Tillmans at the Tate

I popped into take a look at the Wolfgang Tillmans exhibition at the Tate Modern. Perhaps that was my mistake. To pop in.

It's because the vast exhibition covers much of the printed materials from Tillmans. Usually an exhibition is curated with handy signage on the walls to assist understand the theming or the context of particular sections. For this exhibition, such niceties had been removed, with the main exhibits being self-curated by the artist.

To be honest, I found this quite a tall order for a viewer. There's nothing to say that art has to be easy to understand, but I've been to plenty of other large exhibitions and been able to deduce the main themes, ideas or points as I walked through the rooms.

Here it sees to be all about the viewer needing to make the connections. Through quite a lot of static. Quite literally, with a whole wall dedicated to the white noise from the end of a digital broadcast (Sendeschluss/End of Broadcast V). Or an oft-reproduced picture of a fly picking over the remains of lobster. Maybe a metaphor for a gallery visitor?

Some aspects of this show reminded me of my recent garage cleansing. I'd sometimes take a pile of papers or whatnots and spread them out on a carpet in order to decide if there was anything of value to keep.

It could be that Tillmans adopted a similar approach. Find a drawer of related material and spread it out over a wall or some paste tables?

That's not to say there weren't some interesting items around the displays. I liked the idea of the Truth Study Centre section, which examined the psychology of manipulation and included some recent examples.

My picture shows it from another exhibition, which somehow looks more structured than the browser screen print version on display at the Tate.

Not exhibited, Tillman also produced a series of anti-Brexit posters, which did provide more of a focus within his work, and some good finished product, although even in that series there were some rather less finished items.

However, because the exhibit took a whole room and many of the pieces were google page snaps from learned articles, it became difficult to process. More like someone was researching for a book and had decided to spread out all of their Evernote clippings as printed pages.

Some of the photographs were interesting and extremely wide-ranging. Tillmans has clearly travelled extensively and we were treated to many aspects of his world view. However, I couldn't help thinking that some would make good paperback covers, rather than that they were exquisite fine art.

It made the show a challenge for me. Perhaps that was the intention? The materials were very diverse but, to me, somehow scrappy. Just printing it large doesn't make it brilliant, nor does fire-hosing the ideas at an audience. The picture above shows one of the more grounded juxtapositions, this one between a spacey modern car headlight's angular aggression and a peaceful blue night scape.

I decided to move along, alas, somehow less moved than I should have been.

along the border

Further west for a few days, in the land of border castles, this time between England and Wales.

Aside from the castles, there's the examples of the battle-side camps used by knights. The example in my picture shows one with a comfortable four poster bed, and a separate sitting room.

I believe the medieval scheme was one of primogeniture, where the firstborn inherited the main land, the second born would go to the clergy and the third and so on would become knights. The knights could power up their status via judicious capture of opponents.

It was in the days before the armies fighting became fully systematised, and there was much money to be made from the return of valuable pieces (knights) to their estate, for the suitable payment of a ransom.

Also there was an idea where the code of chivalry would allow the return of a captured asset with a time allowance for the repayment of the ransom, to give the knight's estate time to raise the money.

A well known example was the capture of the French King John II, by the English, during the Hundred Years War. All manner of hostage swaps and financial arrangements were mads, although France didn't really have the funds.

air con

The improvised air conditioning worked surprisingly well. A freezer tray, ice cubes and a fan. Must remember to put everything back together before moving on.

the difference of a day

After my comments about limited discernible difference in security, a day later the same scene now has a notable addition.

Look carefully to the right edge of the station entrance, spot the yellow high visibility jackets.

As well as police augmenting security staff, there's a now a couple of mounted police supporting the normal security.

offensive plays in NATO suitland

Aside from the dressing down he showboated for his domestic audience, the so-called face of the United States did that curious manoeuvre to get to the front for a Brussels photo opportunity.

Fascinating to see him manhandle the newest NATO member Montenegro’s prime minister, Dusko Markovic, using a US football run block, then adjust his battle clothes and blank the person he had just barged past.

The full sequence is definitely one for the analysts although by tonight it will probably have never happened.

docklands

Relaxing around Canary Wharf again this evening, this time with the full sunshine and Thursday evening crowd out in strength.

I'd wondered about an extended military presence here but it seems to be mainly the Canary Wharf security guards around in the busier areas.

Meanwhile, the bars and cafes are, this evening, rammed with office workers.

stroll

Along the Thameside Path, then halting for a rather late lunch. Almost Wordless Wednesday.

living the high life

Great views of London from the Sky Garden. It's in the Walkie Talkie building, although I've heard some people refer to it as the Toaster. Ages ago, when first constructed, its shape caused some sun beams to focus down to the pavement and melt parts of parked cars.

They figured out how to fix that before too many vehicles were vaporised sci-fi style and nowadays it offers one of the best (and free) views of London.

We arrived before sunset, but stayed for a meal in the Fenchurch, two further floors up. One of those tasting menus with about eight courses. Yum.

stairway to Zédel

Just time to visit Zédel in Piccadilly Circus. Well, under Piccadilly Circus, which is where the bustling French brasserie lives. The entrance is via what looks like a much smaller cafe in Sherwood Street, but the secret is to take the winding steps on the left hand side, down to the entrance about 2 flights below.

Always good and a real hidden gem in the centre of London (Hint: We'd booked, and there can be queues)

mixtape 90s

I watched another excellent Mixtape show on Friday evening. I can't really review this because of my connections, but let's say that the gang were on top form and gave Live Theatre a fun-filled evening with 26 sketches divided into an A Side and B Side.


This show was of 90's music, permitting references to Blur, Oasis, Pulp, Spice Girls, various songs with Boom in their title and much, much more. Jessica Dawson, Natasha Haws, Caroline Liversidge, James Barton, Steven Blackshaw, Dale Jewitt and Lewis Jobson all giving lively and comedic performances.

The writers comprising (mainly) Melanie Rashbrooke, plus Nina Berry, Lee Mattinson and Alison Carr vary their sketches from cryptic, through a few easy-peasy towards downright twisted, taking and rearranging song lyrics into a sketch, which usually has nothing to do with the original track.

Then, whether it's the Jesmond jetset comparing lovers, a curious period drama about farms or even a completely repurposed version of the Macarena, there will be something for everyone.

The Golden Mixtape winners managed to get close to a full score (58/65). Teams around me maybe managed around two thirds, which was downright respectable.

I had to keep quiet about answers, and for once was in the audience instead of backstage.

Here's one of my rehearsal studio shots before all the tech was added.

As usual, the show required huge amounts of cues and tech, this time adding even more lighting and smoke to the proceedings.

Next stop, The (brand new) Peacock, @PeacockSun.

fly flight algorithm edge detection defeat mechanism

Anyone who has seen that Breaking Bad episode about the fly will understand a recent dilemma. Usually wasp or bumble-bee trapped indoors will co-operate with the homeowner, if shown a path back to the great outdoors.

Less so with some flies which will simply fly around available rooms in large figure of eights. I know I could find a swatter or some of that spray, but I decided to see if I could defeat the fly based upon its limited functions.

Three main ones, and I'd be concentrating on the flight one. My hypothesis was that the fly would have great flight processing, including brilliant edge detection and some sort of vector direction seeking, the latter based upon an inbuilt delay in one of the video channels which could ensure that the fly was flying in the intended direction. It would be similar to that Google effect when the images blur as one walks along a google map.

So I designed the fly flight algorithm defeat mechanism. Its a bottle, cut in half. The trick would be to find the fly at rest, approach slowly and then centre the bottle's cut edge over the fly's eyes. All 800 of them.

In practice, this was surprisingly easy. I suspect that the fly's flight algorithm is used to seeing surfaces expand as it gets closer (i.e. at landing time), so this bottle edge may have just been enough to confuse it.

Succinctly put, it was easy to surround the fly with the bottle and then trap it (in the way one traps a spider) with a bit of cardboard. An adjacent beermat, actually.

Turn bottle over. Walk outside and release. The fly is once again mobile food for the birds.

tilting the house of cards

Depending whose news one absorbs it would seem that Mr Trump did not fire director of the FBI James Comey last week. Comey resigned. Similarly, Trump didn't pass partially Israeli-sourced information to Russia's foreign minister Sergey V. Lavrov about an Islamic State plot. Oh, and Trump didn't attempt to pressurise Comey into shutting down the investigation of Michael Flynn.

So how much of the above is post truth? The problem is that everyone is scared of what Trump can do. With Republicans in Congress, no one-will want to tip 'their own' President out of office. No-one survives daring to contradict, maybe unless it gets to kompromat or an indictment - and even that would require Hatch-ing a jiggle around the Supremacy Clause. Bookies' odds, anyone?

Unconnected (of course) in a truly Baldacci-esque twist we saw the brutal gunning down of Seth Rich a few days ago. It's been attributed to a botched robbery although nothing was stolen. Rich was the Democrat National Committee staffer alleged to have leaked the 35,000 emails to Wikileaks, which Trump used notably during his election campaign.

Now that Trump is getting his administration stooged-up, the game is becoming increasingly slanted. On one hand, there's the opportunity of outrage at dubious choices. At the same time there's the risk that the increasingly tilted administration becomes unstoppable.