Counterwork

Miró

I went to see Miró at Tate Modern Yesterday. I found the show slightly underwhelming, but a quote from the artist in the accompanying booklet struck me:

‘I understand that an artist is someone who, in the midst of others’ silence, uses his own voice to say something and who makes sure that what he says is not useless, but something that is useful to mankind.’

I really like this.

My problem with Miró’s work? I find something unsatisfying about his compositions. I much preferred the earlier, almost illustrative works, and the later large canvases which I felt had a lot of energy in them.

Our Style… Reviews

Our Style is Legendary is gaining some good reviews here, here, here and here. And now here. And so it should!

There are also some nice mentions of my set design:

‘The set of screens designed by Rich White are wielded around by the cast and turn from street scene, to classroom, to playground, street corner and rubbish dump, even the ground, in a flash.’ From The Public Reviews.

‘White’s first set packs a lot into a small space.’ From The Stage.

‘White’s set (his first - he’s a sculptor) is a number of panels that at first suggest concrete blocks or the walls of a pedestrian underpass which can be moved around by the cast to indicate different locations or interiors such as a classroom At the rear, glimpsed between them, are some flowers tied onto a lamp-post, a reminder of some past tragic death.’ From The British Theatre Guide.

‘The sets are well-designed in a minimal yet versatile fashion...’ From Left Lion.

Orwell

’In certain kinds of writing, particularly in art criticism and literary criticism, it is normal to come across long passages which are almost completely lacking in meaning.’
George Orwell

The Missionary Position

I read about an Eskimo hunter who asked the local missionary priest, ‘If I did not know about God and sin, would I go to hell?’ ‘No,’ said the priest, ‘not if you did not know.’ ‘Then why,’ asked the Eskimo earnestly, ‘did you tell me?’
- Annie Dillard, Pilgrim at Tinker Creek, 1974

Maeda

’Amidst the attention given to the sciences as how they can lead to the cure of all diseases and daily problems of mankind, I believe that the biggest breakthrough will be the realization that the arts, which are conventionally considered ‘useless,’ will be recognized as the whole reason why we ever try to live longer or live more prosperously.’
John Maeda

Russell

’One of the impediments to successful democracy in our age is the complexity of the modern world, which makes it increasingly difficult for ordinary men and women to form an intelligent opinion on political questions, or even to decide whose expert judgement deserves the most respect. The cure for this trouble is to improve education, and to find ways of explaining the structure of society which are easier to understand than those at present in vogue. Every believer in effective democracy must be in favour of this reform. But perhaps there are no believers in democracy left...’ Bertrand Russell, 1932