My song picks of 2013

Happy 2014 to everyone I love and here's my soundtrack.

1. Pumped Up Kicks - Foster the People

2. Slumville Sunrise - Jake Bugg

3. get lucky - daft punk

4. my colleague's band The Downpage Liberation - Underpass

https://soundcloud.com/the-downpage-liberation/underpass

5. Go your own way - Fleetwood Mac

6. the 1975 - chocolate

7. Bastille - Pompeii

8. Empire State of Mind - Jay Z

9. Ho Hey - Andrea Begley
(The Voice!)

10. Jake Bugg - Two Fingers

11. What Difference Does It Make - The Smiths

12. Arctic Monkeys - R U Mine?

13. The National - Beautiful Head

14. Jay Z & Kanye - N*ggas in Paris

15. (For Sarah!) Cee Lo Green - Forget you

16. Aloe Blacc - I need dollar

17. Wake me Up - Avicii (for Becci)

18. Icona Pop - I love it (for Marien!)

19. The Eagles - Get Over It (for Daisy)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOJN5VY1xYc

20. Rhinestone Cowboy - Glenn Campbell

21. Eat Sleep Rave Repeat - Fatboy Slim


22. (tribute to some spectacular dancing) I Knew You Were Trouble - Taylor Swift

23. On Top of the World - to Marien - Imagine Dragons (The day the car broke down)

24. best song ever - One D (had to be done)

25. Foals - My Number

26. Everything everything - Kemosabe (the alone in wetherspoons song)

27. Lana del Rey - summertime sadness

28. Clean Bandit - Mozart's House (the washing up and baking song)

'Write what you know' - Book review of The Post Office by Charles Bukowski

Synopsis: a short novel about the mundane realities of working in an American post office.
Set in the 50s and 60s, the story is said to be autobiographical.

I can't quite remember how I happened on this book, but I had heard the author's name before and I tend to be a big fan of this kind of contemporary American literature, mainly because it is so readable and satirical.
It opens 'It began with a mistake.' which very much sets the tone for the rest of the book. The writing style is conversational and you feel you are being invited into the protagonist Henry Chinaski's life. 

Whether you want to go there or not is your decision, but I don't think you should be afraid of a 'depressing' read once in a while, in fact in failure there is often a good story to be told.

In summary, Chinaski spends much of his life working for the post office in various roles, sleeping with women he doesn't seem to have a great deal of respect for and betting at the races.

The story concludes somewhat miserably with Chinaski having quit the postal service, and still being no further forward in his life than where he began, and just about to embark on a meaningless relationship with two individuals he met whilst in a drunken stupor.

Although the protagonist is relatable, part of me wants to say get on with it, move forward, instead of stewing away in the same old chair filing mail and going home to women he obviously has no real regard for (though he claims to be more knowledgeable than they about how their life will go - spoiler: when his long term partner leaves him for another man, he tells her that he will be no good, which turns into a self-fulfilling prophecy.)

He seems to have trouble identifying with other people, and an apathy as to where life will next take him. His disregard for work, yet the ability to remain in his position is a questionable judgement on his workplace and I believe Bukowski was trying to draw a parallel to what he had found to be true throughout his own working life.

“The streets were full of insane and dull people. Most of them lived in nice houses and didn’t seem to work, and you wondered how they did it.”

(Charles Bukowski)

“To not have entirely wasted one’s life seems to be a worthy accomplishment, if only for myself.” - Charles Bukowksi

Spanish adventure

My favourite part of flying is take off, that bit when nervous flyers feel like they might die. Ryanair it was, with its eye-watering navy blue and mustard yellow colour scheme, sardine-packed seats and hostesses offering the minimal possible social interactions to pass as customer service. It was short and sweet on the way out, and it was no time before we were swooping over the sea, on our right a Mediterranean city with a thrilling looking stretch of beach. Worlds away from home.

 *

One of the first things you notice when you arrive in Southern Europe is the warmth that touches your face when you step out of the conditioned aeroplane air. It reminds you that you don't need that bulky coat or various knitted garments any longer.

So you tie the weighty materials to your already overfilled rucksack and await patiently your turn to get through customs, sweating in jeans and boots, unaccustomed to the beautiful climate as the sun beats down through the floor-to-ceiling glass panes.

The panoramic view of jets awaiting take off is to be seen through tinted glass, protecting foreign humanoids from Spanish sunshine. 

I'm on holiday!

 *

 I walk purposefully towards the exits marked Sordida like I know where I'm going and head for the desk marked Aerobus where there is no queue, wondering at the heaps of tourists piled around the information point with their baggage. Does no one have a clue where they're going? Does anyone need that many bags?

I buy my ticket for the centre of town - five euros ninety and embarrassingly speak in English to the woman behind the desk.

 I always feel bad not understanding the language of a new place, but I am reliably informed by my Spanish friends that the Catalonian dialect would be pretty difficult to get to grips with even if I did learn Spanish, it's a whole different kettle of fish.

 I enjoy a bus ride through the suburbs inside an air conditioned coach and notice huge billboards displaying international brands, the gleam of the Nissan plant and row upon row of flats with bicycles and washing draped in their cage-like balconies.

 *

 I reach the Placa di Catalunya, it's different to how I expected.

 It's a huge square, the buildings not exactly beautiful, and it's teeming with people, criss crossing in every direction and going about their business, whether that be work, selling souvenirs or holiday making.

The low sun bounces off the gleaming ground in the square and I find it difficult to get my bearings.

 I want to linger but I am conscious that the sun is going down and I don't know where my hostel is.

(Placa di Catalunya in daylight)

 *

Upon arrival, I am given a key card for a sixth floor dorm by the relaxed duo behind the check in desk.

I dump my stuff in a crisp white top bunk and descend the break neck ladder.

I grab a 'hippy burger' in the hostel bar which is the wild mushroom flavoured vegetarian offering and have a wander round the gothic quarter which is stunning in the twilight.

A mish mash of street artists are by the cathedral including a classical ensemble and some street dancers performing stunts to please a large crowd.

(Orchestra in front of the cathedral at dusk)

 The streets are wide and at night are packed with streams of shoppers, as post siesta is prime time to hit the shops.

*

 Back in the hostel bar I soak up the atmosphere and eventually get chatting to a Polish guy and an Italian guy. 

(The hostel bar "welcome to the melting pot")

We drink a LOT of sangria, by which point my head is spinning, and head to the Hard Rock Cafe where cocktails are consumed including a rather revolting watermelon margarita and then jump on the metro to Barceloneta where we are promised a beach party.

Note to English travellers, the measures are much larger here than in the UK; I watched with incredulity in the beach bar as I ordered the free vodka and coke which came with the club cover charge and watched the bar maid pour about a glass' worth of vodka with a splash of coke.

The Italian tells me he is a photographer and works in Mexico.

The Polish guy tells me he has been living in Scotland for the last six years and works in a factory.

 *

On the beach at 2 in the morning, the bay curves right round as far as my dizzied mind can see.

I feel euphoric yet a sense of total calm in the slightly cooler night air.

 The curvature of the bay seems to mirror a building perched right at the end of the beach which is a hotel. The architect designed it in a half moon shape, it looks like a sail.

 It's the middle of the night and we're on the beach and I can feel the Spanish sand between my toes - it's magical.

 I'm not totally Spanish yet as I am too tired to party until sunrise and I make my way back at 3.

 *

I have obviously missed my free breakfast.

I wasn't expecting to go out on my first night, then again I wasn't expecting to befriend strangers immediately either.

The hostel atmosphere means its pretty easy to talk to new people. 

It's half past ten and it feels nice to take my time and get ready slowly instead of the usual mad rush for work.

 Head banging, I navigate the metro to the Sagradas Familia where I experience my first taste of Gaudi.

I'm getting better at the metro - London, Paris, Berlin and Barcelona over the last few years have helped me on this one though I am conscious of the the warnings everyone gives about Barcelona pickpockets.

(Sagradas familia)

 *

 I buy some tropical fruit for three euros for the amazing variety of colour in one little box. 

(Delicious)

I hover on the pavement opposite the cathedral with the other tourists and wonder at the intricacy of the designs. Gaudi's work is just phenomenal. Crazy, but totally brilliant.

What stuck in my mind was that it was still a work in progress. It took so long for him to create his masterpiece that it outlived him! 

He was a perfectionist.

 I listened in to a tour guide talking about the religious symbols on the front facade. 

It was an incredibly busy design, which took some getting used to. 

I then bought some over-priced noodles - note to self I do not like Udon noodles which have a worm-like texture - and headed across town on the metro to take a trip up the Montjuic cable car which promised stunning views across the whole city, getting horrendously lost in the process.

Several coffees and awkward encounters later, it did not disappoint. 

 The thin wire that against all odds attaches the cable car to the line looks like it shouldn't and the little cars are buffeted about in the wind as we bob across the sky above the city.

(Nervous heights)

(At the top!)
I watch people take photos of each other with ridiculously sized cameras and then ask a kind German couple to take mine for me.
On the way down I chat to an Austrian backpacker and then realise I have lost my metro two day pass. What an idiot!
 *

 First thing.

I wander in and out of shops on Las Ramblas soaking up the atmosphere.

I also wander down the many ribbons of alleyways that weave in between the main streets which include an eclectic mix of touristy shops and the more unusual - I happen across a shop where you can rent a rainbow of different coloured bicycles, a legal highs shop, a sweet shop with a medical theme and various places you can buy paella.

The one shop that sticks in my mind from Las Ramblas is Desigual. 

It's colourful fashions and patterns entice me inside and I am wowed by the crazy designs, though the price tags deter me from taking a little item home with me.

 *

During the Art Nouveau period, buildings started to be designed as 'living organisms' to be functional over the purely decorative styles of the Baroque era and nothing brings this more to mind than the Casa Battlo.

One of the absolute highlights of my sightseeing excursions about the city, this house, designed for a Mr Battlo I believe, encompasses the wild originality that is the Art Nouveau design.

A revolutionary design, the facade of the house is a pattern of delicate mosaics made from glass shards and balconies in a somewhat anthromorphic design reminiscent of skulls.

I can't begin to describe the wonderful experience I had inside the building but would suggest any visitor to Barcelona take the tour and support the preservation of the place. 

*

I don't have a set plan for the rest of the day so I consult my map and head for the arc de triomph, having seen the Paris one a few years earlier I want to know how they compare!

Easy in theory, but this is where my total lack of direction comes in and I end up wandering the maze of streets in between the two main stretches for a good hour.

(Here it is!)
(Salamanders everywhere, another Gaudi reference)

 * 

It's my last night and by about 9 I'm in the hostel bar planning a relatively relaxed night socialising with whoever as I'm catching an early flight the next day.

I try Vegas bombs with the barmen which are basically a mix of peach schnapps and red bull. 

I then order myself a mojito and start watching a film on my tablet when I am approached by a bar man who has informed me he hails from Codsall, Staffordshire and used to 'catch chickens in Uttoxeter'.
Small world!

He says "You're in Barcelona, you're drinking a MOJITO, it's your last night, how dare you watch a movie!"

He has a point.

I'm invited to join a string of hilarious drinking games by a lovely Finnish girl and an eclectic bunch of folk from Australia, America, Poland, Sweden and Finland.

We are taken by the locals down some side alleyways to a music bar called Nevermind, which offered popcorn and had a skate ramp inside it. 

We ordered 'jack the stripper' flaming shots and a delicious shot of chocolate and coffee liqueur mixed together with cream on the top which you had to drink without hands.

I'll let you guess it's name.

We have a bit of a drunken conversation about American politics while we follow the locals down some seedy side streets to get to the next bar.

 * 

The next bar was bright and full of mirrors. 

I learned the art of 'beer pong' which I was predictably awful at after a few drinks, in that I couldn't get a single ball in the beer. 

We sat outside, swopped travel stories and shared a sorry looking cigarette between the three of us. We were approached by the same old man several times trying to sell us his wares. 

We also get a bucket of what is hopefully water chucked over our heads for being too noisy, from a top floor window somewhere in the winding streets we explored that evening. 

*

Picasso. I wake up four hours later eager to see the final stop on my Barcelona wish list - the Picasso museum, a gem buried in the side streets of an unassuming area of Barcelona.

Picasso is an artist which I have always classed as someone I admire, a modern artist who I want to find out more about.

I don't believe I fully appreciated the diversity of his works before I spent some time at the Picasso museum.

It costs 8 euros to get in, it's difficult to find (especially with a hangover) and there's a bit of a queue, during which we are entertained by some of the best street artists I have seen in a while.

I wander round trying to take in as much as I can in the short time I have.

What stands out to me are the Las Meninas series, 45 paintings of different views of one Velazquez work.

I feel that his work often takes a second look to get to the heart of his thought patterns.

I feel I have only scratched the surface of his work.

Which is how I feel about Barcelona - four days wasn't enough to find out everything, I have merely scratched the surface and I will definitely be back for a second look.

(A park I happened upon with palm trees)

Syria

I am not in favour of immediate military action. It's not that I think that there should be no action in the future. It's just that I doubt their intentions. I can't see that certain MPs are looking at the larger picture, they are focussing more intensely on Britain's authority on the world stage.
What are the motivations behind stepping in?
I consider that atrocities are committed against people on a daily basis all over the world. How do you quantify at what level you should step in as a country who are not directly affected by the conflict?
Where do you draw the line at for pain and suffering - how are chemical weapons worse than shooting somebody and watching them die a slow painful death?
Why the hypocrisy? Is Bashar al-Assad a war criminal? If so, who else is?

Russia have put their views for America's action as being strongly against any movement without UN approval. Surely this will create turbulence on the world stage - will this defeat the object of stepping in if this will just provoke tensions?

What is the alternative? The Syrian rebels will take over. Who are these rebels and should we be encouraging them into power? Should we even be interfering in another country's political affairs?

What makes our system so much better than a dictatorial style of government? Considering that many people don't vote or make the most of their freedom of speech in democratic countries. Is it worth them having it? Or is it a case of knowing it is there.

What is funny about numb?

Someone told me that comedy is only comedy if it has meaning.
I think Simon Amstell hits the nail on the head with underlying messages and dark humour.
I really enjoyed 'Numb' and 'Do Nothing', the first which is on iPlayer at the moment and the second which is on Youtube.
Very very funny.
Though I do wonder about what I find funny. Often the quite wacky (Family Guy), the resigned, brutally honest and hilarious (Peep Show), the 'making-fun-of-public-figures' Have I Got News For You, then silly things like an infectious laugh or sharing old jokes with friends.

It used to be more the blatant and exaggerated (Big Bang Theory) and the silly (The Simpsons) and the mundane made funny (Michael Mcintyre). However they rarely make me crack a smile any more. I guess tastes change as life happens and certain things become much more comic, especially when you've experienced them yourself.

I also think that the atmosphere at a comedy gig might make certain jokes more funny. Isn't it true that laughter is 'infectious'?

I enjoy all kinds of stand up comedy, and particularly like finding new comics that I can relate to, though if it's done badly then it really does make you cringe. I think you'd have to be very self assured to make a living as a comic but I suppose your audience gets used to your humour and knows what to expect!

Instagram

Banana buns

The great thing about banana buns is that they can be eaten at any time of the day.

I'm not really a wannabe Mary Berry, but I do love to create things, and they will come out with the 'home-made look' and not the polished look.
These aren't too sweet for a breakfast treat, especially if you don't add icing.

I was really excited how these turned out because they had exactly the right texture so I think the ratios in this recipe are just right.

Several friends found the topping quite hilarious in my photo - will say no more.

WARNING: Very addictive

Ingredients

200g self raising flour
3 large, ripe bananas mashed
150g caster sugar
1 egg
75g butter

Method

Pre-heat oven to 180C. Place 12 baking cases in muffin tin.
Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and mashed bananas and combine.
Fold in flour and mix until smooth.
Spoon into muffin cases. Bake for 25-30 minutes until golden brown on top.

Optional

Combine icing sugar and water and drizzle over cooled muffins.
Leave to set.

Enduring Love - Ian McEwan

I MUST admit, this book was a slow starter for me. Though it plunged you straight into the story at the start, I found I didn’t fully relate to the characters until I got about halfway through, by which time I was hooked on the storyline and couldn’t stop reading.

With beautiful prose being a key asset of McEwan’s writing,  this is a short novel for light readers to get their teeth into, offering quality writing over quantity.

The synopsis describes the book as a story of relationships, and this is definitely the key theme, as well as death and mental illness. The main storyline follows Joe Rose and his ‘stalker’ Jed Parry, who we eventually find suffers from de Clerambault’s syndrome, and the effect this has on Joe’s life with his other half Clarissa.

Following a traumatic event, the book keeps you guessing until the end whether Jed is a figment of Joe’s imagination or whether he is the sane one.

An original storyline and a compelling read, this is one to add to your summer reading list.

Youtube picks this week

1. Jose Gonzales - Put your hand on your heart

One of the best acoustic artists ever!

2. KT Tunstall - Other Side of the World

I've loved this song for years, and this is my favourite rendition. Sometimes live recordings spoil a song, but I love the crowd singing back at her.

3. Jessie J cover of Rihanna

I've recently started listening to Jessie J's acoustic sessions on Youtube. Very beautiful songs from the heart. I love Jessie's stage presence, full of attitude!!

4. National Anthem - Lana del Rey

I admit it, I was wrong about LDR, sorry Becci and Steve...
Actual song begins at 1.44.

5. Passenger - Let Her Go

This is in the charts at the moment. Love it.

Music reviews

Hello blog!

I have been neglecting you for a while. I think that's how it is with blogs - you get a few weeks of inspiration then forget to write for a while.


So I've been catching up with some new music on YouTube recently, getting annoyed with my local radio stations en route to work because of the quantity of inane ads in the middle of the programmes. It's got so bad that I actually thought of Confused.com before I heard YMCA at a party.

Here's the first song I love at the moment.

1. Kemosabe by Everything Everything

If you haven't heard this already, you need to give it a listen! I love the chord changes. Every time you think his voice can't get any higher, he somehow manages it!

The video is pretty good too. It matches the erratic nature of the song especially at the start. Eerie, but somehow optimistic. This track is always surprising, and I think quite complex compared to some tracks that are out at the moment. I like the unexpected in music.

2. Pompeii, by Bastille is the second song up for review. I really quite liked it the first time I listened to it. But don't over listen to it, because it is quite repetitive and gets old quite quickly. I would turn the radio up if it came on though.

  

O

The video is okay. I get what they're trying to do with the dead eyes, but its been done before! Think they've copied Black Mirror! And various music videos.

3. Full Circle by Half Moon Run

I love this track. I know that it has been out a while now but I have to review it because I got recently recommended it. I feel the references are to drugs and/or getting wrapped up in your own head and thoughts. A feeling of inevitability permeates every word.

4. #thatPOWER ft Justin Bieber - will.i.am

A bit of a joke track really, the video's best bit has gotta be when JB's face appears on a giant billboard, while multiple will.i.am's dance below him. 

I like the bass and it is definitely dance-able. But also pretty funny. And a little bit creepy, especially with so many Wills. I guess there is something quite eerie in general about power gravitating towards a small group or an individual.

Though, if I could sing and I was on the Voice, I would probably choose Will. I also love Jessie J, so if she chose me I would have a hard decision, especially seeing as she is a female coach. I don't know why I'm even wondering about this as I really can't sing. Apparently you can train yourself to become a better singer though.

Here it is:

On a side note, does the title have reference to JB's number of Twitter followers? ;) 

Or is it all about money and fame? Or power behind the scenes like criminal gangs? 

I think the latter, as power is often in the hands of someone who is not in the public face - so you have a puppet acting on behalf of #thatpower.

A Deliciously Zingy Recipe by Mary Berry

Today's post is a simple recipe for the best lemon cupcakes I have tried.
This one is from the wonderful Mary Berry.

Ingredients:

125 g soft butter
125 g self-raising flour
125 g caster sugar
2 tbsp milk
2 large eggs
Finely grated zest of 1 small lemon (I used two for an extra zing.)

Mary Berry suggests a lemon buttercream icing, but I used standard glace icing with a sprinkling of lemon zest for decoration.

Icing sugar - as much or as little as you like.

Lemon zest

Method:

• Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees.
• Cream together butter and sugar.
• Add beaten eggs a little at a time along with the milk.
• Grate the zest of the lemon into the mix and if you want an extra zing to your recipe, squeeze some lemon juice in at this stage.
• Fold in the flour with a metal spoon.
• Spoon evenly into twelve cupcakes (use cupcake cases in trays.)
• Bake for 20-25 minutes until a light golden brown.
• Leave to cool and then decorate with your icing mixture and lemon zest.

The extra lemon makes for a wonderfully moist cake which will give a little lemony kick which is absolutely delicious when combined with the sweetness of the icing.

Thoughts On The Doping Scandal

One news story that I have been following with fascination recently is the Lance Armstrong doping scandal. Having read both his autobiographies, I was inspired by his passion for cycling and focus on his sport through adversity. 

With family I watched the Tour de France religiously every summer, and as I was growing up and getting into the sport myself, Lance was consistently the hero for my brother and I. Cycling is a brilliant sport and one which has sadly suffered so much. 

Obviously, following the recent revelations, I was incredibly disappointed in the true accounts of events. I believe that once he got himself into the cycle of lying that it became habit. Inexcusable, but it became for him part of his sport, something he HAD to do to further his chances.

I believe that he took the mentality that doping had to be a part of cycling to win, that cycling professionally was like playing a chess game – you had to take care of all the pieces, both opponents and doping regulations. Winning was a personal achievement for overcoming all obstacles, legal regulations and physical barriers.

Doping increases the inequality of sport, and for this reason many people are incredibly angry. Added to this that there was a great deal of manipulation and blackmailing going on with regard to the doping.

The essence of sport is that those with focus and drive win, and that you have to be an incredibly dedicated individual to be top of your field, no matter what sport you’re in. You have to practise for hours daily. In addition to that, you need natural aptitude, you need motivation, you need physical potential. For the last reason, sport will never be fair. 

I watched the Olympics to see people who have seized their potential and gone the whole way to make something of it. I watched the Paralympics to see people who had seized their potential despite living each day facing physical barriers.

Neither of these events are “fair” or “equal”, but only as equal it is possible to regulate. The Olympics are about a celebration of human spirit, team work and perseverance. This is the case for sport in general. For most people, chemical enhancements are a complete contradiction to the “perseverance” aspect of sport, and are widely seen as taking the easy route to success. But was success easy for cyclists whilst taking these drugs? I would still say, no it wasn’t. 

People will argue that there is doping in every sport as it is easy to evade drugs tests. We can’t get too paranoid or the regulations will be so strict that people will be deterred from taking part. But no one wants a cheat to win. Personally, I would never want doping to become a part of winning at high level sport, as I believe it takes the achievement out of it.  

Winning is about glory, winning is about money, winning is about fame, winning is about being top of your game.  The cliché, but taking part must be the real personal achievement.

Should the fact that Lance used chemical enhancement to improve his body immediately disqualify him from all future events? 

Yes

He lied and cheated for years, took the easy way out, acted selfishly towards family and team mates, manipulated people to achieve personal ends. The doping in sport has stopped hundreds of “clean” sportsmen and women from having a better shot at coming top.

But no…

He dedicated years of his life to his sport, inspired millions as well as using winnings to support Livestrong. He is passionate about sport, he has not stopped with his sport since all of this made headline news.

Livestrong has been condemned by some cynics as a vanity statement, one which simply highlights Lance as an undeserved hero. 

But if we’re looking at this from a moral standpoint, surely the fact is Livestrong has done so much good for so many people. It’s an organisation which offers support to cancer patients. This is a fantastic cause.

A controversial question which has been at the back of my mind is “Do performance enhancing drugs cause cancer?” There, I’ve asked it. There’s various articles out on the web with contradicting views on this, though one I recently read suggests there is no evidence to support this.

Lance was my childhood sporting hero. I had little interest in football, but when the Tour de France was on, I would watch for hours. His autobiographies, however much fact and however much fiction still gave me a lot of reading enjoyment and inspiration to encourage my cycling hobby. 

I don’t believe in never forgiving people, and the same applies to my “heros” turned sour. I respect Lance for those words to Luke, “Don’t try to stick up for me anymore, tell people that your dad says he’s sorry.” Heart-breaking, and I can’t imagine how this whole situation must affect the kids.

There is no easy answer to these questions. I believe that being a liar and cheat in the eyes of the public is quite possibly the worst kind of punishment, and Lance just can’t have believed that he would get away with it forever. I think back to times when I have “cheated” on a small scale at board games when I was a kid. On one hand it takes all the pleasure out of achieving something under your own steam, but you still get to enjoy winning. I didn’t truly believe Lance took part in doping until the final confessions from team mates. 

Food for thought indeed!

A Brief Introduction to Giorgio de Chirico

Giorgio de Chirico is an Italian painter, often thought to be the founder of the Metaphysical art school and Surrealist.

His work has always appealed to me, with it's deceptively simple scenes evoking intense feelings of apprehension.

This is the first work by Giorgio de Chirico that I encountered in the book 30,000 years of art.

This work is entitled Mystery and Melancholy of a Street. The main features of the painting to look at are the little girl playing and the shadowy figure with the spear. The shadow appears to suggest that perhaps all is not well here. To me, it suggests the contrast of contentment and fear, with the metaphor of potential shadows just around the corner.

Following this, I became interested in finding out more about de Chirico, and led him to become one of my favourite contemporary artists.

 

The first painting in this “Metaphysical” style painted by Giorgio de Chirico was “The Enigma of an Autumn Afternoon”. Giorgio de Chirico marks this painting as a turning point in his perceptions of objects around him. He was sitting in a square in Florence and noted how everything around him seemed somewhat alien and surreal. 

This inspired this new style of painting.