'I'm doing my face
With magic marker
I'm in my right place
Don't be a downer
I'm doing my face
With magic marker
I'm in my right place
Don't be a downer'
Christine and the Queens
'Tilted' from her latest album Chaleur Humaine
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'I'm doing my face With magic marker I'm in my right place Don't be a downer I'm doing my face With magic marker I'm in my right place Don't be a downer' Christine and the Queens 'Tilted' from her latest album Chaleur Humaine
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Electioneering and chewing gum are the best examples of motion without progress. Truman Capote We’ve got Jeremy Corbyn seeking election for the leadership of the UK Labour Party on a Socialist, anti-neoliberal ticket and ‘Emperor’ Donald Trump, bar room huckster and hubris become flesh and skyscraper, tapping into the nation’s discontent as he campaigns for the US Republican nomination. Both in their own way, an east wind bringing change: God’s own wind or harbinger of unfavourable events, depending on your literary and political bent. And then we’ve got gum. Democratically scattered and squished on the pavements of Labour and Conservative boroughs alike. Motionless. Implacable. Immune to wind, rain, snow. Ben Wilson and Jeremy Corbyn both have ‘triangle eyes’: where the upper lid comes down to form an equilateral triangle – also known in Chinese Face Reading as Politicians’ Eyes. They belong to those who are highly perceptive and skilled at reading people and situations. I often see them on the faces of Government ministers, journalists and psychologists. People who ‘have eyes at the back of their head’. Politicians with these ‘power peepers’ can use the energy to project their message to a wide audience and gain political advantage; without tactical bluffing or cliches in Corbyn’s case. Ben’s lobbying is more gentle, blended with the steadiness of his creative spirit. He’s far-sighted and persistent in his social mission to reorder the existing gum-material on the ground so we can transform our perception of our over-controlled, homogenized world of advertisers' mega billboards and see beauty, diversity and our connection with each other. 10,000 pieces of unique pavement art later, and many lives touched, I’d say he’s making progress. Stik uses the tradition of neighbourhood murals and street graffiti to make a political statement about affordable and social housing. His androgynous, watchful figures have a vulnerability about them, at the mercy of larger forces: where is the security and safety of my own home? And they’re self portraits too - Stik was homeless for several years before he became famous ‘I felt invisible and it was my way of showing I’m here’. I love that he has chosen completely round faces for his figures with just large dots for eyes and no other features (I know, they’re fastest to draw, but still...). This shape belongs to the emotional water-element people and it’s the most yin of all the facial types. Stik faces tell us about inner, instinctual feelings without the usual facial clues or features to distract us with details of personality, or health. Water-element faces are rare and belong to warm-hearted, compassionate communicators and nurturers who excel at relating sensitively to others – perfect for a social campaigner for human rights. Unlike homogenized emoji-faces, the large, wide-apart eyes and subtle body language of his long-limbed street people speak volumes about belonging in the busy, active, competitive, yang, city. The round yin-faced person is by nature receptive, connected to the feminine, the (Big) Mother, the circle of life, community, tribe and relationships. His figures may be celebrities now, but they’re not celebrity faces. They’re a still-water mirror reflection for all of us. Stik says that his work 'is a way of speaking to the world'. And, for me, it connects us to our humanity and compassion for all homeless people seeking security and asylum. We're all stik-figures from planet earth. And all people need homes. With a special thank you for contributions from Louise Lowrie.
To the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London for the screening of Looking for Light, an excellent film about veteran English photographer, the late Jane Bown. She was quoted as saying: 'I spent my whole life worrying about time and light'. In her obituary she is hailed as 'part of the Observer's DNA'. She was particularly well-known for her portraits of the rich, famous and infamous (and unknown) and her iconic photograph of Samuel Beckett is considered his definitive portrait.
After the film we got talking to the lovely Maggie Marmion, who I had clocked earlier for her shining Metal Element face. The Metal Element with its chevron cheekbones and triangular shape has an affinity with the arts, the visual, media and fashion (think Kate Moss, Victoria Beckham and Anna Wintour as classic examples). It gives a discerning eye and a magnetic brightness which you can see on the pale skin and hair. In Jane Bown's photo you can see the clear, cool look of the Metal Element sizing up the shot; although more of a square Earth Element face, she had those cheekbones -- the energy moves horizontally, which is great for making connections with others! Maggie's eyes, on the other hand, have the bright, loving to chat & mischievous sparkle of the Fire Element! You can see this quality of fire in the picture of the gorgeous red-haired and freckle-faced child above. And this made it very easy to talk about the film and ask for Maggie's photo! Photos left to right: Maggie Marmion, Samuel Beckett, Jane Bown. |
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June 2016
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