Manchester - Ai Wei Wei Show

Fabulous Ai Wei Wei show at the Factory International in Manchester this morning. A bit pricey but worth it. Massive thought provoking sculptures and ceramics etc. Soundtrack was an audio piece with names of Chinese children being read out - all 5,000 were killed in an earthquake. It made Hazel cry. Then to the nearby park for alfresco lunch we bought with us. On the way back to the station we popped into the Spanish library to see small exhibition of posters by Joan Brossa. Started off quite cool but soon went very warm and muggy. Crawled back to station and got the 2 o'clock train. Phew!

Collage and Curiosity exhibition - Chester

A few glimpses of the PV and our day out in Chester yesterday at the Grosvenor Museum and Roman Gardens in Chester. Tone and Pene came along and we had a picnic in the park.

Grosvenor Museum - Chester

In Chester yesterday putting up this three handed exhibition in the small gallery upstairs. A bit stressful but we managed to do it in good time. Charlie Holt is showing a big collage on one wall with many smaller collages attached. Mine are in frames dotted higgledy piggledy on two other walls togther with Hazel's collection of home made gadgets and found objects that influence her work ( in two long flat cabinets ). I also put up some mail art and filled a cabinet/show case full of postal ephemera, ATC's, rubber stamps and postcards. All a bit of a hodge podge but thats just how we like it. Starts of the 19th November and goes on until February next year.

London ( more photos )

London Weekend

Nice fun packed weekend in London with Archie, Meriel and Jennifer. Stayed in Jennifer's basement. Packed a lot into three days including excellent "Play Well" exhibition at Wellcome Collection. Archie's work at Southwark Park Gllery, the UVA installation that he helped with and the Carnaby Street Xmas lights that he also helped with. Very packed in the West End - glad to escape back to Knightsbridge. Lovely food too including Dishoom curry place in old art deco theatre. Italian that Jennifer treated us to and lovely lasgane that Meriel made at their flat in Fulham. Also visits to Sadey Coles to see some amusing video work , Science Museum, Serpentine galleries and walks in Hyde Park etc. Phew! More photos coming up.

Mail Art Sorting

More mail art sorting for proposed exhibition at Special Collections in 2019. Steph, who is in charge of SC came over for lunch and looked through some of what we had sorted and tried to get an idea of the task involved in looking through 40+ years of correspondence and finding out more about it. At the moment putting the regular correspodants into zip lock files. When they have outgrown them they go into a box file. Art Nahpro ( Paul Jackson ), Mark Pawson , Eric Finlay, John Evans and Michael Scott have their own box file and close behind are Creative Thing, Ed Giecek, Mark Greenfield, Vittore Baroni etc.

Art and Weather

Not the church in Great Budworth but a reasonable facsimile. Lovely exhibition there yesterday by our friend and neighbour Beth Barlow who was showing assemblages, I suppose you could call them, mixed media pieces in boxes mounted upon various church furniture including the bier ? that the coffin is carried on from church to grave side. A nice pub lunch beforehand in the George and Dragon across the road. Full to bursting we had to eat a bit slab of coffee and walnut cake in the church provided by the friendly folk who came along to host the event and set up a craft stall and one with cheese and wine for anybody who wanted it. Phew! It was cheese and crackers for tea that night after all that! Beth gave a very interesting talk with questions from the Curate who organised the event and is keen to get more visual artists to use the space. It's a lovely old church and sadly I neglected to take my camera along so I could show you the stained glass windows, the ancient chests, the mouldy pews, the organ pipes, gargoyles, carvings etc. The weather chaos inflicted upon most of the country has hardly touched Cheshire though it has been freezing and not very pleasant. At least we haven't had to dig ourselves out of snow drifts!

Private View

Nice evening of chat with old friends including Tony and Pene Eve and surprise guest Bob Nancollis who was at Manchester College of Art back in the 60's. Nice to see our neighbours Richard, Mark and Eilain turn up too. Archie was working so couldn't be there. Charlie Holt did a good introduction as did the nice lady who's name I forget from the museum. Hazel gave Gina , who organised the show some flowers to thank her for her help. Hazel's Mom and sister Audrey came too which was a surprise as they hardly ever go out in the evenings.

Collage & Curiosity Exhibition

Coming soon to the Weaver Hall Museum in Northwich if you are ever passing through during the next three months. Collage work by Charlie Holt ( pictured ) and metalwork/ inventions by Hazel Jones. Also collages on the theme of "museums and collecting" by yours truly. Putting it up next week. Should be fun!