The streets are empty, and there is a small path that winds its way up to the forest.
Sunday 24 April 2011
Sunday Morning
On the edge of the city, a gentle wind wakes the trees. It is springtime, and that usually unmoving time of the early morning. The invigorating Evergreens nourish the air, and the early morning bird's song can be heard. A glimmer of sunlight glances through the leaves.
Thursday 7 April 2011
Syd Barrett - Art and Letters- Short Review
I went along to this the other day.
http://gallery.ideageneration.co.uk/newsitems/267/view
There is some sort of morbid fascination with Syd Barrett. He's the overly celebrated cliche of the eccentric rock star. He was the man whose career was infamously short lived, due to mental illness. In some circles, it's as if this was something to be championed, rather than be troubled by.
So it was with a certain amount of caution I approached this exhibition, concerned that the theme would be overly macabre, attempting to find evidences of a mental breakdown painted onto canvas.
I was relieved then to discover that there was little focus on the more disturbing elements that have been well documented about Syd's life. Rather, the exhibition is a series of drawings and paintings, which bare little resemblance to one another. Some showed him to simply be what he was, a moderately talented artist, who used inanimate objects, tending to focus on any unusual qualities they may have, and bring this to the forefront of his paintings.
As you might expect, some of the more visually arresting work from Syd's collection of paintings come from the height of his creative prowess, around the time of the formation of Pink Floyd. The most provocative piece, interestingly, is from his childhood. A painting of a circus in full swing, all angry lions and fireworks, and a face of an anonymous figure, remaining indifferent to the surrounding chaos, are pleasingly led to the observer's interpretation about whether this could be seen as a revelation of his psyche. It is marked only by a reference to where he was, and how old he was when it was painted. (Thirteen, i think.)
From faded watercolours of countryside cottages, done in the more reclusive years of his life, to the rather more psychedelically influenced pieces that you would consider it likely to find in a exhibition of his work, there is little reference to his mental state, more a demonstration of the man's considerable potential, both in music and art, which was unfortunately short-lived.
However, the letters section was less about Syd's talents and felt a little more intrusive. A series of correspondences with old girlfriends gave little insight into what it was what that made him such a revered talent. Personally worded, in tiny handwriting, they demonstrate how strongly he felt for the people around him, and although rather endearing in places, you can't help but feel overwhelmed by the sense that they were not meant to be gawped at in a public gallery.
Crude sketches, and seemingly detached thoughts run throughout these letters, and suggest a rather private and introverted character, but these are things that are already synonymous with the man, and little is to be gained by searching for proof of it.
However, it's nice to be taken back to a world before the age of technology, where people actually wrote letters to one another, rather than babbling away inanely via text messaging and social networking sites.
Upstairs, there are some rather excellent, intimate black and white photos of Syd and Pink Floyd's beginnings.
Overall, for anyone interested in Syd's work, the exhibition is certainly worth a visit.
http://gallery.ideageneration.co.uk/newsitems/267/view
There is some sort of morbid fascination with Syd Barrett. He's the overly celebrated cliche of the eccentric rock star. He was the man whose career was infamously short lived, due to mental illness. In some circles, it's as if this was something to be championed, rather than be troubled by.
So it was with a certain amount of caution I approached this exhibition, concerned that the theme would be overly macabre, attempting to find evidences of a mental breakdown painted onto canvas.
I was relieved then to discover that there was little focus on the more disturbing elements that have been well documented about Syd's life. Rather, the exhibition is a series of drawings and paintings, which bare little resemblance to one another. Some showed him to simply be what he was, a moderately talented artist, who used inanimate objects, tending to focus on any unusual qualities they may have, and bring this to the forefront of his paintings.
As you might expect, some of the more visually arresting work from Syd's collection of paintings come from the height of his creative prowess, around the time of the formation of Pink Floyd. The most provocative piece, interestingly, is from his childhood. A painting of a circus in full swing, all angry lions and fireworks, and a face of an anonymous figure, remaining indifferent to the surrounding chaos, are pleasingly led to the observer's interpretation about whether this could be seen as a revelation of his psyche. It is marked only by a reference to where he was, and how old he was when it was painted. (Thirteen, i think.)
From faded watercolours of countryside cottages, done in the more reclusive years of his life, to the rather more psychedelically influenced pieces that you would consider it likely to find in a exhibition of his work, there is little reference to his mental state, more a demonstration of the man's considerable potential, both in music and art, which was unfortunately short-lived.
However, the letters section was less about Syd's talents and felt a little more intrusive. A series of correspondences with old girlfriends gave little insight into what it was what that made him such a revered talent. Personally worded, in tiny handwriting, they demonstrate how strongly he felt for the people around him, and although rather endearing in places, you can't help but feel overwhelmed by the sense that they were not meant to be gawped at in a public gallery.
Crude sketches, and seemingly detached thoughts run throughout these letters, and suggest a rather private and introverted character, but these are things that are already synonymous with the man, and little is to be gained by searching for proof of it.
However, it's nice to be taken back to a world before the age of technology, where people actually wrote letters to one another, rather than babbling away inanely via text messaging and social networking sites.
Upstairs, there are some rather excellent, intimate black and white photos of Syd and Pink Floyd's beginnings.
Overall, for anyone interested in Syd's work, the exhibition is certainly worth a visit.
Tuesday 5 April 2011
Ideas of Individualism in 'The Century of the Self' - A few initial thoughts
I recently finished watching Adam Curtis's 'The Century of the self.' This incredibly thought provoking documentary draws a direct line through history, showing how human obsession with psychoanalysis has defined marketing, advertising and political movements throughout the twentieth century.
"There is a policeman in my head, and he must be destroyed",
In the third section of 'The Century of the Self,' Curtis explores how rebellious new methods of psychoanalysis in the 1960s were a direct rejection of the Freudian idea of suppressing thoughts and emotions in order to control the 'dangerous irrational' aspects of human nature lurking beneath. A huge social collective uprising was then born, in which the ideas of individuality, creativity, self-harmony, and rebelling against a society of passive consumerism were brought to the attention of the world. The changes in culture were embraced by the public to the extent that people in the world of advertising would have to change tactics in a dramatic way.
No longer would the product be shown to be a necessity to the needs of the public, but rather with the emphasis being on how it could appease the desire to be seen as an individual in the eyes of society.
The fantastic series 'Mad Men' demonstrates how the most creative minds in advertising were starting to harness these ideas in the early sixties, and certain methods were being developed. There was a definite shift in promoting how good a certain product was, and what a product could say about you as a person over this time period.
This notion of self-interest and individualism also spilled over into the world of politics by the end of the 1970s.
It would be hopeful to suggest a politician promoting the suggestion that society should work together would have a positive influence on people's voting intentions, but Curtis shows that research demonstrates otherwise.
Through a then new idea, originating in psychoanalysis, and harnessed by politicians, known as 'focus groups,' in which members of the public would be analysed to find out what people really wanted, it had become obvious that people are much more likely to vote based on selfish intentions about what the government could do for them personally. This was a discovery that Reagan and Thatcher both used to their advantage in their respective pre-election campaigns in the late seventies/early eighties, and helped to get them elected.
The idea that the collective feeling of positivity that surrounded individualism and expression in the 60s and 70s, was now being harnessed in a different way by the political right at the end of the 70s/early 80s, so steeped in associations of rebellious rejection against a brainwashing, emotionally docile consumerist society, I found to be a fascinating concept.
This demonstrates the deep shrewdness and manipulation that occurs in politics and big business. It would be rare to find someone supportive of concepts of freedom of expression promoted in the 60s and 70s, who would also think positively about the self motivated society that underpinned Thatcher's government, and made parts of Britain so deeply divided during this time. Though Curtis shows how certain ideas of individualism are a common occurrence in both.
In presenting the world of psychoanalysis, it is a startling realisation that the individual can be so influenced by a school of thought, and rather frightening to the extent that people can make themselves believe one particular idea about the workings of a human mind.
'The Century of the Self' is altogether brilliantly realised. By presenting the facts in such a focused and honest way, there is an underlying warning throughout about how dangerous the notion of individualism is, and how damaging to society it can be.
"There is a policeman in my head, and he must be destroyed",
In the third section of 'The Century of the Self,' Curtis explores how rebellious new methods of psychoanalysis in the 1960s were a direct rejection of the Freudian idea of suppressing thoughts and emotions in order to control the 'dangerous irrational' aspects of human nature lurking beneath. A huge social collective uprising was then born, in which the ideas of individuality, creativity, self-harmony, and rebelling against a society of passive consumerism were brought to the attention of the world. The changes in culture were embraced by the public to the extent that people in the world of advertising would have to change tactics in a dramatic way.
No longer would the product be shown to be a necessity to the needs of the public, but rather with the emphasis being on how it could appease the desire to be seen as an individual in the eyes of society.
The fantastic series 'Mad Men' demonstrates how the most creative minds in advertising were starting to harness these ideas in the early sixties, and certain methods were being developed. There was a definite shift in promoting how good a certain product was, and what a product could say about you as a person over this time period.
This notion of self-interest and individualism also spilled over into the world of politics by the end of the 1970s.
It would be hopeful to suggest a politician promoting the suggestion that society should work together would have a positive influence on people's voting intentions, but Curtis shows that research demonstrates otherwise.
Through a then new idea, originating in psychoanalysis, and harnessed by politicians, known as 'focus groups,' in which members of the public would be analysed to find out what people really wanted, it had become obvious that people are much more likely to vote based on selfish intentions about what the government could do for them personally. This was a discovery that Reagan and Thatcher both used to their advantage in their respective pre-election campaigns in the late seventies/early eighties, and helped to get them elected.
The idea that the collective feeling of positivity that surrounded individualism and expression in the 60s and 70s, was now being harnessed in a different way by the political right at the end of the 70s/early 80s, so steeped in associations of rebellious rejection against a brainwashing, emotionally docile consumerist society, I found to be a fascinating concept.
This demonstrates the deep shrewdness and manipulation that occurs in politics and big business. It would be rare to find someone supportive of concepts of freedom of expression promoted in the 60s and 70s, who would also think positively about the self motivated society that underpinned Thatcher's government, and made parts of Britain so deeply divided during this time. Though Curtis shows how certain ideas of individualism are a common occurrence in both.
In presenting the world of psychoanalysis, it is a startling realisation that the individual can be so influenced by a school of thought, and rather frightening to the extent that people can make themselves believe one particular idea about the workings of a human mind.
'The Century of the Self' is altogether brilliantly realised. By presenting the facts in such a focused and honest way, there is an underlying warning throughout about how dangerous the notion of individualism is, and how damaging to society it can be.
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