Edgelands 4

Marion Shoard was the inspiration for the poets Paul Farley and Michael Symmons Roberts to write Edgelands. Here is a link to her 2002 essay.

Edgelands 3

I recommend listening to the authors reading their book on Radio 4.

St George's Day

Like many people, I felt uncomfortable with the bombast and narrow-mindedness that surrounded the display of nation flags, but having been impressed with the pride shown by the Irish in March each year and the way in which Germans have left the awful associations of nationalism behind, I think a bit of celebration is worthy.
I think the trick is to love one's heritage but never hate those from elsewhere. Have a happy day.

Pilgrims' Way 4

Artwork completed. Audio completed. Data dispatched. Production soon to get underway.
Not having done this before, it's a bit nerve-wracking.

Out Of Place

I popped into Tate Modern yesterday to catch this before it ends. It slipped through the net and I nearly missed it.
It aroused my interest because of the place-specific nature of the work. The political and social issues dealt with. Well, on one level, yes, it was place related, but appeared as more of a series of documents rather than opportunities to look behind the image.
It made me think about the pieces I am trying to assemble at the moment and I wondered how interesting mine would be in a similar exhibition.
Duration is always a problem for sound pieces. The film being shown was quite an endurance piece from the perspective of the eyeball-shattering camera shake and very lo-fi sound. I managed about 12/15 minutes.
People spend so little time in exhibitions and even when a duration-based piece is installed, as with this show, when uncomfortable and inadequate seating is provided, that commitment is all the more taxing. One cannot expect people to stand for 50 minutes or sit on a wooden box, Tate.

russellcallow.com

As I have had the domain name lying dormant for years s I once used to use it for my business, I thought it appropriate to make use of it for the CD I am producing, business cards and other promotional work. Kirsten Edwards is helping me with all the difficult technical stuff that I do not understand.

Graham Greene

English Heritage unveil a blue plaque for Graham Greene.

Artwork

As if the audio wasn't enough, I need to get some decent artwork prepared for the CD. I will also be getting help preparing a web site for the show so all systems go for the final presentation.
Web site.
Business Cards.
Flyer?
CD artwork.

Birdsong

Sitting here, as I have been for 2 days solid, working on the edits for the Pilgrims' Way pieces, I am struck by the amount and strength of birdsong in all environments. I love the little fellas and their bloody-minded determination to be bloody well heard.
In one piece recorded in Otford, Kent, I found a sparrow nest in a low tree about 3 metres from the busy main road. Cars, lorries and trucks all roared past. Guess who was loudest?
John Wynne set me to finding out about Niche frequencies of fauna.
Here are a couple of useful links, British Garden Birds and Birdsong Radio.

Campaign to Protect Rural England

The CPRE, amongst other work have information on the declining areas of tranquility in England. Just a quick look at their map of Southern England, one can see the huge amounts of sound along much of the Pilgrims' Way. I have written and asked for permission to use this map in my CD booklet.
Also relevant for me with the Edgelands project is their litter campaign.

Albion 2

Winchester

The last location recording day of the project. Phew! This really is a beautiful town. Terrifically old cathedral and religious buildings around it and yet a surprisingly uncrowded centre to the city. As with most old towns and cities, there is a river at the heart. Winchester boasts the Itchen and it provised me with most delightful sounds.

Helen Saunders

Thanks to the use of one of her images on the book Edgelands, I have had the pleasure of discovering the work of Helen Saunders. Apart from a subjective pull towards her wonderful pieces, the subject matter, the research and the method of execution are very similar to mine. Her work is very much collage-based and reflects a subjective appraisal of place. I have been developing the Non-Places idea, and this no-man's-land essence runs through her work too which will ensure I keep abreast of her portfolio. There are hints at surrealism here in the slight manipulations of content and perspective which I very much admire, and to my untrained eyes, the photography is reminiscent of Keith Arnatt.