Adventures in Kate Bush & Theory: The Film, made by Emma Thatcher. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrCpF3zUARA
Friday, 29 January 2010
Thursday, 28 January 2010
always encouraging people to speak out
Of all the masses of words and tributes I've read today in memory of Howard Zinn, these words from Nicolas Lampert moved me the greatest...
Howard Zinn changed my life. In 1999, I first read “A People’s History of the United States” and read it cover to cover, fascinated by his words, his sense of optimism, and belief that ordinary people can and have organized and challenged powerful institutions throughout history.
In 2003, I was so fortunate to meet him and strike up a correspondence and friendship. I remember sending him the full set of Josh MacPhee’s “Celebrate People’s History” posters as a gift to let him know that us young radical artists were attempting to visualize many of the histories that he wrote about. He responded by thanking me for the posters and said that they were too important to remain in his house, on his wall, in a drawer – that he would find a community space where they could hang, a place where people could see them.
That embodied his spirit. Such a genuine person who was always teaching, always inspiring, and always encouraging people to speak out and become active.
Wednesday, 27 January 2010
london zine symposium 2010
The London Zine Symposium is an annual event bringing together zines, small press, comics and radical writers to celebrate DIY and zine culture.
This year's Zine Symposium is happening on:
Saturday 29th May 2010
12pm-6pm
The Rag Factory, 16-18 Heneage Street, London E1 5LJ
The day is free for everyone. (Donations will be taken to help cover our costs)
This year will be the 6th Annual London Zine Symposium!
Featuring Stalls/Workshops/Talks/Discussions/Vegan cake
Facebook group:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=43222899146&ref=nf
Website:
http://www.londonzinesymposium.org.uk
Applications for stalls now open:
http://www.londonzinesymposium.org.uk/stalls
Tuesday, 26 January 2010
inspiration of the week
I'm having one of those bowled-over-with-inspiration sort of weeks that I'm glad comes about every now and again to help keep me on track and remind me of what makes me want to keep doing stuff.
Todays inspiration comes in the form of the following artists work:
DEBBIE MILLMAN
KEETRA DEAN DIXON
GINGER BROOKS TAKAHASHI
I'm overwhelmed!!
Todays inspiration comes in the form of the following artists work:
DEBBIE MILLMAN
KEETRA DEAN DIXON
GINGER BROOKS TAKAHASHI
I'm overwhelmed!!
Sunday, 24 January 2010
express your rights
This conference in Michigan, USA looks so so great. It totally keys in with work I'm researching for at the moment (in the area of political collective creativity), and with ideas/plans I am cooking up and dreaming of myself.
Just reading about it has set my head on fire with ideas and inspiration...
Human Rights Through Education (HRTE) proudly presents:
EXPRESS YOUR RIGHTS: THE ROLE OF ART IN HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISM
Conference Itinerary:
Friday February 5 (at the MICHIGAN UNION, PENDLETON ROOM)
3:30-4: Registration
4-5: Carol Jacobsen
speech name: Women's Criminalization, Clemency and Human Rights
Title: Professor, U-M School of Art and Design. Award-winning social documentary artist whose works in video and photography address issues of women's criminalization and censorship.
5-6: Danielle Abrams
speech name: Burritos and Bulldykes: Performance Activity in the Gay Ghetto of the Mission District in San Francisco
Title: Assistant Professor, U-M School of Art and Design. Former artistic director of BUILD, a performance space in San Francisco’s hub of queer performance - the Mission District and a founding Board Member of the Harvey Milk Institute in San Francisco.
6-7: Nick Tobier
speech name: Human Centered Design & How Collective Creativity Enables Change
Title: Associate Professor, U-M School of Art and Design.
7:30: Emmanuel Jal (MICHIGAN LEAGUE)
performance name: WAR CHILD: A Story of Survival
Title: Internationally-renowned hip-hop artist, human rights activist, and former child soldier from Sudan
Co-sponsored by: U-M Office of Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs (MESA); MSA Peace and Social Justice Commission
Most seating reserved for U-M students, faculty, and staff; limited seating for general public
Saturday February 6 (at the MICHIGAN UNION, PENDLETON ROOM)
10:30-11: Registration/Breakfast/Breakfast
11-12: Prison Creative Arts Project (PCAP)
workshop name: Human Rights and Art in Prison
Affiliation: University of Michigan
12-12:30: OyamO
presentation name: Sensing the Censors
Title: Associate Professor of English, U-M College of Literature Science and the Arts; Associate Professor of Theatre and Drama, U-M School of Music
12:30-1:30: Allied Media Conference (AMC)
presentation name: Create, Connect, Transform
Jenny Lee, Allied Media Projects Program Director; Diane J. Nucera, Allied Media Projects Allied365 Program Director
1:30-2: Reception
2-3: M1
presentation name: From the Ghetto to Gaza
Title: Hip-hop artist and political activist; one-half of hip-hop duo Dead Prez
3-4:30: Paul Shoebridge and Michael Simons
presentation name: Visual Activism: The Role of Designer as Author
Title: co-authors, "I-Live-Here;" creative team and former creative force behind "Adbusters" magazine
Special appearance by Phoebe Gloeckner, "I-Live-Here" collaborator and assistant professor at School of Art & Design
As part of the Conference there will be an art exhibit in the Union right outside of Amer's from February 1st-7th featuring original work from Students and PCAP.
Express Your Rights is made possible by generous funding and sponsorship from the Center for Ethics in Public Life, the Institute for the Humanities and CAAS.
Additional funding provided by Arts at Michigan, Ambatana Multicultural Council, Cameo Multicultural Council, A'Subuhi Multicultural Council, and Markley Multicultural Council
Just reading about it has set my head on fire with ideas and inspiration...
Human Rights Through Education (HRTE) proudly presents:
EXPRESS YOUR RIGHTS: THE ROLE OF ART IN HUMAN RIGHTS ACTIVISM
Conference Itinerary:
Friday February 5 (at the MICHIGAN UNION, PENDLETON ROOM)
3:30-4: Registration
4-5: Carol Jacobsen
speech name: Women's Criminalization, Clemency and Human Rights
Title: Professor, U-M School of Art and Design. Award-winning social documentary artist whose works in video and photography address issues of women's criminalization and censorship.
5-6: Danielle Abrams
speech name: Burritos and Bulldykes: Performance Activity in the Gay Ghetto of the Mission District in San Francisco
Title: Assistant Professor, U-M School of Art and Design. Former artistic director of BUILD, a performance space in San Francisco’s hub of queer performance - the Mission District and a founding Board Member of the Harvey Milk Institute in San Francisco.
6-7: Nick Tobier
speech name: Human Centered Design & How Collective Creativity Enables Change
Title: Associate Professor, U-M School of Art and Design.
7:30: Emmanuel Jal (MICHIGAN LEAGUE)
performance name: WAR CHILD: A Story of Survival
Title: Internationally-renowned hip-hop artist, human rights activist, and former child soldier from Sudan
Co-sponsored by: U-M Office of Multi-Ethnic Student Affairs (MESA); MSA Peace and Social Justice Commission
Most seating reserved for U-M students, faculty, and staff; limited seating for general public
Saturday February 6 (at the MICHIGAN UNION, PENDLETON ROOM)
10:30-11: Registration/Breakfast/Breakfast
11-12: Prison Creative Arts Project (PCAP)
workshop name: Human Rights and Art in Prison
Affiliation: University of Michigan
12-12:30: OyamO
presentation name: Sensing the Censors
Title: Associate Professor of English, U-M College of Literature Science and the Arts; Associate Professor of Theatre and Drama, U-M School of Music
12:30-1:30: Allied Media Conference (AMC)
presentation name: Create, Connect, Transform
Jenny Lee, Allied Media Projects Program Director; Diane J. Nucera, Allied Media Projects Allied365 Program Director
1:30-2: Reception
2-3: M1
presentation name: From the Ghetto to Gaza
Title: Hip-hop artist and political activist; one-half of hip-hop duo Dead Prez
3-4:30: Paul Shoebridge and Michael Simons
presentation name: Visual Activism: The Role of Designer as Author
Title: co-authors, "I-Live-Here;" creative team and former creative force behind "Adbusters" magazine
Special appearance by Phoebe Gloeckner, "I-Live-Here" collaborator and assistant professor at School of Art & Design
As part of the Conference there will be an art exhibit in the Union right outside of Amer's from February 1st-7th featuring original work from Students and PCAP.
Express Your Rights is made possible by generous funding and sponsorship from the Center for Ethics in Public Life, the Institute for the Humanities and CAAS.
Additional funding provided by Arts at Michigan, Ambatana Multicultural Council, Cameo Multicultural Council, A'Subuhi Multicultural Council, and Markley Multicultural Council
portland zine symposium 2010 poster art call out
PZS is looking for art submissions for the 2010 poster. This year's theme is "Zine Arcade" Your art submission should be your creative interpretation of that theme.
The guidelines are simple – We are looking for a 11" wide x 17" tall poster that will also be used in other formats (the web, post cards, buttons, stickers, etc), so your design needs to be visible and striking at multiple sizes and resolutions (or have smaller, breakaway pieces). The design will eventually be silk screened / screen printed onto t-shirts, so limit your colors to black, white and one other color. We encourage artists to use any medium or style. We strongly prefer that the choosen artist is able to assist us in the process of transferring (resizing / cropping / etc) the image multiple mediums.
Your design should include (or be able to include once all details are finalized) the following:
- the theme
- the dates (TBA)
- the place (TBA)
- the website (www.pdxzines.com)
- "10th Annual Portland Zine Symposium"
- "A conference and zine social exploring facets of independent publishing and DIY culture."
Submission deadline is March 15th. Submissions can be emailed to pdxzines@gmail.com (most strongly preferred), mailed (to PO Box 5901 Portland, OR 97228-5901), or dropped off at the IPRC.
The guidelines are simple – We are looking for a 11" wide x 17" tall poster that will also be used in other formats (the web, post cards, buttons, stickers, etc), so your design needs to be visible and striking at multiple sizes and resolutions (or have smaller, breakaway pieces). The design will eventually be silk screened / screen printed onto t-shirts, so limit your colors to black, white and one other color. We encourage artists to use any medium or style. We strongly prefer that the choosen artist is able to assist us in the process of transferring (resizing / cropping / etc) the image multiple mediums.
Your design should include (or be able to include once all details are finalized) the following:
- the theme
- the dates (TBA)
- the place (TBA)
- the website (www.pdxzines.com)
- "10th Annual Portland Zine Symposium"
- "A conference and zine social exploring facets of independent publishing and DIY culture."
Submission deadline is March 15th. Submissions can be emailed to pdxzines@gmail.com (most strongly preferred), mailed (to PO Box 5901 Portland, OR 97228-5901), or dropped off at the IPRC.
Friday, 22 January 2010
pikaland artists feature
This opportunity is totally worth entering/applying for...
It guarantees so much exposure for artists and illustrators, as the selected artist will be invited for a full interview on Pikaland, and will also be offered free ad space on the blog for a month!
More info about the Pikaland Arists Feature here
and
Go ahead and apply here
Do it. Do it. Do it!!
contemporary scandinavian comics exhibition
I just heard about the Contemporary Scandinavian Comics exhibition being held at Sweden's Nordiska Akvarellmuseet (the Nordic Watercolour Museum) from 31 jan - 14 march.
Details (in Swedish) here
It looks totally rad! And loads of women are taking part.
The museum's first exhibition in 2010, we want to highlight contemporary Scandinavian cartoonists with a strong image expression. Together with invited artists series, we are building an exhibition that change during the exhibition period. Unique series of original intermingled with shops and artistic expression and a rich program of around workshops, lectures and concerts.
Participants: Anneli Furmark (Sweden), Sara Granér (Sweden), Simon Gärdenfors (Sweden), Matti Hagelberg (Finland), Bendik Kaltenborn (Norway), Kolbeinn Karlsson (Sweden), Knut Larsson (Sweden), Helena Roos (Sweden), (GISP!) Bjarni Hinriksson (Iceland), Hugleikur Dagsson (Iceland), Þorri Hringsson (Iceland), Johann Ludwig Torfason (Iceland), Halldór Baldursson (Iceland) , Life Strömqvist (Sweden), Katja Tukiainen (Finland), Marko Turunen (Finland), Amanda Vähämäki (Finland), Ola Astrand (Sweden), Li Österberg (Sweden).
Plus, I saw this call-out on their website...
Nordic fanzine makers are invited to send in their fanzines to us. We make them available to visitors of the exhibition.
During the first months of 2010 the Nordic Watercolour Museum is going to show the exhibition Contemporary Nordic Comics. In the exhibition space there will be a section where the visitors can look through and read books and magazines with works of Nordic comic artists. We would like to display such a wide range of expressions and publications from the Nordic comic scene as possible.
Do you make your own comic fanzine? Would you like to present it in our exhibition? Please send us copies. We will put them on display in the reading section of the exhibition. Participate and help us make this an even more exciting exhibition!
Send your comic fanzines to:
Nordiska Akvarellmuseet, Fanzine, Södra Hamnen 6, 471 32 Skärhamn, Sweden.
For more info contact: kristian.berglund@akvarellmuseet.org
RAD!!
Wednesday, 20 January 2010
grassroots feminism site wants your thoughts
Grassroots Feminism wants your views...
Do you ever read / watch / listen to feminist-made media? We want to hear from you!
Come fill out our online questionnaire...
As part of our research project "Feminist Media in Europe" we have put together an online questionnaire to find out how and why people consume and/or produce feminist media. This survey is specifically targeted to people living in Europe.
We really appreciate your participation in this survey. At the end of it, we will publish the findings on the website.
Fill out the survey HERE
Many thanks!
Red Chidgey, Rosa Reitsamer and Elke Zobl
Tuesday, 19 January 2010
blanket
From my inbox...
Seeking Contributions:
Re_action: Issue 20 – ‘I Think I Can Fly’ Issue
We’re taking off and letting our imaginations soar!
Each issue we give you a specific theme and we want you to submit a piece of original work that visually reacts to this theme! Use your creative skills and your imagination!
A maximum of 1 image to be submitted please.
Please read our Terms and Conditions before submitting your work to Blanket.
Email submission to: re_action [at] blanketmagazine.com
{ DEADLINE: EXTENDED TO 20TH January 2010 }
* * *
Here’s My Work, I hope you like it…
Each issue we show off emerging creatives and we want you! Send in your original artwork, design or photography. A maximum of 6 images please.
If sending multiple images please place them in a Zipped Folder with your full name and number the images (eg. Bec_Brown_01, Bec_Brown_02, and so on… otherwise I might mix them up and credit someone else with your work!)
Please do not send your personal URL’s as I receive so many submissions I don’t have time to review them all. You are more likely to have your work published if you make it as easy as possible for me. Please send examples of your artwork and follow my image specifications below.
Please read our Terms and Conditions before submitting your work to Blanket.
Email inspire [at] blanketmagazine.com
{ DEADLINE: EXTENDED TO 20TH January 2010 }
* * *
More info at: Blanket's website
www.blanketmagazine.com
Seeking Contributions:
Re_action: Issue 20 – ‘I Think I Can Fly’ Issue
We’re taking off and letting our imaginations soar!
Each issue we give you a specific theme and we want you to submit a piece of original work that visually reacts to this theme! Use your creative skills and your imagination!
A maximum of 1 image to be submitted please.
Please read our Terms and Conditions before submitting your work to Blanket.
Email submission to: re_action [at] blanketmagazine.com
{ DEADLINE: EXTENDED TO 20TH January 2010 }
* * *
Here’s My Work, I hope you like it…
Each issue we show off emerging creatives and we want you! Send in your original artwork, design or photography. A maximum of 6 images please.
If sending multiple images please place them in a Zipped Folder with your full name and number the images (eg. Bec_Brown_01, Bec_Brown_02, and so on… otherwise I might mix them up and credit someone else with your work!)
Please do not send your personal URL’s as I receive so many submissions I don’t have time to review them all. You are more likely to have your work published if you make it as easy as possible for me. Please send examples of your artwork and follow my image specifications below.
Please read our Terms and Conditions before submitting your work to Blanket.
Email inspire [at] blanketmagazine.com
{ DEADLINE: EXTENDED TO 20TH January 2010 }
* * *
More info at: Blanket's website
www.blanketmagazine.com
Thursday, 7 January 2010
i'm sorry but you can't get away with a sweater like that
Thanks to Emily Aoibheann for sharing this gem with me :)
Wednesday, 30 December 2009
lancashire zine, artists' book and multiples fair.
2010 Lancashire Zine Fair, Preston
So many great people are exhibiting - it looks like it's going to be fantastic!
Monday, 28 December 2009
Saturday, 26 December 2009
i die one of many
Here is the most extraordinary tribute to a very special musician and songwriter, Vic Chesnutt. I adore Vic's music
Reading Kristin's words on Christmas Day, that “This time, it’s real scary: *this* time, he left a note, *this* time, he asked them to call me” completely slayed me...
don't count my scars like tree rings
Reading Kristin's words on Christmas Day, that “This time, it’s real scary: *this* time, he left a note, *this* time, he asked them to call me” completely slayed me...
don't count my scars like tree rings
Tuesday, 22 December 2009
Monday, 21 December 2009
jacinta and julie's baby on TV
There's now a link to watch the Newsnight Review of Girls Are Not Chicks (PM Press/Reach and Teach) that aired last week. Watch it HERE
Thursday, 17 December 2009
i hexed him, now he's losing his hair
Contentious, yet I happen to agree: Why Courtney Love was Kurt Cobain's Lyrical Equal
Oh, and I remember hovering at my TV when that Jools Holland episode was first aired, ready to press 'record' :) And that video of 'Jennifer's Body' made goosebumps curse through my entire body.
"He keeps you in a box by the bed/ Alive but just barely/ He said 'I'm your lover, I'm your friend/ I'm purity, hit me again'".
Oh, and I remember hovering at my TV when that Jools Holland episode was first aired, ready to press 'record' :) And that video of 'Jennifer's Body' made goosebumps curse through my entire body.
"He keeps you in a box by the bed/ Alive but just barely/ He said 'I'm your lover, I'm your friend/ I'm purity, hit me again'".
Wednesday, 16 December 2009
get yr cray-on
From my inbox...
Get Yr Cray-On!!! (Please forward widely)
***Call-out for submissions to the Bay Area Childcare Collective Radical Coloring Book!!!***
That’s right- the Bay Area Childcare Collective is putting together a coloring book to use as both a fun and radical teaching tool as well as a fundraiser, and we want your help! For more info on the Childcare Collective, go to www.bayareachildcarecollective.net/about/
We are looking for some folks to illustrate one or more pictures each with radical themes. Many of the kids using the book have parents or other loved ones already involved in community organizing (especially labor, immigration and housing rights) so we want the book to help explain why this kind of work is great and important.
What we want:
- simple black and white line drawings that will look good when photocopied
- pictures with lots of blank space so they’re fun to color
- appropriate for very young children while still (if possible) appealing to older kids and adults (witty allusions encouraged)
- each picture should include a caption or leave space for a caption that will explain what the picture is about (ex: “everyone in the community helped fight the eviction”)
- please leave a margin of AT LEAST 1” on all sides so it is easy to photocopy!
- be creative! Feel free to use animals, shapes, plants, sea creatures to tell yr story- we want it to be fun and inspire kids’ imaginations.
When you know what you’re going to draw, please email us to let us know so we can avoid repeats and/or complement your artwork with like-minded pieces.
We would LOVE your ideas and suggestions.
We want this book to be a celebration of women of color led organizing!
Some specific ideas that we’ve already come up with include:
* * * POWER/ Just Cause Oakland/ Women’s Collective of the Day Laborer’s Union (the awesome orgs we provide childcare for!)
* * * Dolores Huerta/ Cesar Chavez/ Farm Labor movement
* * * Domestic Workers Movement
* * * Radical labor organizing
* * * Housing rights- fighting evictions, affordable housing, healthy neighborhoods
* * * Food justice (examples: People's Grocery, Rooftop gardens, people's gardens)
* * * Gender diversity, queer visibility
* * * Feminism; Women leaders in bay area movement organizing; Mothers & Parents in the movement
* * * Anti-War resistance & Anti-Imperialism
* * * Environmentalism, water, climate change, caring for the earth
* * * Indigenous resistance, organizing, AIM, EZLN, Alcatraz takeover
* * * Black Panthers/ Young Lords/ & history of liberation movements in the Bay Area
* * * Abolishment of/ work around the Prison Industrial Complex
We might decide to organize the pictures into various sections or themes, like cooperation, solidarity, equality, sharing, negotiation, etc. (TBD)
Also, we want the finished product to be bilingual (English and Spanish), so if you have translation skills, please share them with us!
***DEADLINE FOR COMPLETED DRAWINGS: JANUARY 15th, 2010…sharp!***
Submissions can either be scanned and emailed (high quality- 300 dpi or better) to RadColoringBook@gmail.com OR you can send it via Snail Mail (though we won’t give it back to you so bear that in mind) to Get Yr Cray-On! c/o Pike, 1884 Market St, SF, CA 94102.
We can’t wait to see what you come up with!
In love and Solidarity,
The Cray-On Crew.
Get Yr Cray-On!!! (Please forward widely)
***Call-out for submissions to the Bay Area Childcare Collective Radical Coloring Book!!!***
That’s right- the Bay Area Childcare Collective is putting together a coloring book to use as both a fun and radical teaching tool as well as a fundraiser, and we want your help! For more info on the Childcare Collective, go to www.bayareachildcarecollective.net/about/
We are looking for some folks to illustrate one or more pictures each with radical themes. Many of the kids using the book have parents or other loved ones already involved in community organizing (especially labor, immigration and housing rights) so we want the book to help explain why this kind of work is great and important.
What we want:
- simple black and white line drawings that will look good when photocopied
- pictures with lots of blank space so they’re fun to color
- appropriate for very young children while still (if possible) appealing to older kids and adults (witty allusions encouraged)
- each picture should include a caption or leave space for a caption that will explain what the picture is about (ex: “everyone in the community helped fight the eviction”)
- please leave a margin of AT LEAST 1” on all sides so it is easy to photocopy!
- be creative! Feel free to use animals, shapes, plants, sea creatures to tell yr story- we want it to be fun and inspire kids’ imaginations.
When you know what you’re going to draw, please email us to let us know so we can avoid repeats and/or complement your artwork with like-minded pieces.
We would LOVE your ideas and suggestions.
We want this book to be a celebration of women of color led organizing!
Some specific ideas that we’ve already come up with include:
* * * POWER/ Just Cause Oakland/ Women’s Collective of the Day Laborer’s Union (the awesome orgs we provide childcare for!)
* * * Dolores Huerta/ Cesar Chavez/ Farm Labor movement
* * * Domestic Workers Movement
* * * Radical labor organizing
* * * Housing rights- fighting evictions, affordable housing, healthy neighborhoods
* * * Food justice (examples: People's Grocery, Rooftop gardens, people's gardens)
* * * Gender diversity, queer visibility
* * * Feminism; Women leaders in bay area movement organizing; Mothers & Parents in the movement
* * * Anti-War resistance & Anti-Imperialism
* * * Environmentalism, water, climate change, caring for the earth
* * * Indigenous resistance, organizing, AIM, EZLN, Alcatraz takeover
* * * Black Panthers/ Young Lords/ & history of liberation movements in the Bay Area
* * * Abolishment of/ work around the Prison Industrial Complex
We might decide to organize the pictures into various sections or themes, like cooperation, solidarity, equality, sharing, negotiation, etc. (TBD)
Also, we want the finished product to be bilingual (English and Spanish), so if you have translation skills, please share them with us!
***DEADLINE FOR COMPLETED DRAWINGS: JANUARY 15th, 2010…sharp!***
Submissions can either be scanned and emailed (high quality- 300 dpi or better) to RadColoringBook@gmail.com OR you can send it via Snail Mail (though we won’t give it back to you so bear that in mind) to Get Yr Cray-On! c/o Pike, 1884 Market St, SF, CA 94102.
We can’t wait to see what you come up with!
In love and Solidarity,
The Cray-On Crew.
Sunday, 13 December 2009
kinda silly but it put a happy smile on my face!
All Star Baseball 2000 - "Since You've Been Gone" movie challenge from Cob Job on Vimeo.
By Paul Baribeau and Eric Ayotte
we heart art
We Heart Arts is a pretty rad project...
We Heart Arts is a non-profit organization that works to raise funds for children's creative arts programs around the world. We are trying to build a creative future for children via the goodwill of humanity and through creative means.
We Heart Arts believe that;
i. Creative arts teaches young people the value of lifelong active personal expressionism
ii. Creative arts teaches young people to question the world they live in
iii. Creative arts teaches young people that thinking outside of the box is an important mental function in life
iv. Creative arts teaches young people to engage in a social network of proactive young people invested in a community built on meaningful, sustained ideas and expressionism
v. Creative arts opens up a world of opportunities for young people to grow and help others through arts therapy
vi. Creative arts can open up an avenue of communication for children with learning difficulties
vii. Creative arts can help children process and work through traumatic experiences
viii. Creative arts can provide peer interaction and a sense of community, independence and feelings of control
(Thanks to Megan's myspace post for making me aware of this project)
Friday, 11 December 2009
not chicks
Jacinta and Julie's excellent book, 'Girls Are Not Chicks' (PM Press/Reach and Teach) is going to be reviewed on Newsnight Review tonight in the UK
Eek!!
www.girlsnotchicks.com
If you catch the show, post your thoughts of the TV review/discussion here and I'll pass it all on to Jacinta and Julie in case they can't watch the show from the US...
Wednesday, 9 December 2009
hammer on
Hammer On Press, is a new UK based feminist publishing house, focussed on Publishing, Workshops, and Social Change; breaking down boundaries between academia, art and popular culture.
I'm excited to hear how everything at Hammer On Press develops as there's so much exciting potential!
I'm excited to hear how everything at Hammer On Press develops as there's so much exciting potential!
we understand the felt presence of experiences
I wish I could be this articulate everytime I'm asked why I self-publish, and why I think making our own culture and cultural contributions is important.
I think it's an undeniable answer to the question of why art is activism.
(thanks to John Carling for his link to this video)
I think it's an undeniable answer to the question of why art is activism.
(thanks to John Carling for his link to this video)
Monday, 7 December 2009
impulsive random platform
From my inbox...
Dear Self-Publisher,
I am writing on behalf of London based art publication, "Impulsive Random Platform", of which I am co-founder and editor. I would like to bring to your attention our latest call for submissions/ collaboration and to personally invite you to apply for inclusion in our 12th issue, which will be made up of work by self published, small press zine and magazine makers with a launch event and opportunity to sell previous issues of included publications in a London venue in spring 2010. Please find below our call for submissions and do not hesitate to contact me if you have any further questions.
I look for forward to hearing from you and keep up the good work!
Alex of IRP
For our 12th issue of IRP, we are seeking submissions and expressions of interest solely from creators of self-published, small press zines and magazines.
The aim of this issue is to create a snapshot of current independent and alternative self-publishing from creative individuals and groups in Europe and the US (although submissions from applicants outside of these areas are also welcome) and to create a dialogue between like-minded projects and makers.
We would like submissions to consist of new and un-published work made specifically for this issue, which is representative of participants’ publications. This could be a collaboration between the creators of a zine and/or the work of a selected artist and regular contributor. While the purpose of the content of this issue is to promote and advertise the activity of a selection of publications, we want applicants to be creative with their submissions- we do not want to create a magazine full of adverts! Similarly, we would like the content to be appropriate to and a logical progression of the work regularly featured in issues of IRP and so for this reason, we ask applicants to not submit articles and/or reviews of events, etc., however images and combinations of images and text, text art, poems, concrete poetry and creative writing are all perfectly acceptable. For examples of previous content of IRP, please visit our website: www.impulsiverandomplatform.com.
We intend to use our regular method of display for this issue- an A5 black and white photocopied magazine, however we are happy to receive submissions and proposals for work outside of this format, such as colour images and hand-rendered pages. Due to the nature of the project and for the issue to reach as wide an audience as possible, we are also planning on making a larger edition number than usual (our edition sizes tend to range from 50 to 100 copies per issue) so please keep this in mind if your submission has any specialist requirements.
To celebrate the launch of this issue, we are hoping to host an event in a London venue in spring 2010, where the issue will be sold (all money made from the sale of IRP12 will be used to cover the cost of production and the event), refreshments served, and previous issues and work by participants will also be available to buy via a communal selling table. Following the launch, the issue will be available to buy from our regular stockists and forthcoming online shop. In return for their participation, all contributors will receive one complimentary copy of the magazine for their archive and are also welcome to distribute the zine via their usual stockists and avenues of sale.
To submit, please send images, and combinations of image and text as 300 dpi jpegs to irpsubmissions@gmail.com. For text, please send your submissions as word documents to the same address. In addition, please also include a brief bio of your zine and a copy of your publication’s logo, if applicable. This additional information will not be considered during the judging process and will only be used to provide a back story for selected publications within the issue and for advertising purposes. The deadline for submissions is 5pm on Monday 21st December 2009, however please do not hesitate to get in touch ASAP with any questions you may have regarding the publication.
We look forward to hearing from you.
IRP
www.impulsiverandomplatform.com
Dear Self-Publisher,
I am writing on behalf of London based art publication, "Impulsive Random Platform", of which I am co-founder and editor. I would like to bring to your attention our latest call for submissions/ collaboration and to personally invite you to apply for inclusion in our 12th issue, which will be made up of work by self published, small press zine and magazine makers with a launch event and opportunity to sell previous issues of included publications in a London venue in spring 2010. Please find below our call for submissions and do not hesitate to contact me if you have any further questions.
I look for forward to hearing from you and keep up the good work!
Alex of IRP
For our 12th issue of IRP, we are seeking submissions and expressions of interest solely from creators of self-published, small press zines and magazines.
The aim of this issue is to create a snapshot of current independent and alternative self-publishing from creative individuals and groups in Europe and the US (although submissions from applicants outside of these areas are also welcome) and to create a dialogue between like-minded projects and makers.
We would like submissions to consist of new and un-published work made specifically for this issue, which is representative of participants’ publications. This could be a collaboration between the creators of a zine and/or the work of a selected artist and regular contributor. While the purpose of the content of this issue is to promote and advertise the activity of a selection of publications, we want applicants to be creative with their submissions- we do not want to create a magazine full of adverts! Similarly, we would like the content to be appropriate to and a logical progression of the work regularly featured in issues of IRP and so for this reason, we ask applicants to not submit articles and/or reviews of events, etc., however images and combinations of images and text, text art, poems, concrete poetry and creative writing are all perfectly acceptable. For examples of previous content of IRP, please visit our website: www.impulsiverandomplatform.com.
We intend to use our regular method of display for this issue- an A5 black and white photocopied magazine, however we are happy to receive submissions and proposals for work outside of this format, such as colour images and hand-rendered pages. Due to the nature of the project and for the issue to reach as wide an audience as possible, we are also planning on making a larger edition number than usual (our edition sizes tend to range from 50 to 100 copies per issue) so please keep this in mind if your submission has any specialist requirements.
To celebrate the launch of this issue, we are hoping to host an event in a London venue in spring 2010, where the issue will be sold (all money made from the sale of IRP12 will be used to cover the cost of production and the event), refreshments served, and previous issues and work by participants will also be available to buy via a communal selling table. Following the launch, the issue will be available to buy from our regular stockists and forthcoming online shop. In return for their participation, all contributors will receive one complimentary copy of the magazine for their archive and are also welcome to distribute the zine via their usual stockists and avenues of sale.
To submit, please send images, and combinations of image and text as 300 dpi jpegs to irpsubmissions@gmail.com. For text, please send your submissions as word documents to the same address. In addition, please also include a brief bio of your zine and a copy of your publication’s logo, if applicable. This additional information will not be considered during the judging process and will only be used to provide a back story for selected publications within the issue and for advertising purposes. The deadline for submissions is 5pm on Monday 21st December 2009, however please do not hesitate to get in touch ASAP with any questions you may have regarding the publication.
We look forward to hearing from you.
IRP
www.impulsiverandomplatform.com
glutton for fatshion
From my inbox...
Glutton for Fatshion is super proud and excited to release the CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS for our second issue to be released in early February, 2010.
Themes:
This issue we are focusing on hot hot sex, righteous self-love, and big fat relationships.
A list of ideas for articles, art, well-articulated rants, poetry and otherwise:
Radical Fatshion (as always)
Radical Self Love
Fat Sex Advice on Positions/Toys/Negotiating/Consent
Fat Experiences getting tested for STIs/Pregnancy
Fat Experiences with casual sex or sex parties
Fat Experiences in open/poly/radical love/threesome relationships etc.
Fat Experiences buying/wearing/liking lingeries and sexy underthings
Fat Positive Valentines
Fat Erotic Photos
Fat Dating Advice/reviews of online dating sites
Dressing as masturbation
Lingerie Paperdolls (We especially would like to see a doll that is a size 26+)
Fat Fantasies/Porn
Reviews of independent and radical fatshion stores and designers
Upcoming NYC spring events for radical fatties and our friends
Issue title TBD, if you have witty suggestions, let us know!
SUBMISSIONS MUST BE PRINT-READY, please copy edit or ask a friend to!
Our zine is folded, regular letter-sized paper, which means that your entries should be no larger than 4 in. x 5.5 in. per page.
All submissions must be received by January 22, 2009 by midnight
Please e-mail to glutton4zine@gmail.com in either word or pdf format
We will let you know if your piece was accepted or sweetly declined. (and an explanation, if you wish)
You can also request the first issue by e-mailing us! $2-5 donation, please to cover printing and shipping costs.
If you have access to cheap (free) corporate printing opportunities, or would like to help us select submissions, promote our launch party, assist with layout, create filler art etc. etc. please let us know!
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=107809972565
Glutton for Fatshion is super proud and excited to release the CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS for our second issue to be released in early February, 2010.
Glutton for Fatshion: For ferocious, lush, fatties who can never get enough! Glutton is about treating yourself well and getting what you want in a way that doesn't fuck with anyone's justice, revolution, or freedom. Glutton doesn't just talk about size acceptance, it is about living in a way that slams open boundaries (with your hips) and tears apart mainstream ideas of beauty and health (with your teeth). Glutton isn't just about plus size fashion. Glutton is about fat style, anti-classist consumerism, making shit yourself, loving how you look, telling your community that they are fly. This is a wholly fat-positive/glorifying, trans-inclusive, anti-racist/poc centered, anti-class-ist, acknowledging our privilege type of shebang. And, of course, really fun and ferocious.
Themes:
This issue we are focusing on hot hot sex, righteous self-love, and big fat relationships.
A list of ideas for articles, art, well-articulated rants, poetry and otherwise:
Radical Fatshion (as always)
Radical Self Love
Fat Sex Advice on Positions/Toys/Negotiating/Consent
Fat Experiences getting tested for STIs/Pregnancy
Fat Experiences with casual sex or sex parties
Fat Experiences in open/poly/radical love/threesome relationships etc.
Fat Experiences buying/wearing/liking lingeries and sexy underthings
Fat Positive Valentines
Fat Erotic Photos
Fat Dating Advice/reviews of online dating sites
Dressing as masturbation
Lingerie Paperdolls (We especially would like to see a doll that is a size 26+)
Fat Fantasies/Porn
Reviews of independent and radical fatshion stores and designers
Upcoming NYC spring events for radical fatties and our friends
Issue title TBD, if you have witty suggestions, let us know!
SUBMISSIONS MUST BE PRINT-READY, please copy edit or ask a friend to!
Our zine is folded, regular letter-sized paper, which means that your entries should be no larger than 4 in. x 5.5 in. per page.
All submissions must be received by January 22, 2009 by midnight
Please e-mail to glutton4zine@gmail.com in either word or pdf format
We will let you know if your piece was accepted or sweetly declined. (and an explanation, if you wish)
You can also request the first issue by e-mailing us! $2-5 donation, please to cover printing and shipping costs.
If you have access to cheap (free) corporate printing opportunities, or would like to help us select submissions, promote our launch party, assist with layout, create filler art etc. etc. please let us know!
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=107809972565
twtee
Check out Emma Thatcher and Eva Megias's fabulous Twtee homo tshirt project...
using the classic white shape as a cañvas we share our thoughts and feelings about the weather, politics, beliefs, animals, office jobs, sexuality, heroes and cross contiñental shifts (!!!).
we wanted to make somethiñg using our hands and the material world, this way we hope to recoñnect to childhood energy, remembering carnivals and parties, play acting,performañce, wonder and making our own costumes (?!?!).
we put our ideas on a big fabulous white space.
Thanks to Debi for making me aware of this project!
Sunday, 6 December 2009
sister spit in the uk, november 2010
From my inbox...
Hey all,
So, on the success of the last Sister Spit UK tour, RADAR Productions; the US based not-for-profit arts publishing company are funding it for another year!
Sister Spit: The Next Generation is coming back to the UK in NOVEMBER 2010.
At this stage, Michelle Tea is contacting a whole line-up of new readers and performers and we will keep you all up to date with any developments. Please let me know through this email address if you would like to register your interest in running a show in your city or town or a part of your festival!
We are especially looking for interest from Universities/Colleges and Festivals as to secure an international arts grant that will help cover a lot of the costs, RADAR Productions is looking desperately for letters from such institutions agreeing to a show in the timeframe of November 2010. Nothing has to be set in stone, it's simply a register of interest or an official invite to bring them back here. If you could help us out with one of these letters, PLEASE email me back asap and I'll let you know what you'll need to include! They need them by January 1st!!
That's all for now, i hope you're all as excited as we are!!!
Em and Emily (Tour Bookers/Managers)
x
lolaandthecartwheelssheff@hotmail.co.uk
- - -
WHAT IS SISTER SPIT?
Sister Spit, the awesome lit/spoken word/performance troupe based in the USA, led by celebrated author Michelle Tea of 'Rent Girl' and 'Without a Net' fame is coming over to the UK in November 2010 with a whole new line-up of celebrated queer/grrrl artists, writers, zinesters and performers.
Michelle says: 'I write books, and host readings for other people who write books, to be listened to by people who like reading books. My last novel is called Rose of No Man's Land and is about a teenage genderqueer loner who gets mixed up with a speed freak mall rat and falls in love. Or something. My last anthology is called It's So You and it's full of essays by stylish people about how they came to look so great, such as Eileen Myles, Kim Gordon, Jenny Shimizu, Kate Bornstein, Ali Liebegott, Tara Jepsen, Beth Lisick and other modern role models. I run the Radar Reading + Salon series in San Francisco, and every so often pile a bunch of bitches in a van and set off across the country under the guise of Sister Spit: The Next Generation.'
Previous travellers on the Sister Spit tour include: Michelle Tea, Beth Lisick, Ariel Schrag, Sara Seinberg, Kirya Traber, Ben McCoy, Cristy C. Road, Rhiannon Argo, Kat Marie Yoas, Amos Mac, Tara Jepsen, Nicole J Georges, Sini Anderson, Lynnee Breedlove, Silas Howard, Kirk Read, Chelsea Starr, Ali Liebegott and many many more...!!!
Find More Info Here:
http://www.radarproductions.org/sisterspit.html (OFFICIAL SITE)
http://www.myspace.com/sisterspitnextgen
http://www.facebook.com/SisterSpit
Hey all,
So, on the success of the last Sister Spit UK tour, RADAR Productions; the US based not-for-profit arts publishing company are funding it for another year!
Sister Spit: The Next Generation is coming back to the UK in NOVEMBER 2010.
At this stage, Michelle Tea is contacting a whole line-up of new readers and performers and we will keep you all up to date with any developments. Please let me know through this email address if you would like to register your interest in running a show in your city or town or a part of your festival!
We are especially looking for interest from Universities/Colleges and Festivals as to secure an international arts grant that will help cover a lot of the costs, RADAR Productions is looking desperately for letters from such institutions agreeing to a show in the timeframe of November 2010. Nothing has to be set in stone, it's simply a register of interest or an official invite to bring them back here. If you could help us out with one of these letters, PLEASE email me back asap and I'll let you know what you'll need to include! They need them by January 1st!!
That's all for now, i hope you're all as excited as we are!!!
Em and Emily (Tour Bookers/Managers)
x
lolaandthecartwheelssheff@hotmail.co.uk
- - -
WHAT IS SISTER SPIT?
Sister Spit, the awesome lit/spoken word/performance troupe based in the USA, led by celebrated author Michelle Tea of 'Rent Girl' and 'Without a Net' fame is coming over to the UK in November 2010 with a whole new line-up of celebrated queer/grrrl artists, writers, zinesters and performers.
Michelle says: 'I write books, and host readings for other people who write books, to be listened to by people who like reading books. My last novel is called Rose of No Man's Land and is about a teenage genderqueer loner who gets mixed up with a speed freak mall rat and falls in love. Or something. My last anthology is called It's So You and it's full of essays by stylish people about how they came to look so great, such as Eileen Myles, Kim Gordon, Jenny Shimizu, Kate Bornstein, Ali Liebegott, Tara Jepsen, Beth Lisick and other modern role models. I run the Radar Reading + Salon series in San Francisco, and every so often pile a bunch of bitches in a van and set off across the country under the guise of Sister Spit: The Next Generation.'
Previous travellers on the Sister Spit tour include: Michelle Tea, Beth Lisick, Ariel Schrag, Sara Seinberg, Kirya Traber, Ben McCoy, Cristy C. Road, Rhiannon Argo, Kat Marie Yoas, Amos Mac, Tara Jepsen, Nicole J Georges, Sini Anderson, Lynnee Breedlove, Silas Howard, Kirk Read, Chelsea Starr, Ali Liebegott and many many more...!!!
Find More Info Here:
http://www.radarproductions.org/sisterspit.html (OFFICIAL SITE)
http://www.myspace.com/sisterspitnextgen
http://www.facebook.com/SisterSpit
Friday, 4 December 2009
qzap:meta #3
From my inbox...
Call For Submissions - QZAP:meta #3
We are seeking articles and artwork depicting and discussing specifically queer zines.
Articles should be between 500-1000 words. They can be on any of the following themes:
Queer zines and community
Collecting queer zines
Queer zine history
Your relation to queer zines
Why you put out your zine
The first queer zine you read or were influenced by
The future of queer zines and queer zine community
Artwork and images (photos, illustrations, etc.) should be print-ready at 300 dpi or higher. Black and white preferred. Artwork should be submitted as either TIFF or PDF files.
Submissions can be sent to milo[at]qzap.org with the subject "For QZAP:meta #3"
Deadline for submissions: January 15, 2010. Anticipated publication date: February, 2010
Call For Submissions - QZAP:meta #3
We are seeking articles and artwork depicting and discussing specifically queer zines.
Articles should be between 500-1000 words. They can be on any of the following themes:
Queer zines and community
Collecting queer zines
Queer zine history
Your relation to queer zines
Why you put out your zine
The first queer zine you read or were influenced by
The future of queer zines and queer zine community
Artwork and images (photos, illustrations, etc.) should be print-ready at 300 dpi or higher. Black and white preferred. Artwork should be submitted as either TIFF or PDF files.
Submissions can be sent to milo[at]qzap.org with the subject "For QZAP:meta #3"
Deadline for submissions: January 15, 2010. Anticipated publication date: February, 2010
Thursday, 3 December 2009
Tuesday, 1 December 2009
grizzly sleeper
I spend a good 80% of my life asleep or snoozing. I wish santa would bring me this grizzly bear bean bag for christmas so that we could snuggle!!
Buy here: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=34208794
Buy here: http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=34208794
realisation, recognition, and clarity
Charlotte Cooper wrote this on her facebook today and it made goosebumps curse up and down my body with recognition and understanding...
I wish there was a word that means something like "compassion and gratitude for your younger self and relief that things turned out okay even though they were really hard at the time," or "momentary realisation of how the pieces of your life fit together," or "the clarity of recognising a pivotal moment, and the resolve that recognition engenders," or "amazement that things from the ancient past have some kind of impact on people you know in the present in a way you could never have predicted". Something like that.
I wish there was a word that means something like "compassion and gratitude for your younger self and relief that things turned out okay even though they were really hard at the time," or "momentary realisation of how the pieces of your life fit together," or "the clarity of recognising a pivotal moment, and the resolve that recognition engenders," or "amazement that things from the ancient past have some kind of impact on people you know in the present in a way you could never have predicted". Something like that.
Thursday, 19 November 2009
eleven heavy things at the venice biennale
I'm a bit behind on this, but it's worth posting anyways...
Eleven Heavy Things, created for the 53rd International Art Exhibition at the Venice Biennale, is comprised of eleven sculptural works installed in an enclosed garden within Giardino delle Vergini. The cast fiber-glass, steel-lined pieces are designed for interaction: pedestals to stand on, tablets with holes for body parts, and free-standing abstract headdresses. A series of three pedestals in ascending height, The Guilty One, The Guiltier One, The Guiltiest One, ask the viewer to ascribe their guilt relative to the people around them. A large flat shape, hand-painted with Burberry plaid, hovers on a pole, waiting to become someone’s aura. A series of tablets invite heads, arms, legs and one finger: This is not the first hole my finger has been in, nor will it be the last. A wider pedestal for two people to hug on reads, We don!t know each other, we’re just hugging for the picture….
July assumes and invites the picture — these are eleven photo opportunities, in a city where one is always clutching a camera. Though the work begins as sculpture, it becomes a performance that is only complete when these tourist photos are uploaded onto personal blogs and sent in emails — at which point the audience changes, and the subject clearly becomes the participants, revealing themselves through the work.
Production of this work has been supported by Deitch Projects.
By Miranda July
Tuesday, 17 November 2009
Saturday, 14 November 2009
it's a wig
Check out the You Tube channel for Art XX Magazine, featuring videos and interviews with Art XX staff, artists, and feminist activists
Oh, and that video of me: check out my burnt San Franciscan nose and Lex's black wig = hott I think we'll all agree ;)
Art XX: http://www.artxxmagazine.com
Oh, and that video of me: check out my burnt San Franciscan nose and Lex's black wig = hott I think we'll all agree ;)
Art XX: http://www.artxxmagazine.com
Friday, 13 November 2009
'underground'
I was recently asked to answer some questions for a friends' PhD research. After spending hours on answering the questions I just saw this blog post by Tobi Vail that - along with input from Jean Smith - has just summed up everything I was cack-handedly trying to say and get at. I love the brainpower behind these words.
how do we change this, how do we bring "the punk politics" back or update it for the present/future? What would that entail exactly? What is our political platform? What needs to happen? What tools do we have available? What do we want to change? How can things be improved?
how do we change this, how do we bring "the punk politics" back or update it for the present/future? What would that entail exactly? What is our political platform? What needs to happen? What tools do we have available? What do we want to change? How can things be improved?
secret powers
How I discovered my Secret Powers (an essay in several parts)
by Keri Smith
This just blew my tiny mind! I love the way Keri attacks and approaches the world. I heart her!
by Keri Smith
This just blew my tiny mind! I love the way Keri attacks and approaches the world. I heart her!
Monday, 9 November 2009
my mouth your ear
From my inbox...
My Mouth Your Ear needs YOU!
New queer spoken word event in London.
We are looking for queer/lgbt folk who write, be it stories, poetry, performance, rants, zine articles, blogs, fact, fiction, anything you can use your mouth and a mic for. We are interested in hearing from you whether you have done a hundred gigs or have never shown your writing to anyone. We also invite you to bring pieces of writing by others which you have found particularly inspiring and would like to read out at the event, again in any format.
We are hoping to hold the first My Mouth Your Ear on December 13th. If you are interested in performing or reading at My Mouth Your Ear please email us with a sample of writing, preferably something you would like to read at the event. Or email us for more info.
We look forward to hearing from you!
My Mouth Your Ear
mymouthyourear@googlemail.com
:UPDATE:
MY MOUTH YOUR EAR – an afternoon of queer spoken word.
3pm – 8pm, Sunday 13th December
Lift n Hoist, 1 Queen’s Row, Camberwell, London
My Mouth Your Ear is a queer spoken word afternoon where performers and writers share stories, poetry, performances, raps, rants, zine articles, blogs, fact, fiction and generally anything you can use your mouth and a mic for.
suggested donation of £1- 3
Performances, mulled wine, cake.
Performing on 13th December:
YALINIDREAM. Lankan Blood, Manchester Born, Texas bred and Brooklyn steeped, YaliniDream is a Queer Sri Lankan Tamil raised in outside lands. She conjures spirit through her unique blend of poetry, theater, song, and dance. Check out her work on www.myspace.com/yalinidream
CHARLOTTE COOPER. I've been making, publishing and performing things for donkeys years, but I've been getting into trouble for quite a bit longer. Some of this is explained at www.charlottecooper.net
HEENA PATEL (Manchester). Recovering ex-optimist. Dog-fancier. Hates wet feet. Avid Red Dwarf fan. 29, still not out.
JAY BERNARD. Currently 'editor' of Dissocia Zine, which combines dry wit, post-irony and non-existence. She is author of Your Sign is Cuckoo, Girl (2008), and was recently poet in residence on two allotments in Oxford and London, and at the Benenden School in Kent. Jay has performed at venues such as Buckingham Palace, LadyFest and Croydon library. She blogs at brrnrrd.wordpress.com.
SWITHUN COOPER. Swithun's poetry has appeared in magazines including Time Out, Magma, Chroma and Poetry London, and the anthology City State: New London Poetry. This year he won an Eric Gregory Award from the Society of Authors.
FOX. Founder of SALUTE! Design and CubCulture screen-printing, Fox is a creative who also enjoys rapping and dancing and having many fingers in many pies.
LEN LUKOWSKA. Sometimes a writer, sometimes a performer. Generally an undisciplined faggy layabout who works in a library and needs more sleep.
CHARLOTTE RICHARDSON (Wears the Trousers magazine, more info to follow!)
Compere KAT REDSTONE
NB we don’t have a running order yet, performances will be throughout the afternoon/eve.
If you are interested in performing or reading at My Mouth Your Ear please email us with a sample of writing, preferably something you would like to read at the event. We’d love to hear from you whether you have done a hundred gigs or have never shown your writing to anyone. We also invite you to bring pieces of writing by others which you have found particularly inspiring and would like to read out at the event, again in any format.
Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=201698148453&ref=mf
My Mouth Your Ear needs YOU!
New queer spoken word event in London.
We are looking for queer/lgbt folk who write, be it stories, poetry, performance, rants, zine articles, blogs, fact, fiction, anything you can use your mouth and a mic for. We are interested in hearing from you whether you have done a hundred gigs or have never shown your writing to anyone. We also invite you to bring pieces of writing by others which you have found particularly inspiring and would like to read out at the event, again in any format.
We are hoping to hold the first My Mouth Your Ear on December 13th. If you are interested in performing or reading at My Mouth Your Ear please email us with a sample of writing, preferably something you would like to read at the event. Or email us for more info.
We look forward to hearing from you!
My Mouth Your Ear
mymouthyourear@googlemail.com
:UPDATE:
MY MOUTH YOUR EAR – an afternoon of queer spoken word.
3pm – 8pm, Sunday 13th December
Lift n Hoist, 1 Queen’s Row, Camberwell, London
My Mouth Your Ear is a queer spoken word afternoon where performers and writers share stories, poetry, performances, raps, rants, zine articles, blogs, fact, fiction and generally anything you can use your mouth and a mic for.
suggested donation of £1- 3
Performances, mulled wine, cake.
Performing on 13th December:
YALINIDREAM. Lankan Blood, Manchester Born, Texas bred and Brooklyn steeped, YaliniDream is a Queer Sri Lankan Tamil raised in outside lands. She conjures spirit through her unique blend of poetry, theater, song, and dance. Check out her work on www.myspace.com/yalinidream
CHARLOTTE COOPER. I've been making, publishing and performing things for donkeys years, but I've been getting into trouble for quite a bit longer. Some of this is explained at www.charlottecooper.net
HEENA PATEL (Manchester). Recovering ex-optimist. Dog-fancier. Hates wet feet. Avid Red Dwarf fan. 29, still not out.
JAY BERNARD. Currently 'editor' of Dissocia Zine, which combines dry wit, post-irony and non-existence. She is author of Your Sign is Cuckoo, Girl (2008), and was recently poet in residence on two allotments in Oxford and London, and at the Benenden School in Kent. Jay has performed at venues such as Buckingham Palace, LadyFest and Croydon library. She blogs at brrnrrd.wordpress.com.
SWITHUN COOPER. Swithun's poetry has appeared in magazines including Time Out, Magma, Chroma and Poetry London, and the anthology City State: New London Poetry. This year he won an Eric Gregory Award from the Society of Authors.
FOX. Founder of SALUTE! Design and CubCulture screen-printing, Fox is a creative who also enjoys rapping and dancing and having many fingers in many pies.
LEN LUKOWSKA. Sometimes a writer, sometimes a performer. Generally an undisciplined faggy layabout who works in a library and needs more sleep.
CHARLOTTE RICHARDSON (Wears the Trousers magazine, more info to follow!)
Compere KAT REDSTONE
NB we don’t have a running order yet, performances will be throughout the afternoon/eve.
If you are interested in performing or reading at My Mouth Your Ear please email us with a sample of writing, preferably something you would like to read at the event. We’d love to hear from you whether you have done a hundred gigs or have never shown your writing to anyone. We also invite you to bring pieces of writing by others which you have found particularly inspiring and would like to read out at the event, again in any format.
Facebook event: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=201698148453&ref=mf
Friday, 6 November 2009
the mattress
THE MATTRESS (performance at the FIAF in partnership with the WHITNEY MUSEUM)
Whitney Live, in collaboration with French Institute Alliance Française, presents one young composer in dialogue with pioneering filmmaker Alice Guy Blaché as part of the Whitney Museum retrospective of her career.Like Alice Guy Blaché, Tender Forever (aka Melanie Valera) was born and began her artistic life in France. She continues to live an intercontinental existence, artistically and otherwise, and moves between the streets of Bordeaux where she grew up and her adopted home town of Portland, Oregon. Her tender, delicate songs bring forth hidden connections between these worlds and occupy the musical landscape in which Melanie Valera became Tender Forever (taking as reference points punk rock, experimental electronica, weird visuals, and collaborations with several fellow K Records artists)
Whitney Live, in collaboration with French Institute Alliance Française, presents one young composer in dialogue with pioneering filmmaker Alice Guy Blaché as part of the Whitney Museum retrospective of her career.Like Alice Guy Blaché, Tender Forever (aka Melanie Valera) was born and began her artistic life in France. She continues to live an intercontinental existence, artistically and otherwise, and moves between the streets of Bordeaux where she grew up and her adopted home town of Portland, Oregon. Her tender, delicate songs bring forth hidden connections between these worlds and occupy the musical landscape in which Melanie Valera became Tender Forever (taking as reference points punk rock, experimental electronica, weird visuals, and collaborations with several fellow K Records artists)
Tuesday, 3 November 2009
canadian queer zine art show on-line
From my inbox...
SPEW Fo(u)rth is a wheat paste poster art show of highlights from the twenty five year history of Canadian queer zines. QZAP's co-founder, Christopher Wilde, created the posters during an Artist in Residency at Anchor Zine Library and Archive in Halifax in September 2009.
This poster show will be available for touring Canada in 2010, locations and dates to be determined, although tentative plans include events in Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa, and Montréal. Please contact Christopher Wilde at QZAP if you are interested in bringing SPEW Fo(u)rth to your city.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/92537785@N00/sets/72157622390914792/
If you missed the first showing of SPEW Fo(u)rth: A Canadian Queer Zine Art Show at Venus Envy in Halifax, Nova Scotia, go to the link above to see documentary photos.
SPEW Fo(u)rth is a wheat paste poster art show of highlights from the twenty five year history of Canadian queer zines. QZAP's co-founder, Christopher Wilde, created the posters during an Artist in Residency at Anchor Zine Library and Archive in Halifax in September 2009.
This poster show will be available for touring Canada in 2010, locations and dates to be determined, although tentative plans include events in Edmonton, Toronto, Ottawa, and Montréal. Please contact Christopher Wilde at QZAP if you are interested in bringing SPEW Fo(u)rth to your city.
Monday, 26 October 2009
you bowl me over & i'm not that drunk
It's no secret that I adore Lilli Carre (my giddiness at seeing her window display at Little Otsu in SanFran this Summer goes to show!), but **just look** at this amazing moving illustration, 'Boogie Women' care of Lilli's blog!!!!!!!!
radical arts
The second issue of ArtXX: A Radical Arts Magazine is out now.
This issue is chock full of mind blowing talent, fierce politics, and endless creativity. Featuring interviews with: G.B Jones, Mary Coble, Monica Majoli, Orly Cogan, Mia Nakano and more, more, more... plus stories by: Eileen Myles, Meliza Banales, Rhiannon Argo, Ill Nippashi.
More info, plus info on how to get hold of a copy, or read parts online, see here.
The GB Jones interview is by yours truly, and is a bit of an inspiration fest, as GB blows my mind. Actually, she's just joined Myspace too, if you wanna be her friend...
Everybody involved with Art XX blows my mind, actually. A terrific set of queers who I was real lucky to hang out with this summer. I have so much love for them, and this magazine xox
Friday, 16 October 2009
leeds on saturday
Sapphic Traffic, Saturday 17th Oct, at The Common Place, Leeds brings these treats:
6pm RISE ABOVE: The Tribe 8 Documentary
The Tribe 8 Documentary looks at the life and times of legendary San Francisco Dyke-Punk band Tribe 8.
7.45pm Lynnee Breedlove: Confessions Of A Poser
Breedlove, ex-Tribe 8 singer/lyricist, 1990-2005. Confessions of a Poser is a comic look at men’s bodies, the mystery of the purple dick, lesbian legacies and how to use them, family, the impossibility of manhood, fatherhood, butch heroes, and the evil drive to feminize.
9pm till late Sapphic Traffic Disco
W/Ste McCabe 'Murder Music' Album launch.
Ste joins us from Manchester to hypnotize us with his blend punk rock riffs, pop melodies, dated beats, noisy electro and working class lefty queerness. If that doesn't get you in the mood. You're fucked.
- - -
Fun&Frollics indeed! I'm also going to be taking the zine distro. Me and Emily have decided to re-name and re-launch the distro under a new name (no longer the 'Manifesta Distro', since, in Emily's words the name "no longer seems accurate, as [the distro] has been running independantly from the collective for a number of years, and the Manifesta collective itself no longs seems particularly active") We're going to look at taking new zines and use our zine energies to make a queer/feminst distro as we want it to be, rather than keeping it as what it has always been, or what we felt it should have been. More news on this soon!
6pm RISE ABOVE: The Tribe 8 Documentary
The Tribe 8 Documentary looks at the life and times of legendary San Francisco Dyke-Punk band Tribe 8.
7.45pm Lynnee Breedlove: Confessions Of A Poser
Breedlove, ex-Tribe 8 singer/lyricist, 1990-2005. Confessions of a Poser is a comic look at men’s bodies, the mystery of the purple dick, lesbian legacies and how to use them, family, the impossibility of manhood, fatherhood, butch heroes, and the evil drive to feminize.
9pm till late Sapphic Traffic Disco
W/Ste McCabe 'Murder Music' Album launch.
Ste joins us from Manchester to hypnotize us with his blend punk rock riffs, pop melodies, dated beats, noisy electro and working class lefty queerness. If that doesn't get you in the mood. You're fucked.
- - -
Fun&Frollics indeed! I'm also going to be taking the zine distro. Me and Emily have decided to re-name and re-launch the distro under a new name (no longer the 'Manifesta Distro', since, in Emily's words the name "no longer seems accurate, as [the distro] has been running independantly from the collective for a number of years, and the Manifesta collective itself no longs seems particularly active") We're going to look at taking new zines and use our zine energies to make a queer/feminst distro as we want it to be, rather than keeping it as what it has always been, or what we felt it should have been. More news on this soon!
somethings are best left never said
In 1989 I wanted nothing more than to be [and look like] Wendy James (of Transvision Vamp), or to be a member of Fuzzbox.
Twenty bleedin' years ago. Ugh.
Vix of Fuzzbox was on the Never Mind The Buzzcocks TV show this week, and it brought it all rushing back...
I'll fess up tho, and say that I was too young (in 1986) to have loved my favourite Fuzzbox song at the time of its release; shame, cuz it's the one I play most often now...
I never did manage to nail the Wendy James look tho (as photos of me from that era will confirm!)... she was a hard act to follow!
Twenty bleedin' years ago. Ugh.
Vix of Fuzzbox was on the Never Mind The Buzzcocks TV show this week, and it brought it all rushing back...
I'll fess up tho, and say that I was too young (in 1986) to have loved my favourite Fuzzbox song at the time of its release; shame, cuz it's the one I play most often now...
I never did manage to nail the Wendy James look tho (as photos of me from that era will confirm!)... she was a hard act to follow!
photo that makes me smile wide
My pal Sara Hansson wearing a brilliant tshirt by Nanna Johnsson, made for Bang - a really well established swedish feminist magazine that highlights socio-political feminisms, new perspectives, and feminist voices.
I heart this shirt so much!
Monday, 12 October 2009
australian comics and zines...
From my inbox...
From: Ghostpatrol
A NEW PROJECT
I’ve recently been asked by a lovely publisher to compile a collection of australian based comics, zines and narrative based drawings. Work can be either colour or black and white and in A4 portrait format of single or multiple pages. If you have any suitable work or know anyone who would like to contribute, please send low res images or questions to: david@ghostpatrol.net I’ll require submissions by the 10th of November.
From: Ghostpatrol
A NEW PROJECT
I’ve recently been asked by a lovely publisher to compile a collection of australian based comics, zines and narrative based drawings. Work can be either colour or black and white and in A4 portrait format of single or multiple pages. If you have any suitable work or know anyone who would like to contribute, please send low res images or questions to: david@ghostpatrol.net I’ll require submissions by the 10th of November.
Friday, 9 October 2009
struck with envy?
From my inbox...
Have you ever been struck with envy?
You know, the things that make you wonder about your own capabilities as an artist. How DOES she does that?
How does he manage to capture the emotion so well in his painting?
Oh wow, I wish I could draw something like that.
Well I do. I've always wanted to make art that was edgy and raw. Somehow I could never translate that into my work. I end up with cutesy characters and sunshine-y elements that somehow crept into the fold. So I would get jealous when I see a work that I wished I could make – if only I could force my hand to move that way!
So I'd like to invite you to share your thoughts on the topic for issue #6 of the Good to Know zine:
----------------------------------------------------
Do you get jealous/envious when you view other people’s work? Does it make you a better artist? How do you get over it?
----------------------------------------------------
To participate:
1. Just e-mail with your response (mailinglist@pikaland.com); and also
2. Add in your name + link to your blog/portfolio/shop
And if you'd like to send in images to go along with your entry, that would be awesome! Here is a quick guideline:
1. The image should be in black and white, (dark grey is acceptable as well) - colors won't show up well, so you can tweak your image to make it B&W.
2. Image must be at least 200 dpi for clarity, and be at least 1000 pixels wide.
I can't wait to see what you have to say about this topic, so please send in your answers by Friday, 16th October to be a part of the issue!
All participants will get a free download of the PDF of the issue.(Psst, participants can also purchase the zine for keeps at a special price!)
http://pikaland.com/goodtoknow
Hope you're having a lovely Friday! Warmest,Amy
Have you ever been struck with envy?
You know, the things that make you wonder about your own capabilities as an artist. How DOES she does that?
How does he manage to capture the emotion so well in his painting?
Oh wow, I wish I could draw something like that.
Well I do. I've always wanted to make art that was edgy and raw. Somehow I could never translate that into my work. I end up with cutesy characters and sunshine-y elements that somehow crept into the fold. So I would get jealous when I see a work that I wished I could make – if only I could force my hand to move that way!
So I'd like to invite you to share your thoughts on the topic for issue #6 of the Good to Know zine:
----------------------------------------------------
Do you get jealous/envious when you view other people’s work? Does it make you a better artist? How do you get over it?
----------------------------------------------------
To participate:
1. Just e-mail with your response (mailinglist@pikaland.com); and also
2. Add in your name + link to your blog/portfolio/shop
And if you'd like to send in images to go along with your entry, that would be awesome! Here is a quick guideline:
1. The image should be in black and white, (dark grey is acceptable as well) - colors won't show up well, so you can tweak your image to make it B&W.
2. Image must be at least 200 dpi for clarity, and be at least 1000 pixels wide.
I can't wait to see what you have to say about this topic, so please send in your answers by Friday, 16th October to be a part of the issue!
All participants will get a free download of the PDF of the issue.(Psst, participants can also purchase the zine for keeps at a special price!)
http://pikaland.com/goodtoknow
Hope you're having a lovely Friday! Warmest,Amy
Thursday, 8 October 2009
a cathartic rush
Alas, I can't make this show, but having put Evangelista on in Leeds last year I know that this is a gig not to be missed, and I'm a fool for having other plans. Carla is the real deal.
From my inbox...
Evangelista w/ Carla Bozulich
Jasmina Maschina
Operations
Levenshulme Bicycle Orchestra
Sunday Oct 11th at Islington Mill, Manchester
7:30pm
£6 adv (from Piccadilly Records, wegottickets.com)
As one of only 3 UK shows in support of the launch of her new album, The Prince Of Truth, released October 5 on Constellation, we are super megaexcited to have this show here at the Mill.
"Rife with suspense, drama, and a grisly cast of characters, Voyager's probably more likely to ignite your inner playwright than get your foot tapping, but it's still a cathartic rush all the same." - Pitchfork
Carla Bozulich is best known as the singer from LA-based band Gerladine Fibbers and as the woman who re-made Willie Nelson’s Red Headed Stranger – with Willie Nelson as a special guest. Carla has one of the most unique voices in any genre. Her work is at once brutally raw and weirdly visionary.
Born in New York City, she sang in a couple of groups – the Neon Veins and Invisible Chains, the latter of which recorded an album for The Minutemen’s New Alliance label when Carla was 18 years old. In 2001 she scored a Los Angeles production of Jean Genet’s The Maids, and the award-winning feature film By Hook Or By Crook, which she scored and for which she compiled the soundtrack, went to Sundance in 2003. That same year saw the release of Carla’s new rendition of Willie Nelson’s Red Headed Stranger. She has also explored mixed media and performance art, including a commission for The Getty Museum in Los Angeles.
*****
Support for the evening comes in mighty impressive shape of
Jasmina Maschina - 'Superb debut album of beautiful folk guitar music from Berlin-based Maschina. This is straight-ahead folk filtered through an imaginative electro-prism that knocks Cat Power into a cocked hat.'
Operations (Chris Anderson) is a Manchester based conceptual music producer and sound artist. He performs and records with an array of analog synths and effects, reel-to-reel tape and cassette players, and guitars. He has self-released a number of EPs and has records out on the independent DIY label Dead Pilot Record
Levenshulme Bicycle Orchestra - From Levenshulme. They use parts of bikes. They also happen to be one of the most intriguing and ambitious acts currently around in Manchester.
EVANGELISTA- http://www.myspace.com/evangelistasounds
JASMINA MASCHINA - http://www.myspace.com/jasminemaschine
OPERATIONS - http://www.myspace.com/operationsoperations
LEVENSHULME BICYCLE ORCHESTRA- http://www.myspace.com/levenshulmebicycleorchestra www.islingtonmill.com/events
From my inbox...
Evangelista w/ Carla Bozulich
Jasmina Maschina
Operations
Levenshulme Bicycle Orchestra
Sunday Oct 11th at Islington Mill, Manchester
7:30pm
£6 adv (from Piccadilly Records, wegottickets.com)
As one of only 3 UK shows in support of the launch of her new album, The Prince Of Truth, released October 5 on Constellation, we are super megaexcited to have this show here at the Mill.
"Rife with suspense, drama, and a grisly cast of characters, Voyager's probably more likely to ignite your inner playwright than get your foot tapping, but it's still a cathartic rush all the same." - Pitchfork
Carla Bozulich is best known as the singer from LA-based band Gerladine Fibbers and as the woman who re-made Willie Nelson’s Red Headed Stranger – with Willie Nelson as a special guest. Carla has one of the most unique voices in any genre. Her work is at once brutally raw and weirdly visionary.
Born in New York City, she sang in a couple of groups – the Neon Veins and Invisible Chains, the latter of which recorded an album for The Minutemen’s New Alliance label when Carla was 18 years old. In 2001 she scored a Los Angeles production of Jean Genet’s The Maids, and the award-winning feature film By Hook Or By Crook, which she scored and for which she compiled the soundtrack, went to Sundance in 2003. That same year saw the release of Carla’s new rendition of Willie Nelson’s Red Headed Stranger. She has also explored mixed media and performance art, including a commission for The Getty Museum in Los Angeles.
*****
Support for the evening comes in mighty impressive shape of
Jasmina Maschina - 'Superb debut album of beautiful folk guitar music from Berlin-based Maschina. This is straight-ahead folk filtered through an imaginative electro-prism that knocks Cat Power into a cocked hat.'
Operations (Chris Anderson) is a Manchester based conceptual music producer and sound artist. He performs and records with an array of analog synths and effects, reel-to-reel tape and cassette players, and guitars. He has self-released a number of EPs and has records out on the independent DIY label Dead Pilot Record
Levenshulme Bicycle Orchestra - From Levenshulme. They use parts of bikes. They also happen to be one of the most intriguing and ambitious acts currently around in Manchester.
EVANGELISTA- http://www.myspace.com/evangelistasounds
JASMINA MASCHINA - http://www.myspace.com/jasminemaschine
OPERATIONS - http://www.myspace.com/operationsoperations
LEVENSHULME BICYCLE ORCHESTRA- http://www.myspace.com/levenshulmebicycleorchestra www.islingtonmill.com/events
fork in hell
1000 Awesome Things by Monsieur Cabinet cheered me up a tiny bit today; especially #s 720, 780, and 858 - the other side of the pillow is my favourite side too!!
Other than that, this week has been spectacular in its ability to crush me.
Ha - the lyrics to the song I'm listening to as I type just said "push me to the edge and I just might jump over". Quite.
Other than that, this week has been spectacular in its ability to crush me.
Ha - the lyrics to the song I'm listening to as I type just said "push me to the edge and I just might jump over". Quite.
Tuesday, 6 October 2009
bedazzling eye candy
If I were to have an 'image of the day' style blog, these two from/of Argentinian artist Irana Douer would win for today...
Bottom image is entitled: 'Strange Face'
Bottom image is entitled: 'Strange Face'
Monday, 5 October 2009
reinspired to spread the love and encouragement
All of the above have made me wanna start up my toilet sticker crusade again! Public bathrooms beware; positive thoughts are coming your way! (this city sure seems to need it at the moment)
Top: I heart Your Bike by heroes and criminals
Middle: the You Are Beautiful sticker project
Bottom: the I Love You cards project
Thursday, 1 October 2009
pouting, sulky girls
One of my favourite artists, Miss Van is currently exhibiting in London, until 28th October and I haven't got a hope in hell of making it down this month. Bit grumpy bout this...
[image is from the StolenSpace website, taken on the opening night]
zines online
Red Chidgey has done an amazing job of making all issues of Reassess Your Weapons zine available electronically online. They're now archived as part of Grassroots Feminism.net
You can look inside ten issues of Reassess Your Weapons, here. The only issue that's missing is issue six, as neither of us had a copy of that issue, bizzarrely!
Red has also archived a zine I wrote in 2003/4-ish. The zine adapted my Masters research thesis, entitled '"I'm not waiting'. Doing it yrself, now: Challenging constructions of feminist activism and aesthetics in women's punk music communities" into zine format. (Thesis now held at the Centre for Women's Studies, University of York, England). With the zine, I wished to engage the activist community in which I am part, with the academic community in which my research was part of, and bring the two together in discussion of contemporary feminist activism.
The zine (which you can read here) seems really quite outdated to me, reading it back now. But I guess it's still worthwhile documenting such creativity, female production, independent media, and forms of our research.
Incidently, issue #10 of Reassess Your weapons is still available to buy. See my etsy site, or hit the paypal button on COTL myspace to buy a copy for £2 postage paid in the UK.
You can look inside ten issues of Reassess Your Weapons, here. The only issue that's missing is issue six, as neither of us had a copy of that issue, bizzarrely!
Red has also archived a zine I wrote in 2003/4-ish. The zine adapted my Masters research thesis, entitled '"I'm not waiting'. Doing it yrself, now: Challenging constructions of feminist activism and aesthetics in women's punk music communities" into zine format. (Thesis now held at the Centre for Women's Studies, University of York, England). With the zine, I wished to engage the activist community in which I am part, with the academic community in which my research was part of, and bring the two together in discussion of contemporary feminist activism.
The zine (which you can read here) seems really quite outdated to me, reading it back now. But I guess it's still worthwhile documenting such creativity, female production, independent media, and forms of our research.
Incidently, issue #10 of Reassess Your weapons is still available to buy. See my etsy site, or hit the paypal button on COTL myspace to buy a copy for £2 postage paid in the UK.
Wednesday, 30 September 2009
holy cow, this weekend is hot
This weekend, if you can't go to the Brighton thing below, and Team Gina at the Brudenell in Leeds ain't your bag, then go to this and make me jealous:
The Fat of the Land is a queer chub Harvest Festival that will take place on 3 October 2009, 2-6pm at St Anne's, Dean Street, London.
Seriously, this event is gonna kick total ass... and is in some respects like a blast for the past for me, as BJ is gonna be there; I remember writing about BJ in a women's studies MA assessed paper (on lesbian/queer beauty pageants) way back in 2002 - I was kinda obsessed at the time. Plus, Allyson Mitchell is gonna be showing art work there too (swoon). I curse being up North sometimes. Bring me back stories and jam if you go!
The Fat of the Land is a queer chub Harvest Festival that will take place on 3 October 2009, 2-6pm at St Anne's, Dean Street, London.
Seriously, this event is gonna kick total ass... and is in some respects like a blast for the past for me, as BJ is gonna be there; I remember writing about BJ in a women's studies MA assessed paper (on lesbian/queer beauty pageants) way back in 2002 - I was kinda obsessed at the time. Plus, Allyson Mitchell is gonna be showing art work there too (swoon). I curse being up North sometimes. Bring me back stories and jam if you go!
Sunday, 27 September 2009
Jessica is inside my head, I'm sure of it...
Jessica Hopper 27/9/09:
FORCE FEILD OR FIELD
I think today might be the first time I have felt normal in a month. It feels momentous. Or maybe it's more like 10 weeks? After one thing passes, I think "oh after this, then things will be "normal" but there keeps being an AND THEN lately. I know it's a myth, that the "and then" is stoppable--it's all AND THEN. When I was about 25, I had this idea that if I did certain things perfect, or got my life "arranged" it would become slower and predictable and manageable and then there wouldn't be some much AND THEN AND THEN and I could be on a peaceful mountaintop of life and just spend my time painting pictures of dogs or catching up on old New Yorkers and no one would die or move away or be sick or I would have money and no one would be on crack or mad at me. I thought you could do things to prevent the AND THEN barrage.
FORCE FEILD OR FIELD
I think today might be the first time I have felt normal in a month. It feels momentous. Or maybe it's more like 10 weeks? After one thing passes, I think "oh after this, then things will be "normal" but there keeps being an AND THEN lately. I know it's a myth, that the "and then" is stoppable--it's all AND THEN. When I was about 25, I had this idea that if I did certain things perfect, or got my life "arranged" it would become slower and predictable and manageable and then there wouldn't be some much AND THEN AND THEN and I could be on a peaceful mountaintop of life and just spend my time painting pictures of dogs or catching up on old New Yorkers and no one would die or move away or be sick or I would have money and no one would be on crack or mad at me. I thought you could do things to prevent the AND THEN barrage.
Friday, 18 September 2009
good to know
I was lucky enough to contribute bits from Colouring Outside The Lines zine issues 1-5 to this zine project, created by the incredibly awesome and inspiring Amy of Pikaland, one of my favourite blogs (in fact, to call it just a 'blog' is selling it waaay short). Amy is so great at bringing creative folks together and forging links, networks, and communities - this new zine project of hers in particular is full of advice and inspiration, and I'm so pleased it exists...
We just launched the FIFTH issue of Good to Know zine, and it's our heaviest copy yet: 68 pages filled with advice + inspiration from artists about the topic of art education:
"Do you think that artists need to have degrees/qualifications from art school in order to be one? Did you study art? Does it matter?"
You can purchase the issue in PDF or hardcopy (and find out more info about the zine) directly from here
For subscriptions – PDF or a physical copies – you can head to our Etsy shop
yay!
We just launched the FIFTH issue of Good to Know zine, and it's our heaviest copy yet: 68 pages filled with advice + inspiration from artists about the topic of art education:
"Do you think that artists need to have degrees/qualifications from art school in order to be one? Did you study art? Does it matter?"
You can purchase the issue in PDF or hardcopy (and find out more info about the zine) directly from here
For subscriptions – PDF or a physical copies – you can head to our Etsy shop
yay!
Thursday, 17 September 2009
sometimes when writing is really great i feel a little bit MORE
MBS makes me feel like this.
Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore on Close to the Knives...
In the early ’90s, everyone was dying—that’s how it felt, it felt like everyone was dying. We were the first generation of queers to grow up knowing that desire meant AIDS meant death, and so it made sense that when we got away from the other death—the one that meant marriage, house in the suburbs, a lifetime of brutality, both interior and exterior, and call this success or keep trying, keep trying for more brutality—it made sense that everyone was dying, because we had only known death.
Queer heroes were dykes, or they were dying—some of the dykes were dying too, but not as fast, unless it was suicide or a cancer they hadn’t mentioned, cancer like childhood sometimes you can’t say it. So when I found David Wojnarowicz, he was already dead; I didn’t find him, I found his words.
Close to the Knives: This was the first time I’d ever read something and thought: me. That rage I felt at the world, the world that left nothing but words. Words and these gestures of desire and longing and searching crazed madness. I was finally learning to say help, help me, I need help here, can you help? And there was Close to the Knives.
David Wojnarowicz wrote about a “disease in the American landscape,” the literal disease of AIDS, but a crisis caused because the people in power decided who was expendable. Close to the Knives is so intent on exposing the layers of oppression between government and God and family and the “one tribe nation” of “walking Swastikas.” One minute you’re driving through the landscape of light and dark, shadow and memory and space, so much space, and all of a sudden: “I feel that I’m caught in the invisible arms of government in a country slowly dying beyond our grasp.”
We were queer freaks and incest survivors and anarchists, feminists and whores and vegans and sluts and activists taking all these words into our ears our arms our mouths. We exchanged manifestos and zines, books, and fliers and gossip, organized direct actions and art projects, got in dramatic fights over politics, over the weather, over clothing, over who was sleeping with whom; we held each other, we painted each other’s nails and broke down, honey we broke down.
I carried Close to the Knives around like a litmus test; when I met someone new, I’d hand it off—some would turn to me and say, “Oh, this is too much, I can’t handle it.” Others would look me in the eyes with recognition, and those were the ones. Close to the Knives helped me to embrace my rage like a “blood-filled egg,” a shift in the texture of breathing, a way to further opportunities for connection rather than just the isolation we knew so well.
Close to the Knives conjured this world of bathrooms and parks and alleys and rotting piers and other public opportunities for sexual splendor, and I, like David, was “gasping from a sense of loss and desire.” Sure, “I was afraid the intensity of my fantasies would become strangely audible,” but I knew that this public engagement with the sexual could infuse all moments of hope and horror, escape and claustrophobia, landscape and longing, death and remembrance.
I carried Close to the Knives around in my bag for years and sometimes when anything or everything was too much, I would reach for the familial texture of these words: I was learning and living and giving the potential of embracing outsider status in order to create safety, love, community, desire, home on my own terms. David Wojnarowicz reinforced this drive to build my own systems for understanding and challenging the world, my own sense of morality. He knew that “Hell is a place on earth. Heaven is a place in your head.” Queerness became “a wedge that I might successfully drive between me and a world that was rapidly becoming more and more insane.” A wedge I still hold on to.
Via: here
Reading stuff like this reminds me of why it's really important to hear about what inspired those who inspire us.
And is really important in helping the blood pump furiously to my heart and brain
And how importnat it is that truths are shared
And the importance of community / network(s) / media(s) for us to do this within and with
Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore on Close to the Knives...
In the early ’90s, everyone was dying—that’s how it felt, it felt like everyone was dying. We were the first generation of queers to grow up knowing that desire meant AIDS meant death, and so it made sense that when we got away from the other death—the one that meant marriage, house in the suburbs, a lifetime of brutality, both interior and exterior, and call this success or keep trying, keep trying for more brutality—it made sense that everyone was dying, because we had only known death.
Queer heroes were dykes, or they were dying—some of the dykes were dying too, but not as fast, unless it was suicide or a cancer they hadn’t mentioned, cancer like childhood sometimes you can’t say it. So when I found David Wojnarowicz, he was already dead; I didn’t find him, I found his words.
Close to the Knives: This was the first time I’d ever read something and thought: me. That rage I felt at the world, the world that left nothing but words. Words and these gestures of desire and longing and searching crazed madness. I was finally learning to say help, help me, I need help here, can you help? And there was Close to the Knives.
David Wojnarowicz wrote about a “disease in the American landscape,” the literal disease of AIDS, but a crisis caused because the people in power decided who was expendable. Close to the Knives is so intent on exposing the layers of oppression between government and God and family and the “one tribe nation” of “walking Swastikas.” One minute you’re driving through the landscape of light and dark, shadow and memory and space, so much space, and all of a sudden: “I feel that I’m caught in the invisible arms of government in a country slowly dying beyond our grasp.”
We were queer freaks and incest survivors and anarchists, feminists and whores and vegans and sluts and activists taking all these words into our ears our arms our mouths. We exchanged manifestos and zines, books, and fliers and gossip, organized direct actions and art projects, got in dramatic fights over politics, over the weather, over clothing, over who was sleeping with whom; we held each other, we painted each other’s nails and broke down, honey we broke down.
I carried Close to the Knives around like a litmus test; when I met someone new, I’d hand it off—some would turn to me and say, “Oh, this is too much, I can’t handle it.” Others would look me in the eyes with recognition, and those were the ones. Close to the Knives helped me to embrace my rage like a “blood-filled egg,” a shift in the texture of breathing, a way to further opportunities for connection rather than just the isolation we knew so well.
Close to the Knives conjured this world of bathrooms and parks and alleys and rotting piers and other public opportunities for sexual splendor, and I, like David, was “gasping from a sense of loss and desire.” Sure, “I was afraid the intensity of my fantasies would become strangely audible,” but I knew that this public engagement with the sexual could infuse all moments of hope and horror, escape and claustrophobia, landscape and longing, death and remembrance.
I carried Close to the Knives around in my bag for years and sometimes when anything or everything was too much, I would reach for the familial texture of these words: I was learning and living and giving the potential of embracing outsider status in order to create safety, love, community, desire, home on my own terms. David Wojnarowicz reinforced this drive to build my own systems for understanding and challenging the world, my own sense of morality. He knew that “Hell is a place on earth. Heaven is a place in your head.” Queerness became “a wedge that I might successfully drive between me and a world that was rapidly becoming more and more insane.” A wedge I still hold on to.
Via: here
Reading stuff like this reminds me of why it's really important to hear about what inspired those who inspire us.
And is really important in helping the blood pump furiously to my heart and brain
And how importnat it is that truths are shared
And the importance of community / network(s) / media(s) for us to do this within and with
Tuesday, 15 September 2009
Monday, 14 September 2009
getting a craft on
Since the dawning of September has seen my social life crash and burn :( I shall mostly be spending my Autumn working through these 25 tutorials on how to make books & notebooks by hand.
Sunday, 13 September 2009
like another part of me
I was asked a little while ago to contribute to a zine to accompany the Seripop exhibition at The Baltic centre for contemporary art in Newcastle. This weekend was the first chance I've had to sit down and read the whole zine in full.
I'm not just saying this because he's a friend, but the piece that Michal William (of l o c a l k i d) wrote for the zine made my eyes fill with emotion. He's a bit special, for sure.
Here's part of what he writes:
When we book a tour, or hold a show, or greet each other in the street, or boil water, or take a souvenir snapshot, we control the space - our space - by means of COLLECTIVE and ORGANISATION and CARE. And when we speak of 'LOVE', these are the words we are trying to say. And the actions we make are: 'I will look out for you'.'I will treat you like another part of me', 'and when we meet, we will embrace with looks of companions and comrades'
I've been thinking a lot about 'community' recently, and how a lot of what purports to be community falls waaay short and in truth isn't community at all. But also, I've recently felt what Michal speaks of, and it's something I want to feel 24/7, comrades.
I'm not just saying this because he's a friend, but the piece that Michal William (of l o c a l k i d) wrote for the zine made my eyes fill with emotion. He's a bit special, for sure.
Here's part of what he writes:
When we book a tour, or hold a show, or greet each other in the street, or boil water, or take a souvenir snapshot, we control the space - our space - by means of COLLECTIVE and ORGANISATION and CARE. And when we speak of 'LOVE', these are the words we are trying to say. And the actions we make are: 'I will look out for you'.'I will treat you like another part of me', 'and when we meet, we will embrace with looks of companions and comrades'
I've been thinking a lot about 'community' recently, and how a lot of what purports to be community falls waaay short and in truth isn't community at all. But also, I've recently felt what Michal speaks of, and it's something I want to feel 24/7, comrades.
Friday, 11 September 2009
this is home
If home is where the heart is, where is yours? A visual exploration of the concept of 'home,' across continents, oceans and neighborhoods.
Here are your semifinalists! And now it's time to cast your vote — you have until Sunday 13 September to do so.
Viewers will vote on their favorite piece, and finalists will receive their design in a limited edition postcard pack.
Here are your semifinalists! And now it's time to cast your vote — you have until Sunday 13 September to do so.
Viewers will vote on their favorite piece, and finalists will receive their design in a limited edition postcard pack.
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