Archive for the ‘art’ Category
the pursuit of the tangible
Joris-Karl Huysmans’ novel ‘Against Nature’ chronicles the vacation adventures of a man who never leaves his house. Scandalous in its day and much admired by Oscar Wilde, the book shows the liberation and decadence of doing the exact opposite of perceived wisdom when it comes to your free time.
no parking...venice beach
Nearly 120 years later, the possibilities of travelling in your imagination are enhanced no end by our relationship with the moving image. Last summer, at its summeriest, an afternoon walk through London Fields, golden sun in my eye, catching an entrepreneurial tray of Pimms making its way around the hordes of those also lucky enough not to be trapped in an office that day, I imagined, no, it did seem momentarily that I was on Venice Beach in the mid 60s. I’ve never been to Venice Beach. Or California. Or the 60s. But as a youth I listened to a lot of the Doors and chewed at least one VHS of the film.
As a child I wanted to be Harrison Ford so much that I thought it was merely a case of wishing hard enough to become him. He was both Han Solo and Indiana Jones. As a teen, it was the Lizard King. OK, looking back, he was a self mythologizing alcoholic bore with a penchant for writing things like “Ride the snake, the snake is 10 miles long” whilst Agent Cooper hammed merrily away on the Hammond. But, it’s a rite of passage to be an arrogant little [thing] and wanting to be Jim Morrison helped me through a difficult stage. It got me laid. It got me stoned. It gave me confidence to play guitar, if not the immediate ability.
Well over a decade later, that film and that band long forgotten. The right gold light, the smell of the chopped mint, the haze silhouetting beautiful forms reawakens a combination of long dormant brain cells. Once again Jim rides through the park. I am the lizard King, I can do anything. And I longed for the California of my mind’s eye.
Paul Hanford is author of leading music & film blog Bring Me Coffee Or Tea
(4 votes, average: 4.50 out of 5)
Loading ...follow us… to tribeca
over the bridge
Grab yourself a cwoffee because this weekend we’re heading to the big apple for our weekly Follow Friday instalment. Nothing beats New York in the spring, the days are getting warmer, New Yorkers are itching to get outside after a long cold winter, the cherry blossoms are blooming in Brooklyn’s Botanical Garden and the weekend markets are awash with vintage delights and charming trinkets. The highlight of this magical season for all film aficionados however has to be the TriBeCa Film Festival.
New York skyline
Founded a decade ago by Robert De Niro, Jane Rosenthal and Craig Hatkoff, New York’s Tribeca Film Festival remains one of the leading go-tos for cinematophiles the world over. With awards and screenings of features, shorts and documentaries alike, plus discussions and talks for directors, screenwriters and dedicated screen-lovers there’s plenty for both the emerging and established players out there. And for us mere mortals, there’s also a tight bundle of consumer-side events (including our ol’ favourite: the drive-in) to keep us happy while we wait for Mr or Mrs Dream-Future-Spouse to saunter by…
Fancy a jaunt to New York click here and discover the big apples little secret.
(5 votes, average: 4.20 out of 5) Loading ...time’s ticking: ten for april
As the fuzzy folk bards Simon and Garfunkel once sweetly harmonised ‘AAAA-A-April, come she will’, and boy oh boy did she come around quick this year. Spring has now officially sprung and, now the sun’s out (every now and then at least), we thought it only right to share some worldly wisdom and fill you in on ten of April 2011’s best (and least known) global events.
all fools’ day
someone always takes it one step too far
Roll up hoodwinkers, jokers come forth; April is here and, for one day only, the farceur is King. Eagerly anticipated by troublemakers everywhere, April the First (aka April Fools’ Day) is, as we all know, a day when normality sleeps and would-be jesters lurk round every corner. Cue 24 hours where hoaxes, white lies and practical jokes are not just for the kids. Indeed, it’s now the case that the national media are responsible for some of the tallest stories told on this most mistrusted of days. Famous swindles include the supposed discovery of hotheaded naked ice borers in Antarctica in 1995 and Burger King’s so-called left-handed Whopper in ’98. Rest assured though, we’d never sink so low…
queens day
Queen's Day
Koninginnedag, or Queen’s Day, takes place every year on April 30th, the Dutch Queen’s official birthday. If you’re thinking another nondescript public holiday, then think again. In an all-consuming burst of garish patriotism, Oranjegektel (orange craze) sweeps through Amsterdam, ensuring that, from food to clothes, hats to hair, nothing is left untangoed. Now if only the British Queen’s birthday prompted something similar in London… A flotilla of patriots wailing the national anthem across the Thames… On second thoughts, maybe it’s best we leave it to the Dutch, whose concerts, parties and vrijmarket (a sort of car boot sale) seem far more civilized.
nevis triathlon
nevis say never...
If the words ‘sport in the West Indies’ still conjure little more than images of cricket on the beach and Jamaica’s famous bobsleigh team, then it’s time to pick up the pace and get with the times. Running (swimming and cycling) from the 1st till the 2nd, the Nevis Triathlon is the perfect excuse to experience a different side to the beautiful island from which it takes its name. Broken down into three routes to cater for athletes of all levels, the race can be completed either individually or in relay format, perfect for those of you who like to follow a leisurely spot of holiday competition with a far more leisurely spot of flop on the beach.
hand in hand with love
two hearts make a whole
At the crossroads of East and West, the spectacular city of Istanbul bubbles along like a sun-kissed melting pot of creativity and culture. Hand in Hand with Love is an annual arts fest bringing together the diverse communities of Turkey’s capital throughout April. Facilitating inter-cultural understanding and putting on quite a show in the process, this is the perfect chance to sample local music, cast your eye over the visual arts and the marvel at the literary all sorts among this year’s multiplicity of Turkish delights.
sequences
the conSequences of colour
Iceland, a land frozen in time. Or so you might think. Taking over the capital Reykjavik from April 1st to 10th, Sequences is an annual arts festival whose focus is dynamism and movement – more ‘wow did you see that geyser?’ than ‘oh look, there’s that iceberg, the one we saw last time’. Expect mindblowing photography, performance art and sound and video installations that’ll give you more goosebumps than a northern gale. Expect to be wowed.
saborea
opening the door to the food of puerto rico
FOODIE ALERT. CODE TASTY. It’s not every day a country appears on the menu, but between April 1st and 3rd, you’re invited to ‘Taste Puerto Rico’ at Saborea, the country’s annual food fest. Set on the idyllic Escambrón Beach in Puerta de Tierra, the shining lights of this Caribbean territory’s gastronomic scene gather like seagulls and cook up a storm. Saborea is a big deal, so follow the aroma down to the waterfront and rub shoulders with the celebs during mouthwatering cooking demos and taster sessions.
las palmas international film festival
who'll grab the golden lady?
Sunlight(s), camera, action. Between the 1st and the 9th, Las Palmas, the gorgeous capital of Gran Canaria, plays picture-perfect host to one of our favourite film festivals. Culminating in the Golden Lady Harimaguada award for best film, the festival will showcase features and shorts from around the world.
barcelona guitar festival
buzzing like a strum-ble bee for barcelona
Every April, the Catalonian capital Barcelona tunes up its tuners for the city’s annual Guitar Festival. The country that gave us flamenco virtuoso Paco de Lucía opens its doors to the world’s best strummers, welcoming a groups and musicians from Spain and abroad. Running from the 1st to the 7th, Barcelona’s bars and concert halls are bound to be busy, so get over there quick and, well… Viva la musica!
st. petersburg festival of speed
what's the russian for va-va-voom?
St. Petersburg, Rush-ia. Got a need for speed? Look no further, just buckle up, put your foot down and head East for three days of 007 heaven. From April 1st to 3rd, connoisseurs, collectors and wide-eyed motorheads assemble for a spine-tingling showroom explosion of epic proportions. Drink in the petrol guzzling panorama of vintage Le Mans veterans, supercars, powerboats, custom bikes and high-performance planes, all gathered under an aircraft hangar kitted out for a very glitzy schmooze ‘n’ booze.
rallye aïcha des gazelles
oh damn, it was LEFT at the oasis
Misogynist drivers of the world take heed: Steer clear of the Moroccan desert or prepare to tsk and toot like never before. The Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles is a woman only race-cum-orienteering challenge running 2,500 km across the south of Morocco, and this year’s event is fast approaching its conclusion. With little but dunes and the occasional oasis to negotiate, the chance of a crash is negligible, but we hear Bedouin camel trains are keeping a safe distance nonetheless. Sisters are driving it by themselves. You’ve been warned.
James Snowdon is Editorial Intern at Black Tomato
(5 votes, average: 4.20 out of 5) Loading ...high tides
The Body is an Ocean
You could say it’s a hazard of the job to be frequently toing and froing across the high seas at 30,000ft, but last night we experienced an altogether different birds-eye view of the ocean…
the body is an ocean
Running for one week only at Paradise Row gallery, London, the installation ‘The Body is an Ocean’, by the young artist Eloise Fornieles is an immersive experience. Black buckets filled with sea water line the gallery floor beneath a collection of dimly suspended glowing light bulbs. As you weave your way through the buckets the intensifying sound of a heartbeat emitted at an almost subsonic frequency charges the room to represent birth, sexuality and death. Above the heartbeat a chorus of opera singers mimic the ocean’s song.
You’ll never think of the beach in the same way again…
Eloise Fornieles: The Body is an Ocean runs 31 March – 2 April 2011
(8 votes, average: 4.75 out of 5) Loading ...could you be our next view finder?
We’re challenging you, yes you, to wow us with your amazing, drool encouraging snaps from around the globe.
What does our winning View Finder receive? Return tickets for two on South African Airways and a stunning stay at Makanyane Safari Lodge for the ultimate views over the South African plains. Not bad eh?
whats the deal?:
-Upload your best view on our Facebook wall**
-Get your friends, family, anyone you know, to ‘Like’ your photo in our album
-Friends who vote are in with a chance of winning a KODAK PLAYSPORT so they have a good reason to…
-On April 7th we’ll announce the 20 finalists with the most ‘Likes’ on Facebook
what happens next?
-Our Top 20 finalists will appear here
-Our Finalist Panel will consider each photo and pick their winner.
-On April 14th, the winning View Finder will be announced and will soon be off in search of more views in South Africa.
**If you don’t have a Facebook profile, or have trouble uploading, you can e-mail your photos to viewfinder@blacktomato.co.uk and we will upload it for you.
Now get clicking and bon chance.
(3 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...sohei nishino – the diorama map series
When it comes to communicating your personal views on cities around the world, you don’t get much more individual than the extraordinary photographic dioramas of 28 year old Japanese artist, Nishino. Monumental in size, Nishino’s re-imagined ‘maps’ are photographs of collages hand-assembled using over 10,000 pictures of a place, taken from every possible angle during long walks and spliced together to create a visual representation of the city.
Nishino’s latest show at London’s Michael Hoppen Gallery feature ten of his most striking collages as well as his latest creation: the map of London, compiled using over 300 rolls of black and white film.
Face to face with Nishino’s reformatted, jumbled world you’re sure to feel just a little disorientated, but there’s something rather nice about the possibilities of being a stranger in your own world isn’t there?
Michael Hoppen Gallery present The Diorama Map Series 24.02.11 – 02.04.11
(3 votes, average: 5.00 out of 5) Loading ...
