So much to review so little time

Okay yet again I've not been updating the blog. So have set myself and summer resolution to sort this out once and for all. To make up for lost time I'm going to go all Haiku on you with short reviews of things since last time so in no particular date order...

Bambucco Bridge (Newcastle upon Tyne)

The Tyne's Bambucco bridge
it breaks my heart
to see such wasted money

Translation - It was being built for a month and allegedly cost £250,000. It opened on Friday (wtih fireworks woo hoo we love big bangs on Tyneside) but I couldn't go so decided to pop down in my lunch break the following Monday to find.... them taking it down! Now I've never ever said that a piece of culture was a waste of money before (well apart from the Royal Opera House and the money going to the RSC) but ladies and gentleman I give you my first 'waste of money award' to..... NewcastleGateshead Initiative. What the feck were you thinking?

British Surrealism & Other Realities: The Sherwin Collection and Material Culture: Recently Gifted Works at mima

Downstairs didn't do it
Upstairs really did
Both made a perfect whole

Translation - Surrealism doesn't really work for me. I can see that it did at the time and to be honest I respect that. However while the work just doesn't do it for me this collection is pretty amazing, partly for the collecting of the Sherwins and partly for mima Director Godfrey Worsdale getting the exhibition together (I hope he can go one better and get them to gift it to him on their demise). For that reason and for the opportunity to see it and for the good people of Middlesbrough to see it I think it was great. It was the Material Culture Exhibition that I loved. It's simply a great big thank you, once again from Godfrey, to a range of artists and others who have given work to the mima collection. I loved everything in there, Dan Holdsworth's fantastic photo's of mima, works by Antony Gormley, Andy Goldsworthy, Edmund de Waal, Julian Stair, Langlands & Bell and Graham Dolphin all came together perfectly. Well done all of you for donating and again well done Godfrey. Can I suggest you for the vacant job at Baltic? Which leads me to....

Yoshitomo Nara Graf / Mariko Mori / Double Agent / Barti Kerr all at Baltic

Baltic look to mima
to see how it can be
Nara is a start

Translation - Well I'm not going to review all of these - some may say I don't review anything at all but who cares....Anyway Double Agent and Barti Kerr...well they're there and I suppose they're better than empty rooms. I did like Barti Kerr's use of bindi to create some interesting works of art but it didn't really make me think there was something new happening. Pretty and slightly autistic but not exciting. Mariko Mori is Japanese. Rich and privileged too, some might say rich enough to be able to decide to be an artist and to be able ot fail but rich enough to be able ot make sure her work is shown. Shame.
Especially when you see the work of Nara and Graf. Three fantastic buildings built inside a gallery because Nara feels that gallery's are too clinical too white. You enter the world of Nara by entering the buildings, you enter his mind and childlike world that has such a sinister edge you wonder if there are some children buried under his patio back home. Everytime Nara visits somewhere as part of the exhitibo he builds a new house and for Gateshead he built a castle, a New Castle. Yes yet again the good burghers of Gateshead lose out to their slightly more glamorous (but less cultured?) cousins across the water. Does it matter? Hell no, it's great and you've got only a couple of Weeks to get yourself down there..... Begone young fool and try it for yourself.

Chris Watson - Oceanicus Pacificus at Alt Gallery, Newcastle

Light of blue in ceiling
sound of sea in ear
favourite store becomes a womb

A gallery housed in a record shop, not any record shop but a damn good one Alt Vinyl, I'm in heaven. There have already been a steady stream of excellent exhibitions at the gallery based on music and sound. They have been curated by Rebecca Shatwell who has recently been appointed as Director of the region's AV Festival (a great choice) and this is no exception. It's an experience and one you have to go to on your own and experience but to simplify it, you are immersed in the light and colour and sounds of the ocean. It makes The Blue Planet seem a bit one dimensional. I have to admit to feeling slightly sick after a couple of minutes but I still thought it was that simple kind of art and sound installation that works brilliantly. Perhaps every shop should have to calm customers down - or make them sick so they leave.
Oh and for every £10 you spend in Alt Vinyl they give you a stamp, collect 10 and you get £10 off a purchase. And they've got a vinyl sale on. And there's loads of good stuff in it. No, I'm not on commission.....

Ok that's it for now and I realise it's a bit visual art heavy. Will try and address that with more updates on the last couple of months soon....