HALLOWEEN – another scene.

 The imminent arrival of Halloween , originally a Celtic harvest festival with pagan roots later adopted as a Christian feast  and now like so much of the past has been totally and utterly trivialised, with supermarkets full of rubbishy outfits and cheap tacky junk . Even so , it brought back fond memories of a different time - a different place when the internet was still in it’s infancy and the mobile phone the size of a small handbag. 

It was more than twenty years ago now that an old friend – a veteran of the Falklands war ( and a few others too I shouldn’t wonder ) - had just sold everything he owned and spent his entire savings on 50 acres of uncared for and badly neglected woodlands. Even more daunting was the fact that the whole site was cut in half by a major trunk road - but not deterred with the task ahead, gathering together a small number of like minded friends and volunteers he set about transforming this wilderness into a rather special kind of place.

 A WOODLAND TRUST was formed and over next year or so this determined team , and with a little helpful advice from the forestry commission the tangled jungle of what once was ancient forest was by hard work and enterprise transformed into useful and productive woodland. In year one about two acres of forest were completely cleared, then re-landscaped to create pleasant and peaceful sunbathing lawns . The following year smaller clearings of varying sizes were made to allow the sunlight to penetrate and invigorate the undergrowth and natural pathways cut to connect them, with rustic seating here and there for walkers to rest awhile and contemplate nature.

The next part of the project was to create a building for use as admin offices , storage for the Trust and some kind of leisure and social activities for its members. A dedicated team of workers - a few professionals but mainly just ordinary folk - husbands and wives mostly with a few single men thrown in for luck - worked in their spare time utilising whatever skills they already had , with some others even taking evening classes to learn old style artisan trades. And the end result was something quite unique- a magnificent full size copy of a old traditional Kentish Barn , which at the end of the day won a national award.  

 

After the building was fitted out it enabled the Trust management to hold regular themed events for its loyal members throughout the year . The very same skills and ingenuity that were an essential element in the creation of this very this special place came into their own when it came to organising these events and the annual Halloween week end party was a particularly good example. Some of the costumes and make up were so realistic that under different circumstances they might have been part of a really frightening horror movie. !!. The section of woodland paths surroundings the building, decorated with spooky lighting and huge realistic cobwebs made the whole thing seem even more realistic - and as usual a good time was had by all. Even so, its a good job the party was adults only. 

 

 

After the building was fitted out it enabled the Trust management to hold regular themed events for its loyal members throughout the year . The very same skills and ingenuity that were an essential element in the creation of this very this special place came into their own when it came to organising these events and the annual Halloween week end party was a particularly good example. Some of the costumes and make up were so realistic that under different circumstances they might have been part of a really frightening horror movie. !!. The section of woodland paths surroundings the building, decorated with spooky lighting and huge realistic cobwebs made the whole thing seem even more realistic - and as usual a good time was had by all. Even so, its a good job the party was adults only. 

Being an active environmentalist is a fine thing, but government help is very limited and although some woodland products can be sold there’s not a lot of profit in it- if any. Although the primary function of The Woodland Trust is still the protection and preservation of these ancient woodlands, as in almost every area of modern life, over the ensuing years things have changed and the Trust have extended into slightly more profitable areas of business to help support them. But in spite of these changes I still think that it is a fantastic place that holds many wonderful memories for me - and I intend to write more about it when I have the time. 

 

 

NAKED ART v REAL LIFE NUDITY.

A colleague of mine who has just completed a degree course in Art History wrote to me wondering why as the world of art is full of nakedness - and from his recent studies has always been that way - people should be imprisoned nowadays for wandering about in the nude if that’s what gives them pleasure and they are not harming anyone.

He was of course referring to Stephen Gough a rather sad individual more commonly known as “The Naked Rambler” – a matter that I have already dealt with in some detail in the past as it relates to the subject of naturism. In this respect genuine followers of this quite legitimate lifestyle which has grown in popularity over the years have lately been invaded by a few individuals who now feel that it is their legal right to be nude where ever and whenever they feel like it. Fortunately they are few and far between and presently create no real problems except to themselves, but as the subject of nudity is a most profitable one for the media it regularly receives far more publicity than it really deserves. This matter of course has very little to do with art , however my friend has made a quite important point .

It is true that the world of art is full of naked images and the fact is that it almost always has been that way – the results appearing in respectable public buildings , museums and galleries all over the world without any great fuss being made about it – but a little like naturism it has not at times been without its inherent problems.

As far as nudity is concerned it’s only comparatively quite recently within the history of mankind that human beings have had such a strange and un-naturally obsessive attitude towards the wearing of clothing. None of those great civilisations of the ancient world saw any reason to cover the naked body except for the natural ones of common sense and in almost all of the superbly executed drawings, paintings and sculptures of those times - and even sometimes as the decoration of their everyday domestic artefacts - it is clear to us that the people of these ancient races actually revelled in the beauty of the naked human body in all its forms and shapes, both male and female.

Almost all the religious ritual of these times was dominated by the reverence of sex , and reproductive creativity - as represented in sexual intercourse between men & women - was recognised as the sole purpose of human existence. The human body was a thing to be admired and no part of it - including the male penis or the female vagina and breasts - was considered to be in any way , dirty , disgusting or obscene and nudity , whenever or wherever it occurred was just a perfectly normal part of everyday life.

For many years , most of these quite beautiful representations of naked beauty were kept locked away in the dark vaults of some museum or another. Thank goodness , in the light of the present and much more liberal artistic policies of most Western governments , many of them are now freely available for us all to see.

However , there were enormous structural and political changes taking place in our world of 2000 years or so ago and most of this change was centred around religion , with new and powerful ones constantly emerging from the chaos. All these new religions - and among them Christianity and Islam soon became the most influential - held radically opposite beliefs to their predecessors.

Medieval art was mainly about these new religious beliefs, with little or no overt nudity, however the sensual myths of the Gods fired the Renaissance and nakedness , love and lust was displayed in practically all their artistic representations.

The Victorians kept much of their artistic nudity hidden away from the public gaze , but it all came back with a vengeance in the 20^th century. Frollo, Lempica and Modigliano are just a few artists of the Art Nouveau period who produced fairly explicit sexual images in their work without having too many problems with authority.

In more modern times , Reg Butler who died in 1981 and was one of the best known sculptors in the 1950’ & 60’s did not shy away from including the female genitalia in his lifelike studies of naked women reclining.

Ron Muerk the Australian artist now working in the UK is even more explicit , both his male and female nudes often several times more than lifesize and made in silicon or polyester and include real hair, faithfully reproduce every minute detail of the human body including of course their genitalia. These incredibly lifelike models do not appear to create any sense of outrage, having been displayed at galleries all over the world including our own illustrious Royal Academy.

Jeff Koons , the American multi-media artist of some repute has over the years produced a number of extremely explicit pictures some - of him having sex with his wife for example - verging on the pornographic but which nevertheless have been exhibited at The Barbican in London and are presently on show in the Guggenheim museum in Bilbao.

These two small pictures were on show at the Barbican Galleries a few years ago as part of an exhibition by the New London Art group. Although produced vaguely in the impressionist style it’s not too difficult to see what the subjects are getting up to.

Lucien Freud

The Czech artist Jan Sadek had these three pictures shown in a reputable London gallery without any complaint.

19th century Japanese art was pretty explicit.

And finally – this large picture entitled Nice and Easy by John Currie, a modern take on an original Botticalli, recently sold for more than five and a half million dollars.

But art no matter how explicit in form or how realistic it may appear cannot in any sense be equated with real life nudity. Generally speaking the majority of people in the western world do not nowadays have any major issue with nudity in general , but allowing people to be naked wherever and whenever they like is a completely different matter. The fact is that it is not the general term nakedness ie; not wearing clothing that is the problem, but the obvious exposure of the sexual organs.

Representations of human beings no matter how good or how bad or indifferent the artwork, or even how sexually explicit , they are no more than inanimate objects They give off no human like smell and cannot change form, touch or physically interact with the viewer other than visually perhaps.

So there you are !!!!.

ALIENS ARRIVE IN THE EAST END OF LONDON

“Aliens arrive in the East End”.

“Space Ship lands on the roof of  six storey building

in Copperfield Road.  London E.1.”

 

 

From the high ground at the blocked off end of Copperfield Road there is a clear view of  Canary Wharf, the Barclays Bank headquarters which forms the it’s architectural centrepiece like some massive monolith reaching high into the sky. 

                                                      

A short cul de sac sandwiched between Mile End Park and the Regents Canal, Copperfield Road was a hub of local commerce more than 100 years ago when the site of Canary Wharf was a not very salubrious part of the old London Docklands, but it has over the years had a somewhat chequered history.  The original red brick building, erected in the late 19^th century as one of the largest free schools in London still stands on it’s southern corner and is now the home of the Ragged School Museum, a regular tourist attraction for adults and children alike. 

                                                     

                                     

An assortment of factories built mostly during the 20^th century lined the remainder of the road, including that of Conway Stewart, the world renown manufacturers of top quality fountain pens.  This was the scene of an audacious gold robbery in the 1950’s and was later on linked to a most vicious gangland murder.  The whole area that lined the canal became run down in the early 1970’s with most of the redundant and now empty buildings in Copperfield Road becoming, decrepit, dangerous  and rat infested while vagrants and no-goods roamed the old park after dark.  

                                                     

Things took a turn for the better in the mid 1990’s when the massive regeneration plans for the Ocean Estate and surrounding area including the park and canal took off and a gigantic multi million pound clean up operation began.   The old factories were gradually demolished and posh blocks of flats with roof top gardens and modern offices sprung up in their place. 

                                                            

The road was once again in the news at the start of 2014  when a space ship landed high above the canal on the roof of Matts Gallery at number 44 . Not a real one of course but sufficiently realistic  to hit the headlines -  a very convincing full size model and an incredible piece of installation art by Craig Barnes called Revolver 11.  And there the alien transporter remained for the rest of the year, passers by craning their neck to look up at it before it went off to Central St Martins School of Art and Design at the start of 2015.

                                              

Matt’s Gallery, founded by Robin Klassnik and named after his dog ‘Matt’ moved into one of the older buildings in 1979 and began life as a place to support artists, with the space and time to take risks. The purpose then was to test their limits and surprise even their own intentions - and it still does - providing the best conditions for experiencing art and continually challenging audiences.                                     

Unusual as it undoubtedly is, primarily stocking hard to find books by small independent publishers, this is much, much more than just your regular bookshop.   There’s also a gallery space showing a range of modern and contemporary pictures, two large installation areas, the owners workshops and a comfortable friendly looking reception area complete with genuine 1950’s juke box, all overseen by assistant director Laura Hensser, who invited me back to the late night event taking place that evening. 

It was a beautiful warm summer evening and as I approached from the park I could see a huge crowd in the distance completely filling the road and pavements outside the entrance  to the venue with literally dozens of bicycles lining the railings of  Mile End park.  As I got nearer I noticed the smoke from a roadside barbeque and caught the tempting aroma of cooking meat.

Of all ages, from babes in arms to old age pensioners it was a smart happy throng,  including lots of good looking men and pretty women some with fabulous hair styles - and even the odd hippy looked as if he/she had made a special effort.   My first stop once inside the building was the main performance area, but I couldn’t even get through the doors as about 100 people stood shoulder to shoulder listening to the music.   I think it was some kind of Cello concert and there was a second recital later, but by then I had got involved in something else.

An electronic music event was taking place in the second performance room which was now gradually filling up as more people came in from outside.   Every player  here was unusual to say the least, some with outrageous dress styles based on aliens of one kind or another, others practically impossible to describe.

I always try to find the most unusual exhibit to focus on at these events and it didn’t take me long to discover the installation by Keith Harrison – an absolutely realistic  looking full size set of drums which he had made from ceramics during the day and was now undergoing its finishing touches before his 9pm finale.  

                                                

Keith is pretty well known in this niche section of the art world, his last feature “Napalm Death” at Bexhill almost setting fire to the venue and I believe was the event that brought him to the attention of The Tate Modern.  Everyone that knew him and now being held back at a safe distance by stewards were holding their breath, especially when he donned protective glasses as the witching hour approached.  

Music began to play, quietly at first then gradually increasing in volume as Keith fiddled about with bits of wire and some kind of generator. Then suddenly there was an enormous explosion , the tops of each drum split open and flew into the air showering everyone in the room with thousands of tiny pieces of silver foil.  Keith had yet to name this latest piece so I suggested “ Orgasm on Ceramic Drums”.  Watch this space !  The place was still throbbing as I finished my beer and left, picking up just outside the doors one of the most delicious burgers I have ever tasted  and having enjoyed a most interesting and entertaining evening.

 Matts Bookshop is a fabulous place with a very special kind of ambience , which is open Wednesdays to Sundays from 12- 6pm where there is generally always something different going on.

 

BACK TO THE FUTURE

BACK TO THE FUTURE.

Apologies to anyone that has wasted their time looking up my blog over the last six months or so as nothing new has been added – but  I do have a good enough excuse. 

                                

 

Last year following a routine blood test,  right out of the blue  I was diagnosed with a rather unusual form of bone cancer.  Up until then I had been perfectly healthy.  My consultant acted quickly and within two weeks of the diagnosis I started a course of chemotherapy at Barts Hospital.  The treatment continued intermittently until a month or so ago and  last week I was told my cancer was in remission.  The chemo worked well  (fingers crossed) but during the process the side effects  almost killed me and I am sure that some of the poisons are still in my system.   I am still a bit tired and need to get back some of the weight I lost, but apart from a few mobility problems I am pretty much back on track.  

                                 

 

In all this I am very fortunate at this traumatic time of my life to have been looked after by the dedicated staff and highly skilled consultants of  St Bartholomew’s Hospital, not only the oldest hospital in the UK but the oldest in the whole of Europe. 

                                  

 

It was founded in 1123 by a man  called Rahere who was probably a clerk in the employ of Henry 1^st.  After the tragic deaths of Henry’s wife and children Rahere undertook a pilgrimage to Rome where he fell ill with malaria.  He prayed for recovery and promised that if his prayers were answered he would build a hospital for the sick poor in London - and upon his return he did just that.

                                              

But St. Bartholomew’s is much more than just a hospital.  A landmark in the city of London its also a church (the ancient church of St Bartholemew  the Less) , a museum , an archive for the records of many other hospitals institutions and charities and a set of buildings of great architectural and cultural interest. 

                                            

 

The North wing constructed in 1730 contains The Great Hall , a magnificent  double-height room in baroque style reached by an equally impressive grand staircase.  On the walls and the ceiling of the staircase are two huge murals painted by William Hogarth, The Pool of Bethesda (1736) and The Good Samaritan (1737) who carried out this work free of charge as his wife had recently been a patient there .

                                          

Above the gate of the main public entrance to the hospital is a statue of King Henry V111 , the only remaining one of him that exists outside of any public building in London.

 

 

                               

The impressive traditional stone buildings originally designed by James Gibbs in the 1730s, surround a central paved courtyard with a  fountain and small landscaped gardens.     One of these, the George V building recently underwent a remarkable transformation it’s exterior facade cleverly retained whilst  behind it hidden from public gaze  a brand new ultra modern glass and steel interior rises into the sky.  The inside of this new eight storey structure  looks and feels more like a expensive modern hotel than a hospital , but  now -fortunately for me - contains the very latest in medical technology including a centre of excellence in cancer care.

                                                   

From my treatment bed ,  its deep purple upholstery a cross between high tech and modern luxury style I could see through the window the glistening dome of nearby St Pauls Cathedral, only one hundred yards or so away.   A  wonderful sight which cannot help but aid in the process of recovery - and now I must get back on track and look to the future.