Raoul Vaneigem

The work of art of the future will be the construction of a passionate life.

Raoul Vaneigem- From The Revolution of everyday Life.

THE FASCINATION OF TIME
The impossibility of realization:

People are bewitched into believing that time slips away, and this belief is the basis of time actually slipping away. Time is the work of attrition of that adaptation to which people must resign themselves so long as they fail to change the world. Age is a role, an acceleration of `lived' time on the plane of appearances, an attachment to things.

I look forward to winter walks..

in the Lickey Hills with Laura. The Lickies have always been one of my favourite spots growing up in Birmingham. It takes me back to childhood...days out climbing the hills and walking through the woods. It was the ultimate adventure land. Then on the way home we would stop at the penny arcade. I would save up all my coppers. I was a whiz at the two pence machines. I'd always say last go last go....then a bunch of coins would come crashing down. But I always learnt to quit when I was ahead. I never left empty handed. Las Vegas with the quarter machines was never quite the same. Cant beat the Penny Arcade.

So yes I am looking forward to getting back home to England after three months in New York. Catching up with the family. Hitting up the Lickies Christmas day...

Here are some of Lauras photographs...from our last day out there.

Laura

This is Laura my little sister. Whenever I say little sister people presume I mean a child. She's twenty three now. I've known her all her life, which makes me happy.


Whenever I tell people about Laura, I tell them how I know you cant choose your family, however you can chose who your friends are. Laura's way more than a little sister she's my best friend too. I know that I am blessed to have her as a sister and a friend. The first time I went to New York, was with Laura. She was seventeen and I was nineteen.

I said to a little girl the other day, who was playing with her little sister. (Ages six and four). "Are you two best friends?"
The six year old laughed and said "No silly we're sisters".

I admire, love and respect my little sister so much. In many ways, she's the youngest of three girls, with 2 years age difference both sides. She is actually the oldest. And I can bet that our big sister would agree.

The photo is Laura in reception aged five. It's so funny because the one she had done the year before she tucked in her neck. So my mom called her Laura no neck.And told her the next time she had to stick her neck out. She looks so beautiful, and smart and confident. Just how she was.

Links to Laura's blogs and web site:

www.atribecallednext.com
http://lawbassi.com
http:// flickr.com/photos/ law_b/

a day in Manhattan

I have been in NY for the past three months now. I enjoyed taking photographs on my friends Nickon D80. Until one day during fashion week, I was sat on a really tall seat, in Bryant park, with the camera on my lap. I needed the loo. A lady told me where there was a bathroom. I stood up pretty quick and excited. The camera and it's not so cheap lense went crashing to the ground. I cried. Because it wasn't my camera and I couldn't believe I had been so careless with it, after months of being so careful.
These are a selection of the last few photos I took...before it was all over.

The two girls second from last picture, are sisters from Brazil. They have their own fashion label, and were showing at fashion week in the tents. I saw them crossing the street to go to Cafe Habana while I was stood outside waiting to be seated to get some real good corn on the cob...

The guy in the Phoenix shirt was reading news papers he found in the bin. The guy in the orange shirt had just put his news paper in the bin. I do love me some recycling.
The world should share more.

The sisters ( i have to find the card they gave me to check out their line) were telling me they love fashion but hate spending money on clothes. Girls after my own heart. I love shopping picking stuff up, and one by one putting it all back down, because frankly I dont need it. Now I only buy something if I love it. If its really special.

My new rule since being here, is jewellery and lingerie. You cant have too much, and it cant be too expensive. My favourite gifts from me to me.

Cat face

a painting I have been working on...

Jason..

My friend Jason had these photographs of himself at little school, in his house in Chicago. I loved them so much I have 1999 in the front of my wallet. I'm just missing 2000. He had even cooler ones, but these were the only wallet sized one. i like how his swag has changed the older he gets.

The standard

I like this photo. It was on one of the rolls of film I got developed that had been pileing up. One of my favourite things about shooting film is that it is always a huge surprise when you get the pictures back. Especially since I let mine pile up until there are about 19 rolls. I actually have a collection, some of which must be atleast ten years old, I have been finding in various drawers in my bedroom. One thing you will learn about me I am a hoarder. A collector, a complete bag lady. My art teacher, Mrs Hibbard would tell "us never throw anything away, collect it. store it keep it. You never know when you mite need it for something!" Boy did I live by that. Much to my mothers horror.
I still have all of my old school books...from juniour schoo. i actually recently parted with the maths books..and kept just the drawings and creative writing stuff. I have two suitcases (I picked up with my sister at a thrift store in Orange County circa 2004)- underneath my bed. One houses journals. The other photographs. I have written a journal since I remember. And taken photographs since I remember also. I'm one of the few people who has a record of us in school from year seven to eleven.

So a bunch of the film I got developed came out really yellow. I couldn't tell if it was the film or the way it was processed. it actually looks kinda cool. Like Lomo coloursplashish.

As soon as I get home, and I have some pennies to spare. I'm hitting up a photo lab with my bag of ten year old 35mm films. To see what treats/ horrors I have in store. I'm sure there are ex boyfriends and perhaps other things I may never want to see again. but hey it's all part of the beauty of film.

I hate the instantness of digital, and how the second after you take a person's photo they say "can I see it". I upset people often with my little Nickon when they realise they cant.

America : A beautiful Love affair

This was a photo of the wall next to our table in this little cafe in Manhattan. There were photos on the walls of all of the celebrities who had eaten there. It actualy looked kind of grotty but it had so called good honest prices.

I sat in this window, looking out onto the road..and took these photographs. I can remember the apartment, and the size of the window. The little chair with the broken seat part, next to the window. The canvas's ready to be worked on. I remebered the bus to Boston outside. Because I remember noticeing the line of people and wondering where they would be going. But still I couldn't place where the apartment was. I drove by there yesturday, trying to work out which window it was...by the size of them..none of the windows I looked up at looked anywhere near as big as the one I remembered gazing out of, lost in my own thoughts.

I saw the bus to boston again, this time there were no people waiting to get on. This time I saw this view of the street from street level, and I knew I was somewhere close to where that window was.

I looked at an apartment the other week, and the two guys who lived in there (artits), were moving out into a smaller living/working space. I was telling them about this apartment, with the big window, and trying to describe where it was- they knew the woman who owned the building. They said she was a jewish woman, really clever, and that just last week she gave all of the tenants notice to move out. And that now they are all gone. I said I was there..in June.

I loved that apartment.

I am

I am part child, part woman
I am pretty things and ideas
I am nothing, dreaming of everything
I am lazy days and long nights
Little sleep
I am a soft voice, a whisper
I am come closer i'll show you my truth
I am secrets and walls

Bail Out, 1966

this photograph makes me smile, I need to get a frame for it. The text at the top tells you abut the photographer, a seventeen year old boy named Stephen. He won a prize for this image.

He spells his name with a ph, the same way may dad does instead of a v. I like Stephen spelled best like that.

Finally developed my ever growing pile of 35mm film..

here are a few from New York last April/May & June

Becoming my own best friend

I fell in Love in November

I dont know how flight works. I'd love to meet a pilot

I have a friend who works by the Hudson river. I was writing on scraps of paper while he was on the phone. looking out at new york, and the water, and appreciating how lucky I am to be here. I walked out on the doc, which was swaying as the water got slight waves. I skipped around, lay on my back looked up at the stars, and took in some really deep breaths. It's really beautiful by the water.

Fortune cookies...

I was asking myself should I stay or should I go now....
one was my cookie one was his cookie.



I stayed.

Voyeur Part two

First roll of film from the colour splash camera....

confused....
dont get high and use this....gives new meaning to double exposure I think I kept taking photos on top of each other atleast threee times..




trying real hard to kick the sun

pink skies

the last time I was in Brook Lyn...

This is in my sister's apt. She cooked pasta and put olives, with stones in it. We got high, and somehow the olive pips kept ending up back in the pasta. So we kept eating them, they looked just like these other things she had put in there.


Both times I visited Coney Island over the summer, there was freak weather conditions. This day It rained so hard, even my underwear was wet.



The garden is in Brighton Beach, BK, right by where this Millionaire guy built an ugly huge Palace looking house. Brighton will always have the biggest place in my heart.

My friend told me this crazy old woman lives there. Her garden was filled with what looked like things that used to belong in her house, or somebodies house. Things that had been broken or rejected so she re housed them on the front lawn. It was nice. She had broken glass that she had made into a mosaic in the mud. And the mirror said "all we need is love." It was right around the time I did my love trees series of paintings. New love grows on trees. (see my very early posts).

I often think I will be a mad old lady. perhaps alone. I can see myself having a garden like this. It was very thought out, and kinda crazy at the same time. But she had placed everything in it's own little spot. She had hearts and love seats down the side of the garden. To her, i know it was beautiful.

Thankyou for Brighton Beach, and showing me the old lady's garden

So bright out my eyes hurt

Autumn without a doubt is my very favourite time of year. I love fashion, Autumn is fashion. There isn't a more stylish month. You get to wear layers, and when you get a great sunny day like this one, its a great surprise and you get to take the layers off.

I have practically lived in that pair of leggings. The crotch is so hideous. I hide it with long tops. I'm a sucker for comfort. Whenever I put on my jeans, they come right back off. John captured the crotch here just great.

A Clove in Union Square Park...a great place to just sit. and Be.

Flea Market Day

I found this drawing of my mom in a flea market in Manhattan....it was so weird. Thats her. I dont know who drew it, or how it got there.

It was actually my dad's fifty-something birthday (early Sep) when I spotted it, so it would have made a perfect gift, but I didn't buy it or even check how much it was. I showed the photos to my younger sister she thought it was hillarious (due to the shocking likeness) and said I hope you fucking bought it. Thats amazing.. I'm going to go back to see if i can find it

Chai Latte...always hits the spot

and then the rain came down...and it was time to find some place warm to play