The Scissored Ground

Katherine Pierpoint - Swim Right Up To Me

2010-09-16T16:13:00.004+01:00

Swim Right Up To Me by Katherine Pierpoint

I first learnt to swim at home in my father's study

On a piano-stool, planted on the middle of the rug.

Stomach down, head up, arms and legs rowing hard;

I swam bravely, ploughing up the small room,

Pinned on a crushed stuckness of stomach to tapestry,

The twin handles hard on my elbows on the back-stroke.

A view down through four braced wooden legs

To the same thin spot in the rug.

My mother faced me, calling rhythmic encouragement,

Almost stepping back to let me swim up to her,

Reminding me to breathe;

And wiping my hair and eyes with her hand

As I swam and swam on the furniture against a running tide,

Pig-cheeked, concentrating on pushing and pushing away,

Planning to learn to fly next, easy,

Higher than the kitchen table, even. The garden wall.

ISBN:

9780571173600

Published:

23.01.1995

No of pages:

Faber and Faber website
Katherine Pierpoint at Contemporary Writers

Steve Whitehead - Magic Realism

2010-09-16T12:16:00.001+01:00

I first saw Steve Whitehead's paintings at an exhibition at the Aberystwyth Arts Centre (Canolfan y Celfyddydau) in July 1990.

There's a current exhibition of his work at:

Royal West of England Academy, Queen’s Road, Clifton, Bristol BS8 1PX. 0117 973 5129 www.rwa.org.uk
Public opening: 11 September - 9 October 2010
Monday – Saturday 10am-5pm, Sunday 2-5pm
Admission: free

Steve describes his work as 'Magic Realism' and the combination of strong design and virtuoso detail in his paintings give them an almost surreal atmosphere that is instantly memorable, and look photographic. Steve’s enormous technical ability combines with an instinctive feel for the natural world to produce beautifully crafted atmospheric landscapes.

By the very nature of this technique, in the time invested and the patience required for each work, Steve's paintings are necessarily scarce.

Calexico: Carried To Dust

2010-07-19T09:37:00.003+01:00

Calexico: Carried To Dust. 2008.

The sixth album by this Tucson, Arizona band. A link to the superb video for 'Two Silver Trees' is included below.

"Victor Jara's Hands"

"Two Silver Trees"

"The News About William"

"Sarabande in Pencil Form"

"Writer's Minor Holiday"

"Man Made Lake"

"Inspiración"

"House of Valparaíso"

"Slowness"

"Bend to the Road"

"El Gatillo (Trigger Revisited)"

"Fractured Air (Tornado Watch)"

"Falling from Sleeves"

"Red Blooms"

"Contention City"

Written by Joey Burns (1-6,8-15), John Convertino (3-6,10,11,13,15), John Burns (2,3,6,14), Jairo Zavala (1), Jacob Valenzuela (7).

Joey Burns – vocals, guitars, bass, cello, keyboards, accordion, percussion, vibraphone

John Convertino – drums, percussion, piano

Paul Niehaus – steel guitar, guitars

Jacob Valenzuela – trumpet, keyboards, vibraphone, vocals

Martin Wenk – trumpet, guitar, keyboards, accordion, glockenspiel, vibraphone (occasionally harmonica & French horn)

Volker Zander – standup bass, electric bass

Released: September 9th 2008

Click on song title to see the video for Two Silver Trees

Calexico Website

Calexico at MySpace

Photos of Calexico in Concert by Laurent Orseau

Calexico at Amazon.com

Calexico at Amazon.co.uk

The Photography Of Ellen Kooi

2010-07-16T21:05:00.002+01:00

Stunning images from the work of Dutch photographer Ellen Kooi

The description of her book of photographs, 'Within From Without' states that: "The starting-point for the photography of Kooi (born 1962, Leeuwarden, The Netherlands) is the Dutch landscape, which she transforms into the setting for ambiguous and inexplicable events. The apparent naturalism of her images, which always have the spontaneity of a snapshot, derrives from a complex creative process involving preparatory drawings, models, and design of the lighting and location in a way comparable to film or to the great Baroque paintings. This blending of naturalism and artifice gives Ellen Kooi's photographs a troubling atmosphere that irresistably attracts and holds the viewer's gaze."

Ellen Kooi website

Ellen Kooi - 'Within From Without' at Amazon

King Crimson - Islands

2010-07-16T20:08:00.002+01:00

King Crimson: Islands. Island Records, 1971

1. Formentera Lady (10:14)
2. Sailor's Tale (7:21)
3. The Letters (4:26)
4. Ladies Of The Road (5:28)
5. Prelude: Song Of The Gulls (4:14)
6. Islands (11:51)

- Robert Fripp / guitar, mellotron, Peter's Pedal Harmonium and sundry implements
- Mel Collins / flute, bass flute, saxes and vocals
- Boz / bass guitar, lead vocals and choreography
- Ian Wallace / drums, percussion and vocals
- Peter Sinfield / words, sounds and visions

WITH:
- Keith Tippet / piano
- Paulina Lucas / soprano
- Robin Miller / oboe
- Mark Charig / cornet
- Harry Miller / string bass

Recorded: October 1971

Released: December 1971

Medine In Turkey

2010-07-16T09:28:00.001+01:00

MEDINE IN TURKEY by ALISON BRACKENBURY

'Today' said Hassan - through a mouthful of honey -

'A girl will come who speaks French.' There came

A girl with straight brown hair, her eyes

Flecked with gold, a stiller honey.

Her French was pure and soft. Her name

Was Medine. Her paid study

Ended when her father died.

'Maintenant - j'aide ma mere. Je lis.'

'Je lis Freud,' she ventured, bare feet firm

On the rug's blurred leaves. She lived next door.

Each house leads to a tiny yard

With a dusty tree; white chickens squirm

In favourite hollows. She never saw

France; she sat, this grave brown child

Ten years younger than myself, unmarried

Alight, in their cool best room. She smiled.

There is no answer. Scholarships?

France, too, has hot bored villages

With girls who read all afternoon.

The arranged husband, or their child's care

Will not close up that watchful face

Flecked by lace curtains, endless sun;

Unmoved, she listens for the place

Where the book closes, where the footsteps run.

(from Alison Brackenbury - 'Selected Poems', Carcanet, 1991. ISBN 0-85635-924-6)

(originally from Alison Brackenbury - 'Breaking Ground', Carcanet 1984)

Alison Brackenbury website

Alison Brackenbury at MySpace

Carcanet website

Minimum Vital - Sarabandes

2010-07-15T21:36:00.002+01:00

Minimum Vital: Sarabandes. Musea, 1990

"Sarabandes" is the debut CD by one of the very best current French progressive bands - a sublime mix of acoustic and electric music.

1. Le Chant du Monde (7:37)
2. Porte Sur l'Eté (2:55)
3. Sarabande no. I (6:24)
4. Cantiga de Santa Maria (3:48)
5. Sarabande no. II (7:04)
6. Hymne et Danse (8:52)
7. Danza Vital (7:27)
8. Le Bal du Diable (1:32)

- Thierry Payssan / keyboards, accordian
- Eric Rebeyrol / bass
- Christophe "Cocof" Godet / drums
- Jean Luc Payssan / guitars, vocals

Minimum Vital website

Minimum Vital at Progarchives

Minimum Vital at MySpace

Joni Mitchell - Blue

2010-07-15T08:40:00.001+01:00

Joni Mitchell: Blue. Reprise Records. 1971

"All I Want" – 3:32
"My Old Man" – 3:33
"Litle Green" – 3:25
"Carey" – 3:00
"Blue" – 3:00
"California" – 3:48
"This Flight Tonight" – 2:50
"River" – 4:00
"A Case Of You" – 4:20
"The Last Time I Saw Richard" – 4:13

Joni Mitchell - Appalachian dulcimer, guitar, piano, vocals
Stephen Stills - Bass and guitar on "Carey"
James Taylor - Guitar on "California", "All I Want", "A Case of You"
Sneaky Pete Kleinow - Pedal steel on "California", "This Flight Tonight"
Russ Kunkel - Drums on "California", "Carey", "A Case of You"

Engineer - Henry Lewy
Art Direction - Gary Burden
Cover Photography - Tim Considine

Recorded at A&M Studios Hollywood, 1971

Released: June 1971

Teenage Stories - Photography of Julia Fullerton-Batten

2010-07-14T09:50:00.002+01:00

JULIA FULLERTON-BATTEN was born in Germany and grew up in the United States and Germany. When she was sixteen she moved to England.

Of her TEENAGE STORIES project, she says: "The idea was to create pictures that reflect my own meandering childhood memories of my sisters and me growing up in Pennsylvania and then in rural Germany. When I think back to how the three of us spent our time drifting through life I realize that the older we get the harder it is to spend time this way, every day seems to have an agenda, a set of objectives that must be achieved." (from interview with Amazing Planet)

Here are 5 images from TEENAGE STORIES

Julia Fullerton-Batten website

Julia Fullerton-Batten - Teenage Stories at Amazon

In The Land Of Grey And Pink

2010-07-13T15:46:00.001+01:00

Caravan: In The Land Of Grey And Pink. Deram, 1971.

1. Golf Girl (5:05)
2. Winter Wine (7:46)
3. Love To Love You (And Tonight Pigs Will Fly) (3:06)
4. In The Land Of Grey And Pink (4:51)
5. Nine Feet Underground: (22:40)
- Nigel blows a tune
- Love's a friend
- Make it 76
- Dance of the seven paper hankies
- Hold grandad by the nose
- Honest I did!
- Disassociation
- 100% proof

Richard Sinclair / bass guitar, acoustic guitar, vocals
Pye Hastings / electric. guitars, acoustic guitar, vocals
David Sinclair / organ, piano, mellotron, harmony vocals
Richard Coughlan / drums, percussion

Jimmy Hastings / flute, tenor saxophone, piccolo
David Grinsted / cannon, bell, wind

Bonus tracks on remaster CD (2001):
6. I Don't Know Its Name (6:12)
7. Aristocracy (3:42)
8. It's Likely To Have A Name Next Week (7:48)
9. Group Girl (5:04)
10. Disassociation / 100% Proof (8:35)

Caravan information

In The Land Of Grey And Pink at Progarchives

In The Land Of Grey And Pink at Amazon

Cindy Sherman - Untitled Film Stills

2010-07-13T13:03:00.000+01:00

Cindy Sherman (b.1954) took a series of photos from 1977 – 1980 which she called Untitled Film Stills where she dressed up as different characters and directed her own self portraits.

No.58 was one of the very last pictures taken in the series. After this she started shooting in colour.

Cindy Sherman website

Untitled Film Stills at Amazon

Old Times, Good Times..... Stephen Stills' first album

2010-07-12T12:44:00.003+01:00

Stephen Stills: Stephen Stills. Atlantic Records, 1970

Brilliant music - and still the only album in rock and roll history to which both Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix supply guitar work.

All songs written by Stephen Stills.

"Love The One You're With" – 3:04

"Do for the Others" – 2:52

"Church (Part of Someone) – 4:05

"Old Times Good Times" – 3:39

"Go Back Home" – 5:54

"Sit Yourself Down" – 3:05

"To a Flame" – 3:08

"Black Queen" – 5:26

"Cherokee" – 3:23

"We Are Not Helpless" – 4:20

Stephen Stills - vocals, guitars, bass, piano, organ, steel drum, percussion

Calvin "Fuzzy" Samuels - bass

Dallas Taylor - drums

Conrad Isedor - drums

Ringo Starr (listed as "Richie" on track listing) - drums

Johnny Barbata - drums

Jeff Whittaker - congas

Jimi Hendrix - guitar (Track 4)

Eric Clapton - guitar (Track 5)

Booker T. Jones - organ, vocal

Sidney George - flute and alto saxophone

David Crosby - vocals

Graham Nash - vocals

John Sebastian - vocals

Rita Coolidge - vocals

Priscilla Jones - vocals

Claudia Lanier - vocals

Cass Elliott - vocals

Henry Diltz - photography (cover), vocal

Liza Strike - vocal

Judith Powell - vocal

Larry Steele - vocal

Tony Wilson - vocal

Sherlie Matthews - chorus, vocals

Horns arranged by Stephen Stills; strings arranged by Stephen Stills and Arif Mardin

Bill Halverson - producer

Andy Johns - engineer

Gary Burden - art direction, photography

Charles John Quarto - sleeve poem

Joe Gastwirt - digital remastering

Recorded: Island Studios, London, 1970

Released: November 16th 1970

Comus - First Utterance

2010-07-12T10:39:00.002+01:00

Comus: First Utterance. Dawn Records, 1971

First Utterance is an original and extraordinary album - dark acid-folk? prog-folk? Labels simply don't begin to describe the music on this disc.

Diana (Pearson) - 4.37

The Herald (Goring, Hellaby, Wootton) - 12.12

Drip Drip (Wootton) - 10.54

Song To Comus (Wootton) - 7.30

The Bite (Wootton) - 5.26

Bitten (Hellaby, Pearson) - 2.15

The Prisoner (Wootton) - 6.14

Roger Wootton | acoustic guitar, lead vocals
Glenn Goring | 6-12 acoustic guitar, electric guitar, slide, hand drums, vocals
Andy Hellaby | fender bass, slide bass, vocals
Colin Pearson | violin, viola
Rob Young | flute, oboe, hand drums

Bobbie Watson | vocals, percussion

More details and samples from:

The Comus website: Comus at MySpace: Comus at Facebook

Ghosts Of North Dakota

2010-07-12T09:06:00.002+01:00

A few examples of the wonderful historical and contemporary photos from GhostsOfNorthDakota.com (- "a pictorial documentary of North Dakota's abandoned places.") and their sister Facebook site.

Prints of a number of the photographs are available to buy from the GoND website.

(Oh, just so there is no confusion - this site has nothing to do with the supernatural)

Strawbs - From The Witchwood

2010-07-11T10:28:00.010+01:00

Strawbs: From The Witchwood. A&M Records, 1971

"A Glimpse of Heaven" (Dave Cousins) – 3:50

"Witchwood" (Cousins) – 3:23

"Thirty Days" (John Ford)– 2:52

"Flight" (Richard Hudson) – 4:24

"The Hangman and the Papist" (Cousins) – 4:11

"Sheep" (Cousins) – 4:14

"Canon Dale" (Hudson) – 3:46

"The Shepherd's Song" (Cousins) – 4:34

"In Amongst the Roses" (Cousins) – 3:48

"I'll Carry On Beside You" (Cousins) – 3:09

Dave Cousins: lead vocals, backing vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, dulcimer, banjo, recorder

Tony Hooper: lead vocals, backing vocals, acoustic guitar, autoharp, tambourine

Rick Wakeman: piano, organ, celeste, mellotron, Moog synthesizer, clarinet, harpsichord

John Ford: lead vocals, backing vocals, bass guitar

Richard Hudson: lead vocals, backing vocals, drums, sitar

A Thousand Windmills Fan Her Grief

2010-07-09T13:05:00.005+01:00

A THOUSAND WINDMILLS FAN HER GRIEF by PAUL HENRY

A thousand windmills fan her grief

and in her palm

a thousand rivers run the leaf.

All the riverbeds they swam

are not yet dry

against the lifelines of her palm.

She glances up. The wind's thief

is in the sky.

It turns the tree and, leaf by leaf

a thousand windmills fan her grief.

This poem is from the book 'Ingrid's Husband' by Paul Henry, published by Seren in 2007. ISBN 978-1-85411-438-9

Cover painting: 'Island' by James Donovan (2005)

For further information:

Paul Henry's website: www.paulhenrypoet.co.uk

Contact: enquiries@paulhenrywales.co.uk

Publisher: www.seren-books.com

Amazon: Paul Henry - Ingrid's Husband

The Art Of Jane Eccles

2010-07-09T08:14:00.019+01:00

A selection of narrative paintings by Jane Eccles.

For further information:
Jane Eccles Website: http://www.janeeccles.co.uk
Contact Jane at: jane@janeeccles.co.uk
A selection of her work is usually on display at The Greenstage Gallery:http://www.greenstagegallery.co.uk