Day 342: Tessa Wolfe-Murray: the purpose of art...

Today I thought I'd start up a bit of a debate because I'm in that kind of mood. It starts with a question;

When does art stop and necessity take over?

Take this vases for example. They have been crafted by Tessa Wolfe-Murray and are really beautiful. I love the deep blue with it's mottled tones. I like to imagine they've been found at the bottom of the ocean from a sunken ship...It's obvious that a lot of skill and time has gone into making them. But, what are they for? Should we use them as vases to put flowers in or should they just sit and be looked at?

Vases were used by the Romans to carry water or store food in like salt or grain, safe from rats. But we've got bottle and fridges for that, right? So should be just put these on the side and look at them? Is that what art is for? Can art be useful? can we use it for stuff or is it just for the pleasure of out eyes?

I wonder what you think...



'Deep Sea and Shallows' 

Day 279: Fanatical about films?

I have spent most of the day sitting behind Box Office at work looking through the Odeon Magazine. Some of the films coming out soon I quite fancy like, The Adjustment Bureau and The Lincoln Lawyer. They look interesting: What could be in their future that would cause them to become wanted in their present? Why would a man run a law firm from his car?

But some of the films like, Battle: Los Angeles and Unknown really didn't interest me. Why is that? Why do some of us want to see those films and some of us don't? What is it about them that makes us fancy them (or not)?

Is it their stories? Their actors or directors? Is it their marketing?

Odeon claims to be fanatical about films, but are they really? I mean, can any one person be fanatical about all films? I don't think so...

Just one of the thoughts that filled my head as I waited for the next film lover to buy a ticket from me today...

Day 246: Panasonic Lumix GF2 Camera

''Encourage creativity, whilst keeping things simple,'' says Panasonic on their latest creation.

Panasonic's Lumix GF2 is a new generation of camera with detachable lenses. It's the smallest camera of it's kind and it basically makes it possible for anyone to take a great photo without knowing anything about ISO, aperture or anything 'technical'. The camera does it for you.

Check out this promo video to see just how much you can do with it.

But what does this mean for creative types like us? Is this empowering the people, allowing creativity for all? Or is it taking away the results of true professionals who have studied photography and try to make their living from it?

What do you think? Should creative skills like photography be shared out amongst everyone? Do you think this takes creative value away? Is it a good thing that more people have the chance to produce good quality creative photos?

Should creativity be an exclusive thing? Should it be made easier for everyone to get involved?

All good questions for us creative thinkers to spend some time on...

Day 244: Library Cuts

Yesterday saw 'read-ins' and protesting at the governement's plans to close Libraries across the UK. In Oxfordshire 20 of the 43 libraries are due to shut. In Doncaster (Yorkshire) 14 of their 26 will be closed.

So what do you think? Do you think it's a smart move? Is it a good way to save money? I mean, better that than taking it from Elderly care? Do people even use libraries anymore?

What do creative thinkers like us have to say on the matter?

If you ask me, keeping libraries open, you're not just caring for the elderly, you're caring for the whole community. It seems to me like the new government are squashing everything that brings happiness to people. You know, the free stuff. If I'm honest, I don't take out many books from the library, but I do spend a lot of time there. I study in the quiet area for hours, I sit in the reading corner before I start work, I brouse the books from time to time, I use their internet when I need too...

Libraries are free places where anyone can go and just sit, read, think, play, keep warm. The amount of people that gather in Bath's Library is amazing; children, business men, unemployed, homeless, students, retired...where else does this mix of people gather?

I used to get tons of books from the library when I was a kid. What are kids gonna do now?

Famous authors like Phillip Pullman and Mark Haddon have been joining the protesting too. If it's important to them, then maybe it should be important to us.

What do you think about it...?

Day 231: To be or not to be...is that the question??

Ok, crunch time. Today is the day I decide the theme for my competition...

And the winner is, Chaos and Curiosity!

BUT...Is that a cop out? Is it giving the competition entrees more choice or is it just me backing out of making a decision? As the organiser of this project, I want to do what's best for the pupils. I am, after all, doing it for them...

Isn't being creative tricky sometimes! Let's be honest, there are just too many decisions to think about at times, so what do we do?

I always talk to others and get their opinions, but at the end of the day, it's my creative work, so I have to make the decision.

In this scenario, I'm going to try turning it round. If I was going to enter a competition, would I prefer one word to two to choice from? The choice would probably open up more ideas, but then I'd get confused with which word I should choose to write about.

Am I therefore pushing the decision to someone else? Are the two themes a burden or a helpful motivation...?

To many questions! I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in all this creative confusion. Sometimes you need to know that, so here I am telling you.

Come back tomorrow and hopefully you'll find a more level headed creative thinker!

Day 225: Should you put kisses in text?

So, I know this isn't directly related, but bare with me...

Me and my housemates were just having a chat about whether you should send 'x's (kisses) in texts. One of them said, 'well, if I text a boy I don't send kisses.' But I totally do. Am I giving them the wrong impression...?

For me it's kind of a signing off. I don't want to waste characters on writing, 'love/from Emma.' That's 8 characters, when I can just use one, 'x'. Everyone gets one kiss from my boyfriend to a work colleague.

The other day I had a convo with my sister who said, 'I only send you one kiss 'cause you only send me one. I send Grania (her best friend) three.' Cheek! Does that mean she 'loves' Grania more than me...?

I'm pretty sure this kind of confusion about texting politics is not new to you either. Don't you think it'd be better if everyone did the same thing? What we need is a code.

So, this is my creative proposal for today. I need someone to write a book about 'text eticate' and publish it everywhere. Only then will we find rest with this heated topic!

Whose with me? Whose up for the challenge? The world needs your creative input...

Day 63: Give peas a chance

The other day, me and my sister where driving round the M25 coming back from a jolly camping trip. On our journey we went under loads of bridges as you would expect, but there was one which particularly caught my eye. Someone had written on a bridge in white paint, 'give peas a chance.'

Now, I've seen the graffiti on this bridge before, but I've never really found myself pondering over it's meaning...

Does it mean, don't eat peas? Or set peas free...if that's what they meant they would definitely have a lot of squashed peas on the M25! Maybe it's an anti-motorway campaign?

If you were going to go to all the effort of vandalising a bridge on the busy M25 would you really write the words 'give peas a chance'? I don't think I would.

My point is (yes I AM going somewhere with this) that millions of people (maybe thousands) read that message every day as they drive to work, holiday or wherever and it seems to me it's not really achieving much.

I decided to do a bit of 'research' into this phrase and it turns out it's been used all over the place. Advertisement for allotment spaces, healthy living, eating hummus (chick peas)...apparently even Paul McCartney used to say it on tour with the Beetles!

So it would seem this phrase is saying something after all. But, maybe it's there for the sole purpose of entertaining drivers during the boredom that is the M25. It certainly worked on me. I saw it last Monday and I'm still thinking about it!

So, to conclude (finally) I've decided that this (still rather odd) graffiti is in fact full of creativity and has inspired this very blog entry. Don't get me wrong, I am in no way applauding vandalism, but it is a fun game to play in your head...what would YOU write on a massive bridge to entertain drivers (creatively I mean, no rude ones please)? How could you entertain the masses with your words?

Something to think about...

Day 52: Franz West

What do I have for you today?

A sculpture.

This piece of art is called 'The Ego and the Id' by Franz West, an Austrian artist. It was on display in New York at the Doris C. Freedom Plaza (edge of Central Park), where public art has been shown since the 80s. So, millions of people walk past this spot everyday. Cool, huh.

Well, what do you think? Do you like it? Is is beautiful, fun, strange, ugly, pointless? What does it remind you of? Everyone has an opinion about art and I think it's an important thing to discuss. Getting other people's opinions can extend you own.

So, why not write a comment. What do you think? Does it inspire you? How? Why not?

I guess the real question is, which is Id and which is Ego? Do you think these names are significant?

Questions, questions, so many questions...have a think.