I have never felt overly awed by Australia. I have family there, have never been, and am not too bothered about going, well, just yet anyway. Stumbling onto these photographs though has definitely given me some food for thought. It's not all sprawling beaches of vast (boring?!) golden sand! Joe Coleman captures the ruggedness that Oz has to offer in a collage-y, over-exposed and vivid manner.
He seems to lead a pretty bohemian existence, with life, unsurprisingly, centering around the coast. He shoots off basic gear, which adds to the aesthetic of his work - using, for the moment, mainly a Yashica FX-3, Contax t2 and Smena 8m. Other work from Coleman is more subject driven, but it's his ethereal, geological, surfy-fused pictures that drew me in. Check out his pictures and words here!
I can't stop listening to The Strokes seminal debut work Is This It. I can't stop listening to it so much that I have even, rashly, just bought the US Import version of the same CD for a whole £4.99 (it's all about the different cover artwork, and the omission of the track New York City Cops for When It Started - a decision taken in light of the 9/11 terror just as the record was going to press/being released in 2001)
The album is just brilliant. Basically, it was the birth of late 90s/early noughties Garage Rock Revival, or as it has become more widely know as... all-out Indie music. Moving away from the mire of grunge was more than welcome, by myself, if not by anyone else. Although, for those who don't know, this record made The Strokes HUGE, so I think the sentiment was shared!! It's such an optimistic set of tracks, fast-paced, romantic, modern, and joyous. What's more, the album has a beautiful 'stuck-in-time-ness' about it. It encapsulates the time it came from so perfectly, carefree. It basically involved getting drunk, having fun, no pretension, and not giving a fuck! Summed up in Someday.
Anyway, I have got totally sidetracked. I wanted to get into Roman Coppola, the director for all the bands videos off Is This It. They are real simple, jokey and enjoyable affairs, which resonates and sympathise with the tone of the record. For instance, Last Night shows the band simply set up in a studio, drinking and playing, basic. This was a tried-and-tested method that the Arctic Monkeys re-used (ahem!) out-right copied when it was realised that they were going to be the biggest thing since, well... The Strokes!! Someday, shows the band indulging in fun. They appear in a (forced) Family Fortunes style panel show, and their being playful. Yet, an intimacy is shared on camera, as shots from the game-show are cut with time spent with friends, chilling in downtown bar in New York.
Hard To Explain has to be the most memorable and intriguing vids, out of them all, as it questions what you see, and questions life at large. Coppola's direction is clever, he introduces the band subtly, and plays his part in being controversial by including sexual content, images of bombs, etc. whilst keeping the image of the band... very, innocent-looking! Dropped after the video for for sci-fi effort on 12:51, that seems to be the end of their love affair! But what a great and iconic one it was!!
Short Synopsis
There is no greater sporting event in all of cycling than the Tour de France. Chasing Legends touches on the rich history, passion and true grit of The Tour as seen through the eyes of Team HTC Columbia along with commentary from Phil Liggett, Paul Sherwen, Eddy Merckx, Lance Armstrong and some of the sports most prolific hero's. With a stunning array of HD cameras, poignant and touching interviews, "Chasing Legends" will take viewers deeper into the pro peloton than ever on a roller coaster ride of action, story and emotion. I can't wait to see this film on Thursday!!
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This weekend will be the second time that I visit Freize Art Fair, however, it probably won't be cold. I must say that I think £25 is pretty steep for entry, but it is the UKs most important 'pop-up' Art emporium for the four days of the 14-17 October. With somewhere in the region of 170 galleries from around the world, showing, Freize provides a unique opportunity to see and buy work by leading artists, more of just the 'seeing' will be done I reckon...
A redeeming highlight I'm sure though, will be (one of the main justifications for said ticket price) the artist talks that Freize, being an art-world heavyweight, can draw in for questioning! Last year it was Baldessari, this year, no other than Wolfgang Tillmans and 60s Op-Art pioneer, Bridget Riley. Both are cracking minds that will no doubt be tapped! Hopefully, I will get in early enough to get a ticket to see Riley revealing all! Freize - a good crack if you've never been!
This month, sometime(?!), my dear mother and father will be celebrating their Silver wedding anniversary. I can't really afford anything silver, mainly because I buy too many clothes - of which, probably a good half are soon regretful purchases or, sold on eBay, for a loss. Anyway, my irrational spending habits are not important now.
What to get them, y'know, as a gift?? Hmm. I have a past of buying them weird presents. I mean, for instance, last Christmas I bought my mum a designer wash-board, the sort that you put clean dishes on to dry. My dad, a corkscrew. Therefore, this beautiful wine carafe from Sagaform seems to fit the criterium of not silver, affordable, looks-more-expensive-than-it-is, good quality, and bloody nice looking!
"Sagaform stands for joyful, innovative gifts for the kitchen and the set table. Indoors and outdoors. Joyful gifts for friends or family, or to spoil yourself with. Sagaform wants its brand and product range to be the obvious gift choice..." The gambit from their website. I seem to have made a inspired choice - a perfect gift to mark the occasion I feel! Just need to hope that my brother and sisters don't look at my blog to steal my idea, and that John Lewis deliver it in one piece!
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