Thanks to a tip on Neil Gaiman’s blog, I am going to an evening with Alan Moore in conversation with Michael Moorcock at Blackwells, Charing Cross on 18th Jan.
Of MM’s massive output* I’ve only read the wonderful Mother London, but I the sequel on standby and I might eventually delve into his fantasy/sci-fi if the opportunity arises.
I know Alan Moore only by reputation and recommendation. But as the holder of seven library cards, i am not without access to printed matter so I popped into the college library which to it’s very great credit had a copy of ‘From Hell’. So I can do my homework before the talk.
Whilst in the library I discovered for the first time their Arts section. the stacks are stacked with thousands upon thousands of art books.. the huge outsize ones with oodles of colour plates… and overly pretentious accompanying text… this discovery is fantastic.. always been wary of buying such books because of the vast expense involved in the voracious and eclectic way i would like to consume them.. turns out i can just take them on time-share.. for free..
today i took this.
Felix Hess – Light as Air ( 2003? Kehrer Verlag)
Felix Hess is a unique crosser of the boundaries between science and art. The trained physicist wrote his doctor’s thesis on the aerodynamics of the boomerang and did research on the hydrodynamics of ships and fish and on the atomic structure of metals. The calls of frogs in Australia, Mexico, and Japan inspired him to use electronic components to construct device simulating the communication behaviour of living systems. His research on sound finally led to interest in hidden phenomena like infrasound. The result: wondrously poetic installations that allow us to experience hidden energy fields with our senses.
not that one will experience that in a book of course.. in the library i didn’t even read all that stuff about extra-sensitive perceptions. i was sold by the title and by the boomerangs. 🙂
also picked up Leonardo – Art and Science (2000 Giunti) reminding us that crossing the boundaries of science and art isn’t as unique as Felix’s publishers think 😉
*stupid blog software won’t let me href this link..
http://isfdb.tamu.edu/cgi-bin/ea.cgi?Michael_Moorcock
