I think I have already written recently about watching a documentary about David Hockney, a documentary during which he was interviewed by Melvyn Bragg. I may have said then that it was more like two venerable old gentlemen from the world of the arts having a chat.
And now Facebook keeps sending me stuff about Hockney, paintings and such. He’s having a big exhibition in Paris, a retrospective of some kind. Even he says it may be his last; he is in his eighties, after all. A poster advertising it has been banned on the Paris Metro because he is pictured smoking!
Oops! How many old photos and films should be banned on that basis? I wonder.
We’ve also watched a bio-pic of Frida Kahlo, very cleverly done with some of her paintings blending seamlessly into sections of the film, as if the paintings come to life. There’s also some interesting animation. Very well done, in my opinion. There’s going to be an exhibition of her work at the Tate Modern but not until next year. I’ll try to remember to go to London for that.
While I’m on an art kick, here’s a link to an article about William Morris and how horrified he might be if he were alive today to see his designs become part of the “tat” market - from phone cases (useful items) to toothbrush holders (not absolutely necessary and certainly not in a fancy, artistic design. It’s interesting, however, to think that the likes of Habitat, Terrence Conran and Laura Ashley might not have existed without the influence of William Morris.
Nowadays when you buy clothes or almost any item other than food the shop assistant will ask if you want a paper receipt or an email receipt. Of course, they will claim that they are saving paper but really they want you to have an email receipt so that they can bombard you with advertising for their products. Paper or electronic? It’s an important thing in the modern world.
When I have an appointment at the dentist’s they want me to fill in a form online, all sorts of medical details. We get reminders to book appointments for Covid booster vaccinations, requesting us to make the appointment online. And yet here is a link to a report about an elderly Polish woman who wanted to apply for the right to remain in the UK, so that she could live the rest of her life with her son and his family. Her application was initially rejected because she did it online instead of filling in a paper form! Her son kicked up a bit of a stink and reported it to the mass media, the Government department concerned did a u-turn and she now has the right to remain. I wonder how many similar cases there are where the media has not been able to intervene!
I usually take a look at Tim Dowling’s column on a Saturday in the Guardian. Today he began this way:
“I wake up suddenly and early, the dog lying so heavy across my legs that my feet have gone numb. I extract myself and hobble across the bedroom until circulation is restored. Then I throw open the curtains to introduce my wife to the new day.”
Really! That was enough for me. Why do dog-lovers, and cat-lovers for that matter, feel the need to sleep with heir pets? Sleeping with animals is wrong! Thats’s my opinion, anyway!
That’s all.
Life goes on. Stay safe and well, everyone!
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