An informal academic blog about my research and my everyday rants. I attempt to write about things that I encounter everyday which make me think. The pictures and paintings here are my own and are available for sale. The title is a tribute to the Conservative Sociologist whose blog I loved reading.
We would like to invite you to Sparkle in the Cathedral (10th July 2016). We are hoping to reach a wider transgender congregation this year. Allies are welcome too. This is the third year we are running the Sparkle service. This is not a separate event but the regular Sunday morning worship service which will welcome Sparkle visitors. We are hoping to initiate a dialogue and bring awareness about the transgender community within the Church. This year we also have a local transgender artist exhibiting her paintings at the Cathedral. Please do spread the word. Thank you.
Found this essay
online thought of sharing it. The phrase 'The Master's Tools Will Never
Dismantle the Master's House' has become rather common however reading this essay contextualises
the intersectional racist and sexist masters Lorde is speaking about. The
call to dismantle is not an abstract one but one that is based on action.
Lorde, Audre. “The
Master’s Tools Will Never Dismantle the Master’s House.” 1984.
While writing
about addiction in cinema I could not help but write about Devdas. Based on the Bengali novella of the
same name by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay 15th September 1876 – 16th January 1938). Published
in 1917 the novella was written in 1901. Depicting the life of an indecisive obsessive man with
little courage. Turned into a romantic tale over the years the film evokes
pity-turning Devdas into the ultimate fallen hero of Indian cinema.In over one century Devdas has been
Adapted for film, theater and television and translated into several Indian
languages. The earliest film based on the book was made in 1928.
The 2002 Bollywood version of the film brought the story back to
popularity. However the film was more about the visual effects and nostalgia
than the original abject nature of the titular character of book. Chattopadhyay
makes a scathing commentary about the modern educated man of his time. Torn
between a stereotype and being a rational man this book continues to provide an
analysis of human emotions.
I recently watched Miss Hokusai and was mesmerized by the beauty of the animation. The film depicts the life of the Hokusai family focusing not on Katsushika Hokusai (1760 – 1849) the famous woodblock print artist but on his artist daughter. The film incorporates Hokusai's artworks into the narrative giving the work context and the plot meaning.
What I found fascinating about the film was the lack of romance and a simple narrative which explored the characters more deeply. The film portrays a determined and sensitive young woman who keenly observes the world around her incorporating it into her painting. Her young blind sister brings out the maternal in her.
As mentioned before the lack of a romantic subplot allows the film to develop and the characters to grow in maturity without being distracted. Miss Hokusai is a single woman whose talent while admirable seems to intimidate the men around her who admire her but don't see her as a romantic partner. Her strong sense of duty coupled with her talent make her content within herself and her world.
The animation is beautiful conveying a range of emotions and providing a breathtaking experience. The changing seasons an little detail from Hokusai's prints were cleverly woven into the story and provided animation to prints we have only seen as still.
What I personally found interesting was the way a story of two artists were told in a historical setting with the focus not on Hokusai the artist but his daughter. The stories within the stories were equally compelling and animated with skill.
New issue out now. Thank you to our contributors whose work has kept us going for 30 years. We appreciate your writing and art and look forward to more.
Contributions include artist/writer Sanchita Islam . You can read her article titled Should mental health patients be forced to take medication? Here
I was at the British museum a month ago watching an exhibition on
colonialism. What fascinated me is how India was given a certain dignity in the
art Indian women were exotic, royal and in their finest clothing (nakedness is
seen as a means of shaming and not eroticism). The African subject by contrast
was less autonomous, the women naked and objects of sexualisation. There was a stark
contrast in how the African and Asian subject was treated. One was given almost
the same dignity as the British subject even imitated. Several paintings of
white colonisers in Indian (royal) clothing were seen yet none of these existed
for their African counterparts. Colonialism was and isn’t equal. While one continent
was exoticised the other was thought of in terms of savagery. These ideas have
not vanished but continue to haunt us in the present in the way we talk about
Asians and Africans.
Sparkle 2016 is the 12th annual National Transgender celebration, taking place on the weekend of July 8th to 10th in Manchester. It is similar to pride and a free event, open to all. There are lots of activities through the weekend. This is an invite to Sunday morning at Manchester Cathedral service with the Cathedral community it is part of the many activities over the weekend (8th- 10th July). Transgender people their friends families and allies are welcome to join in.
Date - 10th July 2016
Time- 10.30 am
Venue - Manchester Cathedral, Victoria Street, Manchester, M3 1SX
Free admission
For a link to the Cathedral website click here
Here is a link to what the Cathedral choir sounds like.
One of the things I like about living in
Manchester is being surrounded by art. Its not just the galleries that have
displays of art but sometimes in a little corner of the city one can find a
display of art that will make you stop and ponder.
My friend and artist Mei Yuk Wong invited
me to an art exhibition recently. Tucked away on the first floor of Jun Salon
in Manchester's China Town is the exhibition made up of hand sewn and hand
embroidered messages for the people of Hong Kong. The message is a means of
showing solidarity with the people of Hong Kong fighting for democracy.
The most poignant idea I remember from the
exhibition was the artist seeing hope in the future. I would recommend this
exhibition to anyone who is curious to know more about the situation in Hong
Kong to anyone who feels strongly about justice. The staff at the salon are
friendly and helpful in translating the Chinese text. My friend and I popped in
on a Sunday afternoon the staff were than willing to talk about the situation and
update us on the situation in Hong Kong. Altogether it was an educative
experience.
Details
Jun
Salon, 93a Princess Street, Manchester M1 4HT. Opening time
12:00-19:00
