tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84324868056378974542024-03-13T21:55:06.646+00:00follow the yellow brick roadKatherine Woodfinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213186458523670374noreply@blogger.comBlogger258125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432486805637897454.post-63600556229833272362013-03-03T16:25:00.000+00:002013-05-27T08:09:19.470+01:00Follow the Yellow is on the move!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After almost five years of blogging here, it's time to move on to pastures new!<br />
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Follow the Yellow has now moved on to <b><a href="http://www.followtheyellow.co.uk/">www.followtheyellow.co.uk</a></b><br />
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I won't be updating the blog here any longer, so please do come and visit me at my <a href="http://followtheyellow.co.uk/" target="_blank">shiny new blog home</a>: I'd love to see you there...Katherine Woodfinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213186458523670374noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432486805637897454.post-87248308483781151722012-07-15T08:18:00.000+01:002012-07-17T08:19:28.698+01:00Weekend Reads<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA0CSd3KvA5xicr2O6G5qGSmN9TPcd6WvFDetkNkwTL_7H-NTdhIWupJ2ayfAgofwr2PlGYdze7RkTZIrLlyvGX3_7X5IQ4TMNcOGKSAU32sTW2b8ceW-MzeU_8KOFn1rnBB9AdzncUOw/s1600/books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA0CSd3KvA5xicr2O6G5qGSmN9TPcd6WvFDetkNkwTL_7H-NTdhIWupJ2ayfAgofwr2PlGYdze7RkTZIrLlyvGX3_7X5IQ4TMNcOGKSAU32sTW2b8ceW-MzeU_8KOFn1rnBB9AdzncUOw/s640/books.jpg" width="424" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhA0CSd3KvA5xicr2O6G5qGSmN9TPcd6WvFDetkNkwTL_7H-NTdhIWupJ2ayfAgofwr2PlGYdze7RkTZIrLlyvGX3_7X5IQ4TMNcOGKSAU32sTW2b8ceW-MzeU_8KOFn1rnBB9AdzncUOw/s1600/books.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><span style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">The weather has been dreadful recently, but I don’t mind a bit of rain so much when I can head to a cozy cafe for coffee and cake with a good book (or several). Because of my job at Booktrust, I’m lucky enough to get my hands on review copies of lots of great new children’s, teen and young adult books. Here are some of those I’ve recently been enjoying:</span><span style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><i>Why We Broke Up</i> by Daniel Handler, illustrated by Maira Kalman
</b></span><span style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">I fell hard for this book: a quirky story of first love and first heartbreak, beautifully told by Daniel Handler, who you may know better as the author of the Lemony Snicket series. It’s an unusual book in all sorts of ways but for me what really sealed the deal were Maira Kalman’s gorgeous, faux-naif colour-saturated illustrations. I love that we are beginning to see more illustrated books for teens and young adults, and these beautiful artworks perfectly fit with the atmosphere of the book.</span><span style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><i>Debutantes</i> by Cora Harrison
</b></span><span style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">From its sugar-plum coloured cover to its delicious descriptions of flapper fashions,Debutantes is a delight. Set in 1923, it’s the story of four sisters growing up in a crumbling country house – but in spite of their lack of money and social connections, the girls are determined to make their way to London and experience the glitter and glamour of the roaring twenties. Each has an ambition – Daisy, the central figure of the story, aspires to become a famous film director, whilst Poppy aims to become a jazz musician and eldest sister Violet simply wants to be the perfect debutante. I wasn’t always totally convinced of how true this really was to the period - sometimes the bubbly confidence and open-mindedness of Daisy and her sisters did seem a touch unlikely for 1920s teenagers. But really, who cares about accuracy when it’s this much fun? Anyone who (like me) love the Mitfords and <i>I Capture the Castle</i> will enjoy this charming novel.</span><span style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><i>The Gathering Dark</i> by Leigh Bardugo
</b></span><span style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">I do like a good fantasy and The Gathering Dark is great fun: the first in a trilogy set in the fictional country of Ravka, which focuses on its magical elite, known as the Grisha. Our heroine is downtrodden orphan Alina, whose life changes dramatically when she discovers she has magical powers of her own. Drawing on Russian traditions and folklore, Leigh Bardugo has created a vivid fantasy world: the plot rattles along with plenty of exciting twists and turns, and Alina makes for an engaging heroine.</span><span style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><i>The Abominables</i> by Eva Ibbotson</b></span><span style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">This completely delightful book is a hugely fun, warm and imaginative story – but nonetheless, reading it left me feeling sad. Why? Simply because it’s the last book from the wonderful Eva Ibbotson. The incomplete manuscript for <i>The Abominables</i> - a lovely story about a family of kind-hearted yetis who go on an unlikely road-trip – was found among the author’s papers at her death in 2010, and has been completed by her son, but nonetheless this is vintage Ibbotson in the tradition of <i>One Dog and His Boy</i> and <i>Journey to the River Sea</i>. Undoubtedly a classic in the making.</span><span style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><i>What’s Up With Jody Barton?</i> by Hayley Long
</b></span><span style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">You’d be forgiven for glancing at the brightly coloured, doodled cover of this slender novel, and dismissing it as another funny romance for younger teens, but Hayley Long’s newest book is full of surprises. This is the story of Jolene and Jody – twins who couldn’t be more different, at least until they both fall for the same boy. So far, so predictable? Maybe, but there’s a big twist ahead that I for one, certainly wasn’t expecting. I won’t give it away here, but I promise this isn’t your run-of-the-mill teenage book, but instead a warm-hearted, thoughtful and very readable story about family and coming to terms with who you are.</span><span style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><i>T</i><span style="background-color: white;"><i>he Diviners</i> by Libba Bray
</span></b></span><span style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">Back in the 1920s again, but this time we head to New York, for the latest novel from Libba Bray. I’m big fan of Bray’s <i>A Great and Terrible Beauty</i> - a mysterious story set in a turn-of-the-century girls’ boarding school, which has much about it than your average teen supernatural romance. <i>The Diviners</i> publishes in September and I devoured the proof copy. It’s a beautifully-written and thrilling murder mystery set in glamorous Manhattan, complete with flappers, speakeasies, Gatsby-esque parties, and of course (this being Libba Bray) an unearthly, spine-chilling supernatural side. Every detail is perfect: I absolutely love the 1920s flapper lingo – from now on I’m only referring to alcoholic drinks as ‘panther sweat’ and ’giggle water’. </span><span style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><b><i>The Wolf Princess</i> by Cathryn Constabl<span style="background-color: white;">e
</span></b></span><span style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: white;">Also publishing this autumn is <i>The Wolf Princess</i> - a heartwarming children’s adventure, very much in the style of classic authors like Eva Ibbotson. Lonely schoolgirl Sophie lives a fairly humdrum existence in a dull boarding school, until a long-cherished dream unexpectedly comes true, and she and two friends find themselves heading to Russia on a school trip. But after a series of strange encounters, the three girls find themselves lost and alone in an unknown wilderness – until they are rescued by the beautiful Princess Anna Volonskaya. The Princess takes them away to her winter palace and tells them tales of lost diamonds and her family’s tragic past – but what does she really want from them? Vividly conjuring up the crumbling grandeur of the winter palace, from its dusty crystal chandeliers to the wolves howling in the forest outside, this is an atmospheric and enchanting read.</span></span><span style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><i>The Apothecary</i> by Maile Meloy</b></span></span><span style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: white;">
I’d not heard of this book until it appeared on my desk at work, but something about it immediately grabbed my attention. Like <i>How We Broke Up</i>, it is enhanced by lovely illustrations, this time atmospheric black and white drawings from Ian Schoenherr. It’s an unusual and inventive story set in the early 1950s: Californian teenager Janie hates the idea of moving from sunny LA to cold, grey, drab post-war London, but once there things look up when she meets the rebellious Benjamin, who dreams of becoming a spy. Events take an unexpected turn when Benjamin’s father – an apothecary – is suddenly kidnapped, and he entrusts Janie and Benjamin with a book full of ancient spells and potions that they must protect at all costs. Combining fantasty with the very real nuclear threat of the 1950s, <i>The Apothecary</i> is an unusual, magical and highly engaging tale.</span></span><span style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">PS. Picture taken at Fork, a new favourite cafe on Marchmont Street in Bloomsbury which does great coffee and even better Chelsea buns.</span></span>Katherine Woodfinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213186458523670374noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432486805637897454.post-35813030075660275202012-07-13T19:52:00.000+01:002012-07-13T20:00:29.716+01:00Five ThingsHere's another set of five cultural delights that have been pleasing me of late:<br />
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<b>1. THE ROBINSON INSTITUTE</b><br />
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I really enjoyed this immersive and thought-provoking exhibition from Patrick Keiller at Tate Britain. <i><a href="http://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/exhhttp://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/exhibition/patrick-keiller-robinson-instituteibition/patrick-keiller-robinson-institute" target="_blank">The Robinson Institute</a></i> documents a walk through Berkshire, Buckingham and Oxfordshire undertaken by the mysterious Robinson, a fictional academic and 'scholar of landscape' who has featured in various films previously made by Keiller. Here, the Duveen Gallery is filled with clues to Robinson's journey and which point to his strange disappearance - potent photographs of cloudscapes and pylons, offbeat maps, unusual artefacts, landscape paintings and quirky black and white film clips, creating an intriguing web of ideas and references.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8t25Hj5r_2iSsO9gDHit3Ab-V1lJndMTk-e5DEsMm1p0FWOpTSCu2icCH6ESeaVkdqHFQJM22Y0d7BiHIhZV1aUw7-0OniuSB67Qy19GZn9AOCHRsk5EDu1APWKl3Dqm6zpiPobVOO-M/s1600/kalman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8t25Hj5r_2iSsO9gDHit3Ab-V1lJndMTk-e5DEsMm1p0FWOpTSCu2icCH6ESeaVkdqHFQJM22Y0d7BiHIhZV1aUw7-0OniuSB67Qy19GZn9AOCHRsk5EDu1APWKl3Dqm6zpiPobVOO-M/s640/kalman.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<b>2. MARIA KALMAN</b><br />
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I love <a href="http://www.mairakalman.com/" target="_blank">Maria Kalman</a>'s beautiful illustrations for <i>Why We Broke Up</i>, a new young adult novel from Daniel Handler (who is perhaps better known as Lemony Snicket). Kalman is the illustrator of numerous books for both adults and children, and has also created many covers for the <i>New Yorker</i>: I love the way she combines brightly-coloured illustrations with handwritten texts in her artworks. Pictured above is one of her images from <i>The Pursuit of Happiness</i>, a fascinating 'visual column' she wrote and illustrated for the New York Times in 2011: read it <a href="http://kalman.blogs.nytimes.com/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<b>3. A MONSTER CALLS</b><br />
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If you haven't read <i>A Monster Calls</i> yet, you must. Based on an original idea by Siobhan Dowd, this is an extraordinary and deeply moving children's book, in which a beautifully-written text by Patrick Ness mingles and merges with incredibly powerful illustrations by Jim Kay. It's no surprise that the book has just become the first ever to win both the Carnegie and the Kate Greenaway Medals. (I interviewed Patrick and Jim about winning these prestigious prizes <a href="http://www.booktrust.org.uk/books-and-reading/children/authors/176" target="_blank">here</a>).<br />
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<b>4. PINTEREST</b><br />
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Addicted. Follow me <a href="http://pinterest.com/followtheyellow/" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
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<b>5. WRITING BRITAIN</b><br />
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I'm never entirely convinced by the British Library's exhibitions: displays of beautiful old books are all very well but it might be more fun if you could actually <i>read</i> them. However, their latest exhibition, <i><a href="http://www.bl.uk/writingbritain" target="_blank">Writing Britain: Wastelands to Wonderlands</a></i>, certainly has some real treasures in it for bibliophiles to enjoy. My highlights were a 1940s first edition <i>Famous Five, </i>the notebook in which Daphne Du Maurier planned <i>Rebecca</i>, the manuscript of <i>Jane Eyre,</i> a first edition of <i>Mystery at Witchend</i> by Malcolm Saville and the original manuscript of <i>Cold Comfort Farm.</i><br />
<br />Katherine Woodfinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213186458523670374noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432486805637897454.post-53045139132830826122012-07-02T22:21:00.002+01:002012-07-04T21:11:31.250+01:00Il Vacanze<br />
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<b><i>Hello, I’m back...</i></b></div>
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I've just returned from a much-needed holiday in Italy where I spent a week staying in a beautiful cottage in a small hillside village in Liguria... a week of walking through sunwarmed olive groves; handfuls of wild cherries straight from the tree; views of a bright blue sea; befriending local cats; discovering tiny sun-faded churches; meadows sprinkled with daisies, wild sweet peas and butterflies; eating <i>spaghetti scoglio</i>, stuffed courgette flowers, local figs, <i>foccaccia</i> and <i>torta verde</i>; drinking prosecco and homemade grape juice; and by night, watching fireflies and hearing owls hooting to each other in the dark.</div>
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<br />Katherine Woodfinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213186458523670374noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432486805637897454.post-6786173603472669282012-05-06T21:13:00.001+01:002012-05-06T21:14:34.024+01:00Back Soon<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Sorry I haven't been around here much of late - I've been super busy working on another writing project. <br />
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Back soon, but in the meantime here's a picture of some red shoes and books, because um... well, yeah, just because.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">[Image via <a href="http://followtheyellowbrick.tumblr.com/page/16#1570757501">tumblr</a>]</span></div>
<br />Katherine Woodfinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213186458523670374noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432486805637897454.post-38133065017645710202012-03-07T20:20:00.000+00:002012-03-07T20:20:02.993+00:00Yayoi Kusama<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Better late than never, some thoughts on the new <a href="http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/yayoikusama/default.shtm"><b>Yayoi Kusama</b></a> exhibition at Tate Modern...<br />
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I first encountered Japanese artist Kusama’s gloriously wacky artwork in the Hayward’s group show <i>Walking in My Mind</i> <a href="http://followtheyellowbrick.blogspot.com/2009/07/walking-in-my-mind.html">back in 2009</a> and was instantly struck by its colourful eccentricity. But the Tate exhibition proves there’s much more to Kusama than the distinctive polka-dot installations for which she is best known. Starting with her early works, the exhibition traces her artistic development chronologically through the 50s, 60s and 70s, following her from rural Japan to the heart of the New York art scene. The work here is incredibly varied, ranging from semi-abstract works on paper influenced by traditional Japanese artwork to trippy films of 1960s art ‘happenings’. If one thing is clear from these early works, it’s how quick Kusama was to absorb contemporary influences, continually reinventing her work and finding new directions in response to other artists and their works.<br />
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Since 1977, Kusama has lived voluntarily in a psychiatric institution in Japan, marking something of a turning point. From here onwards, her practice seems more consistent, and we encounter works that might seem more familiar – from her soft, sculptural forms to the dizzying polka-dotted domestic space, <i>I’m Here But Nothing</i>. This is work that is vibrant, unexpected and often very enjoyable, yet the final installation <i>Infinity Room</i> – a disorientating, darkened, mirrored space which we must pass through before leaving the gallery – makes it quite clear that Kusama’s work is about more than entertaining eccentricity and jaunty coloured spots. Ultimately, this is work which challenges our perceptions of mental illness, exploring the ways that art can begin represent the disturbing experiences of psychological trauma, neurosis and obsession.<br />
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<a href="http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/yayoikusama/default.shtm">Yayoi Kusama is at Tate Modern until 5 June.</a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">[Image: <span class="nothing">Yayoi Kusama<em> Kusama posing in Aggregation: One Thousand Boats Show 1963 installation view, Gertrude Stein Gallery, New York</em> 1963 © Yayoi Kusama and © Yayoi Kusama Studios Inc.]</span></span> </div>Katherine Woodfinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213186458523670374noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432486805637897454.post-81383035969363002012-01-15T09:02:00.002+00:002012-01-15T09:02:45.901+00:00Laura Oldfield Ford: Transmissions from a Discarded Future<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.halesgallery.com/usr/images/exhibitions/42/transmissions_from_a_discarded_future_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://www.halesgallery.com/usr/images/exhibitions/42/transmissions_from_a_discarded_future_1.jpg" width="438" /> </a></div>
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Managed to pop into <a href="http://www.halesgallery.com/exhibitions/_42/">Hales Gallery</a> today to catch the final day of <a href="http://lauraoldfieldford.blogspot.com/">Laura Oldfield Ford</a>'s show,
'Transmissions from a Discarded Future'. Oldfield Ford's delicate, yet bitingly political ballpoint drawings of mundane scenes of abandoned housing estates, deserted tower blocks, derelict shopping arcades, advertisements and tall billboard posters are hugely powerful and distinctive. Taking their cue from the August riots, they fizzle with anger, casting a new light on the forgotten corners of the urban landscape. </div>
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<a href="http://www.halesgallery.com/usr/images/exhibitions/42/transmissions_from_a_discarded_future_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://www.halesgallery.com/usr/images/exhibitions/42/transmissions_from_a_discarded_future_2.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">[Images: Transmissions from a Discarded Future #1, 2011, Ink on Tyvek, 239.5x169cm and Transmissions from a Discarded Future #1, 2011, Ink on Tyvek, 239.5x169cm by Laura Oldfield Ford, via <a href="http://www.halesgallery.com/exhibitions/_42/">Hales Gallery</a>]</span></div>Katherine Woodfinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213186458523670374noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432486805637897454.post-6603434379163799042011-12-31T16:12:00.003+00:002011-12-31T16:16:21.638+00:00Exhibitions of the year 2011It's always so difficult to choose my favourite exhibitions of the year, and this year particularly so as there were many that I missed that I would like to have seen. But after some deliberation, and in keeping with tradition, here are my top five for 2011:<br />
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5. <a href="http://followtheyellowbrick.blogspot.com/2011/01/philippe-parenno-at-serpentine.html"><b>Philippe Parenno at the Serpentine</b></a><br />
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Right at the beginning of the year I saw Algerian filmmaker Philippe Parenno's memorable solo show at the Serpentine. Parenno transformed the gallery with this atmospheric, immersive and magical exhibition (complete with fake snow blowing past the gallery windows) to provoke a lovely sense of childlike wonder.<br />
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<a href="http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2010/12/3/1291389764045/Invisibleboy-011.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="486" src="http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2010/12/3/1291389764045/Invisibleboy-011.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://followtheyellowbrick.blogspot.com/2011/06/tracey-emin-love-is-what-you-want.html">4. <b>Tracey Emin: Love is What You Want at the Hayward</b></a><br />
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At the beginning of this year, I don't think I would ever have guessed that an exhibition from that overexposed YBA-er and friend of the Tories Tracey Emin would make it onto my 'top five' list. But the Hayward Gallery's rich, varied and well-curated retrospective of her career took me by surprise, and gave me the opportunity to rediscover her sometimes jaunty, sometimes irreverent, often uncomfortable but always engaging body of work. <br />
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3. <a href="http://followtheyellowbrick.blogspot.com/2011/10/pipilotti-rist-eyeball-massage.html"><b>Pipilotti Rist: Eyeball Massage at the Hayward</b></a><br />
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Another thumbs up for the Hayward comes in the shape of this solo exhibition by Pipilotti Rist, one of my favourite artists. My expectations for this exhibition were especially high, but although it wasn't perhaps quite everything I wanted it to be, it certainly delivered all the quirky, unexpected joyfulness I've come to expect from Rist's delightful work. <br />
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2. <a href="http://followtheyellowbrick.blogspot.com/2011/05/susan-hiller-tate-britain.html"><b>Susan Hiller at Tate Britain</b></a><br />
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I always enjoy Tate Britain's exhibitions, but Susan Hiller's solo show
earlier this year was a real stand-out for me. I wasn't hugely familiar
with Hiller's work before, but found the artworks in this show
intriguing, intelligent and thought-provoking: from her anthropological
collections of everything from seaside postcards to bottles of holy
water; to the powerful installation <i>Witness</i> (pictured), full of wonder and strangeness.<b> </b><br />
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1. <b><a href="http://followtheyellowbrick.blogspot.com/2011/06/yohji-making-waves.html">Yohji Making Waves at the Wapping Project</a></b><br />
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<b> </b>It's an installation rather than a conventional exhibition, but my top choice for 2011 has to be fashion designer and artist Yohji Yamamoto's extraordinary site-specific installation at the Wapping Project. Making Waves saw the Boiler House space flooded with dark rippling water, which visitors could cross in a small rowing boat, allowing them to take a look at the beautiful oversized silk wedding dress suspended above it. Mesmeric, meditative and eerily beautiful, this installation was also hugely fun - an enchantingly playful response to the gallery space.<br />
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Finally (and because I like cheating) here are a couple of extras...<br />
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A special mention must also go to <i>Dark Matters</i> at the Whitworth Gallery in Manchester for one of my favourite works of the year -<i> '</i>Still Life No. 1', an enchanting new commission by the collective Brass Art, as part of <b><a href="http://followtheyellowbrick.blogspot.com/2011/11/asia-triennial-manchester-2011.html">Asia Triennial Manchester 2011</a></b>.<br />
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And of course I can't possibly finish off my review of the year without briefly mentioning the <b><a href="http://followtheyellowbrick.blogspot.com/2011/03/booktrust-best-new-illustrators-award.html">Booktrust Best New Illustrators 2011</a></b> exhibition, organised by yours truly, which features the work of 10 fantastic up-and-coming illustrators like Katie Cleminson whose work is below. It's been everywhere from London Book Fair to Plymouth Art Gallery & Museum, the Free Word Centre to the National Galleries of Scotland this year, but it can currently see as part of <a href="http://www.galleryoldham.org.uk/exhibitions/picture_this.htm"><i>Picture This</i></a> at Gallery Oldham. <br />
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It's actually quite interesting looking over all the exhibitions you've seen in a year: on reflection, I realise that without particularly meaning to do so, I've ended up seeing mainly the big 'blockbuster' shows at London's biggest and best known galleries. My resolution for 2012 is to see more exhibitions at smaller, less well-known galleries and artist-led spaces.<br />
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Do you have any arts or cultural resolutions for 2012? And what were your favourite exhibitions of 2011?<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">[For all image credits in full, please see the original posts] </span></div>Katherine Woodfinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213186458523670374noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432486805637897454.post-15451140947633121692011-12-30T12:44:00.001+00:002012-05-06T20:32:52.733+01:00Olympia Le Tan<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I love these handmade embroidered book clutch bags created by <a href="http://www.olympialetan.com/index.cfm">Olympia Le Tan</a> - these images are all from her <a href="http://olympialetan.tumblr.com/">tumblr blog.</a></div>
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Together with Spike Jonze, she has also created<span style="font-size: small;"> <i>Mourir Auprès de Toi</i>, a quirky stop-animated film about book characters that come to life after dark in the famous Parisian bookshop Shakespeare & Company. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">You can watch the film in full <a href="http://www.nowness.com/day/2011/10/17?ecid=soc1268">here</a>, and read more about how it came to be made, but an excerpt is below.</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/28pqSlXbkUM" width="560">&lt;p&gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;gt;[all images&amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;br&amp;amp;amp;gt;&lt;/p&gt;</iframe>Katherine Woodfinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213186458523670374noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432486805637897454.post-11944273274316517172011-12-23T15:34:00.000+00:002011-12-30T15:34:54.152+00:00Merry Christmas!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">[Image from <span>Graphis Annual 56/57 </span>(by <a href="http://flickr.com/photos/sandiv999">Sandi Vincent</a>) via tumblr]</span></div>Katherine Woodfinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213186458523670374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432486805637897454.post-50169874612594991172011-12-03T15:29:00.000+00:002011-12-03T13:34:35.786+00:00Five More ThingsFollowing on from my previous <a href="http://followtheyellowbrick.blogspot.com/2011/09/five-things.html">Five Things</a> post, I thought I'd share another selection of things that have been pleasing me of late...<br />
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<b>1. <i>I WANT MY HAT BACK</i> - JON KLASSEN</b><br />
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Published by Walker Books, <a href="http://www.walker.co.uk/I-Want-My-Hat-Back-9781406336832.aspx"><i>I Want My Hat Back</i></a> is my new favourite picture book: a quirky and charming tale of a bear who has lost his hat. But whilst the story is sweet, it's the stylish, witty illustrations by Jon Klassen that really make this irresistible. The bear's face (above) makes me smile every single time I see it.<br />
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<b>2. TACITA DEAN FOR THE TURBINE HALL AT TATE MODERN</b><br />
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The twelfth commission in Tate Modern's Turbine Hall as part of The Unilever Series comes from celebrated artist and filmmaker Tacita Dean <a href="http://www.tate.org.uk/modern/exhibitions/unilever2011/default.shtm">FILM</a> is an 11-minute 35 mm film projection, standing 13 metres tall at one end of the darkened Turbine Hall. A montage of black and white, rainbow colours and hand-tinted film, this playful, intriguing and surreal installation is a thought-provoking tribute to the power of analogue in a digital age.<br />
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<b>3. DARK NAILS</b><br />
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Maybe it's a hangover from Halloween, maybe it's because I've spent too much time browsing French fashion blog <a href="http://www.thecherryblossomgirl.com/">The Cherry Blossom Girl</a> (pictured) but I am all about the dark nails at the moment. I had my nails painted black at the lovely vintage-style beauty salon <a href="http://www.lostinbeauty.com/">Lost in Beauty</a> in Primrose Hill a couple of weeks ago, and am completely converted.<br />
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<b>4. CHRIS HAUGHTON: DIGITAL HANDMADE</b><br />
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I went along to the private view of Booktrust Best New Illustrator 2011 Chris Haugton's exhibition at <i></i><i><a href="http://www.so-far-the-future.co.uk/exhibitions/digital-handmade" target="_blank">So far the future</a></i> gallery earlier this week. As well as artwork from his picture books <i>A Bit Lost</i> and <i>Oh No George </i>the show includes all kinds of lovely objects designed by Chris and then handmade by traditional Fair Trade craft-makers in Nepal - beautiful bags, plush toys, lampshades and incredible rugs. The exhibition continues until 7 December: find out more about it<a href="http://chrishaughton.com/digital-handmade"> here.</a><br />
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<b>5. DIANA WYNNE JONES</b><br />
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I can't believe I managed to get through 28 years without discovering Diana Wynne Jones's brilliant books. I've been reading my way through her delightful <i>Chrestomanci</i> series, beginning with <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Essential-Modern-Classics-Charmed-Life/dp/0007255292"><i>Charmed Life</i></a> (pictured), as well as the wonderful <i>Howl's Moving Castle</i> and its sequels. <i>Witch Week </i>is my favourite so far but every one is fantastic.<br />
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So what's taken your fancy recently? Let me know in the comments if you've got favourite new finds to share... <br />
<b> </b>Katherine Woodfinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213186458523670374noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432486805637897454.post-66460171022227131262011-12-01T14:30:00.001+00:002011-12-02T19:24:15.681+00:00Crazy for You<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I do love a good musical, and so I was delighted to be invited to go along and see a performance of <a href="http://crazyforyouthemusical.com/"><i><b>Crazy for You</b></i></a>, a new hit West End show inspired by the classic songs of George and Ira Gershwin, at the Novello Theatre earlier this week.<br />
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<i>Crazy for You </i>is the story of stagestruck banker Bobby who longs to dance on the Broadway stage, but instead his stern mother despatches him to a sleepy Western town in the Nevada desert to foreclose on a derelict theatre. On arrival he immediately falls for the owner’s daughter, the feisty Polly, and hatches a harebrained scheme to save the theatre and win Polly’s heart by impersonating famous impresario Zangler, and bringing the Zangler’s Follies chorus girls out West to put on a show.<br />
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All kinds of silly shenanigans ensure, especially when the real Zangler turns up with Bobby’s mother and overbearing fiancé in tow. But let’s be honest, it’s not really the story that matters here, but the fantastic, feel-good song and dance routines. Toe-tapping Gershwin favourites like <i>I Got Rhythm,</i> <i>Someone to Watch Over Me </i>and <i>Nice Work if You Can Get It </i>are used to excellent effect with delightful choreography from Stephen Mear. This is a true old-fashioned musical in glittering 1930s style, complete with high-kicking showgirls in glamorous outfits, vaudeville-style comedy routines, a tap-dancing hero and a romantic finish. The gilt interior of the Novello theatre makes an ideal setting for this gleefully escapist and nostalgic production.<br />
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Joyous and relentlessly upbeat, <i>Crazy for You </i>seems like the perfect antidote to ‘politics and axes taxes and people grinding axes’ of recent weeks - as the Gershwin number goes. If silly jokes and sparkles are your thing, then I can heartily recommend this as the perfect festive treat… and I know that I for one will be singing <i>I Got Rhythm</i> (and tapping the odd toe) for the rest of the week.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ivIYDiB2rTQ" width="560"></iframe>Katherine Woodfinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213186458523670374noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432486805637897454.post-51195063509801246402011-11-24T19:39:00.001+00:002011-11-30T18:33:43.826+00:00Asia Triennial Manchester 2011I haven’t been up to Manchester for nearly a year, so I was delighted when <a href="http://allpointsnorth.info/">All Points North</a> invited me to go up to take a look at <b><a href="http://www.asiatriennialmanchester.com/">Asia Triennial Manchester 2011</a></b>. <br />
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Asia Triennial, showcasing a range of exhibitions, events and commissions across multiple venues in the city, first took place in 2008. The brainchild of Shisha, an agency promoting South Asian craft and visual art in the UK, Asia Triennial aims to offer a diverse and comprehensive survey of Asian art. Following on from the 2008 offering, 2011 saw the Triennial return for its second incarnation, an ambitious festival bringing together 17 venues, 40 artists and 32 new commissions. Here’s my review of a handful of the exhibitions that are on offer – unfortunately all I was able to see in a single day…<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Image credit: Brass Art, 'Still Life No.1',
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<i><a href="http://www.asiatriennialmanchester.com/whats-on/event/dark-matters/"><b>Dark Matters</b></a></i> at the Whitworth is an intelligent and sophisticated group show, bringing together a variety of contemporary work exploring shadows, darkness, illusion and technology. There are in fact only a couple of Asian artists in the exhibition, Hiraki Sawa from Japan and Ja-Young Ku from Korea, but nonetheless it made an impressive start to my ATM 11 experience.<br />
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Appropriately enough, there’s an element of phantasmagoric playfulness to many of the works in this exhibition. Daniel Rozin’s 'Snow Mirror', for example, initially appears to be simply a projection of the grey ‘snowstorm’ we associate with a disrupted TV signal, but come closer and we soon realise that we ourselves are appearing as ghostly figures on the screen. Meanwhile, Barnaby Hoskins’ 'Black Flood' surrounds us with four walls on which simultaneous video projections play out images of inky, turbulent waters. Outside, 'Thoughts', an installation by the same artist, sees a series of three-dimensional butterfly wings scattered across the gallery walls casting delicate shadows. However it is a new commission from the collective Brass Art that for me was the standout piece in this exhibition. Recalling early 19th century technologies such as zoetropes and magic lanterns, 'Still Life No. 1' is an enchanting installation in which a glittering array of transparent figurines and delicate cellophane constructions is illuminated by a travelling light source, sending a magical carousel of shadows playing across the gallery walls. <br />
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The exhibition is accompanied by a variety of works exploring the same themes from the Whitworth’s collection, by artists ranging from Francis Bacon to Anish Kapoor. Showing alongside it is <i>Air Pressure</i>, a thoughtful video work by Angus Carlyle and Rupert Cox, which precisely evokes the distinctive atmosphere of a farm situated on the edge of Japan’s Nara Airport runway.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Image credit: Rashid Rana 'Desperately Seeking Paradise 2' </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Installation view at Cornerhouse Manchester </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Courtesy of Tiroche Deleon Collection & Art Vantage Ltd</span></div>
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Along Oxford Road, Cornerhouse plays host to a very different exhibition. <a href="http://www.asiatriennialmanchester.com/whats-on/event/rashid-rana-everything-is-happening-at-once/"><i><b>Everything is Happening at Once</b></i></a> is the UK’s first solo show by the prominent Pakistani artist Rashid Rana. <br />
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Like many of the artists in <i>Dark Matters</i>, Rana is concerned with exploring and interrogating the photographic image, combining sculpture, photography and video to blur the boundaries between two and three dimensional image making. However, unlike the quiet, dimly-lit Whitworth galleries, here we find ourselves in a more disquieting space, in which pixellated cubes reveal themselves as defamiliarised representations of ordinary household objects such as a fridge or a vase of flowers, whilst photomosaic images of veiled women are, on close inspection, composed from numerous tiny pornographic images. Whilst these powerful works have no doubt provoked debate, it was the more ambiguous sculptural installation, 'Desperately Seeking Paradise II' with its bold lines and angled mirrors that was, for me, the most interesting work in this ambitious exhibition.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Life in the UK / Balance of Probabilities installation in Castlefield Gallery Manchester 2011</span></div>
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Not far away, <a href="http://www.asiatriennialmanchester.com/whats-on/event/life-in-the-uk-balance-of-probabilities/"><i><b>Life in the UK/Balance of Probabilities</b></i></a> at Castlefield Gallery is another debut – this time the first UK commission by Istanbul-based Didem Özbek and Osman Bozkurt of PiST///. This exhibition sees Castlefield transformed into a temporary Visa Application Centre: entering the gallery is immediately unsettling, as we find ourselves stepping through a metal detector and accept a ticket from a machine, simulating the experience of entering a Visa Application Centre in Turkey. Inside the gallery, a variety of multiartform works explore related issues such as identity, migration, borders, power and control, employing both real stories and fiction with a pleasing touch of dark comedy.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgle-c6ITduqgHCmYnyjmkmK8jWG5jodH9SeafWrBc2e-EMpVfpBk7k5p4e7wBy5MTyf5ZFUtNc2YTpynCMOVVXATR_09-qkjtv_M-4rHbHcg3w3cGLtJlV0bfGFaOWr2f7hviyDxdFtqI/s1600/Adeela_Suleman_Drained_2011_-_detail.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgle-c6ITduqgHCmYnyjmkmK8jWG5jodH9SeafWrBc2e-EMpVfpBk7k5p4e7wBy5MTyf5ZFUtNc2YTpynCMOVVXATR_09-qkjtv_M-4rHbHcg3w3cGLtJlV0bfGFaOWr2f7hviyDxdFtqI/s640/Adeela_Suleman_Drained_2011_-_detail.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Image credit: Adeela Suleman Drained 2011 - detail </span></div>
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Whilst the Castlefield show is hard to miss, you might have to look more carefully in the dimly-lit interior of Manchester Cathedral to find the ATM 11 commission <a href="http://www.asiatriennialmanchester.com/whats-on/event/drained-2011/"><i><b>Drained</b></i></a> from Adeela Suleman, an artist from Karachi known for her sculptures that appropriate household objects. Situated in the nave of the cathedral, this glittering, spiky spiral constructed from metal drain covers has strangely meditative properties, and is surprisingly well-suited to its gilt-edged, grand surroundings. <br />
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I finished my visit with a trip to Chinese Arts Centre, who have created <a href="http://www.asiatriennialmanchester.com/whats-on/event/institution-for-the-future/"><i><b>Institution for the Future</b></i></a> as their contribution to ATM 11. This exhibition showcases the work of art collectives and small, independent artist groups who are actively engaged with their local arts infrastructure, and are interested in exploring the question of what kind of art institutions we might need from the future. The collective ruangrupa’s artist-led space survival kit transforms the gallery floor and walls with a cheerful clutter of artist materials, camping equipment, useful literature and scribbled ideas, whilst a number of video installations create the sense of a throng of voices engaged in lively debate. A bold poster created for the 2008 Taipei Bienniale by Jun Yang, immediately grabs our attention, posing direct questions about the future of the institutions of art and challenging the audience themselves to help supply the answers.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_2yo96H5trMIGT-2bFPKqQLFj-Q_plAj4mpIlOqa9A3xd0sqg0JVocmwfBrmm4V3LMfZuJcY5CqSvuFgYwJmPU03m3HITxhgxZwAkHjhGt-tBc4bT3sMMfERpZC6bWjH-XF855ZBnzVw/s1600/Jun_Yang.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="508" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_2yo96H5trMIGT-2bFPKqQLFj-Q_plAj4mpIlOqa9A3xd0sqg0JVocmwfBrmm4V3LMfZuJcY5CqSvuFgYwJmPU03m3HITxhgxZwAkHjhGt-tBc4bT3sMMfERpZC6bWjH-XF855ZBnzVw/s640/Jun_Yang.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Image credit: Jun Yang, Galerie Martin Janda Vienna, Vitamin Creative Space Beijing, ShugoArts Tokyo </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(Institution for the Future, Chinese Arts Centre) </span></div>
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There’s so much more to see in this year’s Asia Triennial Manchester, but even this small selection of exhibitions offered up an intriguing variety of work. Critics have suggested that this year’s Triennial is too vague and incoherent, and certainly the declared themes of time and generation are sometimes hard to draw out. Dany Louise, writing for the New Statesman, describes it as ‘<a href="http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/cultural-capital/2011/10/asia-triennial-manchester-art">a curious event, loosely curated.... somehow… both too open and too specific to create genuine cultural dialogue</a>.’ Yet for me, it was this openness, this looseness that ultimately gave ATM 11 its strength, providing it with the space and freedom to challenge the conventions and stereotypes of what today’s art from Asia might be. Coherent it may not be, but Asia Triennial Manchester is certainly a richly varied and celebratory showcase of contemporary Asian art.<br />
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<i>This review was written for <a href="http://allpointsnorth.info/"><b>All Points North</b></a> and is also published on the All Points North website <a href="http://allpointsnorth.info/artist-stories/asia-triennial-manchester-2011-review-by-katherine-woodfine">here</a>. Check out the website for more reviews and information about contemporary art events and festivals
happening in the North East, North West and Yorkshire and Humber
regions this Autumn </i>Katherine Woodfinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213186458523670374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432486805637897454.post-29153008270633498942011-10-23T18:06:00.001+01:002011-10-29T16:43:19.106+01:00Pipilotti Rist: Eyeball Massage<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Pipilotti Rist: Eyeball Massage. Installation view at the Hayward Gallery. Administrating Eternity (2011) Photo Linda Nylind</span><br />
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I’ve been a fan of Pipilotti Rist’s exuberant artwork since I first saw an exhibition of her work <a href="http://followtheyellowbrick.blogspot.com/2008/07/pipilotti-rist-fact.html">at FACT in Liverpool back in 2008</a>. I think I would find it difficult not to be drawn to any artist who, as a teenager, renamed herself Pipilotti in honour of Astrid Lindgren’s Pippi Longstocking; but more than that, there’s something distinctive and very charming about the dizzy, colourful, visceral and provocative world that Rist’s artwork brings to life.<br />
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Given this, I was excited to see Rist’s new solo exhibition at the Hayward Gallery – the playfully-named <b><a href="http://ticketing.southbankcentre.co.uk/rist">Eyeball Massage</a></b> – on Friday night, a treat at the end of a long and stressful week. This show brings together over 30 works from the mid-1980s to the present day, including some which have been created specially for the Hayward.<br />
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This is an exhibition which is always unexpected. Before we even enter the gallery, we are greeted outside by drifts of smoky bubbles and strings of illuminated underpants, like unlikely bunting crossed with a washing line; inside, a video installation is secreted in a cubicle in the ladies’ toilets. Meanwhile, in the galleries themselves we are invited to lounge on semi-sinister cushions in the shape of headless bodies, and watch sensuous, dreamy projected images rippling over a labyrinth of gauzy curtains. Like Alice in Wonderland, we are repatedly confused by shifting perspectives: in <i>Mutaflor</i> the artist's immense mouth seems to swallow the viewer whole; but a moment later in <i>Selfless in a Bath of Lava</i> we peer through a tiny hole in the floor to glimpse her in miniature, naked and surrounded by molten lava, shouting messages to us. <br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Pipilotti Rist: Eyeball Massage. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Installation view at the Hayward Gallery. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Photo Linda Nylind. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Selfless In The Bath of Lava (1994)</span><br />
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Physicality is hugely important throughout this exhibition: the human body is celebrated everywhere, from <i>Blood Room</i>, a ‘visual poem’ in praise of menstruation to <i>Digesting Impressions</i> which takes us on an endoscopic journey through the oesopaghus, stomach and intestines. We as viewers have to engage physically with the works on display, from poking our heads through the viewing holes of <i>A Peek into the West – A Look into the East (or E-W)</i> to allowing our own lap to become the screen for a video projection in <i>Lap Lamp</i>.<br />
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Perhaps because my expectations were so high, Eyeball Massage didn’t quite deliver everything I wanted it to. Some of the works in the show, like <i>Your-Space-Capsule</i> and <i>Ever Is Over All</i> I had seen before, and others, like <i>Yoghurt on Skin – Velvet on TV</i> in which tiny LCD screens are hidden inside handbags and seashells, didn’t grab me as much as I might have expected. However, much of this show was all that I have come to expect from Rist’s work – a fizzy blend of hypnotic, uplifting, unsettling and invigorating. <br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Pipilotti Rist: Eyeball Massage. Installation view at the Hayward Gallery. Administrating Eternity (2011) Photo Linda Nylind</span><br />
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The New Yorker critic Peter Schjeldahl has described Rist as an ‘evangelist of happiness’ and interestingly, Adrian Searle (who <a href="http://followtheyellowbrick.blogspot.com/2008/07/pipilotti-rist-fact.html">in my review of the FACT show</a> I cite as criticising Rist’s work as ‘mak[ing] me feel as if I'm stuck inside a vegan, possibly even fructarian, new-age indoctrination video’) has apparently been converted too, stating in his review of Eyeball Massage: ‘<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2011/sep/26/pipilotti-rist-hayward-gallery-review">You have to be a miserabalist… not to take pleasure in Rist's warm baths of light and nature, her sunny fertile fields and underwater rebirthings, her gleeful swooning mischievousness.</a>’ It’s this, ultimately, that makes this exhibition a delight – the sheer joyfulness of Rist's work.<br />
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<b>Eyeball Massage</b> is at the Hayward Gallery until 8 January. Take a look at an interview with Rist about the show, below:<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/uKR-QhjOz-o" width="640"></iframe>Katherine Woodfinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213186458523670374noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432486805637897454.post-73862891919813130572011-10-07T08:45:00.000+01:002011-10-07T08:45:48.987+01:00Museum of Everything Exhibition #4 at Selfridges<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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If you've been following this blog for a while, you'll know that I'm a big fan of the <b><a href="http://www.museumofeverything.com/">Museum of Everything</a></b>, which describes itself as Britain's only museum dedicated to outsider art. Two of their <a href="http://followtheyellowbrick.blogspot.com/search/label/the%20museum%20of%20everything">past exhibitions</a> have been presented in a ramshackle building in Primrose Hill, and the unapologetically handmade aesthetic, combined with an exuberantly chaotic presentation of work have combined to create a pleasingly off-the-wall atmosphere. <br />
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The latest offering from the Museum of Everything, <a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_917488070">Exhibition</a><span class="red"><a href="http://www.museumofeverything.com/exhibition4.php"> #4</a> is somewhat different. This time the museum has popped up in Selfridge's, one of London's largest and most famous department stores, where it has transformed the Ultralounge area into an exhibition space filled with over 400 drawings, paintings and sculptures </span>from international studios for
contemporary self-taught artists with learning and other disabilities. The Oxford Street windows of the store have also been transformed into a series of installations, showcasing the work of some of the artists in the exhibition. <br />
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I was looking forward to seeing this latest show when I went along last Sunday, but all the same I wasn't quite sure what to expect from an exhibition of marginalised artists in such an overtly commercial setting. Arriving a little early, I found myself waiting outside the doors on bustling Oxford Street along with hordes of eager shoppers, many of whom were obviously intrigued by the eye-catching window installations. At last the doors opened, and I went down to the basement, passing on my way a whole area dedicated to Christmas decorations, shimmering with tinsel and tree decorations, and already blasting out 'All I Want for Christmas is You', which set the stage for a slightly surreal experience.<br />
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In many ways, the exhibition proved to be much of what I've come to expect from the Museum of Everything. The show is well thought through, with some challenging and intriguing work, and maintains its usual quirky homespun charm, although perhaps it loses a little something away from the kooky atmosphere of its Primrose Hill home. I especially enjoyed Erica Punzel's multicoloured abstract
images, Leonard Fink's dense monochrone maps, Mary Ogunleye's garlands
of rainbow-coloured particles and Kenya Haley's drawings of cupcakes and
ice-creams. I was also interested to see a whole host of works exploring text in various
ways, from Nicroe Kittaka's images made up of signs, letters and
ideograms, to Kunzo Matsumo's lists, letters and diaries, and Harald Stoffer's amazing letter-based drawings, raising some interesting questions about the relationship between creative writing and visual art. So far, so good.<br />
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After a good rummage around the exhibition, I headed up to the Shop of Everything on the ground floor (delayed en route by an optimistic salesman intent on demonstrating
handwarmers, in spite of the fact that it was probably one of the
hottest days of the year), which is another new development for this show. Although there have been bags, badges and a few other items of branded merchandise for sale at their shows in the past, this is a much more wholesale affair, packed with everything from postcards to prints to Oyster card holders to crayons to designer t-shirts and other clothing produced in collaboration with the likes of Clements Ribero. The items themselves are lovely, and I'm the first to recognise that arts organisations need to find practical ways to generate income to support what they do, yet I have to admit that this proliferation of branded goods left me feeling slightly uneasy.<br />
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I don't think there's any good reason why art shouldn't be exhibited in a shop, and I can't help admiring the sheer panache and ambition of the Museum of Everything in brokering a collaboration on this scale with Selfridges, probably the most prestigious name in retail in the UK. Yet somehow all this seems to change the Museum from something distinctive and idiosyncratic to another slick, clever branding exercise, which makes it feel suddenly much more like the other big name galleries we encounter in the art world. What made the original Museum of Everything exhibition so special was how out of the ordinary it felt: remote, secret, magical, like stepping into a colourful, uncomfortable otherworld. Encountering it on Oxford Street somehow just isn't the same.<br />
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Yet somehow I still can't quite make up my mind about Exhibition #4. In some ways, I admire how the Museum of Everything is apparently breaking all its own rules to reach new audiences and to grab the attention of all kinds of people who might never usually think about visiting an exhibition like this. But in part I also have a certain sympathy with <a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2011/sep/01/museum-of-everything-selfridges-review">Adrian Searle, who writing in the Guardian, suggests that the setting is 'inappropriate' and that such challenging artworks might require more than an idle visit</a> in between trips to the Clinique counter. But on the other hand, is chaotic Oxford Street absolutely the appropriate place - in some ways the perfect setting for these bold, spiky, attention-grabbing artworks? It certainly offers a fantastic opportunity to get the voices of these often unheard artists out there into the city's public spaces. Or has the Museum of Everything simply sold out?<br />
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I don't have any answers to any of these questions, but however you choose to look at it, Exhibition #4 certainly offers its visitors plenty to think about.<br />
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Exhibition<span class="red"> #4 is at Selfridge's until 25 October 2011. <a href="http://www.museumofeverything.com/">Find out more about the Museum of Everything</a>, visit the <a href="http://shop.musevery.com/">online shop</a>, or see their <a href="http://digevery.com/">digital exhibition</a>.</span>Katherine Woodfinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213186458523670374noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432486805637897454.post-51418279495773011252011-10-02T09:27:00.003+01:002011-11-28T21:38:32.183+00:00Great new picture books<br />
Back from Scotland and back into the swing of things! Although I'm mourning my peaceful sojourn by the sea, one advantage of being back at work is that I have the chance to catch up on some lovely new children's books. Today, to celebrate <a href="http://www.booktrustchildrensbooks.org.uk/show/feature/Teachers%20Resources/Childrens-Book-Week">Children's Book Week</a> (which starts tomorrow!) I thought I'd share three favourite new picture books from some of the <a href="http://www.booktrust.org.uk/show/feature/Home/Best-New-Illustrators-2011-winners">Booktrust Best New Illustrators</a>, who I worked with earlier in the year.<br />
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<b><a href="http://www.tate.org.uk/shop/do/Books/High-Street/product/44960">The High Street by Alice Melvin </a></b><br />
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<i>The High Street</i> by Alice Melvin is a beautiful new picture book from Tate Publishing. Like Alice's previous book, <i>Counting Birds</i>, it's notable for its high production values and delightfully old-fashioned, nostalgic feel. <br />
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The story follows Sally, a girl heading down the High Street to look for all the items on her shopping list, from a stripy jug to yellow tulips. Readers can join Sally on her shopping trip, popping into the local sweet shop, florist and pet shops, and opening the flaps to explore exquisitely-detailed spreads showing everything that's going on inside each shop.<br />
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Children will enjoy poring over all the details in the pictures, and Alice's vintage-style aesthetic will appeal to readers of all ages, but this book is also a great tribute to the pleasures of shopping on the local high street, and the charm of independent shops. <br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Otto-Book-Bear-Katie-Cleminson/dp/1780080034"><b>Otto the Book Bear by Katie Cleminson</b> </a><br />
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I'm a huge fan of Katie Cleminson's illustration, but I think <i>Otto the Book Bear </i>may be my favourite of all her books to date. This is the tale of a lonely bear who needs a new home, but who eventually finds the perfect place to live and make lots of new friends - the public library. <br />
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Katie's distinctive, softly-coloured illustrations are <br />
packed with character, but what I especially love about this book is how she has communicated the magic of books and of the library - as <a href="http://www.librarymice.com/2011/07/otto-book-bear.html">blogger LibraryMice</a> has described it 'a place of joy but also a haven of peace and safety'. At a time when libraries are under threat from cuts, it's so important to remind everyone of why they are so special, and Katie does just that in this delightful book. <br />
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You can download a poster with an illustration from <i>Otto the Book Bear</i> to celebrate Children's Book Week <a href="http://www.booktrustchildrensbooks.org.uk/show/feature/Teachers%20Resources/Childrens-Book-Week">here</a>.<br />
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<a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Place-Call-Home-Alexis-Deacon/dp/1406323020/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1317543840&sr=1-1"><b><i>A Place to Call Home</i> by Alexis Deacon, illustrated by Viviane Schwarz</b></a><br />
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Viv Schwarz once again joins forces with one of the original Best New Illustrators Alexis Deacon for a great new picture book <i>A Place Called Home. </i><br />
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This is the epic story of a brave band of hamsters, lost and looking for a new home. Will they find it? Will they stay together? Will they know where they are going? This laugh-out-loud funny and charmingly illustrated story is a real treat - it's no wonder it has just been shortlisted for the 2011 <a href="http://www.booktrust.org.uk/Prizes-and-awards/Roald-Dahl-Funny-Prize">Roald Dahl Funny Prize</a>. <br />
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An <a href="http://www.booktrustchildrensbooks.org.uk/show/feature/preview/Best-New-Illustrators-2011-Exhibition-Tour">exhibition of work</a> by all ten Best New Illustrators, including Alice, Katie and Viv, is currently on display at the <a href="http://www.nationalgalleries.org/">National Gallery of Scotland</a> in Edinburgh, and the <a href="http://www.freewordonline.com/">Free Word Centre</a> in London.<br />
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If you're interested in reading more about children's books and children's book illustration I can heartily recommend illustrator Sarah McIntyre's <a href="http://jabberworks.livejournal.com/">blog</a>. I've been reading and enjoying Sarah's blog for a while, but I heard her give a great presentation about how she uses blogging and other online activity to complement and support her work as a children's author/illustrator at this week's Bookseller Children's Conference - fascinating and inspiring stuff! <br />
<i> </i>Katherine Woodfinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213186458523670374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432486805637897454.post-77441827350521885062011-09-24T13:14:00.002+01:002011-09-24T13:14:48.305+01:00A Day Out in Edinburgh<br />
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<a href="http://www.edinburghartfestival.com/img/exhibitions/59/l/eaf_map_detail.1.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="462" src="http://www.edinburghartfestival.com/img/exhibitions/59/l/eaf_map_detail.1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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No
trip to Scotland would be complete without a day trip to Edinburgh, one
of my favourite cities.<br />
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Though I missed out on the festival this year,
there was still plenty to do and see - and having made a resolution to take more photos I can include here on the blog, I thought it would be fun to document our day out with the camera. As you'll see I've had mixed success, but I'm getting better!<br />
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We started out with coffee and delicious cinnamon buns at <b><a href="http://www.petersyard.com/">Peter's Yard</a></b>,
a Scandinavian-style cafe near the university area of the city, which
is great for people-watching and also happens to sell the best
crispbread ever. <br />
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The next stop was the recently refurbished <b><a href="http://www.nms.ac.uk/our_museums/national_museum.aspx">National Museum of Scotland</a></b>
on Chambers Street. Including everything from science to nature, world
cultures to Scottish history, this incredibly comphrehensive museum is a
great place to explore, and really does have something for everyone - from elephants and flying fish to maps of the stars! Recently we were also lucky enough to be treated to a tasty afternoon tea up in the top
floor restaurant, which has beautiful views of Edinburgh's
spires and rooftops. <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="http://fruitmarket.co.uk/press/"></a></span><br />
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Whenever I come to Edinburgh, I always enjoy visiting the <b><a href="http://fruitmarket.co.uk/">Fruitmarket</a></b>, a small but beautifully-formed contemporary art gallery with a great exhibitions programme and a tiny cafe.<br />
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On this visit, we spent ages browsing in the lovely bookshop, which has a
great selection of contemporary art and art theory books, as well as
such delights as Gemma Correll greetings cards, zines by local artists,
polaroid cameras, picture books and Tunnock's teacake badges, before taking a look at their current exhibition - a solo exhibition of work by Ingrid Calame, which had been part of this year's Edinburgh Art Festival.<br />
<a href="http://www.edinburghartfestival.com/"></a> <br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">Ingrid Calame </span><em style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">…puEEP</em><span style="font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">, 2001 via <a href="http://fruitmarket.co.uk/press/">Fruitmarket</a></span></span></span></span><br />
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Across the road we took a peep at one of this year's Edinburgh Art Festival commissions - <a href="http://fruitmarket.co.uk/exhibitions/scotsman-steps/"><b>Martin Creed's <i>Work No. 1059</i></b></a>
which has transformed the Scotsman's Steps. (I didn't take any pictures
of this one for some reason, but you can see some images <a href="http://www.edinburghartfestival.com/commissions/2011/martin_creed_work_no1059">here</a>). <br />
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As evening approached, we thought about going to one of our favourite Edinburgh bars, <a href="http://www.eccovinoedinburgh.com/">Ecco Vino</a> on Cockburn Street, but instead ended up going to see a film before ending the day with a meal at <b><a href="http://www.seadogsonline.co.uk/">Seadogs</a></b>,
a new discovery.<br />
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This laid-back restaurant on Rose Street specialises
in (you guessed it) fish and seafood, and also has several sister venues
close by - the original <a href="http://www.thedogsonline.co.uk/">Dogs</a> restaurant serving up hearty gastropub fare, <a href="http://www.amoredogs.co.uk/">Dogs Amore</a> (Italian food) and <a href="http://www.amoredogs.co.uk/underdogs.html">Underdogs</a>
(a basement bar). I ate moule frites followed by this rather epic (if badly photographed) syrup
sponge pudding to share. What better end to a delightful Edinburgh
day?<br />
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<i>The map at the top of this post is a detail from artist J. Maizlish's beautiful map, <a href="http://www.edinburghartfestival.com/commissions/2011/j_maizlish_map">Sites of the Edinburgh Art Festival</a> 2011, which was also one of this year's festival commissions. You can download a copy of the map <a href="http://www.edinburghartfestival.com/commissions/2011/j_maizlish_map">here</a>, or see the original in Edinburgh at the <a href="http://www.inglebygallery.com/">Ingleby Gallery</a></i><br />
<br />Katherine Woodfinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213186458523670374noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432486805637897454.post-62960513824361964942011-09-20T12:00:00.003+01:002011-11-28T21:37:27.256+00:00Five Things<br />
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<b>1. <a href="http://rookiemag.com/">ROOKIE MAGAZINE</a></b><br />
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I can't stop reading this new online magazine for teenage girls, the brainchild of teen blogger extraordinaire <a href="http://www.thestylerookie.com/">Tavi</a>. The majority of the content is created by young people themselves, with additional contributions from some 'favourite grown ups' such as Miranda July, Joss Whedon and Zooey Deschanel. Yet far from having any of the slightly patronising worthiness of some youth-led projects, this is simply a smart, well-written and well-designed website, full of intriguing content whether you're a teenage girl or not, and beautifully illustrated with photographs and illustrations by the likes of <a href="http://www.minna-gilligan.blogspot.com/">Minna Gilligan</a> (see above). A complete breath of fresh air - I only wish it had been around when I was fourteen.<br />
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<b>2. MARGARET ATWOOD</b><br />
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One of the best things about holidays is the time to indulge in reading, particularly when you're staying in a cosy house where there are plenty of comfy armchairs to draw up in front of the fire on a rainy afternoon. I've been enjoying re-reading some old favourites, including Margaret Atwood's <i>Lady Oracle</i>, <i>Cat's Eye</i> and <i>Alias Grace</i>. Next on my list is <i>Bluebeard's Egg</i> but I've also got a real urge to re-read <i>The Robber Bride</i> - I wonder if I can find a copy in the book-filled attic?<br />
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<b>3. FLORIAN MEISENBERG </b><br />
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I've just discovered the appealingly playful, rainbow-bright
paintings of Florian Meisenberg, a young New York-based artist. I love
Meisenberg's lively sense of colour, but also the way he blends lightness and thoughtfulness in his works. I wish I'd caught his <a href="http://www.katemacgarry.com/exhibitions/florian-meisenberg-http-www-youtube-com-watch-v-90">solo exhibition at Kate MacGarry Studio</a> earlier this year. The show was entitled <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90RM07vHQiw">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90RM07vHQiw</a>
and if you click the hyperlink you'll find a video of a flying cat,
which to be honest is exactly the sort of thing I look for in
contemporary art.<br />
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<b>4. THE TROLLHUNTER</b><br />
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Monster movies aren't usually my cup of tea, but I really enjoyed this quirky and surprisingly funny Norwegian film about, um, trolls. Go see!<br />
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<b><a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/">5. THE SMITTEN KITCHEN</a></b><br />
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I've recently discovered this brilliant recipe blog, with beautifully photographed step-by-step instructions to making all manner of tasty treats. So far I've tried the <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2010/01/best-cocoa-brownies/">cocoa brownies</a> and the <a href="http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/02/thick-chewy-oatmeal-raisin-cookies/">chewy oatmeal and raisin cookies</a> (pictured above) both highly recommended, and now I'm hooked. My only problem is that as this is a US blog, most of the measurements are in cups and have to be translated into kgs/lbs, which can make some quantities a bit hit and miss - or at least it can when I'm doing the maths!<b> </b>Katherine Woodfinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213186458523670374noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432486805637897454.post-64907756572494471122011-09-20T12:00:00.002+01:002011-09-20T12:00:22.669+01:00A Postcard from Scotland<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I'm spending the next two weeks on holiday in Dunbar, Scotland - this is a picture I took there for this blog <a href="http://followtheyellowbrick.blogspot.com/2008/07/holiday-in-dunbar-where-i-am.html">over three years ago</a>! It's difficult to believe this blog has really been around for such a long time.<br />
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It's been ages since I had such a big chunk of time off work, and I'm looking forward to a chance to relax, including lots of blustery walks along the cliffs and across beaches like this one, curling up with a book and a cup of tea in front of the fire, watching seals from the window, wearing wellies, eating delicious fresh fish from the local fish shop, and most importantly, catching up on a long-standing writing project which it is high time was completed! And who knows, maybe there will even be time to fit in some overdue blogging too...? <br />
<br />Katherine Woodfinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213186458523670374noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432486805637897454.post-53868668751561760172011-08-24T19:09:00.002+01:002011-09-17T16:15:33.231+01:00Fabulous Fifties at the Museum of London<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3o50n97IIjtvJEkf7EJIL2eSRnoYTkWgYYVA3fr6aIRFy0c56ZlcLWJS9MgEhhBB9ocCvetNgZiWyEur1WbFWtejtyWblXJUeyUygCGx3mJnPnD-CSmYSpuxQD9bIRYbBjjnHMJ3UbfI/s1600/Dancing.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="465" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3o50n97IIjtvJEkf7EJIL2eSRnoYTkWgYYVA3fr6aIRFy0c56ZlcLWJS9MgEhhBB9ocCvetNgZiWyEur1WbFWtejtyWblXJUeyUygCGx3mJnPnD-CSmYSpuxQD9bIRYbBjjnHMJ3UbfI/s640/Dancing.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;">I’ve long been a fan of all things 1950s from rock and roll music to swingy skirts to drinks with cocktail cherries, and I’m currently glued to BBC 2’s <i>The Hour</i>, so naturally I was delighted to be given a couple of tickets to a late event at the Museum of London paying tribute to the 'fabulous fifties' last week.</div><br />
The <b><a href="http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/">Museum of London</a></b> is one of my favourite London museums and not only because it’s literally a stone’s throw from where I currently live. The permanent galleries tell a fascinating story of London’s history from the first people to dwell in settlements along the Thames up until the present day, and there are some great temporary exhibitions too: currently there’s an engrossing exhibition of <a href="http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/London-Wall/Whats-on/Exhibitions-Displays/London-Street-Photography/">London Street Photography</a> from 1860 to the present day as well as a fun display of <a href="http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/London-Wall/Whats-on/Exhibitions-Displays/HandDrawnLondon.htm">hand-drawn maps </a>of the city in the foyer. Downstairs in the cafe, you'll also find an installation by the Light Surgeons, which is to be the first in a series of media art commissions at the museum.<br />
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I’ve been to plenty events at the museum before but this was the first event in their <a href="http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/London-Wall/Whats-on/Events/FeaturedEvents/LateMOL.htm">Late </a>series that I’d seen, transforming the entire museum for the evening after the usual closing time. On offer was music from <a href="http://www.laurabandthemoonlighters.co.uk/">Laura B and the Moonlighters</a> and <a href="http://www.thebrokenhearts.co.uk/" target="_blank">The Broken Hearts DJs</a>, vintage pin-up makeovers, talks on fifties fashion and popular culture from the museum's curators, dance classes with <a href="http://www.swingdanceuk.com/">The London Swing Dance Society</a>, craft workshops from <a href="http://www.tattydevine.com/" target="_blank">Tatty Devine</a>, and of course, fifties-style food and drink.<a href="http://www.thebrokenhearts.co.uk/" target="_blank"><br />
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Perhaps unsurprisingly given the current fashion for all things vintage and nostalgic, this was a hugely popular event: the Tatty Devine workshop was so busy that sadly I didn't get chance to join in, but I was lucky enough to get my hair styled by one of the stylists from the <a href="http://www.thevanitybox.co.uk/">Vanity Box</a>, who provided a pop-up vintage salon creating 1950s hair and make-up looks. And as well as tapping my toe to a few fifties tunes, and sampling some chips in a cone, I also snapped a few shots of some of the amazing dancers twisting, strolling and hand-jiving the evening away - for once I managed to remember a camera! It was a great evening for people watching, with some amazing outfits and retro frocks on display, but what's more, it was interesting to see the museum transformed into such a buzzing and lively space for a fun evening event - this was certainly a clever strategy for drawing in new audiences, as well as to approach learning about the history of the 20th century in a different way.<br />
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This event was part of a month-long programme across the city to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the Festival of Britain: find out about more events at <a href="http://www.london.gov.uk/storyoflondon">Story of London</a>. For anyone who like me, enjoys 1950s music, you might also be interested in this <a href="http://www.mymuseumoflondon.org.uk/blogs/blog/1950s-music-and-youth-culture/" target="_blank">fifties inspired blog</a> written for the event by The Broken Hearts DJs featuring some of their favourite tunes from the decade.Katherine Woodfinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213186458523670374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432486805637897454.post-38022446364461563432011-08-08T12:59:00.001+01:002011-09-17T16:20:08.473+01:00Save our Placards!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Back in March this year, I took part in the <a href="http://marchforthealternative.org.uk/"><b>March for the Alternative </b></a>along with about 500,000 other people. The march was a protest against the government’s spending cuts, and one of the largest demonstrations ever seen in the UK.<br />
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Being on the march was a fascinating experience: it was great to be part of such a friendly and positive crowd, meeting and talking to people about why they were there, and admiring the wealth of amazing banners and placards that people had made for the event. Never ones to resist the opportunity for a bit of drawing, cutting out and sticking, we of course made our own placards for the march too, and afterwards <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-12870248">donated them to the Museum of London, who together with the Save our Placards team from Goldsmith’s were helping to document the occasion</a>. <br />
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We were very excited to find out recently that one of our placards (the snappily titled <i>March for the Squeezed Bottom</i>, above) had been selected to take part in an exhibition, <a href="http://www.turnercontemporary.org/exhibitions/nothing-in-the-world-but-youth"><i>Nothing in the World But Youth</i></a>, opening at the Turner Contemporary in Margate in September.You can read about the story behind our placard (and see some photos of me drawing the lettering) over at the <a href="http://saveourplacards.blogspot.com/">Save our Placards blog</a>; but more importantly, the team are still trying to trace the creators of 8 of the 12 placards selected for the exhibition. If you were on the march in March, then do take a look at the <a href="http://saveourplacards.blogspot.com/">slideshow</a> of placards, and get in touch with them if you know who made any of these beauties.<br />
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(It goes without saying that I'll of course be going to Margate to see our placard sharing exhibition space with work by Peter Blake, Sarah Lucas, Andy Warhol and many others, so watch this space come September for more...)Katherine Woodfinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213186458523670374noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432486805637897454.post-49662697924897635032011-07-24T18:36:00.001+01:002011-09-17T16:20:41.442+01:00Spotlight: Gemma Correll<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last week I popped along to <a href="http://www.tattydevine.com/events">Tatty Devine</a>'s Brick Lane store to check out <b>Graham is a Weirdo and Other Stories</b>, a mini exhibition by illustrator. Gemma Correll. I'm quite surprised to realise that I've never written much about Gemma's work here on the blog before, since I've been a fan of her kooky, faux-naive illustration, and especially her drawn <a href="http://gemmacorrell-dailydiaries.blogspot.com/">daily diaries</a>, and <a href="http://followtheyellowbrick.blogspot.com/2010/03/what-i-wore-today.html">What I Wore Today</a> project for some time.<br />
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Apart from her distinctively quirky style, and enthusiasm for cute animal characters (cats! pugs!), what I really like about Gemma's work is the way that she brings images and texts together to create work that tells stories. In fact, in many ways, her work is reminiscent of the children's book illustrators I love - there's a touch of Sara Fanelli, a hint of Oliver Jeffers and a whisper of Quentin Blake about her drawing style. <br />
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This small but perfectly formed exhibition is a fun collection of unexpected animal drawings, and comes accompanied by its own zine. (On the day I visited, Graham Norton had apparently also been along to see the show and had been rather taken with one of Gemma's 'Pugs Not Drugs' tote bags!) <br />
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If these lovely pictures weren't enough reason to think highly of Gemma and her work, she also has a pug called Mr Norman Pickles and a <a href="http://www.gemmacorrell.com/see-my-studio/">very enviable studio</a> space. Find out more about her and her work on her <a href="http://www.gemmacorrell.com/">website</a> and <a href="http://gemma-correll.blogspot.com/">blog</a>.<br />
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<b>Graham is a Weirdo and Other Stories</b> is at Tatty Devine until Monday 1st August.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"> [all images by <a href="http://www.gemmacorrell.com/">Gemma Correll</a>]</span></div>
Katherine Woodfinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213186458523670374noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432486805637897454.post-63111739890224619872011-07-20T18:16:00.001+01:002011-09-17T16:16:45.476+01:00Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition 2011<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_xN3jebJ5oCMqITkkCwS2GFW4mwC6MhV4OG1lyj-S10SDqUtTjxO1tdmIanUuChg-HUea3eRzBmt-J5eALsABvL5QJ4N056ZbaiKLNY5VLFjtmSnjGOQAvqOG1YiTFcM4_w7DPI50xWU/s1600/Installation+view+of+Gallery+III.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_xN3jebJ5oCMqITkkCwS2GFW4mwC6MhV4OG1lyj-S10SDqUtTjxO1tdmIanUuChg-HUea3eRzBmt-J5eALsABvL5QJ4N056ZbaiKLNY5VLFjtmSnjGOQAvqOG1YiTFcM4_w7DPI50xWU/s640/Installation+view+of+Gallery+III.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
The <b><a href="http://www.royalacademy.org.uk/exhibitions/summer-exhibition-2011/">Royal Academy Summer Exhibition</a></b> is undoubtedly one of the most important arts events of the year, and after several of those who entered the <a href="http://followtheyellowbrick.blogspot.com/2011/06/miro-at-tate-modern-and-giveaway.html">calendar competition</a> told me it was also their cultural highlight of the summer, I knew I should go along and take a look!<br />
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I have to admit (shamefaced) to never having been to the Summer Exhibition before, and as such I was curious to see it. The show has often been characterised as occupying the traditional and 'safe' end of the contemporary visual arts spectrum, yet it is also something of a phenomenon: the largest open-submission contemporary art exhibition in the world, it has been running since 1768, and this year attracted over 12,000 entries from 27 countries.<br />
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Far from being dry or dusty, I found the exhibition to be a hugely inspiring experience. Wandering through the interlinked galleries is like feasting on a delightful smorgasboard of different work, encompassing a huge range of styles and approaches. I loved the presentation style, with works often grouped close together - perhaps most obviously in Gallery III (pictured above) which this year was hung by Christopher Le Brun and Tony Bevan, and which Le Brun describes as 'a battle of the paintings'. Rather than seeming cluttered or chaotic, the result is a pleasingly exuberant patchwork of art.<br />
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For me, the prints and the paintings were the undoubted highlight of this exhibition: I was much less taken with the photography, architecture and sculpture, although I did enjoy the scribbly geometric forms of Anthony Gormley's <i>Drift, </i>and Jeff Koons' exuberant <i>Colouring Book</i>. Amongst my favourite spaces were the Small Weston Room, arranged by Olwyn Bowey - a treasure trove of miniature and small scale works - and Room I, hung by Chris Orr, filled with an intriguing range of prints by everyone from Gillian Ayres to Tracy Emin; Keith Coventry to Elizabeth Blackadder, plus vitrines containing artist's books.<br />
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Half the fun of the Summer Exhibition is stumbling upon new talent jostling alongside works by well-known or favourite artists whose style is instantly identifiable, be it Rob Ryan's magical images or Barbara Rae's jewel-coloured screen prints. There's more fun to be had poring over the list of works in the exhibition, which includes prices for the majority of the works, and choosing which ones you might buy for yourself, just supposing you happened to have a small fortune to hand. Altogether, the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition is a most enjoyable experience - certainly this year one of my cultural highlights of the summer too!<br />
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Many thanks <a href="http://parrtisticpotential-samj.blogspot.com/">Sam</a> and <a href="http://kate-howard.blogspot.com/">Kate</a> for the recommendation.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">[Image: Installation view of Gallery III. Photo: John Bodkin. Via Royal Academy of Arts] </span></div>Katherine Woodfinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213186458523670374noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432486805637897454.post-51803508919920873422011-07-15T08:58:00.002+01:002011-09-17T16:22:12.120+01:00Pop Up Festival<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Last weekend I went along to <a href="http://pop-up.org.uk/">Pop Up</a>, a brand new festival of stories which took place in Coram’s Fields in London on Saturday 9 and Sunday 10 July.<br />
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The festival was actually the grand finale to several weeks of events which had already taken place in venues across London, from the British Library to London Zoo. These events brought together children and young people from schools in Camden and Islington with a range of illustrators and authors, including Jamila Gavin, Malorie Blackman and Anthony Browne, who launched the schools programme as his final appearance as Children's Laureate.<br />
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The final weekend was packed with free public events for children of all ages and their families, ranging from a tea-party with the Moomins to a chance to meet Rastamouse to spoken word, poetry and hip-hop with artists such as Francesca Beard and Charlie Dark. I was there for several events relating to Booktrust's Roald Dahl Funny Prize, and spent a most entertaining day helping out two of the judges from the 2010 prize, Bruce Ingman and Philip Ardagh, with their laugh-out-loud performances and workshops.<br />
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Because I was so busy with these events, I didn't get as much chance to look around the festival as I would like, but it was fun taking a wander around at the end of the day, looking at artwork created by children, peeping into the event spaces and the packed Guardian bookshop, and even meeting a few animals in the farmyard area! Over 6,000 people came along to the festival over the course of the weekend, in what was undoubtedly a fantastic start to this fun, exciting festival, which puts a fresh spin on the usual book festival model. For more information visit the <a href="http://pop-up.org.uk/">website</a> or there's a longer blog post <a href="http://www.booktrustchildrensbooks.org.uk/show/posts/Childrens%20Books%20blog/Pop-Up-Festival">here</a> which I wrote for the Booktrust blog.Katherine Woodfinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213186458523670374noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8432486805637897454.post-33263235739907376612011-07-14T10:24:00.001+01:002011-09-17T16:17:17.959+01:00Philip Pullman at the London Literature Festival<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://off-press.org/main/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/llf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://off-press.org/main/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/llf.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
I was lucky enough to go along to see the launch of this year’s <a href="http://londonlitfest.com/">London Literature Festival</a> - an event with author <a href="http://www.philip-pullman.com/index.asp">Philip Pullman</a> at the Southbank Centre. The London Literature Festival is an annual summer event, which this year featured authors including Alan Hollinghurst, Iain Sinclair, Ali Smith, Alexander McCall Smith, Hanif Kureshi and Michael Morpurgo.<br />
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Pullman is a writing hero of mine - I'm a huge fan of his <i>Northern Lights </i>trilogy and the wonderful <i>Sally Lockhart</i> books - so it was wonderful to have this opportunity to hear him discuss his life, work and writing process with broadcaster Peter Kemp. I wrote a full account of the event for the Booktrust blog which you can read <a href="http://www.booktrustchildrensbooks.org.uk/show/posts/Childrens%20Books%20blog/Philip-Pullman-London-Literature-Festival">here</a>.Katherine Woodfinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04213186458523670374noreply@blogger.com0