A Little Light Bedtime Reading

Saw this interesting article from NESTA today. 
As it says on their website:
"Nesta is an innovation charity with a mission to help people and organisations bring great ideas to life"


The UK has really low - and continuing to lower - productivity. Productivity is clarified by Nesta as "output per hours worked".

In the UK, we manage to produce 17% less output than the average for the G7 nations, for the hours we work - our widest gap for 20 years.

Pure-Pak
found on pinterest.com

Really grim thought - that we spend long long hours at work, but our productivity is lacking behind.
Nesta goes on to explain that there's a sagging middle (I've got one of those!).


Computers and other machines continue to replace people in 'routine' jobs in the middle income areas, one of the contributors to a massive and growing inequality of income.
This is the exciting bit: The creative sectors have 2.6 million jobs within them - bigger than financial services and construction. 
Nesta's report - 'Creativity Vs Robots' finds that where many many jobs can be replaced by computers; the Arts - creative jobs - are particularly resistant to this so called 'evolution'.

The Offcuts by Studiomama

Get this: Nesta says "87% of highly creative workers are at low or no risk of automation, compared with 40% of jobs in the UK workforce as a whole."
Anyway - I'm going to take a download of 'Creativity Vs Robots' on the bus to work - or to read in bed, before sleep. Have a look for yourself HERE 

Found Any Stray Consonants Recently....?

Last night I went to a fantastic lecture by the lovely Graham Rawle.
Those of us of a certain age will remember with fondness and a chuckle his cheeky 'Lost Consonants' series in The Guardian in the 1990s:




Yes - the series DID run for fifteen years..!

Not only was the work he has been doing since then inspiring, but the way he structured his lecture was as beautiful, entertaining and thought provoking as one of his genius collages.


Rawle has written several novels - well, not just 'written' - he has created them, to be more precise.

His first book Woman's World sounds amazing - really want to read it after last night's lecture!

 



Graham Rawle has been made 'Visiting Professor of Illustration' at NUA - so last night was his inaugural lecture in Norwich. 
He explained eruditely yet simply and with interesting visual allegory how a narrative is built up; how he structures a story. Fascinating.


I gleaned ideas both to pass on to my students AND for my own artwork. 
Thank you dear Mr Rawle, for your gentle witty inspiration.

Makes A Refreshing Change....

Not only will it be very exciting when all the Bacons come to the Sainsbury Centre later this month - 18 April to 26 July.
A coincidental bonus - in removing the Bacons, which generally sit in the permanent display, gaps were inevitably left. 
By filling those gaps, the curators have given us a real treat: some different work, up from the vaults, is getting an airing... Spanish artists: Chillida and Millares:







The actual purpose of the visit was to see the Abstraction and the Art of John Golding exhibition. 
Just SO good to see a strong and varied show - on our doorstep - celebrating abstraction
May just filter through so that one or two more people may appreciate my work!!



Taking Shape....

Busy, busy, busy...getting our Breaking the Mould exhibition installed this morning at STEW GALLERY, Fishergate, Norwich:


















Preview this evening: 6-8pm!
As you can see from the photos; a interesting array of varied work will contrast and compliment in the roomy Stew Gallery, until 10 April