Tonights agenda....The Royal Albert Hall

MADAM BUTTERFLY

This spectacular 'in the round' production of the opera is staged in an enchanting Japanese water garden.

'Not to be missed' Evening Standard
'Beautiful' Sunday Times
'The envy of any opera house anywhere' Sunday Telegraph

No opera can match the tragedy and sorrow of Puccini's Madam Butterfly. Set in Japan at the turn of the century, this tale of the doomed love of an American naval lieutenant and his young Japanese bride inspired Puccini to write some of his most sublime and beautiful music.

The differences in attitudes and styles of East and West are skillfully woven together in Puccini's ravishing score. The magnificent love duet which closes the first act and Butterfly's celebrated solo 'One Fine Day', in which she shows her unwavering belief that Pinkerton will return to her, are just two of the greatest moments. And when, after several years, Pinkerton eventually returns with his American wife, Butterfly realises she has been betrayed and the opera moves to its powerful and tragic conclusion.

Since its world premiere at the Hall in February 1998, this truly sensational production of Puccini's tragic masterpiece has left an indelible impression on the hearts and minds of over four hundred thousand people, receiving the highest critical acclaim wherever it has been performed. By huge popular demand, Madam Butterfly now returns to London. Once more the floor of the Royal Albert Hall will be flooded with water to create David Roger's stunning design where Madam Butterfly's house is perched on stilts above the shimmering surface of a traditional Japanese water garden.

Madam Butterfly is sung in English using the highly acclaimed translation by Amanda Holden, and is directed by renowned opera and theatre director David Freeman. Oliver Gooch conducts the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and a distinguished cast with the title role being shared by Mihoko Kinoshita, Jee Hyun Lim, and Asako Tamura.

Director David Freeman
Designer David Roger
Musical Director Oliver Gooch
Lighting Design Andrew Bridge
Sound Design Bobby Aitken
English Translation Amanda Holden

From http://www.royalalberthall.com/tickets/madam-butterfly/default.aspx

London here i come...

Grayson Perry when he won the Turner Prize in 2003..

"The sight of women talking together has always made men uneasy; nowadays it means rank subversion." Germaine Greer. 



Antony Gormley

'untitled' lithograph

William Scott

http://williamscott.org/works/all/all/1960


Amazing! 

New Crayola Drawings 3

This is a series of drawings based on trauma.

One of my favourite people.....

The fabulous....Candice Tripp!

www.candicetripp.com

From Candice's blog http://blog.candicetripp.com

Candice is currently showing work at the 'Black Rat' Gallery in London...www.blackratprojects.com GET THERE!

so... 'what's your work about?'

Ralph Steadman

This work is by Ralph Steadman... Pop's showed his work to me a couple of months ago, and i instantly recognised his drawings. I had a fantastic book when i was a child called 'Quasimodo Mouse' by Bernard Stone, which Steadman illustrated.

   I think the drawings stuck in my mind because they were so dark and hectic. They were incredibly messy and full of activity, perfect for reading over and over, late at night(when you should be asleep), because you always found things you had missed before.  http://curiouspages.blogspot.com/2010/01/emergency-mouse-inspector-mouse.html This site is fantastic, with some wonderful examples of children's illustrations.


Struwelpeter- by Dr Heinrich Hoffmann,  is a book for the disobedient child, equally as gruesome and was also on our book shelf! Some consider Struwwelpeter to be a little inappropriate for children, given its content. For example, the book teaches children not to suck their thumbs (or else they will be cut off, with very large scissors.)

   I suppose i have always been fascinated with horror stories. I remember vividly stories my granddad Orange would tell of 'The war'. Sometimes i think he just invented a lot of it to make it sound more interesting for me. He so desperately wanted to fly planes, but couldn't. So he made the  most if his job in the ambulance service. Going round helping people, and invariably cleaning up the mess. Which is where most of his stories came from. I would listen intently, as he described in detail finding a leg here and an arm there..  Granddad would smile, not in a sadistic way, but because he always did and liked making light of a situation. Making it funny somehow.

   I remember at school watching a videos about farm life (that's what you get when you live in the country) They showed 'the danger of farms' children drowning in manure or getting caught up in combine harvesters. I remember this particular video because it was so graphic, but perhaps i've made it worse in my mind.

Health and safety at school, was shock tactics. This is what WILL happen to you, if you 'play with fire' or 'cross the road without looking both ways' You'll end up like that hedge hog.. Only this isn't animals of farthing wood, where you'll be rescued by some shrews..

Well, that's a brief insight into my head, and might help to understand some of my drawings. With the risk of writing too much and boring everyone, i'll include some of my recent drawings to end on. This guy has suffered some kind of trauma, and may feature in a few other drawings later.. I'll be doing some prints this week too, so look out for them!

Child Thief

http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2007/08/08/1999870.htm

Is it just me or has this child been stealing my ideas, and using them in his own work?  

New Crayola drawings 3

New Crayola Drawings 2

New drawings (Burning Houses 2)

Burning houses with Crayola crayons and Supertip children's markers. 

Influences

Joel Peter Witkin is one of my favourite artists. For those of you who don't know his work, here are a couple of photographs, they are fairly tame compared to the majority of his work, but just as intriguing. Check out this site....
http://www.davidknipper.com/famous_person/index.htm for more photos!

More photos...

Add caption

Exhibition photos

new drawings.....

Burning house

lord of the flies

Thank you!

Hello!!

Just wanted to say a huge thank you to everyone who came along to our show last night!! And also to Alex and James from the Moving Gallery for all their help, thanks guys!!  xxxxx 

fun fun fun... and maybe a bit of booze

Hey Everyone!
The exhibition is tonight... 8 o clock at the Moving Gallery (nr St James'.) next to bar Soho. And if you're feeling inquisitive you can get yourselves to another preview before ours!Thomas Whittle is showing at Moving gallery on westgate road, this starts at 5, http://www.movinggallery.co.uk/present.html..   photos to follow!!