Sodley-on-Sea Is Showing As Part Of This...........

Sodley-on-Sea has taken on a life of it's own. It's moved on from just being some daft c**t sticking bits of paper together in the back room of a semi in Salford, to being an Arts Council funded project. Funny how things happen.

So not only did it receive funding it's also going to be shown as part of Enlighten Manchester - Festival of Light and Sound Art 2015  at Central Library Manchester this coming December.

If you click on the link it tells you when and how you can book. Although it's free you still need to book. You can also book onto a couple of workshops that I'm doing starting this Saturday (14/11/15) They are not free. 

Come On Salford Let's Vote Bez!

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

Portfolio Reviews Are Fucking Nonsense.

Save your money..

Death of The Chain stores?

Church Street Records Manchester 2009

I'm sorry for the staff, all them aging muso's still waiting for their break (a bit like me and photography) but come on! I can remember when we all hated HMV, VIRGIN and OUR PRICE for closing down all the little independent record shops. Did the telly do a vox pops when the above shop closed ?

 Perhaps with the demise of CURRY'S, BLOCKBUSTER'S and JESSOP'S It's the start of something exciting. Perhaps the business model of the chainstore is in it's death throws ? Perhaps the small independent trader will return and all our fucking high streets will stop looking the same......

78 days Left....

Today they lit the Olympic torch now only 78 days left till kick off. Once it's done Britains I'm sure can really start to reap the benefits of the LEGACY and start to live fitter healthy, happier lives....

Image Mark Page

And so I let out a rallying MAYDAY cry, and my voice was tiny and echoed in what seemed like a cavernous space...

Apparently THIS is going to be a 'frank & open' account. Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha haaaaaa.

Anti Hero's

Ronnie Biggs, The Kray Twins, Michael Douglas as that bloke in Falling down, Chopper, Charles Bronson and anyone of the bellend Manchester gangsters from over the years. The politicians and wise men on Newsnight and of course THE SUN scratch their chins and wonder why the support for Raoul Moat has been big and continues to grow. It's simple great swathes of the British public are sofa sitting, stella swigging, Berkley smoking, skunk puffing, benefit scamming, BNP voting, scumbags, and they love a villain as long as he don't fiddle with kids and loves his mum.

Art Wank.

So we all know that there's so many Bolloxsy things written about Art. Here below is one introduction to a photographers new show I received today for example.

“In recent years, it has been possible to discern an attitude in the way BLANK BLANK sees himself that would suggest a specific attempt on his part to implement his artistic ideas in a more concentrated and intensive manner. We are not talking about a change in strategy here, rather a considered artistic reorientation in connection with a critically self-assured revision of his overall production, which has led him to re-examine his archived works once more. This current selection of images represents BLANK’s commitment to this revision; it contains largely new examples as well as some older images, occasionally reverting to spacious photographs, taking details from them, and presenting them in enlarged formats as images in their own right. There is a fresh impetus to all this... ."

Translated: He's not done fuck all new for years so we are going to try and flog the lazy bastards old stuff again as a new edition.

If you would like to be able to write reviews like the one above, then why not try THIS new 'Ap' from Apple... I may get one to help me out here on the blog, before anyone else says it, I need it.

Haiti.

I just hope photographers do the right thing here and don't turn it into some kind of career enhancing money making circus. Photographers and agencies have already had some mileage out of this poor fucked up country. OK I understand the importance of letting the world know etc etc but lets not turn it into the photojournalist equivalent of a Selfridges sale. Maybe it would do more good to take your plane fare/fixer money and send it HERE. Just a thought.

The exodus will no doubt start HERE.

Last Chance.

Thanks to all those who have submitted to THIS and last chance to if you've not.I will be slowing down the blog now over the next couple of day's as I get FESTIVE ROGUES GALLERY together to go live at 00:00 Monday (GMT) 21st

Maybe It's Just Me But......

Image courtesy Razors Edge Hairdressing

I've never got the Rankin thing. As far as I'm concerned, he is to photography what Blair was to politics. His work seems to be permanently stuck in a particularly pointless bit of the of the 90's, all fap & piss. And after spending a large part of today watching him work, or should I say his army of arrogant self important wastrels, I'm even more confused as to the reason for his success.


He's currently doing this, photographing people who define our time apparently. Let me tell you that it doesn't include ugly bastards like me. A selection of today's portraits looked like the front window of Razors Edge. Here Rankin can you make me hair look like that but with more off the back?

Big Brick Man?

You may or may not have heard, over on Manchester Confidential about the idea and campaign to bring Antony Gormley's "Brick Man" to the banks of The River Irwell. It was originally intended for the small wool town of Leeds apparently it was going to cost the Yorkshire folk money and well anyway it was "airy fairy" so it was never built. Fast forward twenty years, should it come to Manchester? well Salford actually, Should we not want Leeds cast offs? Is it just another wheeled out Gormley? Is he the Starbucks of sculpters? all questions being debated over on MC.

I personally think this or something else equally magnificent would be great for the place, an antidote to all the corporate glass and steel of the last decade. It doesn't have to be by Gormley, I thought Mark Wallinger's Big White Horse was a fantastic idea. People are banging on about us not copying other places and not wanting Leeds cast offs. I bet they are busy typing complaints on a PC in a soulless apartment over looking that fucking big wheel. Come on lets have a bloody great big statue!

It's time to make a choice. Do we continue as we are or do we try something new? Come on lets get some new trams.

http://www.wevoteyes.co.uk/aboutthecharge.aspx