Wednesday, 24 February 2010
Wednesday, 6 January 2010
One & Other - the summer of 2009
The Summer of 2009 was the most unique of summers for me. I may have had only one hour on the 4th Plinth in Trafalgar Square as 1/2400th of Antony Gormley's 'One & Other' project... but the influence of this experience that was begun on 8th June 2009 (when I first read that I had a place), carried through the Summer, until the final hour of the One & Other art installation and beyond.
I lived this Summer of 2009 on a different level and although for the most part, my days occurred as normal - they were ‘felt’ differently. I spent a lot of time, wondering about the Plinth – an awful, ridiculous, all-consuming amount of time, wondering about the Plinth.
Before 11am Sunday 12th July, I would wonder at how it would be on the Plinth and how I would spend my hour. Then after my hour, I would wonder at who was on the Plinth at any given moment and I would be a little envious that some 'other' was having a ‘Plinth experience’.
The Summer of 2009 morphed from its heady intensity on 8th June to complete fear by 9th June. What on earth was I thinking? I had no desire for cameras, no desire for my moment in a spotlight, no desire for doing anything quite as incredibly public as this Plinth thing. I had entered my name for a place, to show support for what I thought was a lovely idea worth supporting – I sign up to too many newsletters for the same reason.
At the time of notification, there was no ‘One’ on the Plinth (the project did not start until 6th July), so there was all that time of overwhelming newness – total unknown-ness about this. On reflection – this was probably the most exquisite of times. When we grow up, there are a whole lot less ‘firsts’. This was a true first, a something I had never done and more than that, a something I had never even considered or imagined as a something I would ever do… ever.
At this time, I felt like I needed to find some of the ‘others’, so went searching. Google, Facebook, Twitter had some chatter about the One & Other event and I started finding the search results for “What will I do with my hour?” – growing. Slowly but surely, those that had received notice that they had an hour on the Plinth and were on the internet – found each other.
The official Facebook Group by Artichoke (and the lovely, approachable, helpful Holly Race) for One & Other, was a big group, even in the pre-project days and what I really wanted, was to narrow down my search; to just those who were going to have an hour on the Plinth.
So for every post I found on the internet that said the poster had received notice that they were going on the Plinth – I sent a message inviting them to a new Facebook group called ‘I, Plinthian’; a locked group that would be for Plinthians only.
This was one of my better ideas. ‘I, Plinthian’ was a dimension to this experience that I could never have factored. The support, the warmth, the honesty, the sincerity and the incredible unity of our band of ‘others’ …stirred such emotion within me. Not wishing to over-dramatise (could I ever be accused of that?), but this group assured me, that my belief in the natural wonderfulness of people – was a well founded one.
My faith in ‘others’ was established as fact.
I lived this Summer of 2009 on a different level and although for the most part, my days occurred as normal - they were ‘felt’ differently. I spent a lot of time, wondering about the Plinth – an awful, ridiculous, all-consuming amount of time, wondering about the Plinth.
Before 11am Sunday 12th July, I would wonder at how it would be on the Plinth and how I would spend my hour. Then after my hour, I would wonder at who was on the Plinth at any given moment and I would be a little envious that some 'other' was having a ‘Plinth experience’.
The Summer of 2009 morphed from its heady intensity on 8th June to complete fear by 9th June. What on earth was I thinking? I had no desire for cameras, no desire for my moment in a spotlight, no desire for doing anything quite as incredibly public as this Plinth thing. I had entered my name for a place, to show support for what I thought was a lovely idea worth supporting – I sign up to too many newsletters for the same reason.
At the time of notification, there was no ‘One’ on the Plinth (the project did not start until 6th July), so there was all that time of overwhelming newness – total unknown-ness about this. On reflection – this was probably the most exquisite of times. When we grow up, there are a whole lot less ‘firsts’. This was a true first, a something I had never done and more than that, a something I had never even considered or imagined as a something I would ever do… ever.
At this time, I felt like I needed to find some of the ‘others’, so went searching. Google, Facebook, Twitter had some chatter about the One & Other event and I started finding the search results for “What will I do with my hour?” – growing. Slowly but surely, those that had received notice that they had an hour on the Plinth and were on the internet – found each other.
The official Facebook Group by Artichoke (and the lovely, approachable, helpful Holly Race) for One & Other, was a big group, even in the pre-project days and what I really wanted, was to narrow down my search; to just those who were going to have an hour on the Plinth.
So for every post I found on the internet that said the poster had received notice that they were going on the Plinth – I sent a message inviting them to a new Facebook group called ‘I, Plinthian’; a locked group that would be for Plinthians only.
This was one of my better ideas. ‘I, Plinthian’ was a dimension to this experience that I could never have factored. The support, the warmth, the honesty, the sincerity and the incredible unity of our band of ‘others’ …stirred such emotion within me. Not wishing to over-dramatise (could I ever be accused of that?), but this group assured me, that my belief in the natural wonderfulness of people – was a well founded one.
My faith in ‘others’ was established as fact.
Sunday, 6 December 2009
Who's Your Favourite Ally?
I was thinking tonight about Allies.
Groups form around us at times and phases in our lives - we ally with 'youth', when we are them, we ally with 'gender', when gender-issues arise, we ally with our 'religion', when we have it and it differs from some other and we ally with our 'class/social group' when it serves to do so; we ally with whatever reflects our image of our selves at the time.
Not sure where I am going with this...
…it's just that it reminded me of how, when I am in South London, North London seems a contrast and yet as I pass Birmingham, I begin to feel an allegiance to my London roots. Then as Lancashire approaches, I ponder the contrast of Northerners and Southerners. Don’t get me started on how all this morphs again once I leave the country…
It also reminded me of how, within South London, exist the many smaller allegiances of suburbs and clans of fans of football teams... and how, even in the wider view of the world, there are larger chunks of allegiances, held together by religion and race.
What does this all mean and is it of any relevance? Goodness knows. Just thinking about who/what we choose to ally with and what would happen, if we chose our allies with a different, as yet unthought-of criteria?
Maybe the whole ‘ally’ concept is the spanner in the works of world-wide harmony?
And what of the way allying, is changing? New allies are being formed on social networking and other online community sites. We have new allegiances with those on Linked-in or those who prefer Facebook over Bebo …and almost related, to those who tweet on Twitter.
Allies are the power-base of those who seek control – from neighbourhood gangs to global partners – power is built on strategically or numerically worthwhile allegiances.
So I suppose I am questioning what/who I ally myself with.
Groups form around us at times and phases in our lives - we ally with 'youth', when we are them, we ally with 'gender', when gender-issues arise, we ally with our 'religion', when we have it and it differs from some other and we ally with our 'class/social group' when it serves to do so; we ally with whatever reflects our image of our selves at the time.
Not sure where I am going with this...
…it's just that it reminded me of how, when I am in South London, North London seems a contrast and yet as I pass Birmingham, I begin to feel an allegiance to my London roots. Then as Lancashire approaches, I ponder the contrast of Northerners and Southerners. Don’t get me started on how all this morphs again once I leave the country…
It also reminded me of how, within South London, exist the many smaller allegiances of suburbs and clans of fans of football teams... and how, even in the wider view of the world, there are larger chunks of allegiances, held together by religion and race.
What does this all mean and is it of any relevance? Goodness knows. Just thinking about who/what we choose to ally with and what would happen, if we chose our allies with a different, as yet unthought-of criteria?
Maybe the whole ‘ally’ concept is the spanner in the works of world-wide harmony?
And what of the way allying, is changing? New allies are being formed on social networking and other online community sites. We have new allegiances with those on Linked-in or those who prefer Facebook over Bebo …and almost related, to those who tweet on Twitter.
Allies are the power-base of those who seek control – from neighbourhood gangs to global partners – power is built on strategically or numerically worthwhile allegiances.
So I suppose I am questioning what/who I ally myself with.
Thursday, 22 October 2009
Flu Prevention
Dr. Vinay Goyal is an MBBS,DRM,DNB (Intensivist and Thyroid specialist) with over 20 years of clinical experience. He has worked at the Hinduja Hospital, Bombay Hospital, Saifee Hospital, Tata Memorial etc.. Presently, he is heading the Nuclear Medicine Department and Thyroid clinic at Riddhivinayak Cardiac and Critical Centre, Malad (W).
The following message given by him, makes a lot of sense and is important for all to know:
The only portals of entry for the H1N1 virus are the nostrils and mouth/throat. In a global epidemic of this nature, it's almost impossible to avoid coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions. Contact with H1N1 is not so much of a problem as proliferation is.
While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps, not fully highlighted in most official communications, can be practiced (instead of focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu):
1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications).
2. "Hands-off-the-face" approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (unless you want to eat, bathe or slap).
3. Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don't trust salt). H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/ nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.
4. Similar to 3 above, clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water. Blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.
5. Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C. If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.
6. Drink as much of warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can. Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.
The following message given by him, makes a lot of sense and is important for all to know:
The only portals of entry for the H1N1 virus are the nostrils and mouth/throat. In a global epidemic of this nature, it's almost impossible to avoid coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions. Contact with H1N1 is not so much of a problem as proliferation is.
While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps, not fully highlighted in most official communications, can be practiced (instead of focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu):
1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications).
2. "Hands-off-the-face" approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (unless you want to eat, bathe or slap).
3. Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don't trust salt). H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/ nasal cavity to proliferate and show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation. In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual that Tamiflu has on an infected one. Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method.
4. Similar to 3 above, clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water. Blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.
5. Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C. If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption.
6. Drink as much of warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can. Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm.
Sunday, 19 July 2009
Plinth Support...
I wonder each day, in many moments, how it is for whichever Plinthian is on the 4th plinth. My hour was at 11am on Sunday 12th July and the ‘come down’ goes on despite the absence of a cherry picker.
Click blog entry for original on One & Other website
Click blog entry for original on One & Other website
Saturday, 4 July 2009
“I, Plinthian!”
So it is that some of us have found ourselves to be figments of Antony Gormley’s rich imagination; fragments of an artwork that will be 100 days in the making, whilst simultaneously being dismantled hour by hour.
We ‘others’ seem to be akin to mercury, as we begin to find each other here on the internet; scattered on blogs and ‘Tweets’ and status updates. The mood of those chosen seems to reflect a blend of delighted, terrified and confused. On Facebook and Twitter we encounter each other – easily recognising ourselves by our common call “What shall I do with my hour on the Plinth?”.
Some of us made contact and eventually, a Facebook Group entitled ‘I, Plinthian’was created in order to have a place where we could share the experience, with those who could understand, inspire and empathise.
Aside from the discussions about how to spend the hour, one thread was entitled ‘How do you feel?’ and has proved to be (for me) the place where our art’s heart beats. I wonder at Mr Gormley’s thoughts as our ‘creator’ and ponder whether he is finding it surreal that his art talks amongst itself?
Excerpts from the thread include:
“This is so strange, I am excited and terrified at the same time!!! Today, I can't believe that I did a live interview on BBC Radio WM yesterday morning, I will be raising Lupus Awareness with my hour, all very surreal, can not believe the interest. I am trying to convince myself that going on "the plinth" will be a doddle after another 40 days planning it!!”
Kay Lockley - July 26th 7pm-8 pm
“I keep veering between 'aaaargghh!! I CAN'T do it' and 'Oooo! I've got a place and “I'm so excited I want to tell everyone!!'. I keep imagining the height of the plinth too and I'm going to measure out the surface area of the top at the weekend so I can get a feel for just what 1.7 x 4.4m feels like. I'm feeling quite well organised (so I must be missing something ...????): have booked my hotel, got my train ticket, sweet talked someone into providing me with some boards on which to put my message (and the wonderful man offered to print them on for me as well!). Now I'm on to 'how many outfits to take' just in case it snows etc.”
Barbara Harrison – July 19th 2pm-3pm
“I think everyone can agree that this is defiantly a... bizzarr experience. I go through the day with a fluxing dread about it, I can't make up my mind about whether I'm happy about it, or the desperate urge to just run away form the whole thing. I only applied because I had been studying Gormley's works this year for my A-levels and I was soaking up all Gormleyesque things, I had no idea I would be allocated a place.
I'm only 17, and I see all these wonderful people planning on doing such extraordinary things with their time, and I can't help feel small and silly in comparison.”
Hannah Wilson – July 30th 1am-2am
“Yep, I'm pretty much feeling the same as everyone else here - excitement coupled with gut wrenching fear just about covers it. Oh well, it's nice to know I'm not alone.
I've been wracking my brains and I've still not settled on a definite plan for my hour, that's if I go with a plan at all. My dad told me I should take some flat-pack furniture up there and make myself useful! I don't think so. My only totally definite plan so far is to enjoy the 60 minutes to the fullest, whatever happens. By the way, getting to the Welcome Centre 90 minutes before to be processed and 'interviewed'? Now that's scary!!”
Robert Walker – July 10th 8am-9am
“I'm so glad you're all feeling the same. I wake up and remember - aargh! I think about it constantly. I also feel small and silly (I am small!) however, I've known what I'm doing from the start - sing the Mozart Requiem - and that's never changed. The technical aspects have not sorted themselves out, so I'm just going to go up with a CD player and sing - no mics or anything. Good luck to everyone. Will we all meet up sometime somewhere? Will we meet Anthony Gormley?”
Janis Raishbrook – July 12th 5-6 am
“Hi everyone - feeling quite excited - worried my hands will shake and I will find it difficult to do my 'thing' which is: Turning on my bubble machine, blowing up my balloons, lighting them up, attaching messages, ribbons and bells, getting them over the safety net and hoping people will want them and take them, and hoping what I've got to say has some positive effect on somebody! Still testing all this - and getting a back up plan together in case it fails or rains or we have a hurricane!”
Kim Claus Franklin – July 19th 11pm-midnight
…………………………………………………………………………………….
I hope you enjoyed this glimpse at the humans, who amidst 2400, will be the artwork ‘One & Other’. I believe we are each already a unique work of art and when put together, have the capacity to become something unforeseen, unpredictable and entirely lovely.
If you haven’t applied for your place on the plinth, I cannot recommend it highly enough. It is a strange, all-consuming, yet satisfying experience.
We ‘others’ seem to be akin to mercury, as we begin to find each other here on the internet; scattered on blogs and ‘Tweets’ and status updates. The mood of those chosen seems to reflect a blend of delighted, terrified and confused. On Facebook and Twitter we encounter each other – easily recognising ourselves by our common call “What shall I do with my hour on the Plinth?”.
Some of us made contact and eventually, a Facebook Group entitled ‘I, Plinthian’was created in order to have a place where we could share the experience, with those who could understand, inspire and empathise.
Aside from the discussions about how to spend the hour, one thread was entitled ‘How do you feel?’ and has proved to be (for me) the place where our art’s heart beats. I wonder at Mr Gormley’s thoughts as our ‘creator’ and ponder whether he is finding it surreal that his art talks amongst itself?
Excerpts from the thread include:
“This is so strange, I am excited and terrified at the same time!!! Today, I can't believe that I did a live interview on BBC Radio WM yesterday morning, I will be raising Lupus Awareness with my hour, all very surreal, can not believe the interest. I am trying to convince myself that going on "the plinth" will be a doddle after another 40 days planning it!!”
Kay Lockley - July 26th 7pm-8 pm
“I keep veering between 'aaaargghh!! I CAN'T do it' and 'Oooo! I've got a place and “I'm so excited I want to tell everyone!!'. I keep imagining the height of the plinth too and I'm going to measure out the surface area of the top at the weekend so I can get a feel for just what 1.7 x 4.4m feels like. I'm feeling quite well organised (so I must be missing something ...????): have booked my hotel, got my train ticket, sweet talked someone into providing me with some boards on which to put my message (and the wonderful man offered to print them on for me as well!). Now I'm on to 'how many outfits to take' just in case it snows etc.”
Barbara Harrison – July 19th 2pm-3pm
“I think everyone can agree that this is defiantly a... bizzarr experience. I go through the day with a fluxing dread about it, I can't make up my mind about whether I'm happy about it, or the desperate urge to just run away form the whole thing. I only applied because I had been studying Gormley's works this year for my A-levels and I was soaking up all Gormleyesque things, I had no idea I would be allocated a place.
I'm only 17, and I see all these wonderful people planning on doing such extraordinary things with their time, and I can't help feel small and silly in comparison.”
Hannah Wilson – July 30th 1am-2am
“Yep, I'm pretty much feeling the same as everyone else here - excitement coupled with gut wrenching fear just about covers it. Oh well, it's nice to know I'm not alone.
I've been wracking my brains and I've still not settled on a definite plan for my hour, that's if I go with a plan at all. My dad told me I should take some flat-pack furniture up there and make myself useful! I don't think so. My only totally definite plan so far is to enjoy the 60 minutes to the fullest, whatever happens. By the way, getting to the Welcome Centre 90 minutes before to be processed and 'interviewed'? Now that's scary!!”
Robert Walker – July 10th 8am-9am
“I'm so glad you're all feeling the same. I wake up and remember - aargh! I think about it constantly. I also feel small and silly (I am small!) however, I've known what I'm doing from the start - sing the Mozart Requiem - and that's never changed. The technical aspects have not sorted themselves out, so I'm just going to go up with a CD player and sing - no mics or anything. Good luck to everyone. Will we all meet up sometime somewhere? Will we meet Anthony Gormley?”
Janis Raishbrook – July 12th 5-6 am
“Hi everyone - feeling quite excited - worried my hands will shake and I will find it difficult to do my 'thing' which is: Turning on my bubble machine, blowing up my balloons, lighting them up, attaching messages, ribbons and bells, getting them over the safety net and hoping people will want them and take them, and hoping what I've got to say has some positive effect on somebody! Still testing all this - and getting a back up plan together in case it fails or rains or we have a hurricane!”
Kim Claus Franklin – July 19th 11pm-midnight
…………………………………………………………………………………….
I hope you enjoyed this glimpse at the humans, who amidst 2400, will be the artwork ‘One & Other’. I believe we are each already a unique work of art and when put together, have the capacity to become something unforeseen, unpredictable and entirely lovely.
If you haven’t applied for your place on the plinth, I cannot recommend it highly enough. It is a strange, all-consuming, yet satisfying experience.
Friday, 12 June 2009
I am a 'Gormley Original'
This democratisation of art
Doesnt start on a plinth
Doesnt start with me
Doesnt even start with Mr Gormley.
It starts when we look up
And evolves as we look in
To find the artistry within
‘We’.
We
Who are more than just workers
And daughters
And soldiers
And sons.
We
Who are as unique as each new day’s sun.
We
Who have beauty however concealed.
We
Who are art..
We the people
Doesnt start on a plinth
Doesnt start with me
Doesnt even start with Mr Gormley.
It starts when we look up
And evolves as we look in
To find the artistry within
‘We’.
We
Who are more than just workers
And daughters
And soldiers
And sons.
We
Who are as unique as each new day’s sun.
We
Who have beauty however concealed.
We
Who are art..
We the people
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