Just saw the Thomas Struth exhibition at Whitechapel Gallery and feeling very inspired. I was initially drawn to Struth’s work through the ‘Making Time’ series of photographs, which have similar thoughts, themes and qualities to some of my own projects and photographic interests (not that, the latter is a prerequisite for me to like a photographer!).

The exhibition is great. It’s really interesting to see the broad picture of his work come together; Struth himself describes bringing the show together like composing a musical piece, bringing varying sections together to create a cohesive piece of work.

A lot of the photographs are of epic proportions and are a genuine thrill to view and take in. Included in the exhibition is a 40-minute video about the artist and the Whitechapel show. The film touches on a great number of intriguing point including Struth’s time at Dusseldorf under the guidance of Berd and Hilla Becher. It was particularly interesting to learn that the photographs for the ‘Making Time’ series were staged, using extras, following failed attempts at photographing the public visitors during openning hours of the location visited.

One of my favourite pieces was of an oil rig, tied to a harbor wall (‘Semi Submersible Rig, DSME Shipyard, Geoje Island’). The photographic print is gigantic! Struth describes the photo as being similar to the idea of monsters and beasts tied up at markets in medieval tales. This colossal picture almost looms over you as you view it; the cables and ropes extend toward the viewer and give the impression of something wild and dangerous that is precariously controlled and restricted.

Thomas Struth: Photographs 1978–2010, a unique and exciting exhibition. Go see it!

http://www.whitechapelgallery.org/exhibitions/thomas-struth-photographs-1978-2010

Semi Submersible Rig, DSME Shipyard, Geoje Island, © Thomas Struth

Some couples go for romantic weekends, some go caving, while others prefer dogging, swinging and various other things ending in ‘ing’. In an attempt to be part of the ‘ing’ crowd, last weekend we decided to go planking and owling in Newcastle!

Staying in the Copthorne hotel we had a great time revisiting some of our favourite spots, coffee shops and watering holes, which, (naturally) included the Baltic and the Great North Museum

Currently on at the Baltic is Photographer Mariah Robertson who’s large scale abstract and sculpted photographs are both intriguing and original as well as beautiful.

Another highlight at the Baltic was seeing Robert Breer’s work, in particular the work on 2nd floor of the exhibition. This floor is full of fun pieces that after careful and considered observation are infact constantly moving. This really was a very captivating exhibition space and created an entirely different atmosphere from that containing his works on the floor below and any other room in the Baltic for that matter. Well worth a visit!

In between the moments of culture we still found some time to do some good ‘ole fashioned planking, while trying out the new school version: ‘owling’…  though it didn’t quite feel as good as the classic plank!

Here’s some photographs from our planking weekend in Newcastle….

Last week I attended the launch of Bold Tendencies.  The art project   is now in it’s 5th year, boasting over 45,000 visitors in 2010.

Having attended the 2008 launch (which I remember being awesome), and missing the previous couple, I found myself getting pretty excited in the build up to this one.

Walking out of Peckham Rye station I didn’t need to remember the directions, I simply followed the stream of intriguing haircuts, moving as one. I knew I had arrived by the numerous single gear, ‘no brakes’ bicycles creatively stacked outside the multi-storey car park.; Shoreditch was on an excursion in Peckham!

Even if there hadn’t of been any sculpture at the show I think it would of been a success and I have to confess I spent considerably longer watching the eclectic gathering of people than I did the sculpture… Not that the show wasn’t interesting; aside from the Trotter van, which rightly or wrongly made me me cringe a little and the inflating and deflating mice that looked like a boss from Sonic the Hedge, I thought works were interesting and looked good, they just seemed (on the night) to be more of a backdrop than the main event… Maybe this was the idea? Either way, it’s free to visit and rather unique, well worth a visit, almost a must infact.

Upon my return from New Zealand my first duty (still jet lagged) was to attend the Kingston May Merrie where the not for profit arts promotion organisation Culture Kingston (run by Nat Kay, Mark Springthorpe, Nigel Bunner and myself) were hosting the stage. It great (and very, very windy) day and despite being pretty shattered,  I had a lot of  fun! Here are some picture and videos from the day…  See more about this event on the Culture Kingston Blog

This week saw the official launch of one of my projects Culture Kingston, which is a not for profit organisation seeking to promote and inspire creative thinking in Kingston. The co founders of Culture Kingston are Natalie Kay, Mark Springthorpe, Natasha Morrison, Jo Pena and Nigel Bunner who have all worked very hard to help turn the idea of Culture Kingston into an existing organisation…. Here are some photographs and video from the launch night party which consisted of a postcard exhibition, open mic sessions and other performances from Kingston based artists and acts.

This Thursday an exhibition of the work I have been doing in collaboration with Artist and Education Officer Natalie Kay will be up in the The Visitor & Tourist Information Centre, Kingston Market Square. It offers visitors the chance to see the education work that is taking place through institutions such as the Stanley Picker Gallery and Kingston Museum. This particular exhibition focuses on the workshops inspired from Kingston Born photographer Eadweard Muybridge and coincides with the Muybridge exhibition currently running at the Kingston Museum.

I have had 3 out of 3 prints accepted in the 2010 London Independent Photography Exhibition which will be taking place at the Strand Gallery (Proud Central) 32 John Adam Street, London WC2N 6BP 19th to the 30th October.

Last night I went to the final performance of Fuente Ove juna at the Southwark Playhouse, a theatre built into the railway arches that are typical of the London Bridge area and sets a unique and intriguing space to spend an evening. The play itself is unavoidably engaging from the minute you enter the performance area as you are welcomed in by an old school buddy holly – esque rock and roll band. The performers, in character from the off, greet you while you look for a seat,  as they continue to dance energetically, encouraging people to join in… which some do.

This play is very much about audience interaction. I am usually filled with dread at the thought of any involvement in a performance other than watching anonymously from a safe distance, and I have to confess that there was the odd occasion in the play where I squirmed, fearful of being singled out. That said, the cast were very sensitive and conscious to involve more intimately, those who were obviously more comfortable in taking a larger presence in ‘village life’,  everyone in the audience became, “guests village members as we were introduced to Fuente Ovejuana and it’s  community.

The performance itself was captivating, fast paced and fun. Actors use every space of the building including the seating areas, the bar, and backstage! As well as a chance for everyone to throw a water bomb at a particularly nasty villager! This is a really, really enjoyable play, that is, very well suited to the untypical setting of Southwark Playhouse.

Last weekend I found myself on a hectic art rollercoaster, (metaphorically speaking that is, though a literal art rollercoaster does sound fun!) anyway, I found myself going from a rooftop in Dalston to a basement in Holborn all in the space of a day.

The day began at the Dalston superstore,  a chilled out café/ bar full of character, characters and charm, it was here I met my friend for a brunch-beer… (well what weekends for, if not an opportunity of a brunch-beer?!) We then set off to the Bootstrap Company where we became members of the Dalston Roof Park Club.

We were visiting The Rooftop for an afternoon tea party, which was put on in order to raise funds for performance group Skip Theatre and their new act ‘Mermaids Curse’ an interactive site specific theatre performance occurring Friday 30th July and Saturday 31st July in Porlock at 7.00pm and Friday 6th  and Saturday 7th August in East Prawle at 7.00pm.

The Roof Top Garden is a charming and relaxing space, especially when the sun is out! Rising above most of the low-rise (for now at least) buildings of Dalston it offers a peaceful distance from the hectic high street. The place puts on regular events for members and some of which I look forward to attending in the future!

From Dalston to Oxford Circus and the Photographers gallery, where the Sally Mann exhibition, which runs up until the 19^th September.

Though interesting enough, I have to confess, I didn’t come away from the show with the sense of excitement, inspiration and awe I have had from other shows. That said… I found the works in the final room very powerful and compelling. The black and white images of decomposing bodies, photographed in the federal Forensic Anthropology Facility are both intriguing and unnerving. The bleak compositions of the bodies, all varying in shape and structure as well as stages in decay, almost suggest empty vessels, like larvae that has hatched; it made me wonder whether the photographer was suggesting that these lumps of disregarded flesh are simply empty shells that have been left behind, and offering a sense of celestial optimism to the haunting photographs.

From rooftop to ground level and now to the basement, which ironically was, for me the highlight of the day. The creators project. Set in Victoria House, WC1.  The Creators Project was a show that explored the relationship between technology and art. There was a good number of exhibits and talks which all came together to become a great event. One of the strong aspects or theme of the show was audience participation. Whether it was dancing in front of a video camera that was fed through to a large screen in an audience filled room next door, or playing on a spectrum-like (low-fi) computer game, specifically designed by artists; visitors were encouraged in a variety of ways to become part of the art.

 A presentation by Joachim Sauter on ’The Renaissance of Space’ almost alone, made it worth the visit. I would strongly recommend checking out his work. The show also offered the opportunity to see Nick Zinner’s, from the Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs (one of my all time favourite bands!) photography and 3d sound installation… Which you can see the making of below…

All in all in was a marvelous day out with lots to see and reflect on!

I recently went to ‘Exposed’ at Tate Modern. This well curated exhibition is full of works that explore themes of voyeurism and surveillance. The show gave me the opportunity to see some works that I had been admiring in magazines and publications for a while. Kohei Yoshiyuki’s series ‘The Park’, for example, contains photographs that have been mentioned and printed in numerous publications. To see these photographs up in the Tate was quite a thrill. The photographs are shot on infrared film in a Tokyo park at night. The content of these night photos are intriguing, bewildering, shocking and mesmerising; as you find yourself entering into a bizarre cycle of seedy voyeurism… watching watchers watching. …

Image Copyright Kohei Yoshiyuki