Greenbelt

So at the end of August me and Keith went camping to Greenbelt. We volunteered for the Visual Arts section. I've been to Greenbelt every year since I was 13, but this was the first year that I got involved with the Visual Arts. My normal routine at GB is to just hang out and go to gigs. None of the stuff in the day usual interest me so in the past I have volunteered with the Kids festival. This year I though the Visual Arts sounds way more fun and interested so signed up, even though we both weren't too sure what we would be doing.

We both ended up working in gallery spaces. Keith's gallery was quite big and had a jewellery/photography exhibition and a piano made out of water. I had a collection of illustrations by Bobby Baker. The illustrations are of Bobby's journey though mental illness, they are funny, sad and most importantly eye opening to what it is like to experience metal illness. I loved working on this exhibit. It was great to see people go round looking at the drawings and then drawing their own response on a blank wall. It was amazing to see how so many people could relate to what she had gone though.

I worked 4 hours a day in the gallery and I learn't a lot about looking after a gallery space. I worked along two guys and had some great conversation with them. A main dominant of these conversation was what talks we had been and what we wanted to go to. I had planned on doing my usual of not looking at the day stuff and only turing up to the gigs at night. But I heard about some interesting talks going on and then Keith also was up for the talks, so I went along and was really inspired. The main focus of the talks we went to were on community.

It was good to experience more of the festival and not just focus on the music. I was excited about seeing Martin Wilson's work as its a style of photography I have never seen before. He uses 35mm colour transparency. His final images are contact sheets which create one giant image rather than different individual images.

This is the image that was created at last years Greenbelt and unveiled at this years festival. I think its really interesting How he manages to make all the l

ines match up. No photoshop or editing is done to the films. If he goes wrong he has to start again. This is amazing how he can remember what he has photographed and how it will match up with other frames later on in the overall images.

Its a style that I never seen before and I think its really creative. I don't love his images, I think they are a great idea. They look good in real life as well, all the detail is really clear. I liked how in the image above in one of his frames a tiny part of his foot can be seen on the edge. I think that its great, a mistake that adds character and isn't trying to be too perfect.

Another great highlight was Foy Vance. I saw him live last year but he was even better this year as he was playing on the main stage and sounded amazing.