book press

 it's highly unlikely i'll ever need a book oress but, after seeing this, i want to make one!

sylvia plath

really interesting podcast re sylvia plath. i'm not the biggest plath fan, in part because of the baggage plath comes with and, for a long while i avoided her because, as a man, it just didn't seem possible to enage with her. i do like anne sexton tho and it was interesting reading her letters that the antagonistic relationship i'd been led to believe in, wasn't really supported by the primary material. plus, the sylvia plath that emerged, was much more the version that emerges in this podcast - a vibrant, interesting writer, rather than someone who killed herself and lived in the shadow of some bloke. 

back in the day i parallel read anne sexton's biography, her letters and the poems and it was a great exercise. on the basis of this i really fancy going back to plath and doing the same 

georgia o'keeffe

 georgia o'keeffe documentary? can't go wrong with that!

gary mayer

they had me at 'i work in construction'. for me, tho not at first, having a job was the single most important thing in terms of creative development. i'm not dependent on or accountable to anyone and the time i have outside of work is precious. 

labels

do photographers talk more about their work rather than actually doing it more than any other creative types? except poetry types obviously! lol but, facetiousness aside, i was quite interested in this in the way it talked about validation in relation to creative output. me, i don't publish/sell anything anymore, partly because, with visual art in particular, people kept keeping my money and/or my stuff, but mainly because that whole side of things just made me miserable.

am i lessened by it? in real terms, definitely not. i'm at a rich point in my 'creative journey' and living my best life. at the same time i haven't escaped my consumerist culture in that, if i'm not selling, am i really 'an artist'? not that bothered but interesting to think about 

logan hicks

 check this guy out! not to my taste but loving the technique. i've no idea how he gets his stencils made - here, i can't even get a decent bnw print made! lol so no chance to try it.  website here 

beckett

 i'm not going to lie, i'm excited about this. love, love, love beckett 

larissa huff

 of whom i know nothing beyond this. that said as a fully paid up member of the patriarchy it's been interesting as my life's gone by to watch as i see my firsts - female medical consultants, firefighters, bike mechanics etc etc. and i'm so old now i'm meeting the female children of the above at work! (time to retire!). 

why is this important? because when i was a father/uncle etc i felt i really needed to be able to show my little women what was possible, not just say it. that said, it's an ongoing process. it's been gladdening to see more female photographers out and about but as yet i only know two female pinhole photographers. sound recording i think i only know one one female sound recordist. and i've never met a female cabinet maker so now i've seen larissa huff i'm waiting for her to appear.  

learning another language

i don't think i have enough life left for my language learning needs but if i did, and i could, shona would be right up there. for no good reason other than the loveliness of it upon the tongue. check it out 

raiders of the lost ark - the soderbergh mix

after yesterday's post here's this. i couldn't find the soderbergh cut and, while this is a bit didactic, you'll get the point.

black and white

it's true that my photographic practice at the moment is entirely monochrome but that doesn't mean i think bnw is 'better'. i love a lush macro even if i don't like to think about the photshopping, let alone the in camera work, that goes into it. i'm kind of the same about film. as i've said before i really don't watch much in the way of films or movies these days but i do like a self indulgent sunday with some old classics. it makes me wistful for black and white movies.

so here's this. fury road was likely the last action movie i actually enjoyed and i love the notion here that the colour version is like a musical! 

cycling west sweden

every so often i like to torture myself with a video from sweden. brexit, brexit, brexit. that's all i'll say about that.  plus a healthy chunk of swedish bureaucracy but it is what is is and i am where i am. nevertheless i miss the place and the life i thought i might once have had. this vid has all the bits i like. except the running! lol sverige är bäst! 

large format developing

 i do have a super simple darkroom and, while i'd love to use a large format camera, i'm not sure i want to be committing the money to the process, even though the image making is lovely. were i to do so tho, who better to guide than martin henson? 

*i will be getting a couple more pinhole cameras tho. after that i think i'll be delving into macro

not accepting the rain

finally the weather is appropriate for sptember, i had to put the heating on briefly last night and a solid rain is falling. which is a relief but at the same time i'm not going to accept it. having a painting day and going to fill my ears with summer vibes 

el ministerio del tiempo

after yesterday's link to rtve play here's el minsterio del tiempo, my favourite spanish series ever. i can just about follow it with spanish subtitles but when i first saw it with english subtitles it was both a joy and an education! and funny. if anyone ever sees the english subtitled box set....