Wednesday 9 April 2008

Experience: Chair

Tell us about your favourite chair, and how you experience it.

(Mine is the Chair of Indefinite Studies, which I experience mostly by laughing.)

3 comments:

Wayne said...

As a child and teenager, Grand National Day was a big day in our house. As a result, my favourite chair was The Chair Turn - a very tricky 90 degree turn to the left. To me, that always seemed to be the most awkward part of the Aintree course. In recent years, Grand National Day has not felt like such a big day.

Nowadays, my favourite chair is the Chair of the Josiah Wedgwood Guild of Rational Enquiry - a post that I held until recently. My continuing research into the Burslem connections of the Nottingham surrealist artist, Cyril Seaton, have meant that I couldn't fully commit to the post - a post that I held dear to my heart.

Anonymous said...

hi Wayne, as your proposer, I was more than a little disappointed to hear that you have relinquished your office at the Josiah Wedgwood Guild! I know you put in way over the hours, during your action packed year as Chair, but I did hope you'd serve a good few more (the previous incumbent was there for six years before he threw in the towel), especially as you were so popular with the board (and I don't just mean the female members)! I know they can be a bit fusty, and the very fact that I've only just become aware of this attests the extent to which I've opted out of the whole Potteries scene, for which I apologise...but don't give up on them! Personally, I'm still committed to the aims and objectives of the Guild, and want to do what I can to contribute, even though I'm barely in the UK nowadays. I've read the minutes (at last) and I'm genuinely pleased that Antoinette Scrivener has been elected (I knew her when she still Nettie)! I know she'll make a worthy Chair (thank god she beat off the challenge from Dr Withers!), but i wish you'd remained in post! Do you still intend to remain an active member? I blame that bastard Seaton for this. I've seen it before...look at Chris and Simon at Oldknows, they've produced very little of any consequence since they allowed themselves to get carried away with all this Seaton 'research'
(I so wish I'd never taken them Lille)! They were offered an exhibition at Derby Museum in September, but what a missed opportunity that was...it was all about Seaton! Just a few (slightly)interesting objects (some suspended, some on shelves)with labels attached. I strongly suspect that some of these objects had nothing to do with Seaton what so ever (they were probably picked up from Scope and Oxfam)! What are they playing at? They've roped in Yellena too and she's trying to sell the whole Seaton myth to her Russian colleagues (who are lapping it up, apparently)! My interest in seaton is purely academic/professional, and remains contingent. I'll do it if there's a budget and if it's interesting reserach, but I'll not let it take over. Oldknows Studio group is being evicted in 2 months and all they can do is get excited over type writers, concertinas and pipes! Please don't go down that route Wayne. Seaton was interesting only because of who he knew. He was an idler and an under achiever. He was barely a surrealist and he wasn't even amorous. He wasn't fit to wipe Josiah Wedgewood's arse! Sorry, I'm going off on one (i need a break)!
take care and keep in touch,
Rex

chris Lewis-Jones said...

I can't believe what Rex has written! What's he on? We (at SSG/Oldknows Studio) don't pretend that Seaton was an artitsic genius, less so a Don Juan...we know he was flawed (he knew he was flawed), aren't we all!
And who is Rex Barker to pass judgement on the extent to which he was a surrealist (better trust the dear departed George Melly, who actually knew the man)! Rex, you do need a break. Please take one!
Chris Lewis-Jones
Seaton Styudy Group (Chair)