Tangled and Mangled

Posted on 13/04/201313/04/2013 by Alastair

The effects of yesterdays dreich morning can be seen in that old freezer I have been photographing recently. The wet metal reflects the weather we had at the start of the day which created new colours and patterns only seen in these conditions.

And the sounds this can make? I continued working with them and here are a couple of experimental mixes. Next week I will try to explain some of my use of metal . . . watch this space!

You can click the mp3 files below or play the SoundCloud files which only appear on the blog page, not in an email. Ideally you would listen to these through headphone but it’s no big deal.

Same environment, different viewpoint

Things are brightening up!

Posted on 12/04/201312/04/2013 by Alastair

But it was a dreich day when I came down the garden to my studio this morning. So, to stay in keeping with the brightening day, I have decided to put up a few more of those colourful metallic “canvases” I have snapped recently.

Today I will work some more with the sounds I have been recording from this material but here, in the meantime, is a snippet. What does it sound like to you?

Metallic Canvas

Posted on 11/04/201311/04/2013 by Alastair

This metallic canvas is Turner-esque in the violence of the storm – but I did nothing, just took the photo!

The texture . . .

. . . and vibrance of the colour amazes me.

I love it but . . .

. . . it’s just . . .

. . . an old freezer . . .

. . . destined for the scrap merchant.

Of course, it should never have been burnt, but it has provided me with some interesting material to play with and add to my collection of metal (weird, I know). I shall be recording some of sounds it can make soon. Anyone interested can listen to my metallic sound collections on SoundCloud here and here or click below. If you can’t see the sound files below, please visit the blog page.

The last clip in this first set is the best!

A Visit to Middlesbrough – Sculpture?

Posted on 06/04/201306/04/2013 by Alastair

Next to the Anish Kapoor sculpture, “Tenemos” (featured in yesterday’s post), are other “sculptures” which, although functional in their design, are fascinating and attractive in their own way.

The textures, colours and patterns of paint and rust are further enhanced by their juxtaposition with Kapoor’s work. And that, of course, is a part of the purpose of art – to help us see, understand and appreciate what is around us.

I wonder what it is like inside that crane?!

Tenemos and Crane

A Visit to Middlesbrough – Anish Kapoor

Posted on 05/04/201305/04/2013 by Alastair

Temenos by Anish Kapoor was erected in Middlesbrough about three years ago and I have been meaning to go take a look at it since then. As with Claes Oldenburg’s Bottle of Notes in yesterday’s post, there have been many photographs taken of this work of art – but these are mine!

It is an impressive structure which has the effect, as it should, of highlighting the sculptural appearance of many of the industrial structures around it (more of those tomorrow). In the background is Middlesbrough’s Transporter Bridge.

Temenos by Anish Kapoor

Temenos and Middlesbrough Transporter Bridge

A Visit to Middlesbrough – Claes Oldenburg and Haroon Mirza

Posted on 04/04/201304/04/2013 by Alastair

The Bottle of Notes sculpture by Claes Oldenburg is in the centre of Middlesbrough by MIMA (Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art). There have been plenty of photos taken of it before now, but these are mine!

We had a short visit to Middlesbrough at Easter and managed, amongst other things, to see this, the MIMA exhibitions, the Anish Kapoor sculpture at Riverside Park (see tomorrow’s post) and had a walk round Great Ayton.

One of the exhibitions we saw at MIMA was Untitled Song by Haroon Mirza. I can’t show photos other than this wall in the gallery, but I did record part of the audio in the exhibition. Here is 30 seconds of it.

Haroon Mirza

You may not find the sound particularly easy to listen to – it’s not exactly popular music – but there was more to it than this sample and it worked well with the space and the sculptures by James Clarkson, some of which had been modified by Mirza.

Architecture of Swansea Bay

Posted on 01/04/201301/04/2013 by Alastair

The Maritime Quarter in Swansea has been in development for many years. We used to have a studio there and watched much of the current architecture being constructed.

The view from the 27th floor of the Meridian Tower is almost as good as that from Brynmill or Kilvey Hill – except, of course, when it is in mist! Whether this building is included in a StillWalk of the area remains to be seen.