Jaume Plensa at the YsP

Last Wednesday, I visited a pre private viewing of Jaume Plensa's exhibition at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, this was all thanks to keeping a blog, as the invitation came through facebook and was aimed at using social media in a positive way to promote our culture. So having jumped on a train up to Wakefield, then a short bus ride out to the park, we were met by the very silky catalonian who talked about his work. I have to admit to not really hearing the words, just the sounds.

Feeling slightly reminescent of being herded, the group of about 50 tweeters, bloggers, facebookers or whatever social media they connect to the world with, followed the curators and Plensa down to the Longside Gallery, where the bull fight for photos and a few words with the man himself were challenged and consequently won by the more confident with their own words than me. After a short while we wandered into the first gallery where 3 gormley-esque monkeys were positioned on the walls, and the great man bathed us in his charimatic voice, again, didn't really hear the words, just the sounds but the words 'caress' and 'communicate' did stick in my brain... why oh why didn't I record it!!!



If Plensa's voice was chocolate, it would definately be Green & Blacks... But I really should be concentrating on his art...

The art, was a mixture of wonderful sensitivity and text, while inducing the viewer to really think about what the piece means. The sheer size of some of the pieces gives them a sublimity that is breathtaking, while the figures sat holding desperately onto trees invoked a feeling of urgency and determination to grasp out surrounding environment and keep it safe.

There is something very peaceful about Plensas work, it demands quiet contemplation and reverie to enable you to interpret the meaning in a subjective way.

It is definately worth the effort to head up the M1 to the Sculpture Park - http://www.ysp.co.uk/ - while this exhibition is on and spend the day absorbing some wonderful art in the best gallery setting ever. You can also read more on The Culture Vulture blog at http://theculturevulture.co.uk/blog/ for more information on the exhibition.

More Happiness Experiments...

As part of my happiness experiment which is exploring what happiness is and different ways of achieving it, I have also decided to address the physical aspects of my life. This means tackling the fact that I am incredibly unfit, overweight, drink too much and smoke. Not good when put down in cold hard facts...

But perhaps a few excuses are needed. I have cut down on the alcohol over the last 6 months, I was very fond of any bacchanialian activities and would use any means to achieve the heady state of loudness and removal of inhibitions. I also used it to stop the whirrings in my brain, to slow the thoughts down, to stop. You can't do a lot on a hangover the size of Everest. Tai chi has provided me with a calmer alternative and is much more affordable.

I have also signed up to take part in a programme to look at my diet, the first task was to drink more water. This sounds easy, but when you're used to viewing it as a dilutant to whiskey, its harder than you thnk, and to steal the words directly out of WP's mouth.. 'Simple but not easy'.

My first challenge was to add more water into my daily routine and I have found myself drinking so much fluids my family were in danger of thinking I had another kidney infection. Makes the prospect of the tipple, trampoline and tena lady party a stong possiblity... So I have had to cut down on the amount of fluid intake, and chose to cut back on the coffee (1 coffee a day from now on, got to be fresh and a treat) and no more than 5 cups of tea (Although in practice this is down to about 3) Clipper Teas were recommended to me and are proving to be delicious. This has made me very tired, as my energy has basically been running on caffeine. And then in the second week, things are looking different, I am starting to feel refreshed after a drink, the need for a cuppa to get going in the morning has been replaced with a glass of water. I am able to even manage a few words before 8.00am instead of the odd drooling grunt while I wait for my drug to start the metamorphoses from Zombie to yummy mummy.

So the intake of water has been a good thing. Its working for me and I have more energy and hopefully this will improve as I move towards being caffeine free.

A strange week...

This week has started off rather strangely, on Monday, workshop that was not all together great and left me with a very uncomfortable feeling. Its a two day workshop and I'm not sure whether to go back for the second one, still undecided on that.

Tai Chi on Tuesday and this week my arms and legs weren't so unco-ordinated, they seemed to actually realise they were related to each other! So my body is remembering what to do, even though my brain doesn't.

I also had an opportunity to be assertive, which felt fantastic. Really standing up for something I believe in which in turn leads to me feeling a stronger person within myself and my own practice.

What a pity I didn't use the assertiveness on Monday at the workshop, next time I will use it in my feet and leave!

Next week is going to be busy and has lots of meetings which I'm quite excited about.

And Relax...

Step by Step Tai Chi - Segment 1

Bit of a reflection...

I have been trying several things on my pursuit of happiness. So far there have been a few disasters, which have just caused me stress. And some successes, swimming has set a whole course of ideas and is possibly leading to a collaboration involving lots of technical things. The demolition of my ramshackle and dangerous asbestos garage has helped immensely, especially with the memories that it was tightly holding onto, these have therapeutically been driven to the nearest recycling centre. The garden has opened up and suddenly my head no longer has a domineering dilapidated building sitting on the left.

Its also willow pruning season. So a couple of trips up to the labyrinth in the Derbyshire countryside have led to long stretches in the cold sun hadve put paid to my SAD and put it away for the winter. I also went along to the Green Hare Willow Group at the local school and while the gardening experts pruned, trimmed and did sensibly stuff, one of the mums (also an artist) and I made stars and moons to counteract the predominatly christian teachings of school. This has also led to talking about partnering for community projects with the lovely and talented Emma Carr.

And then yesterday morning, a Tai Chi class has left me feeling centred and calm despite the fact that my hands and feet do not work in conjunction with one another.

But at the heart of all these activities? Friends and children. They are the main things that have brought me happiness. So simple.

THE PURPLE SHED STUDIO | Project blogs | Artists talking | a-n

THE PURPLE SHED STUDIO | Project blogs | Artists talking | a-n

Memory

This piece is about memory, how some are set and solid and fixed, you can confirm them with dates and photos while others are floating and fragmented, snatches of something, then when you try to share that memory, someone else has a totally different perspective. I grew up by the seaside, surrounded by sea, woods and mountains, this is just a fraction of those childhood memories.