Article - From Septembers Computer Arts. It's an article on "failure". This graphic designer refers to his heart surgery father, saying that he CAN'T make a mistake in his work, so why should designers be able to get away with it. He thinks we, as creatives, should face upto our past failures rather than trying to forget them.
Now i personally think thats very arrogant comparing himself to a heart surgeon. He also didn't really.....say anything. He didn't find a way of not making mistakes in the future, he just said to dwell on the past, basically. And i don't agree with that. I think you should remember what went wrong so that you don't do it in the future, but sometimes things don't go to plan. Ideas don't come, drawing skills leave you, theres no toilet roll left. Things happen, and it's my job to learn from them. If i kept reminding myself of what i did wrong in the past (creatively speaking) my self confidence would drop and i'd never show my work to anyone because i'd always se little tiny "mistakes" that remind me of the past.
[Sorry if thats not what you wanted but it really annoyed me]
Film - Attack the Block. This is a new British film. The adverts make it look funny but it isn't. The basic storyline is that its based in a rough block of flats ( i think in london) at night time. A group of youths (you later learn to like) mug a young lady who's just moved into the flats.As she runs off an alien lands and the main youth runs after it and kills it and keeps it in his dealers flat. Later on LOTS of a different type of aliens land looking for the original alien (which was a lady alien ), lots of killing and stabbing etc. The main youth lures them into his flat, puts the gas on then throws a fire work in. Big explosion, aliens dead. He's then carted off in a police van for robbery and criminal damage while the crowd chant his name.
I liked it because, although it was British it wasn't poorly acted or have dodgey CGI like a lot of low budget british films do. It was a simple idea but the aliens were new and interesting. Sometimes they were obviously a guy in a gurilla costume but the CGI was good when it needed to be. They were furry jet black with rows of glowing blue teeth and no eyes. The main youth (Moses) was cleary a very naughty boy, but you end up loving him because he's good on the inside. It leaves you feeling nice because he did what was right in the end.
Book - Two Caravans, by Marina Lewycka. It is based on a Ukrainian young lady who illegally travels to england to pick strawberries for the summer to make some money. She accidentally leads on her agent who provided her with a fake passport and accommodation etc. He starts stalking her. She and her work friends are staying in two caravans on the strawberry fields. All of them get into some sort of trouble so they all run away together, accidentally stealing the caravans and the farmers jeep. The agent follows her everywhere she goes, trying to taker her home. They all split up, some go back home, some go to london. The main girl ends up killing the agent and getting together with one of the other pickers.
I liked it because it has an unusual perspective and seemed strangely personal, like she had based it on her experiences. It was full of events and drama and kept you turning the pages, though the agent was very disturbing.
Exhibition - Mervyn Peake's Alice. This exhibition is no longer on, unfortunately, but it was definately worth remembering incase it comes again. The drawings were wuite small but very detailed and slightly sinister. Everything was black and white line drawings which helped me realise colour isnt always necessary. Although it is no longer on, there will be in illustrated talk given about Mervyn Peake's life and work on 5th October at Gresham College, London. Also the Tate Liverpool will be exhibiting Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland 4th Nov - 29th Jan.
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