I painted in the living room instead, exchanging spray paint for wall emulsion. I have a few small (some may say extensive) decorating jobs to finish in our flat and one of these was putting the final coat of paint on the bathroom roof. In the process of digging out all my tools and brushes, I found some old paint samples that we had laying about. You know the story, the colour looks great on the tin but once you get it home, pop it on the walls, it turns into something completely different. I'd cut this stencil a while ago and it was one piece that was going to be incorporated into another but I was just glad to be painting something (other than the bathroom roof) to be honest.
It turned out alright but it's fairly rough in comparison to using cans and it takes ten times longer to do. The paper also starts to curl up and peak when the paint goes on making it a little harder to work with. I might add some more to this or it might just be best to set her free and paste her up somewhere around town. Fly my little one, fly!
Monday, 21 March 2011
Sunday, 20 March 2011
The Stolen Scream - A Story About Noam Galai
It's crazy that something like this can get so big and a shame that to date, Noam has received no financial benefit from the mainstream corporations that duplicate his image to sell their products. As he says it's cool when artists use his 'scream' for art and not for profit. I'd be fairly happy with that too! Below you can watch Iranian street artists ICY and SOT use the stolen scream in their Hope 'n' Pain set.
Saturday, 19 March 2011
Six Pack Frame Cinch
However, everyman to himself! Scoop it here if you likes. It's essentially a strap used for carrying polo mallets (?) but the hanging six pack array looks good to me. And the bell... you still get those? Nice!
Friday, 18 March 2011
Amsterdam Acoustics - The XX - Crystalised
By miles upon miles upon miles, one of the best bands to come to light last year, in a place that is close to my heart. A few amazing weekends have been spent in Amsterdam. I think I've been there five or six times now. In saying that, it's probably time to head back. Fancy a bier (smoke and a pancake)?
Joni Sternbach - Surfland
Wow, wow, wow, wow!!! I absolutely love these vintage looking photos by Joni Sternbach. They are amazing! Her Surfland series of photography is soooo nice! The super talented Joni Sternbach grew up in NY, graduating from the New York University and International Center of Photography in 1987. She currently teaches wet plate collodion at the ICP between projects and exhibitions.
These photos were actually taken quite recently (2009) but aged through a process called 'tintype' using wet plate collodion. I'm not familiar with this process but having read a little about it now, it sounds like a fairly complex lesson in chemistry (which I failed) and given that she does this outside of a studio is incredible. Apparently this type of photography is more closely associated with images taken during the American Civil War and other happenings from that era onwards (not only in the states).
These photos were actually taken quite recently (2009) but aged through a process called 'tintype' using wet plate collodion. I'm not familiar with this process but having read a little about it now, it sounds like a fairly complex lesson in chemistry (which I failed) and given that she does this outside of a studio is incredible. Apparently this type of photography is more closely associated with images taken during the American Civil War and other happenings from that era onwards (not only in the states).
Joni displays the same natural elements in her other sets: the sky, ocean/sea and decaying architecture. This in turn gives her style a beautiful timeless feel.
Each image is taken on an 8×10 inch one-of-a-kind tintype. The collodion process is instantaneous and processed on location with the aid of a portable darkroom. Many of the first stills taken were of local surf heroes and artists that reside in the Montauk area of New York but most are simply strangers. Lucky ones! Doing their own thing but willing to help out, met on location, up and down Americas east and west coasts. The Surfland Series consists of several hundred photographs and is available in a super sweet hardback book that would look very nice sitting on your coffee table. You want it? I think you do? Go get it!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)