Alasdair Gray Exhibition

Living in Glasgow it is easy to find the work of Scottish artist and writer Alasdair Gray dotted around the city, but it is the current exhibition From the Personal to the Universal at Kelvingrove Museum & Art Gallery that really shows Gray's artistic range. As a fan of Gray's literature and artwork for a number of years I loved this exhibition and was very close to purchasing one of his limited edition prints (I may have to start a kickstarter for £600). Today I thought I'd share a couple of snaps from the exhibition, some of the postcards that I picked up and some images from Gray's autobiography A Life in Pictures to give you an idea of Gray's style and range if you are not familiar. The exhibition at Kelvingrove Art Gallery is running until 22nd February 2015 and I think I might take a second trip. If you're not from the city or nearby I highly suggest A Life in Pictures which is available here. I got this as a Christmas present and I love it; so much inspiration and a bit of a look at a very talented and interesting man's life. If you're interested in discovering more there is a leaflet handed out at the exhibition that pinpoints a number of Gray's murals around the city, some of my favourites being the ceiling in Oran Mor and the image of the West End at Hillhead subway station.

Have you been to the exhibition or read any of Gray's novels?

Five Films that made me a Film Student

Ok, the title may be a little deceiving; 5 films do not a film student make! However, I thought I would reflect on 5 movies that made me fall in love with cinema and set me on the path to studying the artform at university.

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (Peter Jackson, 2001, 2002, 2003)


For a long time I was ashamed to tell people The Lord of the Rings is my favourite film (picking just one is like choosing your favourite child) but as I have become more of an adult and less of a teenager I have been more confident in embracing the things that make me happy. And wow, does LOTR make me happy. My dad read the books to my sister and I when we were kids and just as we were finishing Fellowship of the Ring the film was anounced! We were so excited. It became a family event going to the cinema each December for the next installment. Consequently the films had a massive emotional impact on me and are so entangled with childhood and adolescent memories. Even now, I cry at each film and feel so physically moved by them. It was after seeing the Fellowship of the Ring and studying books and DVD extras on Weta Workshop and the immersive filming process that I set my mind on studying film.

Wings of Desire (Wim Wenders, 1987)

Wim Wenders melancholic masterpiece tells the story of an angel who falls in love with an acrobat, while hovering over Berlin. Shot predominately in monochrome the films lingering, considered and distanced feel reflects the lives of the angels who are eternally watching the city, but never engaging with it. It is a beautiful and thoughtful film and one that hasn't left me since I first watched it at 15. It tells of the individual pains every human feels while also exploring the shared pleasures of love, beauty and music. As a teenager I was entranced by this film and still today it has the power to make me think and step back from my current life to consider a bigger picture (in a non religious way). 

A Clockwork Orange (Stanley Kubrick, 1971)

At 16 I studied Anthony Burgess's A Clockwork Orange novel. It was the first time I got to choose my own book to study and I became engrossed in the world of Alex and his droogs. Despite this, my dad wouldn't allow me to watch the film, and I had to sneakily watch it at night. It was notoriously hard to find the film in the UK for 27 years and highlights the influence film can have on society. A Clockwork Orange is simultaneously delightful and disturbing, Kubrick's use of colour and style is hard to rival and the story is powerful while shocking. I think it is this blend of controversy and art that has had such an impact on me. At university I became increasingly interested in the relationship between film and controversy and its power to shape and reflect our society. A Clockwork Orange reflected our society and continues to do so.

Donnie Darko (Richard Kelly, 2001)


Donnie Darko is a mix between an outsider teen drama and a science fiction film, yet it is more than that. As a teenager my friends and I would watch this film on repeat and bat about our theories on Frank (Donnie's imagined 6ft rabbit friend who can predict the future) and Grandma Death, while the soundtrack still reminds me of being 16. I don't want to give too much away because it is a joy to watch for the first time (and the tenth). The first film we actually watched at University was Donnie Darko and it instantly made me feel I had chosen the right course.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (Michel Gondry, 2004)

Eternal Sunshine tells of a woman and man who, after a break up, erase each other from their minds... but then they meet again and fragments of memories start to tell of the love they previously shared. Directed by Michel Gondry the film is beautifully unfolded through colour and hand made effects. When choosing what university to study at I was torn between academic film study and practical film at an art school. This film tugged at my desire to study the art of film and despite finally deciding upon academics, every time I watch this I wish I knew how to create images that could show internal emotions.

It was hard for me to narrow this list down and I'm sure that there were many films that subconsciously impacted me, not to mention the people who really influenced my decision. But its interesting to consider in reflection, the lasting impact a 2 hour film (or 9 hour for LOTR...) can make. Has a film ever changed your path in life? I'd love to hear about it if so!

Thoughts on the World Cup

Every 4 years I do something very out of character and I have a feeling I'm not the only one, that a lot of other women experience this aswell... watch and take an interest in the Fifa World Cup! Having recently came to an end and with the thrill still in my mind (although I'm sure when the normal season starts up, I'll look back on this phase as a sport blip, unable to understand how it occured and how to get it back), I thought now would be a good time to reflect on this phenomenon and even some of my highlights of the past month of football.

Large sporting events are a common occurrence on British television but the thrill and hype around the World Cup still gets me! Even the old woman who you get the bus with every morning seems to know what is going on with Suarez, and she wants to talk to you about it! Its like for a brief period everyone is interested and spending their time in exactly the same way that you are. The World Cup is not just about a certain type of man talking with another man in a manly place about sport, it is inclusive and football chat for this limited period happens between everyone.

This inclusive atmosphere seems to take away some of the negativity that a football outsider normally sees- the aggression and arrogance. It is replaced with people supporting countries they have never been to and fans praising opponents for "a good pass" or "some excellent defense". As a Scot, supporting a foreign team is not something new (often we have no other choice) but the footage of Brazilian fans recognising German skill shows that even in devastating defeat fans are able to give praise.

From papers, online and television I have been told that this World Cup in Brazil is one of the best ever- loads of goals, loads of twists, absolutely gripping, loads of big stars. As an irregular football fan I wouldn't be able to make such a bold claim, although I did witness each of these things and I did enjoy them! I even learnt the names of some of the players, got frustrated at poor defending, slagged the ref, cheered the goalie, placed a bet and covered my eyes at Brazil's 7-1 defeat.

But the thing that that will stick with me, that drew me in so much was the crowd, and the atmosphere. I know this is to the frustration of men the world over, but it is the people that interest me. Yes, I love seeing Van Persie's amazing header whizz into the goals, but the shots of Brazilian fans in tears and German supporters rejoicing, as well as my own enthusiasm at spending 90 minutes with my boyfriend engrossed in a match, that made the World Cup at event for me.

What are your memories of the 2014 World Cup?