As I mentioned in my previous post FIELD TEST – WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU GIVE A VERY SMALL CHILD A CAMERA TO PLAY WITH? I mentioned that I batch processed about a years worth of films after having delayed so for lack-of-financial reasons!  On one of the 35mm films, I found some shots taken when being a “responsible adult” on a school trip to London.  First stop was the Victoria & Albert Museum for a general peruse, followed by a visit to the Design Museum to see Super Contemporary alongside a Javier Mariscal retrospective.

As always, I have little or nothing to say about the exhibitions – if you were interested in that, you should have gone yourselves

But I did take a lot of photographs that day, which is much more interesting.  isn’t it?

SCHOOL TRIPS TO LONDON AND THE PAIN OF COACH TRAVEL

Coach Window (2010)

Taking a coach to London is generally a rubbish idea.  Nobody does it, apart from 1) old people on a day out, 2) broke people who are using Megabus and of course 3) school trips.

It is slow, uncomfortable and ultimately frustrating.  Why anyone would choose it as a method of transport is beyond me – when there is another means, take it!  That’s what I reckon.

Anyway, as I was on a school trip, there was little choice – but at least I had a camera for company and being one of the “responsible adults” I got to sit at the front under the watchful gaze of the vast windscreen, which provided almost constant entertainment from its reflection.

If it wasn’t for putting the bus driver off, who probably thought I was some kind of coach spotter, I would have taken many photographs of it.

Desgner Curtain (2010)

Floor // Foot // Shadow (2010)

THE DESIGN MUSEUM, LONDON

To be honest, I wasn’t that interested in visiting the design museum!  I went on the trip as it was a day out, generally speaking – I find graphic design a bit of a dull thing to view in a museum or gallery environment.

Ignorant I am sure – but I see design around me every minute of every day and it does little for me in this setting.  I am sure it is because I am missing something and I get why good design is artistic, important and clever – but it usually leaves me a little dry.

But, where there is dullness – there is always interest.  The eye wanders and spots a line, shape, shadow or colour and the whole trip has been made worth it.  Luckily, photography means the whole world is your museum and anywhere you find yourself, something interesting will find you.

JAVIER MARISCAL & SUPER CONTEMPORARY

Jazzy Paintings (2010)

Come on then – lets mention something about the exhibits on display.  First up, I can remember little or nothing about the Super Contemporary show!  I seem to remember there was a few interesting pieces of design in there, but generally – I wasn’t that bothered by it (see above!).

BUT – Javier Mariscal, yeah that was actually rather brilliant.  Whilst I was aware of Mariscal’s work, I had no idea what his name was or who he was!  I had simple absorbed his illustrations in various guises and various mediums.

Perhaps one thing most people might know his work from is Cobi - a cubist dog that was adopted as the mascot for the 1992 Barcelona Olympic Games.  Reports have it that Cobi soon became the most profitable mascot the games has ever seen.  Cobi went on to have his own cartoon!

All in all, Mariscal’s work was playful, colourful, highly diverse and highly prolific!  It was a joy to see and a bit like stepping into the mind of a slightly deranged child!  Brilliant.

Check out his work (http://www.mariscal.com/) as it really is worth some investigation and is colourful in a way only the Spanish seem to be able to pull off.

SKY V (2010)

Nice!  I love school trips.  Not only do I get to see art and get paid for it, it is also a great chance to go to our fair capital city and take photographs…and get paid for it!  Long live the rule of the technician.

Always read the instructions!

What is it about human nature, especially male human nature – that makes us inclined to decide we can do anything without taking heed of the advice, guidance or instructions available to us.

Get a new electronic device – read the instructions?  Bollocks.  Fiddle with every button and work it out for yourself!  Its obviously a far more productive approach!

The same goes for the hell that is flat pack.  I hate flat pack, its rubbish.  Fair enough, your higher end products or ones that are actually designed with the user in mind are a useful device for those of us with no money and clearly defined furniture needs.  But in general, when any other form of furniture is available – that other form should be used!

A DAY IN MY FLAT PACK LIFE

So the importance of reading instructions was recently thrust upon me once again.  I am sure this lesson has been taught to me by numerous balls ups in the past…but yet again the ‘more haste less speed’ brigade rears their ugly heads.

We were visiting Hannah’s brother the other week and they were in the middle of a lounge re-fit, which, for  their sins, included some new flat pack units.  Keen to get the room finished, Dan decided to make the TV stand in a 2 hour break he had between work shifts.  Being a good guest I naturally agreed to step in and assist (plus I thought it might be fun as flat pack is a bit like a huge, badly cut jigsaw).

The first thing to come out the box was the note above – it clearly encouraged us to stop and look at the instructions.  Red always means danger.  The problem we faced was having a very short amount of time to knock the beast up in, as well as a small space in the kitchen to do it.  Plus, as Dan had recently done a fair bit of flat pack, he was confident that he could figure it out easily enough and smash the estimated build time of 2 hours.

We set to work.  It was going amazingly.  Smoke came from our screwdrivers, sweat fell from our brows.  Instructions were glanced at now and again to ensure compliance – but sheer male determination and knowing best was the ruler of the day.

The beast was quickly taking shape and looking like a triumph.  We gazed upwards – a glisten in our eye as we imagined the rapturous applause that would wait us when we finally unveiled the construction to the budding family next door.

A few cups of tea later and we had only a few screws more to put in and we would be done.  The timer was showing at just shy of 1 hour 10 – the estimated build time fucked on.  Victory, sweet victory was in sight.

IS IT MEANT TO BE THAT WAY UP?

Always Read the Manual (2009)

FACT - FEMALE MP'S (2009)

FACT – IN THE 2005 ELECTIONS, ONLY 19.7% OF ELECTED MP’S WERE WOMEN

Do we wonder if that has anything to do with why things are so shit?

FACT - USA LOVES SPAM (2009)

FACT – THE UNITED STATES IS RESPONSIBLE FOR 22.5% OF GLOBAL SPAM.