Smile please

I asked the Children in Need collector if I could photograph him and he agreed. He had a very serious face, so I asked him to smile.........

He smiled for a second, but I caught him!

I went to Newcastle by train this morning. First I visited the Side Gallery. There are two wonderful exhibitions on there under the overarching title of Matriarchy, so do go if you can.

The first is Juchitán by Graciela Iturbide. It is from the Side archive. It sits very well alongside Anne-Helene Gjelstad's Big Heart, Strong Hands. Here is the link if you would like to know more.

My visit coincided with a school group of GCSE and A level students studying Art and Photography. It made viewing a bit more challenging but it was lovely to see them so engaged with the images. Some were sketching.

I would have loved to be part of the conversation back at school as they reflected on the lives of the women depicted. 

My next stop was a tiny café near the Quayside for a mug of tea and lunch. Sadly several items were not available on the menu. The very young staff were so delightful that I stayed and ate the oddest "toastie" ever. There was toast but the ham and cheese had been popped into a toast sandwich. It was edible and I've suffered no ill effects!

Then to the Laing for the Lindisfarne Gospels exhibition.   I saw the last local exhibition in Durham some years ago so I was not disappointed by the one page that was in view in very dim light.

The workmanship and artistry is amazing.

I didn't enjoy the opening film sequence on enormous screens. We saw very close to them and I found it hard to focus. The subtitles did help.

What I really enjoyed was the room where the curator had placed artworks (including photography) that show our human desire for the divine. They ranged from old to very modern, not all to my taste, but it is a fascinating collection. 

Tonight it is Hexham Photography Group so I'm out again. Must stop all this gadding!!

My extra is of a slightly surreal moment from Hexham Station this morning. I was so surprised to see two men apparently sending off a rocket (war with Prudhoe maybe??) that my first images were out of focus. I managed this one to give you the idea.

PS I went to the Hexham Photo Group where members were showing their work. It was fascinating to see how different people are working. We also saw a film about my hero, Ian Macdonald, a wonderful photographer who inspired me back in the late 70s. The film seems to be on Vimeo - Shooting Time - and you may need to register to view it.