There was a Daily Mash article about retired people flooding galleries with their s**t art and that their relatives are emotionally blackmailed into buying the trash so that worthy art never gets sold. Rubbish of course. Or is it?
Yesterday I went for the umpteenth time to Claremont in Islington’s art session to cobble up stuff for the next exhibition. Funny way to do things. The participants then put up their work for sale at high prices after they’ve not laid out for anything because the paper is free as is the choice of materials. I do not for I paint indoors all year around and submit appropriate work. There was acrylic paint galore. The irony is that for Champions I ran out of paint and managed: Can’t keep spending what with the price of Flora.
So the art session is poorly managed and prepared. The Claremont trumpets its mission as being of art and well-being. Felt none of that. Obviously I will report to the staff in my most delicate diplomatic old lady way. Not an apron in sight. The topic was “Paradise” as we sat in a multi-use hall, with stacked chairs and dirty doors. We were neither led nor instructed. We didn’t talk to each other. Paradise is a difficult concept because it is overloaded with heaven and beaches and the after-life and because of that and empty minds then the intern photo-copied tropical beaches for us. Get out of here.
BN Neu formed “Sunrise in Space” and is flogging it for a tenner. It’ll be framed by Claremont. Mine was Paradise is Colours and is on the market for £1. In my rush to escape, I never photographed it. Yep some art by retirees is *hi*.
But the person who shared the Daily Mash article is a professional artist who agreed with it and invited comments in the same ilk.
I came back to the beggars in Hackney. I see beggars all the time now. I bought a posh filled roll in Sainsbury’s and wondered on which bus I would eat it. The beggar outside got it with my warning that he’d better eat it and “I’ll be watching you”. Inflation rolls when a beggar asks now for £2 instead of a £1. There but for fortune …Carrying on with this diary, reader, I went to TK Maxx to check out the posh jams and gluten free anythings. Found some coconut and milk French chocolate. Mmm. Cancelled my “Eat Like a Yogi” Made in Hackney workshop . Just tired of eating kale and earth. Made In Hackney sent out a warning that participants should eat something before the class. The “Make Meals in 15 Minutes” sessions take two hours, backwards and fro-ing with recycle this and recycle that and don’t mention white bread. Last time, Jay put a mouthful of Mother Earth into her mouth and proclaimed “I can’t eat this. I need meat.” No holding her back. She looked at me “Can you? ” “Jay I am so hungry. I’ll eat the caterpillars too.”
Such fun, eh, all this social engagement to educate us and ward off isolation and keep food poverty at bay over in Abney Park Cemetery.
BN Neu talked to a group of we Up Your Street ers about the necessity of positive discrimination when it comes to gathering pensioners who have little access to the internet and making opportunities for them to be computer literate. Isn’t that what Age UK was meant to do? Barclays and Lloyds do or did sessions about safety on the internet.
The Lawns in Dalston was ace and they were through AgeUK so it all went with cut backs. Hackney Seniors Mobile run by Derek Prince is fantastic for keeping seniors in the fibred loop but of course one needs to love FaceBook to enter his world.
All these internet sessions for seniors are free as are the art sessions at Claremont and Made In Hackney community cooking treats. No knocking from me but an urge to make something good excellent.
POSH CLUB tomorrow: entertainment for the poor older working class. Their words, not mine.
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