alternativedimensions

away from the alternative world where I am working out what to watch at Glasgow International, creating a full schedule that includes all the parties and what would of been an extraordinary 4 days.......I have been busy reading - the issue of the model, how we use it/them and how we communicate ideas through both the eye and the hand. A key text is Models the third dimension of science edited by Soraya de Chadarevian and Nick Hopwood and supported by Geometry and the Liberal Arts by Dan Pedoe which has some great illustrations. The work in the studio continues with the reading informing an exploration of geometry and its relationship to the model through string, knots and wire.

meanwhile some watching Collette is stunning with gloriously outrageous acting from Dominic West while Keira Knightley makes sense of her world. Ozark  continued to disturb with its demonstration of how one person can destroy lives in such a seemingly casual way, it's all about survival. The main lesson continues to be to not get involved with drugs!! Unorthodox https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9815454/ is truly harrowing yet there is a strength that keeps you watching. Deep into season 3 of Westworld - episode 3 is a true mind blower with its commentary on existence through its commentary on the constructed world - or is it.....

smokingtotheend

While cycling back to Liverpool St Station I came across this fine example of smoking architecture (an architectural intervention developed expressly for the purposes for smoking). I will add it to my collection. OCA this week has been the start of Testing Boundaries - the assignment that is creating new work for new spaces - all within an incredibly short timeframe. It's a real challenge but one that everyone rises to and goes on to succeed. As we embark on this year's iteration I think we have a strong possibility of doing something especially challenging after the first session threw up many issues around culturally specific locations. A day of group crits at NUA means 4 sessions of 8-9 students for an hour and a half each back to back - it's a full day, but there are some very strong bodies of thought emerging. Camberwell continues to be a long celebratory wake as the course is taught out and I run two more sessions for the very last time - writing reading and presenting problems. I think the relaxed atmosphere is bringing out some of the most extraordinary conversations, again the group consists of individuals from many corners of the world with multiple culturally specific knowledge - it really is a privilege.    

So far halfway through Good Girls - it's a Netflix winner that started out as an interesting portrayal of strong women doing it for themselves has now added jeopardy and turned into a worry - will they be okay? Watching They shall not grow old was an incredibly odd experience - getting beyond the 'unnatural naturalness' - the 'it's a little like a war movie' feeling was a challenge - the everyday footage of German and British soldiers 'hanging around' in the same place somehow symbolised the seeming pointlessness of it all. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7905466/?ref_=rvi_tt

academicwhirlwind

a full-on two weeks of an academic whirlwind - I think that there was some breathing in there - somewhere. lateral thinking workshops, introductions to course, days out..... timetravel letters and tutorials. From the initial conversations I feel Year 3 students at NUA are going to be excellent. I have posted a few of the presentations on slideshare - a link to day 1 https://www.slideshare.net/l.bicknell/thursday-day-1 Teaching at Camberwell is a longer story and I will return to this later. On the Netflix front deep in Maniac https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5580146/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1  with its excellent cast/acting and the question of what is real, where is reality and truth at the core, Killing Eve https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7016936/  was a winner. Outside of the screen I managed to get to see the stunning Clocks by Christian Marclay at the Tate - oddly I was watching a piece actually about time showing time but I forgot the time and was late for a meeting!! - its that good. Even though I have seen it several times in different places I plan to go back - meanwhile here's a link to Telephone - another piece of his https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MMfgRg53SU Storm - James Wilton Dance at Dance East - some wonderful movement from the soloists Norikzazu, Ihsaan De Banya and Sarah Jane Taylor. The choreography flowed and I became acuity aware of the dances relationship to the floor! just enough hip hop. Finally got my Spill tickets - can't wait as there is so much to see especially a return to Forced Entertainment's Shakespeare  https://www.forcedentertainment.com/project/complete-works-table-top-shakespeare/  and Shared Saliva https://spillfestival.com/show/rituals-in-romance/ looking forward to Dance at The Place next week and then another evening at Dance East.

backtoreality

a full on week of back to reality - NUA has been about timetables - which are now ready and waiting OCA had its first session - I am now year 1 tutor and looking forward to guiding the 2018 cohort. Camberwell is ........well............in the process of deconstructing its relationship to MA teaching and Book Arts in particular. We shall see what happens. The work for Goldlay Sq has gone from my space and is now in their space. I get to site the work next week. Next week is the first week with year 1 students at NUA - we have loads of excellent activities planned including a visit to Cromer. Finished the devastating Ozark - https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5071412/?ref_=nv_sr_1 it was such a trip and towards the end just a catalogue of trauma. I am now in season 2 of Atypical https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6315640/ it really is quite beautiful between the pain and tears. In terms of podcasts its been mostly repeats and best ofs whilst they take a break over Summer. Like most I have become slightly obsessed with Trump so https://art19.com/shows/pod-save-america Pod save America has become a key feature of my listening alongside the wonderfully funny Stephen Colbert on The Late Show and the inciteful Anderson Cooper and disturbingly fair Chris Cuomo from CNN.

someimagessomefilms

working life continues to be consumed by organising and setting up exhibitions within the educational contexts I work in, although I have been looking through the images that I have from Glasgow other than the art and thinking about possibilities.

late to the game but have just moved through the first 3 series of the complex and beautiful Grace and Frankie https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3609352/ two films - the unsure if it was 'well meaning' but it is warm Please stand by https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4652650/?ref_=rvi_tt and the crash bang wallop, although the monsters are very big that is Pacific Rim Uprising https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2557478/?ref_=nv_sr_1

someteachingsomefilmssomecomplaining

yesterday had a couple of teaching sessions at NUA which went well - here are the links https://www.slideshare.net/l.bicknell/to-quit-or-not-to-quit - mainly trying to talk about giving in - it's that time of year within the academic world - so support is much needed - it's all about planning. https://www.slideshare.net/l.bicknell/label-work-why talking about the why, how and what of labelling - it's all about storytelling. and then some films - Wiener-Dog http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4144190/?ref_=nv_sr_5

oddball is a term created for this film - any starting point that has a 'sausage dog' at its point has to be a good thing. 3 idiots http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1187043/ a fun yet politically conscious film that has so many knowing moments. The underlying themes are wholesome. and then there have been the 2 series of lovesick http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4051832/ - it's worth getting to season two to start to love Luke! the back story is always the key - just very sad but glorious writing. meanwhile a great sign to be found near me on the coast that helpfully explains how wonderful nature is in pictures whilst simultaneously messing it up - because you need a photograph of the space where you are standing in the actual space to help you really enjoy the space.

netflixiskingin3D

work for https://unfoldingthinking.blogspot.co.uk/ continues. Looking forward to a visit to D2W this week with students from Textile Design at NUA. I've been working with 3D printing myself so it will be great to show the students the potential of 3D printing. I intend to get to White Cube http://whitecube.com/exhibitions/fred_tomaselli_masons_yard_2017/ Marian Goodman WWW.MARIANGOODMAN.COM and Carroll / Fletcher http://www.carrollfletcher.com/exhibitions/62/overview/ recently I've been moving through Netflix sets.....the oa is truly traumatic and the last episode takes the viewer to a very dark place when the realisation of what you have been watching is made plain....or is it? https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2016/dec/17/the-oa-review-netflix

my crazy ex girlfriend https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crazy_Ex-Girlfriend_(TV_series)  is bonkers - I love it when the narrative is broken up by the singing and dancing which is itself subverting the very idea of the musical - the lyrics are sharp and acerbic there are so many good ones - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFUk79fBOiQ  or try https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ky-BYK-f154 onto films - Patriots Day, the second in the series by director Peter Berg of films driven by actual events - this one makes you proud to be a Bostonian, hang on I'm not!! http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4572514/?ref_=nv_sr_1 the edge of 17 is a screwball-sweet coming of age moment - very nice http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1878870/?ref_=nv_sr_1