Sunday 8 April 2012

HAPPY EASTER AND SEE THINGS FROM A NEW PERSPECTIVE



“We don’t do God” Alistair Campbell famously told Tony Blair when he was Prime Minister.
Nor do I but I love the frisson of religion and especially the creativity that key events in the Christian year evoke. Here’s Tintoretto on the last supper. It’s a real meal full of life with a thieving cat, a dozing dog, sweating servants and ghost like angels lurking in the rafters.

Yes, this smells right for the days leading up to crucifixion when a landslide popularity swung the other way for Jesus Christ as the spin doctors got to work.
What a great story and what a great depiction of its dying moments here unlike Leonardo’s timorous last lunchtime snack of a painting.

Another recent story, familiar to most, is about Joseph Kony and the campaign to bring this Ugandan warlord to justice. Look at the enclosed video and begin to see new ways of making things happen.


KONY 2012: Part II - Beyond Famous from INVISIBLE CHILDREN on Vimeo.
The world we knew is crumbling (“crumble” is remember a slow words – “crumble” doesn’t mean next month, next year or even next decade.) But when Caroline Lucas MP for Brighton Pavilion – Green Party and George Galloway MP for Bradford West – British Respect Party (and gosh, won’t each of them hate being juxtaposed like this) overturn expectation and their voters disobey convention isn’t something new happening?

I detect the fragrant smell of rebellion.

For sure I think Mr Galloway isn’t exactly the most appealing of operators whilst being aghast in admiration at his ability to beat up his interrogators from Jeremy Paxman to the Senate Committee in Washington. Whilst Caroline Lucas is a slightly zany breath of fresh air in a world of political bluster.

The bottom line to all this is the established powers are all on a slippery slope – the “authorities” as a gardener I once had used to grimly describe them are losing out to the people.

It’s time to review the marketing strategies of the politicians and companies everywhere.
But however good a story - it has to look, feel and smell real.

And in the end that’s what I love about that Tintoretto painting as opposed to most religious art….it feels gritty and true not bland.



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