Worth Brothers Wine feature

Expecto patronum!

Harry Potter is the story of a generation's childhood. Watching the final installment in the franchise on this ordinary, muggy evening, I was taken back to just how enraptured I was with Philosopher's Stone when I first read it. Enamoured with the idea of Quidditch, I would sit on the back of my parent's two-piece sofa (which required quite a bit of balance and, thus, made it more realistic in my mind that I was really on a broomstick) and pretend to catch the golden snitch. Like many children around the world, I deliberated over which house I would belong to and what my favourite Hogwarts class would be. Even the holidays I went on whilst growing up were defined by what Potter book I was reading at the time: Goblet of Fire in the Isle of Man; Order of the Phoenix in Crete; Half-Blood Prince and Deathly Hallows in Portugal.

Transforming the books into films was never going to be an easy task but the later films in particular have been very strong, and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 was a complete triumph in my opinion. I feel privileged that this series was written directly at my generation, with the books progressing in both style and subject matter as readers have got older.

Finally, imagine putting yourself in J. K. Rowling's shoes and carrying that weight of responsibility when crafting a fitting conclusion to such a well-loved story. I do not believe the best stories ever leave you, which is why I'm so glad Hogwarts will always be there to welcome me home.

Albus Dumbledore: "Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean it is not real?"



(Watch from the four minute mark)

That's Life

A year's hard work at Staffordshire Life magazine has reached its conclusion due to my contract coming to an end. It's been a memorable year, where I've gladly put up with all kinds of shenanigans being thrown my way. I guess not many people can say in their professional career that they've undertaken work that includes falconry, theatre, artists, cookery schools, musicians, museums, MPs, forests, canals, local businesses, Bentley, fashion, weddings, hospices, press trips, archaeological discoveries, festivals and even a trip to France.
It's been brilliant. And I hope that whoever's flicked through the magazine over the past 12 months has got just as big a kick out out of reading the features as I did writing them.
Still, onwards and upwards. Who knows what's next?

L! O! V! E!

Dance to the beat of my drum! Dance to the beat of my drum! Crackin'.

Ich trag den namen monster

On the one hand Gaga, I had geared myself up to sit you in the naughty corner. I was ready to put on my serious face, stand over you and, quite honestly, give you a good telling off. Hyping the new album up beyond belief? That lacklustre first single, which leans a little too much on Mother Madonna's shoulders? And don't get me started on the Radio 1 Big Weekend set. That was the final straw which really broke this camel's back. Diverting into free jazz? Throwing some of your biggest hits (Telephone, Poker Face, Alejandro) away in a medley that wasn't really a medley because you had breaks in-between each one (!), before undertaking a ridiculous cover of Orange Colored Sky in homage to Will and Kate? And for the love of Gaga, stop rhyming things with Gaga! I've already composed 'Gaga Black Sheep'. I'm onto you.
Of course, these bad moments were interspersed with instances of genius (incubating yourself in an egg being at the top), but generally there was a feeling of setting yourself up to fall. "You're going to sit here and think about what you've done," I would say sternly, whilst little Gaga would look up with wet eyes and a trembling lip.

But you see, there's a glitch in the plan...  your new album is actually rather good. Certainly, it doesn't live up to the hype but then that was all a load of blah-blah anyway. When the album does shine however, it burns bright like a red-hot smoking pipe of pop porn. And it'll confuse you if I punish you for doing something right - right? Poor doll.

Granted, it could've gone a bit further. You could have taken a few more risks musically. Monsters who thought you were heading towards a harder, more 'industrial' sound will be left disappointed. It's pretty much par-for-the-course in terms of drum machines and catchy hooks, all wrapped in a bangin' electronic shimmer with a cherry cherry boom boom on top isn't it? But the quality throughout is top-notch, with several really beating their chests loudly. Government Hooker begins with an eerie operatic wailing before descending into a moody ditty about, as far as I can tell, politicians and their whores. "Put your hands on me, John F Kennedy," you drawl. Nice shout-out. Scheiße is a strutter's wet dream, screechy synths set over a dominating talk-rap in German. Hair is a shoe-in for a future Glee episode and Bad Kids is a simple, carefree ode to loving yourself no matter what. Outstanding.

So, no naughty step today but I'll be keeping a close eye on you. That saxophone seems to be creeping into far too many songs for my liking. Milk and cookies Gaga?

Download: Government Hooker, Hair, Scheiße, Bad Kids

Automatic writing

I was lazily flicking through my autumn/winter 2010 copy of .Cent magazine last night and stumbled across this extract from Richard Milward, incidentally the guest editor for the issue. It's taken from the writer's second book Ten Storey Love Song and demonstrates something called 'automatic writing'. A continual flow of seemingly arbitrary words, it's completely natural rather than painstakingly put together to resemble a stream of consciousness piece like, say, Virginia Woolf did.
Anyway, I love it and am now off to order Milward's first two books immediately.

'One psychedelic afternoon in September Bobby the Artist accidentally swallows ten tabs of acid while sitting on the toilet. He starts mumbling to himself, gurgling, the shapes of sinks becoming white elephants with beady winking eyes, and the clownfishes on the bath curtain darting about chattering to each other. For a minute he thinks he's Salvador Dali, growing a curly moustache in the mirror. Hola! Salvador laughs - he can't even tell if his eyes are open or shut or not. Freaking out, Salvador put his head in his hands, serving another gust of Chanel into his sleeve. Watch out Sal, here comes the automatic writing! Holistic chicken made tea don't you hedgerow all oil trousers ink sprayed salmon on its chest possibly a frog leopard print snout man looking grumpy boulevard legs eleven prostitute hamsters won fifty pounds at a masquerade after leaving four cups of juicy lemon spiked a nut on the dame of Duke York post-natal dream dismay and a forehead keeps singing on the phone to conker forest of evil and wormy stretch ouch bastard gondolier tra la la Cornetto Tonga hand grenade hooray hippo snarling under grasp only showing no remorse for the budgie that sung sweetly so sweetly but died after having injection to the neck holy water tomato onion banana ketchup see-saw then Ellen Ellen Ellen. "Bobby, what are you doing?" Ellen asks, stepping into the bathroom and it's really her, not a mirage...'

AMAZING.

Andy Scott feature

The Heavy Horse outside Glasgow

If you ever thought the sheer size of public art was due to some arbitrarily stubborn whim relating to the creative vision of the artist, then prepare to be disappointed.
"People want to know where the hell all the money went," Andy Scott laughs. "It has to be visible."
Visibility is certainly a key factor in the sculptor's work. Indeed, most would find the sight of an extravagant steel creature rather difficult to ignore.
The internationally renowned artist was commissioned last year by East Staffordshire Borough Council to construct two large sculptures for Uttoxeter.
The two pieces have been positioned at either end of Town Meadows Way, with the intent of creating a 'point of arrival' into the town.
Intensive research went into planning the two sculptures with the help of Uttoxeter's locals. Workshops in local schools and an exhibition at the Midlands Grand National soon inspired a number of designs based on local people's thoughts and impressions of Uttoxeter.
"We got a very positive response from the locals," says Andy. "We tried to incorporate their ideas so that the pieces have a degree of relevance. You have to be sensitive towards the ambiance of a town. You don't want something that is too out of place.
"So it was important to engage with the local people to find out what makes the town tick and how they want to see Uttoxeter represented."



The Angel of Thanksgiving in Belfast

The main themes that were voiced by the locals throughout the consultation process were that of Uttoxeter's rural location and agricultural history, particularly surrounding the old cattle market, and an equine inspiration, due to the prominence of Uttoxeter Racecourse.
As a result, the first roundabout features a centaur, with a raised wing to indicate speed, and the hybrid man dressed in the distinctive garb of a jockey.
Whilst the wing is an obvious nod to Uttoxeter Racecourse, it is also a direct response to local street names. When conducting research in local schools, many school children mentioned the number of streets that are named after birds.
“I thought it was a subtle way to reference that,” Andy explains. “Of course, there is the nearby River Dove too, and I also reference one of my own favourite sculptures, a Victorian bronze called ‘Perseus Arming’ by Sir Alfred Gilbert.”
Furthermore, the finished sculpture of the centaur will incorporate stars as an allusion to jockey silks, as well as having celestial and astronomical suggestions.
Meanwhile the second roundabout exhibits a bull, signifying the town's agricultural past. Posed towards the other sculpture, its heavier bulk acts as a balance to the centaur.
The Staffordshire knot will be included in an extravagant floral garland draped around the bull’s neck.
“This is my idea of suggesting a celebration of respect for nature and livestock that we usually take for granted,” confides Andy, “and hints at ancient multi-cultural mythologies and customs.”
Both structures are made of galvanised, welded steel and lit up in the evenings.
The money for the two sculptures was earmarked specifically from the Tesco development in Uttoxeter.
"I'm delighted to have the two pieces in Uttoxeter and can't wait for people to enjoy them," says Andy. Apart from an artist’s impression of the structures, details were largely kept under wraps before the grand unveiling.
"I like to put different aspects of narrative into the sculptures," he remarks. "Hence the inclusion of the Staffordshire knot into the bull, or the wings on the centaur. It allows the public to invent their own interpretation of the artworks.”



Arabesque in Queensland, Australia

And while it is important to Andy to integrate ideas from the public in his work, he is keen to stress his own artistic licence too.
“I like to incorporate suggestions from local residents but it can often lead to a situation where the artwork is trying to please everybody, and in the end the quality of the sculpture is diluted. It is increasingly important to me that the artworks are distinctive and a fair representation of my own practice as a professional artist, not simply a fabrication of the ideas of others.
“There is no artistic challenge in that. I take hints and ideas, and then work them into my own impressions of what would make a valid artwork for a particular location.”
Andy's phenomenal portfolio of work really does speak for itself. He graduated from Glasgow School of Art in 1986 with a BA (Hons) in Fine Art Sculpture and a post graduate diploma the following year.
He is an associate of the Royal British Society of Sculptors and has so far created over 70 public sculptures and architectural detailing commissions, in a variety of media for a broad range of clients.
The production of the centaur and bull for Uttoxeter has been a lengthy process.
Once the piece has been designed, a full-size steel linear frame is made that creates the structure to which small steel plates are formed.
"That stage is critical in the design of the sculptures and is done free-hand," Andy adds. "I am proud to say we don't use any computer aided design, it is all bespoke."
The steel sections are then cut and formed around the frame, and any further design decisions are made at this stage.
Finally, the sculpture is galvanized and ready to install.
"It is months of hard labour," Andy stresses. "That makes it sound easy, but it takes a long, long time."



The Pheonix in the Easterhouse area, Glasgow

Uttoxeter should be proud to have such a distinctive artist constructing such works of art for the town. Andy's prodigious output has included work that has travelled as far afield as Belfast, Brisbane, Scotland and Spain.
His first influential piece was The Heavy Horse in Scotland. Situated on the edge of the M8 between Glasgow and Edinburgh, this model of a Clydesdale horse has become one of his best known constructions.
Other dramatic sculptures from the artist include a fiery phoenix in the Easterhouse area of Glasgow and Arabesque, an enlivened sculpture of a horse for an exhibition at Currumbin Beach in Queensland, Australia.
East Staffordshire Borough Council are confident that Andy's work for Uttoxeter will be regarded with the same respect as his other structures.
"This has been a long and detailed process but we felt it was worth the time and effort to try and engage the whole town in the project so people in Uttoxeter can feel proud of these sculptures," says Councillor Bernard Peters, the deputy leader for service commissioning.
"Andy is an internationally renowned public artist with a particular talent for capturing the magnificence and beauty of these majestic animals, and I am sure the finished works will be every bit as stunning as those he has created for other towns and cities."
"I'm looking forward to coming to Uttoxeter for the installation," Andy concludes. "It's a charming town. I really do enjoy the excitement of working on public art. I feel it is our duty that art should be seen by as many people as possible, and I am always on the lookout for new challenges.
"I am a great believer in art having the widest audience possible."



Andy Scott at work in his studio