Being told I had macular degeneration in both eyes, on top of the developing cataract in the right one, had an effect on me. Coming after the health issues of the last few years it made me a little glum, I’m not one to dwell on the negative aspects of life, you have to get on with what life throws at you, but none the less it did knock me back a little bit more than I realised.
I felt a bit better on meting an old friend, he complained that I had not updated the web-site with my latest work. I said my eyes were getting tired and told him about the macular degeneration diagnosis, at which point he pulled out his dark glasses and said “same here”. Now strangely that made me feel better. I wasn’t glad that he had that diagnosis, far from it, I think it made me feel less alone, a bit less got at, that life was not just picking on me. It also made me realise I had not updated my website as I had promised myself. Which is a bit urgent as my only visitor has macular degeneration.
The last things I exhibited were a large mobile, 4m in diameter, called “boldly going, travels with my pale blue dot” and a lino-cut, “feed the cars”. These were in the “Science” exhibition at Pictorem. “Feed the cars” commemorates that we now grow more to turn into diesel than to feed people, and “boldly going” reflects on the quest that humans have always made to explore new lands, taking with them their culture. “As Lenin said…” was exhibited at the Mill, a celebration of electricity and its liberating effects for the show “Transform”.
The mobile will reappear in Mile End during February it its final form. You can also see several of my mobiles hanging from the ceiling of Inky-Cuttlefish, in Gnome House, Blackhorse Lane, E17 6DS, where you can also buy some of my prints.
Of late I have been thinking about insects, large insects, butterflies, flies, spiders and praying mantis, but more of that later.
