Stuff the dogs

The run started off with some rather worrying news - Mark had been clearing out his loft in the week and had come across some of his old running kit. Even worse, he was proudly wearing some of it this morning.
I was reassured to pass this sign early on - we may need their help later ...



Not a team you'd want to join though - full of clots ...


Time for an artistic shot of a window - I went to a surrealist exhibition in the week and learnt that the window was a common theme in this art movement - representing the divide between reality and unreality.



Next stop was on the Millenium bridge and a very grateful group of Chinese tourists - they even wanted to take a picture of Mark - until they spotted his 30 year old running shorts ...





But today's highlight was the taxidermy dog shoot on the Thames,





My type of dog - no running around or making a noise ...





I particularly like their protective footwear ...





Perhaps they weren't stuffed , just stunned ... by Mark's shorts ...

Running again

After our rather extended summer break, it felt good to be running on a Sunday morning again.
First up was a very friendly electric guitarist on the Millenium bridge - only to happy to pose for Mark - he must have thought this was his lucky break...





A new feature of the London landscape are the new bikes from Boris - apparently some radical art students have designed stickers to go under the Barclays sign which say " doesn't give a shit about you " - TFL would be grateful if you would remove them if you see them..





Saw this abandoned canoe ...





The owner was found brewing up on the beach.

Interesting new exhibition at the National Gallery, Explore and Reflect ...





Finally, our quest to be extras in a film continues ...

Pyschopomps

My current art project revolves around the afterlife and as usual you end up finding out about stuff you could probably have done without - one is the idea of psychopomps which are guides of souls to the afterlife - psychopomps have been associated at different times and in different cultures with whip-poor-wills, ravens, dogs, crows, owls, sparrows, cuckoos, and yamatoots.

So before you know it, you are googling whip-poor-wills - a medium-sized (22–27 cm) nightjar from North and Central America ...

It's called a whip-poor-will after its birdcall.

There's an excellent exhibition at the moment in London by the artist and taxidermist, Polly Morgan, based on the idea of psychopomps - http://pollymorgan.co.uk/

I also really like her wackier pieces ...

Robin: "Holy tartars!"

Batman: "Unholy tartars, Robin. Stealing scimitars and golden eggs from a museum is one thing. But when the average citizen on the street is in peril, something must be done, and quickly.

Dreaming of Iggy

On a morning cycle into the centre of Lucca, I was sure I saw Iggy Pop disappearing into the apartment below ...

Now, I'm sure Iggy has better things to do - see later - but I could even imagine him speeding around in the Fiat 500 parked outside ...

Things got worse when, for two nights running, I dreamt that Iggy was here in Lucca and was only too happy to invite us all in for an expresso, alcohol and a lively band practice ...

Then I receive news of a new Iggy advertising campaign which has recenly won awards - Orcon, a New Zealand broadband provider, commissioned Iggy to record a version of The Passenger via broadband with a group of musicians scattered around the world who all auditioned online.

The story behind the advert

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rMYVynoLjQQ&feature=related

The advert itself

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtL51VME4Qo

By the time I started to think this was him without his wig, I was really starting to worry ...

Italian images

Beach huts ...

Green door ...

Rusted lock...

Peg of the week...

Behind bars ...

Straw bale ...

Leaning Tower of Boxes.