Well you were told!!! I was told that I and others were over reacting, well, that must mean you lot are too. I do not like the man, I think he has an awful voice, I think he goes out of his way to have a go at the fans, I have heard that is because he wants to unite everyone against the world, strange way to unite people mate, but in the big scheme of things all this does not matter one little bit because WE the fans will be here a long time after Hill has left, whether he leaves because he is **** poor and gets the sack or he leaves because he turns BFC into a team of worldbeaters and gets head hunted by Real Madrid,hope its the second way. But after hearing about Uncle Mort`s passing I dont really care what Hill says, does or even if he ****es on his nextdoor neighbours cat, it does not matter and I have given up caring and that is something I never thought I would do.
Keith Hill slates the 'supporters' who slate the team - sounds one and the same to me. I've never booed Barnsley and I'm not going to start now after 30 years. If your club is such a religion why do it? Anyway, the silent treatment always works best on me. Hill saying it's the 'lack of education' wasn't the most educated move on his part - it seemed to me he spent the whole interview putting the fans down and bigging up City to avoid explaining actually what is suddenly going wrong with the Reds. Because he probably doesn't know and is scared it might actually be his fault. I do have a Masters degree from one of the world's best art schools, does that count? And I paid for it myself. But I'm still not booing the Reds though Keith. I did like it when Hill says 'enthusiasm lights the rocket' and then a firework goes off over the Ponty somewhere. (3 minutes in) Them's special powers! Should try and work that trick into his team talk! ho ho. It's all a bit pots and kettles but it would appear that the honeymoon is over. Funny how football is the only industry where the manager can slag off the clients, customers, patrons, investors which supporters of any club are and more. No wonder the grounds empty.
What does a degree in art achieve you in football management?? Stick to drawing pictures of James Bulger been lead to his death you sick ****!!!
A passage from a statement sent to James Bulger House/Memorial Trust and representatives of Red Balloon the last time that narrow minded assumption was made. It led to my work being used to raise funds for the protection and rehabilitation of severely bullied kids. Shame on you. I had you down as a bit wiser than that. Orphan Trains I was waiting for train at Elsecar station on my way back to London. Three young children passed along the platform, a boy and a girl around ten years old and a small boy, no more than three. I looked away for a moment then caught sight of them leaving the end of the platform and setting off along the tracks. The elder boy walked ahead stooping to pick up stones and attempting to bat them away with a stick he was carrying, while the girl and the toddler followed a few yards behind, carefully stepping between the lines and sleepers. I looked around for a parent or guardian but could see no-one. I also sought acknowledgement from fellow passengers on the platform but nobody else had noticed them. I watched the children cross the tracks and disappear out of sight in the direction of the old forge at Milton. I felt I should report the occurrence. I should have, but I didn’t. Orphan Trains is a term given to the transit of orphaned children to and from the newly settled western states of America during the mid/late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Parents and children alike would fall victim to disease and various other hardships encountered on the migration to newly settled territories in the west. Likewise, many children were left fatherless by the Civil War and sometimes their mothers were unable to cope alone. Incidents of infanticide were not uncommon in such difficult circumstances. Orphaned children would be sent by train to temporary homes in cities in the east, most notably the Foundling Hospital in New York City. Here, a pioneering and enlightened system of adoption was devised uniting the orphaned children with bereaved parents and young families of the new towns and homesteads in the west. In varying circumstances, the children were taken long distances by train to places they had never been and handed over into the care of people they had never met. The practice was largely successful and was continued for decades. It became known as the ‘Orphan Trains’ after the newly built railroads that carried them and the children were called ‘Riders’.
And In case anyone gives a toss what ESL is on about, here.... As if I haven't got anything better to do. http://paulcaton.x2web.fastmail.co.uk/#single:Orphan%20Trains%202008.JPG Here we go again.... Yawn...
Glad you sorted that out mate because I was baffled there for a while. So, you created a picture of the event that women in Elsecar was speaking about? Ive heard of that story before, it rings a bell anyway. I was brought up in Elsecar so maybe thats why. Did the incident turn nasty? Or was it just innocent horse-play?? And anyway, besides that, its great to have you back mate. I even started a thread a few month back asking Where is Mr. C? So yeah, glad you are back onboard.. Sleep time now, been a long and trying day
ESL that really is a strange comment to make without knowing the facts, what I will say is that a degree in arts gets you a talent that I could only dream of. I'm fortunate enough to own couple of his pieces I also know that Mr c's drawings have been used to raise money for charity,
Regardless of what you say your inspiration for the painting was I too made the James Bulger connection when I was looking at your work on Friday. My sister was at my house and I said to her look at this and tell me the first thing that comes into your head, she said James Bulger. To be honest we were both a little shocked and disgusted as we thought the picture was in bad taste. Even if it doesn't represent the last moments of James I would imagine many people would make the same connection. I hope you don't take offence to this as I'm just telling you what the picture made me think of, but I have now read your explanation
I don't do these things lightly Kanecat, and to be honest when I witnessed these kids at Elsecar it made me think of that awful event. I make work about what I see, I have been doing it a long time are there are a lot of them. If it was a one off, I could understand people's disgust, but it is trying to tell the truth about things and to make people think twice. We have all seen that disturbing footage of young James from the shopping centre over and over again and the school photos of his murderers, and shouldn't we be disturbed by that? The only regret I have about making that picture is that I didn't make the second figure more obviously female. When it went on show in 2009 it caused a lot of debate, but interesting and important issues were raised and discussed, hopefully for the better. And if that's the case then I have done my job. I have met and discussed my work with many organisations concerned with youth crime and child welfare and I have spoken on these subjects in relation to exhibitions and projects. Many see my work as valuable and worthwhile because it confronts difficult subjects and provokes positive discussion - a bit like we are having now. It really isn't much different to if someone wrote an article or made a tv programme, sometimes people are more shocked when art does this because they have an idea it is all about pretty pictures. But if you look through art history there are a lot more disturbing images than mine! I would encourage folk to look at some of the other images and see the bigger picture. There is one of Barnsley Main colliery with kids locked out and one is playing with a gun. This was in the Cooper gallery in Barnsley a couple of years ago and was apparently very popular with former miners because it said something very clearly about the damage to our community following pit closures and the lost generation of kids that followed. I've never actually seen a gun in Barnsley but we know they are there and that made the point far more seriously. When we live in a perfect world I'll paint pretty pictures of rainbows and bunny rabbits that ESL will like!
After reading that I do understand where you are coming from. I made my post as I wanted to point out that ESL wasn't the only one who had made the connection between your drawing and the thoughts it provoked. As you said with regards to other pieces of artwork that have caused a stir, the one that automatically sprung to my mind was the one of Myra Hindley done using children's hand prints. I have seen your drawing of the pit scene and as you say alot associate the closure of pits with a lost generation. Instead of a gun in that picture I think I would have put a syringe. Now who's the one being controversial??!!
I agee with you about one thing........ and that's the part about Dave. After the match yesterday I decided i would not come on the board cos i knew the bi-polar swingometer would be at the extreme again. But heard about Dave so thought i'd come on to see if i could find some more details. Just wish i hadn't started reading the other posts, but dont care too much, cos some things are more important than what we think of KH
Yes I do understand that and maybe it's my mistake. I assume everybody has read the press releases and 'gets it'. It is still probably the most difficult one I've done and if I have to explain it every time then the picture isn't working like it should and maybe I should make it again. I would never exhibit that one by itself as that would be asking for trouble but it is only one chapter of a bigger story. When I made it I did know what I was doing and that it would be challenging, but I was determined not to pull any punches or bottle out of any serious confrontation. If I was to worry about that, I would never make anything. To me that picture is about the hard journey of life that is facing a lot of young people on the fringes of society. It caused a lot of fuss late last year and was written about in the chronicle and they called me a sinister artist. The most enlightened person was Laura Herring who having read the article asked me to help with her charity for poorly children which we did. It was also how I ended up involved with James' anti bullying charity too. I know Marcus Harvey who painted the Myra Hindley picture a few years back. His point was that people see that photograph in newspapers all the time and it doesn't bother them and if someone made a painting using childs hand prints it would be some kind of revenge. I think what upset most people is that it was in the Royal Academy which is like going to church. I had one in there too recently, luckily it didn't get egged! If you notice in the pit picture he has his sleeve rolled up too! Thanks for your comments, I do welcome discussion on these subjects - it's why I do it. Here are some press releases, ignore the art babble.... http://www.paulcaton.co.uk/furtherinfo.html http://www.paulcaton.co.uk/info.html
I did read all the links on your website on Friday when I first saw the picture. No matter how many times I look at it I just don't like the vibe it gives off and the thoughts of what happened to James come into my head. If the Bulger family are aware of it's existence and have no complaints then I now deem mine as void. In no way I am saying that your artwork is poor it is just the image of that particular drawing I find it chilling, or is that how I am supposed to feel? As for the guy who did the Myra Hindley painting I have often wondered if artists do stuff like that for the shock factor and all the media attention that it creates. Musical artists do the same sort of thing a current example would be Lady GaGa. Will scrutinise the pit picture further to see the boy with his sleeve rolled up!
Yes I understand that. I think the incident at Elsecar would have affected people and you wouldn't have a conscience if it didn't. Just as the pit picture got an emotional response at home that wouldn't really work in London where I live, only amongst the more enlightened lefties. I want people to feel something but I don't want to offend or anger them. I say "bloody kids!" as much as anyone else. I contacted James' charity to pre-emt any misunderstanding that might occur due to some negative, ignorant press I'd had. I have never had direct contact with his parents but the charity believed what I was doing was valuable and peoples perceptions should be challenged. It's not for me to decide whose opinion is more valuable but we have had a good, positive discussion here. I don't think the Daily Mail will be in any hurry to sponsor me any time soon though! ESL's comments said more about him than it did about my work, and now he's conveniently staying clear of this thread. Funny, his beloved Mario Ballotelli is also an anti-bullying champion! When he's not burning down his house....
He's alright is ESL he just has his own unique way of passing comment on matters. Plus we all have our afflictions i.e the Man City thing! Mario Ballotelli - well what can I say about him without getting done under the Disability Discrimination Act. Not the brightest spark is he? I know I wouldn't want to be near him and a box of fireworks and a match