DOTS AND DIVERSION
10th February
It’s been a curious week. Two
filmed operas, two concerts with another one tomorrow evening and a
further filmed opera on Sunday. The exhibition which I spoke about last
time, Eko Nugroho, I followed with Damien Hirst. That’s why I’ve called this entry
«Dots and Diversion».
Opera is not my scene at all, but I had gone along to see «Julie» as it was a Luc Bondy production and «Jenufa» because it was Janacek’s music. Bother very contemporary productions. Filmed opera gives you the opportunity of seeing opera singers very close. Very close indeed. I don’t like opera any more but still have three other films in store for me. Such «diversions» are chosen in function of the composer, the direction or the title of the opera which I may know from a theatrical performance. I don’t think I will be doing this again.
On the other hand, Gianni and I went to see two very different concerts this week. «Cors and Cris» - fully contemporary and The Tiger Lilies «Low Life Lullabies» . Who knows why it took me fully 24 hours to remember that I had seen them in the junk opera «Shockeaded Peter» perhaps 10 or more years ago? Shockead is inspired by Struwwelpeter (Heinrich Hoffmann) and in Australia as a child we were read Hilaire Belloc’s «The Cautionary Tales» -
Opera is not my scene at all, but I had gone along to see «Julie» as it was a Luc Bondy production and «Jenufa» because it was Janacek’s music. Bother very contemporary productions. Filmed opera gives you the opportunity of seeing opera singers very close. Very close indeed. I don’t like opera any more but still have three other films in store for me. Such «diversions» are chosen in function of the composer, the direction or the title of the opera which I may know from a theatrical performance. I don’t think I will be doing this again.
On the other hand, Gianni and I went to see two very different concerts this week. «Cors and Cris» - fully contemporary and The Tiger Lilies «Low Life Lullabies» . Who knows why it took me fully 24 hours to remember that I had seen them in the junk opera «Shockeaded Peter» perhaps 10 or more years ago? Shockead is inspired by Struwwelpeter (Heinrich Hoffmann) and in Australia as a child we were read Hilaire Belloc’s «The Cautionary Tales» -
Remember ?
MATILDA
Who told Lies, and was Burned to Death
Matilda told such Dreadful lies
It made one Gasp and Stretch one’s Eyes;
Her Aunt, who, from her Earliest Youth,
Had kept a Strict Regard for Truth,
etc.....
My grandmother threatened me with horrors when reading these tales. I did not believe a word of it.
For «Low Life Lullabies» the songs were written by Martyn Jacques (who created the group) and revolve around drug addicts, prostitutes, pimps and life in Soho. Many of the songs are not for children’s ears and I wondered at moments if some of them would be approved of by the French audience. Gianni assured me that they probably didn’t understand. Blasphemous is a mild adjective for a couple of the lyrics !
I enjoyed the evening immensely and as the minutes slipped by, something ticked in the memory buds. I had heard a few of songs before. This did not stop me getting a DVD signed.
The
following morning, I dug out Shockheaded Peter and saw a beautiful
dedication from the three in the group which was much more appealing
than the three very similar and inter replaceable scrawls on the DVD I
purchased the previous evening. The DVD was not up to expectations. I’ll
stick with Shockeaded Peter: those tales make your hair stand on end.
Then there were the dots. Damien Hirst.
What prompted me to go and see his exhibition at the Gagosian Gallery in Paris is a rather cynical remark by David Hockney (I am going to London to see his exhibition next week) that he, David Hockney paints ALL his own work.
Hirst is an enigma. For me anyway. He came to notice in the U.K. in 1988 I think. Although he had already started his spot revolution in 1986. There is now an exhibition being held in the 11 Gagosian galleries around the world showing over 300 of his spot paintings. There are more than 150 different lenders from 20 different countries.
David Hockney (75) does all his own work and the recent paintings on display at the Royal Academy of Arts are, I gather, of a monumental size. Today, Damien Hirst (47) has assistants drawing his dots. As he is a colorist, I suppose he must throw in a dot or two at times. How they are so evenly placed and all the same size in a given painting, it leaves me speechless. If you can prove that you have visited everyone of the 11 exhibitions, you may even win a painting. I’d go dotty myself.
For «Low Life Lullabies» the songs were written by Martyn Jacques (who created the group) and revolve around drug addicts, prostitutes, pimps and life in Soho. Many of the songs are not for children’s ears and I wondered at moments if some of them would be approved of by the French audience. Gianni assured me that they probably didn’t understand. Blasphemous is a mild adjective for a couple of the lyrics !
I enjoyed the evening immensely and as the minutes slipped by, something ticked in the memory buds. I had heard a few of songs before. This did not stop me getting a DVD signed.
Then there were the dots. Damien Hirst.
What prompted me to go and see his exhibition at the Gagosian Gallery in Paris is a rather cynical remark by David Hockney (I am going to London to see his exhibition next week) that he, David Hockney paints ALL his own work.
Hirst is an enigma. For me anyway. He came to notice in the U.K. in 1988 I think. Although he had already started his spot revolution in 1986. There is now an exhibition being held in the 11 Gagosian galleries around the world showing over 300 of his spot paintings. There are more than 150 different lenders from 20 different countries.
David Hockney (75) does all his own work and the recent paintings on display at the Royal Academy of Arts are, I gather, of a monumental size. Today, Damien Hirst (47) has assistants drawing his dots. As he is a colorist, I suppose he must throw in a dot or two at times. How they are so evenly placed and all the same size in a given painting, it leaves me speechless. If you can prove that you have visited everyone of the 11 exhibitions, you may even win a painting. I’d go dotty myself.
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