Wednesday 25 March 2009

Th'Arctic and State Legacy

What does April hold?

As usual the Cornerhouse is a source of interesting but perhaps overly cerebral sounding art.

Luckily for them Th'Arctic appeals to my illogical obsession with the polar regions. Th'Arctic is a live art project by artist Rebecca McKnight. In April, Rebecca will attempt to become one of the first British people to ski up to 300 miles pulling a pulk (sledge) from Resolute to Gris Fiord, the most northerly Inuit community in Canada. It kicks off today and runs until the 24 April.


I tried to form an opinion on the Cornerhouse's upcoming State Legacy exhibition, but it felt like far too much actual work. I'll let you know what I think when I've gone and had a decent gander about.

Wednesday 4 March 2009

Rock 'n' Roll @ Library Theatre

The other week I went to see Rock 'n' Roll at Library Theatre, for absolutely nothing thanks to A Night Less Ordinary. Admire my youthful skin and uncanny ability to hunt down free stuff. 

This feels like a play which is waiting for a television adaption. The quick cuts ( scene changes ), masked by the projection of album covers on screens and snippets of dad-rock ( montages, innit! ) are practically begging for it. Though it was a valiant attempt to provide something a little more punchy, presenting bite sized bit of action, the result was sadly a little unwieldy and ponderous. 

Essentially Rock 'n' Roll is a pleasant play, firmly middle-brow but wearing high-brows coat. However, it really is a play for Dads. Dads of Manchester, what did you think?

What's probably less suitable for Dads was my trip to see some great Avant Garde cinema at the Hyde Park Picture House in Leeds, thanks to Olsen. People may have noted my hatred of video art, but somehow, when staged in an amazing old cinema my usual vitriol was defused. True, there was a certain amount of wank and silly self indulgence, but we all know that's par for the course with any thing wearing the mantel of art.