Showing posts with label art gallery. Show all posts
Showing posts with label art gallery. Show all posts

Wednesday, 1 October 2008

All in a days work..

I was reading earlier Gone back down south's recent Role reversal post, a Post of the Day nomination at David McMahon's wonderful blog, and I couldn't help reflecting upon yesterday a day of crisis, work, education and retail therapy (of others not mine) , culminating in an almost confrontation of teenage and menopausal hormones.

I went to work as usual and my day there was divided between, the monitoring of the Art Gallery and its exclusive   Art Exhibition and then onto the museum shop for the afternoon. Enough to keep me busy and out of trouble, one would think. Although the day was expected to be relatively quiet, the morning was eventful nonetheless.  As I chatted art and the sublime new exhibits  with a couple of visitors, out of the corner of my eye I spied another visitor who had decided to sit down on a piece of sculpture!  

I  shouted out to her, 'Please don't sit on that!' as l saw her generous bottom begin its descent  upon the polyester resin sculpture with an accompanying   'CrUnCh'   OMG ... I was mortified!

Whatever your view on modern /contemporary art  surely,  even a philistine would have respect enough not to sit on a sculpture .... wouldn't you think? Nuff said that my heart nearly jumped out of my chest as I inspected the piece for evidence of damage, I called for the curator and cordoned off the exhibit ... sigh ... the visitor proffered no apologies, saying she thought it was for sitting and blamed the too subtle signage! When I left for my lunch break, my eyes pricked tears behind them I know not why, I guess I felt a tad overwhelmed.

The afternoon was less eventful, but busier as I was manning the Museum shop and even a shop full of giggling school children didn't phase me after the morning happening. Several  colleagues came and offered me sympathy, as it feels terrible if something happens on our watch!

After closing up at the end of our work day, I had a 15 minute window to get to evening class or get home first, so l phoned the kids to make sure the house wasn't burned down ( don't laugh, that is another story!). All was well seemingly, so off to college I drove and enjoyed two hours applying myself to the elements of Photoshop, which is great fun, though I'll not remember half of it unless l practice and I must figure out  how cloning a lizard and applying stones with have a valid or pratical application in my life or work. This is supposed to help me with the editing of images and creating graphics for my vintage clothing business, that  which is in need of my full attention... some day!

I  had left home 10+ hours earlier, so tired and hungry I drove home only  minutes away and I noted that the wheelie bin was still out in the street, even though my son had promised on the phone to bring it inside, one bad mark. 

Through the kitchen window, I noted the washing up was strewn all over the sink, cooker, counter, not in the dishwasher, how lucky are we?This is not unusual, a second bad mark.  

The back door was locked, but no one responded to my knocking, #4 bad mark, so l went in the front door... still no one noticed but the dog who greeted me, ever faithful unless someone else has a biscuit in their pocket within 10 yards! 

My son (14) was doing homework at his desk, he told me hi and he had made a pot of tea,  it was indeed brewing, with my hopes rising, I entered the living room to ... my daughter (16) frowning and mumbling swear words, not softly enough actually and was  watching some bloody football!  (see  What the F***?  ) 

Voicing my hope that this was indeed 'almost over!', she told me in no uncertain terms, it had just started, she had been looking forward to it all day, that it is on ITV4 and we don't get that or in fact any other channels in any other room of the house!  To tired to argue I left the room sighing and scowling. I admit that was weak of me but I  told myself I should shower and  change, bake a potato, then return to the living room refreshed, my thoughts regrouped and ready to  take on daughter and even to check out the new tv digital system installed this week  (which replaced, the over priced and underused and as yet uncancelled SKY System).

By the  time I had showered, cooked, eaten and cleaned up it was 9.55pm and the football was still on. I was in no mood to watch it but  to say anything would attract more grunts and groans and put ME in a mood! 

My daughter looked up and smiled (!) and said, 'I'm buzzing,  we won the match and I won a fiver', she passed me the remote, 'All yours ,' she said, ' l'm off to shower and bed, I've already done my homework. Night!' She gave me a kiss and was off! Ahhhh .... all bad marks erased, what a good girl! Am I soft or what!?



I collapsed on the couch and watched  saved episode's of Strictly - it takes two....

... all in a day's work!?


Wednesday, 20 August 2008

ABC WEDNESDAY - E for EXHIBITION

Tullie House Museum & Art Gallery

Maximum Meaning, Minimum Means


I'm a lucky girl, if only l realised it more ...



I work part time in a Museum & Art Gallery, even better l get paid for the pleasure of looking after the Art, the installations, the artifacts , the costumes and of course our visitors.

Today l spent some time in the Art Gallery, which usually houses contemporary art and it changes E-xhibitions every 6-12 weeks.

We are currently E-xhibiting in this gallery, a retrospective of 'Abram Games'

... and it is fantastic, the images one sees and it all fit into place... I often am involved as part of the team that installs and takes down our new exhibitions, but I wasn't involved with the hang on this E-xhibition as my hand is still recovering from surgery, but it worth the disappointment of missing the excitement of the installation. To be able to walk around these marvellous and so clever images an to hear his story.

Many of the most iconic images of mid-20th century Britain were the work of Abram Games (1914-1996), who was the country’s Official War Poster Designer during World War II and who created the emblem for the 1951 Festival of Britain.

For many Britons in the 1950s, Games’ image of Britannia festooned with red, white and blue bunting was as – if not more – evocative of the Festival of Britain and its ‘can do’ spirit than any of the marvels of post-war British manufacturing in the festival pavilion itself.

By applying his personal philosophy of ‘maximum meaning, minimum means’ to posters, stamps and advertising campaigns, Games devised an extraordinary collection of distinctive and compelling graphic images.


Drawn from his family archive, this retrospective exhibition traces Abram Games’ career from winning the London County Council poster competition just a few years after leaving art school, to the enduring images he created for clients like Guinness, British European Airways, London Transport, Shell and the BBC.

BBC logo

The exhibition includes finished posters alongside original preparatory sketches, films and inventions – including the Cona coffee maker and a portable paper copier.


(I've had two of these and sold them on!! Arghhh...!!)
Abram Games: Maximum Meaning, Minimum Means is a national touring exhibition, originally organised by the Design Museum and toured by the Estate of Abram Games, made possible by a grant from The Wellcome Trust. http://www.abramgames.com/


Abram Games: Maximum Meaning, Minimum Means

19 July – 14 September 2008


Admission Free

Don't forget to stop by Mr. Linky at Mrs. Nesbitt's place, to see "E" posts from all around the world. And....we'd all love it if you left comments, or, even better, if you want to join the fun.

Wednesday, 9 July 2008

Like I don't have enough to do!

Why do we do it? Why do we say yes when we mean no!? Why do we take on new projects or assume another role? Does it mean l'm too needy and so l want to be liked and please people sooo much that I will stuff my day to overflowing, until l reach that point where l say ENOUGH!!

Why do l do this often enough, that every six months or so I have sit down with a pen and paper and list my roles, jobs, projects and then I shave the list so I can breathe?

One of my 'roles' is as a part time Museum & Gallery assisitant on a 25 hour week, which is worked over a complicated eight week shift pattern, which changes over three seasons and that only the Ancient Bablylonians or Egyptians would understand!



I juggle this job around the family, which includes two teenage kids, one 13 year old boy and a 16 year old girl (I thank you for your sympathetic groans!) and a 12 year black lab called Pippa. My husband works away most weekdays and comes home for weekends, although as I type, we are in the middle of a three week 'work away' period, which is new to us all; more on that another time, depending how it all turns out!

So as l'm sure you can imagine the daily photofit, with me managing everyone and myself in some sort of tuneless syncopation which we call, our day!

So when l am asked and invariably this is a twice weekly event, to alter, extend or swap a shift to suit someone and anyone other than me, why do I say, 'yes that's fine!' ....even though I am given the, 'you don't have to do it!'... get out of jail free card!

I tell myself that it's cos l want an easy life, no hassle! But the bottom line is it gives me hassle! It doesnt make my life any easier!

Like I don't have enough to do!



So you heard it here first, the first point on my 'plan' is to say no! No changes, no new projects or at least until l finish the ones l've started (oh my!)and for gods sake Sara, as my daughter is always telling me, 'CHILL WOMAN!'

Like a moth to a flame...

Everything changes, nothing stays the same, so the saying goes, and yet here I am in a space where nothing has seemingly changed; it is just...