longwalksdownunder

A short trip over Christmas to Australia and Tasmania. How to even start to talk about what I encountered - from MONA a 'gallery' tunnelled out of rock to house a collection of extravagant installations to watching an echidna feasting on a nest of bullet ants. Completely taken by the natural environment - the trees, birds and animals are other. You find yourself constantly stumbling upon creatures only previously seen on nature programmes. The first kangaroo is amazing, but I loved the mind-blowing birds. Their feathers and calls. Melbourne is a thoroughly modern city and so lush, every space between the built landscape seemed filled with excessive amounts of growth. There were great galleries, parks, food markets and stunning architecture. Tasmania was stunningly beautiful, miles of 'empty' space filled with light. A boat trip to an uninhabited island off an island off an island offered real tranquillity and calm only broken with a host of extraordinary bird noises including the amazing Kookaburra ……Then there is the glorious food including chicken parva, giant prawns, 'bugs', champion pies, curried oyster pies, and the endless snacks, sweets, biscuits and cakes I've never seen before, to many to mention.

resourcesdiverted?

It feels like we have been there at least a month but its Week 1 at Norwich University with new students. Nice to be back actually teaching rather than timetables and admin. Away from teaching it was a busy week which saw visits to Southwold Theatre to see Salacious Secrets in Southwold ~ A Shocking Sordid Seaside Thriller, the latest show written by Robin Brooks and Directed by Fiona McAlpine.  Akenfield at Framlingham Theatre had a fantastic background created by Laurence Edwards. A day at artstation talking with/to pupils from Thomas Mills – invited to ask questions they were all about my tattoos, but it gave me an excuse to talk about Jim. A visit to Duxford on the way back from Luton airport. If you could get past taking in all the materials and resources were used and how one could divert this all to making the world a more positive place it was a great place to observe colour palettes. Onto screens – finished The Summer I turned pretty – 1 season is enough. Hot Milk – couldn’t get into its speed or tone, Relay – excellent, Naked Gun – why.

frenchnesssquared

A break in S France - Marseille was as ever wonderful - checked out the 3 main art spaces on Friday with soup d Poisson at my favorite place down by the docks in between. The Musem is such a gloriously brutal yet liminal space with a rooftop bar to die for. I had never heard of Abd el-Kader but his role within the history of Algiers and Frances relationship with Arabic Nations was being rethought and represented in a more positive light, possibility part of France's attempt at the decolonization of collections.The Frac had an acutely observed show of work by Catherine Melin. I loved the video of children playing within their own worlds and the inflating and deflating of bags used for the transportation of textiles in markets talked of migration and homelessness in such a moving way. The Fric, possibly one of my favorite art spaces had a highly considered and solid show about mimicry - stand outs include the dark yet humerus Grey Area - videos of a person creatively hiding in office spaces by Sofia Hulten. It started out funny then all I could think about were mass shootings and terrorism.  Then there was the tremendous phasmides by Daniel Steegman - a video involving 'stick insects'. I remember as a child buying these in a pet shop and playing with them at home - in the shop it was always interesting to try and spot them in the tank stick-yes-no-yes-no-insect-no-yes-stick! Getting down to Valence on the TGV is a reminder of the joys of travel and the physical connectedness of Europe. The train was beautifully designed, clean, neat, on time and going onto to Luxembourg! The latest show at imprints of Tilman Hoepfl is at one in the space, the work, shadows and walls becoming one and evolving as the light animated the space throughout the day. There is a fabulous exhibition of photography at the art center in Crest with beautiful hand tinted prints from the 1890s that evoke a sense of timeless. This is compounded because of its context because I approached the show after spending the morning in the market, an experience that is SO French it's difficult to comprehend or explain. The wall of cheese smell is almost physical, fruit and veg so fresh and the community bonding through the love of quality good food is intoxicating. Sunday was a busy day - French flea market, clearing a friends house, cycling to a gig up a mountain to see cow bones (a band) - Billy Childish meets Art Brute infused with industrial noise wearing hand made/stitched masks - most excellent. In the mountains on the way down with the skies evolving around us from the usual deep blue in the valley was an astounding experience. All that was left of the day was to eat barbecue ribs and drink. Next day the  fresh sheets of mini ravioli and asparagus for lunch before unraveling the journey back - TGV, bus, plane and car was a reminder to return.

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