Autumn get a grip here:
Leaves in my garden:
And ominous skies around All Souls Eve:
So, Samhain: the darkness grows – we fear for light.
I have been continuing my investigation of the anniversary of the New Craftsman Gallery in St Ives: namely an exhibition at the Craft Centre of the University of Creativity in Farnham: there are some nice exhibits of recent artists work shown in St Ives:
I have also been following the work of Lizzie Black who is very prolific at the moment. She lives and work in Mousehole, and paints in a traditional, realist style somewhat reminiscent of styles going back to Stanhope Forbes:
Managed to watch all of the 8 episodes of Robert Hughes’ Shock of the New from the 1980s – and the Coda from 25 years later. An excellent account. Hughes has an amazing turn of phrase and way of delivering it. Highly recommended.
Ahhh, I catch Covid again: the usual 3 – 4 sequence of fatigue and lethargy:
Some nice ‘Get Well’ wishes:
The Interview I did on Bourdieu is now transcribed:
http://www.michaelgrenfell.co.uk/bourdieu-epistemology-and-ontology-philosophy-and-method/
BourdieuEpistemologOntology23
Some contemporary art from me:
A visit to Dorset, and some favourite haunts – Sherborne and it magnificent Abbey and Dorchester:
A favourite Craft shop:
My latest version of Blake, Gnosticism and Gnosis is now available – to go into print later next years. Here are the texts – in English and Spanish!
http://www.michaelgrenfell.co.uk/william-blake-gnosticism-and-gnosis-2023/
Grenfell, M. William Blake_ Gnosticism and Gnosis-5http://www.michaelgrenfell.co.uk/william-blake-gnosticism-and-gnosis-2023/
Grenfell, M. William Blake_ el gnosticismo y la gnosis-3
My Ralph McTell book – Parallel Lives : the Biographies of Ralph McTell is also now available as a PDF e-book. Downloadable from Pomara Press for just 4.099 GBP:
https://www.pomera.co.uk/product/parallel-lives-the-biographies-of-ralph-mctell/
Selling fast this month!
Here is a historic photo: the J G Bennett Dramatic Universe conference in Somerset, 2011:
I have been reading a Bibliography of William Blake this month – both of his work and what others have written about him. Edited by my old friend G E Bentley. Lots of fascination details:
The musical event of the month as we slip into November is a ‘new’ recording by The Beatles: Now and Then. Worked up from a Demo of John Lennon and backed by the 3 other Beatles, this piece finally saw the light of day thanks to technology that can clean up the sound and separate voice from instrument. Lots of discussion around ‘is it any good?’, ‘should it have been released?’, and ‘is there a clash of recording tonality across two centuries?’. All of which are irrelevant of course: it is the Beatles playing together again, albeit across time and space. The video too is emotive with a collage of the then and now. Paul McCartney periodically looking on wistfully – what was and might have been – and now. Finally, in black and white, the video takes us back from Now through the different ages of the Beatles to them as children and then them stood at the end of one of their performance. They bow and then, as the go to stand straight fade away. With just The Beatles name left. An adieu – for sure. Very emotional for anyone with any memory of the optimism and energy of the times, somewhat encapsulated in their music. And, Now…and now….?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Opxhh9Oh3rg