I need a fix 'cos I'm going down

Holograms from Annabel Duggleby on Vimeo.

Fine and undemanding yellowness

So I started a tumblr! Just for stuff that isn't appropriate here and when I can't bring myself to form a coherent post. Take a look: http://grinandbearitzine.tumblr.com/

He pulled the mirrors off his cadillac,

cause he doesn't like it looking like he looks back

Tame Impala Elephant

Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour, Blue Jay Way

photo by Ira Cohen

Well I had a lovely day today. I picked up the latest issue of Oh Comely, found an interesting book by A. Alvarez about suicide, and got some new film for my camera. I took a walk around where I live, without direction, purposefully disorientating myself. Sunflowers, stone, white on grey, windows and volkswagens, directions, accents, lingering shadows, keep the engine running, missed opportunities, lips parted, unusual quiet, head against the pane, breeze on my cheeks.
This week I have been on a magical mystery tour of the wonderful world of psychedelia. Seeing the afformentioned Beatles film was a revelation! It was brilliant. I loved the freedom of the camera, the prism-like distortions, the projections and layering. My favourite scenes were probably when they actually performed songs, particularly George Harrison's Blue Jay Way, which was enchanting. I'm also listening to Tame Impala's album Lonerism , which is pretty Beatles-esque in parts. The video for Elephant is probably the best music video I have ever seen. I usually find music videos quite tiresome, I'd rather just listen to the song, but the video for Elephant, directed by Yoshi Sodeoka is so visually arresting, I can barely look away. There are loads of comments beneath it on Youtube about how it is/would be great/scary/trippy to watch whilst high, but I think it works perfectly well instead of drugs, experiencing it sober seems powerful enough to me.
Perhaps my eyes need a rest. At college we've been doing life drawing all week, which was amazing and tiring. I think it's true what they say about how drawing teaches you to look differently, properly, critically. I catch myself paying much more attention to forms and volumes and negative space. I was sat on the bus the other day, daydreaming and looking at the soft curve at the elbow of some stranger, imagining how I would draw it. I could almost feel the shape. It was strange. Unexpected, but welcome.

x 

Most of us need the eggs

I made some tissue paper pom poms! I'm going to decorate my flat with loads of them.
I also bought Annie Hall on DVD, which is great.
Anyway I'm going to go make some cakes now... I'm in no mood to do anything but eat cake...and maybe decoupage something.

I'm not colour blind am I?

Performance

I bought Performance (1968?) on dvd the other day and have been watching it in between the Wimbledon men's finals today (poor Andy). I actually really enjoyed it. There were quite a few moments that were typically sixties: slightly strange, unnaturalistic dialogue that felt of-the-time, the sort of writing that would sound pretentious in a film made today. And then there's the experimental feel of the way they cut it which, in the interview below, is said to have come from the film company rather than the director. Anyhow, I really enjoyed it.

My favourite scene was probably when we first come to the house in Notting Hill and Anita Pallenberg wanders around in a fur coat, filming Mick Jagger in bed, and there's a sequence where they roll around under the covers and the colour and the light is just perfect. I thought the level of sensuality was just right.

There was this lingering sexual vibe throughout the film: in the way the characters interacted with each other and the sadomasichistic overtones of the 'flogging scene'. But I liked the fact that it never came to a climax (in all senses of the word...), like many of today's films that contain gratuitous sex scenes.

And then there was the costumes, the beautifully bohemian apartment the textures, the colours, the light and just the whole aesthetic VIBE of it was brilliant. I would have been more than content to watch Performance if there had been no plot or action at all, just Mick and Anita hagin' out. Sometimes I feel a bit shallow when I watch a film and the main thing I take from it was that it was pretty, or aesthetically pleasing. But then I think: I love art ,and film is, obviously, a very visual medium, and I am a very visual person, so I shouldn't feel bad for liking certain elements, as they contribute to the whole. I think when it comes to art, there is no wrong reasons for liking something, but you should be able to justify your dislikes.

Anywho, I could go on forever, but here are some stills and the afformentioned interview with Mark Radcliffe (yay) and Mark Kermode from 1995. Enjoy!

That bath! This kinda reminds me of The Dreamers

Jiminy cricket he flew the coop!

I went to see Moonrise Kingdom today! It was SO GOOD. I don't really know what to say about it, cos if you're familiar with Anderson's films then you know what to expect. My favourite scene was probably when they dance on the beach in their underwear to Francoise Hardy, it's really sweet and awkward. It perfectly captures that period of time when you're beginning to mature emotionally, and you have all these feelings, about which you're unable to articulate, or unsure what to do with...

And then there's the costumes and the soundtrack and the dialogue and all those familiar Andersonian tropes and um, did I mention it's SO GOOD?! Just go see it, ok?
I've got all Wes Anderson's films on dvd but this is the first I've ever seen on the big screen. I was really surprised actually, to find that it was showing in my local Cineworld, as they usually only show shitty blockbusters that are guaranteed to make millions. There was only about eight of us watching it though. 

I also went to see Lena Dunham's Tiny Furniture last night, where there was only six people in the theatre, which was a shame. I really enjoyed it, though most of the characters were pretty contemptible.

I also bought a nice shift dress pattern today and have made about half a dress. Since joining a sewing class I feel much more confident in my skills and less intimidated when confronted by a pattern, though that doesn't stop me from going wrong at every available opportunity. Anywhoooo I'll do a proper post on it when I'm finished. I'll leave you now with some pretty pictures...

Blossom

Go chase the wild and night time streets...

Today has been pretty swell. I woke up early and went to town, and as the sun was out we walked through the park, which was refreshing. There was this beautiful tree whose branches were stooped to the ground, pregnant with blossom, which I picked and swirled into the air like confetti. After some dull banking we went to some charity shops where I bought this silky chinese-style dress and a candy pink plaid cotton one, which reminds me a little of Lolita, or at least how I imagine her in my head.
Then we popped into the library, where I withdrew Bande à Part and a book on art and feminism that looks amaaaaazing. After that I just lazed around and day dreamed about a project I'd like to start in a few months, to organise a small artist-run gallery/space where I could show the work of students in the local sixth forms/colleges/university and hold community events like zine fests and craft evenings. Of course I'd need funding and generous volunteers to make it work, so I'll try and recruit some people when I begin art foundation. I've only really had the idea today, so it's at that airy, ethereal, intangible phase where anything feels possible. Like Schrodinger's cat: only by lifting the lid, putting myself out there and hoping for the best can I find out whether it will live or die.

(I've also started on issue two of Grin and Bear It, above)

Sleeping Beauty (2011)

I just watched a really interesting Australian film called Sleeping Beauty. I had seen stills from it on many tumblrs but not really known anything about it. *Spoiler * The film revolves around a university student, Lucy, who takes a strange job as a 'lingerie waitress' in this mansion, and quickly moves on to a position where she is voluntarily drugged and put to bed, where various ageing men do what they want with her.

The plot sounds kind of gross, but it was totally mesmirising and Emily Browning, who played Lucy, was coldy captivating. Watching it felt a bit voyeuristic, which was heightened by the minimalism of the direction, the long single shots and sparse soundtrack. It was intense and beautiful and haunting and you should definately watch it.

On a lighter note, I bought some stickers with cats on them yesterday. Yay!

You're not really here, it's just the radio...

I bought myself a cheap film slr camera on ebay the other day and have just got my first roll developed! Usually when I purchase a new camera I just dive right in and take loads of photos, but this time I was really methodical and wrote down the speed, apeture, subject and weather conditions down in my little note book, so I can look back and see where I've made mistakes. It sounds anal, but it I enjoyed the ritual and the slowness that you don't get with digital. Anyway, these are a few of my favourites.

"I am a golden god!"

My friend bought me Almost Famous on dvd the other day and IT'S THE BEST MOVIE EVERRR! I can't stop watching it and longing to go on an American roadtrip and relive the 70s. Or something.

I was also pretty excited when I heard about a study day run by the Victoria & Albert museum called Designing the Decades 1970s. It's a day of lectures on aspects of the 70s, including one called "1970s Fashion and its Relationship to Music"! It sounds great!

http://www.vam.ac.uk/whatson/event/1568/designing-the-decades-1970s-2707/

Kanashimi no Belladonna

Les Amours Imaginaires

So I watched 'Heartbeats' (Les Amours Imaginaires) on Film4 the other day. I had wanted to see it for ages and couldn't find the dvd in any uk shops, apart from the Tate Modern giftshop, but it was a bit too expensive. Anyway, I thought it was pretty good. It was definately very visually arresting, and the sets and costumes were great, but I felt there was something missing. The characters were a bit annoying and affected and I found it hard to sympathise with any of them. That may have been because it was in French and perhaps something was lost because I don't speak the language, although I don't think that's the case.

Anyway, I still enjoyed it. My favourite shot was of Marie walking, in slow motion, as Nancy Sinatra's 'Bang Bang' played, and I loved her styling. I guess I would probably recommend the film, although approach it with an open mind: I always think films/albums/exhibitions/books/whatever are ruined when you have the words of a critic ringing in your ears.

Have you seen 'Heartbeats'? What did you think?