Art & Literature – dipping my toe in Brighton’s cultural waters (From The Argus)

Art & Literature – dipping my toe in Brighton’s cultural waters

12:28pm Tuesday 23rd June 2009 in

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Ah Art and Literature – two words that inspire such delight, two words that conjure up cultural and creative pursuits, two words that could be as easily substituted by Pleasure and Passion – they mean virtually the same to me. So its been fun to realise that last week I managed to indulge in a bit of both virtually outside my own front door.

It wasn’t so long ago that those two words meant nothing but hard-work and heartache to me, I studied both for my degree and it put me off wanting to read anything more substantial than a Jilly Cooper for many years sadly! Yes, after an intensive three years of wading through at least one weighty tome a week and piecing bits of art together brushstroke by brushstroke I went off the cultural rails for a few years and couldn’t cope with anything that demanded any kind of deconstruction by me. Now I devour books of all kinds, I am unable to sleep unless I have read at least a few pages (no matter how tired or tipsy) and I get a bit shaky if there aren’t a few unread volumes stacked up by the bed. Art thankfully, can be found in most places and I always keep prints of a few favourite pieces to soothe the soul now and again, but I certainly will never be a very well-informed critic. I have no lofty ambitions to be a writer or an artist myself but it seems I have managed to flirt with a little bit of both recently. On walking past the marvellous local bookshop, City Books on Western Road, I saw a sign in the window for a talk by one of my favourite writers, Sarah Waters, at The Old Market in Hove. I was pleased to see she was coming to the area and thought how great it would be to go and see her, but thought nothing more of it – I have a baby, Husband works late and it would be too difficult to sort out. But it nagged and nagged at me, she was to discuss her new novel (one I was excited to have started that very week) and I had read and loved every one of her books (long before they started getting made for TV!). I couldn’t rest, as a student I would have been first in line, I realised I still wanted to discuss books and meet authors, why shouldn’t I go just because I had responsibilities?

As the deadline for getting babysitters and tickets drew closer I threw caution to the wind, managed to arrange everything perfectly and come Monday night I was sat alone in a packed hall clutching my glass of warm complimentary wine listening to the self-effacing and engaging writer. She confirmed my own thoughts about the book, gave me a few other things to think about and was generally charming and interesting.

I was surrounded by other obviously ardent fans and what seemed to be the local literati, I contemplated taking my place amongst them and found myself nodding sagely and knowingly when an obscure title or author I knew was referenced. I considered asking a question (nerves and position in the audience failed me) and was going to wait around in the bar after to try and engage a few other likeminded souls in conversation, but after the talk responsibilities came back to the fore and I rushed home to Baby. But my head was buzzing and I felt full of ideas and excitement. City Books host various author talks and I’m definitely going to go again!

Now onto the art in a roundabout kind of way! It all started with a smashed mug – one Husband uses for his morning tea, my fault. Anyway I was thinking of how to replace it with something more personal and Fathers Day seemed the perfect excuse, so I booked me and Baby into The Painting Pottery Café (North Laine) with the intention of creating something amazing for him!

We sat around little tables (highchairs for the kids would be a good idea here?) and started daubing paints onto a virgin white mug. I’m not sure why but for some reason, despite having no skill or training, you always assume you’ll be able to create something halfway decent – sadly far from it! Baby got to put his hand in a plate of paint before pressing it onto the mug (his smile lit up the room at this point seeing as how he loves anything wet or watery) and I attempted to recreate a dogs paw in what I hoped would be a good representation of our two charges. Less is definitely more in this situation and after writing some messages I had to hold myself back from painting little hearts and flowers all over it. Still a fun half hour was had being creative and messy!

We picked it up a few days later and Husband got his tea in the new mug on Fathers Day morning, it was fun to look at the imperfect drawings and smudgy lettering. And as we all snuggled on the bed laughing at my efforts with Baby, Dog, Husband and me, (new books stacked up all around us) I thought: ‘well I don’t know much about art, but I know what I like!’