Monday, April 20, 2009

A last glance at Margate

margate photogs

Saturday with a few hours to spare before I went to work, I thought I'd better get down and take a gander at the exhibition held by Margate's Flickr group before it closed yesterday.

It was well worth the effort, unlike some of the more expensive artistic outings that we have, had, on offer in Margate.

This exhibition put on by a group of locals, with an interest in photography and some affection for Margate, frankly it puts to shame, one or two of the Turner Contemporary exhibitions like the recent Super - Redundant exhibition of old Ikea bathroom scales and other recycled tat which for me have not been worth visiting.

Proof if you need it that self help might well be that way forward to Margate's future, particularly if you think of the earlier mishandling of the Turner Contemporary project, pretty much exclusively cocked up by KCC, SEEDA and Arts Council wallahs with minimal connection to Margate.

Anyway well done to all those involved, Fiona Sherriff from the Harbour arm company and Dan Bass whose photographs I much admire, whom I had a chance to bore witless, by talking about myself rather than the exhibition.  Obviously Louise Oldfield founder of the group, and Aaron Stone who's picture of seagulls featured on last week's yourthanet deserves praise, as do all the others who took part, really its unfair to single out individuals, since all of the pictures were of high standard, thanks to all!.

I understand that visitors were drawn from far and wide, which just goes to show that ordinary people can make a difference.

Anyway to see more of the work and find out about the group click here, and I'd like to apologise for not having linked to the Flickr group before.

13 comments:

  1. shame i missed it - looked good! Well done for publicising their work Tony - presume you commissioned the NH picture?
    Agree entirely about supporting home grown talent xxx

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  2. Likewise I missed it but now the weather is a bit warmer I might venture out on the scooter its too cold at the moment a top speed of 4 miles an hour takes to long to get into Margate

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  3. Unfortunately I didn't have time to go to the exhibition, but I've been viewing them online (as well as reading the comments & interviews), wonderful stuff!

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  4. yes the exibition was very good but spoilt by fiona sherriff and knight turning the pier into a giant car park,we strolled along and were put off by cars reversing (nearly knocking us over)car fumes etc.I was of the understanding the grant money given was to be used for arts regeneration-not a ruddy car park,the pier seemed to be groaning under all the weight of the 4x4's cars etc.It makes me fuming and on sundays parking is free in the town and they were charging £6!...

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  5. As I understand, with out The Harbour Arm company making the venue available for free, this exhibition might well not have occurred.

    Parking is made available for the convenience of the public. What's wrong with that, if you dont have the skills to negotiate a car park maybe you should get an adult to accompany you around.

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  6. So anon 8:53 please do not abuse those who are doing something for Margate.

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  7. I had my disabled father in a wheelchair Tony,has this blog turned into "everyone's entitled to Tonys opion?"
    I agree with the comments on ECR blog about the sad demise of IOTA etc,have a look...

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  8. Anon 8:53, I'm sure the fumes from the cars parking on the harbour arm must've been dreadful for you, though presumably you arrived by boat to avoid the far worse car fumes on the roads...

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  9. 6:45 what can I say, you appear to be criticising me for something you didn't mention, when you made you earlier abusive comments.

    I'm no mind reader I wonder if your trying make some inference out of something that I clearly was unaware of?.

    I would imagine that anyone driving would and should be aware of pedestrians, if not then clearly your grievance is with them, it hardly excuses making abusive remark under the cover of anonymity.

    I'm fairly sure that the Harbour arm was used for parking in the past, and since we're not communists businesses are entitled to make a living without abuse.

    Since this is my blog, rather unfairly, since I spend at least an hour a day on it, well yes I'm afraid that it is about my opinion and if those you have been rude to wish me to remove your comments I'm afraid I will do that as well.

    Sadly I have not read ECR, I note from your approach you appear to be engineering some sort of conflict which does not exist.

    PS yes it is sad that IOTA no longer exist on the Harbour Arm, for reasons I know nothing of.

    You seem upset my email is tonyflaig@gmail.com if you wish to contact me and introduce yourself

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  10. IOTA run out of cash, nothing more nothing less.

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  11. Tony.I was'nt aware any of my comments were abuse-what was abusive?I just made an observation what my families experience were when we went to see the glimpse exibition.
    Peter.you may mock as of course we did'nt arrive by boat-we walked as we had my father in the wheelchair.
    I agree It Is good to have exibitions to go to{all free)We went to the Ingoldsby gallery,old town gallery and a lovely shop called quing,my family are all local and want to see the harbour arm and old town and Turner gallery succeed.I am not trying to engineering anything,and if you want to remove my comments of course you are free to do so-Ho hum

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  12. Anon 10:17 I assumed that anon 6:46 and 8:53 were one and the same person.

    Sorry I thought that you 6:46 were answering my comment to 8:53 whose suggestion that those providing the venue had spoilt something which would not have been possible without them their generous offer, which seemed to me to an abuse.

    Perhaps in the future anons could give themselves a pen name and stick to it. Maybe I should insist on proper id in future.

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  13. I thought IOTA had a huge rent hike and that drove them out.
    It is horrible that the Harbour Arm has become a car park. I can't see me weaving my way through the cars to the brasserie at the end of the pier.

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