Art & Culture

ARTIST AT WORK

No.39: Peter Thomas, Yew Bowls, approx. 22 x 16 cm

Ispent my working life as a farmer, always in close contact with Nature in all her forms. After retiring my interest in and love of trees grew, leading to a fascination with woodturning that became an obsession. I now work as a woodturner and stick dresser.

I realised that the diverse nature of our local trees is largely ignored, with much attention given to ‘exotic’ timbers from abroad, often from non-sustainable sources, i.e. rain forests. Whereas timber from local, sustainably sourced trees is often undervalued and under-utilised.

My woodturning has subsequently developed into a mission, to promote what our countryside and in particular our trees and their timber have to offer, using only wood sustainably sourced from dead or storm-damaged trees.

The excitement of finding beauty hidden within the tree never ceases. Once on my lathe I reveal different colours, varied grain patterns, growth rings and features that give an insight into the whole history of the tree, knowing that every single piece will be unique.

Peter will be taking part in Dorset Art Weeks 14th - 29th May 2022

dorsetartweeks.co.uk peterthomaslivingwood.co.uk

ON FILM

Andy Hastie, Yeovil Cinematheque

Cinematheque has two films coming up this month, and we are back into Europe for both of them, after excellent and emotionally engaging trips to Lebanon and Colombia in December and January. For the first we turn to Spanish director Pedro Almodovar, always a favourite with our members. We have shown Talk to Her (2002), Volver (2006) and Julieta (2016) to great acclaim, and his work just gets better and better. His oeuvre now boasts 21 films over 40 years, and has evolved from the early provocative and rather (pleasingly) vulgar Pepi, Luci, Bom (1980), up until his latest Pain and Glory (2019), which we show on 9th February. Almodovar is adored by female actors because of his reputation for writing scripts with strong female roles, full of independence, energy, but also seductiveness. He has been vociferous in his support of the #MeTo movement recently as well.

Pain and Glory (2019) is a beguiling tale of a veteran film director, Salvador Mallo, affected by multiple ailments and physically unable to continue filming. He spends most of his time flat on his back, drifting in and out of slumber, which transports him back to his 1960s childhood, his first adult love, and his relationship with his mother. He slowly begins to make sense of his past and is consequently able to address his present and seek salvation. Antonio Banderas plays Mallo, looking remarkably like Almodovar himself (of course!), whilst Penelope Cruz plays his young mother from his childhood.

This is a fascinating portrait of an ageing director looking back on his life, linking transparent autobiographical elements from his own past with tantalising fictitious passages; a film maker at the top of his craft. ‘Witty, intelligent and sensuous’, Peter Bradshaw, the Guardian. ‘Bittersweet perfection’, Mark Kermode, The Observer.

Our second film, showing on 23rd February, is the gorgeous Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019), a

Pain and Glory (2019) Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019)

heartbreaking French period drama from director Celine Sciamma. This is a beautifully shot, elegant story of a female portrait painter Marianne falling in love with her subject, Lady Heloise. In 1770, a painting is one of the only ways a prospective suitor may see his intended bride. However, Heloise has no intention of getting married or painted, but is tricked into believing that Marianne has been hired as her walking companion. Looking, especially so intently in order to memorise details to be later painted at night, becomes a profoundly intimate act between the two women, and a romance ignites.

This clever, multi-layered love story, raising issues of cultural barriers and women’s independence in a world made for, and by, men, is devastatingly effective in describing how historically women have had limited control over their own bodies and actions. Adele Haenel plays Heloise, and Noemie Merlant, Marianne, both winning awards for their performances, whilst the film won Best Screenplay at Cannes. ‘Gorgeous’, Clarisse Loughrey, the Independent, ‘A powerful original story of art and love’, Dave Calhoun, Time Out magazine.

Two intelligent, sensual films to enjoy this month. If you would like to become a member or try us out as a guest, check details on Cinematheque’s website. We’d love to meet you!

cinematheque.org.uk swan-theatre.co.uk

___________________________________________ Wednesday 9th February 7.30pm Pain and Glory (2019) 15

Wednesday 23rd February 7.30pm Portrait of a Lady on Fire (2019) 15 Cinematheque, Swan Theatre, 138 Park St, Yeovil BA20 1QT Members £1, guests £5

CONFESSIONS OF A THEATRE ADDICT

Rosie Cunningham

The Bridge Theatre, at the southern base of Tower Bridge, opened in 2017 and is owned by the London Theatre company – a startup, independent producing company founded by Nicholas Hytner and Nick Starr. The challenge was to put on new work that is ambitious, adventurous, and stimulating. Should anyone be undecided about visiting the theatre, this modern venue has masses of leg room, the layout is well-spaced, the air-conditioning works and there are plenty of loos! (A friend of mine designed the theatre and his wife was quite insistent!)

La Belle Sauvage is on at The Bridge Theatre until 26th February. This is the first part of Philip Pullman’s trilogy titled The Book of Dust and is set 12 years before His Dark Materials. If you haven’t heard of Philip Pullman, the award-winning best-selling fantasy author, it really doesn’t matter because this play is a glorious piece of theatre that will entertain everyone. When I went, the audience was totally multi-generational, and the theatre was buzzing with chat about the extraordinary play which was unfurling before us.

The story follows 12-year-old Malcolm Polstead, played by Samuel Creasey, who is so like a young, very talented James Corden. Malcolm and his accomplice Alice Parslow, acted by Ella Dacres, find themselves in the middle of a terrifying manhunt as they try to save baby Lyra Belacqua (a real baby on stage), from the clutches of the Magisterium, which controls the country. There are baddies too, namely Marisa Coulter, the baby’s mother, and Gerard Bonneville, an ex-con

Centre L-R: Holly Atkins (Mrs Polstead) & Samuel Creasey (Malcolm Polstead) in La Belle Sauvage. Image: Manuel Harlan

villain. The fantasy theme is demonstrated through the ownership of a daemon, an animal which each person acquires as a baby, that reflects their personality and soul. Daemons can talk and offer advice, cannot be physically apart by more than a few feet and if their human is tormented and tortured, the daemon suffers too, and vice versa. Not only was the acting brilliant from every cast member but the skills of the puppeteers who brought the daemons to life was magical. If you enjoyed War Horse, this was equally as impressive. Lastly, the illusions, created by Filipe J. Carvalho, which played across the stage and the backdrop screens, brought the adventure to life. The canoe, La Belle Sauvage, appeared to pilot through tempestuous storms, tumultuous rivers of water and falling debris, the graphics were so expressive and lifelike. This play was unusual, creative, and quite exceptional. Do try and go.

Punched, was an evening of survivors’ stories held at The Criterion theatre to support activism against gender-based violence. All the short pieces were written by the cast who included Donna Air, Sam TaylorJohnson, Annie Lennox and Sadie Frost, and covered sex trafficking, sexual abuse, domestic violence, coercive control and subjugation. It was a powerful evening and raised much needed funds for shelters and refuges in the UK. The figures raised speak for themselves.

bridgetheatre.co.uk

refuge.org.uk thecircle.ngo

AN ARTIST’S VIEW

Laurence Belbin

Recently, I have been looking more at skies having seen some very inspirational spreads of colour above me. It’s the evening skies that have caught my attention.

Not just the classic sunset with the orange/crimson ball hanging just above the horizon, nice as it is, but the banks of blue-grey cloud that block out vast areas of sky but which allow the reds and yellows to creep around the edges. That half-light renders the land to subdued purples and warm greys, so that all one’s attention is fixed on the light.

I often paint on location in these low-light conditions. You have to work very fast as the light goes quickly. With that in mind, several small panels have to be readily to

hand in order not to miss too much. There comes a time when everything happens so fast all you have time for is to put down patches of the colours you see so you have a record of what was going on. These panels of colour help when working in the studio at a later date. The small oil sketch shown here is inspired by one such evening and as I was only looking it was executed later in the studio from memory. I am fortunate to have trained myself to mix colours in my head and remember them later – this helps considerably. Some people tell me they don’t see those colours in the sky. I feel sorry for them, because they are all there! As a professional painter it is important that you paint what you see in the landscape, not what someone else sees. You have to have your own vision to be able to sustain it otherwise all you are doing is copying and your pictures will lack feeling.

I often take a break from the studio and go for a wander round town with my sketch pad. I was out on New Years Eve and did this drawing of Finger Lane by the Abbey. I sometimes mark out using a pencil to get the rough proportions if the subject is involved, just so I know where I am with it, then, I do the drawing in ink. I don’t pencil then go over with ink as that loses a certain amount of spontaneity but just put down a few key points, angles etc. It’s very easy to miscalculate and run out of room for the interesting bit! Whilst I was doing this one a very nice lady called Mary came along and we had a lovely chat. She said she’d like to be able to do it but felt she was ‘too old’ to start now. I hope I managed to convince her to have a go as it is very rewarding no matter what standard you reach. I know that for a fact from those who attend my drawing classes. So, New Year, New Page!

Just a thought, does anyone know why it is called Finger Lane?

laurencebelbin.com

COUNTER CULTURE

Paul Maskell, The Beat and Track

No.6 David Bowie: 50 Years and Still Hunky Dory

50 years ago during December 1971 David Bowie recorded arguably, and no doubt it will be argued, his best album Hunky Dory. The 50th anniversary of this album is being marked by its re-release on picture disc highlighting its iconic cover. The album was Bowie’s fourth and saw the backing band include Mick Ronson for a second time. The record was deemed a change in style for Bowie and focussed on the lyrical content and melody of the songs. Composed initially by Bowie on piano the album was warmer than his previous hard rock effort of The Man Who Sold the World. Joining the band for additional piano duties would be the later Yes keyboardist, Rick Wakeman.

Subject matter for the songs would range from artistic re-invention, Occultism, US icons and Bowie’s son Duncan. The album starts with what would become a statement of intent from Bowie as Changes deals with his obsession with reinventing himself. This theme

would run through his whole career as highlighted by his becoming Ziggy Stardust, Aladdin Sane and

Halloween Jack amongst others.

Oh! You Pretty Things, although a Bowie composition, was originally recorded by Peter Noone from Herman’s

Hermits after being given the demo by Bowie himself.

Noone’s version hit number 12 in the UK singles chart in April 1971. Bowie recorded his version later that year and it found its way onto Hunky Dory. The song reflects the teachings of Aleister Crowley and Friedrich

Nietzsche with regard to the theory of the Ubermensch (Superman). Eight Line Poem is exactly that. Set to a country-tinged guitar line by Mick Ronson it simply depicts a room in which a cat is playing and a cactus sits in the window. This short piece acts as the perfect calm before the storm that is…

Life on Mars?, in my opinion is one of the best

Bowie songs that he’s ever written, if not one of the best songs ever written. The song includes a chord sequence stolen from Frank Sinatra’s My Way in the opening few bars as a slight to Paul Anka who scuppered a publishing deal of Bowie’s and eventually wrote My Way for Frank Sinatra. This was acknowledged on the liner notes as ‘Inspired by Frankie’.

Bowie penned Kooks on the birth of his son Duncan (Zowie) and its light heartedness captures Bowie’s feelings on becoming a father. This was followed up by the somewhat nihilistic composition of Quicksand, all multilayered acoustic guitars and more Nietzsche ‘supermen’.

Side two of the album holds tributes to three of

Bowie’s artistic heroes. Andy Warhol (who apparently wasn’t impressed with the song), Bob Dylan and a song inspired by the Velvet Underground, and specifically

Lou Reed, Queen Bitch. A rocking stomp reflecting

Reed’s streetwise attitude, the liner notes state: ‘Some EM_ST.qxp_Layout 1 08/01/2022 16:08 Page 1 V.U. white light returned with thanks.’ Side two also included a cover of the Biff Rose song Fill Your Heart and the final track on the album The Bewlay Brothers. The latter is thought to be a composition about, in equal parts, Bowie’s schizophrenic half-brother (Terry) and the relationship between John Lennon and Paul McCartney.

As well as being an incredible album, the songs paved the way to what was to come, bringing together what would end up being Bowie’s (Ziggy’s) backing band – The Spiders from Mars. Mick Ronson also proved that he was not only an amazing guitarist but also handled all the string arrangements on the album, giving it real depth.

The irony of Hunky Dory is that even though it included the singles Changes and Life on Mars? it was at first not widely regarded as a good album, suffering from very poor sales. Indeed, the album failed to chart and looked as though it may stand to be a black mark against the integrity of who would later become one of the biggest icons in music history. In fact, it actually took the release of Bowie’s follow-up album, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars to help promote his previous work. The subsequent release of Life on Mars? in 1973 gave Bowie a number three single in the UK charts and helped catapult the album from which it spawned to the heights that it deserved – top 10 album in the UK. The album has remained a constant influence to musicians throughout the last 50 years and will, I have no doubt, be an influence to artists for another 50.

Had Bowie still been alive he would have just turned 75, his birthday at the beginning of the year. Looking back he would see this album as a turning point for his career and art and that everything turned out just ‘Hunky Dory’.

thebeatandtrack.co.uk

EVOLVER MAGAZINE SUPPLEMENT WESSEX MUSEUMS GUIDE 2022

Don’t miss the rst edition of the WESSEX MUSEUMS GUIDE, a pull-out supplement in the current issue of EVOLVER MAGAZINE, the FREE Wessex Arts and Culture Guide Pick up your copy at arts venues, galleries, museums, art shops, cafés, libraries and tourist information centres (etc) throughout Dorset, Somerset, East Devon, West Wiltshire, Bristol and Bath Or subscribe online at evolver.org.uk