Images vs Words - Artists vs Writers

Can an image tell a story? Or is it only once words are added that an image becomes a narrative? Is art a form of language?

As part of an individual project I will be interviewing artists on my blog about whether they feel their art work is telling a story or whether the story is only built once an image is related to words: whether this be through thought, vocal or written language. My plan is to discover what a more powerful storytelling tool is: images or words.

I will also be looking at various pieces of art and writing a creative response in the form of poetry or micro fictions. This is to asses the storytelling aspect of the picture and how the image itself represents a story. I want to discover whether the organicness of the image is telling a story or whether it is the writer who adapts it to a story.




My first artist example is Russell Morgan, an illustrator based in Kettering. I met Russell at the World Horror Convention 2010 in Brighton earlier this year and was particularly taken by his work. I like how thousands of tiny tiny dots scrunched together can create an image. I think Russell's work has a particularly strong storytelling element to it: his pieces seem to feature a character and always portray a strong emotion. For example the picture below: Suppressed Memory, builds a series of stories in my mind.

The piece by Russell which I have used for my creative response is titled: Arupa Lipica, as per the below.

I will post my response to this seperately.

My project will take the form of interview's with artists, posted here, and my personal creative response to images through fiction writing which, I will share an example of here. The first interview will be with John Routeledge: a photographer and sculpture based down is Essex! Watch this space!

Writing from Home

Following an interview with Bad Language about how writers are affected by their environments it got me thinking about my own writing identity and what has effected this. Or indeed, what it is?

Although others felt that their home had a relation or presence in their writing, I'm sad to say I don't think mine does, at all. I think one thing that was so disappointing for me growing up was that there wasn't any inspiration about the place I grew up. Not even out of hatred, I didn't even passionately dislike the place, I was just bored. One of the things that drew me to Manchester in the first place was the fact that it seemed to have an identity; I've never been part of somewhere that has a collective identity.

To me, Essex is flacid; it's got no collective identity or atmosphere, people leave Essex to find the activity. Something that is so refreshing as a writer is that Manchester is full of activity; built on atmosphere. Perhaps it is the conflict element? The fact that a city will always have conflict, whether it be crime, or the buzz of a collection of different people in the same place, but a city will always have conflict. I guess, in a depressing way, that is inspirational. It creates something to write about. Happier, calmer places are harder to write about because there's less of a story to be resolved.

It's interesting moving to a city how the environment has started to creep into my writing. I've tried in the past to force my hometown into my writing, unsuccessfully. I've tried writing in dialect which I have no true connection to. The story had no truth. I've tried writing about memories, places I've been. But my memories have no excitement, at least not enough to drive a piece of fiction. Is fiction lively then life? I guess in my case it is. So it's a change to move to a place where people do feel that connection to their environment and allow it to influence their writing in an organic manner.

Continuing on from the idea that I find it hard to write about a place I have a memory connected to, I find it inspiring to see a place I have no connection to. There are so many more stories in the unknown than in the known and in that I find creative freedom. In Manchester, for me, there can be anyone or anything. It's a fresh story everytime I leave the house. In that sense, perhaps I have no true writing identity. Only that of other, imagined roots.

However, it's only once you leave a place that you can see it's true identity. For me, when living there, Essex had no identity. Since leaving, I can recognise someone from Essex, through their mannerisms, speech, reservedness. I can sometimes even place which part of Essex they're from. I find now, from a distance, I can start to define and find my identity in my roots and how that has affected me. Standing in the middle, it's impossible to see.

Which leaves me with the question: As I writer, can I ever take on another idenity in a new place? If I now start to write stories about Manchester and organicially grow to have a Manchester writers voice, will that make me a Manchester writer? Or will I always be an Essex writer? Perhaps, despite the fact that I can't see it, others will think that my writing carries an essence of Essex. Perhaps, it is impossible for writer's to move away from their root identity. 

Obviously this debate doesn't only apply to rural vs city but it's a simpler definition of how an environment can effect your writing. My environment affects my writing on a subconsious level, until I've stepped away from that place and can start to reminisce. There is more creative freedom in the unknown or past known, than the now. Is that depressing?

As writers, is it impossible to write in the present?

World Horror Convention 2010: Brighton Shock

The world horror convention of 2010 was a manic whirl-wind of horrors; a combination of authors, fans, artists and art work and lots and lots of free tea. It was held in Brighton this year, the first time in many years since it has visited Britain and I was very excited to be a part of it.

Despite the long, long hours of work which I won't mention (8am-12pm most days!) mostly I can say that it is one of the best, biggest literature events I have been too.

We started the weekend by setting up the art show with the same people that were setting up the art show for Easter Con. With a team of less then 6 volunteers and 2 experts it took us around 9 hours to turn a cold, damp room into a magical, wonderful art gallery ready for the artists to set up their work. You can see our progression below.

First we set up the scaffolding, with no idea what we were doing!

Then we added the boards. I never want to see another cable tie!

Then we added the lights...

And then we were ready for the artists to come and fit their fantistic art work! This particular corner was for Les Edwards work!

The art room was full of such wonderful work; it was my favourite place to be over the weekend.
Although it did turn your head a bit funny after a while considering most of the work was based on horror! Artists I spent my time drooling over instead of watching the door included: Les Edwards, Ben Baldwin, Jim Burns, Vincent Chong and many many more.

A particular favourite of mine which, yes, I did end up buying (don't blame me, blame the subliminal message the artist left in the painting) is as below:

By Russell Morgan - Appropriately titled Suppressed Memory:

My favourite part of the weekend was that there were no ego's. Despite there being people such as Neil Gaiman, James Herbert, Kelley Armstrong or Les Edwards about everyone mingled with everyone, there was no divide which was lovely. In fact nearly every writer/artists/book seller etc which we helped over the weekend made the effort to come up to us at the end and say thank you. Even if I was a little star struck shaking hands with Les Edwards! He does, afterall, created hand painted pictures which sell for thousands! My skabby hands are not worthy!

Here's a few clips of things I didn't get to see but some lucky people with my camera did:

James Herbert getting ready to be interviewed:

Neil Gaiman interviewing James Herbert:

The huge crowd at the mass signing. I only managed to get this photo because I stood on the stage, although my bad photography skills show me up again as I didn't manage to get any of the writers in the photo! I can assure you they are behind the crowd, cowaring behind their tables with a pen!

I loved the convention with all it's: hard work, pier parties, free drinks, free books, writers, artists, fans, beautiful hotel rooms, rain, writers crawling to the bar, lifting, carrying, building, taking down, buying, browsing, pointing, fish and chips and most importantly, people!

I wish I could say I'd love to do the next one. However, it's in Texas.

Ian McEwan at the Royal Northern College of Music

The whole team of Bad Language went on a visit to the Royal Northern College of Music yesterday to see the lovely Ian McEwan reading from his new book Solar.

I have to admit I've never read an Ian McEwan book before but I was curious to see him speak and now I am burning to read his new book. He opened by stating that this novel was a character piece; he had a strong desire to create a piece that only revealed the characters past in the last 100 pages. He said that he found it interesting to explain a characters past after we have got to know the character and his actions.

An interesting discussion that came up was how important it is for a writer to be accurate with details? I believe that Ian McEwan spent 5 years researching the topic of his new novel; Climate Change. Despite this he claimed that he is still expecting complaints from readers of supposed inaccuracies. He used an example of one of his past novels where he placed a character in a car and described the action of them changing gears. From this minor detail he got a letter of complaint stating that his details we're inaccurate and the chosen car would not change gears in this way. He always raised the question: How easy is it for writers to point to facts in novels? Is it indeed risky business.

Despite this Ian McEwan stated that he loves writers who give the taste, feel and look of details. Perphaps this is what has lead to his need to get details correct and spent a long time researching the topic of a novel.

How powerful is poetry? This is a provocative question that a member of the audience and I was curious to know his answer, although I doubt that the answer to this question can ever be given a definitive answer. Ian McEwan doubted that poetry ould make anything happen on a national level, or change an issue such as climate change. But he did seem to point towards poetry having the power to change an individual, not a nation.

Ian McEwan is quite a witty man. Here is a few sound bites from him following his reading:

'If it ended too quickly it's because you're reading too fast.'

' The novel would be dead if women gave up reading.'

'With first person writing you have to do a strange rhetorical trick; it doesn't let you off the hook with writing well.'


If that still hasn't made you feel like reading his books, here's a few words that his audience related to his writing; sinister, 'blokey', sparse and carefully chosen. I wonder what words he would use to describe he own writing?

A delayed response to the Writing Industries Conference.

This is my very delayed response to the Writing Industries Conference which took place on Saturday the 6th March in Loughborough.

The day opened with a key note speech by the wonderful Graham Joyce who gave an honest discussion on the end of the print age. Although the future of the print age seems dark, Graham Joyce argued that the future of writers, however, will prosper. Provided that writers can become adaptable and learn to write in various forms. My favourite point in this key speech was the idea that society will always need stories, no matter what form they come in:)

I had two favourite panels of the day. The first was the 'Community Journalism, Blogging and Finding New Relationships' panel chaired by James K Walker, John Coster, Al Needham and Susi O'Neil. The best advice I took from that panel was to do with being honest and direct when blogging - the audience need to know what to expect from your blog and who is speaking. As expected though it was hard to define how running a blog can assist a writer financially although there was a concensus that it definitely helped in building an audience.

My second favourite panel was the 'How does public funding support the development of writers' chaired by Henderson Mullin, Jonathon Davidson, Farhana Shaikh and Kate Wilkinson (standing in for Steve Dearden). The concensus was that writers can't expect funding for their writing only; they need other skills which will advtantage the public in some way as well as themselves. The most interesting idea I took from this panel was that funding bodies do not only have to be literature intended companies; places like the NHS/Walking companies, organisations outside the box can be a possibility if you can explore how literature relates to the companies aims.

Writers need to treat themselves as businesses and find new ways to reach new audiences; whether that be through building an on-line presence, taking part in community projects or finding ways to relate their work to the public. At the end of the print age writing is losing its solitariness; writers will need to have more of a public presence. It's no longer onyl about sitting at home and writing, writers need a face as well.

If the Writing Industries Conference is to run next year I would like to see more opportunities to network and discuss individuals work; perhaps a reading lunch where writers can have an open mic to read their work. I would also like to see more indepth panels that explore already tried and tested ways to build an audience for a writer. There was a lot of general advice and it would be good to see more specific advice aimed at writers who are already networking have a presence in the community and how to push this further. Perhaps this is the hardest thing to define as it is not straight forward.

I would love to see more events such as The Writing Industries Conference around the country to bring writers and literature development activists together. I'm looking forward to the next one:)

Peppermint tea and pretty paper

I am happy to announce that the next Bad Language event will take place on Tuesday the 16th of February in the usual venue of Nexus Art Cafe in Manchester City Centre. This week we will be holding a workshop on non-linear fiction to complement our new collection of hand made chap books which will soon be created (although it is only Joe's story which will be non-linear but we thought it an appropraite topic).

I've spent this fine, cold Sunday looking for pretty paper and trying to find practical ways to make my own chap book; called Peppermint Tea. The piece is a short story based on a soldier who is tired of walking and spends the duration of the fiction trying not to think. The one thing that haunts him is the fact that he cannot remember his deceased mother's face, although he can vividly remember the smell of the peppermint tea he used to begrudgingly make her in the morning, even though it made him gag.

To complement the title I wanted the front cover of the A5 chap book to present a pop out teacup holding a real bag of peppermint tea. I spent hours in Paperchase this morning with my partner and fellow Bad Language-er harrasing all the pretty paper to see what would make a good front cover, tea cup template and inner page. I want the inside front and back page to be a layer of quaint pretty paper to match the teacup on the front cover. I found a delicate white tissue paper made with holes in it that could represent the snow which is falling throughout the story. However, I'm still considering this idea as the paper was £4.50 per sheet and would make each chap book quite expensive to make.

After arguing with my partner for half an hour over who had the neatest hand writing, we concluded that the title should not be hand written nor printed on as the card is proving too thick to make it through my elderly printer! We concluded that the front cover shall present only the tea cup, holding a tea bag and the title name shall be printed on small pieces of card which will be attached to the end of the teabag like a draw string. Although this will be quite fiddly I hope it will look good and save money on ink and extra materials. I also want to hand stitch the whole book together, although I may change my mind on this after the first attempt depending on how many pricked fingers I can take!

We've decided to make around 15 copies of each of our chapbooks; mine, Dan's and Joe's. We also have big ideas of publishing a forth chapbook full of submissions from our Bad Language writers group, but that depends how many submissions we get.

Anyway, it's been a frustrating and exciting afternoon making a trial chap book and I look forward to making the REAL copies with REAL paper! Hehe! Now to work on the workshop for Tuesday, if anyone fancies coming along:)

www.badlanguagemcr.co.uk

Book Review - The Wind Up Bird Chronicle

The Wind Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami has been part of my life for a while now; I've spent months savouring every moment in the hope that the story will last longer if you read slower.

The story at the heart of The Wind Up Bird is a simple one; a man who loses his wife and will do anything to get her back.A classic tale of love. The novel is spun into a series of intertwining stories set off by one seemingly meaningless event; the disappearance of a cat. My favourite thing about this book is the fact that it is enriched with stories within stories within stories.

A downfall of the book is a 2-D character called May based on a 14 year old girl who's dropped out of school. Although I believed in the character's persona at first, the novel never seemed to break through the '14 year old girl profile' and develop into a deeper person. This is emphasised later in the novel when May continues to write letters to the lead character, revealing pivotol information; which is withdrawn at the end when you realise the letters were never read.

The Wind Up Bird is full of Murakami's usual queer reasoning; where he never answers a question but always find a resolution; which is a quality in Murakami which you either love or hate. I enjoyed the journey of query after query after query until the final two chapters, when I feel Murakami uncharacteristically tried to find a satisfying resolution. It's not the resolutions that I disapproved of but the characters' actions which seemed against their personality in the final moments.

I have enjoyed having this book as being a part of my life and as a result will always sleep with a baseball bat beside my bed from now on....