Ted Polhemus

Tuesday 22nd January

Ted Polhemus

After the first day of the Level 5 History of Art Symposium we received a talk from Ted Polhemus, photographer and author specializing in youth culture style. I thought the talk was interesting, and his presence as a speaker was great. But I didn't really think what he was saying was anything new, or anything that most people don't really know - it was essentially just hip things and style through history. At the end of the talk he seemed a bit miffed about the fact that no-one was buying his book, but I sort of thought to myself it's fair enough really, anyone can watch Blow Up and read up on the history of Punk - anyone who is genuinely interested already has done. There's such a wealth of information out there already on these subjects.

I also didn't especially like the focus on the fashion of youth culture. For me, subcultures like Punk and the Beats especially aren't necessarily about an aesthetic, it's about an attitude. They rose out of dissatisfaction or craving satisfaction. There was, of course, a certain "D.I.Y" style adopted by The Clash, The Pistols and The Slits (the latter two being orchestrated by McLaren, so their genuine "style" has to be questioned), but this style wasn't punk. It became a characture. Polhemus said that if you walked down Kings Road in the '70s there was people dressed in bin-bags, but everything I've seen or heard says that this is a myth, that there weren't that many genuine punks. What about Buzzcocks? They just wore ordinary clothes and played Punk music. I think the style enhances the ethic, but it isn't really about that. Similarly, Beats were about lusting for life desperately whilst being completely aware of the spiritual or futile prospects this holds, or steals. When Polhemus referenced Beats he said something a long the lines of "there was this guy Kerouac wearing jeans. This had never happened before. And he went off on the road for a year". He was famously on the road for around 7 years and the fact he was wearing jeans doesn't really make any difference. It's the fact that he was desperate to live and to experience something, something human or above human. I think by claiming "he wore jeans" as part of his revolution demeans the actual revolution he started. It's not necessarily about a community style, but a community ethic or feeling.

He spoke about there being no new youth movements recently, the most recent one was in Japan. But the Japanese adoption of punk styles was completely aesthetic. It wasn't about the underlying ethics, so for me, I would consider that empty and pointless. It was the adoption of Western styles and whereas punk was an original look, if it was a look at all, it wasn't just stealing a style from another group.

I thought it was an interesting talk, but I found myself disagreeing with a lot of things.

Bluecoat Gallery and Printmaking

Visit: 14th January

Today we visited the Bluecoat and received a talk from Emma Gregory, a resident print-maker  She told us about the formalities and protocols of getting grants for projects or plans within an organisation with Arts Council funding, such as Bluecoat. This was really interesting, but quite disheartening. She didn't seem happy at all in her work and completely at the end of her tether with regards to getting things actually changed or improved there.

She also talked to us about herself as an artist and about teaching other artists. She commented that she felt frustration in the area of artists improvement. There seems to be a trap that artists fall into wherein they're aiming no longer for integrity, or intellectual stimulation, and instead print images of more commercial value. Emma said that she had moved beyond this stage, but was not yet at the level of working that granted galleries to be interested in her work, and so needed to develop her work more conceptually. When teaching others who do simply go for the aesthetic which sells, she said she felt frustrated and like she needed to push people forward by introducing new artists to the workshops to inspire the people she teaches.

The talk we were given was very passionate and very sad, but for good reason. It must be very hard to constantly have the battle of creativity or money. Obviously, Bluecoat aren't going to let her make improvements unless they see a financial return. But, as an arts organisation, that isn't how I would have expected it to be run, I would have thought it was community and arts before money. There seems to be a huge gap between the money thrown at exhibiting artists and that tightly given to artists resident or practicing there.

Emma noted that Bluecoat have recently become fonder of her project because it attracts young men of a certain age range who are normally seen as a 'trouble' group to  Governments and organisations. Because Bluecoat are seen to get involved with this cross-section of people, they are considering giving more funding. When you think about it, it's quite cynical and quite self-serving in the way it is run (rather than the community based space it seems to promote itself as). Although I found her talk interesting, it put me off wanting to get involved with that kind of project, because although it is admirable, it sounds like such a mess and struggle. It's a shame that because of the current climate arts funding has to be so stingy.

Quentin Blake Exhibition

Visit: Wednesday 9th January

"Maternity Hospital Angers"
Taken from "www.leamingtoncourier.co.uk"

I didn't know what to expect from the Quentin Blake exhibition at Knowsley Art Gallery. As a kid I liked Roald Dahl books but I can't remember ever really liking the illustrations in them, and nowadays I find them a bit creepy and odd. When we entered the exhibition space I saw some illustrations that brought back memories due to their distinctive style and although I didn't enjoy a lot of the pieces because of personal taste, I really liked the above image. The reason for this is primarily the mark making that it contains. I like ink drawings and the variation and sensitivity to line that they can portray. Also, the shape of the figure reminded me of a Rubens painting. I especially like the lines in the torso and legs for their differentiation.

I did, however, like the feel of the gallery space and the way it had been curated to appeal to children and families. I thought it was really inventive to incorporate a bedroom scene into the space, as well as the interactive element for kids. I know if I was one I would have really enjoyed being there, so I think it's a great way to encourage kids to be involved with art.

It was interesting to listen to the curator of the gallery explain all of the different elements and responsibilities she has to deal with in her job, as well as the involvement with other organisations and communities. I'd never been to Knowsley Gallery before but it was a really nice day out.