Monkey Man

Aye aye aye, aye aye aye
Tell you baby, you huggin up the big monkey man
Aye aye aye, aye aye aye
Tell you baby, you huggin up the big monkey man

I never saw you, I only heard of you
huggin up the big monkey man
I never saw you, I only heard of you
huggin up the big monkey man

It’s no lie, it’s no lie
Them a tell me, you huggin up the big monkey man
It’s no lie, it’s no lie
Them a tell me, you huggin up the big monkey man

Now I know that, now I understand
You’re turning a monkey on me
Now I know that, now I understand
You’re turning a monkey on me

Aye aye aye, aye aye aye
Tell you baby, you huggin up the big monkey man
Aye aye aye, aye aye aye
Tell you baby, you huggin up the big monkey man

I was on my way to Banbury Cross,
Then I see a monkey upon a white horse
With rings on he fingers, bells on him toes
Sing a little song, wherever he be
‘Cos he’s a monkey, ‘cos he’s a monkey
‘Cos he’s a weedy little monkey man

Aye aye aye, aye aye aye
Tell you baby, you huggin up the big monkey man
Aye aye aye, aye aye aye
Tell you baby, you huggin up the big monkey man

Sketchbook

reminiscing through my old sketchbooks past, and found a couple of ink drawings i did when visiting the Tate at st Ives. these were shadows i traced from Barbara Hepworth sculptures.

all singing, all dancing serial killer

WTF! reading a bit about Ed Gein on Wikipedia, when i had to double take to see some crazies had produced a Gein Biopic in Musical form! Yes that’s right, all singing all dancing story of the most horrific serial killer that ever lived.

Still have no money to start full size painting of Gein’s victims. Waiting a few weeks to start it, currently looking into cheaper Impasto techniques, grouting type plaster to bulk the canvas before applying paint should do it.

Looking into self publishing companies online for when i had all photos of Iceland trip developed, i can turn into some kind of finished book. Lulu and Blurb seem to be the most popular choice. Lulu gives you an ISBN number so your book can be sold outside-wh smith, amazon……
Finding a few call for submissions from galleries/magazines, but again you have to pay admin cover, so that’s put on hold for 2 weeks. I’m gonna have to make money to get money, finally eBay all that junk I don’t want.

Listning to – Yann tierson/Band of horses/Julia Nunes/Nat king Cole
Eating-cupcakes and drinking blackberry tea with Gemma
Watching-a Serious man-Cohen Bro’s

my first attempt at Cyanotyping

These are the results of my first the Alt printing method Cyanotyping.

Altho’ fairly straightforward this basic method of making photographic prints, takes a few trial and errors to get right.

i used the Fotospeed kit that i brought from silverprint in Waterloo, which had the mix all made up as well as all the specialist equipment. Although my kit didn’t contain the acid free paper (as stated in the contents list) i managed to make a few prints that i would consider successful for a first go.

The amin problems i faced was the application. i had read and watched many ways in how to apply the liquid onto paper, i seemed to use quite a bit of the mixture when you apparently need very little.
i found the rods provided the easiest, as using brushes tended to be harder to coat the surface with an even amount.
Exposure times were quite hard to guess, the given time for a sunny day (which it was) is 8 mins. i found that different objects needed longer/shorter times. Also the wash after, was suggested that on 3 mins, i found that this was too much as a lot of the contrast was lost on some of the prints-i.e the tea bags, the string imprint got lost in the washing.

i didn’t used the Citric acid as instructed to fix the print’s, as these are tests and not finished pieces. as the kit cost £35 and i seemed to have used half the bottle on only a few prints i thought i try to keep much of the chemicals as i can. Next time i think i shall by the chemicals and mix up myself.

Painting Post Mortem

finally finished ‘Elizabeth short’.

Took a break for a few weeks as felt uninspired, and picked it up a few days ago. Added some gauche to bring a 3d element, as Acrylic can be a little flat.
i hope maybe to enter this for the Richmond Riverside ‘art as science’ show in December as Forensic Science spin.

References for Ed Gein

Photograph of Bacon taken by John Deakin for Vogue, 1962

Crucifixion

Went to the Tate today, and discovered Hermann Nitsch a fabulous painter/performance artist from Vienna.

i would ideally bring ‘life’ back to the Crime Scene painting. The original image being 3d, then photographed back to 2d. i see these bodies of Ed geins victims as artwork of sorts. Making them into costumes for him to dress up as (performance art) and then the photographs themselves, a piece of artwork? i have been writing a bit of if crime scene/autopsy photographs can indeed be deemed as artwork, and if so can these be exhibited as such?
I need to find a medium i am happy to work with that will create texture and a 3d quality to the painting. Impasto technique of using a knife to spread the paint around, but i feel this will be expensive, and would prefer to use a cheaper ‘base’ alternative, to which i can paint on top.

Fell down and broke Diana mini (only the strap connection but still… :>(

Watching – Water lilies

Listning-the Knife/Royksopp

House of 1000 Corpses

This is a great film, a family of serial killers that live in the woods run riot when a group of film students break down outside their house.
These images are stills from the scene where they stop outside a museum of sorts that has a ride which takes them down a path of ‘real life’ serial killers. Then it concludes with Doctor death a fictional serial killer in the film.
I like these use of black light and split screen in this scene especially, and Dr.Spaldinds expressions behind his comically scary make-up.

Ed Gein Autopsy Photo

another sketch for a submission i intend to enter. in the ‘Science as art’ exhibition to be held at Orleans house gallery, at the end of the year.

acrylic, marker pen and ink.
O would like to do a series, with all of at least 1 life size. I just have to manage and make my own canvas.

reading-The Wasteland-T.S.Elliot
Listning-Pulp

Life imitating art

I have been continuing to work on my art in the last month i have been home.

After constructing my matchbox pinhole camera, i have managed to take a few pictures. I am taking the first roll as trial and error. Having read more about how the pinhole works, i expect making more cameras i will see how the size of the pinhole and different films will create different pictures.

http://matchboxpinhole.com/ is the website to show anyone interested how to make one.
Using larger matchboxes allows one to use medium format film.

I havent touched my ‘Elizabeth short autopsy’ painting for a week or so. I feel it looks too flat, and unsure whether to go with the graphic method and running a marker pen round the outside. Though i feel that would cartoonify it too much.

Continuing looking at Dumas’ work i found a painting of Man Rays famous photograph

I havent managed to convert my Polaroid land camera, or make any Cyanotypes.
Working in the gallery helps my creativity, but with lack of a working space, i seem to not do as much as id like.
http://www.richmond.gov.uk/home/leisure_and_culture/arts/the_stables_gallery/faces_forward_to_the_past.htm

Next week they are having an art workshop, so maybe i might actually make some prints!

Im excited as i have a job interview at the London Lomography store. I will be over the moon if i get it, as the discounts and many Icelandic bands come to play.

listening to Radio 4, i caught the interview with Artist Daphne Todd, who is currently shortlisted at this years BP Prize. She is a classic painter, but this painting interests me as its a painting of her dead mother. Her mother died at the age of 100, and had discussed the idea with her daughter a year before her death.

http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/news/devotional-painting-of-artists-dead-mother-shortlisted-for-award-1957290.html