two teas thompson

I need to start thinking about my 1500 word essay for the end of this semester. It's in less than 6 weeks time now...

I need to know what it is I want to talk about...I've got a "rough" idea. It'll be something on the lines of quantification, value, simplification and abstraction...Susie came up with a great Idea the other day, based on something I'd said last semester. I wanted to "interview myself" last semester, but ended up not doing it, but, it seems that Susie has a great Idea to convert our conversations into written works, therefore satisfying the brief. Ace. Now...all I need is a solid understanding of what it is I A, want to talk about and B, what indeed I want to talk about! (simple!)

I'd been sent a last minute text from Jonathan, asking if I'd pop round, as he was in on his own, and he'd said there'd be "LAMB ROAST"..of course I said yes! before this, I'd had a delicious gnocchi and cheese sauce + salad for my tea (6 pm). I'd then popped to Jonathan's place at 8...and had Roast Lamb, potatoes and broccoli on a bed of ripped basil, boy oh boy did I find space for that!

We'd had a great chat, as I always do with Jonathan, he's got his head screwed on, he's got his essay / dissertation planned to a tee. Post war generation, and the threat (or perceived threat) of war and death...ooh!

It was the start of summer today, or it felt like it. We sat in his back garden, drinking red wine, and chatting about the MFA, and how it's made us jaded...well, "hard to please, or fucking lazy"...lazy in that it's made us really think about things before even attempting to make anything "arty". I'd told J that I was "disappointed" that my slate drawing had got into the SSA...and not my new work ("I don't have a dream")...I mean, "disappointed" I got SOMETHING into the SSA...what a tosser! We talked about "having no time", or feeling tired, because of the thinking that goes into the MFA...condensed, crammed and rushed, it feels so vibrant when at Uni, but that's all fine, if there were no deadlines, hand in dates, external examiners etc...it's all getting very serious (was it never?)...Time is always niggling at the back of my head, my blissful "year off" is hurtling to an endpoint.

We checked out the Suzanne Lacey video "the roof is on fire", an "art work" of conversations with American teenagers, held in various cars on a car park roof, where the public are invited to "listen in" and experience the many viewpoints, seldom heard, due to social setups in the US. (young, black, poor etc). It's a fascinating idea, but all too futile. It's a thin line between social work, social change and art. Some scant, and rather trite road signs are placed around the place, to give it a more "valid artistic presentation"...something for the ley-person, no doubt. "ah, signs that don't mean anything...this must be the art..."

It's great to see that these social arts projects can empower individuals, as well as groups, but sad to see that the "impact" (for all the good causes it presents) is flash in the pan. I hope that the participants do take strength from their actions, but don't lose hope or impetus when taking things further (how far is that?)...

My biggest comment to J was that I really couldn't comprehend the state of play for young, black Americans, I couldn't begin to imagine what sort of social constraints are placed upon them "in reality", as I am mostly only every presented with media based stereotypes....(which the work was fighting).

preaching to the converted springs to mind, and most "good causes" (on a small community level) only ever seem to attract that. It was astonishing to see the liberal white audience...it could have been seen as patronising..that's the hard line, balance etc. how do you educate the "white man", yet not become a victim to a larger political machine?...so many complex issues and points to be made....

listening to : liars - drums not dead : basic channel - BDC