Journal

First Thing!

2006-09-25T18:05:00.000Z

The first proper work we have been asked to do this year was to make a film showing the journey of an object around Manchester. To elaborate; in groups we were all given an object (seemingly random things including: a ball, plastic elephant and tape) and asked to document its journey to a set of specific locations, including galleries and museums around the city centre.

Unfortunately I didn't really get into a group (not that they weren't welcoming) - and I'm still not sure why. I ended up making a short film on my own, so as to not be totally lacking when we were asked to show our work. Using a Kanye West cover of "Fly Away" (I love the song) I put this together; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUr_xfrulWE

I used pictures taken on that day with my digital stills camera. This is the first time I've converted an entire film to black and white and added "old cinema" style effects; I think it does work really well despite it being something of a cliche. I would do it again, if it felt right. Also drawing on my experience of making my own music videos, and matching changes in image to key beats in a phrase or a bar, I think I managed to add to the film's view-ability. I did try and make it much looser than my previous beat/image matching, mainly due to the jazzy nature of the backing music.

Self Portrait; this is me playing at taking pictures in a distorting mirror, at the Museum of Science & Industry. Maybe this is a representation of my emotions at the time; red, distorted, squashed, reflective.

Note to Emma

2006-09-30T02:30:00.000Z

Digging through an old drawer, I came across a notebook with this page in it.

I used to live with my sister in Keighley where we grew up, an existence saturated with Emma wanting me to do more in the house.

In the note I'm trying to explain that I will put the dish washer on at some point, eventually. We'll get there.

Its so lovely to remember those times now. I'm still really close with my sister, but looking back those times seem like the golden age in a way.

Scratch Notes

2006-10-12T20:36:00.000Z

Notes from thinking about what to do with the "Scratch" title.

I went through a lot of different things before arriving at the web project that I started and the audio work that I actually presented at University.

Its a really good example of how you can have many, completely separate, but all equally valid ideas from a word or subject that initally may mean nothing.

Below the heading "Scratch That" (in the image above) is where I decided to scrap all of my other ideas and make something with scratch sounds.

Review: Chris Clark's Body Riddle

2006-10-17T15:07:00.000Z

Starting with natural jazz beats and sweet tinkle noises, Chris Clark's Body Riddle swiftly develops deep electronic stylings. Clark carries the style and quality that I've come to expect as given from Warp records (other artists include Squarepusher, Aphex Twin, Jamie Lidell & Jackson, to name a few). I think the first track, Herr Bar, sits as an exposition of what is to come.

The record rises and falls in an organic way, always with electronic soundscapes sneaking into the fore but with "real" sounds ever present too. Exceptional production and crafting of the music is evident throughout. The 3rd track, Springtime Epigram, marks the end of the beginning with a slow and calming 90 seconds. Herzog, follows on and slowly crescendos into a glitched and harsh but almost anthemic synthesizer led medley. It really draws you in, and sets up the listener the first really beat heavy and punchy tracks, Ted.

Clark's website. I like the "written" menu.

The remaining six tracks take you on a musical journey that, to my ears, just feels right to listen to. With dark and bleak industrial sounds on tracks like Vengance, and the sinister title Matthew Unburdened is matched by a seemingly not-to-be trusted array of sounds. Haunting horns and magical beats at the end. Sporadic, uneven, but perfect.

Penultimate track Night Knuckles I think is one of those classic tracks that somebody is going to play to me in 20 years time and it will still do something special. This track is constantly in development throughout, almost like a variation on themes in classical music. Consistent throughout the track is another sweet "Tinkle" sound that blends blemish-free with the rhythmical elements and space-like background noises flesh the whole thing out. Its a stark contrast with the final track, which is a return to the darker, slower end of Clark's spectrum.

Really, very, good.

I love my Mum!

2006-10-25T13:02:00.000Z

My Mother is excellent. Whenever I speak to her about some creative work I'm trying to do, she seems to produce infinite different concepts to mine, both in line with them and completely disparate.

Fortunately I generally know what I want to do, and then do it, but if I were stuck it takes a weight off my shoulders to know that my Mum would back me up with a wealth of inspiration.

Birthday Notes. My birthday card from Mum & dad, on the first page is a selection of words copied from Roget's Thesaurus relating to "Scratches" - one of my first University projects. I didn't use any of it in the end, but as contextual research I think its priceless.

One, two & three; Lectures so far

2006-10-31T21:05:00.000Z

The first three lectures of my University career were reassuring (that I'm not completely out of my depth) but also re-emphasised the fact that nobody can do well without serious thought and effort. I've made very few notes from each lecture but I feel as though I have come away having consumed what I was supposed to.

The first lecture in the series seem to be putting the task of learning to be creative in context. The main point I took away with me was that experimentation is a key asset and only by practicing can you actually move yourself forward in your creative ability. I think playing these two quotes off against each other will produce an effective working strategy without constraint on scope;

"The more I practice the luckier I get" (Gary Player)

and;

"Chance or guess work can sometimes produce better work than systematic procedure. But you can't depend on them" (the Universal Traveller)

Learning in this style is completely new to me (my 'A' level subjects included Maths, Physics and Computing) but it has had a significant impact on my thinking. Thinking of creativity in terms of the mind at play, or the ability to be spontaneous and surprising, as simple as it is represents a step forward for me. Previously the majority of my success has come from systematic experimentation until a satisfactory result is achieved, now I can continue to do that but also expand upon it significantly. My thoughts on the subject are still rather chaotic though.

Intrigued by the Alvin Toffler book, Futureshock. I should read it.

I came away from the second and third lectures having had the slightly chaotic feeling, that was swimming around my head after the first lecture, calmed down completely. A system behind the chaos has been clearly defined, what it is to be creative or to improve ones creativity is now much more tangible for me.

Gifted? I snapped this during a lecture. It is a doodle on somebody elses hand out. I guess it is phsychedelia?

Since the lecture I have been working on jumping the synaptic gap and indeed, I think I've succeeded with a few things.

In addition to the Interactive Arts lectures I have the option to attend another lecture each Friday (on changing subjects, literature and media based, it seems). Bill Rob is wholly excellent at delivering his lectures.

The first was about the use of various systems and techniques in writing. Specifically exploring what was the first novel to be written, and how it represented a shift in popular writing.

Although completely out of my depth, missing a lot of the references and language that Bill Rob was using, I can see the value of attending these lectures; it was very inspirational. Also Bill Rob's amazing delivery and ability to articulate his points with finesse, gives me an idea of how I would like to be able to perform, should I need to to be my own advocate for my art.

Never-never Land, Abu & Mr Bukhari

2006-11-02T16:58:00.000Z

Over the last 2 or 3 weeks, we've been set group tasks. Firstly we had to decide on a name a place and an object, then basically we were asked to flesh out the situation we had created with back stories and further information.

From the notes we (Bryn & Johnny) made in the initial session, I came up with this as a concept:

Mr Bukhari is thinking:

They never understand. They never understand. I am never understood. I understand them though. Why do they never..... I should have some tea. Its the right thing to do. Tea and a cigarette, then I'll be able to think clearly. They NEVER understand, the simplest thing! If the light goes out you fix it. No sauce means no sauce- I understand! Why... they never! Bloody Tuesday. Tuesdays, if I write a sign, why do they never read it? Sign read. Read sign.

I think its a sign. Why would the almighty decree it, if it were not a sign. Never does a thing happy without a good cause. Never. I told her that and she never listens to a thing I say. "Never does your lip move without good grievance" is what she said. Never a useful thing. And they're never easy, never move without a problem, never do they clean behind the sink at 22 or the downstairs utility on the avenue. They never get 200 quid though. Huh.

I never think clearly these days. I used to never be angry, I'm sure, never now though. Well, I never. Those happy slapper, little posh girl with bloody miniskirt. They underestimate me, they never get money back and got once in life-time, never-again chili kebab sauce. . . Huh.

Tea good though! I need my tea. Why people never know that I take 8, and black. Stupid bloody people. Understand.... never you do. Why I never have tea when its needed and it always last never long enough for me. I never going to explain myself again if they never understand me, never explain. Only to Mr Bukari, he is the only one that will understand my never land. Why is he never here any more? What size are my shoes?

Pan to shoes and then up to a fast-boiling whistling kettle that has been silent until then. Maybe it should be visible throughout, but the sound only becomes audible right at the end. The full story is this; Mr Bukhari has been talking over the noise of his kettle constantly boiling. He has slowly descended within himself and become mentally ill, taken over by his own anger, temper and contempt for his customers, his friends and his family. Shot from "within" Mr Bukhari's head, so hold the camera to some one's face looking out. Throughout we can cut in relevant clips to the things he is talking about.

We never actually filmed this and it didn't go any further, but I'm still quite fond of the idea, despite its obvious use of ethnic stereotyping I think it could become an evocative short film.

The name Mr Bukhari was my initial contribution- it is the same name as my landlord. However, my own Mr Bukhari is an excellent landlord and doesn't share any of the fictional one's character.

Robin Hood's Bay; It was my birthday on the 21st October, this is one of the two cards I got (both from my parents, albeit on separate occasions). I really love the image, one reason is that the place is familiar to me (Robin Hood's Bay, North Yorkshire) and invokes many childhood memories and the other is the aesthetic qualities of the image itself. This is actually a photograph across the bay, amazing.

As a second part to the video project I wrote about above we had to do exactly the same thing as before but use somebody else's words rather than coming up with them ourselves. We ended up with Abu Baker, Amsterdam and a pair of shoes. Having failed to complete the previous task me and Bryn were extremely keen to get this done (unfortunately we failed to hook up with Johnny and include him, I think this was down to his work commitments).

This is my initial idea for the concept, but again we didn't use much of this in the final product.

Abu in Amsterdam
[the name is meant to be Abu Baker, not Abu Craig]

Fast opening sequence, showing some running [pan from the chaser’s feet to the person being chased] (chasing "the victim"), traffic, city scenes and finishing on the canal (which is the scene of the crime). Focus on a pair of shoes (maybe could get the same red shoes that Aliyah and Emily used).

Fade into the interview room.

Concept notes;

Abu Craig is a suspect in the killing of a prostitute and a mob boss in Amsterdam. The police have been tipped off anonymously that the man behind the incident was called Abu Craig, the mystery caller also said “He’ll know Cecila”. They have no further information in relation with the matter, no witnesses or anything else that be constituted as evidence. The police are basically run by the mob, and they’re after someone’s blood to avenge the death of the leader. They’ve tracked down all the people on their intelligence network of the name Abu Craig.

The real story is that a group of Russian gangsters are trying to muscle in on the crime revenue to be gained in Amsterdam, particularly interested in people trafficking and importing large quantities of cocaine and heroin. They think that by killing a particular Dutch mobster they can unsettle the community so much that they’ll be able to move in without too much of a fuss. They murder the boss and throw in a dead prostitute to add to the confusion. At the crime scene mysteriously there are a pair of red high-heeled shoes. These turn out to be the shoes that the Russian boss’s wife was wearing the night she slept with Abu1. His wife is called Cecila.
The middle of the film is comprised of interview footage of several people, all going by the name Abu Craig.

Abu1 is from Birmingham and turns out to be the man they’re after. He is being framed by the Russian mafia who are the real culprits. The only reason they picked him is because he once slept with one of the bosses mistresses many years ago and has no other connection to the incident. He did once meet Abu4 in Camden during the 80s. He will cooperate fully with the police.

Abu2’s girlfriend lives in Amsterdam and he lives outside the city. He’s always thought it would be cool to be a drug dealer but doesn’t have the connections. Apart from petty things he’s never committed any real crimes so has nothing to fear from the police.

Abu3 studied economics at Oxford and went to public school. He doesn’t have a shady side at all. He is however not accustomed to being in police interview rooms and so is a bit shaken by the whole thing. He doesn’t want his girlfriend to find out that he slept with a prostitute (who called herself Cecila) when he was in Amsterdam for a business trip. He used to enjoy wearing women's clothes, and did have a pair of shoes similar to those at the murder scene.

Abu4 is a drug dealer from London (this is how he met Abu1, in his early days he pedalled 10 bags of weed in Camden). He was in Amsterdam trying to do some underworld networking to find someone to import dope directly from the Netherlands to London. So, understandably he is quite edgy about the fact the police have called him in (he doesn’t know it’s purely because of his name). Although he failed to make any business connections as he had intended, he did manage to pick up quite a bit of the underworld gossip. He has heard about the district the incident happened in, and knows it is where most of the mobs major deals go down. He knows the Russians are trying to shake up Amsterdam because they’ve been pushed out of a lot of eastern Europe since the fall of the USSR.

Abu5 is nothing to do with anything. He is an part of the Saudi royal family (so therefore incredibly rich) and is disgusted he was arrested on landing at the airport. He came to Amsterdam for kinky sexy and sexy drugs, and he’s not ashamed about shouting it out loud to the police just so long as they let him go. He wants his Ambassador. He has a fake passport with the name “Clarance Richardson”.

Interviewer: Confirm your full name please.

Abu1: Abu Craig [repeat for each Abu we interview]

Interviewer: Were you in Amsterdam on Tuesday of last week?

The idea is that the responses aren’t scripting (as they’re written here) but we will record the response to all of the questions here after actors have been given their background information.

Abu1: I went through Schipol on my way to Birmingham. I have my tickets still in my brief case.

Abu2: Yeah.

Abu3: Yes.

Abu4: I’m not answering any questions without my lawyer present.

Abu5: This is an outrage. I came to see vice and colours. Let me out of this shit hole now! I want to see my Ambassador. There will be repercussions if you do not co-operate.

Interviewer: Excuse me sir but I must insist things are quite different to that- if I were in your position I think you should be cooperating with me!

You are familiar with the Vondelstraat area?

What was your business in Amsterdam?

Do you know a woman called Cecila?

Have you ever met a man called [dead guys name]?

Do you know who he is?

Do you take drugs?

Have you ever used a prostitute?

Have you ever met [prostitute’s name]?

Would it shock you if I said she was dead?

Did you drink or take any drugs that night?

What were you wearing last Tuesday?

Are you the real Abu Craig? What other names do you use?

What is your business? How do you make your money?

Would you like me to call a lawyer for you?
etc etc
[continue contrasting different reactions to the same question until the truth is clear, or a version of it. Whodunit style.....]

These are some of the notes from a brain storming session me and Bryn did before filming. Click on them for larger images.

The film we finally made was about a British Tourist who was named Abu Baker. He is on a visit to Amsterdam, claiming that it is a "pleasure" visit, his motives are never clear. Although its not immediately obvious, the film tries to convey a sense of Abu's obvious guilt. I play the police interview and Bryn is playing Abu.

I was really pleased with the end result. Bryn plays the guilty man really well, especially as the whole thing is entirely improvised. Mixing the video footage we took (in student halls) with shots of Bryn walking around the darker parts of Manchester city centre, the film achieves a prolonged sense of dread and uneasiness. All of the non-interview shots are sequential still photographs that have been animated. The whole sound track of the film is encompassed with a huge reverb sound, so the relatively few words you hear sound distant and haunting. In addition the entire video has been processed to have a dramatic aura, the makes the dark parts and as black as they can be and the bright parts are unnaturally vivid.

This is the first non-music video that I have filmed or edited (let alone both), but I'm extremely pleased with the end result. Having said that, I was happier with a previous cut (that was nearly two minutes shorter), but unfortunately due to a brain-malfunction I deleted that version. I feel that where the film really comes into its own is where the animated sections are cut in (and the timing of when they're cut in) and with the extremely fast digital zooming and panning onto Abu's nervous twitching and guilty eyes. I'd really like to make another film, maybe (definitely) less black, but using the same techniques. I'm also really pleased with managing to fuse "proper" video and animated photographs. Most of my films use photographs as their basis but having the possibility of using video and photos is the next area to explore is something to relish.

You can view the end result (at degraded quality, unfortunately) on YouTube here; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7O7xRmJz6A

This is a shot of Bryn (playing Abu) walking along a canal near Deansgate locks in Manchester. We chose the canal because of the obvious parallel to Amsterdam. Fortunately there were some CCTV cameras there which fitted nicely into the eventual plot. Also I feel the lighting and colours contribute well to the general feeling we were trying to achieve. This is one of the still photographs that were animated and cut into the video at appropriate moments.

As a result of posting the film to YouTube I've been approached by a television broadcaster based in the United States, requesting a copy to include in one of their programmes. This has come as an unexpected, but welcome bonus!

Learning Agreement: VJ Project

2006-11-06T19:19:00.000Z

This is my first learning agreement and covers something that may break into various smaller projects.

I have really enjoyed making music videos, mainly to my own music, but I would like to explore "Visual Jokey-ing" which is, in essence, making a music video live or on-the-fly. Its not quite that simple though, VJs normally exist at music events or in clubs, and often the aim is to create someting to help people feel at one with the music they're listening and/or dancing to. I have no experience of this but would like to explore it.

Nice Box

2006-11-12T10:49:00.000Z

Too right!

Yankee Sleeper

2006-11-27T21:43:00.000Z

I went back to Yorkshire for the weekend, on my return I found this note in my room. Turned out "the crazy American" - whom I've never met - had slept in my room.

By all accounts I was relieved to have been away. She sounded quite a handful, my friends and sister all ended up and a very dodgy Belle & Sebastian disco in Salford... or something.

She is from a town in the mid-west called "Normal" and thinks that the Trafford Centre is the biggest mall in the world.

Excellent!

Learning Agreement: Time

2006-12-10T19:29:00.000Z

Whilst working on my VJ project I've become very interested in different ways of taking photographs over a period of time, as well as representing time with photographic methods. Combining the two is a goal but I'm not quite sure how wide the posts are.

Learning Agreement: "Classic" Photography

2006-12-12T10:58:00.000Z

I've become very aware of my (lack of) bank balance recently, especially due to the proximity to Christmas.

On a trip to Chorlton water park (South Manchester) and various other expeditions I've been over the last two months, it struck me I could possibly make some money selling prints of my images. I haven't a particular speciality in my photography.

I'd like to explore different kinds of subject (nature, architecture, people etc) and different techniques. I'd especially like to experiment with different types of lens (zoom, macro and wide-angle) and also with the different ways (and costs!) of printing and framing photographs.

Goose; This image is a turning point, looking at this I thought "I could sell these...." This has had some digital manipulation, post-exposure, to increase the contrast in the image. However I think I took this a step too far, when printing the image looks too unreal.

Ask why? Live

2006-12-23T20:10:00.000Z

My girlfriend Caiti said to me, very profoundly for her intoxicated state at the time, "To ask why, is to live" and whilst counting traffic last summer I wrote some words that were meant to reflect that sentiment. I ended up with something that was pretty heavy-going and not very good reading/listening - I don't think. But I'm still in love with the turn of phrase, it rolls from the tong beautifully and is full of philosophical meaning. I guy I used to work with would refer to it as "a poser".

I used a few sections of these words in a bouncy dark dance track, with a highly distorted vocal track. It sounds pretty good I think and may well end up on the album. There's no way you could tell its me either.

"Why is alive; why survive. To ask why is to live"

Procrastinate Daily

2007-01-01T18:27:00.000Z

"journal - a daily written record of (usually personal) experiences and observations" - according to WordNet Search on princeton.edu - http://wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn?s=journal

That is what I am meant to have done. For the last, say two months, at least.

This is a shot used in a film me and Bryn made during the early part of the University term. This is the sex-pest "Abu" who featured in the film, as played by Bryn. I think the blurriness of the photograph compliments its devil-like qualities. Since putting the film online I have been contacted by an American TV station (Localpoint TV) who are hopefully going to broadcast it. You can see the film (at rather degraded quality) here; http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=josephlindley

On the whole I have tried and failed to write my journal, so far, but I have cultivated an amount of determination from my procrastination.

This, I do believe, is one (possibly the sole) advantage of procrastination.

I must have a genetic disorder, to suffer from the condition as badly as I do. Rarely does a day pass when I don't have pungent desires teasing my senses, seemingly whispering at me to get on and do some of the number of tasks that I internally classify as "work".

On our first University outing in the Science & Industry museum. Focusing on reflections; to describe the photo but also just a rather satisfying flow of words. Maybe I will use it in a song.

At the moment those work tasks are split between my various artistic activities directly spawned from my degree course, producing an album which is already late for a small Swiss record label (www.creakedrecords.com the Director-of-which, incidentally just called to arrange a meeting in January- exciting!), on-going photography and some cash-cowing (so to speak) designing a couple of websites for my cousin and her friend (who are both journalistic-types on the larger than life, upper class, Hampshire equestrian scene - an amazing beast). My University work is top of my priorities but as I have only newly been forging out my own methods of working artistically for the last few months, it is sometimes the hardest to gather momentum. Having said that I often only start proper work on such projects, as with the music or the websites, if I have been cheered up by other successes, and vice-versa. That seems to be the key for me satisfying my urges and overcoming my procrastinatic (is this a word?) tendencies - balancing the success and momentum of different projects with each other, to achieve overall progress. Having written that down, I think has turned a pattern of disconnected and unrelated thoughts into a tangible philosophy. Hopefully for people other than my self, if said others, can scramble through my occasionally scrambled prose.

Photograph of scratches whilst working on "Scratches" project (see below for more information), (vintage) macro lens borrowed from University.

Current University projects include:

VJ Project, evaluation of VJ software that is available (including learning how to use the software and understanding the principles) and also building a 'visual library' to be used for VJing. Includes many sub-projects.
Time, this has spawned from the VJ project; work exploring representing and simply showing time passing through photography, video & animation pieces can become part of the visual library for the VJ Project.
Classic photography, experimentation with printing and framing (or other presentations) of my digital photographic work that I have been doing since becoming a camera-owner half way through 2006. As well as having gotten promising results and feedback so far, I have been working on both subtle and severe digital manipulation of images to create dramatic effects.
Websites, I have various interactive websites that I either have in development or would like to produce at some point. These include an online version of the paper-and-pen game of consequences, my website about scratches. Scratches was a "one word" project given to me in the first few weeks of University. The piece of work I presented was a sound-based piece with many noises playing simultaneously - all of which were scratching noises. I also took some macro photographs of the many scratches I see in the world around me. But my final piece of work for this project is the website. The website will just display the progress of a mail-art based thingy, where-by an object is mailed around. Each recipient scratches the next story (or not-story if they don't want) into the object which is then mailed on again. At each point a digital photo will be uploaded on the website for all to see, also a map of where "scratches" has been. Eventually the object will be obliterated and cease to be, but will be preserved digitally. The idea was to represent human life on earth, its evolution is slow, but has taken us far in artistic, social and technological progress - which is what allows us to create and appreciate projects such as this. Eventually however, we will destroy our habitat. In terms of the whole of human history that time is very close to us now. That is why I want destruction to come eventually, but to celebrate our progress by saving it on in digital format for anyone connected to the web to see. Unfortunately, I have (again) procrastinated! I have created a website, with some horrible drivel written on it (which if I ever take the project further I will change) this can be seen at http://scratch.name
Sound and Music projects; as well as independently (from University) working on my music, I would like to explore further sound-art based projects. I was intrigued and interested by an artist who came to present his work and talk about himself at one of our lectures at University - his name has eluded me presently. He had several sculpture works that involved an element of sound, from scratching a record to amplifying the sound of a pin-dropping- all very inspiring for me. I think I probably wouldn't focus so much on creating noise-touting-sculptures, but maybe it will be something to experiment with to test the water. I would definitely like to refine my scratches sound project to a point where it could be performed with some visual element as well as the sound (and without pushing near-by lecturers to complain about the noise!

So that's all of me at the moment. I know its the wrong thing to do (starting at the end. . . ?), but at least for the sake of writing this I have written the present first and next time I write I will write about the past.

Sign Parody; I like the sentiment, I took this shot in a squat in the Northern Quarter of Manchester's City Centre. The people living there were operating a gallery, where anyone could go and exhibit their work (often the canvass they're working on is part of the building itself). Also hedonistic parties, DJs and so on and so on. A cool thing, in my opinion. Unfortunately I wasn't really affected by any of the work I saw, the biggest impact on me was what the squat stood for and the fact that (at that time, at least) it was working and existing. Everybody there has now been evicted. Until next time. . . (both the squat, and me).

What I Like

2007-01-02T22:09:00.000Z

Artistically I'm kind of inept in many ways. I'm a novice at having to look at things from an artistic angle and then having to critically analyze it. I do enjoy it though, even if I (well I think I do...) end up at rather cynical and negative mutterings towards a lot of the populist (I presume its populist) work I've seen in commercial and non-commercial galleries I have visited.

Recent exceptions are a furniture exhibition at Manchester Art Gallery of Joe Columbo's work and Ben Hall's Wild Britain exhibition at the Manchester Museum. Joe Columbo's embodies the swinging sixties. Eccentricity flows throughout his work and designs that have now become some modern design classics. Without going to heavily into it right away the exhibition at the Manchester Art Gallery comes highly recommended. Ben Hall's exhibition in contrast is a straight up photography show. I'm not an expert in the field, but his are some of the most evocative and inspiring photographs I have seen in a gallery recently- vibrant colours throughout and thoughtful composition. I was also slightly 'chuffed' to see that all of his work exhibited here is from a digital camera. See http://www.benhallphotography.com/

I'm particularly impressed with the technical skill required to take this shot, as well as the photographer's patience and vision for getting the shot. After having watched all of the BBC & David Attenborough's Planet Earth documentaries I'm even more in awe of the wildlife film/photography brigade. Maybe key to his success, Hall studies the animals he photographs extensively prior to attempting a shot. I wonder if this is possible with humans?

My tendency in art appreciation, is toward enjoying and liking pieces that (deliberately or not) evoke some kind of emotion in me. Sometimes it is explicit, and you can see what the artist is trying to do. Other times its not and everyone will come away with a different feeling. This withstanding it is definitely what I look for in art works, of all kinds, and also what I aspire to produce myself.

Bob Dylan, Don't Think Twice, It's Alright:

It ain't no use to sit and wonder why, babe
It don't matter, anyhow
An' it ain't no use to sit and wonder why, babe
If you don't know by now
When your rooster crows at the break of dawn
Look out your window and I'll be gone
You're the reason I'm trav'lin' on
Don't think twice, it's all right

It ain't no use in turnin' on your light, babe
That light I never knowed
An' it ain't no use in turnin' on your light, babe
I'm on the dark side of the road
Still I wish there was somethin' you would do or say
To try and make me change my mind and stay
We never did too much talkin' anyway
So don't think twice, it's all right

It ain't no use in callin' out my name, gal
Like you never did before
It ain't no use in callin' out my name, gal
I can't hear you any more
I'm a-thinkin' and a-wond'rin' all the way down the road
I once loved a woman, a child I'm told
I give her my heart but she wanted my soul
But don't think twice, it's all right

I'm walkin' down that long, lonesome road, babe
Where I'm bound, I can't tell
But goodbye's too good a word, gal
So I'll just say fare thee well
I ain't sayin' you treated me unkind
You could have done better but I don't mind
You just kinda wasted my precious time
But don't think twice, it's all right

These words, in combination with a beautiful piece of acoustic guitar playing, make probably my favourite of Bob Dylan's songs. Its not a protest song, its not political - and I'm not trying to say Dylan's more political works are better or worse songs - but for some reason, this is always the one to make me feel the most. I'm not even sure what the feeling normally is, but I always know it's there.I took this shot on a day when I went to visit Crosby to see Anthony Gormley's "Another Place". I was interested in the piece after its extensive coverage on television. The timing of my visit meant that it was an extremely windy, wintry day and the tide was up so few of the figures were accessible - however I think this probably added to the experience. I really like this photograph and feel that even though I am 'bouncing' off Gormley's art it does have its own merit autonomously.

Focusing on Reflections

2007-01-03T23:56:00.000Z

Focus on reflections
Hear the dimensions
Twisting the light rays
Turn around their vibrations

Focusing on reflections but still deep and
Deep-still, in tensions
That across my temples extrapolate
Unfortunate thoughts and now
Times are gone

Fred & Matt by a Tree, on a trip to see a Installation de Feu at Platt Fields park, Manchester. It was an exceptional event, virtually all of the installations (it was like a mini-festival, with many different things to see) being based on fire and involving fires of all different types. The best art event I visited last year (2006). The picture brings back good memories of that for me. I'm really pleased with the way it turned out, it was semi-posed but basically taken on the spur of the moment. I chose this image because I think the ghostly effect is sympathetic to the words above.

God! (blasphemy?) I do Have Problems

2007-01-04T01:43:00.000Z

I do have problems with the pleasure and (I suppose it is) business crossover. This was never a problem working with computers. . !

To elaborate, when me and my girlfriends artistic desires and tendancies collide. . . . . . . . there can be fire.

Bed time now.

Outside The Astoria. This is my lovely girl friend, Caiti. One of the few photos I have taken using a flash that actually looks good. I must do more work on improving this skill. NB- this was taken after walking out of an 'Animal Collective' (http://www.myspace.com/animalcollectivetheband ) gig in London. Although amazingly creative recording artists, their live performance was a terrible mess. Just too much experimentation (with music and/or drugs, I suspect).

Fraught Thoughts

2007-01-04T16:02:00.000Z

These words were written to be used for a piece of music that I wrote called Last Thoughts (you can download it from here; http://downloads.josephmusic.me.uk/joseph-lastthoughts.mp3). I don't think I will actually use them for their intended purpose. My writing style comes about in an almost 'stream of consciousness' manner, both for "journalistic" writing and poetic writing such as is below. These thoughts are as they came out of my head, unfiltered. Although it wasn't a conscious decision at time of writing, I think the source for these thoughts is my awareness of mental illness. Various friends, family and people close to me have suffered from all kinds of mental illness and it is something close to my heart and head.

Originally, the piece of music I wrote these words for, used a (very copyrighted) Bob Dylan speech, "Last Thoughts on Woody Guthrie". The audio recording I have is (I believe) from Guthrie's wake, and is extremely moving, and in my opinion a magnificent piece of wordsmithery. The text can be found here http://www.bobdylan.com/songs/guthrie.html but the speech should really be heard from Dylan's own lips.

Some Thoughts

Twings and Twangs are simple sounds but in essence they're pure,
I'm lost in thought as we wonder along a path,
Ringing echoes of muffled tones - Bob Dylan in my ear,
Distored sounds images and faces come out of nowhere to create something real,
Physical and gutteral - a feeling?

But these arent real, they dont exist, its a digital fortress to pilfer a title,
Girl I want you here and I want to be there with you, to steal my own line,
And now I am- a little,
A vital thing is that I have comprehension.

An evil face can be deceptive and often decieves,
With deceipt so far that our naievity is revealed,
On occasion so little comes into focus even though we look at the same blades
Of grass in the field and a swan on the lake.

I know there's tangibility there and I know your nightmares aren't really real,
They're reflections of our dreams and reflections of sounds we might not even know,
But combined can swing to nothing or funky flare,
Pain not destroyed by pleasure,
Purity not derived from just an essence of some good feeling and,
Innocence not lost through being insightful.

Floated on the sea of a life in a new world thats lost in the ocean,
Just a pindrop in the Universe,
Pictued on my wall paintings of your soul,
Not a metaphor.

This is not a war or a battle of wits, but,
I'll fight the fight with you,
Everything is more solid now and safe, we're all safe
In some thoughts.

A suitably phsychedelic collage of shots taken from a car dashboard. Taken on a small apeture (f22~) with about 30 seconds shutter time. I love the effect of taking shots of motorways from a fixed point and wanted to look at the same kind of shot but from a moving vehicle. I'm trying to give the pictures (althogh still) their own essence or sense of movement. I am also going to look at using this type of material and giving it more life (enough that it could be used for my VJ projects) by some form of digital manipulation. At the moment these shots are as they were straight from the camera, apart from putting them in this collage.

Pan's Labyrinth

2007-01-05T19:02:00.000Z

I went to see the film a few weeks ago, and felt it would constitute a good subject for a journal review. I was drawn to it, with the preconception in my mind that it would be solely animated, and that it would probably be inhibited by being a modern fairy tale, which I generally have distaste for. Now, its safe to say that my preconceptions were wrong, but also completely unfounded. Firstly I got the facts wrong, the film is not animated. It does include sections with digital animation being combined with film, but largely it is (or, at least, appears to be) a live-action movie.

Ofelia; as played by Ivana Baquero, in trouble after going on a critical mission inside the trunk of a dead tree. She has wrecked her new clothes, bought by her wicked step-father and will be in trouble.

The central character is Ofelia, a young girl who's mother has married a man (not her father) who is a captain in Franco's army after they have taken Spain in 1944. This situation eventually brings the girl and her mother much pain and strife. This is the first parallel to a "standard" fairy tale plot-line. Twenty minutes into the film after the scene has been set, and with fairy tale promise but also an extremely dark and sinister overtone; Ofelia finds a gateway into a mystical world filled with fantastical creatures, stories and monsters. Here perilous evil and potential haven stand side-by-side, if only she can fulfil the tasks set to her by a Fawn, the first creature she meets.

At this point in the movie, the directors obvious intentional showcase of the contrast between the stark reality exhibited by the setting of the film with authentic fairy-tale concepts becomes evident. Simultaneously the contrast (but also seamless blending) of the digital animation and effects, with the live action filming and Ivana Baquero's natural performance (as Ofelia) works with sublime effect.

The exposition of pure conflict is generally what fantasy is about, but in this film I was taken with quite how well the conflicts were presented. Parallels are obvious between the mystical fantasy world Ofelia has discovered, and the world that her and her mother actually inhabit. In both places Ofelia must confront her fear, drawing on her own bravery and strength.

Ofelia's mother (bearing the commander's child) falls gravely ill with pregnancy complications and Ofelia is constantly bullied and resented by her step-father. He is a man obsessed with ruthlessly hunting down and killing all of the resistance fighters who are hiding in the nearby hills; on more than one occasion you are shown quite how brutal he can be with plenty of blood and relatively crudely used gore- for want of a better word. However this doesn't detract from the film at all, and if anything makes the other sections seem all the more real.

Eventually Ofelia ends up in the Labyrinth and discovers a Fawn. Despite his slightly freaky (but definitely intimidating) appearance, he appears to be her friend. The Fawn tells her she is the lost princess of a secret Kingdom, and that she can return to take her throne and the riches that go with it. She only has to perform the three tasks he sets her, without fail and without questioning him.

Ofelia meets this creature whilst completing one of the tasks set to her by the Fawn. Intensely creative costume and presentation. This particular beast's voice is deep and harsh, I would commend the voice artist and audio engineer equally. Very scary!

The two parallel worlds, only joined together by Ofelia, form the basis for the rest of the plot to unfold. The plot continually confronts you with unexpected twists but is still easily accessible and simple for the mind to move along with.

I think because of the sensibility and intense emotion being conveyed in the film, it does feel like it takes quite a long time to get you from beginning to end, even though it is only two hours long. Again though, for me this is a big plus rather than anything negative, and adds to the over all effect.

To sum it up I think its an excellent piece of cinema and is certainly a film that could be watched several times without decaying its affecting qualities. Unsurprisingly this comes from all the pieces of the jigsaw coming together perfectly; excellent live action cinematography which is uncomplicated but exquisitely presented. Digital animation to the quality that most people have come to expect thanks to the explosion of that particular medium. Ivana Baquero's Ofelia leaves a bitter-sweet taste in your mouth, but all of the key roles are delivered with tactility and finesse- something I often find abundant in European cinema and lacking in Hollywood pictures. Topped off with an original concept and plot line the whole thing comes together faultlessly.

Ofelia talking to the Fawn, who is her guide. This shot stirs memories of the Alien films.

Being in the position I am - experimenting with film and animation (amongst my other exploits) - watching a successful picture of this ilk I am both inspired and awestruck. It somehow seems impossible to imagine being in a position to create such a work, but there's only one way to find out, and that is to try. Hence I came away from the film totally satisfied with my cinema going experience and with a drive to create a narrative based film with a similarly intense reality come fantasy texture.

Good Vibes

2007-01-06T22:28:00.000Z

"Good Vibes" are a thing that I crave from time to time. I wrote a song about a succession of these feelings that came about over the course of a weekend in the summer of 2005, you can listen to that on my MySpace page here; http://www.myspace.com/josephmymusic. I don't know why it is that when I'm discussing, thinking about or being critical about the arts, I always start to talk in terms of a concept as abstract and non-specific as vibes. Generally I'm very logical and like to see things in fairly black and white or clear cut terms. I guess its probably a requisite skill that you can see shades of grey when trying to analyse something that doesn't necessarily have a beginning and end, or a correct "answer", even a particular meaning or reason for existing.

Well really this is all an aside, and not really worthy of being a journal entry. I began writing this just to try and put down in words a good feeling that I've gotten from at least getting this far with my journal and regaining some ground lost through November and December. I think my elation has been augmented further with a feeling that my writing is progressing. It has been some considerable time since I've written anything structured, for that matter writing anything anything at all; apart from note-taking and scribbling lyrics down. Reading my initial post to this journal and contrasting it with my Pan's Labrynth review- I'm sure there is progress there. Good vibes.

I must exhibit restraint (a good title for image-based-work maybe?) for if I were reading this as a third party even more objectively (than I write it) I would almost definately think the author were being smug.

Beach Party at Benicassim, in Spain at the FiB (Festival Internationale de Benicassim) festival in August 2006. On the final night there is a free beach party thrown by the organisers to say thanks to the locals for putting up with thousands of drunk English people (amongst many other nationalities). This is a shot of the sea filled with revelers. If I were less intoxicated I could probably have gotten some better shots, but I am still very fond of the depth in this picture and of its encapsulation of movement and atmosphere (or Vibes).

Undesirable Webs

2007-01-13T19:45:00.000Z

Despite my 'love' of the web and the internet - it is my primary source for doing, well, pretty much anything! - the bigger and better it all gets it simultaneously develops more and more shit flying around it.

My first ever comment on my journal/blog was this (since deleted, thankyou very much);

"Tshhhhh."

Back it up; Rhymes with f _ _ _ it up

2007-01-15T02:45:00.000Z

Crude I know. I feel entitled to be crude having deleted a good 15 hours of work on a piece of music. I have no idea how it happened, but on returning to it, its not there. File recovery programs haven't recovered anything- simply reassured me that I was so stupid in the first place.

Oh well.

Sorry Leo! (the Creaked Records man)

Things to Do:

2007-01-21T19:15:00.000Z

I've fostered my procrastination for this particular task for some time, despite it being requisite for the journal; making a weekly plan (weekly. . . !)

Photography

Print some more photos using the Mac suite at University
Find out if I can get access to the Manchester University print room (this will allow me to print up to A1 at high quality, currently I can only print up to A30
Transport my framed prints into University for my review in February
Enquire about showing those prints at the Link gallery
Restart my daily regime of taking photos of my face, bedroom, ash tray, kitchen, garden (I've let this slip recently, but the videos would be excellent for VJ purposes)

Continue refining library and further develop my understanding of the software that I'm using (OpenTZT; http://opentzt.sourceforge.net/)
Animate my Romanian doll
Create some more digital psychedelic backdrops for overlaying natural images on top of
Look at animating my motorway time-lapse images for VJing
Prepare my time-lapse videos for review in February
Set up my web cam for recording time-lapse again (I would like to position it looking at the street, but I need to purchase a longer cable and set up a mount!)
Put together comprehensive plan of what I need to do to prepare my VJ 'set' for my review

Time

Compile a display of time-based photographs and video pieces
Look at different presentations of my 'Time' material

Music

Complete "Diamond Apologies" track (should only require some more vocals and maybe a high synthesiser line, could consider recording Bouzouki but it may make it too busy)
Revisit other recently recorded tracks (Lifeline & other forays into electronic based music) and look at adding more acoustic elements
Put together live set of "finished" material ready to show to Leo
Supply Fred Baker (http://www.myspace.com/fredbaker) with recordings for his professional adjudication & input
Buy new guitar strings (again!) - Martin, extra light seem to do the trick
Book the sound suite at University for mixing down of my tracks using the monitoring system

Other Things

Sort out passport!!!!
Write to Granny and send some photographs
Identify something good to review (maybe write a review of the Joe Columbo exhibition at Manchester Art Gallery?)
Print photographs taken at the weekend
Have a go at making a video for a newly recorded track
Decide upon some good music for my VJ demonstration
See if Paddy still needs me for the Victoria Hall gig in Keighley
Send of release form & DVD to LocalPoint TV
Hassle myspace.com more to see why I can't post anything to it & try to put new recordings up there
Ask people if I can do remixes for them
Canvass opinion of local shops for sellings my prints

Having written this it seems highly likely that not all of these will be done and will appear in a future to-do list!

Matt; taken at the weekend on another excursion to Chorlton Water Park. I can't deduce any particular message or meaning from it - but I like simply like the aesthetics of the image. I converted the original from colour to black and white and increased the contrast in the image to bring out his silhouette. I really like the detail that you can see in it, down to the curls in Matt's hair.

Fourtet Video Contest

2007-01-22T00:30:00.000Z

I just had a look at Fourtet's website (http://www.fourtet.net/) - there is a competition currently running to make a music video for one of his tunes, which I think I will enter. The competition is run by an Italian website, that I had not previously been aware of (http://it.qoob.tv/) but it seems to be pretty good; it seems to be a social networking site (see MySpace or Facebook) but completely centered around the arts. Each user of the site can upload their own images, videos or pieces of audio/music and then any other members can rate, review and comment. On its own its not that amazing, but the actual quality of the work seems to be relatively high.

Fourtet (aka Kieran Hebden) is a creator of music, in one form or another. I actually have a personal connection to him, which I guess has influenced my opinions quite a bit, but nonetheless he is probably my favourite modern musician. Which is quite a big deal for me.

I will write more about Kieran soon, but for now I must work on the video for the competition.

The tune is called "A Joy" so I'll have to do something around that I guess.

Jarvis. To suit my current vocation of doing a music video to "A Joy" here's Jarvis, having some Joy.

Brian Eno

2007-01-26T11:28:00.000Z

When I began to write my journal in earnest, I decided to follow a favourite route for producing something good. The starting point for this was searching the University library for "art" and "journal". This yielded two results, one was spurious, the other was Brian Eno's A Year with Swollen Appendices. This was quite a find, as I'd only days before been reading about Eno and I was really interested in his work. This I think was largely due to his status as a ex-Rock Star with Roxy Music, record producer for people including U2 and Talking Heads, as well as a highly influential recording musician and working artist. Pretty much everything I aspire to be.

It turns out from reading his book Eno appears to be something of the metaphorical anal retentive. But despite this he writes easy to read and entertaining prose, about things that normally would (appear to) be very personal to him. The insight into a successful and intelligent man's life and the anecdotes and stories that go with are one thing, but seeing how his he produces his work and thought processes is another. I've used the book as a resource to dip in to as and when I feel like it, or feel like I need it. The point being I've always come away from it with a confidence that Eno's thinking (I don't think at least) isn't too far distant from my own style and methods.

Currently I owe £4.50 in library fines. Worth every penny.