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Bogeyman from The House Of Fairy Tales
Thank you to everyone who has joined in the Learning Revolution so far. For those who’ve put a monster under the bed but haven’t seen the Bogeyman print that inspired the idea, here it is. Of course, even better is to come and have a look at it in the Gallery.
Meanwhile, here’s a little piece from the Word Jar:
Sunshine & Moonlight / Happiness & Blackness / Running Around / Then All Of A Sudden /Scared Still in the Dark
Big Thank You
A big Thank You to everyone who took part in doing some writing for the Learning Revolution – all the groups who made me so welcome as well as the many people I saw in the gallery. I’m still working through all the great writing (and drawing) you did. In the meantime, please do leave a comment if you can.
Philip Monks
New Artists’ Books
Well, after a week of new publications being brought out in Birmingham for The Event, i’ve managed to bag a few for the Art library. We’ve got a selection by Lucy Harrison, a newspaper by our very own Gallery Assistant Ian England and Alex Lockett, as well as books by Adam Dant, political pamphlets by N55 and an envelope of artist editions by Grand Union.
The collection is growing at quite a speed!
The Great Book Club Debate
Last Thursday Serena Korda came back to The New Art Gallery to lead a Book Club Debate on Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D.H.Lawrence. She was joined by journalist and broadcaster Helen Brown, along with several members of the public and gallery staff.
It was a great discussion, which got pretty heated, particulaly when topics such as feminism were examined.
Gallery Assistant Julie Jones gave us some valuable insights into Lawrence’s personal life. Discussion quicky turned to censorship and controversy, particularly regarding views on sex in the early 20th Century, which effected several artists of that time. Lawrence came up against a similar attitude from the public/authorities about Lady C as Epstein did about various works, for example The Tomb of Oscar Wilde and the British Medical Building sculptures. These works were lambasted at the time due to their frank nudity which depicts fertility, but at the time was seen as hugely distasteful.
Our debate went on to consider the impact of class and snobbery on these opinions and whether people were actually outraged because of the relationships between classes. This was a time of huge social change and Lawrence describes quite clearly his take on the change in societal structures.
We spoke for 2 hours solid, so I can’t go into too much detail here, but thanks to all who came and contributed. If you want to continue on here then please do!
As a quick aside, I also found that Lawrence had self-published Lady Chaterley’s Lover because he realised it would not be possible to do so through the normal routes. I didn’t know this before reading it, but it now seems fitting that we keep a copy here considering the collection of indendent/artists’ publishing that we hold (even if we don’t have the original) .
If anyone is interested in setting up a regular book club with a visual art slant, please do get in touch, or drop into the Art Library.
Serena will be hosting her final event on 21st November – a nose casting workshop for families. The Library of Secrets is here until 29th November.
Book Sniffing Event – The Library of Secrets
Lat night, Thursday 22 October, we hosted the first of the three events which are part of The Library of Secrets residency at The New Art Gallery Walsall. For those of you who missed it, it was a lovely evening with an interesting talk by the artist Serena Korda and book sniffer and journalist Murrough O’Brien followed by a book sniffing session!
The next free event is the Great Book Club Debate on Thurs 5 Nov at 6pm and is inspired by the controversial career of Jacob Epstein. The book club will discuss banned books and ideas of literary censorship. Chaired by Serena and journalist and broadcaster Helen Brown, the book to read is Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D.H Lawrence.
The Nights Are Drawing In
These are Ron’s thoughts on the word ‘twilight’, offered him by another Walsall contributor to the Word Jar (come & pick a word if you’re near the gallery weekends in October & everyday during half-term):
Twilight – changing the clocks, autumn, apprehension, stews and hotpot, the stewjar of childhood, and when the evenings are dark, you make your own puddings.
What does twilight make you think of?
The Learning Revolution continues all through October.
Pelsall Library Reading Group
Great to meet with the group on Wed night. I admire you’re enthusiasm and your longevity! Thank you for making me so welcome. I had a lovely time. I need one of you to remind me next week to send you the postcards you wrote to yourself.
Here’s a couple of the little poems we did.
Chocolate is dark and creamy.
Chocolate is best when shared in front of the TV.
Chocolate is mmm… lovely! ( F.M.)
Makes me want to go and eat some right now.
Nice
Warm
Bed
Is
Better with two in. (A.A)
And here’s something I think we’d all agree with.
Smiling is the language that suits all people. (S.M.)
Pelsall Reading Group busy writing
Visiting The Vine
Thanks for making me welcome at the Vine last Thursday. Some solid writing. Heroes & Heroines for the National Poetry Day. Here are a couple – if you want to see the others they should be appearing in the foyer at The Vine in the not-too-distant.
Crab Boy
There is a crab – he was a stalker.
And he was a sideways walker.
Litter picker by day, crab burglar by night,
Never scared to put up a fight.
Most wanted in Birmz,
He knows all the F.I.R.M.Z.
With Octopussies he’s chillin’
When he’s not killin’!
MOM
Hair dyer – Sunday cooker
Scissor Mistress – easy chatter
Money giver – complimenter
Tight hugger – hair cutter
1-Punch Monkey
Punches through crime,
Makes the baddies do the time,
He’s like a god who shines…
Mr Gunga
Stops the thieves from stealin’ cars,
All he does is spits bars,
Pops loads of weights,
Screams and stars.
New Caruso St. John book
Especially for all you architecture enthusiasts out there… we’ve just got a lovely new book on Caruso St. John (the architects who designed The New Art Gallery).
Caruso St John: Almost Everything by Philip Urpsung is an in-depth look at almost everything they’ve worked on, looking at their sources of inspiration, and giving a wider context to their projects.
It includes essays, drawings, interviews with the architects and others, and some beautiful photographs.
Well worth popping into the Library to have a look…
Fairy Tale Day
I’m at Pelsall Library tonight with the Pelsall Reading Group.
We’re going to be thinking about our Fairy Tale Day.
Mine would be lying in bed till lunchtime… what’s yours? Let me know.
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