lotsgoingon

Organised a fashion shoot at Norwich University of the Arts with Andy. https://www.instagram.com/andisapey/ It was great fun recreating well known and iconic poses from paintings, sculpture and popular culture, all whilst wearing vast amounts of PPE. Sweating like a pig as my mum would have said. A new tattoo as part of my residency at SZC – working with @jim_skins we created a collaborative drawing that was developed and became part of my body. Good photos to follow, the starting point for the work was the idea of energy, the atom and electrons. There are two tattoos that work together but are separate. onto screens – Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F – we knew what would happen down to dialogue, scenes and ending, wonderful nonsense even down to the ridiculous ‘car’ chases. Adolescence – oh dear I need a drink, truly extraordinary.

busyheadshotsintallinn

A busy week – lots to tell next week. Used the time in Tallinn to get some photos to use as ‘headshots’! Onto screens – Alita – a carefully crafted Pinocchio sci-fi origin story. Lee – flashbacks reminds us of the power of the image. Industry – you may not understand it fully, but you will understand enough, you are screwed and they don’t care.

 

filmcapefilmgamefilm

a break but also a busy time finishing off the capes and photographing them in a number of photoshoots - am in the middle of learning new software to make a film comprised of the stills created - also managed to see some films - Star Wars - most excellent - it felt at times like a supercharged remake of the first (which isn't such a bad thing, or is it? It's at its best when the camera is observing space, following flying machines, watching stuff get blown up, shot and also looking at landscapes. Lobster - a straining tragic portrayal of the disconnective connectedness of society - a beautiful parable for this internet age- like! Big Short - a dark film about how the banks created a virtue out of greed whose style feels like something new - a hybrid - a docu-mocku-post-meta - informed by our experience of using the internet and how we engage with it including a montage found footage, infomercials and complex ideas delivered to camera by celebrities - wondrous. Anomalisa the 'puppet film' by Charlie Kaufman - just plain astoundingly odd, in a good way. Finally if you haven't already you have to get into the gut wrenching embarrassing train wreck that is Nathan for you - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2297757/ after binge watching some (every episode) I would recommend starting with smokers allowed http://www.imdb.com/title/tt5199634/?ref_=ttep_ep5 this episode twists and turns so that the 'joke' or focus eventually questions every aspect of an idea, nobody and nothing is safe, especially your own brain - all through Nathan's layered deadpan delivery. You have to see it to really get it! Played beginners guide - a great game - essentially it is a deconstruction of the very idea of gaming - exploring the relationship the gamer has with the game maker through the act of playing - existential crisis all round....

mirrorfilmmirror

Well movember is over– pleased with the result but am now smooth faced. Assisted on a photo shoot this afternoon – mirror suit and landscape. The lecture for the Open College of the Arts went well – it really is the future. http://www.slideshare.net/l.bicknell/research-for-year-1-2013-com the presentation looked at the role of research within an art practice – its pivotal position in supporting creative thinking and enabling the making of work. Pecha Kucha’s with year 2 textile students at NUA went very smoothly – their introduction delivers another strand of professionalism which is now embedded in the course. The Thursday lecture by Lee Lapthorne was quite beautiful – mirroring what we talk about in terms of seeking out collaboration, the need to enjoy working on things you are unsure about, failing wonderfully and learning and multi-tasking as a glorious necessary   http://www.leelapthorne.com/ - we really are good at delivering a positive learning and teaching experience to the students.

It’s a busy week coming up with teaching in Norwich for 2 days (mainly assessing) and then London and Colchester. Managed to see a bunch of quite poor films this week......Wild Target - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1235189/ a nice enough jaunt with raft of English luvies doing their thing, The Worlds End - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1213663/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1 ok – but the funniest moment was the list of pub names which was Very funny, Real Steel - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0433035/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_11 well what to say – boxing robots – it was my own fault that I chose and then watched it and finally Fearless - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0446059/?ref_=nm_flmg_act_13 – relentless but impeccable fighting from Jet Li.