Recollect at Wysing Arts Centre

Went to the opening of 'Recollect', an exhibition at Wysing Arts Centre exploring architecture and memory. A beautiful and interesting show including work by Jackie Chettur,  Sean Edwards and Rosie Pedlow & Joe King. Jackie Chettur's work took the novel 'Ethan Frome' by Edith Warton and explored the tensions of the narrative through a reading, a 3D photographic reconstruction and some re-inscribed versions of the book since it's first printing in 1911. Great stuff! Here is an image of one of Jackie's earlier pieces - '310' which showed at g39 in Cardiff a while back.

In the theme park battle, will Napoleon steal a march on Mickey Mouse?

Illustrated an article by Marina Hyde in today's Guardian in the 'Comment & Debate' section (Sat 14 April 2012). 'Disneyland Paris bosses apparently once claimed that only Napoleon had the stature to take on Mickey Mouse. As a man whose very name has come to define the process whereby reality can be sanitised, Walt Disney must be spinning in his cryogenic chamber at the continued failure to Disnefy France. (Although, contrary to the urban myth, he's not actually frozen and stored beneath the Pirates of the Caribbean ride at Disneyland.)  Full article on Guardian website 

The Titanic / Britannic 15 April 2012

A model of the RMS Titanic at Merseyside Maritime Museum. Originally made as the architect's model of sistership, RMS Britannic, which was a mirror image of the RMS Titanic. The RMS Britannic ended her service as a hospital ship in 1915. She struck a mine off the Greek island of Kea on 21 November 1916 and sank with the loss of 30 lives. The Titanic hit an iceberg 100 years ago on 15 April 1912 and sank with the loss of 1514 lives.

Kent shop fronts

Farewell to Kent. Here are two classic shopfronts from Maidstone and Whitstable.

V&A poster for 'British Design 1948-2012'

Latest poster illustrated for the V&A which is going out to Art Colleges this week. Really enjoyed working on this - combining various badges of allegiance from different periods of history on a leather jacket. The image was developed to run alongside the next main exhibition 'British Design 1948-2012' which opens at the V&A on 31 March and runs till 12 August 2012.

The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists

Saw a fabulous stage production of Robert Tressell's classic 'The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists' by Townsend Productions who have adapted the play and set it to music for just two performers -  Neil Gore and Rodney Matthew. They were both stunning. They are touring all over the UK now, so have a look at the Townsend Productions website for dates near you. Below is the cover of Robert Tressel's original manuscript, now held at the TUC Library.

Gabriel Garcia Marquez: My Melancholy Whores