Completed: Get a piece of art into an exhibition

Task number: 12.

Get a piece of art into an exhibition.

Date: 22nd August 2013.

Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Attendees: Yvonne Weatherlake, Nike, War child & selected members of the public.


Being an "artist" of sorts, I guess you would expect this task to have occurred a significantly earlier in my quest to complete the list. I had naturally produced various pieces of work that went into exhibitions of sorts, but I think I've always been quite disciplined in what I deemed as "an exhibition".

Me with my piece at the start of the evening

Earlier this year, Nike designers were sounded out on what they thought of the idea of supporting War Child by creating works of art to be sold at an exhibition in Amsterdam, with the proceeds going to support the charity. As a creative, the idea appealed, but the thought of completing another task & helping a charity put the icing on the cake.

The theme for the exhibition was "Real Hero". Each designer was tasked in reflecting what this meant to
them. Any form of media was acceptable, so long as they could physically get it into the venue of course.

I chose to create a comic book inspired piece that illustrated the story of the Air Jordan shoe.

When the Nike Air Jordan shoe came on to the market it made such an impact that it was never forgotten. Just the visual impression alone changed the way people viewed a conventional basketball shoe. The Red, White & Black inspired by Michael Jordan's Chicago Bulls team. I'm not necessarily a basketball fan myself, but this story intrigued me.

My piece was called The Anit-Hero & it took direct inspiration from Peter Moore's original design. I asked myself if I could apply the same essence to a story of illustration.

What if the good guy didn't win for a change. What if this time, for the first time, the bad guy was victorious.

The piece focussed on a winged Devil creature that represented the Air Jordan shoe, standing over the body of the fallen all White, simple body of the less advanced former Blazer design.

Sold

I'd never illustrated in a comic book style before, but it had always attracted me. The bold colour & intricate detail of examples like Marvel & DC comics was something I'd always admired & fancied trying to imitate.

I enjoyed the project & was pleased with the outcome, but the piece took an age to complete & there were some interesting highs & lows along the journey. Drawing & re-drawing the design again & again to get it right.

However, the exhibition itself was a triumph & we raised over 11,000 Euros for a very good cause. All sorts of media were used in a vast array of artwork & it was fantastic to see a very encouraging turn out.

I think as an artist, displaying your work in an exhibition is a very personal thing. In a way, you are barring an element of your soul to the world in a very direct way. You are displaying a thought process as well as a creative angle.

I'm just bloody glad the thing sold! After just over an hour of the exhibition opening, my piece finally received that all important Orange sticker that meant someone had seen something enough to part with their hard earned cash & purchase my work.

There is talk about another event next year. Whether I participate again, time will tell, but I think if I do it will be something a little closer to my comfort zone!

You can check out some photos of the exhibition in the blog link below:

http://www.mixedgrill.nl/2013/08/22/nike-real-hero-kunst-voor-het-goede-doel/

http://floorwesseling.nl/away/real-hero/sean-pankhurst/

You can donate to War child, an organization that provides assistance to children in conflict areas at:

http://www.warchild.org.uk/

Completed: See both solar & lunar eclipses

Task number: 49.

See both solar & lunar eclipses.

Date: 25th April 2013.

Location: Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Attendees: Yvonne Weatherlake.

I saw my first & only solar eclipse in 1999.

I'm sure a lot of you will remember this. It was around mid morning in August & the event had been talked about for what seemed like years.

"All birds would think it was night time & there would be scenes like Alfred Hitcock's movie as they headed to the trees to roost in mass".

"The tides may briefly change as the moons gravitational pull was affected".

"TV & radio signals could be radically affected".

Basically, all the signs of a immanent apocalypse. As is often the media's response to any pending global event. Thank god this didn't happen & we're all still here, but those that did see it will remember that it was worth a look.

An erie light that was neither day or night did descend on things for a few minutes. The best way to describe it was like when you look at things through a pair of sunglasses & a dull light that gives everything an almost Blue hue could be seen across the surrounding area.

On the phone to my mum, who was oblivious to this lunar
"Phenomenon"

The event I'd been waiting for to finally complete this task came in April this year. Just 14 years after the original! Lunar eclipses are much more common than Solar & can happen as often as every Two years. I had tried to see One Two years before & had planed a party for some friends, but after an absolutely clear day, around an hour before the eclipse was due to happen, the sky clouded over & we were left with a complete anti-climax.

This time round, I was going to give myself every chance! It was firmly planned in the diary.

In stark contrast to my previous effort, there was no fanfare, no party, not even a telescope set up. I nearly even forgot!

My girlfriend was hanging out the washing upstairs when she noticed it. The start was earlier than had been predicted & I came wondering into the bedroom rather pessimistic.

But there it was. I had tried not to keep my expectations low in case it was indeed an anti-climax, but this was pretty special.

The whole spectacle lasted around an hour. The moon developed from an Orange glow on One side to a bright, almost Red ball of light at its most prevalent.

Probably more excited about completing the task than actually seeing the event, I was hastily on the phone to anyone who would listen. "Mum, are you watching this?". "Watching what?" was her reply. How could she possibly be unaware of this Global phenomenon? After insisting that she go outside to take a look, I think she was rather surprised to see a sight that you, to be fair, don't see everyday. 

One down, 27 to go! A visit to the big Apple

I'm top of the world! No wait, that was Titanic

December 2013 & the first step to the completion of task number 85 begins.

My girlfriend, sister & her boyfriend & I decided to take a little trip across the pond to New York.

I've been to the US a lot, working for an American company & holidayed there quite a lot as a child, but had never been to New York.

One of the most famous cities in the world had always been a destination on my radar, but had never been top of the list.

My girlfriend, despite being reasonably well travelled had never been to the states & I had promised to take her there One day. So, when my sister asked if we'd like to go with her & her boyfriend for his birthday, we jumped at the chance.

I don't need to go in to the detail. Suffice to say that we had a really good time & did all the touristy stuff, but this entry is all about the Empire state building.

The iconic New York skyline

A 102 story building in mid town Manhattan. It stood the worlds tallest building for 40 years...... blah blah blah!

The best bit about our trip was seeing a dog in a tracksuit & a nutter in Central park, break dancing to a walkman that didn't exist - Only in NY! However, we will all remember that these were the only times my girlfriend felt the need to get her camera out!

There are 28 buildings to visit in total, so still a long way to go yet, but this is a start. Roll on the Kiev TV tower!

http://www.101thingstodo.co.uk/101a/Resources/PDF/EntireForms_July2008.pdf

Happy 25 percent!

The beginning of 2013, exactly 25% of the tasks in the book are now complete.

From soaring above the Kent countryside in a hot air balloon to bungee jumping in New Zealand, this book has certainly provided me with plenty of memories.

It really has been an interesting journey so far & I think I can honestly say that I would never have even thought to try some of these life experiences if it wasn't for the book, so for that, I give thanks.

Of everything I've done so far, I think jumping out of a plane has to be the stand out thing. The feeling that you get is indescribable & incomparable. I'm glad that I decided to record my experience on DVD & even now when I watch it, the memories come flooding back. A fantastic experience that I'm so pleased was shared with my sister.

Whilst we're on the subject of reflection though, I thought now might be a good time to tell you about some of the near misses. Some of the tasks that I've tried to complete & just fallen short. Opportunities that (for now) have remained uncompleted.

13. Meet someone with your own name. 

I have actually managed to track a few people down with the same name as me & it seems that there was One less than Two hours drive from where I grew up.
I was so shocked to learn that another Sean Pankhurst was living in Lewis, Sussex, just a stones throw from my mums house. Funnily enough though, after contacting Sean on Facebook, I never got a reply.

I can't imagine why after being contacted by a complete stranger, randomly claiming to be following a book that to be fair isn't intended to be picked up by reasonably normal people would choose to ignore me!
I think I need to change my tact some what. Perhaps come across as slightly less psychotic?



15. Stage dive or crowd surf.

THE Penis costume (Intact)

This was all set up & ready to go. A good friend of mine had a stag last summer.
My friend being a real music fan, we decided it would be a great idea to head down to the Isle of Wight for a music festival - BIG MISTAKE!
Those who caught this on the news in the UK will know that to say the weather was poor would be an understatement. Heavy rain & wind that persisted throughout much of the weekend & turned the place into a virtual mud bath. Tents were were disappearing into newly develped rivers, tractors were towing cars out of the mud rink that was now the car park & worst of all the waste areas of the toilets were starting to murge with their with their muddy surroundings.
Before we went, I had heard that it was to be the stags resoponsibility to wear a giant inflatable penis costume that some of the other lads had picked up for him. This would be done on the Sunday & we thought it would round off a great weekend if I were to complete task number 15 by borrowing the suit & crowd surfing as a giant penis to Bruce Spring steen that night!
Unforfunately things didn't go to plan as the weather's grim face continued & within a few minutes of opening, the costume (like us) was covered in mud & within a few hours, the self inflation valve had broken & the stag decided to discard the suit in a nearby bush before I'd had the chance to get it on!


16. Get into the Guiness book of records.
A shame, this. I had recently applied to the Guiness book of records to set a record. I was pretty convinced, I'm guessing like most people that trying to physically break a record that's already been set, no matter how ridiculous would probably mean a feat that is out of my league.
The best way it seemed to me to complete this task was to SET a record. Having wracked my brains for 6 months, thinking about a suject that would look best on a certificate, in my downstairs toilet, I concluded on football. I'd like to think that as a child I was always reasonably good at juggling a football. "Keepy upies" to some.
The record submitted was "The longest distance covered, whilst continuously juggling a football". My plan was to start at a designated point & see how far I could travel, whilst keeping a football in the air, kicking it from One foot to the other. My thought process of course that it wouldn't matter how far I did actually travel because there was no existing record. Even if I travelled just 100 metres, it wouldn't matter.
The response from the organisers themselves was that it was too close to a record that had already been set set, titled "longest distance covered juggling a football" & advised me to try to break this record instead. Unfortunately this particular record had been set at 180 miles. It was tempting, but having done the maths, we worked out that it would probably take me around 2 weeks to get even close to this feat. Not something that I willing to undertake at this stage, with 2 weeks off my work holiday balance not going down too well with my girlfriend!
However, the new book for 2013 is on order. A book that you can be sure I will be studying with avid interest.

35. Play a part in your favourite TV show.
Most of you will know about this as it was well touted at the time. In September 2011, I was shocked to recieve an e-mail back from a TV show I had recently applied to be on.
Total Wipeout, a UK game show, where contestants have to tackle an assult course of giant inflatable balls, water slides & see-saws had replied inviting me to an audition in London. I was so excited. The audition brief was to come in fancy dress that reflects your personality. The more creative & bizaare, the better. nuts, they would get  Those who know me will be very aware of my ponchant for dressing up like an idiot! I had carefully crafted an outfit that consisted of a head to toe bright Orange lycra suit, with a football kit over the top that had been printed with crest, name & number to commerate the day. If they want nuts, they'll get nuts!
The audition itself was on the Sunday, so I headed over to London from Amsterdam on the Friday night & stayed with friends. Thousands of people had turned up, some in looking even more ridiculous than me, some dressed in normal clothes - Perhaps they didn't get the fancy dress memo?!
We had to que up & wait for our turn to impress the judges. We were told in the brief that we would have 3 minutes to get across to One judge why we should get chosen. Unfortunately by the time it came to my turn, they were already running late & the time had been reduced to a minute & a half.
On a whistle, we had to run over to 1 of 4 judges table & convince them why I would be a valuable addition to this crazy show. Maybe it was arrogance or naievity because despite my nerves, having seen the useless competitors that I'd seen on recent shows, I was convinced that all I had to do was tell her about myself & at least draw a smile in an attempt make my inspector laugh. When the 90 seconds were up, I was given a card. I thought I done what needed & handed it to the Pirate (as you do!) over in the corner, as instructed.
"I'm afraid it's a no this time, Sean". I was crushed. The hastily organised flight over to the UK, from Holland that had cost me a fortune because I'd only had a few weeks notice, the effort I'd put into the design & making of the costume & time I'd put into rehearsals flashed before my eyes, as I trudged into the toilets to get changed out of my ridiculous outfit. I couldn't believe it.
I flew back home that weekend desperately raking my brains as to what I might have done wrong. How I could've done things differently. I came to the conclusion that it simply was pot luck & this time I lucked out. Still guttig though.

49. See both solar & lunar eclipses.
I had organised a party for this. Yes, I actually had friends round to watch the moon turn a little bit Red. Unfortunately, during the critical period a spot of cloud decided to pitch itself right over the area that i live!
Thankfully, I won't have to wait too long. The next partial lunar eclipse visible in Europe will be in April 2013.

66. Be part of a Flashmob.
This is a bit old hat now, but I still haven't done it. In case any of you don't know what Flashmob is, let me explain briefly. This is literally a sporadic gathering of people in One place at any One time to performan activity. This can range from all talking on mobile phones to listening to music to dancing or even just standing still. Anything goes, but the crowd will as rapdily disperse as it was formed, making it a very interesting sight to watch. They're normally advertised on the internet before, telling people the time & place.
During another of my usual absently minded sessions, trawling the internet for ways to complete tasks in this book, I stumbled across this website: www.flashmob.co.uk.
It detailed a forthcoming event in Rotterdam, which is only an hour on the train from where I live. You had to learn a special dance, which each participant would recreate during the World Port dance, as it was called. A bunch of friends & myself would learn the dance & head down there.