footballasdistraction

The amazing Tilda Swinton in Peter Wollen’s Friendship’s Death outlining the plot to Douglas Gordon’s Zidane a full 19 years before he collaborated with Philippe Parreno to create the best football documentary ever. With Bill Paterson explaining the English obsessive connection to the great game – not pointless at all….. Glorious

Disceautdiscede

A weekend of a ‘road trip’ back to Lincolnshire to see some places located deep in the recesses of my memory. First off Louth to see 3 life-sized bronze figures and floor text panels that I collaborated with laurence edwards to create 20 years ago. The work celebrated the fact that the meridian line passes through the town, one of the few habituated places on the planet. The work looked fantastic, like the day it was made and sited. The idea was that a male figure outside a church had got hold of the line, as it emerged from the ground, the tangled text line was confusing as it goes back to into the ground. It emerges outside the library where a second male figure holds a fractured line, it can be found going into another building. A third figure, a woman holds a perfect circle outside a school and understands the concept. The conceptual line was made physical by placing steel text in the street, emerging from shops and buildings only to disappear back into the city scape. The work also involved working with local media to generate the text which was cut into the line, alongside workshops in schools and the generation of a one-off book and exhibition for the library. It was commissioned by Louth Town Council and Commissions East. I can recommend the coffee at the Masons Arms, which has changed greatly in the 20 years since I was last there, microphone in hand giving a speech to the people of Louth! Lincoln itself was celebrating the imp with some totally glorious ‘statues’ what a time to pick to go. Lincoln has changed so much, locating my past was negotiated through recognising existing buildings, even if their function had changed. The cathedral is such a magnificent building, despite the £9:00 admission fee and it had not changed, the imp still in its place. I enjoyed seeing the motto above the door at the building which was where I worked at the art school Disce aut discede – learn or get out. My old house in Sturton by Stow seemed neater and the sun helped to make it and its surroundings quite beautiful. Out to the coast, via Horncastle, where every building seemed to be a second hand one 30 years ago. Anderby Creek and Chapel St Leonards.  What to say, what was an isolated empty space of contemplation now has 3 interventions to help you engage with nature, “to make it more interesting”. To say these are some of the most ill-conceived objects known to mankind is an understatement. A sound thing to enable you to hear the wind, in theory. An inaccessible cloud ‘bar’ watching device that consisted of a cluttered platform area of generic concrete clouds where you looked at clouds through mirrors, which in fact just reflected each other as the mirrors were so close together. What had happened was that a device to enable you to see clouds had made the whole exercise less accessible – genius, just add some very poor bird/text metal plaques and you have all the issues of why public art should not exist. Finally, just down the coast a lookout tower so badly designed that it actually blocks out the view when you climb the yes poorly accessible stairs …………. Oh dear, ill conceived is not strong enough to describe this travesty. At least the beach huts were worth seeing.

stuffandmorestuff

A busy weekend – off to Orford Ness for Afterness as ever it was going to be interesting to see if any of the artists could match or at least work with the extraordinary space that is Orford Ness – they couldn’t - there was nothing to see of any consequence, apart from the space and buildings themselves – dull and not up to Artangel usual standard. Next was first flight in Lowestoft. Brought to us by the fabulous people who brought us First Light it was a celebration of birds and bird boxes but actually it was a celebration of community as hundreds of people turned up just to be there. https://firstlightlowestoft.com/whats-on/first-flight/  I popped up to Oxford and Cambridge Home Zone, something I worked on 20 years ago doesn’t look too bad, the worst damage was done by contractors digging up cobbles and replacing them with tarmac. Next - Snape Maltings to see a piece that was less than interesting, apart from a short moment when the players went off key on purpose to illustrate a person’s inner self disentangling – playing all the notes just in the wrong places! Art Station at Saxmundham has some good pieces in what is a great development for the arts in Suffolk. https://theartstation.uk/  I have a some work in it which isn’t bad but there is a piece by William Cobbing that is mesmerizing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fD86pPPkoo  The costumes from Black Panther are contextualised within a fantastic exhibition at Christchurch Mansions – The Power of Stories - truly amazing. https://www.powerofstories.co.uk/  Also I had forgotten how amazing the building and its collection is – you could get lost in there for hours. Finally, onto Felixstowe to see the new development at the Martello Tower area – great roof but not yet finished – it will look good in the end. Then just standing at the entrance to the Port is mind-blowing – truly vast ships, almost too big to comprehend with containers that look like tiny blocks being lifted seemingly effortlessly onto trucks – capitalisation and globalisation meshed together was quite disturbing. Onto screens - late to the party but have started 6 feet under dark, funny with a great script and what looks like excellent complex characters – it should be good. The Dead Don't Die https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8695030/ every indie star is in place as the film casually moves forward – dealing with the zombie threat in a way that does not appear to feel like one. My Year in New York has terrible reviews, but I enjoyed the ‘stagy’ feel and over dramatic nature of it.

thethingsthatdreamsaremadeof

We'll outlaw your voices, do anything we want
We've nothing to fear from the nation
We'll kick you out your houses if you get too much
If we have to, we'll destroy your generation
We've built up a frontage and we've gained respect
Paul Weller
Standards
1977

You don't know what it is but, there's got to be more
You'd better find a way out, hey kick down that door
It's a rat trap and you've been caught.
Bob Geldof
Rat trap
1978

These works explore control, order, and manipulation.
The social structures and educational systems that supported my journey are gone. The path I took can no longer be taken by people like me.
The clash that takes place on the turntables seeks to provide a space to consider potential and possible connections.

These are the things
These are the things
The things that dreams are made of.

Dimension’s variable

Cardboard, grey board, paper; arches, tissue, Tyvek, cartridge, IKEA carpet underlay, PVA glue, paint; emulsion, spray, gold leaf, fishing line, linen thread, PLA, graphite, felt, steel rod, nylon wing nuts, titanium foil, 11 turntables, 11 record covers, 4 extension leads, 1 monitor, the NHS, welfare state, comprehensive education, the BBC, the library service, full university grant, maintenance support, housing benefit, subsidised travel, the GLC, 

Les Bicknell
2021

My installation in the exhibition - Here - @the_artstation. opening 26th June till 25th the show is going to be a real joy, there is some excellent work in the exhibition

printingparametersisallaboutcontrol

I am deep into the 3D printer. Still working with the 3D printing software; Google sketchUp, 3D Builder, PrusaSlicer – to work out what can be achieved, whilst also trying to figure out how to be in vague control of the activity. The parameters of printing possibilities seem endless, at one end an object can be formed solid like a block of non-material, it is all about the physical structure. At the other the delicate strands of PLA align with textile activity, weaving and basketry. I enjoy the feeling that the object seems to of been conceived in another universe, somehow they just arrive but the latter gives the work a deconstructed tone, not just in its physical making but also in that when viewing the mind can and does try to work out how the object was made. Onto screens - Rare Beasts – glorious storytelling https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8419594/ Cruella – glorious retelling yet overly long. Wrath of Man - Stath gloriously doing Stath.

alltimestrangeandindulgentIdonotunderstandwork

I went out to see/listen to something! - Daniel Pioro and Katherine Tinker at Snape – really very beautiful, Daniel’s playing was so considered yet muscular, he brought something new to Vaughan Williams The Lark Ascending, the stillness was exquisite. A trip to see Mathew Barney at the Hayward Gallery. I am such a fan with the Cremaster Cycle possibly topping my list - all-time-strange-and-indulgent-I-do-not-understand-work. The show has some extraordinary pieces, especially the frames! – meanwhile New Contemporaries at South London Gallery has less to recommend. Onto screens - The dog who wouldn’t be quiet – superbly odd. Riders of Justice – superbly funny. Managed to get through Time – gruelling - it should make everyone reconsider their criminal intentions, its simultaneously relentlessly grinding and terrifying …. https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2021/jun/06/time-review-sean-bean-and-stephen-graham-astound-in-enraging-prison-drama

trainingtonotsee

Why is the history curriculum like it is? – Well who knew that our history lessons at school taught us to be white supremacists, reading Slave Empire: How slavery built modern Britain it becomes transparently clear. Was it on purpose? Who does it suit for us not to think? https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/padraic-x-scanlan/slave-empire/9781472142320/ Finally got round to buying a 3D printer, now reacquainting/relearning/learning 3 software packages and testing out the hardware, it’s my new magic after Photoshop. Started with a mini bird box as part of the Lowestoft Project. My favorite new radio station nts.live – some excellent wide ranging sounds. Assessment is ongoing.