The Enigma of 27.

Hendrix was one of the earliest members of 'The 27 Club'...

{reblogged from beatlesnumber9.com}

What is all of this about ‘The 27 Club’? Personally I’d not heard much about it until Amy Winehouse’s untimely death.

Well, apparently there are quite a number of musicians who have shrugged-off ‘this mortal coil’ at the age of 27. Spooky huh????? Except that it isn’t at all if you think about it in more logical terms…

After all, there have been plenty of other equally talented musicians who have checked-out at a different time of life altogether. And any death is tragic; regardless of age.

Once again, it more like a case of people looking for a morsel of ‘supernatural excitement’ where there isn’t actually any to be found. That’s what I think anyway.

Mind you, since I’m a (very) semi-skilled guitarist; I’m still damn pleased that I’m almost forty…

Batman - 'The Goth Father'.

   {reblogged from todo-sobre.com}

  Goth has long played an integral part in the world of comics and thanks to this; we now have a superb choice of dark heroes and anti-heroes to choose from! But when you trace things back to the early days, it was ‘The Dark Knight’ (from the aptly named ‘Goth-am City’) who was the first shadowy character to start this trend…

  Of course, things have changed considerably over the years with comic books, but Batman will always be seen as the true ‘Goth Father’. For without his dark influence, the comics of today would involve far less tortured psychology, that’s for sure. Even modern graphic novel geniuses such as Neil Gaiman would have far fewer ideas if it had not been for Bruce Wayne’s dark alter-ego.

  So the next time you are reading an issue of ‘Sandman’ or ‘Death’; spare a thought for ‘The Batman’. He may now be seventy-two years old (!), but his black heart is still beating just as hard!

  'Death' {reblogged from redbubble.com}

Voices of the Disillusioned.

The poignant etching on the B-side of, ‘Love Will Tear Us Apart’.

{reblogged from Flickr}

  It’s sad how people can write suicide notes whilst they are still alive which will go totally unnoticed until it is too late. Ian Curtis, the troubled singer from Joy Division did this time and time again… yet no-one realised what he was actually saying until it was too late.


  But Mr Curtis (God Bless his dark erudite soul) was not the only singer to send out lyrical warning signs. You only have to read the words to Nick Drake’s, ‘Fruit Tree’ to get a similar sense of terrible things to come;

‘Fame is but a fruit tree

So very unsound.

It can never flourish

Till its stock is in the ground.

So men of fame

Can never find a way

Till time has flown

Far from their dying day.’

  When we read these words now, it is all so clear. You cannot help but wonder if Ian Curtis, Nick Drake and so many other singer-songwriters would still be alive today if someone had heard their musical cries for help…



An Expiry Date for 'Artistic Licence'?

Another of Julian Beever's amazing illusions...

[reblogged from '4.bp.blogspot.com']

If prostitution is the world’s oldest profession, then art is most definitely its most ancient con.

Not sure if you agree? Read on…

Julian Beever is (at last) being recognised for what he actually is; a true artist. Photographs of his jaw-dropping optical illusions are now regularly featured in the national press and he even has a new book on the shelves.

But why is it that such an arguably talented guy is restricted to drawing on pavements??? Shouldn’t his work being taking pride of place in the world’s most prestigious art galleries?

Well, the answer is most definitely a resounding ‘YES’. However, the only problem is that valuable gallery space is being taken-up with (ahem) ‘proper art’ (lowercase ‘p’ on purpose).

It would seem that the movers and shakers in the art world deem unmade beds and pickled sheep to be far more pleasing to the eye and much closer to genius than Mr Beever’s work. And what a terrible shame this is.

Let’s hope that public pressure one day ousts these shallow-minded charlatans and replaces them instead with truly talented individuals!!!

After all, it is always best to hope that common sense will prevail...

'Flock' by Damien Hirst...

[reblogged from 'www.artchive.com']

Ongoing Projects #I.

'Gel: The Nonentity.'

It's an idea that I got twenty years
ago. I suppose that it's about time I got on with it but it is a large and very formidable task...The other problem is that I'm well known for (amongst other things) being a bit of a perfectionist. That can be a real nuisance sometimes. 'Gel' has already had at least three completed
versions of the story and I'm still not entirely sure that I'm happy with the present one...

Watch this space and if there is
anyone out there who would find it appealing to work on 'Gel' with me
then I would be very, very interested!

Get in touch!

Of Limbo.

Dayze of Diazepamic detachment,

Yet there are turbulent times to come.

Enormity on two counts now,

Yet there is nothing to mention in-between.

 Time is a scalpel to create fleshly seams,

Yet it may also be here to lacerate my dreams.

Pessimism or positivity both inadequate,

Yet realism is always reliably relevant.

Time is going to tell; that is for sure,

Yet will I want to hear its voice?

‘I have seen all the things that are done under the sun;

All of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind.’

Ecclesiastes 1;14