There is no easy bits

Had a hell of a time lately, like a helter skelter on a logarithmic spiral taking me down in to some point of total constriction. The weekend brought relief, it is always better for me to focus on others problems and try to help. Once I get focused on my own I get selfish beyond belief.

This Nations Saving Grace

Autum on its way

Skreeworld fightback

Had a strange few days so havn't put owt up. A lot of things are too personal and it would be unfair to share secrets to the world however I have developed strong feelings regarding taking responsibillity for ones own life. Though I have no gripe with benefits for those in trouble and am far from conservative politically I find that some have spent their entire lives supported by the state. I now see a second generation of their children who have no conception of how the world works. That everything has to be paid for somehow. That the shelves in the shops need filling, someone needs to deliver the stuff, someone needs to make the stuff. I have no beef with those who choose to be unemployed either, until we have full employment some are going to have to be unemployed and it is best if it is those that wish to be unemployed. I drove through Willington in County Durham and the Stadium of Light in Sunderland which has a huge chunk of land left desolate beside it. There are no jobs round these areas. They have been left to decay since they served their purpose. Some people their will never have any opportunity to work. It becomes almost admirrable to see that some take the initiative to even steal copper from the railway lines, at least they are making some effort to escape the shit hand they have been dealt. I have never known such a North South divide as now nor such a gap between rich and poor. It is a recipe for disaster. Read The Spirit Level by Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett. The UK has the 4th largest gap in income of all developed countries, children in the UK experience more conflict and violence than in any other Western industrialised country.

Wigan 28 Leeds 18

The cup final started looking like Wigan were going to walk it, soon 16 nil up. Leeds pushed the ball around and got the score back to 16 10 for half time with a brawl to see the players to the tunnel. Leeds continued to dominate though Wigan scored a try from a pass a clear yard forward then in the closing stages, a Wigan player touched the ball over the touch line and the lines man missed it. Wigan got head and feed. Wigan won and were great to watch though, but for two poor decisions it would have been Leeds. There are no 'what ifs' in Rugby League and the game was superb. Wigan must know, though they won, that Leeds could quite easily have won. I believe that Leeds have the better side, somewhere the communication has gone. Should we make it to the Grand Final, I would not bet against Leeds. This was the match I have enjoyed most whilst seeing my team lose in my life. Tomkins, the new RL superstar still has a long way to go to be a legend like Sinfield, Burrow, McGuire.

There are days

I feel depressed then I looked at the Cheltenham Furniture catalogue and felt hugely uplifted by the avenue of craftsmanship at the expense of observation, beauty, commentary on ones own time. The deep lack of any kind of creativity filled me with tears. Why? is that really all you can find to communicate with your skills?

I'm going to have to continue now.

Gulls

Competitive Blogging

I found my blog under a list of furniture makers blogs under the title above. My blog has never tried to be competitive nor about furniture. I checked out the others. They were promotional vehicles, advertising. I had set mine out to be a sort of observational commentary of what I saw and thought. It feels so sad that people choose to use blogs as a vehicle for self promotion rather than an insight in to the mind of an artist. Each day I post imagery that inspires my journey. Then I read adverts on others. It seems sad, almost tragic that such an open avenue of expression should be used counter creatively and as a mere vehicle to try sell when mine has always been an artistic venture in itself. I have read Nicholas Dysons which is fascinating, taking journeys of thought all over, love it. Others seem terribly morbid self promotional avenues of tripe. It is like giving a class of children a piece of paper and saying, 'draw something', then finding most had written , 'look, I am ace, buy my things'. It is fucking miserable. No insight in to any experience, just some pictues of what they are making and a few adverts for exhibitions. If this is the level of thought I am supposed to 'compete' with then count me out. One made me cringe with shame, I won't say whos but, come on, is that all you are?

Respectacles

I have just started with my first pair of glasses.
Spectacles-respectacles-glasses-through a glass darkly.
I once wrote a PHD proposal about seeing through glass. It was largely about how we percieve the world through screens.Windscreens,television-screens,computer-screens.It was a while ago so i cant remember it to well but i recall it touched on Deafness and Touch.It was about the object and distance from reality.The pieces i made to support whatever i was on about were the final 'Natural-History' pieces,a name,unfortunateley Damien Hirst had already appropriated.
Mine were Rose-srems in a box-frame with glass-sheets either side of various shapes and sizes,usually about 3-inches deep.I also made cabinets with Double-glazed-doors,one had Daisy-Heads,one Green-Lychem,one yellow Lychem and a pair of cabinets where the double-glazing held the Grasses and Wildflowers.They all sold but i doubt for the reason i made them to illustrate.I think it was about how we appear to be heading towards a Two-dimensional view of reality.      

When you think about it my Graffiti-argument connects.The man-hole-cover,the paint-flaked-drainpipe that flows to drain cover that flowering-weeds grow around overlooked as flat,dull,uninspired spray-painting spoils our tentative hold on a true,three-dimensional experience as we walk the streets.
 

Bender

Torn

Cigarettes

Illustration for final piece on Grafiti

Lamp

Last words on grafiti

I watched the rise of Banksy, living near Brstol during his growth in popularity and then on to London and finally the Banksy versus Bristol museum exhibition. This had a footfall of 300,000, unadvertised, indoors and pretty good fun for anyone, art fan but mainly general public liked it because it is easy to get. There was also a deep Bristolian solidarity for one of their own made good. You dont need to have followed the ongoing, London based conversation that is the art that made the papers and the big prices to enjoy Banksy. He is more of a cartoonist with that little bit of anarchy thrown in. The thrill of the chase, how did he get up there?
I watched hip hops affect on British youth culture. King Robbos justifiable rise in stature and the terrible street attack he is still recovering from. Sheets of toughened plastic cover to protect famous Banksys so they dont get vandalised in a strange twist of culture. The mainstreams swing to be cool. And that is where it lies Like zany uncles drunk dancing at wedding parties, down with the kids, councillors hunger to be in on the action and try to preserve them. Graf is fashionable with the suits. David Camerons wife gave a piece by a street artist to Mrs Obama for a present, all danger is lost.
But it isnt just the fact that street art is now accepted by the straights, that is just funny.It is the buildings deemed dirt enough, low enough archtecturally insignificant enough to be decorated by 'vandalism'. Brutalist Architecture is having a brutal time of it, canal sidings, train stations but not on a Zaha Hadid, no graf on the Ghurkin or the Ark. The Americanised doodles that spread like giant skirting boards to match the dado rails and picture rails of advertising hoardings the street artists set out to shout back at. I too hate advertising, unless they're really good and don't last too long. I feel the same about grafiti.. Yet our cities are losing their identity as Americana sandwiches out our culture from below and above. I see the odd good piece but far more poor work.The free gallery has no curater. The hierarchy system is as evident through the councils cleaners.
When I look I see a rusting drainpipe that runs down the wall and in to a drain cover with a small weed with yellow flowers. And it is real. It is art. It is so much more moving, in a different realm altogether than poorly sprayed tags. I have engaged in street art but won't again. I will stick to my photography. This is street art I can believe in, the ready made of street art. It is missed by most. The mundane is now fantastic. And the footfall is greater than 300,000

New Job 2

I returned to Somerset with just one commission for a table. I had to sell some machines. Then my patron sent an e mail asking for about 3 years work, furniture for another house in South Somerset. This was a brilliant boost. For the next few years I made four post beds, chests of drawers, dressing tables, bedside units, side tables, kitchen tables, bookcases, desk and chairs for the office; basically the whole house. The builder didnt get involved with the designing as I don't work to others designs. The house looked great when complete.
Next I got asked to make 5 or 6 four poster beds in mahogany. I hadn't used the stff for years. I don't like to use tropical timber and find it dark and moody. I came up with design after design as an interior designer started to show me pictures of grotesque old beasts that would cost 6 figure prices. I didn't feel happy at all. Having no other work I came up with some designs. The interior designer was never able to say clearly what they wanted and now there were three people plus the very patient gentleman paying who all had an opinion. Of course, any design by commitee can either be a great collaboration of ideas or a mess. These weren't great. I made a couple of chairs that were nice before bmoving on to another house my patron had bought in Exmoor. The builder should have had the job done in a year, 2 at most. The job is still on going.
Whether it was the calamity of the beds or the arrogance of the builder I know not but it was decided he would have some design input. As you can see, from the original house where I was designing some beautiful things the situation had degenerated to getting sent child like sketches of furniture that I had to try to make work. Often you find people who think they can design furniture, seldom they can. If I were asked to design a motorbike I could draw pipes and wires and edxhausts, chains and wheels but it wouldn't go. Or at least you would have to get a designer in to make it work.
So, following this 3 year descent from making good things to trying to make sense of the childish sketches, my self respect had eroded. I began by redesigning the bedroom furniture and made some of this. I hope and pray that historians do not associate me with these horrendous beasts. I got sent money. I asked if I could deliver, one time hiring and loading a van. The builder wasn't ready. He kept telling me the client didn't need any more furniture quite missing the point that he didn't 'need' another house. I rented storrage units.
The furniture still sits there. I have some horrid little sketches for beds but no money left to make them.
My business became too reliant on one client and an awkward builder who seems to play at building in his spare time. The patron or client has been fine but the builder has put me under. Sadly, the builders arrogance in thinking he could design furniture and working at a quarter of the speed of normal has put me out of business to all intents and purposes. I studied design for 5 years and have worked designing most of my adult life.
I have other snippets of work, smaller jobs that may help. A client pulled out of buying an exhibition piece as I couldn't restore it in time.
So there lies my business. The whole experience has left me in debt and feel it is time for a change. Whether I go write a book, do a PHD, make more art? I don't know. What I do know is I'll be starting from scratch again. This is quite exciting though very scary. I have a lot of advice for young furniture makers starting out.

New Job

The last three years have destroyed my business. I design and make furniture. I have a patron though over the years things have changed. I designed and built the furniture for a house of his in London. There were always discussion on design and changes that were made but in the end it looked really good. I spent a year after this living with Richard. This came about as my dad got ill so I needed to be near whilst he was in hospital. I went to work at the Workhaus, a company that designed and fitted out exhibition centres and museums. They were a lovely bunch of guys and I really landed on my feet. Having Tex means that I have to be with him all the time or find someone else prepared to spend 24 hours a day with a 7 stone Husky cross Alsation. Richard loved Tex and did a great job of looking after him, no one could have been better. Staying there also meant I could at least spend the evenings with Tex and not lose our bond. Richard was a heroin addict and an alcoholic. This didn't affect Tex and it is surprising how unemployed people invariably have better kept dogs than idiots who keep a dog locked at home alone all day. The RSPCA should prevent that sort of thing. Sleeping was difficult as people would arrive at all hours to smoke crack and do heroin. I somehow managed to survive. Richard is now dead. He fell in love with a girl who used him to death and though he died from an overdose I don't believe it was a true suicide, just an abandonment of caring whether he lived or died.

Lee Smith Try v Wigan (12-10)

It would be a great finale to a legendery Leeds side. Three grand finals and a farewell holding the Challenge Cup aloft as the youngsters take up the mantle for a new era.

1978 Challenge Cup Final: Leeds 14 vs St Helens 12 2/2

Come on Leeds. For John Holmes next saturday.

Broncos 32 Leeds 22

A terrible performance, 20 nil at half time to a mediocre team with the cup final 7 days away against the best British rugby team. This could be the most embarrassing televised defeat I have witnessed. Or are Leeds saving everything for next saturday? Dare I believe? I am already suffering depression and I couldnt take a battering from the pie eaters. I shall keep the faith. I know Leeds can beat anyone on their day. Lets hope it is our day next week.

Attempted Murder in Sheriff Joe Arpaio's Jail Produces Brain Fluid

Sherif Arpaio must go

Anyone who has dipped in or followed Skreeworld blog please take note. Shaun Attwood who wrote jonsjailjournal spent some terrible time in Sherrif Arpaios Arizona jail. His experiences thereae covered in his book 'Hard Time'. Joe Arpaio boasts of being Americas toughest sherrif. His jail system is under investigation by human rights groups. Many innocent people have died there, most there are not yet convicted. Please take time to check out his blog, he is a skreeworld follower as there is a campaign to vote him out. This is important, just take 5 minutes. http://jonsjailjournal.blogspot.com/

Knee Scab

How the fuck is Skreeworld getting on?

Just thought I better check out how the old blog is coming along. A bit weird of late, by the look of things, better pull me socks up and get some stuff written. Dereliction of duty, really. I can't say everything I just hope that the snippets make some sense. I've been asked to write about furniture so some of my time is being spent on that but it is an awful subject to spout off on. Ones negotiation of objects in an interior setting, particularly those aspiring to greatness is like being a critic of others washing up standards, many have moved on to dishwashers and the stacks on draining boards show a terrible grasp of physics. I shall persevere  until the plates fall over

Piss Test 2

Piss Test 1

Kill all

Tough old times in Skreeworld

Hope I can pull this one round

Introducing Turner Prize hopeful George Shaw

Artist George Shaw - Interview at Baltic Gateshead

Introducing Turner Prize hopeful George Shaw

First time I have really cared about the Turner Prize. If he doesn't win, I won't be surprised, just saddened

Looking Down

Great picture but very strange night. Trying to work out how someone else sees history is almst impossible.

Looking up

Very disappointed with certain people at the moment

Green Corner

King Robbo

Great to here that King Robbo is recovering from the battering and head injuries he incurred shortly before the opening of his first major exhibition. Skreeworld reiterates that it was not us that changed the Banksy tags in Bristol to WANKER.

Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers Guildmarks

Of all awards for furniture, the least significant has to be this one. Whilst in my final year of college, three old duffers came round to hand out these marks of distinction. As young makers we felt that this meant something. There was a nice guy on our course who, I am sure by his own admission would accept he was competent but not great. He was awarded three guild marks. This is no sour grapes but a statement of fact. There are some good pieces with guild marks, I have one, yet there are hoards of modest achievements that this strange, antiquated body have given out. The whole idea of a body able to cast approval is antithetic to progression. There were some real special works that went unnoticed that day and since then I have seen through their whole pretentious reasoning for existence. Anything connected to them is questionable and an attempt to perpetuate a past that never existed.

Tariq Jahan and the riots aftermath

I lived in Birmingham for a year and a half and out of all the cities I have lived in I can categorically say that it is the most racially intergrated that I have lived in. On the bus home it would not be uncommon to see muslim, black and white chatting on the way home from work. In my time there, four murders took place, one in the house that backed on to mine. The shopkeepers of Balsall Heath successfully shifted prostitution from their home area. Prostitution takes place far away from the wives of the curb crawlers.
I saw photos of the looters who were sent to court this week. They were doe eyed novices, not gang members who organised the Clapham disturbance to distract police from Croydon. As a boy my father warned me that it was the second boy to jump the stream who fell in.
The sight of a composed Tariq Jahan who heald his dead son in his hands, not knowing who he had gone to help and his composure has to be the memory of a week that began with the police murder of a young man. Politicians making mileage out of these troubles is sickening though to pretend that these riots occurred for no reason is blind stupidity.
There is a carnival element to rioting. A sense of power that has been stolen from the marginalised. But, as things settle, let us know that young people died.

Step Weed

Beauty, given half a chance will occur, nothing can stop it.

Wanksy

Freud Amis Huxley

Pipe, weedy pipe

Strange Confrontations

Last weekend I met the man who through discarded clothing on to an old womans roof. An act of strange vandalism. Later in the week, a car spun round a corner without indicating causing injury to my leg as I rolled across his bonnett. Stupidly, I lost my temper and shouted through his window. Knowing he could have killed me,I kicked his car. He attacked me, I walked away after his assault having punched him back, he followed me, ringing the police, leaving his car with the engine running. I knew, from previous experience and the recent murder of Mark Duggan not to hang around. Why young boy racers are allowed to race around not indicating, hitting pedestrians then asking for support from corrupt police I can not understand. I am old enough to recall the Battle of Orgreave and know the working man is the enemy of the police. Understanding the riots is not rocket science.

Weeds and Coathanger

Woke late today after watching the dawn. You do miss the early morning treats when your timescale drifts out yet the odd bits are seen by few anyway. This little duet is as good as Elton John and Kiki Dees 'Don't go breaking my heart'

Outside of locked public toilet door graffiti

Collared Doves

Doves

Spot the nest

Collared doves

Nice little nest on the security light of the health centre I visit twicw a week. I reckon the office worker below still hasn't spotted them.

Leeds thrash Castleford

Tonight Leeds ran in 10 tries to show how powerful and creative they are. Sadly, without the cameras on them and, perhaps the self consciousness this brings, Leeds showed their true strength by winning 56 nil, a rarity in these salary capped days. St Helens beat Huddersfield whilst the Crucaders showed spirit to win. This strange season is beginning to make sense. Leeds could still win both competitions though I feel the Challenge Cup is where we may have a greater hunger for given that this generation of players have won the grand final three times. Kevin Sinfield, Rob Burrow and Danny McGuire have been and still are the stuff of legend. As Sinfield said when he broke the mighty Lewis Jones points record that these considerations are ones made after retirement, this team has been extraordinary, setting records that will stand for many years. It should not be forgotten that Leeds achievements came at a time when another of the sports greatest teams peaked. St Helens have produced amongst the most beautiful tries and attacking play at any time throughout the history of any sport.

Tex back stalking the night

Alexander McQueens retrospective

Lee McQueens retrospective at New Yorks Metropolitan Museum, Savage Beauty, has finished. In three months 661,409 visitors came to see the work on show. This puts it on a par with the Mona Lisa and Tutankhamun. He seldom reconciled his creativity with buisness though made more by chance than most make by intent, though to mention money seems trivia his popularity in death far outweighs his cultural perception since he took his own life a year ago a week after his mothers death. The son of a taxi driver, working class, gay, he was always an outsider. His work matched that of any fine artist of his time and questions of categorisation, fashion/ design/ art seem journalistic crap. His work took me places no others has; he could make me cry, few visual artists can, some music. There will never be another and anything I write trivialises looking at his work. That is the measure of a great artist, to say what words can not; most art today is reliant on the word.

Matt Collishaw and Ron Arad

I met Matt at a new years party though didnt endear myself to him. I hadn't seen the host for many years so was introduced dressed to no code and was merely joyous to see him. I was aware of his work and prescence though it seems he is truly coming of age. Some artists peak young, I believe Matt is arriving properly now.
His 'Sordid Earth' is a wonderworld. In the space created by the designer Ron Arad in the Roundhouse in Camden, a beautiful jungle of decaying lillies rot in a storm.
Arad said 'lets do something round ad big'. The reslt is a curtain made from 5600 eight metre silicone rods hung from a circular rail 18 metres in diameter suspended from the roof of the building. Arad then asked 360 of his artist and designer freinds, students fro the RCA where he was perofessor of product design to create 360 works to be screened through the eight state of the art projectors on to the rods.
Matt Collishaws runs till 29th august but it will take 5 years to see them all.
I was never sure of Collishaw, so many were carried through on Damiens broad shoulders but, seeing this, his tree piece last year and the planned Death Row last meals I think he is proving himself. The YBA tag can be as much a help as a burden.

Bad Moon

The mood all across the country is beyond my understanding

Pipe

Reeves Furniture

I would like to say how sad it was to see this famous Croydon landmark that survived two world wars burning down. It is clear  that these riots that were predicted way back on Skreeworld are due to government policy. The execution of a young man that was the trigger to these events that still hasn't been explained by a senior policeman. Mark Duggans family have said they strongly dissaprove of these, partly opportunist riots that are spreading through most cities. Modern policing drives the mobs away from the large shopping centres and in to the areas where small buisnesses are baring the brunt, buisnesses that can not recover from having their premises destroyed.
Many of the people involved are likely to have been from low income, high unemployment estates, and many, if not most do not have much a legitimate future. Unlike most people some of those looting haveno stake in complicity. Much of this s opportunism but in the middle of it all there is a social question about young people with nothing to lose.

Skreeworld grafiti

At Skreeworld we are conservative in our graf taste. Since Banksy and the graf that it is a crime to remove and the hip hop fashions the only graf we like is either done with paint and brush, no spraycans and usually somehow sexually related or in the spirit of sheena na gig. Reg 4 Val TLND, an ejaculating penis, for example are good grafiti, offensive, not smart arse. Our three favourite pieces of all time are the one that ran for miles from Leeds to Bradford on the bridges the commuter train passed. I can't recall all of it but the jist was - wake up-brush teeth-go to work-come home-die, it was much longer and more intelligently expressed and the committment to paint these phrases with brush and tin over nearly 10 miles was the work of someone seriously pissed off. Down the side of Lords cricket ground, in 6 foot letters, in about 1977 'Whatever happened to Slade?', this was so good they used it for an album cover. In Bradford, at a junction one drove up to the phrase 'It's a mean old scene', this was removed after many years by council workers, within days it was back and  read, 'It's still a mean old scene'. Grafiti should offend, the marker pen on the bus, homosexual liasons arranged between men of super human proportions on the backs of public toilet doors, 'Gen 9 inches seeks skinhead type for sucking and fucking.' Sadly all the public toilets are closing down, buildings stand idle, boreded up. Streetart is usually crap and is ruining the edgelands, we deny responsibillity for changing the Banksy logo to Wanker on three Bristol pieces but now that it is 'wrong' to vandalise a banksy, the whole ethos of grafiti is destroyed. At first we approved of Banksy though we feel he needs to make a statement to prevent the decent into heirarchy and the loss of British culture in favour of American.

Tottenham Riot

What do we know? A black boy, perhaps with a fake gun, was cornered in a minicab by a hoard of police baring sophisticated weapons. Some say he went on a mad attempt at a shoot out, against his character and all likelyhood as an display of a gun is well known to be suicide in Britain. Other, more believable observers say the police had him on hs back and shot him twice, point blank in the face. The police refused to tell family and partner what had happened. His mother can not tell his children what happened. The family and freinds warned the police that tensions were running high and that their peaceful protest would be hard to contain unless a seniour officer came to tell the public the situation. By nightfall no policeman appeared to prevent the innevitable. The riot that ensued, as all do have many bad aspects. Small buisnesses were destroyed, property burnt to the ground, looting by opportunist criminals. The polices refusal to explain their execution? murder? of a young and popular man

Castleford 8 Leeds 10

RRraR

Leeds beat Cas in semi

Phew! Well it could just as easily gone the other way as Castleford put in a mighty defensive performance as did Leeds in this low scoring game. Leeds were under the cosh for much of the game, particularly in the first half where neither team buckled in the defensive arm wrestle. Not a game for the casual viewer as forwards dominated. Leeds central triangle of Sinfield, Burrow and McGuire never clicked in to gear. The team as a whole played as individuals. At full time there was nothing between the teams at 8 all. The golden point came from a penalty from a high tackle that Sinfield kicked. here was no celebration as we saw from the other finalists Wigan yesterday. Exhaustion? or respect and the knowledge that it could have easily been Cas.

Leeds v Cas

Tommorrow we will see who Wigan play in the Challenge Cup Final. Cas played their Range Chase card though I doubt Leeds would consider this as a great threat. Cas can beat Leeds though seldom do. I foresee a first half that appears close as Leeds allow Cas to play themselves out before a second half where Leeds dominate, perhaps hugely. I don't want to appear over confident yet, even the tail end of this great Leeds side are the better  of most. It looks like it will be left up to Leeds to test the mighty Wigan in the final. The Pie Eaters, as they are known, hold and will always carry this name from a newspaper headline from the end of the great strike of 1923 where the strike was broken as 'Wigan Miners Eat Humble Pie'. Though their cup history stands tall, Wigan will always be remembered for giving in.

Dens

Today we found a den, something Skreeworld endorses. Our picture got lost. The art of den building is a dieing one. To find one, in the grounds of the artist who pushed us away was a joy. We hope that the users of this den carry on with their work and that the white haired fellow, who spends time on his appearance and attacking the homes of elderly women will , not only be unlikely to notice its existence but his unobservant approach shall crumble and be made a mockery by the brave den building boys.

A little sad

At Skreeworld we were a little upset to see that one of our followers had gone out and responded with art to the 'evil' artist. Our argument was a philosophical one, even if the 'evil' one was resorting to a poverty of thought. However, as the true artistic chronicle of thge area we are forced to show the work made in response to the 'evil' one.

Wigan beat Saints

The first semi was dour though a display of defensive skill. As most thought, Wigan won. It is up to us to stop the Pies.

Great

Give it some welly

The evil artist is unmistakeable. When I told him I had seen him throwing clothing on to a vulnerable old ladies house he quickly changed the subject.

Skreeworld Graf

Perhaps it was our decorating his studio that triggered his evil.

The Evil Artist

I followed a path. Paths are natural routes that evolve for human purpose. There were no signs saying 'Keep Out' so I continued with Tex. The evil Witch like figure appared. I explained I was an artist. He told me I was on private land. He Then continued his questioning , superiority in his evil eyes. He asked if I knew who he was. I did. I saw him, oblivious to my observation throwing discarded clothing on to an old vulneable womans roof. A criminal, a nasty man. I saw it click in his eye. He knew. I know artists in his block of studios. It was pure chance I had seen him engaged in crime. I recall the day clearly; I could not understand why he was throwing discarded clothing on to a vulnerable old womans extension roof.. What upset me was that when I explained I was an artist, rather than ask me my angle, my research project; he stood on a higher platform, telling me I was on private property rather than taking in interest in my study. From here on I knew he must be a weak artist. His appearance obviously is of great concern to him. He has no idea who I know, where my work fits in. I shall begin a project of study on him. I am curious as to such a self important individual can be of such little importance to anyone else. 

Skreeworld Grafitti

Frome Central Station

Edgelands critique continued

The broken security light that punctuated a corner of minor theft possibillity. Cats trigger these 30 second flashes of white light, viewed from the sky must burst out, like will o the wisp or stalled cheap garden fireworks. The idea of total surveilance is clarified by this picture. A broken momento to a time when a place had a value worthy of trespass. The key is entropy, or a vain attempt at preserving time. They tell us that in inner city conurbations we pass surveilance cameras up to 300 times in one day yet the footage is lost or ignored. Jamie Bulger, that most iconic of cctv footage horror moments stalled nothing. Venables knew the Edgelands, the railway embankments where all but truant children never go. The Edgelands from the book is a hindsight, adult lookback. It bares nothing of Skreeworlds depth. They created these stories to fulfill a prophesy of living on the outskirts. Only those who had it in their blood truly know the meaning of the black tattoo of a fire, cans and cigarrette butts strewn about. The Authors are tourists who were observant enough to see the glory of the Edgelands but not sons of the waste world.

Edgelands Review continued

Any child of the Edgelands would not pursue their search at out of town shopping malls, airports are out of bounds. The beauty is not one of nostalgia, nor one of change but the hunt for the dust swept under the carpet. The forgotten is at its heart. The journey Farley and Symmons Roberts took lost direction. Skreeworld began by climbing water towers and gas silos. It began with the demolition of Tinsley Towers. It began with what even we had forgotten and at Skreeworld we fear no fence or tunnel.

England

Edgelands Review

A book I so wanted to love fell short. It had its' moments but never quite nailed the bullseye. Skreeworld blog has chronicled, amongst other thgings the Edgelands and othe topics have been viewed from the Edgelands. The Authors could see yet couldn't describe it. The poets failed. Skreeworld grew from the Edgelands, they cross borders. Is it that I put sport in? personal loves? I feel like my land has been invaded. You can;t drive there.

to be continued

Floating Island

An artwork created by Sarah Cockings was, is a floating island; much like contemporary science fiction films and 70s painter Roger Dean enjoy was saboutaged by an elite body of five. The Floating Island was a helium filled chunk of earth in the sky. The team hit at 3am at a garden party in Cambridgeshire and cut the ropes that heald it fixed aloft, two had to sail a dingy to cut a tether fixed in a lake. Sarah is devastated as her chunk of art floats off. 'I guess it could be deamed a publicity stunt', she says, 'but sadly, it is not...it's gutting.' Surely this 'vandalism' has added to its' legend. It is believed to be somewhere over Czechovachia. She says it cost £12000 yet as soon as she mentioned money, it halved in value for me.. But then again, I didn't pay for it.
So if you see a floating island over Eastern Europe, contact Sarah, she wanted to reshow it at the Burning Man Festival. I can't think how to catch it, a roped arrow may deflate the whole thing.

Stairway to Heaven

Apple Alley

Banatyne Tweets

My favourite dragon, from the den, has always been Duncan Banatyne. Before becoming an entrepeneur he spent time in naval jail for throwing his commanding officer overboard. Took to drink for a while and wound up in jail again. Recently, cowards have threatened his family in pathetic attempts to blackmail him. Banatyne struck back offering £50,000 for anyone who breaks the arms of the attempted blackmailer. He has tracked you down to an internet cafe in Moscow. I think your days are numbered.

Frome Flyers

Mag reckons that theres nowt wrong with these two who race round the town on disabillaty vehicles, that they culd walk should they choose to. I see them observing, analysing the comings and goings of this small town. I think they are real, but still the greatest observers of this town. Their vehicles allow them to circumnavigate the town, perhaps engaged in doctoral reaearch, from Asda to the Cornerhouse they race to see a minor vehicle collision. They are the nearest thing Frome has to non interventionist super heroes. A batman and Robin of 2011, compiling in depth analysis of the changes taking place. I have befreinded them to the degree of 'alright' ing them yet hunger for the day they let me in on their purpose. Sadly I doubt they will reveal their thesis as yet. Between them there is a good 40 sone of knowledge and 2 powerful vehicles to get it around.

Composition

Old Brewery Corner

Outlet in to the River Frome from the Sewage Works