Books & Art 2005 - V

I know. You are looking at the time the past four posts have been posted at and wondering at my super typing speed. I began by typing up what I wanted to write in blogger and found it took simply ages and that I was going off on different tangents ever so often. Decided in the interest of the (very very few) readers of 30in2005 and my own sanity that I would write the posts in a word document and copy paste them. I know its cheating but the blog police is in office at this time so I’ll take my chances!

As I write this (in an actual blogger window) I am quite taken by my own decisiveness in choosing my favourite 3 books. It was a difficult choice but as I sat on the tube yesterday afternoon I quickly made a mental list of 6. This morning I wrote that list down and as soon as I saw it written down I decided which my top 3 were. The The Tiger Claw, Serving Crazy with Curry and Jigs & Reels come in a close 4th, 5th and 6th.

So that's the books.

As for the Art I cannot say more strongly what I feel about the Turner prize as I did here. Boatsheds are not art and I would not keep it in my house if you paid me the $40,000 the artist won for it. He must be thrilled with what he's gotten away with!

Next week I plan to go and see 3 galleries and 3 exhibits to renew my interest in different art forms and confirm that good art can be found outside the confines of the crazy prizes. Art for its own sake. Art that is exciting, refreshing, pleasing to the eye, a view of the world through anothers eyes, an expression that is of intriguing beauty. God help any contrived nonsense masqerading as art that comes in my path!

I hope 2006 is a good year for books and art, particularly. I hope you read something good in 2005. And saw something inspiring. Bet it wasn't the Turner prize longlist though.