Life's been a bit more obtuse than it need have been recently … so I'm way behind and have been happily procrastinating … not helped with the Middle East developments.
I've been reading about Sergei Diaghilev (1872 - 1929) (Russian art critic, patron, ballet impresario and more)– which I found far more fascinating than I thought I would – and again those rabbit holes appeared!
Diaghilev with his
beloved nanny 1905
by Leon Bakst
Life's always interesting … the Turner Prize Exhibition is up and running at our amazing local Towner Art Gallery …
This is a guide for young
people engaging with
galleries and contemporary
art (produced earlier in 2023)
… contemporary art – which was mostly unfathomable - ?!, so I need to go back and quietly spend time working out what's what … yet oddly the first exhibitions Diaghilev put on in St Petersburg in the late 1890s were intended to introduce contemporary artists to the local public, and later, to the Europeans.
 |
| One of the advertising banners around town |
… while within the town Eastbourne ALIVE – is a separate ambitious project working with young cultural partners in and around the resort's landscape orbit …
 |
| This is an excellent society in our town - very professional |
... I need to explore. Obviously linked to the Turner Prize … we're awash with art around here … fortunately not washed away in the storms.
Beachy Head, Sussex - tree 'well mangled'
by many storms over the years
This was meant to be very short … but I obviously don't do that … rabbit holes abound …
Boiler didn't much like the stormy gales -
this is Newlyn pier in Cornwall - where
my mother lived for 40+ years
I will catch up … boiler withstanding – that's been bad again – it'd be nice if things would behave!!
Hilary Melton-Butcher
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35 comments:
Stay safe in your weather, especially if out and about to explore art choices. More contemporary art has grown on me. I enjoy mixed media pieces- often thought provoking.
Your rabbit holes prove amusing. We await further intriguing posts. Enjoy your week.
One of my favorite things in my city life was to go to art museums and even in Los Angeles there are good ones. Of course, here in the mountains I don't have that, but as I look at my juniper trees with their ancient twisted trunks and branches, I know that nature too is rich in art. And has, of course, inspired countless works of art by humans.
It sounds like you're taking a well-deserved and much-needed break, Hilary! Glad you've been able to get some reading in. Hope you enjoy your return visit to the exhibit!
The tree at Beachy Head is an extraordinary testament to weather trends
You're spoilt for choice for exhibitions in Eastbourne. All things have been innovative at one time - some last, others shine brightly for a limited time then disappear.
As for the rabbit holes, enjoy them. That way we increase our knowledge and awareness.
I hope you r boiler is mended and behaving again - it's the wrong time of year for it to go n the blink!
I hope your troublesome boiler will finally behave! That must be so aggravating and also uncomfortable, when it's cold and stormy outside. Contemporary art is interesting, as are rabbit holes. ☺ Enjoy!
Sorry about the boiler.
Never been a big fan of contemporary art.
A big sigh at your boiler woes. I will freely admit that I often struggle with contemporary art - but the art that I now love and appreciate was contemporary once. And people struggled.
@ Joanne - thanks ... a bit more stormy weather tomorrow/Wednesday. I've noted there's talks on each of the installations - and I must get to hear them - that should enlighten me. Rabbit holes, especially when linked to something I'm particularly interested in posting about, but they are always there. Thanks - lots still going on around here ...
@ Inger - yes I'd love to live nearer London and go in and out at will, without too much expense ... but I have at least been able to get up to London in recent years.
Yes - your juniper trees are twisted and ancient ... we have similar here ... and that one on Beachy Head and the ones I've always seen around the Cornish coastline are bent like that ... as you say Nature is the original art - and has inspired art throughout anthropology.
@ Elizabeth - I wish I was taking a break ... sadly just realising there's so much to do and I'm not getting on with it - still time to mull, at least! I'm enjoying my reading ... I'd love to do more ...
Oh The Towner and the exhibitions are only 5 minutes away ... lucky me!
@ Janice - that tree is extreme isn't it. The art exhibitions go on until April next year ... then I guess Summer arrives. But I'm going to enjoy learning more ...
Rabbit holes - I do enjoy, but they lead me off into taking longer to think about things ...
My boiler is existing - which saves a lot of outgoing monies ... and thankfully I've worked out I can cope ... oil heater on hand, electric shower, and electric blanket ... life is ok. It's the time element that's the pain ...
@ As I mentioned to Janice above ... it's going ok at the moment ... but it's the time aspect of it, when it doesn't work. I must learn more about the Contemporary art - it will be eye-opening ... and I shall, along with the rabbit holes, enjoy everything ...
@ Alex - thanks re the boiler - life goes on! I can understand your thoughts - this is an opportunity for me to get some idea about it.
@ EC - yes my boiler is a nuisance from the time point of view - but I've learnt I can cope. But you're right about contemporary art having to start somewhere - as Diaghilev proved back in the 1890s.
Thanks so much to you all - great to hear from you ... my boiler is surviving for now - cheers Hilary
I have yet to understand contemporary art, art to me has to be something that I and see without having to make do with various wiggles and a vivid imagination!
We have just had our boiler serviced and now we need an electrician to sort out further problems. Our annual guy had a stroke last year and retired, finding a new person is not as simple as we had hoped.
Cheers Diane
Hi, Hilary - You definitely deserve a 'blogger of the year' award. I greatly appreciate your personal reminder emails. :D
As you know, we don't have great museum life in this corner of the island, but I am going to the Nanaimo museum tomorrow with Deb of WidowBadass fame.
I'm jealous that your area is awash with art. :D Stay safe in that weather and good luck with your boiler.
Hari OM
There has been much to keep our minds occupied in the world... and thus art and books become necessary for our escape and salve; methinks you grab such opportunity well. YAM xx
Hi Hilary!
I'm off to visit museums in Egypt and looking forward to viewing the artwork there.
I think we all need a bit of art to distract us at the moment. What a world we live in!
I knew a great deal about Diaghilev and his Ballets Russes, but even to this day, I cannot decide whether his brilliance excused his hurtful treatment of the dancers. Some of the men carried scars from Diaghilev for the rest of their careers.
Just for the record, I love your rabbit hole explorations. Always interesting and insightful. I too am in a huge twist over this Middle East disaster. What a terrible turn of events for our world.
As to Diaghilev--a brilliant talent, but not a really "good" person--I can't judge anyone, but myself, so I'll leave this to history.
Delving into art is much preferable to watching the news from the Middle East.
It's all happening in Eastbourne! I find it harder and harder to get my head around contemporary art - maybe I'm not so contemporary as I used to be! May your boiler soon be bubbling happily.
@ Diane - well I'll be interested in attending the various talks the Towner will be having on each of the artists - my imagination, as you mention, will need to be the fore.
I'm lucky - I have a range of trades who help me ... good luck with finalising yours ... these things are a nuisance, but necessary.
@ Donna - I know there aren't that many museums in your part of the world - Victoria and Vancouver being the exceptions ... yet I found a few small ones - that were really informative. Also there were other aspects available - apart from the scenery! I'm sure the two of you will enjoy your visit to the Nanaimo museum - I vaguely remember it - the development of the area ...
@ Yam - thank you ... I drop into total switch off rather more often than I should - but I'm going to take the Towner to my heart for a while and see as much as I can (well understand as much as I can) - then the books ... too too many awaiting my reading eyes.
@ Nas - great to see you ... oh how lucky you are to see the museums in Egypt - I'd love to visit the new Egyptologist exhibition that's been recently opened. Zahi Hawass wrote the catalogue for the recent exhibition I saw in London in 2019. I hope you write up about them ...
@ Anabel - I so agree ... something to distract our thoughts for that desperate part of the world. As you note ... how have we got to this state of affairs? ...
@ Hels - he (Diaghilev) was obviously very intolerant of others who couldn't understand where he was at ... he at least left us the Ballet Russes ...
@ Lee - thank you ... my rabbit holes won't go away ... that I can confirm! The Middle East is just so so sad ...
You're right about not judging others, except ourselves - good point ... we just 'see' what happened as life progressed ...
@ Liz - I really want to understand the Middle East more ... but it's difficult at this time ... exceedingly unfortunate/ appalling times ...
@ John - it does seem to be all happening down here - so much to see and wonder about. Lots of posts to come along! My boiler is ticking along happily at the moment - it's been 'watched' by its owner!!
Thanks so much for being here - you know what's coming after Remembrance Day, and Diaghilev ... contemporary art!! Cheers - we have sun today ... Hilary
Contemporary art is usually very difficult for me to interpret, and other than drawing connections between the use of colour and the contrasts of light and shadow I am sure I fail to appreciate it. It is probably quite bourgeois to say so, but much of it seems unstructured and without purpose, a parody if truth were known. However, I am willing to concede that lack of training or education in the genre perhaps influences my reaction. My reaction to you, Hilary, is always entirely positive and shall ever be thus! Hugs from Ontario - David
I love the Towner Art Gallery. You will laugh at me but I have fond memories of the cafe that they have there! And now I am thinking of the cheese scones that I used to get at Shades in the shopping center that used to be the Arndale Centre but has been The Beacon for years. (I'm old!) Ah, cheese scones...I am sorry but I do love them.
@ David - I've completely avoided contemporary art til now - but as the town is full of various exhibits - here's my opportunity to understand it a little more (perhaps). I'm going to a talk on one of the exhibits today ... yet there was Diaghilev over one hundred years ago putting on the first contemporary art exhibition in Russia - it all starts somewhere - some individual structures I can appreciate.
Thanks for your support - always appreciated for my odd takes on life ...
@ Kay - I know you have a love of Eastbourne; you might be a bit sorry about the Towner cafe now - it's not the same - it's gone to be a posh restaurant - not my style/ taste. There is a cafe downstairs - not sure if they do scones. It's ok!! Yup - Shades in the Beacon centre is still going - again ... not a place I go to. Cheese scones - delicious ... good to see you - and to know you remember our seaside town where your FIL lived.
Cheers to you both and thanks for your visit - Hilary
I love it when art is brought into local places like that - there's always something new to discover.
We made it through the storm quite lightly, being on the south east coast of Cornwall. But there was still a fair amount of branch collecting to be done by the town council.
I love contemporary art, as visitors to my flat are only too aware! An ex-father-in-law who was a recognised modern artist led me down that road. Eastbourne does art proud!
@ Annalisa - we're lucky here - the Towner is innovative in its thinking and presentations.
I'm glad you made it through the storm ... I have to admit I haven't been to the seafront - I tend to go inland towards the shops/the Library or the Towner ... but must make it to the front!! As you mention there's lots of twigs down in and around the town - but I expect elsewhere it'll have been worse - I'll hear anon.
@ Keith - oh gosh ... it'd be great if we could meet sometime and you can give me a brief on it - I'm off to hear a talk on one of the exhibitions today. I note your comment on 'an ex-father-in-law' ... how many have you had??!!
Cheers to you both ... enjoy another soggy day - Hilary
Seeing that picture of Newlyn reminds me of a lovely book I read recently. The Salt Path by Raynor Winn is the true story of a destitute couple who walk along the South West Coastal Path from Minehead to Poole. The nearest I ever got to Newlyn was Lizard Point when we visited our Grandson at Falmouth Uni.
Hi Bazza - yes I remember the South West Coast Path by Raynor Winn - they hit the headlines with their story line - subsequent book etc ... I gather there's a film in the offing ... I love the Cornish Coast having spent so much time down in my mother's homeland. Thanks for the memory of your trip to see your grandson at Falmouth Uni - the Lizard is a beautiful area. Cheers Hilary
You always post such thought-provoking pictures. That tree--pretty easy to tell which way the wind blows! And to think I bought a whole book (by Tristan Gooley) to figure that stuff out.
Thanks Jacqui - I like to put in pictures that link in with the post - makes the post easier to read, if someone is scanning through ... so I'm glad you think they're very appropriate.
How funny - you bought a book on trees by Tristan Gooley - good choice of author though - cheers Hilary
That darn boiler! Good to be awashed in art:)
Cheers,
Have a grand weekend, Hils.
Thanks Sandra - the boiler is still being nursed, but is ok for the moment - and the weekend has been and is busy ... appreciate your look ins - cheers Hilary
First and foremost, I hope you get your boiler fixed, Hilary. This is not the time of year to be having trouble with heating. Diahilev, niw, there was an interesting man, and I agree about the Middle East. It’s pre-occupying me a lot too.
Thanks Val - the boiler is on long-time care terms ... it seems to have settled down thankfully - and I've worked out I can cope if it conks out - so it's under control - thank you. Re Diaghilev - yes a very interesting man. Politics here and abroad - are pre-occupying me as you mention. Great to see you - cheers Hilary
Hi, Hilary - I absolutely love that 'rabbit holes abound' for you. This, along with your striking writing, makes your posts absolutely fascinating!
Hi Donna - thanks, I too love the 'rabbit holes' I venture down ... always so interesting. Thank you too for the complimentary 'striking writing' ... I'm delighted - bearing in mind my very early days (youth) when I couldn't do much right - especially English! Great to see you - cheers Hilary
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