Patternotion : The Film

Hot on the heels of Books For Free NW5's sad demise comes the news that it has been preserved forever by Peter S Smith. As well as being the backbone of the Patternotion book Peter films as we go along on our adventures. I would like to say we've got wise to his 'tactics' and guerrilla style of information gathering but when your guard is lowered some of the most interesting stories are revealed it seems.

Thank you Peter for working so hard to bring this social document to eyes of the world. Of course a thank you too to the players here, Steve and Victoria Cohen, Jacquelyn Guderley and friends, Mike and Gail Watts, Harvey Wells, Bill and Gina Mudge (with Harriet in arms), George and Sally Low, Ella Penn, Natalie Low, Daniel Leek, Melanie Ezra, Effra Aye-Maung-Hider, Jessamy Low, Geraint Evans, Katie Stone, Tanya Kreisky and Dawes Gray.

As you can see it was a long day...a long walk.....

AL.

Jacquelyn Guderley - NW5 inspiration

Jacquelyn Guderley

In the last few weeks we have been feeling a little flat here at Patternotion HQ. The sad news regarding the demise of Books For Free NW5 rocked us all. They say all good things come to an end but we all hoped that this wasn't going to be case. In fact, under the leadership of  Jacquelyn Guderley, our beloved Athena of NW5, we believed that the shop was impregnable. and had many years of life left in it. Jacquelyn's vision was that the shop would be a hub for the Arts and this bolstered our flagging esprit de corps on many an occasion.

From all of us here at Patternotion we salute you. Thank you for opportunity you gave us, the chance to launch our book and fuelling the spirit of our adventures.

AL.



Chapter 2 - Sonia Jarema & Cath Rive

The second instalment from Cath Rive and Sonia Jarema has just arrived at Pattenotion HQ.

Earlier in this blog you will have read about their collaboration between image and word.

Cath being the visual artist and Sonia the poet.

So here's the second part of their conversation below.
This time the image first and then the poem........
 

 

by Cath Rive

 

Volume
by Sonia Jarema

Heels lift up

walking caught as a dance;

her dress as loud as her daughter’s coat.

The volume’s turned down, 

on the older couple, yards behind.

They’ve hidden their hands from each other.

The woman’s head is tilted back

as though filling her lungs deep 

for her yearning song.

 

 

If you would like to view the whole conversation in its entirety then visit our designated page (right).

 

AL.

Mike Watts & Sue LeCren - Books For Free

Sue LeCren and Mike Watts
with Patternotion
 

Two for the price of one!

Both the books and the lovers of art, culture and  'Duke Special' that are holding them here.

A big welcome to the fold for New Zealand's 'Sue the Librarian' and hope you enjoy Patternotion. Don't let your food get cold either, looks delicious.
Keep in touch with Sue on Twitter at @LiSu and as she says herself, 

"I'm an escape artist for a living... I live to escape... well OK, I'm a librarian. Same thing"

Catch her if you can!

 If any of you don't know the distinguished gentleman pictured here then let me introduce you to Mike Watts, who is both a Stem Cell aficionado at UCH and photographer on London's live music circuit. As well as bumping into one another in live music venues he recently accompanied us on all 10 miles of our Patternotion Blue Plaque walk across North London.

It seems he has got itchy feet once again and has travelled a little further than those 10 miles of Patternotion. Have a good time in New Zealand and keep spreading the Books For Free message!

Mike Watts is @DrFizzy if you want to keep abreast of his adventures in your Twitter walking boots.

AL.

Sonia Jarema & Cath Rive - Poem Painting Conversations

There is a mysterious page at the end of the first chapter in the Patternotion book. On Page 60 we find no image or poem just a declaration for the ahead.
This is what it says -

 

Collaboration

I hate to make resolutions but I didn’t want the year to
start running away without having made any plans so I asked my artist friend, Cath, if we could collaborate and this is what she said,

 

"Great idea
You give me a poem
I’ll give you a painting
I’ll give you the painting from the poem
You give me the poem from the painting
We can keep going
And see where it takes us?"

 

So this year we will be  having conversations between
paintings and poems.

 

--------------------------------------------------

 

So here it is! The first rally between two creates minds. First the poem by Sonia Jarema and then a visual reply by artist Cath Rive.

New Kid on the Tower Block

 

New Kid on the Tower Block (after Duchamp)
Cath Rive

Balletic you tested each stair
with toe, pad and heel.
Your hand glided the banister
as you stopped to shake sunshine
into the dark staircase.
Your shirt held clouds
you’d clung onto on the rooftop.
I could see the skyline
in your legs poised like cranes.
That evening you brought in
the dank brook on your trousers.
You told me how the water
drank you as you waded her length
to find the unfamiliar way home.

 

 

 

Check out their page (right) where we will be documenting their conversation as it unfolds.

AL.

 

 

The Verdict - Colin Gray Photographer

Tim Cullingford - The Wrestler

Oscar Wilde said 'great art should be about life, death or whimsy. I found plenty of this here, there is much diversity in this edition (applies to both the Freedbook and Patternotion book) the edit is such that each page is a surprise and you don't know what to expect.

Some pieces looked liked they were done in minutes whilst others looked like they were done in days. I like the size of the book and have been carrying it around in my pocket, easy to pull out on the bus.

 The only thing that disappoints is the lack of production values though for the price you can't complain.

Colin Gray,
Photographer
http://www.colingray.net/



Colin Gray. I'm a photographer/artist/film maker. Based in Glasgow, UK
My personal work is based on the people I love. I think it is the hardest work any artist can do. It is often harder to coax you’re your nearest and dearest, than actually making the pictures.
The 31 year old project with my parents: In Sickness and in Health, now touring and 'The Parents', (exhibited in many of the worlds leading galleries and museums).
Work with my children forms many sub projects, some show on this site, many in progress.
I have worked worldwide for a diverse range of advertising agencies, design consultancies and record companies.
I have won many awards including a Euro Art Directors gold, 2 D&AD silvers with nine appearances in the D&AD annual.

Anna McNay's Review for Art-Corpus

 'Patternotion is a charming little book, full of idiosyncratic responses, and soul-baring offerings'  *****
Anna McNay, Art-Corpus blog

Read the rest of Anna McNay's review by following this link - HERE



Art-Corpus

In other news....
Patternotion can be now be bought on AMAZON - LINK HERE