Fire.

This is one of them proper Arty events. An Artist's Bonfire. Twenty odd Artist's burning work in a symbolic thingy. You could have submitted work to burn but it's a bit late now. You can though still go and watch other people burn their stuff should you wish. There will be food (BBQ I presume) and a party late into the night with people dancing naked around the fire and barking at the moon. I made that last bit up. Tomorrow night HERE.

PORTFOLIO: contemporary photography in Britain.

Over the crimbo holidays I became aware of the demise of PORTFOLIO MAGAZINE. It has been on my magazine purchase list for years so I'm gutted to see it go. Not the cheapest at a tenner, but it only came out a couple of times a year and was packed with some good writing and production values as good as any. If I had one criticism, and hey it's me so of course I have, it was that they sometimes played it a bit safe with the photographers chosen. I rarely came across the work of a photographer I was not already aware of and not seen in plenty of other publications or online. I think it's safe to say 'emerged' rather than 'emerging' was order of the day. Still going to leave a big whole on the shelves of quality magazine shops.

New Year sad start.

Pete Postlethwaite 1946-2011

that's all folks,

at least for 2010. Have a great Christmas and I'll be back in January.

Gregory Isaacs 1951-2010.

Frank Sidebottom.

Frank Sidebottom was to some who just didn't get him an annoying not funny comic. To others he was a brilliant Surreal performance artist who appeared at The Tate no less (see below) I think he fell somewhere in between, but one things for sure Manchester has lost another, albeit odd, Icon. When I worked at Urbis he was a presenter on CHANNEL M. When he put that head on he would go fully into character to such a degree that he had a photo ID swipe card made that had him with his head on and sporting a City Shirt and his name as Frank Sidebottom. The last couple of months he has talked bravely and in character about his cancer going so far as to make himself a new head without hair or eyebrows for when he had his chemotherapy......... Cheers Frank for the laughs. FRANK SIDEBOTTOM 1956-2010

A class act. Louise Bourgeois 1911-2010

Cheers!

Raising a glass to Keith Floyd 1943-2009

Sir Bobby Robson 1933-2009

God Bless ya and thank you for Italia 90 we my not have won but memories of that summer will last me and a whole generation a life time.......

MJ Never Came To Widnes, (but he couldn't half sing)

I was going to be all aloof and not mention MJ. Then I noticed that most of the cool kid photo bloggers are too cool to mention him so being an awkward bastard and him being well, MJ I thought fuck it I will, then I remembered I don't really have that many connections with him other than when was a kid and Pippa my rabbit got strangled one night and my mum found her and then I heard this song and projected my grief onto it. That's it. That's my MJ story. I wish my life was more glam and I had anecdotes like this........

P.S Is it me or does he look a little bit like Lilly Allen? No wonder he had fucking plastic surgery........ It's got to be said though that listening to him sing as a youngster well he could, really sing.

RIP Kodachrome

Singing it out.

Has The B Gone Bang?

I was going to write a bit yesterday about the "B of the Bang" and the fact that it's to be dismantled, but my Internet connection went down and well, I missed the boat on it as a story, but I will say this.

It was, along with other projects that began with the new century a symbol of the regeneration of Manchester and our renaissance as a city. I just hope that the fact that it's spikes keep falling off are not some kind of rusty great omen.........

Sad Loss of A Northern Icon.

Photo: Sportsphoto Agency

R.I.P Kathy Staff 1928-2008 A.K.A "Nora Batty" born Dukinfield, Greater Manchester.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/3776252/Nora-Batty-Calling-all-battleaxes.html

Isaac Hayes RIP

If there was a soundtrack to 1970's Black America then it was by this man who sadly died today.................... http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/celebritynews/2536713/Isaac-Hayes-soul-sensation-and-The-Voice-Of-South-Park-Character-Chef-dead-at-65.html

And Here for that TUNE! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tZzBrxj-Gjo

Farewell India House............

India House by Pierre Valette

That's it after almost a decade, tomorrow I'm moving out of my flat at India House and going back to Salford. I shall miss the old place, it's the longest I've ever lived in one building, I think my folks preferred moving to decorating.

India House in it's own way is just as iconic in Manchester as Strangeways, Hacienda, Boddies etc. Once a mighty cotton warehouse it has been social housing since the early eighties.

India House by Mark Page

It's long had fairly "Boho" residents no doubt attracted by the city centre location and cheap rents, and it's been said that Noel Gallagher, and various members of The Doves have been past tenants. The first weekend that I lived there happened to be Mardi Gras www.manchesterpride.com and as the lift doors opened on that first Saturday morning I was shocked to find myself in the presence of a six & a half foot Cruella De Vil complete with two Chippendale looking fella's in fun fur shorts on leads! That kind of thing became common place, and after living there for a couple of years I would respond with nothing more than an "alright mate"

So I raise a toast to India House and all the crazy folk who sail in her.....................

Beryl Cook 1926-2008

As many of you have no doubt heard Beryl Cook has died at the age of 81.http://arts.guardian.co.uk/art/news/story/0,,2282549,00.html Like many people I have grown up with her work. It would be given as calenders at Christmas or as greetings cards. My gran would see her pictures and exclaim "Oh that's cheeky" but said with a smile and a glint in her eye. Her work often set in pubs and clubs always portrayed people having fun, she once said that she couldn't paint "unhappy things" She portrayed her subjects, mainly The British with affection, something that today's more cynical artists seldom do. Her unique and cheery view of the world will be missed. To see more of her work: http://www.berylcook.org/

Burt Glinn 1928-2008

Burt Glinn 1928-2008

It's once more with sadness that I hear about the death yesterday morning, of another great Magnum photographer http://www.magnumphotos.com/ Burt Glinn who amongst other things covered the revolution in Cuba In 1959. Here for that story: http://inmotion.magnumphotos.com/essays/revolution.aspx

Philip Jones Griffiths 1936-2008

1936-2008 Philip Jones Griffiths

Quote: "The ability to keep things in perspective is very important for a journalist. In a tense situation you need the ability to be there, yet somehow step aside; to keep a cool head and keep working without getting frustrated."

It is with sadness that I hear of the death of one of Britain's great photojournalists.
http://www.magnumphotos.com/Archive/C.aspx?VP=XSpecific_MAG.PhotographerDetail_VPage&l1=0&pid=2K7O3R149GCO&nm=Philip%20Jones%20Griffiths

Farewell my funtime friend.........

Polaroid that pre digital friend of Readers Wives fame is to soon stop production of it's instant film, more here: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2008/02/14/npolaroid114.xml

Munich remembered.

The Busby Babes

6th February 1958.