tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25416571331556402652024-03-13T22:16:49.797+01:00SNAPSHOTS OF MALTALooking at Malta from Different AnglesPaul Grechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742123747580749956noreply@blogger.comBlogger92125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2541657133155640265.post-1361270421850397902020-07-12T16:31:00.001+02:002020-07-12T16:31:46.350+02:00Story of a Song: I Can Feel - X Tend<div style="line-height: 1.5;"><i style="line-height: 1.5;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; line-height: 1.5; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI_4XRzOm6eJ209jX0IU_zGcYUFzS3htILls8OpnxOOijre0Rw6TU8CFUVbumzwHPnrXm6KhD1IP-kyIckrPt1HTznvA6OD8lTtTfKjT_c8ZaUiL0CKmDdaupKh8WXUXPCqjWlMrQ_ZqC8/s800/800px-X-TEND_%25281987%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="line-height: 1.5; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="490" data-original-width="800" height="383" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI_4XRzOm6eJ209jX0IU_zGcYUFzS3htILls8OpnxOOijre0Rw6TU8CFUVbumzwHPnrXm6KhD1IP-kyIckrPt1HTznvA6OD8lTtTfKjT_c8ZaUiL0CKmDdaupKh8WXUXPCqjWlMrQ_ZqC8/w625-h383/800px-X-TEND_%25281987%2529.jpg" width="625" /></a></div><b style="line-height: 1.5;"><br /></b></font></i></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><i style="line-height: 1.5;"><b style="line-height: 1.5;"><font face="inherit" size="5" style="line-height: 1;">When X-Tend released ‘I Can Feel’ in 1984, it was an immediate hit with Maltese radio playing it repeatedly alongside the likes songs by Depeche Mode, Human League and those of other new wave bands. This is the story of how it came to be, told by those who worked on it.</font></b></i></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;"><br /></font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;">As the 1970s came to an end, technological progress brought about a musical revolution. The electronic synthesiser had been around since the early 1800s but suddenly it was available for significantly cheaper than ever before. Just as quickly it became a standard for new bands supplanting cheap electric guitars that had for so long been the staple for teenagers looking to set up garage bands.</font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;"><br /></font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;">“The Yamaha DX7 came with certain sounds pre-programmed in, using a form of different wave algorithm. Whilst that might seem basic today, it wasn’t the case then. It was an incredible development. Up till a few years earlier it was impossible to create those effects out of a studio so for us to be able to do what these synthesisers allowed us to do was incredible.” </font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;"><br /></font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;">“The progress in technology was huge.”</font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;"><br /></font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;">For the best part of forty years Charles Dalli has been the front man of electro-pop outfit X-Tend with whom he was at the forefront of a musical revolution in Malta; one that was driven by the sounds of the synthesiser.</font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;"> </font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;">Driven by the music of early masters of Kraftwerk, music in Europe was increasingly being shaped by this instrument that had given rise to a new genre that was labelled new wave. </font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;"><br /></font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;">Eventually that influence reached Malta and provided the blueprint that was to be followed by local musicians, including X-Tend. Formed in 1984 by a group of friends who shared the desire for replicating new wave music, they came to include Dalli after a fortuitous meeting at his recording studio. From the start it was clear that there was something special about this group as they rapidly went from performing in front of friends to taking part in then extremely popular “Passaporto per Sanremo”.</font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;"><br /></font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;">That, however, does not do full justice to what X-Tend signified at the time. It is challenging to talk about music in different eras because it has be seen in the context of the time, rather than the present. In conservative Malta of the early eighties, X-Tend were truly revolutionary both in look and sound. They were a more glamorous extension of punk but, with their flowery shirts and use of make-up on men, not much less shocking. </font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;"><br /></font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;">Music wise, here was a Maltese band that had somehow managed to replicate the sound most only heard coming out of British bands on the radio. That might seem easy now, but it wasn’t the case back then. There was no internet and if anyone needed to find out how others managed to play an instrument in a particular way, they had to experiment until they got there.</font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;"><br /></font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;">The increased affordability of synthesisers made it easier for young musicians to experiment with the new sounds, pushing back boundaries in the process. In Malta X-Tend weren’t alone in doing so but they were among the first and they soon landed their first hit through ‘I Can Feel’.</font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;"><br /></font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;"> “I had recently gotten a Korg Polysix which I really liked. To this day I still think that it is a fabulous instrument. I always felt I could make good music with it”</font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;"><br /></font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;">“It had some unique sounds pre-programmed into it. I started playing around with them and added the drumbox beat to give it rhythm. I felt that I had something really interesting. It would turn out that I had already developed the song’s arrangement. Even the solo was already in place.”</font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;"><br /></font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzzCd_XSexlI9MQAITQLD0BD3GJ-kaUapGd25h11j8zYkV92zzkxN4L-XnOVSrMVzxPakKV6MHMFqCYUBnF0xWK3Vu4k322s7d1HDBpFqLXjr_EHw020jvWdvdSE0fJK6xXgeEBuh5olIa/s800/800px-X-TEND_%25281986%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="553" data-original-width="800" height="431" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzzCd_XSexlI9MQAITQLD0BD3GJ-kaUapGd25h11j8zYkV92zzkxN4L-XnOVSrMVzxPakKV6MHMFqCYUBnF0xWK3Vu4k322s7d1HDBpFqLXjr_EHw020jvWdvdSE0fJK6xXgeEBuh5olIa/w625-h431/800px-X-TEND_%25281986%2529.jpg" width="625" /></a></div><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;"><br /></font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;">Whilst the basic draft was in place it was the arrival of other band members that breathed live to it.</font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;"><br /></font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;">”By the time the others came along I had already been experimenting with the tunes at my studio. It is always a bit tense when you play new music to others but fortunately they really liked it. They agreed that it was good so we continued building it together.”</font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;"><br /></font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;">Their commitment to having as polished an end product as possible was something that set them apart.</font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;"><br /></font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;">“It went through a whole process. Even though they’d liked it they pointed out what we could do differently; everyone pitching in with their ideas. That’s how we always worked. We were all free to share our views in order to improve our songs. There was always the belief that we were helping each other out and people’s opinions were respected by all the rest.”</font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;"><br /></font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;">The band’s longevity (X-Tend have been together since the early 80s although elements of their lineup have changed) would have been shattered much earlier if this had not been the case.</font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;"><br /></font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;">“This was very important for us because in the end we could put out music that was much better than if only one person had worked on it.”</font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;"><br /></font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;"> “In a song where the whole group pitches in, different people’s characters end up being reflected in the music.”</font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;"> </font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;">The end result is a song that sounds very big and brooding. There is a certain melancholy to it even if it is not a sad song in the traditional sense. From the very start the driving beat grabs hold without letting for a single instance. It is, in other words, a product of its era: ominous yet extremely danceable.</font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;"><br /></font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;">It also reflects Dalli’s influences.</font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;"><br /></font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;"> “I’ve always loved music that has a certain melody ever since I was young. My favourites are the Beatles. There are veritable treasures in their music. To this day I can listen to their songs and notice new things. It is not simply a case of superficially saying that it is Beatles’ music. Apart from their early pop style, they eventually matured and evolved. When you truly listen to their musical arrangements or the editing of their songs you realise how big their genius was. They are a cut above the rest.”</font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;"><br /></font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;">“Melody wise I also enjoyed the Rolling Stones as well as the Beach Boys. The important thing for me is always the melody. Whatever genre, as long as there is that I enjoy it. Even heavy metal. I used to enjoy Jon Bon Jovi as they managed to introduced that element of melody.” </font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;"><br /></font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;">For all of the emphasis on the melody, Dalli also had clear thoughts on the lyrics that went with it.</font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;">“The words are those of a love song but I tried to do that in a totally different manner. I didn’t want something tradition where the love song is ‘I love you, you love me’ or ‘I miss you miss me’. I wanted to play with words. And I think that the song does this.” </font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;"><br /></font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;">What X-Tend delivered in place of the typical ballad is a song about unrequited love where the passion cannot be consumed. It is a situation that is consuming the singer - the refrain goes ‘I can feel the need in you devouring me, I can see the hunger in your eyes’ – and there is little hope in them. Dalli’s decision to go in this direction is the right one; the words certainly match with the song’s overall mood of desperation. </font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;"><br /></font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAWWUOwqUNogHeSb3jRtD9C0NNu2GVCXFXn6i22kpI_QQ_oJSlFw3jzPodQ8RN8fM777_5pq1wpyyG3D-ouipSSa_Mg2y8O1jG7A-gn92umiAg36BZScjNXfVGHZe0PmEjg6EEA3iLh9ax/s960/15936647_654159151422175_528676786640410144_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="625" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAWWUOwqUNogHeSb3jRtD9C0NNu2GVCXFXn6i22kpI_QQ_oJSlFw3jzPodQ8RN8fM777_5pq1wpyyG3D-ouipSSa_Mg2y8O1jG7A-gn92umiAg36BZScjNXfVGHZe0PmEjg6EEA3iLh9ax/w625-h625/15936647_654159151422175_528676786640410144_o.jpg" width="625" /></a></font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;"><br /></font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;">It might seem that there is a bit of exaggerating of I Can Feel’s merits going on here but to further underline how ground breaking it was there is also the video that was shot at the time. MTV had just launched in America (and would take more than a decade to reach Malta) and at the time videos were the exception rather than the rule for most of the music that came out in America and England. </font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;"><br /></font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;">And that’s without going into the difficulty of actually recording and editing a video at the time.</font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;"><br /></font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;">“There was the whole package. We had even done an official launch at the Hilton which also wasn’t something that a lot of music groups did at the time.”</font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;"><br /></font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;">“Our fortune was that at the time we had Edwin Zammit as our manager. He was disciplined and organised everything. At the time perhaps we saw him as a bit too much but today I’ve realised that he was right. It is thanks to him that we took certain decisions.”</font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;"><br /></font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;">“Today, I’m sixty so I can look back and reflect. Life teaches you. When you’re young you don’t always have the desire to follow through but he always pushed us to be better”</font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;"><br /></font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;">“He wanted to make sure that the official launch reached as many people as possible. So, in the morning we did a press conference and then in the evening there was a launch party. And we had the video that we could launch at the same time.”</font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;"><br /></font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;">“In the end, Edwin was right because his approach made us look professional and different. We knew we had something good but he helped us get in front of people. It made us appreciate that you had to market yourself.” </font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;"><br /></font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;">All of this drove them forward and opened new horizons for them. “I think we were quite unique in how we approached matters.”</font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;"><br /></font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;">They certainly were and in doing so delivered a song that continues to echo decades after it was released.</font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;"><br /></font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;"><i>Images used in this piece taken from <a href="m3p.com.mt/wiki/X-Tend">m3p.com</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/xtendmalta/">X-Tend's Facebook page</a>.</i></font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;"><i><br /></i></font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" size="5" style="line-height: 1.5;"><i><b>Now that you've read the story, listen to the song...</b></i></font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;"><i><b><br /></b></i></font></div><div style="line-height: 1.5; text-align: justify;"><font face="inherit" style="line-height: 1.5;"><i><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/b-15aEu_yg4" width="320" youtube-src-id="b-15aEu_yg4"></iframe></div><b><br /></b></i></font></div>Paul Grechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01802941828921958020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2541657133155640265.post-54448651844310315362018-06-02T15:42:00.000+02:002018-06-02T15:42:39.072+02:00Experiencing The Flesh and The Spirit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ZdsqBpNYMxOpg_XOpnUreSWAJ9IKb6UR2L6qUn6keOE3oZLCcEDES61NPOfwMQgQHd9_ZVJp2oPIM_36FfnPQdbsbjS2EZpCec_VmUxG_OpFBEJJ5ac_YEKSSwC4tTKXWlkiDXvV6Fjw/s1600/Untitled.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="350" data-original-width="700" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1ZdsqBpNYMxOpg_XOpnUreSWAJ9IKb6UR2L6qUn6keOE3oZLCcEDES61NPOfwMQgQHd9_ZVJp2oPIM_36FfnPQdbsbjS2EZpCec_VmUxG_OpFBEJJ5ac_YEKSSwC4tTKXWlkiDXvV6Fjw/s1600/Untitled.png" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The reception that is afforded to any major foreign work when brought to Malta is always interesting to observe. Typically it elicits excitement among those who would not ordinarily pay too much attention. Which is always good as it helps expose them to different ideas and this, hopefully, will eventually translate to some form of curiosity over local art.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">It is equally interesting to see how hyped such events are which, judging by the ongoing exhibition of works by Pablo Picasso and Joan Miro, is a lot. Not only has this exhibition benefitted from the kind of advertising that local art shows can’t even begin to dream about but it has also been widely covered by every media outlet on the island. Hardly surprising, then, that so many people have made a point of visiting it regardless of their typical interest in art.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Then again that of Picasso is one of the most bankable names in modern art and interest in his work was always going to be considerable.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">On show here are a number of Picasso’s etchings but they are not a disappointment. Far from it. Instead they showcase just what a talented artist he was. Despite their simplicity you are still overwhelmed by the sensuality that is invariably present in all the work. They transport you to the extent that, despite the mythical creatures that are the subject of many illustrations, you can feel the emotions of those being depicted. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The essence of their lust, jealousy and love comes across in each one of these masterpieces.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">What is equally interesting is the growing influence of cubism that is evident in some of this work. It is not full blown but still pretty evident; the mark of an artist who is shaping his work in a new direction.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Whilst it is possible to appreciate Picasso’s etchings for what they are, Joan Miro’s paintings are more of a challenge. Mirō was influential in the development of surrealism, an art form that saw artists present work that surprised and went against conventional perception. So it is with Miro’s work in this exhibition. Whilst the pieces bear titles like “Woman and Bird in the Night” there is nothing in the actual painting that would lead you to make the connection either to a woman or a bird.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Naturally, it was never Miro’s intention to represent faithfully the title’s subject. His aim was to command the attention of his audience and evoke emotions with paintings that are bold and beautiful even though they completely challenged expectations.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Those on show in Malta bear out this vision. The work is stunning in its beauty and in the interplay of colours, shadows and texture that Mirō used to bring his ideas to life. Each image is bolder than the previous one, taking the visitor on a journey unlike any other. It is largely thanks to this setting, with a number of images collected at the same place that one can truly appreciate his vision of colour and thoughts.</span><br />
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<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">The Flesh and The Spirit is open till the 30th of June at the Grandmaster’s Palace in Valletta. The exhibition is organised by Fundación MAPFRE in collaboration with the Office of the President of Malta and Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti.</span></i></b><br />
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Paul Grechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01802941828921958020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2541657133155640265.post-81862178617939912322018-03-06T11:43:00.000+01:002018-04-03T10:25:29.499+02:00In Search of Meaning Through Art<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq08OyEXCyp3SY2ayEJwACuD1Bv26aZmKScyyhQ1Xh-BsJJ947ppMD8GfQRNam-NLhztCmHPI807-q4RlhUSdfK5Sa_HAxx3vINLjj35WtztqQKQs_-QmoqzMzEkezR_JNB1ez_e0m4dZp/s1600/Dalli+Tizjina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="783" data-original-width="640" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq08OyEXCyp3SY2ayEJwACuD1Bv26aZmKScyyhQ1Xh-BsJJ947ppMD8GfQRNam-NLhztCmHPI807-q4RlhUSdfK5Sa_HAxx3vINLjj35WtztqQKQs_-QmoqzMzEkezR_JNB1ez_e0m4dZp/s640/Dalli+Tizjina.jpg" width="522" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Tizjina</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It is hard to explain what it is that attracted me so much to it. ‘Tizjina’ is a rather unassuming painting that at first glance simply depicts a branch of ivy. Tilt your head so that the light hits it at a certain angle, however, and you can just about see the shadow of a boarded up window. Look even closer and you notice other little details like the ivy using the frame of that window to shape its growth.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Thinking back, it is those details – and the questions they raise - that got me. Who lived behind that window? Why was it boarded up? Was there any reason why the ivy was drawing our attention to it?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Such is the art of Alex Dalli. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">On the face of it, his love of minimalism is reflected in work stripped of clutter. And yet the lack of (obvious) detail does not reduce the power of his work. His ambition isn’t that of overloading the senses of whoever is watching but, rather, to spark off their imagination and get them to think. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">It is not an easy style to have as your trademark. For one thing, it isn’t the kind of work that is likely to be widely understood and appreciated especially by those for whom art means almost exclusively detailed landscapes. Apart from the question of taste, there is also the issue of execution; if you throw so little at the canvas you could easily end up with a painting that says nothing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Dalli, however, comes up with work like ‘Tizjina’ that hold meaning far beyond the mere details that it depicts. His talent lies in looking at an image and stripping away all the noise until all that remains is that which gives it real meaning.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“It is as if I am peeling the layers,” he explains as we look at the paintings that decorate his home that also serves as his studio. “I like minimalism and I like to dive deeply into the image until I have something that can transmit my emotions.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“I don’t want to tell people anything. I’m nearly sixty now so I’ve passed the stage where I feel the urge to rebel against the way that things are or shout out my opinion. What I do have is experience that has shaped the way I see things. I want to share that with people. Hopefully my work will touch them in a manner that they still get to feel the emotions that I want to transmit.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Soft spoken and unpretentious, Alex Dalli has nothing of the clichéd flamboyance that is often attributed to artists. Instead he measures his words carefully, clearly delighting in sharing his thoughts about each of his paintings without ever giving the impression that he is expecting any word of praise in return. His pleasure comes in seeing his work leaving an impact and in hearing others’ thoughts.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">From the way that he talks about it, the theme of emotion is clearly an important one for him. “I am an emotional man; I don’t see anything wrong in expressing my emotions. I used to work as a nurse and there I used to see a lot of people in pain, both physical and emotional. Whenever I saw people getting despondent I never shied away from hugging them. That physical expression of emotion helped a lot.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Fittingly some of his work is also a physical expression of his emotionality. Dalli shows me a painting that is essentially a block of plaster. On it he etches those instances and moments that touch him. “I was walking and saw that someone had etched his and his fiancé’s name on the wall and I got thinking about that couple, or what had become of them as well as how they had a record of that moment. So I decided to make this painting and on it I etch important names or dates. There’s the names of my family, for instance.” </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Recently I saw the horrors of what was going on in Syria so I etched that country’s name on it. I will keep on adding to it. It is a living painting, probably the only one I have which I would never sell.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Dalli has similar stories for all of his paintings. The more you listen to him talking about them the more impressive the whole process is; how he lets ideas rest as he contemplates. It is akin to an expert goldsmith working on a piece of precious metal, forming and shaping it until the jewellery that he has in his mind emerges.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Throughout the days these thoughts are sifted and explored at the back of his mind until he gets to a point where the idea is mature enough for him to start working on it. This is a crucial period for him; the gestation of the idea before he is ready to birth it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The actual painting process is equally measured. “I like to use wood as my canvas,” he explains. “I enjoy its natural texture and feel that it gives it all an added dimension.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“After putting the wood together I start layering on the plaster and paint. There have been people who have said that my technique is akin to sculpting as I shape the image as much as I paint it. Each one has a number of layers because I like to lay it on thick and then remove from it because each scratch or embossed patch can help my message.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“This takes quite a bit of time in order to dry so I usually work on two paintings at the same time. Whilst one is drying I switch to the other and vice-versa.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Often, however, I just sit and look at the work in progress. It allows me to think about it, how it is turning out and what else I should be doing. I want to involve the viewer in my work and that means that I also have to look at it to see it with different eyes. I have to think about it, to absorb it and get a feeling for it.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">When he is not actively painting, he is still looking to improve. One of the ways he does so is doodling. “When I have a spare moment I enjoy doodling. It relaxes me and at the same time it allows me to build a skill of drawing shapes. If I’m doing a curve, for instance, I try to doodle in a similar manner to get to the shape that I want in as free flowing a manner as possible. I find that when I then get to the painting it helps me get what I have in mind quicker.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">In doing so he creates small works of art despite the absence of any discernible theme. “There have been people who have encouraged me to hold an exhibition purely based on these doodles. And one day I will.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">In the meantime, he continues to work. He shows me his current project which, in my eyes is already a pretty impressive piece but which he feels requires further attention. “It is good to hear that even at this stage you’re getting what I would like the viewer to feel. Still I need to refine it a bit further before I am satisfied.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">That satisfaction is what ultimately matters. “I used to be quite pessimistic as a person,” he confides as he shows me some of his earlier work that, in contrast to most of his more recent art, is dominated by dark colours. “With time I changed. Now I am more of a positive person and that is reflected my art.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">That positivity shines through in the nature and execution of his work. Which is no easy task as Dalli does not shy away from tackling heavy subject. And yet, that he does it so well is not so surprising. The secret, if one could call it that, lies in the process that he readily admits to which involves thinking and distilling his topic. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">There is a light that shines through in his work and that is the light of Dalli’s own positivity. Someone else might end up focusing on the negative of each situation; Dalli instead opts to look for what hope there is in it. Rarely does he fail.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.snapshotsofmalta.com/2017/11/punk-painter.html"><br /></a>
<a href="http://www.snapshotsofmalta.com/2017/11/punk-painter.html"><b>Want to hear a contrasting view? Check out how Ryan Falzon views art and how the punk ethos influences his work.</b></a></span><br />
<br />Paul Grechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01802941828921958020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2541657133155640265.post-16360528683203569052018-01-15T10:30:00.000+01:002018-01-15T10:30:12.280+01:00The Fading Echos of Hax Xluq<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoedYY2F1g1JPs5ptgRj6DsK1AYsEsHTpq4osc54sta9rqSZIl87JYddD8JKQY5RMKcWlvYetcq0r5I6kUc4hmZSk6vGYOU2vyqaKItzG-vuD4fMc4aKk9uu4cOZH-TnQp92wv22Y9cvsi/s1600/DSC_0526.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoedYY2F1g1JPs5ptgRj6DsK1AYsEsHTpq4osc54sta9rqSZIl87JYddD8JKQY5RMKcWlvYetcq0r5I6kUc4hmZSk6vGYOU2vyqaKItzG-vuD4fMc4aKk9uu4cOZH-TnQp92wv22Y9cvsi/s1600/DSC_0526.JPG" /></a></div>
Because of the ever rising number of cars on Maltese roads, and the resulting increase in traffic, people have started getting creative in which roads they take. Long ignored by-roads suddenly see a surge in popularity as soon as someone realises that through them lies a less encumbered way of getting to where they want to be and is then promptly followed by countless others.<br />
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That is how the roads criss-crossing between fields and quarries of Siggiewi are seeing considerably more people passing through these days.<br />
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Even though these casual visitors to the area have come to go through on a daily basis most would be hard pressed to point out where the Chapel of The Assumption of Our Lady is located. The hectic pace of life does not allow for attention to anything apart than from what one is doing in that moment so unless traffic forces them to take an unexpected detour, they would never notice the side road at whose end this chapel is cosily put away.<br />
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It is perhaps too much to expect people to go through these roads at a more leisurely pace when they have a bit more time, and to get to know the beauty that lies along them such as this chapel. And yet they should. For this is a quaint little chapel was once one of six that could be found in the area that was known as Hax Xluq. It here that the first seeds of what was to become Siggiewi were sown.<br />
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This hamlet was one of four that made up Siggiewi (the other three being Hal Kbir, Hal Niklusi and Hal Kdieri), one of the oldest parishes in Malta. A visit here is the opportunity to experience the fading fingerprint of our forefathers; most of the houses and other buildings that made up Hax Xluq have long gone but this chapel continues to help keep their memory alive.<br />
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There is no clear date as to when this chapel was built but it was there in 1575 when it was said that to be in a dilapidated state. Indeed, it seems that in the following years it was almost completely destroyed until a benefactor, Gann Pawl Buttigieg, stepped in to pay for its rebuilding in 1583.<br />
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Since then it has been kept alive, a source of pride and devotion, whilst all around it faded away.<br />
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Paul Grechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01802941828921958020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2541657133155640265.post-32303062696640500062018-01-09T10:49:00.000+01:002018-01-09T10:49:35.295+01:00Looking Beyond<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There is the popular belief that we look at art in search of beauty but that's not really it; what we are truly looking for is that moment of emotive connection that touches our core. Beauty is frivolous, emotions of this kind are not. They stay with you and shape you, altering imperceptibly but definitely how you experience life.<br />
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It is what those who merely attempt to reproduce the beauty that they see around them as faithfully as possible lack, at least as personal tastes are concerned. I need work that forces me to look beyond and deeper.<br />
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That is what is captivating about Alex Dalli’s work, a selection of which is being intimately exhibited at the Muzew tas-Santwarju in Zabbar until the 14th of January. You have to spend time with it to truly appreciate it; you need to get close to it to see the various infinitely small inflections to his paintings that give them depth. Only in that manner can you feel the power of the thoughts and feelings that he wants to transmit. It is then that you get to experience the quasi-spiritual emotion that only art can deliver.<br />
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In PAX, as this exhibition has been titled, Dalli’s minimalist approach leaves a mark. He is not afraid empty spaces so that the focus falls completely on his subject, a bold approach but one that pays off. It forces the viewer to work to understand the message and it is in that effort that a connection emerges.<br />
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His brilliance also lies in the detail of the paintings starting from their basis – plywood instead of canvases to give it additional texture – and the technique of layering paint and then occasionally etching in it to give it all an embossed look. No matter how long you look at it, you find yourself noticing different nuances the closer you examine which makes for an enriching and fulfilling experience.<br />
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Which for me is what makes viewing art such a precious delight.<br />
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<br />Paul Grechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01802941828921958020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2541657133155640265.post-79830790592178436792017-12-21T18:45:00.000+01:002017-12-21T18:45:06.155+01:00The Rabbit’s Favourite<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMduCu8sq-_Gb_2ODLJ2G3SGEQ3QUArul59VRCGYMAHgHdFPsOySTzesF_wqJyAZVt6Q7o8c0O312LNSrqkIT-9cwsotCrEXq8fJ7nQpv99lQq-mnStaIv0eyh9SoVo5L694TTHBd98OXg/s1600/2017-12-08+10.43.01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMduCu8sq-_Gb_2ODLJ2G3SGEQ3QUArul59VRCGYMAHgHdFPsOySTzesF_wqJyAZVt6Q7o8c0O312LNSrqkIT-9cwsotCrEXq8fJ7nQpv99lQq-mnStaIv0eyh9SoVo5L694TTHBd98OXg/s1600/2017-12-08+10.43.01.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It is a scene so common that it is far too often ignored. Whether you’re walking in the countryside or simply past an abandoned building then there are likely to be a few dozen specimen of the smooth sow thistle colouring things up even though most of those who pass by are unlikely to give it much notice.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">This plant is one of the most common wild plants on the Maltese islands, virtually found in every corner. Perhaps it is because of this familiarity that people seem blind to them or perhaps because the flowers that it produces aren’t imposing enough to encourage picking. Whatever the reason there certainly aren’t many who bother to take a closer look.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">If they did then they would undoubtedly come to appreciate this wonderful little flower, the intricacies of its petals and its deep yellow colouring.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The few who do appreciate this plant probably do so for reasons that are different from its looks. In fact, it is widely known that rabbits are extremely fond the smooth sow thistle and those who rear rabbits try to provide it to them as a treat. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">There was a time, now long gone, when this plant was also eaten by people along with other vegetables largely because it was available rather than for its taste. There is no longer the need for that so now it is only rabbits who look forward to eating it.</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">Botanical Name: Sonchus Oleraceus</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">Common name: Smooth Sow Thistle (English) Tfief Komuni (Maltese)</span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">Family: Asteraceae (Daisy Family)</span></i><br />
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<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">For more information about the smooth sow thistle, check out the entry in the <a href="http://www.maltawildplants.com/ASTR/Sonchus_oleraceus.php">Malta Wild Plants online registry</a>.</span></i></b><br />
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Paul Grechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01802941828921958020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2541657133155640265.post-5207891912231939342017-11-27T10:00:00.000+01:002018-04-03T10:26:07.367+02:00Make Some Noise For The Camera<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Fuzzhoneys in concert. Photo by Chris Vella / Storbju</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">There are moments, often as I’m fighting off tiredness to write a piece, where I find myself wondering why I do this. There’s no money in it and it is always questionable how many people the articles will reach. Eventually I remind myself that I do it because of the joy that it gives me; the people that I get to meet and the opportunity to express whatever creative abilities I have.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Still, it is always energising and comforting to find others who are in a similar situation, such as Chris Vella. As the person behind Storbju.com, his music photography blog with pictures from the local alternative scene, he can appreciate more than many what it means to do such work purely for the love of it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“What keeps me going is the documentation of the scene, much more than any artistic aspirations.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Naturally when it comes to picking which photos to publish I’m careful to opt for the best ones; I certainly wouldn’t publish any photos that I don’t like stylistically. But the most important thing is to document the musical scene.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">So far, he has been at it for more than six years. “I set up the blog in 2011. Before I used to take photos but they were general ones, not purely at musical events. With the blog I decided to focus more on music. At the time I had bought some lenses with which I could take better photos in the kind of venues where there’s live music. Such smaller venues that are not well lit require specific lenses.” </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“I’ve always liked music so it made sense to me to focus on that.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">That love for music might have eased the decision but it also created a problem. “There is always the dilemma between going simply to enjoy the music and taking photos. Sometimes I tell myself that I’ll take photos for three songs and then stop. What usually happens then, is that I start wondering about all the photos that I could have taken if I’d simply had my camera at the ready,”</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQhtbN3jriyfj5F8bsIzOjpb-GkUpoQerHQJVHdKJ2Yo9iQ8pBfgCU5fnxdBVGIBzv37n_BslWU3nZ245GFPDIEd0LOWzjrHO82sqltAR7BJmmrLQXopGnYiD1wjPw7qNGy3b6lXt7eRx2/s1600/Storbju+CO1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="455" data-original-width="718" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQhtbN3jriyfj5F8bsIzOjpb-GkUpoQerHQJVHdKJ2Yo9iQ8pBfgCU5fnxdBVGIBzv37n_BslWU3nZ245GFPDIEd0LOWzjrHO82sqltAR7BJmmrLQXopGnYiD1wjPw7qNGy3b6lXt7eRx2/s1600/Storbju+CO1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“What I’m particularly careful about is that I don’t wander in front of people. Even if I know that a shot would come out better if taken from another angle, I still prefer to stand on the sides of the stage so that I don’t take anything away from those there to enjoy the music.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">That of enjoyment is a recurring theme. Later Chris admits that “I prefer to take photos when I feel like it. Most of the gigs I go to I don’t have the camera with me. When there’s a new venue or a new band then I decide to take the camera.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“I enjoy all forms of music from live acts to DJ sets,” he continues. “I prefer shooting live acts as there is more activity that you can capture on camera.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Limitations tend to drive creativity and, perhaps subconsciously, Chris opted to focus his efforts on this niche because of the challenges it places. “Lighting is always very particular,” he explains, listing the nature of his work. “Everywhere I’ve taken photos I’ve come across lighting that was unique. One rule that I follow is that I don’t use flash because I find that it deadens the photo.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“I try to keep the ambience the same as how I saw it. If I take a photo where there’s someone’s face is partially lit but the rest is not, I don’t try to lighten it artificially in post-production. I’d much rather keep it as it came out.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Sometimes the lighting itself forces certain choices. For instance if the lighting is overwhelmingly in one colour than the photos would be dominated by that colour. I don’t find any problems with that.”</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJvMYi8dFIbhU6fXYjMj7ojq6Rd_7Alyzu2cHm7ozi1dul9HpCG76EUQL7-ax1OHyLjddkc-kwgGmyV4LI8FSLv6wMi-ISC-8dVn9u1po7IrLV8RxpsJfoGMSOIw1S76Bm4ia_fT54_yrU/s1600/Brikkuni+Rub+Al+Khalil+launch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="637" data-original-width="960" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJvMYi8dFIbhU6fXYjMj7ojq6Rd_7Alyzu2cHm7ozi1dul9HpCG76EUQL7-ax1OHyLjddkc-kwgGmyV4LI8FSLv6wMi-ISC-8dVn9u1po7IrLV8RxpsJfoGMSOIw1S76Bm4ia_fT54_yrU/s1600/Brikkuni+Rub+Al+Khalil+launch.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brikkuni: launch of Rub Al Khali CD. Photo by Chris Vella / Storbju</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">What he does go for is “movement. I try to capture it as much as possible.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“I don’t want a static photo; I want the energy to come out.” </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“When you go in you have an idea but then you experiment. It is not about getting a perfect shot but about going with the flow. If a singer is constantly moving about then you don’t have any alternative other than getting a photo that is slightly blurry. ”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Afterwards I don’t do a lot of editing. I go for continuous shooting so that there are numerous photos of the same moment. Then I focus on the best eight or ten photos, see how they come out and carry out some light touches.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“The photos that I enjoy the most are those where the expressions of those in the image comes out. There is an element of fortune, of being in exactly the right spot. But you also learn to notice things.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“You also learn how different people act on stage. For instance, there are some singers who are very active on stage so you prepare with a wide angle lens. If another is more expressive I know to focus on the face.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Chris comes across as extremely self-assured about what he wants to achieve with his photography, as well he should be. However, whilst he never really had much doubt about his overall artistic vision, there was some initial uncertainty that he had to overcome.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4lcoxhMqGKR3E25PlTs3TR2wsaiAopEiG-t5huMPExeL14GPNTEitPszXN9o5LxEvOL68YtoaCW0z-eEEZEL6VWbtzoPvUmpqGQvktZOtpTQK5LsBTjhXdxSy5Fh-cuH1-OYbHgYt4NHs/s1600/Storbju+CO2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="452" data-original-width="717" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4lcoxhMqGKR3E25PlTs3TR2wsaiAopEiG-t5huMPExeL14GPNTEitPszXN9o5LxEvOL68YtoaCW0z-eEEZEL6VWbtzoPvUmpqGQvktZOtpTQK5LsBTjhXdxSy5Fh-cuH1-OYbHgYt4NHs/s1600/Storbju+CO2.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“In the beginning I used to ask the bands whether it was a problem that I take photos but I never found any objections. Indeed it was the opposite: they want that someone takes photos of them.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“I either stay on the sides of the stage or else from behind the stage so that I capture images of the crowd. I try to get photos from different angles.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“As much as possible I try to include both the crowd and the band, so that there is a mix of both.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Here experience plays a big role. “The fact that you go to the venue more than once is a plus, more so that you get to know the lighting than to get a feel of the space. Being familiar with the lighting helps a lot. Most venues have a small stage, all are dimly lit but you can get a better handle of how to take photos in those conditions.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Space is a problem only if there is a good attendance. I’ve often been to gigs where there aren’t a lot of people.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Sadly, this is increasingly becoming the norm. “I’m noticing that attendance is on the decline which is quite a problem.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Demand for live music seems to be decreasing and venues don’t seem to be sustainable any more. I think that’s the reason why they open up, are strong for a year or two and then start to decline.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“I enjoy going to new venues,” he reaffirms. “In a sense I think that I’m documenting these places as much as I am the bands themselves.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“What I like about smaller venues is the challenge that they offer, not to mention that I’m more equipped for them with the lenses that I have. Normally more established performers have bigger stages meaning that you are far away from them.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“I enjoy being close to the stage and to the performers. There’s a kind of intimacy that is otherwise lost. I don’t like being away from the stage. It is as if I’m observing something from far away.” </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">His work reinforces his reasoning. Chris’s photography captures the energy of live music, the peculiarities of the venues that features it and also subtle quirks of those performing. They make you feel as if you were there; there is a special kind of connection.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">All of this comes through in a book of his work published through EDE books.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“I was at a book fair held on the University campus and noticed the photobooks on EDE stands. I really liked the idea. To be honest I had never really thought about publishing my work in a book but this concept intrigued me so I approached them.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“I sent them some examples of my work and they liked them because they want each book to have its own story.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“We took it from there and I’m very happy with the end result.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">He should be.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Although he claims that it never was an ambition, publishing this book means that there is something less for him to aim for. What is there to keep him going?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“There was a time when I was the only one in the scene taking photos. Today there are other people, which is another factor for me. Before I felt a kind of obligation to take photos; now I know that even mobiles are powerful enough. They aren’t as good as cameras but at least people take photos and upload them so there is a kind of documentation. Without the impetus to document every single gig because I feel that I have to, I can be more selective, and focus on shooting artists that interest me both sonically and visually.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“Film photography intrigues me and it’s something I’d like to look into in the future, as it presents a different challenge. I would like to take some courses on developing film photography so I can learn about it and involve myself in the process.” </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>If you don't want to miss any of the images that Chris Vella records from the local music scene - and you shouldn't - follow the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/storbjuproject/">Storbju page on Facebook</a>. Through this page you can also purchase the Storbju photobook that is published through </b></i></span><i style="font-size: x-large;"><b><a href="http://edebooks.eu/">Ede Books</a></b></i><i style="font-size: x-large;"><b>.</b></i><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>An interview with the Fuzzhoneys, whose photo is at the top of this article, can be found <a href="http://www.snapshotsofmalta.com/2017/02/femmetastic.html">here</a>.</b></i></span>Paul Grechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01802941828921958020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2541657133155640265.post-87736469868884166102017-11-08T21:32:00.001+01:002018-04-03T10:26:29.291+02:00Punk Painter<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimQqYEMEr9HzH_Wxaw234xGTVF-2giOUTsUDuaYM7OnK4M0LIiYBIFXXiZucYKYcsb_L3U7YAJN9m2CYN7Hj6f1g3uJ_gTX6ZejgMrMsoqDzLqMRed7hAsYHfuFzaoYd8qWBmMVW92beY2/s1600/19554418_10158940641570788_629804606867754414_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimQqYEMEr9HzH_Wxaw234xGTVF-2giOUTsUDuaYM7OnK4M0LIiYBIFXXiZucYKYcsb_L3U7YAJN9m2CYN7Hj6f1g3uJ_gTX6ZejgMrMsoqDzLqMRed7hAsYHfuFzaoYd8qWBmMVW92beY2/s1600/19554418_10158940641570788_629804606867754414_n.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ryan Falzon In His Studio (photo by Tyler Calleja Jackson)</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br />"The artist is a receptacle for emotions that come from all over the place: from the sky, from the earth, from a scrap of paper, from a passing shape, from a spider's web.” </i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Walking through the galleries of Spazju Kreattiv whilst Ryan Falzon’s We Lost The War collection was being exhibited earlier this year it was that quote by Pablo Picasso that came to mind. There, surrounded by visceral paintings and bright colours that threatened to overwhelm you, it was impossible to escape the raw emotions that the artist was trying to pass on through work that was saturated with references to popular culture.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">For many, including myself, this was the first opportunity to experience Falzon’s work and such is the nature of his art that some form of reaction was unavoidable. It is, however, only later that one can truly appreciate just how much of an impact a piece of art has left; a sentiment that is measured by the number of times you catch yourself thinking about the work and its meaning. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">This happened often enough for it to raise the desire to meet the man who gave birth to those images. Acting as a counter balance to this desire is the slight feeling of unease when approaching someone whom you know only through their art. Especially when that individual is willing to so openly and visually challenge accepted norms.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Is the aggression that comes through in his work also a facet of his character? Will any of the questions act as a trigger?</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ZNuJ272menEokLNdvgMQEvk8ZvxeP0h7fQWbFESPCTBlpTI8EQajpIwVkLGNZMKDxAunpy3nHHt4zDEiZb3GjKoCv3W4N-Bgqa3PmieW-RHYpUmBgsc-PHpUxgohuKJbiIHPU9H4oBPB/s1600/Falzon+CO1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="546" data-original-width="547" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ZNuJ272menEokLNdvgMQEvk8ZvxeP0h7fQWbFESPCTBlpTI8EQajpIwVkLGNZMKDxAunpy3nHHt4zDEiZb3GjKoCv3W4N-Bgqa3PmieW-RHYpUmBgsc-PHpUxgohuKJbiIHPU9H4oBPB/s1600/Falzon+CO1.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Of course, there was nothing in such thoughts. Instead Falzon is the epitome of calm as he works in his studio garage where he is surrounded by his own work.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“I spend a lot of time here, most of it working” he confirms. “Working and filtering my thoughts.” </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“In truth, I do most of the filtering when I am going on in my everyday life; when I’m walking or driving and thoughts come somewhat naturally.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“My studio is very much an open one. Whoever calls asking to come here is more than welcome as I do not believe in trying to be secretive. In fact it is the opposite. I believe that if I invite people and we talk, it brings life to this space.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Guests or not, in reality his studio is rarely silent if he’s in. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgVdDv6QlDDWDaeMojdT_9DpZxX6sutbAxRHDyyaeQi2-xZlzK7CgVitAFNH6Z0tNyC-giS3Ah5tG9X1lh01sBd_YOHWQGX9vcX_WpO09ht3-tNPrE9NCsRfap_2mDkdEAzCxli1A9zFYj/s1600/16864439_10158284597790788_795678162674211608_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="960" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgVdDv6QlDDWDaeMojdT_9DpZxX6sutbAxRHDyyaeQi2-xZlzK7CgVitAFNH6Z0tNyC-giS3Ah5tG9X1lh01sBd_YOHWQGX9vcX_WpO09ht3-tNPrE9NCsRfap_2mDkdEAzCxli1A9zFYj/s1600/16864439_10158284597790788_795678162674211608_n.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“When I’m working there’s also some music or a film going on the background. I have a collection of some thirty movies that I know by heart and which I follow as I’m doing other things. Most of them are action movies so I know who has killed who! Even though it might seem as strange, it gets me going.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“I was into the punk scene when I was younger and had my own band so I think that the punk ethos, the DIY nature, the rawness and collage element of punk comes through in my work. The urgency of my work has elements of the punk style. As I draw there are definitely traces of the music. “</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Lately, however, he has begun to look beyond punk. “Over the past year I’ve been increasingly listening to <i>għana</i>, Maltese folk music. <i>Għana </i>is not some four old men talking about foolish things, there is aggression in it. <i>Għana </i>is not innocent. There was a time when <i>għana </i>was quite vivacious and filled with a rebellious element. There was a time when <i>għana </i>was quite political. There exist recording about <i>għana </i>at the time of Malta’s Independence that could not be broadcast on national radio as media was still censured by the British forces.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“I find that the repetition of <i>għana </i>helps me focus on my work.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">That Ryan should choose this type of music to motivate him is interesting for there are quite a number of similarities between <i>għana </i>and his own work. They both talk boldly about what is going on around us in Malta; dissecting every day elements of popular culture without attempting to apply too many filters for public decency. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“There is a similarity,” he concedes.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkr5nbZZuzI6iLI2LqyYo2sxPfw5nOl4sUEAS0XBf6IurM5yBL9O4PqMViVnh4rDAli6Qlrobz4iGfagbAwceHqx7-avyagQMR_3_fmL3NXmufXpoV-OJd8yUDpoe3_nDu441-b8_GQtwx/s1600/Falzon+CO2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="546" data-original-width="547" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkr5nbZZuzI6iLI2LqyYo2sxPfw5nOl4sUEAS0XBf6IurM5yBL9O4PqMViVnh4rDAli6Qlrobz4iGfagbAwceHqx7-avyagQMR_3_fmL3NXmufXpoV-OJd8yUDpoe3_nDu441-b8_GQtwx/s1600/Falzon+CO2.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">“I believe that as an artist I have to react to my immediate environment which in this case is Malta. I portray what is going on around me. In Malta we have two extremes; either drawing the luzzu or iMdina which are both typically local or else work that is completely alien to the Maltese context.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“I’m neither of the two. There is the notion among the Maltese that Mattia Preti or Caravaggio are what art is all about.” </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“There is pop in my work. You see pop icons like Scarface or the Winner (a soft-drink brand that used to be manufactured in Zejtun). Like Any Warhol, I take elements of I take elements of pop and then present them as art.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">All this is done because he prefers to talk about things that he can see and feel. “It is more a case of giving my own personal opinion rather than as a criticism to society.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“I don’t think that we as artists can change as much as we would like or we think we can. I don’t think that we have the power to bring about that change. In a world where visual art is in constant competition with visual imagery and screens like Instagram where everyone feels that they have the ability to create images, the strength of us visual artists has diminished.”</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8oeSY_8NUfOxawNFBbp2ld5ZexiezG3aTvGW_Vb6sj8OqgdEDCra8LdJ6yY6AD5wELQSRACtlesHGRqKaBKY48BRHCFA1vuKcpdczfHDobbbLSdoY1aSr-Wc8jjlb0KqtK4220_UTNBr3/s1600/17760127_10158515869415788_1022728321920937702_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8oeSY_8NUfOxawNFBbp2ld5ZexiezG3aTvGW_Vb6sj8OqgdEDCra8LdJ6yY6AD5wELQSRACtlesHGRqKaBKY48BRHCFA1vuKcpdczfHDobbbLSdoY1aSr-Wc8jjlb0KqtK4220_UTNBr3/s1600/17760127_10158515869415788_1022728321920937702_n.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Interestingly, Falzon does not bemoan this but views it a matter-of-fact.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“I have a different opinion to many others in the art scene in that I don’t feel that art is important and you have to love it. You can’t make me love football, for instance, so why expect that everyone else be willing to go to art exhibitions?”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“This does not mean that they shouldn’t be taught basic history of art or art appreciation. I studied many different topics and I did not enjoy all of them. Yet if you talk to me about history I can hold a conversation thanks to what I learned at school. It should be the same thing for art where people are taught about it so they would at least have the tools to understand.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“People who argue that abroad it is different lose me,” he continues. “Malta is, essentially a medium sized city in terms of population. If you go outside the main cities in most European countries it is not as if you are faced with art galleries everywhere you look.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“We have our share of galleries. And there are always events being held at places like Spazju Kreattiv that are open to anyone who wants to visit.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Falzon’s own We Lost The War was arguably one of the main exhibitions put up at Spazju Kreattiv during 2017; certainly one that got people talking.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“There were people who really liked the work and felt that there is an absence of similar ideas; that at the moment no one else is working in that style locally. There were a lot of people who were younger than twenty who saw the work, liked and understood it. In fact many followed me and tagged my work on Instagram, which was nice to see.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"> “Overall the response was very good.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“The guest book was interesting. There were a lot of positive comments. Then there were those who told me that I am too young to be so sad and to look at the world through such a cynical lens. There were comments that my work shouldn’t be exhibited anywhere, let alone Spazju Kreattiv; that I belittle god’s name. There were comments that my work is fascist and sexist.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“There was a whole spectrum of comments. Which is good.”</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvt0iULdnJUcrCMs1cIDSu6L2WlkcCj7zyktYIaZxRmNuyuaSIrphVZb5MIAb5Ieq0-3xZiQFvvNiWadxAPhrgwypxXU4xQ0Cx9_64RTITPoQqpH6XvenFD2GBpQkZrp5kCic23n69eKqr/s1600/17861868_10158530288945788_6728626502921701587_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="694" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvt0iULdnJUcrCMs1cIDSu6L2WlkcCj7zyktYIaZxRmNuyuaSIrphVZb5MIAb5Ieq0-3xZiQFvvNiWadxAPhrgwypxXU4xQ0Cx9_64RTITPoQqpH6XvenFD2GBpQkZrp5kCic23n69eKqr/s1600/17861868_10158530288945788_6728626502921701587_n.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">It was equally good for him to have the opportunity to exhibit in this venue. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“I work in a very linear manner with a time plan where ideally I have in my mind a picture of where the work is going to be exhibited. A lot of the work was tailor made for the space. I wanted to exhibit at Spazju Kreativ not for the prestige that this brings but as it was the only place that could support that kind of work both in terms of size and of style.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“I wanted to use and experiment painting large images because some ideas only work when there is a big painting.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">We Lost the War was also notable for the vivacity of the colours used. “There were colours that clashed in a traditional sense. It is another layer on top of the painting itself. There is that game. However, composition wise I make sure that the image works. In work like mine unless you have solid composition, everything collapses.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">At this point it is worthwhile noting how an idea comes into being for Falzon. “There are many subjects that interest me. The theme of violence, that of detachment, love and impossible love, love that is over, politics…these are all of interest”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“One of the reasons why I work is because I keep going over subjects that I enjoy. And I always deal about human subjects. I am not one to deal with abstract themes. Conceptual topics are not in my style.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“My working method is that I collect a lot of information on a subject that I want to do something about. So in the beginning there is a lot of research involved. I’m not one to simply go and start painting. The departure point is much more controlled.” </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“I get so immersed in the subject that at a certain point I have to start working on it. A lot of the time the work changes as I’m working and the end result is different from what I had initially imagined.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“My work is touch and go. Supress and release.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">His work is also inspired by social media. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“I have a series of drawings that is based on the idea of memes and which I decided to exhibit only online. They were very topical and of the moment so if I were to exhibit them today they would be a bit dated and probably would need an explanation.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The start of next year will bring with it another exhibition and a new series of work that will undoubtedly make people sit up and take notice. “I’m working on monotone and acetone prints which are going to veer more on to the personal. My work has always been personal but there has also always been a balance between the political and the personal. This time it is going to be more personal than political.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“They won’t be biographical, however,” he points out. “At this stage it is personal matters treated through a political lens.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>More of Ryan Falzon's work can be found on his <a href="http://ryanfalzon.com/">self-titled website</a> and by following him on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ryanfalzon27/">Instagram</a>. Photos shown on this page are from Falzon's Facebook page.</i></b></span>Paul Grechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01802941828921958020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2541657133155640265.post-13848809107495092822017-10-30T21:05:00.000+01:002017-10-30T21:05:36.019+01:00Thorny Issues<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqIwwmi0g4t1xcPRe5QRyGKd3UTQn9U6fR49zugLAjRDu_oCm7S7_igFx-gJRuVmueHTEl-pk13Xg_2ytBUyOw5vAgvNb1NMm0IvobRm6INaH6cv5Nmlnh49n4ACAs8Q1a9JOuAN5iwkzx/s1600/DSC_0189_ed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqIwwmi0g4t1xcPRe5QRyGKd3UTQn9U6fR49zugLAjRDu_oCm7S7_igFx-gJRuVmueHTEl-pk13Xg_2ytBUyOw5vAgvNb1NMm0IvobRm6INaH6cv5Nmlnh49n4ACAs8Q1a9JOuAN5iwkzx/s1600/DSC_0189_ed.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">If looks have any bearing, few we dare a second look at the ground thistle. This is one fierce looking plant that in the early days of its annual cycle – from late winter through to spring - it produces ferocious foliage that is serrated in a manner that almost dares you to step on it; it knows who would be the only loser in this exchange. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Once these leaves die off a flower starts to grow off its core. Again, there is nothing subtle about it for even in its bulbous early stage the flower has a menacing vibe around it. As in other thistles, once it blooms it produces a gorgeous purple flower that, nevertheless, retains a heavy dose of threat. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The ground thistle goes beyond that; because it doesn’t only look dangerous: it is extremely toxic. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">There is one specific reason why the ground thistle has gone through all of this effort to develop such armour: propagation. The plant has a long root in which it stores all the sustenance that it can gather during its early days so that it can produce a flower during summer when the Mediterranean drought leaves it with few competitors vying for the attention of bees and other insects that can pollinate it. It looks and toxicity scare away any predators who might think of attacking it before it can reproduce.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Eventually, as the flower dries away its seeds are blown across the garigues or rocky steppes that it inhabits, kicking off another cycle.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Botanical Name: Atractylis Gummifera</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Common name: Ground Thistle (English) Xewk tal-Mixta (Maltese)</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Family: Asteraceae Bercht. (Daisy Family)</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>For more information about the ground thistle, read <a href="https://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20161013/environment/A-thistle-in-the-daisy-family.627844">this article</a> by Paul Portelli.</i></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>Paul Grechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01802941828921958020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2541657133155640265.post-11499792264641006462017-10-09T10:30:00.000+02:002018-04-03T10:26:53.765+02:00A Creative Mind<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Pierre Portelli (photo courtesy of <a href="http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2017-02-14/stage/FIRST-Of-relevance-and-timeless-scandals-6736170364">The Malta Independent & by Elisa Von Brockdorff</a>)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">For book lovers there are few experiences as thrilling as walking into a book shop; the feeling of being surrounded by so many different reading possibilities can be intoxicating. Eventually, however, reality sets in and choices have to be made over which ones will be coming home with you. In that moment the decision is often swayed by one crucial factor: looks.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">It is in that moment of truth that Pierre Portelli wants to prevail. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">As a book designer he has to handle various aspects of a book’s production. “Together with the publishing team at Merlin, I am involved in most of the book production process,” he tells me “which includes the fonts used, paragraph spacing and overall layout.” All of which is important but nowhere close to the value of getting the book cover right. “Research shows that you don’t have minutes to convince a book buyer; people make their mind up within seconds of picking up a book. So we have to make something that stands out and convinces people.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Portelli is one of Malta’s veterans at his job having been at it for almost forty years. “My family had to move to England towards the end of the seventies and whilst there I studied graphic design. I decided to return to Malta after finishing college. Initially I worked in advertising but then quickly moved into book publishing.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">As we talk about all this in Portelli’s office that is dominated by books and two large computer monitors, it is fair to say that the work involved in his early years was quite different than what it is today. A lot of the work he had to do back then is now redundant with the bulk of the heavy lifting being done by computers. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">One aspect, however, has not changed: the spark of thought that leads the creator down one path rather than another. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“The initial concept development process to design the book cover has remained the same,” Portelli explains. “What I do is read through the text and underline text which attracts my attention or key phrases. I also discuss with the authors to get their input as well as gain a better understanding of what was going through their mind whilst they were writing. This sets off the creative process, and I start getting different ideas.” </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“The more this happens the more I start engaging with different images as well as drafting my own ideas. I pin the different images and drafts on an ideas board so that I can process it.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Once that happens I start producing some basic designs. To see how they will look, I generate mock cover designs and put them on books which will roughly be the same size as the book to be printed. That way I can get a more tangible feel of how the book would eventually look. The concepts that stand out the most are then shared with the publishing team for further discussions.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“It takes a number of iterations and often the end result is very different from the starting idea.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Often that process involves looking at projects from a different and non-literal perspective. “I’m always thinking about the complete book and how it will look.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">This includes, among other things, the actual physical size of a book with thicker books offering different possibilities than thinner ones. Crucially, for Portelli there aren’t conventions that he is not willing to break.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“There have been instances where I designed a cover that didn’t feature the book’s name. Guze’ Stagno’s ‘What Happens in Brussels Stays in Brussels’ only featured the name on the spine whilst the author’s name on the front cover is printed in UV varnish and so visible only when you look at it from a certain angle.” </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The result is one of Portelli’s more iconic book cover designs which plays with the colours of the national flag as well as that iconic Brussels landmark, the Manneken Pis. In among all that imagery is an allusion to the author’s trademark piss-taking of Maltese society so that the cover itself is not only beautiful, it is also intelligent.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Portelli himself is too modest to say so but some of his covers stand out not only among books published locally but those in the international marketplace. Books like Vandalism (by Lizzie Eldridge) and Grasshopper (by Aleks Farrugia) are, quite simply, wonderful and tempt you to pick them up.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">He outdid himself, however, with the cover design of ‘Awguri, Giovanni Bonello!’ a collection of short stories based on characters uncovered by research carried out by the historian and former judge to whom this book is dedicated.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“This book was meant as a sort of gift so I started thinking along those lines. A common gift is a box of chocolates so I started to break down that idea. It got me thinking about the materials and colours of those boxes which is why I opted for gold coloured paper. The end result very much mimics a gift box.” </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“It was quite a task to find locally the right partner to carry out the precise laser cutting for this job but eventually we managed to find the right partner in the form of Fablab in Valletta. They were very professional and their passion matched ours. The end result very much mimics the feeling of a box.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Indeed for a limited edition of the book the cover is actually a box. Yet even the general print run features a glorious cover which plays with different shades of gold and a die-cut title.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">As he talks about the process it is easy to appreciate just how much passion Portelli pours into his projects. “There’s a lot of professional pride involved,” he admits. “It isn’t always about doing the covers of books that may be more creatively satisfying. We are also very proud of the school books that we design.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“It all means that whatever the job, you have to invest the time for the research and creative process, though some jobs are obviously more satisfying”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Perhaps it is because of Portelli’s early work experience or because of his intrinsic curiosity but he doesn’t shy from doing more in a project than simply designing it. Indeed, he seems to relish the opportunity to really connect with the end result.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“</span><span style="font-size: large;">When I was designing Clare Azzopardi's Il-Linja Hadra, I had come up with the idea of a green ribbon running through the book such that in allowed you to tie the two ends up and close the book,” he says.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">"Well, quite a laborious task, but the final result was extremely rewarding for all of us who had to thread the ribbon through each book by hand."</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“It was the same with Giovanni Bonello’s book where we folded the boxes ourselves and put them in.” There is an unmistakable feeling of satisfaction in his voice as he recounts those experiences. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Perhaps the strongest emotion that I got from talking to Portelli, however, was that of gratitude. “I’m a creative individual so that my work allows me to be so creative is quite fortunate.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Portelli is more than just a book designer, however. In the early eighties he formed part of Malta’s small but vibrant punk scene in what was for him an early attempt at self-expression. Eventually that desire to interact at an intellectual level with his audience matured as he began to move into art and, in particular, art installations. Indeed, he was one of the founding members of START (a Maltese contemporary art group) and ISTRA (a contemporary art and research foundation).</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“I’m from a generation of artists who had to work really hard in order to get our work out there,” he explains. “It wasn’t easy to exhibit modern contemporary art so we had to be creative in the way we did so.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“One time we exhibited in a rundown old building in Valletta and created works in each room. It was quite an experience for the visitor to find this rundown apartment transformed into a creative hub with all the artists working on site." </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“In my art installations I enjoy involving the viewer, getting them to become part of the whole experience making them complicit to the whole work.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">In an era where art and what it means is often intrinsically elitist – where only those with an understanding and appreciation of the way modern art works seem to get it – such installations are invaluable because they can get to those who wouldn’t normally take an interest to interact with a work of art.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">One of Portelli’s most recent pieces of work is an excellent example of that. Back in 2014, as part of the celebration of the 40th anniversary of Malta as a republic and part in a project titled rePUBBLIKA, he was commissioned to prepare an installation that was to spend three months in Pjazza Teatru Rjal near the entrance of Valletta. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Portelli’s contribution to this programme was Vox Populi, a large steel megaphone that people could go up to and hear their voices amplified as they spoke into it. It was a brilliant example of populist art that attracted crowds of people among whom there were certainly those who wouldn’t normally consider themselves to be art enthusiasts.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“The idea for that was very simple,” he details. “The event was to celebrate Malta becoming a republic which also meant that the Maltese people got a stronger say in the country, so the megaphone was meant to symbolise that achievement.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">That much was, frankly, obvious, but there was also a deeper meaning. “The installation was to be placed in front of the parliament, where the people’s representatives meet. Normally it is the politicians who talk to the people so it’s placing provided an ideal opportunity for the people to turn the tables; it provided them with an opportunity to shout their thoughts at their representatives and have those thoughts magnified.”</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXe3Xm9d2-mEhq_9W0tKGhHoOR25doP6eru9V_mbhy6sL4aymHeuUDk78GN8gSj5UPm6j2KrrTL5lPwaACC439mOyyk5nhTiQJX6srnMAzFJIb_W9iO6c4yAV96K1ZpudfudOcy4A6YJWC/s1600/IMG_5895_480.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXe3Xm9d2-mEhq_9W0tKGhHoOR25doP6eru9V_mbhy6sL4aymHeuUDk78GN8gSj5UPm6j2KrrTL5lPwaACC439mOyyk5nhTiQJX6srnMAzFJIb_W9iO6c4yAV96K1ZpudfudOcy4A6YJWC/s1600/IMG_5895_480.jpg" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">VOX POPULI art installation (courtesy of <a href="http://pierreportelli.com/">pierreportelli.com</a>)</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Regardless of whether or not people got this latter inflection, they certainly enjoyed the opportunity which perhaps shows that in order to make art more accessible to the wider public it should be taken to them rather than be kept in galleries.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">For Portelli, that project was also another opportunity to move between the world of the artist who dreams up ideas and the craftsmen who execute the projects.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The more that I talk with Pierre, the more I begin to appreciate just how proficient he is. “I’ve been lucky,” he admits. “I’ve done a lot of different work; I did a lot of television set design for a while and I even got to design the lay-out of a trade fair. So there aren’t many projects that I can say I never got the opportunity to do.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Among those projects are a number of theatre set designs, the third of Portelli’s creative passions. “I love theatre and I’ve been expressing that love through set design.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">There is something of a collaborative effort in the whole process. “I will give it a lot of thought and then come up with an idea of what to do which I’ll discuss with the director to see how it fits with his overall vision. I’ll sketch out my ideas to give him an indication of what I have in mind and we move on from there.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">As with everything else such plans have to keep in mind the actual construction of the set both because of budget constraints but also because Portelli’s role isn’t confined to simply designing the set. “No,” he says with a laugh, “I have to help put it all together.”</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8RlzDY2hlc6L_YFgra-4a_Fa6lx4p9EVrtoJQtCZ_2VlX8f_nCpRKwFmj5qNgFeusAhJEmfa8P4ccz1kF6qi6hCJZZXdPb3YERMy7tckRSfRgAuSPFfdUKFEkNwucX2QB_ho_7ijTAAQV/s1600/Pierre+Portelli+CO3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="558" data-original-width="800" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8RlzDY2hlc6L_YFgra-4a_Fa6lx4p9EVrtoJQtCZ_2VlX8f_nCpRKwFmj5qNgFeusAhJEmfa8P4ccz1kF6qi6hCJZZXdPb3YERMy7tckRSfRgAuSPFfdUKFEkNwucX2QB_ho_7ijTAAQV/s1600/Pierre+Portelli+CO3.jpg" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Again, these projects also involve him having to look at different materials that can be used to fulfil his creative visions, as one recent example proved. “I was working on the set design of the opera Orpheus in the Underworld and after doing my research I thought about doing a wreath made up of hair which was something of a tradition back in Victorian times.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">“I thought about it and ultimately we built it out of broom bristles. I went to a factory that produces brooms and told them that I needed the bristles. Again, that initial conversation was quite interesting as there is always something of a perplexed expression when you start explaining what you need. Still we got what we needed and built a large wreath that became the central feature of the whole stage.” </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">“We built it in a way that the wreath had a mechanical aspect to it and it could open up so that in itself it could also change to serve different functions within the same production.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">It was indeed quite a feat, not only because of the size and creativity that went into its conception but also for the artistry of its execution.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Seeing that it pervades through everything that he does, it was not surprising to hear Pierre admit that going to the roots of a projects is essentially in his creative philosophy. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">“The role of the artist isn’t simply that of drawing but also to research,” he says before turning to his latest contemporary art project to explain what he means. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">“I have a real interest in tattoos. When I was at the School of Art in England, way back in 1977, my thesis was on the art of tattooing. In particular I have an interest in tattoos that were made in the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">“I am working on a project called Rel•Ink to work on the narratives of the stories told by these tattoos on old people. When we talk about the indelibility of tattoos we forget that there are stories that are being lost with these people when the pass away.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">“</span><span style="font-size: large;">So, together with my wife we are researching early Twentieth century tattooing in Malta. We are conducting interviews and archiving vintage designs. We are collaborating with Heritage Malta at the Maritime Museum in Birgu and the Department of Library Information and Archive science at the University of Malta in order to create an open source database.</span><span style="font-size: large;">”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">“</span><span style="font-size: large;">We are at the moment presenting Rel•Ink's initial research findings in an exhibition at the Malta Maritime Museum. The exhibition runs until the end of December. I have also invited </span><span style="font-size: large;">Sarah Micallef (an embroidery artist and the owner of the delightful <a href="http://thesecretrose.com/">thesecretrose.com</a>), <a href="https://www.facebook.com/droorizzphotography/">Andrew Rizzo</a> (photographer) and <a href="https://www.sailorroman.com/">Sailor Roman</a> (a French tattoo artist who specialises in maritime themed work) to participate alongside me. </span><span style="font-size: large;">The contemporary works are also in dialogue with the artefacts at the Maritime Museum such as, for instance, a statue of a sailor who has a tattoo related to the Crimean War on his arm.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The more that Pierre talks about this project the more I come to understand its attraction. In a sense it was somewhat inevitable given his obvious passion for it. The thing is, however, that he doesn’t seem to be passionate only about this particular project; such passion is apparent in every aspect of his work.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">And when such passion is allied to a creative mind and a capacity for hard work, great work inevitably follows.</span><br />
<i><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></i>
<i><b><span style="font-size: large;">Pierre Portelli's current projet </span></b></i><span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Rel•Ink</i></b></span><i><b><span style="font-size: large;"> is on show at the Malta Maritime Museum in Birgu till the 29th of December. More information can be found on <a href="http://pierreportelli.com/REL-INK-Indelible-Narratives-1">pierreportelli.com</a> or on the event's <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RelInk-Indelible-Narratives-1581731032130987/">Facebook page</a>.</span></b></i><br />
<i><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></i>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>If you enjoyed this interview, follow Snapshots of Malta on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Snapshots-of-Malta-271435716346931/">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/snapshots_of_malta/">Instagram</a>.</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>Paul Grechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01802941828921958020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2541657133155640265.post-1720667401181918092017-09-26T21:42:00.000+02:002017-09-26T21:42:08.633+02:00The Unnoticeable One<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">If one were to draw a list of the least appreciated wild flowers there are then this would be very much near the top. Whilst others might have some redeeming feature – an attractive flower or a medicinal use – this has none of that. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">It produces an extremely plain flower that resembles a tightly cropped head of brownish hair. Eventually it opens up to form a ball of fur until a fortuitous wind manages to blow away these strands that connected to the plant’s seeds. There is nothing that makes you take notice; nothing that catches the eye.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Nothing until you start looking closer.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Take the seeds, for instance. Each flower can hold well over one hundred seeds which is astounding when you consider how small it is. It also explains why such a recent find – the second part of its Latin name (Bonariensis) indicates that it was first discovered in Buenos Aires – has managed to colonise the world in half a millennium.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">This is a plant that has perfected the art of propagation and survival.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">One only has to consider the places where it grows to confirm this. Look at cracks in the pavement or in old buildings and the likelihood is that you will find it growing there. It needs no pampering and little in the form of food to grow.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The part that is visible only tells half the story. As anyone irritated by the sight of this weed growing on the pavement will testify, getting rid of it is practically impossible. Try to pull it from the ground and it will snap, leaving the well-established root system firmly in place providing it with all that is needed to withstand the attack and regrow.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Famously, not even herbicide can touch the fleabane which was one of the first plants to evolve so that the poison that humans throw to get rid of it leaves little impact. It simply refuses to give in to an environment that wants it to go away.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">And if such determination, isn’t to be admired, what is? </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Botanical Name: Conyza Bonariensis</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Common name: Hairy Fleabane (English) Żagħżigħa Selvaġġa (Maltese)</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Family: Asteraceae Juss. (Daisy Family)</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>For more information on this plant, visit the <a href="http://www.maltawildplants.com/ASTR/Conyza_bonariensis.php#NOM">respective entry in the online Malta wild-plants directory</a>.</b></i></span><br />
<br />Paul Grechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01802941828921958020noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2541657133155640265.post-59187882762114454942017-09-08T08:03:00.000+02:002017-09-08T15:34:32.573+02:00Loving Malta<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSfcyRZTJi4o1U50_egstbPOjGYstsDK8h_Ej3PlryUpky1NEUk7hWyO4BA8DQoWgU_mWlTR839J23Q4UYel9OQKG1gWlr9RMzPKsWO1NmWS2B_1tpBg3DjOCpau3KUyjq6fyMvJb_Tw_C/s1600/20151010_093031-01.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSfcyRZTJi4o1U50_egstbPOjGYstsDK8h_Ej3PlryUpky1NEUk7hWyO4BA8DQoWgU_mWlTR839J23Q4UYel9OQKG1gWlr9RMzPKsWO1NmWS2B_1tpBg3DjOCpau3KUyjq6fyMvJb_Tw_C/s1600/20151010_093031-01.jpeg" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The eye tends to be too harsh a critic of the familiar, dismissing it with contempt. Perhaps this is a survival mechanism for how would we function if we were to stop to admire everything that is great around us? Perhaps it is as a reaction to this muting of our senses that, opened up to new sights on trips abroad, this inner critic is silenced such that minor details are marvelled upon and elevated to treasured memories. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Still, it can’t but feel that we’re missing out by not truly appreciating the treasures that surround us. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Which is what makes the Wiki Loves Monuments contest so special. Part of the effort to enrich the photo library of the world biggest encyclopaedia (Wikipedia, in case you missed that) it challenges people regardless of their abilities to go out and capture on film the monuments that surround them.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">An increasingly worldwide event, Wiki Loves Monuments was held in Malta last year and the response was, according to founding member of Wikipedia Malta Neville Borg, “overwhelming”.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">“We received over 1,100 submissions to the competition, which far exceeded the wildest expectations of both the local organising team as well as the international Wiki Loves Monuments team, which went out of its way to commend Malta on its level of participation.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The contest, as such a title suggests, has a competitive element in it with the prizes for the top entries. The importance of this event, however, goes well beyond that</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">“Photos that are submitted but do not win are still all available on Wikimedia Commons for public use both within Wiki projects, such as in Wikipedia articles or Wikivoyage as well as for use outside the Wiki environment,” Neville explains. “So, just to mention one example, through last year's local Wiki Loves Monuments a researcher working within the field of cultural heritage now has an additional 1,100 photos in the public domain which can be used for their research and documentation.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">“For this reason, we believe that every single photo which is submitted to the competition is hugely valuable, regardless of whether it ranks in the final top ten or not.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Given that Wikipedia as a platform aims to collect and share as much information about the world around us, it does not come as a surprise that the aims of this contest are similarly altruistic.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">“Our hopes for this year are to continue encouraging more individuals and organisations to view Wikipedia and the Wiki universe as a valuable and reliable way in which to document and share their own knowledge.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">“We would like people to come to view Wikipedia not only as a tool through which they can access information, but one through which they can also contribute their own knowledge through a collaborative, open-access platform. Wiki Loves Monuments is integral in this respect, as it enables many people to form part of this worldwide collaborative knowledge-sharing project for the first time.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">It is such a desire that fuels the growing local Wikipedia community.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">“There are many encouraging signs. There is a small, but highly committed core of users who are passionate about improving Malta-related content on Wikipedia, and we have made great inroads in bringing awareness of Wikipedia as a tool for documentation over the past year.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">“In 2017 alone, we have collaborated with various cultural and public entities, including the Gabriel Caruana Foundation, Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti, and the Faculty of Media & Knowledge Sciences at the University of Malta, amongst others. We have also continued our fruitful relationship with Spazju Kreattiv and are collaborating with Heritage Malta for the first time on this year's edition of Wiki Loves Monuments.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">“This promises well for the further development of Malta-related content on both English and Maltese-language Wikipedia.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b>
<b><i>The full details of how to take part in Wiki Loves Monuments can be found <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Commons:Wiki_Loves_Monuments_2017_in_Malta" target="_blank">here</a> whilst the Facebook page of Wikipedia Malta can (and should) be followed <a href="https://www.facebook.com/wikimalta/" target="_blank">here</a>.</i></b></span>Paul Grechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742123747580749956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2541657133155640265.post-56494465242904736282017-08-21T10:30:00.000+02:002017-08-21T10:30:13.814+02:00Beauty, Unappreciated<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">As soon as the Azure Window collapsed into the sea the search was on for new natural beauty spots to fill the void. A similar arch in Wied il-Mielah was immediately targeted both by those eager to lock down their source of income but although it is undeniably impressive this arch is not as majestic or photogenic as the one that stood in Dwejra.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">And so people kept on looking for an alternative. None have been found – how could they? – yet other sites that were previously considered to be too much trouble to get to are now increasing in popularity. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The cave known as Tal-Mixta is one of those. It has made an appearance in billboards promoting a trip to Gozo and although its location has not been widely publicised people are talking about it, not least on social media where one good photo can reach thousands.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Getting to it requires a bit of an effort, further proof that as yet it has not graduated into a full blown tourist attraction. There are no signs that show the way (although it is clearly marked on walking routes laid down by the Nadur local council) and there is an element of exploration involved in getting to it. Even when you do get to the place you need to walk on the plateau until you are just in front of it to really see it.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">When you do you see an entrance in the form of a narrow staircase hewn in rock that hides away what you’re walking into such that it spontaneously raises the levels of anticipation as soon as you start going down. And then you see it; a breath taking view of Ramla Bay. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">That first impact truly is stunning, a riot of vibrant colours framed by the natural features of the cave mouth.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">It is easy to see why people would love this spot. It is beautiful, true, but it also offers a fantastic backdrop for photos. That, at least, is the plan because reality is slightly different. For all the difficulty in getting there, people are finding out about this cave meaning that what in their minds is an opportunity for a romantic photo – this cave seems to be particularly popular with young couples – becomes anything but. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Because the second thing that you notice after walking down the cave’s entrance is the number of people there, walking around in awkward and self-conscious silence hoping that everyone else would leave so that they can take their own photo. Which will probably make it onto social media and drive more even people to tal-Mixta making it even harder for those who come afterwards.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">It is a sad reflection of what we have become that the desire to mark your presence with an image is more powerful than the natural reaction to absorb the beauty laid out in front of you. On a typical visit you will see more people struggling with the lighting settings on their mobile phones – the harshness of the light outside the cave means that many will leave disappointed, with only their silhouette showing – than ones simply observing what they can see.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">For there is plenty to see and think about. The beauty of the bay, obviously, but also the ignorance of man in the form of rubbish dotting the countryside just outside the cave.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">There is also the cave itself. Whilst most of it is natural beauty there are visible structures that in the past were probably used as mangers and animal pens. The name of the cave – Mixta – is a derivative of Mxett which means wintering so this is a place where animals could be sheltered in the harshest days of winter.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Dig deeper, however, and this cave will release more secrets. A few paces away from the cave mouth is a hole that has quite clearly been carved out by man rather than the elements. This was used to house a cannon, used in the time of the Knights of Malta to scare away any vessel thinking of anchoring in the bay and wreaking havoc in the valley below.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Time has killed off the need for both those uses but granted a new role for this vantage point. Whether it comes to be appreciated for it remains to be seen.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc9qiUTIMGMDjSFx0NIHhkM1t3Vp6A20RqygUCRqMnpVO8zuyZRtotBo1ubm5tPgRFKHO0mkGA40vFL6Xn21I1v0ZOuOcq46cwAFVWyPopWHxLFxKTVavQDjRIkwRG0AKbTpmnFlp9kmPg/s1600/DSC_0032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc9qiUTIMGMDjSFx0NIHhkM1t3Vp6A20RqygUCRqMnpVO8zuyZRtotBo1ubm5tPgRFKHO0mkGA40vFL6Xn21I1v0ZOuOcq46cwAFVWyPopWHxLFxKTVavQDjRIkwRG0AKbTpmnFlp9kmPg/s1600/DSC_0032.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Breath taking view. And a rusting, dumped fridge</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>Paul Grechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742123747580749956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2541657133155640265.post-7154451013447674522017-08-14T10:30:00.000+02:002018-04-03T10:31:44.590+02:00Creativity in Perpetual Motion<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgURP26rN8oZtrSWIQG2U8E3QO8R3Vy7JuMCSx4XzXlY1EmBvVmEUv4QAapbK0gP-HXDKfUIOwNINPYgNcCUyR_lggAqbK3-KH8elY1TDfGQSWgFTiXjx4PXnzNOUwO9SBTVZyU7P6EluKj/s1600/tw_lisa_falzon.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="684" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgURP26rN8oZtrSWIQG2U8E3QO8R3Vy7JuMCSx4XzXlY1EmBvVmEUv4QAapbK0gP-HXDKfUIOwNINPYgNcCUyR_lggAqbK3-KH8elY1TDfGQSWgFTiXjx4PXnzNOUwO9SBTVZyU7P6EluKj/s1600/tw_lisa_falzon.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/arts/books/49479/illustrating_irvin__lisa_falzon#.WZCWElUjHIU" target="_blank">Lisa Falzon</a></td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;">There is a huge and constant debate over creativity; how some people seem to have an imagination that brings forth countless new ideas whilst others struggle to do anything that is remotely original. Inevitably the attention of such a discussion turns to children who all seem naturally creative but eventually have that capacity educated out of them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Whether this is a discussion in which she has been involved before or not, Lisa Falzon puts forward an argument that is very much along those lines when she has to answer question over her development as an artist.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“There was no spark of interest particular to me as if I was born with a special talent - all kids draw,” she states. “All children draw if given a set of crayons, one of the first thing they figure out is fun to do - after eating them - is using them to leave a mark somewhere. A lot of childhood play is based around make-believe and on-the-fly creativity and role playing.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">She then goes on to turn the tables. “I just never grew out of this interest in self-expression. Instead of asking me why I draw I should ask you, why did you stop drawing?”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“I think people stop drawing because they get self-conscious. I was always quite indifferent when it came to other people's opinions. I remember the older kids making fun of my drawings in the school van in one particular instance. Maybe if I wasn't so stubbornly self-assured I would have become shy and stopped drawing.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Quite clearly, for her drawing was a way of bringing her imagination to life.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“It wasn't just making pictures for me it was also making stories, and taping up miniature books, and crafting things out of paper and designing board games and houses out of shoe boxes,” she confirms. “My siblings and I did a lot of arty things. We had a lot of art books around the house and my family encouraged self-expression.” </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Nevertheless it is telling that she’s “always had a problem with structured classes and am really picky about my teachers. Art classes didn't exactly pan out, so I'm largely self-taught.” One vote in favour of those who argue that the regimented nature of the education system is what stifles creativity.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Whatever the reason, Lisa has grown into one of the most vibrant and visually remarkable Maltese artists. If you’ve picked up a children’s’ book issued these past few years you’ve probably seen her artwork and, beyond that, she has worked with a number of media outlets all over the world supplying them with illustrations.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">For all of that, she is nowhere near as popular and well known as she should be. Part of the reason for that is what people tend to classify as art.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“I always knew I'd be an artist for a living and was pretty vocal about it but this assertion is not the kind that is usually met with equal confidence by others. While adults around me didn't exactly put me off, they weren't really saying it could be done either.” </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“People who have no real knowledge LOVE to mouth the maxim that artists can only make money after their death because they have this idea that artists are the ones with paintings hanging in the Louvre. This is absurd when you look around our civilised world and every single thing you see has been designed by someone - who do they assume is designing this stuff?”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“I knew with a certainty I had only one job in this world and that was to be creative. There was no moment of decision or if there was, I made it as a child. Even when I went through the rote-motions of getting a university degree I had no real interest in, I had my own scheme. I always did my own thing one way or the other. I think that's what they'll write on my headstone.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Lisa’s reference to creativity is not superficial. Perhaps the most popular body of work that she has done is in the Meluseena series that is very emotionally impactful. Still she is at pains to point out that this is only a fraction of her portfolio.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Meluseena is the digital art project I worked on between 2008 and 2016. It was my most popular work and that which comes up if you google my name. The fact is this is only a fragment of my work, based on a brand I created. Though it's consistent, even this brand has changed its face as the years went by.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“In actual fact I work in several styles, where each new book and project is entirely different. Some people say they can recognise my work across the board and there may well be something perhaps in the way I draw figures or texture or colour or eyes, that stays the same in every incarnation be it digital or real world or more realistic or less realistic, but if you look just at the last few books I published in Malta you'll see they are each very different.” </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Comparing 'Mingu' to 'Il-Qtates ta max-Xatt' or even the Irvin Vella books, you will see a large shift in style. For Irvin I even dabble with 'etching' style black and white. A book to be published this year, of collected dramatic pieces for children 'It Tulipan L-Iswed' was digitally created in a chalky, symbolist-era style. A book I am working on right now takes a complete new route and is in watercolour and pencils and collage.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Even so, she realises that not everyone will see such versatility as a strength. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“The truth is it's much more desirable to stick to just one style in this world. The artist was always a 'brand' and to make a brand you have to assume a caricature.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“We know Picasso for his cubist work, and Maxfield Parrish for this paintings of women lolling about on rocks and swings. But the fact is Picasso did a lot of stuff aside from his 'greatest hits' - and Maxfield Parrish only painted 'women on rocks' for a short period of time and spent the last decades of his life focused wholly on landscapes. People want to get the same thing from an artist over and over as if they were a brand - and publishers do too.” </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“I am lucky that I work with little indie publishing houses that trust me as an artist so they let me try out new ideas - because I simply CANNOT stick to one thing. I'll work for other publishers that pay actual wages and will want work in the style of my 'greatest hits' specifically, in order to be able to work on the side in new experimental ways for indie publishers who cannot afford to pay much at all.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Indeed, for Lisa this desire to move between different styles – and more – is something of an overwhelming condition.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“I look at artists who have been doing the very same thing for several decades now and I am envious of their focus and their peace with staying put and exploring design or ideas within the same style. I just can't do this. The astrological among us would blame my rising Sagittarius…I am restless and continually trying new things and I am pained every time I have to do something in a style that is dead to me,” she says before adding “but I'll do it for the right price!”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“This extends to the rest of my life. I've moved country four times, you know me as Lisa but I've gone by several sobriquets all my life and no one really calls me that anymore. However in the art world it is even more so. I also write poetry, I sculpt, I collage, paint queer erotica in acrylics under a different name that looks miles away from anything I've exhibited so far, design patterns for clothing and silversmith-ing, my latest love affair.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">For all of her desire to constantly experiment, Lisa’s replies belie the reality faced by anyone who works on a freelance basis of having to work on projects that people are willing to pay for rather than simple those that they want to do.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">This, however, is not always a bad thing.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“At face value I much prefer to work on my own work, if it is a single image. When it comes to bigger projects however - like illustrating a book that I wrote myself - I find that having complete free reign is a hindrance, and that I'll fall into the trap of endlessly changing and revisiting and ultimately deciding I hate it all and throw the whole thing out.” </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“A commissioned bigger project, apart from having the advantage of being paid - and I am above all pragmatic - is that I have someone specific I need to please and this keeps me from going berserk over detail.” </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“I also usually have to challenge myself with things I maybe don't traditionally even think to draw. Like for 'Qtates ta’ max-Xatt' I had to draw heaps of skylines and buildings, and prior to beginning the six month project I hated drawing buildings. I was super daunted. Now, I am somewhat less daunted.” </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“So it's great too. I learn more and there's definitely less angst when you have a publisher mediating between your need to finish and your obsessive self-criticism.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">This is a common theme among artists and creatives who seem to have an internal critic that is far harsher than anyone who actually views their work. So much that there is a syndrome – the imposter syndrome – that captures this self-doubting mechanism. Only the most supremely confident can escape the feeling that they aren’t as good as everyone thinks and that the piece they are working on will be the one where the veil falls off, opening them up to ridicule and shame.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“It's really common to lean away from a piece and hate it. This is a ubiquitous feeling amongst artists although I think I have it pretty bad,” Lisa claims</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“It is difficult to explain but there are different grades of disliking something I've worked on - there's knowing that something isn't quite right, and this can usually be worked on with techniques like flipping a picture around to see it with 'fresh eyes' in photoshop if its digital; or taking a photo and flipping that if it is a drawing and working till the problem is eased.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“But the existential 'meh' feeling about work that invariably settles after it is done, that is just something you have to chalk up to having better taste than skills and keep striving for that impossible ideal in the next piece. You kind of have to make peace with the idea that you suck a bit worse than you'd like to.” </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“It's always somewhat consoling when a picture is well received even when I've come to dislike it because then I can tell myself at least, it's bringing people joy. Invariably and annoyingly when I'm the very most pleased with a work, it's always the one least enjoyed and completely overlooked by the populus!” </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“It's like that Aesop's fable with the man, the son and the donkey - don't even try to please anyone else.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Fortunately, and most frequently, we just seem to meet in the middle.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">What is also fortunate for Lisa is the lack importance that she places on fitting into the traditional image of an artist as being someone whose work is displayed in an art gallery.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“The gallery world is a little elitist so I can't say I miss it. The people who buy art are treasure hunters. Which is okay of course. But I am interested in art consumers. You can consume and react to art on your phone so to speak.” </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“I get just as much joy exhibiting on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lisa.falzon/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.” </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“What I do miss is creating a single item that 'exists'. I've only started missing this recently this year which is why I busted out the pencils, watercolours and physical paint. It took ten years but 'real paint' is making a comeback into my life. I think it's also the zeitgeist right now.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Annoyingly my father predicted this would eventually happen!”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">This desire to have a tangible product is hardly surprising especially in a world where vinyl is making a comeback as people are no longer happy with just the digital. That, however, does not mean that people’s dismissal of virtual images has any impact on Lisa.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“In truth I don't care what the general public thinks at all. Alla’hares toqghod fuq general public opinion, specjalment Malta, ma taghmel xejn! (God forbid that you depend on public opinion, especially in Malta [as] you wouldn’t do anything!)”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“My true clients are publishers and they work in 'print', everything they produce is a reproduction. It's a question of purpose. When people pick up a book they don't angst about the fact that it's a reproduction of something. It's not what they ask of a book. Buying a printed book to enjoy its art is a very different thing than buying a book you love as a first edition.” </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“The people who are into the notion of 'art as treasure' are in the latter bracket and not the first. Sure there can be overlap but it is not as common as you think.” </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">One kind of recognition that Lisa does appreciate is awards for her work. “I'm always pleased to win anything, but I had been hoping to win Mingu the honour last year because I worked hard on trying to do something new with that book. It wasn't just coverwork, it was a fully illustrated book.” </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“I also got the prize for Irvin, which also had interior illustrations and not just the cover.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Such awards help boost one’s profile even if today a lot of that is done on social media with artists having to be willing to put themselves forward on the various platforms in order to get noticed. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Social media is a changing beast and you have to be willing to change with it or have your entire marketing scheme go bellyup,” she professes. “It can be disheartening because the goalposts are constantly being relocated so one can feel a complete lack of control which is new in what is essentially the field of advertising. You can wake up one day and the entire way that your audience got to see your work is changed overnight as if a wilful god sent a disaster to your village and you just have to deal with the fallout.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“There's a lot more that I could do to improve my social media but to be honest I have that millenial malaise of secretly hating it. I feel we are in between things at the moment social-media wise, much like when Facebook took over from blogs. I’m just going to wait and see if I can roll with the next punch.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">This attitude very much reflects her career that has fluidly incorporated and, subsequently, sidelined different creative projects. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Lisa’s writing is a case in point. In 2008 she published her debut novel Xi Mkien Iehor but, despite the acclaim that received, has yet to be followed up with another book.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“It's not really a very special reason but it's a very typical reason of me... I just haven't felt like writing a novel in the last ten years!” </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“I published two themed colouring books for adults in Australia some years ago that kind of felt like publishing a book because they were story-like and I was very pleased with them at the time, especially one of them 'reach for the stars'.” </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“I've played around a little with short stories, flash fiction and poems when I'm in a writing mood. Visual art somewhat occluded my writing work excepting a few projects and collaborations; I worked with Ken Young in 2012 who produced my micro fiction stories into soundbytes.” </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Writing is more emotional for me. I am low-key working on a children's picture book of my own but as I already said, I'm my own worst enemy when it comes to endless revision... till a year rolls on and I decide it's crap and toss it.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">For all of that, books might still be in her future. “It would be nice to publish a picture book for kids, dedicate it to my twin niece and nephew, and then see it become a New York Times bestseller! I am partially joking though - because I don't think I have to be this way or that way or achieve something in particular I just want to create till the end and have the ability to float whichever way I want to without constraints - this is what I want.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“I've always wanted to design a shop window. I wanted my work on a billboard too but I got that this year because I did the Malta Book Festival promo artwork I hope my brother remembers to send me a photo of it if he drives by one because I might not be in Malta in time to see it!” </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“I don't really 'tick boxes' sometimes I notice I look back on things I've done and I see I have done a lot of things I wanted to do, and the things left undone I just stopped wanting.” </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“I'm really lucky.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>Get to know all about Lisa Falzon by checking out her <a href="http://lisa-falzon.com/" target="_blank">website</a>, <a href="https://www.etsy.com/shop/Meluseena" target="_blank">Etsy Store</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/LisaFalzonArtist/" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>. Special mention of her <a href="https://www.instagram.com/lisa.falzon/" target="_blank">Instagram</a> which is a constant source of wonder and inspiration.</b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b><br /></b></i></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><b>This is another in Snapshots of Malta's series of longform interviews. If you enjoyed it then you will probably like our earlier <a href="http://www.snapshotsofmalta.com/search/label/Interview?max-results=6" target="_blank">interviews</a>. You will also probably like our <a href="http://eepurl.com/bJwjvr" target="_blank">Monthly Snapshots</a>, a newsletter where we talk about what we're enjoying and what we're looking forward to.</b></i></span><br />
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Paul Grechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742123747580749956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2541657133155640265.post-18459319960851128472017-08-07T10:30:00.000+02:002017-08-07T10:30:14.140+02:00Basking In The Sun<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjnHukQ8CizL48FFvBuEgUErfQwNhJ5M25wLHuWKKXs_ZToK62p9gN2rfiacnmwKPP71bKQiooV6gi3SILWkKMj4KJDI4jV_t6UXCpvnxF2_UFnJup1qOFQq2GgeFiYRc0xADSwzEVyM3u/s1600/2017-07-24+06.48.04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjnHukQ8CizL48FFvBuEgUErfQwNhJ5M25wLHuWKKXs_ZToK62p9gN2rfiacnmwKPP71bKQiooV6gi3SILWkKMj4KJDI4jV_t6UXCpvnxF2_UFnJup1qOFQq2GgeFiYRc0xADSwzEVyM3u/s1600/2017-07-24+06.48.04.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">There is an admirable resiliency in those plants that manage to survive the heat of the Maltese summer in the wild. Forget to water domesticated plants just once and they will wilt irremediably and no amount of subsequent care will revive them. Wild plants are hardier. Much, much hardier. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">They have evolved to survive under the oppressive sun with whatever water they can attract. Indeed they often make light of the deprivations they endure to the extent that they still provide colour and beauty wherever they happen to grow. There might not be extravagant blooms – they cannot afford it - but their flowers can striking nevertheless.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">With its multiple vibrant, yellow flowers the Wavy-Leaved St. John’s Wort is such a plant. It grows in rocky areas which for most other plants would appear to be barren and inhospitable. That combination of limited competition and vibrancy of its colours is what enables it to survive; it is the secret of its success in attracting insects to help pollinate it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">This beauty is fleeting with the flowers quickly turning into brown seeds and the whole plant transforming into one that seemingly hasn’t got much going for it. All part of its functional life style where energy is dispensed only in so far as necessary. Once plant has what it needs to propagate itself then it closes shop.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Earlier generations however did find one other use for it. Its family name is Hypericum that signifies above (hyper) and eikon (picture) which came about of the traditional action of hanging the plant above a religious icon during St John’s day in order to ward off evil. Superstition or not, it is still a lovely way of recognising how remarkable this plant is.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Botanical Name: Hypericum Triquetrifolium</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Common name: Wavy-Leaved St John’s Wort (English) Fexfiex tar-Raba (Maltese)</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Family: Clusiaceae Juss. (Hypericum Family)</i></span><br />
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: arial; font-size: 12px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"><i style="margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;">For more information on this plant, visit the respective entry in the <a href="http://maltawildplants.com/RANU/Delphinium_halteratum.php" style="color: #888888; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">online Malta wild- plants directory</a>.</span></i></b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOPY6O_2D5T8RNg6K28KsUTvNhkJAfkXSchCwisFkTpl6Lm-1lQCzMGAtFabCquxCB7jljaHdbpHBeOXo4yk70Iq7W5IsP8VnQhOKwVrVvNY3l4Rfvkyc849yx8BFchYty3uB_jBeyLzZg/s1600/2017-07-24+06.47.54.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOPY6O_2D5T8RNg6K28KsUTvNhkJAfkXSchCwisFkTpl6Lm-1lQCzMGAtFabCquxCB7jljaHdbpHBeOXo4yk70Iq7W5IsP8VnQhOKwVrVvNY3l4Rfvkyc849yx8BFchYty3uB_jBeyLzZg/s1600/2017-07-24+06.47.54.jpg" /></a></div>
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Paul Grechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742123747580749956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2541657133155640265.post-4087760222444814562017-07-31T10:30:00.000+02:002017-07-31T10:30:13.621+02:00All Is True<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7mbRpUma8Ldo7mWBv97yOYswdO9da9mpULj-djVeeAU2sS-4gzB6u684sUTimhlmw_w6S1YPU1fMpn9F3pHJ3Xn8ypqHUM5b54Up-EMirkSlV0JZs3V4Y_HXcI8uqnHk7UKdZPVNDo58z/s1600/IMG_0416.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7mbRpUma8Ldo7mWBv97yOYswdO9da9mpULj-djVeeAU2sS-4gzB6u684sUTimhlmw_w6S1YPU1fMpn9F3pHJ3Xn8ypqHUM5b54Up-EMirkSlV0JZs3V4Y_HXcI8uqnHk7UKdZPVNDo58z/s1600/IMG_0416.JPG" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Whilst most musicians have lyrics with which to anchor the storyline of their music videos, those who focus on instrumental music have no such luxury. For them the challenge is to express the emotions that they wanted to transmit not just through music but also image. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">This is an abstract exercise where the feelings underlying the music are often reliant on what the listener can discern. Matching that to a visual representation can be tough. Yet this makes it more challenging, not impossible.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The latest example of getting this balance just right lies in Tact’s “All is True”. This music video tries to share the artist's emotions in an embedded visual form, portraying the concepts of diversity, humanity and the unpleasant beauty. A pure, simple, marvellous act of humanity translated into an endless motion. The urgency to convey, and the aspiration to create an inquisitive picture that intensifies, communicates and engraves in one’s morals the social disturbances of today’s reality.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The deep humanistic architecture of the video’s theme relates to a world of precipices and unstable equilibriums inspired by true stories. A motion that portrays imperfections and redemptions, anxieties and frustrations, persons who are stripped off their dignity and lay bare in the wilderness of society. A life full of illusions, memories and unexpected emotions, yet ignited with the slightest taste of hope. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“All Is True” portrays and embraces the heart breaking virtue of piety. Three disturbed, yet connected souls in unstable balance between melancholy and nostalgia, damnation and salvation, light and darkness. Yet, the motion is softened by the flow of hope that crackles from the sudden laughter of the old lady; the mystery behind the unpleasant beauty.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Tact (Tartaglia's act) was formed in November 2009 by guitarist and composer Franco Tartaglia, releasing its first music album 'Brushworks' supported by the Malta Arts Fund (Arts Council Malta) in November 2015. Tact’s music is inspired around the architecture and skill of guitar playing and composition. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The classical guitar, in its' simplicity as an instrument, is the foundation of the whole concept opening up to the freedom of the other instruments sustaining and blending with the guitar, and thus portraying a strong lyrical and percussive feeling. Tact’s current line up is bassist Charles Cassar, pianist Paul Torpiano and drummer Carl Matthew Camilleri, all of which contribute to Tact’s introspective music arrangement and song writing. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">“I wanted a concept video as that complements me as an artist. There is an element of illusion with three characters who live different lives but perhaps are connected. I wanted to focus on the concept of existentialism,” Franco Tartaglia explain.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The music video for ‘All Is True’ is directed by Jonathan Laferla and produced by Sergio Tartaglia, together with the director of photography and video editor Francesco Debono whilst Franco Tartaglia was the executive producer. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">This video relied on the support of a number of people including Jason Masini - The Splendid, Raċanċ, Joe Mizzi, Justin Pace, Jean Paul Buttigieg, Kumpanija Teatrali Dumnikani Beltin and Valletta Stars St. Dominic’s Bar throughout the production phase as well as the ground-breaking work and dedication of production manager Francesca Mercieca, production coordinator Claire Marantidis Cordina, all the actors and make-up artists.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">At the heart of the artistic visual production of “All is true” is Valletta, the upcoming European Capital of Culture for 2018. The main parts were shot at the enigmatic, yet intriguing ‘The Splendid Hotel’ in Strait Street, at the ‘Sala San Duminku’ (at the courtesy of the ‘Kumpanija Teatrali Dumnikani Beltin’), at the “Valletta Stars Bar” in Saint Dominic Street as well as an innovative shot at the rampant ‘boathouses’ along the Valletta coastline, rediscovering the cultural hot spots within our Capital. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The music video for All Is True can be seen below and is available on Tact’s <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TartagliasAct/" target="_blank">Facebook Page</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC8XB8Mt8-8Q67ycJUW6_5wg" target="_blank">Youtube channel</a>.</span><br />
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Paul Grechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742123747580749956noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2541657133155640265.post-90864829199992928112017-07-26T09:00:00.000+02:002017-07-26T09:00:21.174+02:00Intelligence of Nature<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFT_UuGPrIERvsPr2L4dXjd2Kvohz-j7qAGz-ET34ueuJAhTlKCLcsP2zGWP6io6_31FA2Jo6jMV34iF0bv0mfe5FXArL_cc4xCWhHeIEGCmns2z3aKcH0GTZPNQ2GGK_R2dH36Y3F2IwH/s1600/20170626_064949-01.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1066" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFT_UuGPrIERvsPr2L4dXjd2Kvohz-j7qAGz-ET34ueuJAhTlKCLcsP2zGWP6io6_31FA2Jo6jMV34iF0bv0mfe5FXArL_cc4xCWhHeIEGCmns2z3aKcH0GTZPNQ2GGK_R2dH36Y3F2IwH/s640/20170626_064949-01.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">One of the most fascinating aspects of nature is the opportunism with which it imbues living organisms. Plants and animals alike shape their behaviour to make the most of those situations that habitually happen around them; using the seasonal flow to their advantage.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Take the example of the winged larkspur. It waits for a year as the soil in which it sits is fertilised, watered and cultivated. Evolution has taught it that if it were to grow at the same time as the harvest of those same fields it would be eradicated by some farmer trying to keep his land as free of weeds as possible.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Instead it waits till that same farmer harvests his crop. Only then does it emerge from the ground. Free of any competition and danger of persecution it takes over the field in which it lay, using up any residual energy from the ground to fuel its own life cycle.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">It does this in the most discreet manners possible. As can be expected of any plant that grows during the hottest months of the year (July and August) it is quite an efficient one. Leaves are kept to a minimum and the flowers – purple, delicate and beautiful – are rather small, fit to attract bees and little else.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">One needs to be particularly observational to notice it. Often what is noticed is the accumulation of this plant where the dozens of specimen that tend to grow together give the field a purple tinge, as if some sweet topping had been drizzled all over.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Apart from its appearance there is nothing delicate about this plant, however for it contains a high level of toxicity. Eat enough of it or the flower and you will find yourself poisoned. Which has not often been a problem for people (although it can and it has been) but an issue for goats and cows. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">For that is another fascinating aspect of nature; that way that it is engineered to equip even the smallest of plants (and animals) such as this one with the means to protect itself. It is one of the subtle ways with which nature it keeps its balance. Until, that is, a beast comes along and trashes the delicate rhythm of nature. As is happening to the winged larkspur and other wildflower in Malta where arable land is constantly under attack and along with it its habitat.</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">Botanical Name: Delphinium Halteratum</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-size: large;">Common name: Winged Larkspur (English) Sieq il-Hamiema (Maltese)</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-size: large;">Family: Rununculaceae Juss. (Buttercup Family)</span></i><br />
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<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">For more information on this plant, visit the respective entry in the <a href="http://maltawildplants.com/RANU/Delphinium_halteratum.php" target="_blank">online Malta wild- plants directory</a>.</span></i></b><br />
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Paul Grechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742123747580749956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2541657133155640265.post-13539640909300144412017-07-17T10:30:00.000+02:002018-04-03T10:32:05.984+02:00Writing For All Generations<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">Add more to your reading experience, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=df-eLzao63I&list=PLnGA0zwUfHUlNuo1TUiZvzm8_WHQNvHrS" target="_blank">listen to this playlist of Rita Saliba's favourite songs</a> whilst reading this feature on her.</span></i><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Have you ever seen those motivational posters that show an iceberg with the tip above water and the bulk beneath? It is a reference to the hard work that goes into any success story which most people never get to see. Perhaps unsurprisingly that was the image that came to my mind as Rita Saliba, one of Malta’s most prolific authors, was describing her writing process.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Whenever I’m writing, regardless of whether it is a full length novel or a short story,” she explains. “I have to do a lot of research. If I’m writing about someone who is into beekeeping then I have to learn about that hobby. So before I write that story I go out and research about beekeeping even if most of what I learn doesn’t make it into the story. That knowledge gives depth to the characters and that knowledge remains with you.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“I really enjoy that kind of research,” she continues. “That’s why books are great. You have to research much more than what goes into the book itself. I had a story where I spoke about the Second World War. I used to go to those places where old people tend to meet up in my village – benches at playing fields for instance – and as soon as I mentioned anything to them the stories would come flooding.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“When I tried to look for such stories off the internet I wasn’t satisfied. What did that person feel? How did that boy whose dog died buried in the rubble? Or that girl who lost her one and only doll when her home was bombed? You won’t find such emotions on the internet; you need real people to talk to you to get that. Some times you laugh, on others you cry with them.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">All those emotions are then poured into the book; the magic dust that ignites readers’ emotions.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Something Rita has been doing plenty of. Modest and unassuming – her soft voice matching an innate level of shyness – a casual glance would not give any indication that this is an author who has left quite an impact on the Maltese literary scene. Her three young adult books – Inzul ix-Xemx, Bella Bergen u Il-Kulur tal-Lellux – all won the national price for literacy in this category and have gone on to boost an age bracket with quality writing in the Maltese language.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">What makes her story all the more amazing is that she started publishing her work quite late. Not that this has had a negative impact on her career; indeed she feels that it is pretty much the opposite.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“You have to live to write. You won’t find ideas in books. In fact, most ideas come from living. If you’ve ever experienced anything, some sorrow or found yourself stuck in a crowd, that helps when you come to relay thoughts. Today there’s the internet and that can help,” she repeats “but it is not the same thing. I find that when I’m writing about something that I experienced it comes out much stronger.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“I started dabbling with writing from an early age. There weren’t that many books that were suitable for young children so to an extent I just wanted to write the books that I wished were available.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“I read a lot – our house was filled with books – but they didn’t have illustrations. My grandmother, I remember, had an encyclopedia as well as Brere Rabbit stories and the images by themselves used to enthrall me. And I always wanted more. So I either wrote stories or drew pictures.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“I also grew up in an environment where everyone told stories. I used to hear my mother and father telling stories but, in particular, I used to hear many more at my grandmother’s. There was a great-aunt who wasn’t highly educated by her timing of storytelling was spot on. She never missed a beat. I think that back then they were more open to experience life and appreciate it than we are today.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“When I was around seven I wrote a poem in the inside cover of an exercise book that I kept under my school desk. A teacher read it, like what I had done and submitted it to a programme that used to be broadcast on redifusion (the predecessor of public radio).”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“I never imagined that I would go on to publish my work. In fact my dream was to be a horse jockey!”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">It would be many years later that Rita would pick up writing. By that stage she had given up on her horse riding ambitions (I presume) and was busy raising a family. The creative urge that seems to be a constant in Rita’s life still nibbled away at her.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“I was approached by Clare Azzopardi and Trevor Zahra who wanted to come out with an academic textbook that was more updated than Denfil. The result was the Senduq Kuluri series. There was a whole learning experience as we needed to work with the national curriculum to ensure that what we were submitting wasn’t too advanced or not advanced enough so all that was an educational journey for me. The real fun came when I started writing stories for those same books.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">That sparked off the desire to tell her own stories. “A bit later there was a competition to submit a story for seven year olds. People didn’t have to write in their name but they could submit it under a pseudonym which probably helped me go ahead and submit as I was a bit lacking in confidence.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Still, my story won and through that my first book was published: Kevin U Qatraxita. It was a huge joy and when I received a published copy of the book I took it to bed with me!”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">That success gave her the confidence to keep on writing and publishing books. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I wonder what would have happened if she hadn’t won on that occasion; whether she would have continued writing. Rita believes that it would have made much of a difference. “I don’t always win, there have been instances where I haven’t. For me it is an opportunity to learn because you’re trying out new ideas and perhaps different genres. I always encourage people to give such competitions a shot. There is nothing to fear and no need to hold back.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Personally, I never say that I wrote something and it was a waste of time. There are a lot of things that I write but which I never use. But I am always practising. Sport helped me in that aspect (Rita was – and is – an avid sportsperson who has practised, athletics, netball and thai chi). There is that discipline to train and push yourself which is extremely important. At the end of the day you are competing with yourself, not with anybody else.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">A look at Rita’s writing career reveals a rather linear evolution from kids’ books to young adults and, now, books for adults. “It was all natural. Still, I don’t like calling it kids’ literature because there have been occasions where I found it difficult. You can’t write down to them, you have to write for them.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Indeed children provide her with quite rich feedback and inspiration as Rita, like many Maltese authors, makes it a point to visit as many schools as possible. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Children are extremely sharp. You need to do double the research for kids’ books than you do for adults! You have to ask around and look things up because they immediately notice if something isn’t as it should be. They notice the littlest of details. Even if you don’t write something but hint at it they pick it up.” </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Then there are the ideas,” she pauses as she weighs her thoughts. “Some frighten whilst others delight. I have to admit that I take more than I give in those visits. Those children end up featuring indirectly in my stories, some of their traits have a way of sticking.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">This latter point is interesting because reading through Rita’s work it quickly becomes evident that character is the strongest driving force of her writing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Sometimes I will have someone in mind and then build on it. Characters are something on which I work very hard because they will be with me for a number of weeks. A character is born before I start working on them, to be honest. I start thinking about them before I have a real idea.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Every character is complex. And I need to know them in detail. Even in books like Inzul ix-Xemx where I had a large number of characters I note down the details of each one even if I don’t go on to use that detail in the books themselves. The only exceptions are secondary characters who I use to push the story along.”</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj07cmIStPDG1OoUVE4QAjxg6EwNrJC3XooyQEDEVv5-pGWh3MTyI4SdchueryoiZeK0GgVSnzjIFYXwXicvFvf0jaezRbRLWyy_-g6vU36382S61MWiLnyyUK1hP1Ai8OE4KAYZARMABhy/s1600/RitaSalibaCo4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="529" data-original-width="1010" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj07cmIStPDG1OoUVE4QAjxg6EwNrJC3XooyQEDEVv5-pGWh3MTyI4SdchueryoiZeK0GgVSnzjIFYXwXicvFvf0jaezRbRLWyy_-g6vU36382S61MWiLnyyUK1hP1Ai8OE4KAYZARMABhy/s1600/RitaSalibaCo4.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">“A character who is from a family of manual labourers will think differently than one who comes from a family of professionals. A policeman’s son is different from a baker’s son even if they have the same interests.” </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">That of plotting the details of each character is just one aspect of Rita’s process to plan her story. “I like to plan. There are instances of short stories that form in my head and I just write them down. When it comes to a novel, however, I have to plan it out. More than that you have to ask around to get input. You have to be humble and ask; to see how others react. Sometimes they tell you that what you are thinking isn’t how things happen. That is often the case with young adults where what I think is different from how they see things.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">When they were growing up, Rita often used to turn to her own children to get feedback. That is one of the ways that she managed to combine the strenuous task of raising a family and writing successful books. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Sometimes I’m amazed at how I did it,” she replies when I reply, out of egotistical curiosity, how she managed. “I always took writing as a stress reliever because if I had considered it work I don’t think that I would have stuck at it. For me, writing is an adventure.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“It is not easy but you have to find a balance. Then again, you have to find balance in everything. If you dedicate yourself completely to your family you end up tired and resentful.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“In the end, I think that having a family ended up helping my writings. Sometimes they were the ones who gave me ideas.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">This sparks off a different conversation, one about how she comes up with ideas for her work. “You have to chase after ideas.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Sometimes you can get an idea simply by looking at an empty cup of coffee. You notice people and start imagining their back story. Over the years I’ve come to know a number of people and everyone has their own character.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Sometimes I don’t have any ideas. So you look for them in books, not in what you read but in the emotions they bring up in you. Different ideas can come when you go to different places. You don’t have to force it, you only have to be open to ideas.” </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Suddenly she recalls another of her sources for ideas and, giggling says. “Overhearing conversations is also good. I’m always with a book in my hand but that doesn’t mean I’m always reading! Sometimes I pretend to be, especially when there is someone else nearby having an interesting conversation!”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“Not every idea is a good one,” she warns, however. “Sometimes I’ve enthusiastically started writing a story only to find midway that it doesn’t work. I’ve got a folder on my computer that is filled with stories that I couldn’t finish. Those stories you keep on the backburner. Maybe one day you think of a way to fix the problem or maybe you can use some element of it in some other story.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Rita talks from experience but she is also open with her thoughts because she honestly wants others to do the same. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“I wouldn’t say that writing is easy but I always tell people not to give up. If I hadn’t wanted it, the easiest thing in the world for me would have been to find an excuse. I had raised two children, why would I want to go into all that hassle? But it is something that I really felt I needed to do and ultimately it is as easy as that.”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“I used to believe that writing is a solitary exercise but that is not the case. Feedback is extremely important. Writing isn’t something to keep to yourself. When I was young and wrote something, I used to hide it, not because I had written anything iniquitous but because I believed that you had to keep it to yourself.</span><span style="font-size: large;">”</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">“When I started to be published I realised that I had to communicate with others.”</span><br />
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<b style="font-size: x-large;"><i>Rita Saliba has just published her latest book Damask, a collection of short stories that is available from <a href="http://horizons.com.mt/?page_id=10" target="_blank">Horizons Publishers</a> who are also the publishers of another of Rita's books Satin. Other books by the same author are available <a href="http://www.merlinpublishers.com/bio_search_mlt.php?textfield=Rita%20Saliba" target="_blank">here</a>.</i></b><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>For regular updates from Snapshots of Malta, follow us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Snapshots-of-Malta-271435716346931/" target="_blank">Facebook</a>.</i></b></span><br />
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Paul Grechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742123747580749956noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2541657133155640265.post-55143164098899638412017-07-03T20:47:00.000+02:002017-07-03T20:47:27.232+02:00A History of Instability<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;">When access to the Chapel of Annunciation in Siggiewi was closed off due to the huge cracks that had started to appear along the walls of the chapel signalling the very serious danger that the whole structure could collapse, the reaction was a mixture of anger and sadness. It was a natural response in the face of the possible loss of a beloved landmark.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">What was perhaps lost amid all of the (largely online) despair was the knowledge that this particular chapel has a history of, for want of a better word, instability.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Indeed, the chapel suffered extensive damage during an earthquake in 1693 and again following the earthquake that hit the Maltese islands on the 12th of October in 1856. It is difficult to imagine how much energy was wasting being sad about what had happened but hazarding a guess it probably was not much; since life was considerably harsher people were also considerably more pragmatic back then. On both occasions they simply got on with the task of building it once again pretty quickly after it collapsed. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Which, perhaps, is what should happen today as well. That does not mean allowing the chapel to collapse, that would be a shameful disregard the Maltese heritage, but rather actually doing something to fix the situation rather than complain about it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">After all this is a chapel with a rich history. Just how back that history goes, however, is not really known as there is uncertainty over when the first chapel was built. By 1494, however, it was already in place (there are indications that it was built a decade earlier) and since then it has always been pretty well maintained.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Indeed there was quite a devotion for the chapel that was more commonly known as Ta’ l-Gholja (of the hill) due to its location on top of a hill. Particularly devoted were sailors since this hill’s peak was one of the first glimpses they got of Malta; certainly a welcome sight especially after a spell out in rough seas.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The hill remains one that attract devotees, particularly on Maudy Thursday but not the chapel itself. In the past this devotion always ensured that the chapel got rebuilt</span><br />
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<b><i><span style="font-size: large;">For further information about the Chapel of the Annunciation go <a href="http://www.kappellimaltin.com/Il-Kappelli/Sett10/SGW_Lunzjata_tal-Gholja/OLD_DONE_-_Siggiewi_-_Lunzjata_tal-Gholja.pdf" target="_blank">here</a> (Maltese text only)</span></i></b><br />
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<b><i><br /></i></b>Paul Grechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742123747580749956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2541657133155640265.post-36034673284378063192017-06-05T20:21:00.000+02:002017-06-05T20:21:11.174+02:00Faint Echo of Jackdaws<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When a jackdaw (<i>ċawla</i>) was shot in Gozo in April 1956, it marked the passing of a species that up till a hundred years earlier had been such a common presence on the Maltese islands that they bred in the fortifications of Valletta much like pigeons do today. As hunting became a more popular pass time, however, their numbers were whittled down to the extent that only a few colonies in the cliffs on the Southern side of Malta survived.<br />
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Eventually these too were killed off. No one had bothered to heed the words of Maltese naturalist Giuseppe Despott who predicted that this bird would be exterminated unless something was done to protect them. <br />
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A sad story rendered even worse because it seems that its warnings have been forgotten. And those who do not learn from the lessons of history truly are bound to repeat them.<br />
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Still the presence of jackdaws can still be felt in the Maltese countryside although you do need something of an intimate knowledge to catch it. <br />
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Walking through a valley or across fields during spring, one might come across this distinctive, beautiful white flower that in English is known as the Large Star of Bethlehem or Arabian Starflower.<br />
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The Maltese name is far more attention grabbing. Often it is referred to as <i>Ħalib it-Tajr</i> (Birds’ Milk) but its traditional name was <i>Ħara taċ-Ċawl </i>(literally, Jackdaw’s Shit). When naturalists were first cataloging local flowers this was considered too vulgar so someone must have decided to turn to its scientific name; ornithogalum. <br />
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This is the combination of two Greek words: <i>ornis</i> which means bird and <i>gala</i> which is milk. From this combination, and its translation, emerged the name <i>Ħalib it-Tajr</i>.<br />
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Most probably because it is down to the historical link to a past that has been forgotten but, while it might be a strange name with which to label a flower as beautiful as this, I very much prefer <i>Ħara taċ-Ċawl</i>. <br />
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<i>Botanical Name: Ornithogalum Arabicus</i><br />
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<i>Common name: Large Star of Bethlehem / Arabian Starflower (English) Ħalib it-Tajr / Ħara taċ-Ċawl (Maltese)</i><br />
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<i>Family: Asparagus Family</i><br />
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Paul Grechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742123747580749956noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2541657133155640265.post-22930897166523511542017-05-28T18:33:00.000+02:002017-05-28T18:33:00.772+02:00Fusing fine art and documentation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One of the best aspects of good art is that it forces you to think about different ideas. Artists can capture various thoughts and present them in a manner that challenges conventional thinking. Sometimes that process can be assisted by bringing in outside influences who, through their unfamiliarity with the scenery, can result in fresh ways of looking at things.<br />
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It is this belief that has resulted in the Blitz Residency Programme. “It was created to facilitate a long-term, international artistic cultural exchange, while fortifying our role as cultural incubator and advocate organisation for contemporary art practice in Malta,” explains Nicole Bearman, programme director at the Valletta-based art space Blitz.<br />
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“Local engagement is integral to every incoming residency, taking the form of meetings, open studio days, workshops and talks for a local community of artists, researchers, educators, professionals and students. Invited residents are given a dedicated live/work space within the Blitz building. Our objective is to invite artists working across creative fields in a range of media, including (but not limited to) film, photography, performance, sound, immersive installation and digital platforms.”<br />
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The latest recipient of this residency programme was Nikolas Ventourakis, a visual artist with a photography practice who fuses fine art and documentation. His time in Malta came to an end at the start of March but the resulting work of his stay could up till recently be seen in the form of an exhibition titled Rituals For Our Safety.<br />
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“I am interested in notions of safety. How opposite and contradictory visions of safe spaces are part of contemporary political discourse and end up being a matter of belief.<br />
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“From personal rituals that we create in order to make ourselves feel safe – for example, the kid tucking its feet inside the duvet so that the edges are not exposed, or a person with fear of flying making sure that he or she is not awake to experience the flight – to wider reactions of States and societies towards perceived dangers that lead to events like the recent Muslim bans in the US and the proposal for the construction of a border wall,” he said, detailing how the whole concept behind the exhibition came about.<br />
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A very topical subject that was intelligently exposed through photography, projections and installations<br />
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“Manifestations of our beliefs and the actions that are taken to support those beliefs are hammered in by politicians, institutions as well as large portions of the population.”<br />
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As is easy to appreciate, it is a very topical subject that was intelligently exposed through photography, projections and installations that tend to focus on mundane expressions of the idea of safety. Despite the everyday nature of the objects that he captures, there is a lot of thought behind each image.<br />
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“It is true that I have a close relationship with that which might be called the mundane. However, I do not consider it to actually be mundane in the sense that I focus on something that is uninteresting. There is much to see and deduce from situations, places, items that we normally disregarded.<br />
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“Reading many history books, I came across many similarities between Malta and Cyprus, an island that was central to my project Defining Lines. Both are large Mediterranean island States that have been influenced by an array of civilisations. From Greeks, to Romans, to Arabs, Muslims and westerners, from medieval times to the modern era, the island historical continuity is a series of abrupt changes and an amalgamation of people and traditions in a restricted space.”<br />
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“Although the residency is short, I immediately felt I could have the ambition to intertwine my praxis with material and influences from my experience of being physically on the island,” Nikolas continues. “That means that when I was conducting my initial research, I was looking for elements that are supplemental to my other projects.<br />
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“It was a serendipitous discovery to learn that the root of the name of Malta is ambiguous and one of the suggested etymologies included the word “safe”, something that linked my research to another project I had been developing in recent years.<br />
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“Still, safety was a very abstract concept to grab till I came to Malta and it turned out being the centre of many narratives that people I met, consciously or unconsciously, shared with me.”<br />
Nikolas’ final body work is one that required an outsider’s reflections to come about; which is precisely what the whole project is about. Bearman picks up the conversation once again:<br />
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“The residency programme aims to create a sustainable network for artistic exchange, between artists<br />
and other professionals, as well as galleries and other artist-run organisations.”<br />
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“That is the legacy of a residency programme. Relationships are formed and dialogue expands. It exposes Malta to new artists and ways of working and thinking, while placing Malta firmly in an international art context.”<br />
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<i><b>Blitz is currently housing the Berlin-based duo Ducks, who will be in Malta till June 11. Follow Blitz on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/blitzvalletta/" target="_blank">Facebook</a> to keep informed of their ongoing projects.</b></i><br />
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<i><b>This article originally appeared on the <a href="https://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20170326/arts-entertainment/fusing-fine-art-and-documentation.643586" target="_blank">Times of Malta</a> on the 26th of March 2017. All images provided by BlitzSnapshots of Malta is also on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Snapshots-of-Malta-271435716346931/" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/snapshots_of_malta/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>.</b></i><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nikolas Ventourakis</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4R0CbpMacSc6ZhRArh0vLkVTfdm1M4Wox_tces8_avDhuIhQzfDTVQqnxgWS2mYXo2n5U5Gtw-Pq1wO4bCgXukmbeVGXFC-Y6xRFTYJnrmWk2X8x7PZhRryswcoELj8G4AOVV6DBcjPjO/s1600/BLITZ_VENTOURAKIS_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1068" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4R0CbpMacSc6ZhRArh0vLkVTfdm1M4Wox_tces8_avDhuIhQzfDTVQqnxgWS2mYXo2n5U5Gtw-Pq1wO4bCgXukmbeVGXFC-Y6xRFTYJnrmWk2X8x7PZhRryswcoELj8G4AOVV6DBcjPjO/s1600/BLITZ_VENTOURAKIS_1.jpg" /></a></div>
<i><b><br /></b></i>Paul Grechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742123747580749956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2541657133155640265.post-63183355379161698912017-05-02T20:55:00.000+02:002017-05-02T20:55:06.981+02:00Not Just Any Poppy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUYYz66QelvnJXq28oAuOk2j5O8NpKy4vHKMDnTd_XToZcHwnuVERlZui71Gt7GtOAVWXWloo_EQWPBhadMecreaAoQdgM-yXDld19nn8rfAA_PR13PQ-sX3nDaQD2zlmmUcIP47T7pr7k/s1600/17883757_779309515559546_7590773724738189320_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUYYz66QelvnJXq28oAuOk2j5O8NpKy4vHKMDnTd_XToZcHwnuVERlZui71Gt7GtOAVWXWloo_EQWPBhadMecreaAoQdgM-yXDld19nn8rfAA_PR13PQ-sX3nDaQD2zlmmUcIP47T7pr7k/s1600/17883757_779309515559546_7590773724738189320_n.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The purple poppy. When I was a child that is what we used to call this flower whenever we came across it. And I find that it is what most people still call it today. After all it looks just like a wild poppy, just in a different colour. Why should it be called anything else?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The Maltese language offers a hint as to why that is. Whenever we want to refer to something that is coloured a deep shade of red we say that it is <i>hamra peprin</i>, red as a poppy. It is an analogy that works because everyone knows both what poppies are and what they look like. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">That, however, wouldn't really work if there was a poppy that was purple. It is something that, although I couldn't articulate it at the time, always used to bother me when I was younger. Time erases certain memories and I hadn’t given much too to this dilemma until someone recently pointed out that it is known as <i>xahxieh vjola</i> which simultaneously brought back a childhood of questions and provided closure.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">In truth the distinction is made only in Maltese as in English these flowers are known as opium poppies. Which brings to mind other thoughts, this time about narcotics and you'd be right, albeit only partially: the wild plant that grows freely in the Maltese countryside does not do so in a manner that would allow the production of any drugs.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<i><span style="font-size: large;">Botanical Name: Papaver Somniferum</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-size: large;">Common name: Opium Poppy (English) Xahxieh Vjola (Maltese)</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-size: large;">Family: Papaveraceae (Poppy) Family</span></i><br />
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Paul Grechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742123747580749956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2541657133155640265.post-22572982582695274372017-04-12T10:30:00.000+02:002017-04-12T10:30:10.607+02:00A Wildflower Of Many Talents<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvRTHBKfF6vSPeXHMfRhi2lHXj7ILaYQkx-Zag8Ir2C3pEgV83FK9M7OYfSsUaZVMYBib-UqjUguxH4f0S8ge7ZPbYPqejmAFbRryPy-vkzF6j0vhEOuLDdeEVAHOy-GrKksMZ3Yk6LV0n/s1600/20170219_165853-01.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvRTHBKfF6vSPeXHMfRhi2lHXj7ILaYQkx-Zag8Ir2C3pEgV83FK9M7OYfSsUaZVMYBib-UqjUguxH4f0S8ge7ZPbYPqejmAFbRryPy-vkzF6j0vhEOuLDdeEVAHOy-GrKksMZ3Yk6LV0n/s1600/20170219_165853-01.jpeg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">It is sometimes difficult to appreciate just how much of what we see around us is a recent addition. This does not necessarily refer to the obvious – such as buildings – but also to what can be seen in nature.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Indeed a true snapshot of how our life is shaped by man’s urges to travel is best experienced in a walk in a countryside that is littered with plants that have been brought over either purposely or accidentally to our islands and, liking their new environment, quickly became part of the Maltese scenery.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Borage is one such plant. It has been around for a long time; at least two thousand years with the plant being witnessed and described by the Roman poet Pliny. Despite its longevity, however, borage did not originate in the Mediterranean but in the area that is now known as Aleppo in Asia. How - and when - it arrived in Malta is not known.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Regardless of its origin, this is a plant that has enjoyed quite a life. There was a time when it was considered a herb to be used to improve one’s mood and indeed there are various references in literature that support this claim. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Today that aspect has been largely forgotten as is its potential to be used in cooking (both flower and leaves are edible) and so its only purpose is to add a twinkling of colour to our side roads.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Botanical name: Borago Officinalis</i></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Common name: Common Borage (English) Fidloqqom (Maltese)</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Family: Borago Officinalase L.</i></span><br />
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Paul Grechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742123747580749956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2541657133155640265.post-86007259353554955082017-03-27T10:00:00.000+02:002017-03-27T10:00:01.564+02:00“The training requires discipline and focus.”<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilJZpbjvpM1lFy_xmzJirGJ9kJ6daA-DN5h2wYJP8JrH6iTdzwNrgKktZ-4tCG1ge7OPaJ0bJH5EzqUgSw3kmdjJ9Oh2z0Ob5UPV5aMcTeWR7EmJ2UdjdMm-hgHmYT9PEjUb1ai4BStQYQ/s1600/dario.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilJZpbjvpM1lFy_xmzJirGJ9kJ6daA-DN5h2wYJP8JrH6iTdzwNrgKktZ-4tCG1ge7OPaJ0bJH5EzqUgSw3kmdjJ9Oh2z0Ob5UPV5aMcTeWR7EmJ2UdjdMm-hgHmYT9PEjUb1ai4BStQYQ/s1600/dario.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/wally.galea" target="_blank">Wally Galea</a></td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Snapshot of The Maltese: Dario Mangion</span></b><br />
Athletics, like a lot of so-called secondary sports, faces a constant struggle against the behemoth that is football. Boys and, increasingly, girls are more likely to pick the sport which they see most frequently being relayed on televisions - football - than anything else regardless of where their talent truly lies.<br />
<br />
Sometimes, however, they make a different choice. Dario Mangion is a case in point although his story is not that straightforward.<br />
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“I always loved running, and enjoyed all the different events I took part in,” he explains. “In my teens, I won the 800m and 1500m intermediate national championships and started to take training more seriously.”<br />
<br />
“My coach at the time, Mario Pisani, always showed great commitment and encouragement. I was in the list for FISEC games but unfortunately, I got injured and could not participate. It was a great disappointment and I decided to switch to football.” “<br />
<br />
“I trained regularly and never missed a session however I missed athletics and at age twenty returned to athletics again.”<br />
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His motivation to do so was clear. “Having been so close to make the national team, I never let go of the idea of representing the nation. This fuelled my dedication and commitment to training. I strongly wanted to be the best I could possibly be.”<br />
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“At first it was difficult to train hard and adjust to the new training regime. However, I was happy to be back 'home' in athletics and making new friends.”<br />
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Even so, he admits that occasionally it gets tough. “It is always difficult to juggle both work and training. Since I finished university, I started working full time and opened my own private practice. However, if one is committed and determined to succeed in anything he will find the necessary time and resources to succeed.”<br />
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“It is not easy to wake up for your jog at five in the morning, rain or shine, work, train and stick to a rigid nutrition plan, when you're away from home from 6am to 9pm. It is the people closest to me that make my schedule feasible; my family, my fiancé, team mates and colleagues at work, all of whom understand and give me their support.”<br />
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“It is always a great privilege, honour and motivation for an athlete to represent his country. Still, the key for motivation comes from within. Athletics takes you to a special place, brings you in tune with your body, and helps you discover your strengths and your limits which can be pushed and developed session after session. The feeling of satisfaction and gratification when you give your best in training or in an event is indescribable and repays all the daily hard work and sacrifices one has made.”<br />
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Thankfully, there have been plenty of occasions during which he has reaped the benefit of his preparation.<br />
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“In 2015, I was selected to represent Malta in the 1st European Games in Baku, Azerbaijan for the 3,000m race. It was a unique and exciting experience particularly as a new stadium was built for these games.”<br />
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“There was good attendance, and I felt confident and proud going out of the call room onto the track for the race.”<br />
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“The coaches and the rest of the Maltese team were in the stands near the starting line. We were called to the starting line, amongst us was Hayle Ibrahimov (of Azerbaijan), a world class athlete. I was excited and eager to give my best performance. The gun went off and after some jostling everyone set up in his place. I was warned that the race would start fast and discussed with the coach that I had to keep my pace over the first two kilometres no matter what.”<br />
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“I kept my pace and started making my way through the field one athlete at a time. As I started my final lap I heard the crowd cheer and changed pace to give it my all. Two athletes were about fifty metres ahead of me, Bosnia & Herzegovina and Georgia. I steadily caught this group, as we turned for the last 100m I sprinted as hard as I could, to beat Bosnia and Herzegovina on the line for eighth place overall.”<br />
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“The results showed a nine second improvement on my personal best registering Malta’s fastest time in the 3km in 2015. It is a memory I particularly cherish, it was a race which turned out better than I had ever expected.”<br />
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Mangion’s running in the 3,000m is the result of a journey that has seen him take on the whole range of the middle distances. “As I improved I experimented with different distances; briefly the 400m, then stepped up to the 800m. For the past three years I’ve been training with Xandru Grech. I managed to break the two minutes barrier in the 800m and represented Malta in the 3,000m for the first European Games and the Athletics’ Games for the Small States in Malta.”<br />
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His referral to his coach is a reflection of Mangion’s belief that “the athlete and his coach are one team and there should be always a good level of communication.”<br />
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“I believe that there is no ‘one glove fits all’ as every individual will respond differently to different schedules and different approaches to training. The fact that I have been running for a number of years makes me appreciate more the role a coach plays. The coach needs to be tough at times, a friend at others and a motivator at all times. As our coach says 'he is our no1 fan'.”<br />
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Mangion is eager to credit all the coaches who have trained him because “All my previous coaches gave me a set of skills which I could not have learnt with anybody else.”<br />
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They also guided him as he changed the distances in which he specialised. “Shifting from the 400m to the 3,000m was not easy. My body needed time to adapt to the different training session and volume.”<br />
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“Preparation for the two distances vary greatly. A 400m race is a long sprint which requires speed, power, good running form and speed endurance, whereas the 3,000m requires endurance, discipline and pacing. When training for the 400m, the athlete will be focused on fast runs over shorter distances, strength work and runs at 100% effort. Most of the runs focus on form and speed rather than recovery. In contrast the 3,000m requires longer and more aerobic training.”<br />
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“The training requires discipline and focus.”<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQrpf7XrORa6V0uCUaJGFwXI-RRM30obnDRpJt1GB09Vqdkbe8bT1EldtB9dk4TuCueZ1VXe7zIbBOOBTUiYDrVskJMsvtSf7TfAR0xUlpByqy2FOjPUVAI7-4b4lT_vBjeayP5xXelITJ/s1600/dario-002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQrpf7XrORa6V0uCUaJGFwXI-RRM30obnDRpJt1GB09Vqdkbe8bT1EldtB9dk4TuCueZ1VXe7zIbBOOBTUiYDrVskJMsvtSf7TfAR0xUlpByqy2FOjPUVAI7-4b4lT_vBjeayP5xXelITJ/s1600/dario-002.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo courtesy of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/wally.galea" target="_blank">Wally Galea</a></td></tr>
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<br />
Clearly, however, that challenge has energised him as he is now going in for a new event. “Having been running the 3,000m in the past two years I have decided to switch to the 3,000 Steeples Chase this season. It is a very tough race and requires both physical and mental stamina. Being tired towards the end of the race, and having to jump over a timber log anchored to the ground, is a significant challenge, one I am looking forward to overcome.”<br />
<br />
Yet his focus remains the same as ever: representing Malta.<br />
<br />
“It is always an honour representing your country and you always want to give the best performance. You need to feed on that 'pressure' in order to focus and get yourself ready for the race. The mental aspect is crucial and one must learn to manage his nerves during international competition, it is all about being confident and positive.”<br />
<br />
“I see competing for Malta as an opportunity to capitalise on all the hard training and sacrifices throughout the season. It is the highlight of the season, for which athletes’ train and aim for.”<br />
<i><b><a href="http://www.snapshotsofmalta.com/search/label/Athletics?max-results=6" target="_blank"><br /></a></b></i>
<b><i><a href="http://www.snapshotsofmalta.com/search/label/Athletics?max-results=6" target="_blank">Enjoy athletics? Check out Snapshot of Malta's interviews with other leading Maltese athletes.</a></i></b>Paul Grechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742123747580749956noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2541657133155640265.post-48102598185968976282017-02-23T21:09:00.000+01:002018-04-03T10:32:46.916+02:00Femmetastic<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS6KESTcEwhRCocGkfBZEGvs9A7rN2qE1GCOUY9ePYjB8fZMLV5mQ80zUPNs5eJ_0Xf0wqXqsU6Mxjz4exNiIsOLYR3Osr0gz16-U0w1EtYlo-s8ZfFouHBzRYziJVb_IusPiKQypvwUxU/s1600/30220012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS6KESTcEwhRCocGkfBZEGvs9A7rN2qE1GCOUY9ePYjB8fZMLV5mQ80zUPNs5eJ_0Xf0wqXqsU6Mxjz4exNiIsOLYR3Osr0gz16-U0w1EtYlo-s8ZfFouHBzRYziJVb_IusPiKQypvwUxU/s1600/30220012.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Matthew Attard in conjunction to the Domus Shoot</td></tr>
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<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Add more to your reading experience, listen to these playlists curated by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnGA0zwUfHUlggXr710ptWD-JHRDqDoG0" target="_blank">Fuzz</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnGA0zwUfHUm7AV6iYRhgHsR3bGgAcwHr" target="_blank">honey</a> as you read this feature on them.</span></b><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Some interviews can be tough. There are people who are prone to clamming up; offering monosyllabic answers regardless of how hard you try to put them at ease. It is even more frustrating if you know that there’s a really good story waiting to be told if only they’d give you something to work with.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">This was not such an interview; in fact it was quite the opposite. The two young women who sat opposite me in a café in Naxxar exuded confidence and both were extremely eloquent in their replies. Caroline Spiteri and Francesca Mercieca, who perform together under the name Fuzzhoneys, are two musicians who know their mind and don’t shy away from expressing it.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">So it was a bit of a surprise when Francesca admitted that she can suffer from nerves when she has to perform. Which, given that she is the lead singer, can something of a problem.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">“During live performances I get so excited, there is so much adrenalin flowing, that sometimes I have to look at videos of our gigs to really appreciate what went on.” </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">“Eventually that is something that I would like to control. For instance when we had a show in Italy I managed to control myself completely. I really enjoyed myself and afterwards I could talk with people.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">“This,” she says referring to what the two have with their band, “has always been something that I wanted to do. Not that I wanted to be a diva. But at the start it was a bit intense as I was extremely conscious that my dream was coming true. And I truly appreciate it.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">***</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I first got to know about the Fuzzhoneys as I do with any local band, through Toni Sant’s excellent weekly podcast <a href="http://www.tonisant.com/latest/blog/podcasts/" target="_blank">Muzika Mod Iehor</a>. Their blend of soul with rock hooked me pretty much instantaneously and from early on I was telling everyone about this discovery in that insanely intense manner that only music seems to elicit.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">To be fair, I was an easy target. As someone who’s teenage years was soundtracked by various grunge anthems I could sense a hint of that spirit in their music (they would eventually tell me that Nirvana, who were at the forefront of grunge, were a group they deeply enjoyed) even if this wasn’t overt.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">More than that there is the admiration – and a faint element of jealousy – that I always feel for those who manage to create music with others. It was something that I always wanted to do but never had the determination to follow up on.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG9QktskRtPHU2zdBJf9Ynd8YUEBTk6TvWRptvtmmRuPEm7sPOgxV85Yfs7gyljXREdEzIDnl6jbBo3d8F_PaSydtO1MDadU7Z8gc_LOLP-6NrpDsKiBvMEjBrhZihs4vwrbdlNC8SftP4/s1600/Beerfest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG9QktskRtPHU2zdBJf9Ynd8YUEBTk6TvWRptvtmmRuPEm7sPOgxV85Yfs7gyljXREdEzIDnl6jbBo3d8F_PaSydtO1MDadU7Z8gc_LOLP-6NrpDsKiBvMEjBrhZihs4vwrbdlNC8SftP4/s1600/Beerfest.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Kamy Aquilina of C6 par Photography</td></tr>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Turns out that the Fuzzhoneys duo held that same ambition with the big difference that they kept going until it happened for them. “When I was young – I think around thirteen – a friend of mine used to play the piano and she used to tell me that when we grew older we’d form our own band,” Francesca tells me.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">“That never came to be.” </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">“Then I started jamming with Stimpy (the drummer of another excellent Maltese band, The Velts) with whom I used to play so frequently that I didn’t feel to say that we were a band to write things together. It came naturally. Yet he had his own band and I started to wonder whether it would happen that I find a band of my own.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">And then it happened. “I met Caroline because we had the same circle of friends.” </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">“By pure chance we were going to the same festival. And we ended up staying together,” Caroline continues.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">“It was all very natural,” Francesca again. “Sometimes the less you stress about something the more things happen for you.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">There’s a word for that: serendipity.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">“When we started playing was also when we started becoming friends. We weren’t friends beforehand,” Francesca admits. “We started learning about each other from small things.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">“The amount of likes that we had in common was amazing. The first time that I saw her room, I didn’t have any words, it was so similar to mine.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">For both their rooms are their sanctuary. “That’s where I have my inspirations, in pictures in my room. Artists like Kurt Cobain, Jim Morrison, John Lennon are for me very important.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">That the two of them hit it off so well is one of the reasons why, so far, they’ve remained a duo. But it is not the only one.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“From other projects I realised that I work better if only with one person. A lot of people tell us that that we want to emulate the White Stripes. They were an inspiration but they aren’t the reason why we’re a duo. I enjoy having control of the guitar and dislike having a lot of solos. I like silence and I think that we have a very good control of silence. Especially in our new songs. Amazing,” Francesca says matter-of-factly and without any hint of ego.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">“I enjoy it even more. Silence is very important. You have a lot of bands where there are a lot of people running after each other trying to fill every silent slot. That’s why I work well with one person because I need my silence.” </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">***</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Early on in our conversation Francesca takes out a tattered notebook that contains four years’ worth of work. Through it they can map out their songs from opening inspiration to the final version. In it there are also those songs where the idea fizzled out. It is a thing of beauty, even if it may not look like it, and the loving way that Francesca leafs through it shows that she knows this.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The technicalities of their songs, and their song writing process, is something that they’ve thought about lot. Caroline explains how it usually happens, “whilst we’re in our garage, either I pick up a beat and she continues or the other way round. And slowly we start building on each other. We feed off each other.” </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">“It is like jamming but it is more focused on getting something that sounds good. Then, when Francesca gets going she asks for the subject of the song because we work a lot based on the subject of the song. We open it up, like a story.”</span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPwe5dnQhZy3kBSyYgq903tCZ_IWi283BWN3SNs1RYFPoFadxV9fnspYpwf6gvFGoJcZLloWdOnlJ9VV7tGrknJ_8I-VuOSQ9Q3R-_j1PwE5Qbb6vtdmubxCcYV3q7jBZo4gzZBiOmEFZ4/s1600/a3956844105_10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPwe5dnQhZy3kBSyYgq903tCZ_IWi283BWN3SNs1RYFPoFadxV9fnspYpwf6gvFGoJcZLloWdOnlJ9VV7tGrknJ_8I-VuOSQ9Q3R-_j1PwE5Qbb6vtdmubxCcYV3q7jBZo4gzZBiOmEFZ4/s1600/a3956844105_10.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cover art of Fuzzhoney's debut EP, 'CD tal-Genn'. <a href="http://www.fuzzhoneys.com/product-page/cd-tal-%C4%A1enn" target="_blank">Buy it</a>.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">“Let’s take Luna, one of the latest songs we’ve written. Both Francesca and myself love the moon so we really wanted to have a song that deals with the moon, ideally with the word Luna. So when we hit this particular melody we decided to call it Luna.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">“We came up with a story and that’s how we work, with Francesca opening it up. Then we take a bit of a break and go over the lyrics. Often we work on them at home and then Francesca asks me about certain words or phrases used; whether they fit.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">“Often there are no changes.” </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">“We always follow that process,” Francesca adds. “Occasionally I tell her ‘this really reminds me of Nirvana or of The Doors’ but we never go out intentionally trying to replicate a song or sound”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">“I try to sing and play the guitar at the same time because if I first try to write the lyrics I then don’t know how to sing it!”</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“At the start I’ll be having a buzz playing so I ask her for a subject. We enjoy using just one word for our song titles and am trying to keep that. I think that with time we’ve been maturing in how we discuss a subject. We go very deep with each song.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">To explain what she means, she uses an example. “We have a song called Amy that is inspired by Amy Winehouse. We had seen a documentary about her life and were hugely impressed. It really moved me and I spent hours thinking about it. It was the first time that I went overboard with lyrics but I learned a lot.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">“Another song is called Cream that came about when I passed my driving licence test. So we work a lot with everyday inspiration. It is not like we’re some rock stars who have some idea and then get other people to help us. It is not like that. We have our work. We have our life. And then we go to rehearsals and what we do there is more authentic; it is straight from our heart.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Later this year the duo will be going into the studio to record their first album (so far, they have issued one EP titled CD Tal-Genn)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">“Without really intending there will be a common thread and that will be us.” Caroline reflects as she talks about that coming project. “As individuals we are quite similar so our tastes show in the writing of the songs. Inevitably every song has that Fuzzhoneys element to it.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Ensuring that their taste do echo in their songs involve a lot more work than anyone who is not familiar to the song producing business would imagine. Francesca gets into the technical detail of this work. “We draw up a list of songs that inspired us in terms of sound. We pass them on to whoever is producing our album so that they can appreciate how we want it to sound.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">“As far as mixing, additional sounds and additional voices are concerned, I really get into them. We have a whole concept. We work to ensure that we sound as tight as possible so that it seems as if one person is playing, not two; so that we sound gelled and dynamic.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">***</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The maturity both in their process and in their thoughts is perhaps the most impressive aspect of the conversation. It is perhaps far too easy for those who are older – even if not by too much, like myself - to dismiss a lot of today’s youths as over pampered kids who are obsessed with themselves and how they appear on social media.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGPzbFMtFgamRV6zsonTlSHlCKWkmwSXmPwaua9a_y2u1rfgRLutedo5TD7Gv8-kihs_Pp7r4oXbcWH4AB1OXRjHHUPOD-UdgKfn5qFy2q28KpRyJaMrjSsyotSHEiNz427AnaBCwJkPAA/s1600/fuzz4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGPzbFMtFgamRV6zsonTlSHlCKWkmwSXmPwaua9a_y2u1rfgRLutedo5TD7Gv8-kihs_Pp7r4oXbcWH4AB1OXRjHHUPOD-UdgKfn5qFy2q28KpRyJaMrjSsyotSHEiNz427AnaBCwJkPAA/s1600/fuzz4.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Kamy Aquilina of C6 par Photography</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-size: large;">Even if Francesca and Caroline do stop to take a photo to post on Instagram, they are far from frivolous or vain. They are part of a generation of people who have access to more information than has ever been available to humanity and they are doing their utmost to exploit it.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">“We love to read,” Caroline replies when I inquire how they come across their ideas.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">It is more than that, however. “I had never read 1984. Actually I had read parts of it but was too young to really understand it,” Francesca explains.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">“I’ve always loved literature so when I came across the opportunity to watch a theatrical adaptation of that book I took it. I saw a play in London and it blew my mind. It was very interactive and intense. Amazing.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">That experience was then folded into their band. “We had started to work on a song called Circulation with which we weren’t very happy. I’d gotten to the middle of it and didn’t know where to take it next. When I saw that play it suddenly clicked. I understood that the circulation was the whole system. And it started making sense.” </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Given the events of recent months across the world, that interpretation is both deep and prophetic. For the Fuzzhoneys, such philosophical musings are part of their fibre. And they take it very seriously, as they do their role as women. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">“We are not about promoting that a woman is better than a man,” Caroline clarifies. “But we want to show people that you can do anything. We are two young women who are proof of that.”</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">“We have a song called Femmetastic that is about getting better as an individual. Embracing the power, irrespective if you are a man or a woman.” </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">“We are not feminists, we are equalists,” Francesca continues </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">“I want to start a movement,” Caroline pitches in. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Semi-seriously, I think. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">***</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">PS – Francesca and Caroline insisted that I close off the piece with the quote “life is beautiful”. So I am. There might have been a hint of irony in their request, however.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Follow the Fuzzhoneys on <a href="http://www.fuzzhoneys.com/" target="_blank">their site</a> (where I strongly encourage you to check out and buy from their merchandise section), on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/fuzzhoneys/" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/fuzzhoneys/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>. You can also follow Snapshots of Malta on Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Snapshots-of-Malta-271435716346931/" target="_blank">here</a>.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M3WK2TP" target="_blank">If you enjoyed this article, why not check out our story on Henrietta Chevalier, the forgotten Maltese heroine of World War II.</a></b></span>Paul Grechhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13742123747580749956noreply@blogger.com0