Monika Fischbein - Patternotion's Big Bang

Monika Fischbein -
'The Start of Everything'

Photograph of a book presented to us, rather provocatively, on it’s side. That is to say the photograph is turned on its side so that the book appears at first glance to be attached to a wall rather than resting on a table.

I love books. During some recent toadying I said to my employer “making fridge magnets is charming, creative and fun but to publish a book must be a far more thrilling and rewarding exercise”. He seemed pleased.

I would like to point out that I do not approve of the way that books are treated by the artist on page 51 of Patternotion (see also page 27 of Freedbook). I shall make no further reference to this person except to say that I applaud the recent confiscation of her library card.

 

‘The Start of Everything’ is overwhelming as a concept and it’s a bit puzzling as the title of this picture. If it’s The Start Of Everything then why does the position of the bookmark (or “silk” as it’s possibly called) indicate that the reader is a third of her way through the book? Answer me that! Perhaps this title is a reference to the Book of Genesis.

 

Monika Fischbein -
Freedbook Page

They (experts) used to proclaim confidently that the start of everything was a Big Bang. Now our greatest minds are suggesting that there was probably some stuff going on just before the Big Bang. Asked why they’re now unhappy with a Big Bang as the Start of Everything the experts have replied “it seems an unlikely thing to happen”. As an expert in my own field I find this unsatisfactory. I’ve sent emails.

 

So why has Monika Fischbein chosen “The Start Of Everything” as a title for this photograph? A myriad of reasons I suppose. Artists tend towards the enigmatic. They tease us with possibilities. See also Fischbein’s excellent contribution to Freedbook for a further example of her elegant titular idiosyncrasy.

Being enigmatic carries with it a misinterpretation prerogative for the viewer. This is the loophole which allows me to ponder birds, books, big bangs and other tangents when almost certainly the artist would prefer us to be appreciating the more abstract qualities contained within her work.

For example. Are the birds at the left edge of this image in sharper focus than everything else? That might be important.

 

PKD

 

Link to Monika Fischbein's Website

Ella Klenner - The healthy human

Ella Klenner - Keep the balance
Patternotion book

As a general rule I reckoned that if we left the other lumps of rock and metal orbiting our sun well alone they could take care of themselves. Then that scary meteorite hit us the other week and I wasn’t so sure.

 

Ella Klenner’s little figure leans back precariously in a wooden chair. His face may be distorted by G-force but he has a quiet dignity about him. You will note, for example, that he is not shouting “Whooaahh!” and that his arms do not flail about in a traditional slapstick manner. The fellow may even have his hands in his pockets. The legs which are carelessly positioned between Mars and Jupiter play merry havoc with the asteroid belt.

 

For any non astronomers I should point out that this is an entirely realistic diagram of our solar system with 1. Mercury (top left) above the mans head. 2. Venus (top right) next to the word “buch”. 3. Earth with a picture of what might be an oil well gushing on its surface. You will have noticed that due to an entirely naturalistic perspective the birds depicted can be seen to fly behind our Earth but not behind any of the other planets. 4. Mars above the knee. 5. Jupiter below the heel. 6. Saturn easily spotted with it’s distinctive rings. 7. Uranus under Saturn. 8. the elusive Neptune (bottom right) hiding under the table.

 

Ella Klenner - Monkey Business 1
Brighton Open 2012

When I look at the surface of Neptune depicted here I see a rocky landscape. A certain friend viewing the same small disc called me an innocent fool to my face and said she could see “parts”. The surface of Neptune is covered entirely with male and female “parts” according to her. Even through a magnifying glass I’m not convinced by this reading. But just suppose for a moment that this is the case. How refreshing that not all creative people need to have their private areas waggling at us from centre stage the whole time. Here is someone who has had the discretion to put them on the surface of distant Neptune and then to hide that gas giant under a table. Such filth peddlers as Michelangelo Buonarroti could learn something from this.

 

I was born into a solar system with nine planets and I miss Pluto very much but what can you do? Up until age 46 nothing could harm me, I thought I was superhuman. No aches and pains to speak of, everything functioning satisfactorily. Someone recently told me that for him it was age 28 when things started going wrong. I’ve been lucky I suppose but never have I been more aware of the delicate balancing act necessary for remaining healthy than I am at present. My hero Mark E Smith once sang “I’ve got a nervous system” and he was dead right.

 

PJD.

Artist Series returns - David Bushell

David Bushell's ill fated 'Rate My Menhir'
website

 Today the Patternotion artist series returns with a post about author Daivd Bushell from Philip Deed, who will be our guest writer/blogger for the next few weeks.

David Bushell

Following the withdrawal from bookshops worldwide of his controversial “The Scotch Egg Diet” David Bushell retired to Penzance to reconsider his position. There, with his wife Edith and young son Mark Edward Smith Bushell, he enjoys the delights of the cornish countryside and in particular the prehistoric sites which are so plentiful in the west penwith region. His popular “Rate My Menhir” website was voluntarily closed down in 2011 to avoid legal action.

He continues to work on an autobiography which may once again prove too hot for the world of publishing to handle. Excerpts from this along with his forthright views on music, lifestyle etc appeared in early issues of a certain publication. It’s editor, dismayed at some of the subject matter and fearing that his own job might be at risk, decided to discontinue Bushell’s contributions. On the subject of his dismissal David has no comment beyond “The man is an arse”.

Now Sampson Low Ltd have thrown caution to the wind and decided to include excerpts from “More Farted Against Than Farting” first in their delightful Freedbook collection and now in Patternotion. I applaud their good judgement.

PJD