my second performance with Concertina Turner

Well the white gloved man appeared yet again will he never seize... a cool night at Vida Bar Ponce Christmas Party... it is now the day after and Im getting my books together for a meeting later...

more news at some point.... and merry christmas to anyone that reads this blog....

Time for positive Infriltration and disruption

I have felt Derby to be my second home if not the only one ... I came here in 1999 from Cornwall to study Photography at the University and stayed, felt at home, met some good people and friends.

Creatively and personally it has been a good place to be. A vibrant creative community...

I felt the city had a village feel inside its city status, but it seems that the powers that be want to make it bland and look like another glasshouse for mediapiles/bland office and exclusive flats for those that can afford it. This in turn will eventually bland out creativity...

Looking at a picture outside St Werburghs Church advertising its redevelopment...the cartoon people looked so bored that the plastic glass interior of the redesign melded into bland abandon of exclusive piped muzak designer food stuffs with an olive on the side.

To top it all Derby City Scape or


are planning to knock down a music venue that has kept things rolling with the musical underground except of course the likes of nights like Hunting for Teeth at Susumi and Ponce nights etc .

The venue which is The Victoria Inn next to the station is going to go... for more info and sign the petition against such an act go to the site

People need to think about what is going on ... do we need another bar club that pumps out lame house music or a great venue for live music...

Go to Jyoti Mishra's page about the above as well ...


I'm not against change and fully in favour of it in some cases, including the new Quad arts complex which is very necessary for the city...

but to make changes which in the end become just another bland city centre is the potential of what is happening in the city of Derby. Glass / pale brick complexes that have no soul. I hope not. To erradicate your heritage is to pull out your heart. Would you?

Nanoplex back in Derby

Hi all,

the Nanoplex cinema in a caravan is back in Derby on Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 December 05

in Market Square, I'll be working at on the Sunday between 11am and 3pm and these times apply to Saturday as well. if anyone one wishes to come, have a look at the films being shown including Confluence the one that myself and Candice Moule were involved with. You can also ask me questions about my work or just have a chat.

You can also check out the interview I recently did for Left Lion in Nottingham.

The Nanoplex also appeared at the Trigger event at Q Gallery on Monday 5 December, it was a very good event with several performances and films / art works.

New Things

Since my last posting I've been working on several projects, beginnings of ones and more commercial practices with other artists work.

Had a show of work at the last Banks Mill Open Studios in Derby, where I got a room to myself.

It was compact, but worked in a way... where I also showed some video pieces that are rarely shown. People seemed interested, but these events are peculiar beasts... (see pictures above)

Made two trips to London over last two months to document areas of London for Corey Mwamba - Symbiosis Ensemble project documenting areas of Ignatius Sancho's life in UK.

These will be used as part of a cd package as yet to be done.

I also recently performed with Concertina Turner at a benefit gig for the Padley Centre in Derby ... reading passages from a book of impostors as bingo calls... its fired me up to such things again. The gig took place at the First Floor Club Derby on Sunday 4th December 05.












It was also the night of a very very good if not best performance by The Dust Collectors...
with added brass section.

Accessing the Moustache Week

dr dangerous

madam alsashia and dalmatia and the amazing stunt dogs

the moustache gang with Andy Jupp great dj

















comfortism

the instigators - Vic / Ruth /Claire , three fabulous moustache people

all the above photographs from the Opening Night at The Late Bar in Derby

Well the Moustache festival has now finished for now, I mean for now becouse it will happen again.
I sort of became the official moustache festival photographer without intention. It has been a great and mad week of events including some unprogrammed randomness.

I shall be putting some photographs online soon once I have sorted them out and accessed them...

here are a few for now... and link to their website

Melbourne Arts Festival Derbyshire

This coming Saturday and Sunday the 17 and 18 of September I shall be showing some of my work as part of the Melbourne Arts Festival.

I will be at The Grange - Packhorse Road - Melbourne - Derbyshire between 10am and 5pm on both days (approx becouse I'm travelling in by bus on both days)... I have been placed in one of the rooms with an artist called Julian Broadhurst.

I'm showing a mixture of works.... as yet not disclosed, but you can guess if you wish...

On further note I've just got involved with a project called Project Y

This involves a number of photographers and people that will be venturing to as it goes so far Denby Dale to photograph the place...

Go to the link to blog for updates...

Moustache Festival Derby a fine week of events

Moustache Festival website

this is a week of programmed and random events

throughout the fine city of Derby... UK

Monday 26 September - Sunday 2 October 2005

Its going to be great and marvalous...

check their website for details

I'm photographically documenting some of it ...

The Quad Building

Well here is another thing that seems to drive the people of Derby mad a new Arts Centre.

Personally I think its going to be a great enhancement to the city. As a building its going to hold key points in Derby's Arts community Q-Arts / Metro Cinema and Creative Industries within a central location. A place for meeting as well as collaboration.

At the moment the arts community is fractured throughout the city I feel this new centre will bring it together and stronger.

I hope they don't normalise the look and it turns into just another building. Somehow I don't think so... I hope not ... we'll see....

As an artist/photographer myself its a very important step in providing needed facilities that are also needed in the city of Derby outside of the University including dark room and workshop space as well as computer suites I think.

The link on this section will take you to the site where you can also look at the plans of Quad.

The Dust Collectors on national radio one

Yes the Dust Collectors were played tonight and it was fantastic to hear them on national radio.... about time. For one I am a friend of the band but also a big fan...

Huw Stephens was the dj... go to site and vote for them... They were played as part of the best of the unsigned acts. Playing unsigned acts is supurb which is good news for the state of new music radio since the great Mr Peel went to heaven.

I just put some new photographs of the dust ones on my site as well ...


Their playing this Thursday 8 September at The Late Bar in Derby at The Village Hall Disco....

up and coming September

Well the things that are about to happen will be in September.

Check out the Bathysphere Nanoplex at World Music Day Darley Park / Derby
on Saturday September 3rd...

My work is featured in one of the films being shown, check out previous post Confluence.

You'll also see The Symbiosis Ensemble there at the World Music Day,
check them out they really do it...!

Melbourne Arts Festival / Melbourne Derbyshire -
Saturday 17 - Sunday 18 September 10am - 5pm
I will be showing some of my work at The Grange / Packhorse Road / Melbourne.
For more details on the festival check out the website

More to come...

The Progress

Well the Surface exhibition has begun, its on til next week in Nottingham.
check their website for more details.

As I indicated in a few posts earlier I have been attending artists help seminars at Banks Mill here's the link to the organisors site for Make It Happen.
Sounds like an Artists Anonymous session but it isn't I guarantee you.

Just downloaded a online radio player for Last Fm
its an online radio station for your choice in music.
You just need to type in an artist or musical form whom
you like and it gives you others related in taste.

I did type in Jazz and got some very dodgy heavy metal for some reason seems it needs sorting out in places but in all I think its very good.

Its got alot of the more obscure sides to music as well as the up to date stuff.

I m attending a Photo Forum tonight which has come out of the Format exhibition festival this year.

Looks good I hope we can sort things out for the area.


Thats it for now ...

Recent Listening

Stereolab - Sound Dust
Freddie Hubbard - Breaking Point
Saint Etienne - Tales of Turnpike House
Rotary Connection - Hey Love
Soundtrack to The Limey
Blue Aeroplanes - Bop Art
Freddie Hubbard - The Body and the Soul

and a few more...

I've been recently photographing community art works intended for an exhibition. Taking them into situations and placements. Its all to do with the idea of a Den. More to come up soon.

Confluence

The commission project that I have previously mentioned is now up and running. The first showing of Confluence took place on Saturday 9 July within the Nanoplex Caravan at the Custard Factory in Birmingham. I went along to see it and the rest of the festival and of course got caught up in the bomb scare. Went down with some friends. As a reminder this project is a collaboration between myself, Candice Moule, Sean Clark (Cuttlefish) and Steve Gibbs of Bathysphere.

After the Custard Factory we were having some food in China town, got evacuated from China Town. An alarm was sounding just before mixing in sound with a jazz combo playing in the area. Initially thinking it was a over zealous car alarm or shop alarm. The workers at the chinese cafe came out after we started eating said we had to leave brought the bill and we were gone. Thought about going back to the Custard Factory, but decided to leave the city straight away after talking with a police man.


Link to film maker Sean Clark at Cuttlefish Digital Arts and the people who commissioned us, Bathysphere Digital Arts

Birmingham bomb scare link to BBC News general public opinions.

A strange day...

City Of Glass

a fantastic album Gershwin meets Sun RA
here is a link to some info on Stan Kenton

An Up and coming conference

Symposium

on photography
in september ( link to International Photography Research Network )

something old something new

Entering the world of actually working for myself

Just signed the paperwork for New Deal scheme to get me on the road to fend for myself.

Commission is going well, looks good so far, once done, I'll post a link as well as divulge the details.


I am showing some of my work this coming weekend at the Banks Mill Open Studios event Friday 1st July from 4pm - 8pm and Saturday 2nd July 11am - 6pm.

some new work

here is a link to some new work that I have just put on line, but not on my website.

a few days to write about or maybe not

Things are starting to pick up now, did a bit of soundscape djing the other day as part of an event at the Q-Gallery / Derby Monday 13 June. The event is called Trigger and its a first of a line of intended events that feature sound, music and film, collaborations and clashes. I did several back to back sets of records with my cohort Chris Barker whom lent the decks and used his sampler to create sound chaos. I enjoyed doing it and hope we get to do it again. The bands that played were 'The Telescopes' and 'Development of Shape' and another whom I cant remember. All three groups collaborated with film makers and digital artists to form an evening of cinematic manipulation. On the whole I think it worked, but initially you can never tell with these kind of events. I look forward to the next installment....

As from last week I have been working on a commission where my photography will be used in a collaborative moving image piece set to music and projected within a caravan. This commission has come through Bathysphere Digital Arts / Leicester where I am working alongside a musician Steve, digital artist Sean C as well as fellow photographer Candice Moule. Keep your eye out at the various festivals in the area, you might see a caravan as cinema.

Plus other things waiting to hear back about.

a well rounded conversation

Last night I had a conversation that seemed to cover every subject under the sun. I probably need to get out more really, remembering what was said, is and has been a strange struggle of memory. The immediate recall has failed, service will be resumed as soon as possible.

Up early today off to Nottingham, checking out degree shows, try and see most of them, but they are all over the city. I believe its the last day as well. The Derby ones are next week.

back up plans and a few thoughts

As in a previous post I stated that i was embarking on a new project that reflected the office environment, mainly empty. Well so far this has not developed as I hoped so I have also incorporated spaces that are being used, void of people. Approaching people I know that work in the office environment.

I am also waiting on a decision that has just come to light in which I will find about in a few weeks.

Its an ongoing project in which I see as a survey of working space.

I am also looking out for people whom might help me with this, in which you can e-mail me at georgeharrisphoto@gmail.com

I am looking for spaces in the East Midlands / UK.

Listening to some great on line radio stations Totally Radio Jazz station and Boombastic.

Watched a great movie the other night called American Movie, its a documetary about a film maker called Mark Borchardt, for those of you that don't know it. It's a story of perseverance, funny, heart warming and sad all in one film. Just watch it becouse I can't say it in any other words.

We need more things on tv like it, instead of the cctv celebrity running on hot coals soap farm that is the main ingredient of today. The Truman Show had it right all a long.

Over and Out for now...

Forward

Just recently I have been asked to become a producer for a Film Production under the name Star Child Media. My role is to look for funding for the project which will develop and make a trilogy of films through acting workshops.

With my own work I am still working on the Office project, still waiting to hear about some locations. I've also signed up for a scheme to help artists through artistic practise and business set up. This is through the Banks Mill Studios Creative Industries Start up Scheme in Derby.
If you live in an objective 2 area it will help.

Im looking forward to getting it all going, 'if it already hasnt been'. In a sense it has, but not officially.

Offices

I've now begun a new project surrounding the Office where I am looking for abandoned office blocks or no longer used parts of a company that is still in business.

I've felt a need for a while to look and deal with the corporate world in some kind of way within my photography. Having recently having friends suggest I should, I've now taken the plunge so to speak. So far I have covered two sites with more to follow. The development idea that I mentioned in the previous post, fell through, where the company turned me down. This development is the Eagle Centre extension in Derby/UK which is being constructed by the Westfield Group.

I have taken some sneeky photographs of this anyway, but I felt if I got permission to photograph I would be able to get better images than the ones I already have. Sadly not to be so far, but the person I spoke with has stated they will keep it in mind. We'll see!!!

I've also developed the film of the Main Centre area that has now been demolished for the above. Most of the images look fine, but unfortunatly in parts the film must have stuck and double exposed on three or four exposures. I've ended up with three satisfactory shots out of a 120 slide film used in a 6x7.

I have never really been a technical photographer in the sense of talking equipment, etc, I dislike this kind of attitude. I find it sometimes covers up the ideas and concepts of the image where those kind of photographers seem to more concerned in what size lens they have than what they use it for. Often achieving a very bland view of the world. Not to say they all do...

I'm just having a few words and Im sure I am not the first or last person to say it.

Anyway I better end it there for now.

all the best ....

an interesting few days

Lost my mobile over the weekend, well I thought i did, it turned up in the end, a mixture of many things seem to make me go off on a search when in all it was sitting down the side of a chair hmmm i might say, had a semi mild few words with a friend and vise versa, must be the full moon having its effects... rise above i must say, but i always find it amazing, that the simpler the problem or issue around the time of full moon it increases it 200%...

well over the last few days I have been along to an artists seminar organised through AN magazine. very useful in parts but i felt could have been more inclined towards the individual rather than artists groups. Some very interesting works and talks... from G39 and Castlefield Gallery especially.

Starting on definate plans to make new works in which I have approached a shopping centre developer in Derby to take some photographs of the on going works, some how i have the feeling i may not get the chance, for one the particular developer has a rep of keeping things in house and being very secretive. I shall record it in this blog once I know and then and only then I will name the development.

Having once photographed inside the shopping centre when i was at University and being taken to the office by a security guard, thinking I was part of a plan of industrial spying.... I thought it was quite obvious I wasn't, a similar thing happened to me while outside the centre on green land area off their property, I was shouted at by another guard what are you doing,

"mid shot with a large format, taking a photograph of the car park area from outside", I was within my legal right then i think.

Over the last week a couple of exhibition possiblities have come my way where i will inform this blog soon once I know whats going on and that I will be doing them.

Anyway thats it for now from me.

More Symbiosis Ensemble

Another photograph from the same night, it was an event part of Derby Jazz Week (see previous post)

The Symbiosis Ensemble

one of the photographs i took on Sunday 17 at Derby Dance Centre for and of The Symbiosis Ensemble which is the creation of Corey Mwamba. The theme of work performed surrounds the life and works of Ignatius Sancho
the first reported African to vote in Britain. (Go to the link to find out more)
I think this an important work to look out for where it reflects on contemporary society just as much as the past.

It was a great night of sounds and words, the ensemble worked

The Journey

A journey that took place One and half years ago.
A few moments to view what was seen from the train.

.

a day of being called in part two

It was a good day today busy at the exhibition space in which I was invigilating the work of Don McCullin called Life Interrupted. A powerful photography exhibition on the HIV crisis in Southern Africa... its not a work you can be flippant about, where it puts any minor crisis I or others might write within these pages to shame. The work follows through from a previous document of McCullins and shows the people within the stages, months or year after taking Anti Viral drugs.

Here is a link to the online version through Christianaid of Don McCullin's Life Interrupted

It speaks for itself, check it out.

Sounds when I got home Herbie Hancock - Maiden Voyage LP and Nicole Conte 12

over and out

a day of being called in

Last minute callings to duty, well I did say yes, so I can't complain really. Anyway I have to write now. My recently aquired burns of 'JagaJassist' - The Stix and 'Lars Horntveth' - Pooka are being played to death, where the vinyl has gone to the way side for abit, but saying that 'Martha Whitney' Its My Thing Lp and 'Kim Weston's' Brothers and Sisters track have been both played at extreme volume of late so I'm not loosing the plot yet.

Been changing my website around a bit lately just forming things up, where I've seen things act differently in various computers, I think thats it for a while, but its on going. Writing proposals to galleries pushing my Waiting Room show, now in the waiting stage, also getting prepared for self employment June will be my starting point.

Anyway better finish off there for now, got to rush off in a minute or two. If I get the inspiration to write later I will.

along the path

stuck on its own, part of my Waiting Room project research and obssession with housing.

stillness on the move

Travel photographs don't appeal to me, but taking photographs from a moving car or train do...

The Dust Collectors

The Dust Collectors (2004) (at Q-Gallery /Derby UK)

My favourite unsigned band, a wonderful mix of sound, visuals and words.

more images

Just took a quick look around

My first post without a photograph attached...

Well I just took a quick look around the other blogs from the top bar,
didn't see anything i wanted to stop at, until the top bar disappeared.

I'm sure there is something of interest out there somewhere!?!

Spent Sunday invigilating at the gallery I do stuff with,
hardly anyone in, a shell of perusal. Drawing a comparison.

the prefab on the corner



i always remember walking by this place, when I lived nearby.
Always wondering whom lived there,what went on, never witnessed
anyone coming in or out, but it was always obvious someone did live there.


nearby dunes





a meeting point of burnt offerings

open for business



want to buy some, fresh and delightful


views from where





the customers, locals and other clientele!