Stolen posts from There's more to life...

The other week we were scheduled to shoot in Cardiff at the Manic Street Preachers recording studio... sadly a last minute hitch with a string section meant we had to postpone, so with tickets already bought Dan swiftly arranged a Bath based plan. On a beautiful sunny day, I boarded my train to Cardiff, got off at Bristol, met Dan and journeyed to Bath. Here I visited Tim Richards' (the sculptor and model maker) studio, posed with real 1960's Daleks, explored a renovation project (cue taking photos of decaying layers of past domestic mundanities like wallpapers and light fixings - some of my favourite things to capture. I'm obsessed with homes that have been vacated and small semblances of personalities long gone, left behind, as I think discussed in a early post). After a wonderful lunch discussing frail eyes and fashion houses, we scurry up to the great Stanley Donwood's studio, where he had kindly allowed us to photograph and chat. I'm still working on the digital shots and need to get the film shot on my Mamiya processed but here are the usual behind the scenes shots (taken on my LC-A+)

The journey...

The Man himself

(all images copyright Lucy Johnston)

Read more on this wonderful project here: http://more-to-life-than-books.blogspot.com/

and from Dan's own blog here: http://winninly-lo-fi.blogspot.com/

So much to say so little time

So much has happened lately in terms of interestingness and I feel I've had no time to blather on about it, unless in conversations where there has been gin or wine involved.

Breakdown:

Birthday (turning 28). Standing next to Bridget Riley in a small gallery space listening to her speak about how her work is heavily inspired by Cezanne (and thus Matisse) whilst also discussing the hypnotic influence of listening to Jazz as she works (and leading me to then think about the similar methods of one quite brilliant Jackson Pollock who did the same).

A few minutes after leaving the gallery seeing these:

(Big dead turkeys, taken on my LC-A+)

Quite.

Right, now so memory... hmmmm, this is where I suffer from goldfish syndrome.

I photographed a lovely exhibition launch in Pimlico, exhibiting the work of Tim Richards. There I heard the wonderful Dan Cruickshank speak about the rebuilding project of the mighty Euston Arch (which once stood rather near where I went to secondary school).

Here's the lovely man himself with one of Tim's pieces:

(Dan Cruickshank behind Tim Richard's model of the Euston Arch, photo copyright Lucy Johnston)

I saw the Kienholz installation at the National Gallery and was left deeply moved and pensive by what I saw and experienced whilst walking around The Hoerengracht. I urge everyone to see this work. Its free and its very very interesting (try and get there before the crowds so you don't hear annoying people say loudly and uninterestedly 'Why have they got that metal thing on their faces?' and want to smack someone and shout ART IS TO BE RESPECTED AND EXPLORED AND ISN'T JUST A SPECTACLE TO TICK OFF A TIME OUT LIST. A subject I have since discussed in length and will not bore you on here with and isn't a question of being snobby - far from it, but seriously, read the fucking intro on the wall yeah?)

http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/whats-on/exhibitions/kienholz-the-hoerengracht

Then there was the Warp20 event, where I shot some live photos for Warp (was lovely to be asked by the kind folk there!) Lights were a shocker to shoot in but we got some alright shots at the end of it and highlights definitely included seeing Nice Nice live and dancing to Plaid djs.

(Broadcast @ Warp20, photo copyright Lucy Johnston)

And then it was ATP 10 years, which I only got back from yesterday. My body is tired and my mind somewhat all over the place. I was asked to submit some shots to NME and get them through to them 10am yesterday (which meant working on shots of Lightning Bolt at 4am - HUZZAH). Gutted I didn't get a photo of the Todd Trainer wall - apparently some of my shots were up there... and I spent the whole weekend 98% sure that it was my photo of Todd Trainer that made the overall shot but apparently it wasn't... DAMN.

Photos to come as soon as I finish them off. I think ATP deserves a whole entry all on its own.