Old fruit...

College fashion shows can be hit or miss affairs, and sometimes they're a hit entirely unintentionally. I'll never forget a show at the Glasgow School of Art, held in an intimate auditorium, packed with students, family and friends.  As the show got underway it transpired the theme was Adam and Eve. One of those brilliant ideas that should have remained just that. Suspending disbelief for art students masquerading as models is one thing, but when they start acting as well...

It was brilliant! Side splitting hysterical scream out loud funny and we had to hold it in for thirty minutes. Tantric laughter!

This year Cardonald College staged its end of year bash at the Old Fruit Market in Glasgow's Merchant City. We were late arriving after a cock-up on the cocktail front. 

The venue should be great for fashion shows, but they had a stumpy catwalk, so along with the majority of the crowd, we were miles from the action. 

Now, in a previous blog I'd said the most unfashionable thing you can ever think of is simultaneously the most fashionable... it appears there are exceptions...

A man in a kilt and a Canadian woman compèring for one. They had to read off cards... and couldn't. At certain points, accompanied by keyboards, they'd belt out songs like "I'm every woman". 

Who on earth thought this was a good idea? It was excruciatingly naff. The students must have been raging. I was, and the £4 gin and tonic with no lemon in a plastic glass didn't help.

Afterwards we popped into Black Sparrow for a debrief and drink. Overall the consensus was, this year, the Art School Show won... unfortunate circumstances mean I've no pictures of that.

Corona's back on my radar. They must have a push on because it's everywhere again. It's the perfect beer if you're thirsty and don't fancy a beer. But you simply, absolutely MUST have a wedge of lime! And this summer, Brazilian Limes are THE limes to be seen with.... they're just so fabulously, adorably... yellow.

Black Sparrow

241 North Street,

Glasgow

0141 221 5530

Pictures at an exhibition...

Just back from the Recoat gallery's opening night of 'Crystal is the New Wolf'. An exhibition of work by Will Barras and Rue Five. The weather's awful, pouring rain and it's the first time I've been to an opening here. The space is 'intimate', 'compact and bijou'...... tiny. They seemed like a nice crowd. Actually, a bit too nice. Surely great art requires at least a sprinkling of suffering? A pinch of pain? A teensy bit of torture? This lot looked far too healthy. 

We were even offered a complimentary Corona beer ... chilled and with a wedge of lime! Lovely, but did anyone ever create great art after a night on the Coronas?  They had other nice sounding drinks too, but shouldn't drinks associated with art have more of a whiff of toil? British Sherry or large plastic bottles of cheap cider seem more appropriate. There's just not enough 'struggle' in quaffing a delicious limey refreshing beer while pondering pictures.

Will Barras's picture 'Pearl Fisher' was best for me, no photo I'm afraid, but thought these were good too, and I like the Japanese influence in some of his work.

Earlier today I went to see 'Synecdoche New York', a great film. One character's an artist whose work is so miniature that you need a magnifying glass to see it. Rue Five's work almost warranted the same treatment.

Click on this to see more Will Barras work at his own website.

And click here for Rue Five.

The exhibition runs till June 6th and is open Tuesday-Sunday 12-6pm.

Recoat Gallery

323 North Woodside Road

Glasgow 

G20 6RY

(right next door to the Woodside Social Club)

0141 341 0069