Due to the initial short run of this years 09 Calendar we have run out sooner than we thought and so our friends at Studio Luma have been hard at work printing another series. I took the opportunity today to pop along and record them lovingly craft the next set. Again it is a short run so if you want one this time around don’t wait, click here.
Tonight some of the designers are off to immerse themselves into Superman’s Pocket!
Superman’s Pocket is Tim Foster’s Latest photographic show documenting British ’superheroes’. Tim became interested in the idea of the hero and ‘superhero’ following the September 11th attacks, which later led him to research real life ‘supermen’. The concept of people living dual lives; their everyday personas contrasting the ’superhero’ alter egos and the resulting internal battle, as well as that with society, to be able to live out their fantasies in public rather than behind closed doors, was the inspiration for his observations.
Tim documented the lives and experiences of nine men throughout Britain and discovered that the thing they had most in common was not the seemingly obvious; their superficial eccentricities, but a shared honesty in the way they carried out their lives and followed their dreams. They also share a certain frailty, which fascinates him; particularly that, in this way, they differ so radically from the all-American image of what, physically, would constitute a superhero. A particular Britishness that stood out alongside their bravery and humanity drew Foster towards these characters, and he has successfully conveyed this in the work. Of these characteristics Tim says, “Even though American culture has become all pervading, we still retain something quintessentially British. The more I saw them fighting with abusive teenagers and changing in grotty toilets, the more I realised they were only human after all’.
You can find out more at Tim’s super (ahem) blog or pop along to the Nog Gallery, Brick Lane, were the show runs until November 16th. If you like what you see (or can’t make it) you can always buy a book from justgonesix.
Albeit a little delayed (sorry…I forgot to publish it) but just to confirm that even in my rather unfit state I did manage to complete the Bristol half - not a great time (2hrs 4mins) but given my lack of training and the few extra pounds I was carrying I’m reasonably happy with the outcome!
Yesterday was the annual Catford CC Hill Climb competition and a group of us including Mark from Fivefootsix rode out on a round trip of nearly 85 miles to watch it. The sun shone all day, the racing was fast and the crowds noisy, in fact the only bad part was our sore legs at the end of the day. There are more pics, including Mark’s here.
On Saturday Sarah and I had a day full of culture, firstly we went to see the Bacon exhibition at the Tate Britain and then popped into the Turner Prize show. After what will probably be one of the best and moving retrospectives of the year the Turner Prize was always on the back foot and sadly as a whole didn’t impress. Having said that if you are in the Tate it is well worth going to see Runa Islam’s films. Since the opening of the Tate Modern this was, sadly, the first time I had been back to Tate Britain. I had forgotten just what a beautiful and inspiring building it is. Best of all it is free to get in to the permanent hangings and the cafe does a mean fish cake!
Not totaly full on our culture fix we decided to get the Tate clipper down to to Bankside to check out the Rothko show. As we disembarked by the wobbly bridge we both decided that there was far to many people to appreciate the work and that instead, we would rather have a drink and enjoy the last of the summer sun on the grass outside. Rothko can wait till next time.
Magnus is back in the studio after his hunt for the Home Alone 2 “bird woman”. The search was made even harder due to the pouring rain in Central Park and not surprisingly ended in a failure. But his trip was not a total waste of time as he was still successful in many other quests, namely: 1, the buying of new “super cool” handlebars for his hipster single speed; 2, the drinking of large quantities of Brooklyn Lager, hic; 3, celebrity spotting – Agyness Deyn in East Village; and 4, some random sightseeing of the Statue of Liberty, Union Station and The Guggenheim. Finally what trip across the pond would be complete without the age old past time of New York loon spotting! Welcome back Magnus it sounds like you fitted in rather well with our American cousins.
