The Manchester Mafia presents.......

The Manchester Mafia are once again bringing us The Manchester International Festival! Reuniting chums Hans Ulrich Obrist, Maxine Peake, Bjork, legendary Mancunian Damon Albarn, Peter Saville (no relation to Jimmy) and the oldest swinger in town Dave Haslem. All together again for another money spinning year.

Sometimes I Bloody Despair Of Photographers.....

 

You may have seen this story and image floating around social media. It's a tale of a painter who's used a photo he's seen as the starting point for a painting he's made. Photographer finds out gets pissed off and thinks "nice one I can make a quid I'll sue the fucker"  it goes to court. It's a bit like the Richard Prince type thing only this time the photographer wins. Art world is a bit miffed, freedom of artistic expression they cry, conservative photo world declares victory for copyright and the status quo. Anyway you can read the tale and common sense comment HERE

Now you may be thinking that I'm having a go at the photographer Katrijn Van Giel well I'm not. It's a strong portrait that's been appropriated by a well known successful artist so I understand their reaction, although in this case I think both the photographer and the law are acting daft. If it was one of my pictures and a top artist like Luc Tuymans decided to use one of my photos I would not only be chuffed to death but I would also milk it like fuck. Still Van Giel is quids in.

It's not a good decision for art though and the reaction from a lot of folk in the photography world just shows their plain ignorance and lack of understanding when it comes to issues being raised by contemporary art. This worries me (as far as photography goes but not like global warming or the new bus lane on the East Lancs Road) because it's some of the movers and shakers of the photography world who think this is a victory. 

I copied the below post from someone on facebook. I've not said who it is so I hope they won't sue me over copyright.

"You can see from my photos that I brave the elements to make them-I am up in the middle of the night, or early morning- or outside in the very cold. They are my point of view- the way I see things - my work and the photographs are the end result, unless I want to do something else with them. I am always talking about how much I resent painters saying they want to paint my photograph. I think painters should find their own subject matter- and go out and take photos if they use photos as inspiration. I think, I can paint my own photograph, but other's should not. I get testy. Of course I have no control when I post them. The choice seems to be that my photographs get seen every few years in a gallery setting, and they are seen no where else, or I post them online, and obviously, I chose to post them. It is, to me, a question of morals, integrity and originality
http://hyperallergic.com/176138/luc-tuymans-convicted-of-plagiarism-for-painting-photo-of-politician/"

PS I just saw this! https://www.lensculture.com/articles/katerina-belkina-paint-a-series-of-photographic-self-portraits

Large False Ones.

I have spent the last couple of days making a couple of giant false fingernails. It's a dirty job but someone has to do it...

Thank Fuck Someone,

Told Me............. A funny fat bird and a bloke who's not been funny for 20 years..... "My name is,

Winston Spencer Churchill, Heath, Wilson, Thatcher" Yeah? But he's done so much for comic relief... Not as much as he's done for PREMIER INN.

Image Masahisa Fukase

18:00 27/02/2010

City Fans You Gotta Love Em....

I love this bloke. Not only did he have Kaka's name tattooed on his chest thinking he was going to sign for City and then he didn't, he then had Robinho tattooed above it just as he's about to leave.. Now if that wasn't daft enough our Chris then goes and tells the newspaper.....twice........

Give enough monkey's enough camera's

Image copyright Kevin Flay

Here's a bit of worthwhile research if ever I saw some....

Budongo’s Got Talent!

"25 January 2010 - The chimpanzees residing in Budongo Trail at Edinburgh Zoo are set to become stars of the screen when they are featured in a BBC Natural World documentary on 27 January, 8pm - 9pm on BBC 2.

The 11 chimpanzees have been taking part in a voluntary study called The Chimpcam Project for the last 18 months. In this joint collaboration between the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS), University of Stirling and Burning Gold Productions, the chimps experience video streaming for the first time, learn how to use touch-screen technology and are even given a chimp-proof camera to shoot" MORE HERE

There is a rumour that Budongo has recently joined LIGHTSTALKERS and is currently seeking assignments and running photojournalism courses in Haiti.........

A fucking stupid picture for a fucking stupid idea.

Super Casino anyone?

Listen, all you folks who have sent in pictures RE last post a big thanks. Back to normal posting tomorrow.

I spent the day in olde Lancaster today, went on the very interesting Lancaster Castle Tour. Them "olden times" people, jeez what a load of nutters. They believed in witches and all sorts of madness like hanging people. The last fella to get hung there was in 1910 and apparently he was innocent. Thank fuck we stopped that shit. Thank fuck we don't think like that anymore. Thank fuck that we have out grown mumbo jumbo ideas like 'Evil'. We realise now that there's no such thing, right? We are clever enough to know that we should banish such stupidity in order to understand why certain people act in atrocious incomprehensible ways and because some actions are so incomprehensible we owe it to humanity to find out in a grown up and responsible manner why certain individuals behave in that morally wrong and harmful way.

Or we could stick some gargoyles outside our doors and watch Channel 4.........

It's been a headfuck kinda week. I got THIS news last Tuesday. I work there you see, so to find out something like that from the front page of a news paper, well welcome to the real world Art Gallery boy.

So Manchester is to lose an Art venue, second city? I'd laugh if it wasn't so fucking sad. Thing is I can remember less than eighteen months ago Richard Leese standing outside saying how much the place was a symbol of what Manchester was about. Guess you changed your mind eh? Tony H will be spinning in his grave you hypocritical twat.

A bit like this statement

"Manchester is renowned around the world for its footballing heritage and attracts more visitors than any English city outside London. Having a nationally significant football destination here would make perfect sense so when the National Football Museum approached us we were naturally keen to explore this exciting idea. Talks have been very positive so far."
perfect sense? renowned as a footballing city? Is that why UTD got no parade last year despite winning the Champions League?

Anyway enough. For the time being at least as I still work there.

Normal Service will be resumed on the morrow.

Wanted Dead or Alive.

As Greater Manchester Police continue there new found love affair with big photo's I wonder if they have really thought this one through. Take some sixteen year old males who have had their heads filled with guns and films and "gansta" and then you go offer them the ultimate status symbol, a new kind of kudos a giant "Wanted" Poster in the middle of the city centre. They then say that they think he may be in Birmingham anyway. Now that's a special kind of dumb.......

I loved the hick American woman who during a debate on health care said she didn't want to be "socialised like the Russians". Free health for everyone, fuck we Yankee doodle don't want that?!!?