Art

08Aug05 — 13

Gone The Way Of Painting

“We have decided that the time is now right to take 35mm cameras out of the frame.” Daddy, why aren’t your photographs flat and over-sharpened? Why are things naturally out of focus in the background instead of blurred later by Photoshop? Why do human beings look human and sunlight look warm? Why can you take […]

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08Aug05 — 2

Bombers Are People Too

Thank you for your superb contributions to the Bad Poetry Celebrity Deathmatch, both here and at Harry’s Place. Backword Dave suggested that we were questioning the artistry of the inspirational work of Harold Pinter and Michael Rosen because we disagreed with the poets’ politics. I don’t read his ‘Blog much any more, and when I […]

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06Jul05 — 4

A Polished Gem From Flickr

This is a stunning image. Was it Photoshopped to get like that? Does it matter if it was? If the image was shot onto an electronic sensor rather than film is it really a photograph anyway? And how many “genuinely” photographic images are created with filters and artificial light and darkroom dodging-and-burning? Whatever its provenance, […]

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04Jul05 — 12

Short People

still from Spielberg's War Of The Worlds

You will not see a better made film this year than Steven Spielberg’s War of the Worlds. There’s been more than one occasion when I’ve felt that Spielberg has squandered his gifts so casually that I’ve left the cinema jumpy with irritation at him. I didn’t yesterday evening. At a certain point craftsmanship becomes so […]

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22May05 — 0

Deep Street

Via The Motley Fool I found these impressive examples of trompe l’oeil pavement art. Remember: the chalk is only 2D. Blair on top seal dipping a toe mirror man bulky laptop

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05Apr05 — 0

The Post-Flatscreen Age

I’d often wondered what computer people meant when they referred to one of their kind as a “systems architect”. This UNIX ‘Blog has the answer. There’ll be so many unused monitors left at our place when we shut down we’ll be able to build “Screenhenge”. [Thanks to Peter Tribble]

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05Apr05 — 1

Truly Independent

Midnight Pictures is an independent film company based in Northern Ireland, but its people don’t want none of your steenking arts subsidies, thanks very much: “As with all Midnight Pictures films [Don’t Look In The Attic] will feature: NO love-across-the-barricades NO terrorists with a heart of gold NO conflicted priests and/or policemen NO soundtrack by […]

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28Jan05 — 7

Comedy Genius

At lunch yesterday afternoon we were discussing infinite swimming pools. This led to a debate on how one might construct an infinite waterfall. I said I was going to make an infinite dance record and call it “DJ Counsell versus MC Escher”. The ensuing silence was so complete that the vapour rising up from my […]

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05Jan05 — 9

For The Encouragement Of Learning

[UPDATE: Yes, this is a reply to a real email message I received today. It showed every sign of being from the National Portrait Gallery, scoring only 0.8 out of a possible 5.0 on X-Spam’s spam-o-meter. I haven’t emailed my message directly to the original sender yet. I may yet tone it down, but if […]

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11Dec04 — 0

The Rightful Winner Of The Turner Prize

As if to prove that not everything about post-modernism is bad, I have stumbled upon something that all but defines the term as applied to the arts. I sincerely hope that you have Java on your computer so that you too can experience Pac Mondrian. [For those of you who haven’t got Java installed you […]

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13Oct04 — 0

Thank You, My People

Yesterday PooterGeek had the highest number of hits I have ever recorded—equivalent to about two minutes’ worth of traffic at Instapundit. Thanks to everyone who linked to my exhibit and said nice things. As I pointed out at Harry’s Place, I can’t post any on-site photos of my work lest I reveal the secret location […]

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12Oct04 — 25

But Is It Art?

SUE FROM BBC LOCAL RADIO: I’m standing in the grounds of an ordinary central Cambridge apartment block where local resident Damian Counsell has found himself at the centre of a controversy following his construction of a sculpture he has called, somewhat provocatively even he must admit, “You Bet Your Sweet Ass It Was In My […]

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24Sep04 — 7

It’s A Man’s Man’s Man’s World

Hollywood nymphets cower in the jungle, vainly trying to hide their voluptuousness from James Brown as he looms in the background, poised for another brush with the law. Is this the best pulp book cover ever? (via the comments of Harry’s Place) UPDATE: Damn! As Dave points out, we’ve been rumbled and they’re blocking our […]

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20Sep04 — 0

Grainy

I don’t believe that adults find it harder to learn than children; just that adults find it harder to be wrong. Learning is about being wrong over and over again until you are almost right. As I get older I find it harder and harder to make things that I’m happy with. There are presently […]

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15Sep04 — 4

Virgin International

Some friends of mine are off on holiday to Rome later. As usual when anyone I know is going to a place with vaguely religious connections, I have asked them to bring me back a glow-in-the-dark virgin, an icon I recall with both spiritual and aesthetic horror from night stays at my Grandma’s in Preston. […]

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11Sep04 — 12

Science Fantasy Shakespeare

I suspect that I enjoyed and admired The Chronicles of Riddick so much primarily because I expected so little of it; I hope I don’t diminish anyone’s pleasure with this rave. Do not read about this film. See this on the big screen while you still can. It has been surprisingly unpopular and I only […]

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04Sep04 — 3

Don’t Mess With Monkton

I bought Edward Monkton’s “Penguin of Death” greetings card for Maoi on her last birthday. Another little friend of mine, Leasey, points me at his cute Website. And two girlies have set up their own where they hope to enumerate the 412 ways his Penguin can do away with you.

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05Aug04 — 2

Not Exactly Heroes

How’s this for ‘Blogger solipsism? Two people whose work I admire have died this week. Henri Cartier-Bresson is the second. Check out the retrospective at Magnum. (While I’m on the subject, have a look at this very un-H C-B Photo of the Week at photo.net). The way things are going, Aretha Franklin had better remember […]

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30Jun04 — 0

How The Mighty Fall

Traumatised both by France's failure to stop the Iraq war and its soccer team's embarrassing and premature exit from Euro 2004, international footballing legend (and amateur philosopher) Eric Cantona disappeared last weekend. Today, psychiatric nurses from the Centre Hospitalier Sainte Anne in Paris safely removed him from a makeshift underground refuge he had constructed for […]

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