Thursday, 3 April 2008

Art at the Substation

Against the obviousness of obviousness / My friends and I couldn’t do punk, somehow.

Opening: Friday 4th April 6-9pm
Saturday 5th April 1-5pm
Sunday 6th April 1-5pm

Substation - Studio 1, First floor, Substation Project Space, Bilton Square (off High St ), Margate CT9 1DX

Map of how to get there

Press release

Upstairs at the Substation, juxtaposed on a landscape of automatic lifts that carry you through purples and woodlands of heather, an art exhibition finally emerges that reaches deep into the truant’s worst moments and turns him into a proud thief.
What is the thing? A species that flicks feathers into waterfalls whilst watching the truth as told being a lie: a flagrant lie of disobedience to its medium.

Don’t listen to the trolls…listen to the art.

Looking at the art in groups of five thousand and three, wavering over the icy grit locket folders, muscling in on the grave distinct figures and trip-fever blue (blue is light that glows, blows the blue wind), you sense its character is so deep that, at that very moment, Allah (everything combined) reaches its loving arms to welcome you to art. You will find the phligma of beauty and the answer specified, and influences taken from Ghandi, Hitler, Jude Law, Simon and Garfunkel, Madam Twanky, and many other misrepresented philosophers who speak to you in a profound whisper. Just tell yourself one day, if you will, tell it good massive one to yourself.

Dinosaurs and Greek gods may well have existed. (Can we say in this context that the name God can be used?) Many practicing artists would and should disagree. After all, they are only basic, and they do have to cope with having a skunk-like demeanour that cannot compare to the achievements of men.

This art turns its nose up at men because of their arrogance and impertinence. I base this on the Greek god Adonis and the diplodocus and Pythagoras, and the desperate nature of too many men in current society.
My personal starting point is that art rhymes with art. You can say that two words that are exactly the same rhyme because they do.

“So elegant in trance vision that bold undertones of paint with a splish a splosha A sad a splish splish splosha. I said from a splish to the splish to the splish splish splosha.”


Is art a trade? Yes it is, for the purposes of this ellipse. Artists of calibre whistle and sing whilst they work, and so do tradesmen. I will say it again, “To the splish splish splosha!” Can one man’s achievements be enough? Can every man’s achievements be too much? Only a frog can save us with the nerve impulse of a massive vacuum cleaner tied to a fence.

Many famous artists would say,

“To be or not to be? That is the question.”

Ah my friend, the age-old psychosis of getting dragons mixed up with dinosaurs. It’s a semantic disability, to see the lamp turned on straight in front of your weary eyes. Shocker. And then to see that the shutter has been disabled too! Some artists would use as material Tutankahmun being carried off into the sunset on a double-decker bus, just for the sake of one sentence of stupid description. You can decide where scrutinising politics gets us, but I can tell you where: no diggity. Nowhere. It’s the same with scrutinition politics of art; it’s like trying to eat a prune before its ready.

Honesty is the best way of viewing art, not sanctimonious people talking about honesty.
That’s not the point, definitely don’t try and be honest when you are observing art. That’s not what it’s for. Looking at art honestly will get you most of the way - just be honest and you can’t go wrong. Lastly, on the subject of honesty: Not the way forwards. You would be better off trying to turn a computer into Alicia keys, so let’s just agree with the idea of honesty in art: Oh man, it’s cool.
Gregor Lypiatt


Tuesday, 1 April 2008

TROPICAL ROBOTS present THOMAS TRUAX

Friday April 4th @ Belgian Café, 8pm

TROPICAL ROBOTS present THOMAS TRUAX



"From New York City, an anti-folk legend"

"In a conventional world, this man is the superhero of nonconformity"

"A mad music scientist"

"Tom Waites' weird younger brother"


A true one-off, there is no one else like him as no one else in the world has home-made instruments like The Hornincator, Sister Spinster and The Cadillac Beatspinner Wheel which all look like contraptions found in a zany inventor's workshop. However Truax is no gimmick, he writes mesmerising songs and the noises these weird machines make set them off rather nicely.
In short, a must-see act.


A bewildering melange of garage rock songs, avant garde sounds and cabaret showtunes, full of whistles, toy piano, ice cream chimes and invented instruments... with shades of Tom Waits' storytelling, Nick Cave's theatricality and Lux Interior's howling-at-the-moon madness. - SoundsXp
www.myspace.com/thomastruax
http://www.thomastruax.com/

Video: Prove It To My Daughter by Thomas Truax

+ special guests:

Captain Blood Blood and The Sea Dogs (Leigh-on Sea, Essex)
Weirdly brilliant ska flecked sea shanties from our seaside cousins accross the estury
www.myspace.com/captainbloodbloodandtheseadogs


Sky:Lark (Margate)
Awesome ensamble shreading guitars through swooping melodies
www.myspace.com/skylarkylark

Southwood (Ramsgate)
Punk and role from Costa Del Thanet
http://www.myspace.com/southwooduk

Margate Rocks




Margate Rocks

The Margate Rocks festival of contemporary visual art returns this 3 to 11 May, with a very special public launch night on Friday 2 May. This year’s festival explores the relationship between art & ecology through a fantastic and fun programme of art exhibitions, family drop-in workshops, talks, films, music and events for everyone! There’s also new commissions being made for Margate, including one from internationally renowned artists, Heather & Ivan Morison, who represented Wales at the 2007 Venice Biennale.

Highlights include:

Sat 3 May
All day
Kentish Food and Arts & Crafts Market, and Street Festival.
FREE, Market Place and High Street

Sat 3 and Sun 4 May
Various times
The Magnificent Revolution present the Cycling Cinema – watch films on the UK’s only bicycle powered cinema!
FREE, The Pie Factory

Sat 3 May
9-10pm
His Dark Materials – A late night café-style talk with materials scientist, Dr Mark Miodownik, of the Materials Library at Kings College London and Tate Modern.
FREE, Café G

Mon 5 May
7.30pm
Billy Childish’s May Day Music Show – Catch a rare performance by this internationally cult musician, artist and poet at The Theatre Royal Margate.
Tickets £10, Theatre Royal Margate, call 01227 787 787 to book or buy on the door

Thurs 8 May
2-6pm
Green filmmaking master classes led by internationally acclaimed activist filmmaker, Franny Armstrong. Followed by an intimate screening of her award-winning film, ‘Drowned Out’.
FREE, booking essential. Email mailto:charlie@margaterocks.com

To find out more about Margate Rocks visit www.margaterocks.com or email hello@margaterocks.com

Monday, 24 March 2008

Ramsgate Spring Festival


RAMSGATE SPRING FESTIVAL


FESTIVAL LAUNCH NIGHT: 1 May 2008 from 7.30PM

FESTIVAL VENUE: The Belgian Bar, Ramsgate Harbour

FESTIVAL THEME: SPRING


To Spring - Spring - A Spring
I Spring -You Sprang - We All Sprung Together!


SPRING SONG
Every Thursday evening in May at 7.30pm, All Styles of Music
COME & LISTEN OR MAKE YOUR OWN MUSIC. Open Mike arrangements.
Contact Ruth Cutler: 01843 591081 to book your place.

SPRING INTO ART
EXHIBITION OF VISUAL ARTS From 1 May to 31 May 2008 at The Belgian Bar. Work Invited based on Festival Theme of SPRING. Reception Days: 29 & 30 April 10.00am – 5.00pm.
ALL WORK MUST BE READY TO HANG
A Cash Contribution to the Belgian Bar is requested for any work sold during The Festival.
Contact: Ruth Cutler: 01843 591081.

WRITES OF SPRING - POETRY COMPETITION
On the Festival Theme of SPRING. All work must be typed, no more than 40 lines per poem. Your Name and Contact Details on the reverse side of each poem. Maximum of 6 poems per entry. THERE IS NO ENTRY FEE

Winning Poems will be read at The Belgian Bar by yourself or a nominated reader on Wednesday 21 May 2008 from 7.30pm - CLOSING DATE FOR ENTRIES: 30 APRIL 2008
Please send your entries to:
Margaret Swan, 20 Pegwell Close, Ramsgate, CT11 0NB


Calendar Update

It's a bit of a shock, but the Calendar has been updated with dates for a range of cultural activities - Ramsgate Spring Festival, Thanet's Own Poets, Broadstairs Writers' Circle, Spring Into Art and Writes of Spring (a poetry competition).

Mode dates of local interst and excitement will be added over the next few days, but if you know of an event that should be there, LET US KNOW. An email to events@thanetcan.org.uk will do the trick, just provide all the infromation you have (what, where and when would be the minimum).



Have a look, go along, participate, tell your friends etc etc...

Friday, 7 March 2008

Balkan Belly Burlesque at the Belgian Bar

How can you not want to see this? Go. Enjoy. Wobble.

Balkan Bely Burlesque

Tuesday, 27 November 2007

Bandstand Bazaar!! 15 December 2007


Starting at midday, come and have a sing song, a cup of mulled wine and mince pie and pick up some lovely pressies for your friends and family at the Bandstand Bazaar! Christmas Lantern Parade and fire sculpture too!! Still a few spaces left if you would like to have a stand. Call Tara on 07977 666519