Arsenal vs Birmingham City

Match

Watching this game at the Emirates on Saturday, October 16^th I was completely dumbfounded when Birmingham City scored the first goal at the 33 min mark. Looking at the mounted clock I actually began to wonder is this going to turn into another loss? The feeling in the pit of ones stomach to see the away supporters goad us made me stand up in my chair and like everyone else tell them to get stuffed – although not in such a polite manner. But at the 41^st minute Scott Dann who without a shadow of a doubt whilst on the ground stuck his leg out and fouled Chamakh. That was most probably the only saving grace about the referee – Martin Atkinson – who was making the strangest decisions that day. Anyway, Nasri took the penalty and just before half time we had levelled. The most spectacular goal of the month has to be the interplay between Wilshire and Chamakh. Wilshire trapped the ball upon his chest before dropping it to his feet and deftly passing into the firing line Chamakh. Because if Chamakh’s angle of attack and the two defenders coming at him he tapped ball and what can only be described as Dennis Bergkamp-esq, performed a 180 turn to tap the ball with his left foot into the goal. I believe it has to seen to truly admire this goal. Not exactly an easy day in the office especially as Wilshire as given a Red card – studs up challenge – for his sloppy tackle against Zigic. No doubt in my mind he deserved to be sent off for that.

Observational Research

Due to the London Underground engineering works taking place that day, I decided to take a circumferent walk which would take my favourite coffee house ‘Café Nero’. Whilst waiting in line to order my hot chocolate I noticed a child who was adept at ordering a coffee to her specific liking. As I observed her – I reckon she was about 11 maybe 12 (ideal age for my character in my story ‘Aahna’) who had a large soft faux-leather handbag (which looked rather big), neatly combed hair which a large fat pink paperclip like hairclip. I noticed on her right hand was a faded drawing of a heart with some writing. I began to think about my character Aahna who is still raw after the death of her mother. Seeing the hairclip and the faded drawing on this girl’s hand I realised that having the story take place 6 months after the mother’s death was too long. I really liked the idea of Aahna retaining the drawing on her right hand because that is the last fun thing she did with her mum before she died. By taking care not to wash that hand she was trying to preserve her mother. Going back to the girl at Café Nero, what was visually ironic – dressed in skinny jeans + skirt, ugg-like boots, smart jacket, straight combed hair, hair clip, large handbag and a scribble on her right hand. That scribble on her hand is her link to her youth and innocence. In a world that is constantly evolving and children are said to be growing up far more quickly than in previous generations, it’s quite refreshing to see a kid who still acts like a kid. Why is the important? In my story, Aahna is a mould of her loving mother – like most daughters are. Aahna has been imprinted with a certain look / style that incorporate her mother as well as Aahna’s own style. Now that her mother is gone, all she has are the basic tools left to her by her mother. So for Aahna, this ritual of combing her hair for example is not just so she can look nice in the mirror, but it’s actually her way of remembering her mother and the act of combing her hair – like her mother used to – is her way of remembering her.

Outside Emirates

When I got to Emirates the rain had died down. The whole area outside of the stadium entrance had a shine to the place which was reflecting the bright sun off all the wet surfaces including the concrete ground. It was a lovely crisp day but I wished I had worn more suitably warm clothing as sitting for 2 hours you do start to notice the chill and the breeze.

What is quite startling about these photos I took was how blue the sky was that day. All of us hate the rain and there is nothing worse than to be stuck in doors when the heavens open. But to be outside on a crisp day once the rain has ceased and you’re presented with an azure blue sky as rather uplifting.

Now, I can’t and won’t dictate the weather in my screenplay but I’d like to take the emotion I feel observing this weather and place that in the realm of the arena or use that emotion for the character.

Clockend

For the last few games I’ve been extremely lucky to get tickets in the Clockend (South). There are three reasons why I love being here:

1. Above you is the large replica clock that used to be situated in the Clockend at Highbury.
2. The banter at the Clockend is awesome. You can feel, taste and hear the anger & joy of the crowd. It sometimes feels that the heartbeat of the fans starts at the clockend.
3. We are within shouting and pointing distance at the away supporters which always gives rise to some violent verbal remonstrations between the two. I use the term ‘violent’ to depict the emotional response that both teams give to their teams and not ‘violence’ as is in a throwback to the 80’s face of football.

In this photograph (to my immediate right) you can see the quadrant with the away supporters on the lower tier. In this case the away supporters are in blue. So you can see that we are in viewing distance of each other. It was pretty awful to see these clowns go mad after Birmingham scored the first goal. They went absolutely nuts. I just sat in my seat looking in disbelief. It was at this moment that two women Arsenal supporters (20’s) stood up and begun waving two fingers at Birmingham City fans. Whilst I found this quite amusing what I noticed on one of the girls wearing a thin red hairband with an Arsenal motif. I never knew such a thing existed (maybe because I’m not a girl!) and immediately I thought that would be perfect for Aahna as she gets ready for the game, perfect!

This was an emotionally charged game and I must admit for some Arsenal fans the goading going on between the two was a little terrifying but in an exciting way. In front of me were 4 guys who during the second half of the match would not sit down. They were chanting, dancing and swearing till they’re blue in the face towards the Birmingham City fans. It transpired that they were absolutely drunk. My Sherlock deductions led me to the base of their feet where many small mini-bar bottles of Jack Daniels were laid wasted. Now I know why the guys were slurping so much cola. In my story, if the relationship between Frank and Aahna is already strained, and the only way the two really can communicate is when they’re at the football ground what would happen if this sanctity was broken with these four idiots disturbing their view? Something I need to think about.

Frank and Aahna

After the game I decided to hang around and walk around the grounds. I wanted to find a perfect picture of Frank and Aahna. Something that I could refer back to during the writing of my screenplay. I am always intrigued about the distance between two people and nothing is more perfect than these two pictures listed here. These photographs are taken before the game and after the game by ‘The Spirit of Highbury’. This large monument depicts the entire Arsenal squad starting from its inception in 1886 right through to present.

The first photograph was taken around 2pm just after the rain died. The blue is such dominant colour which is reflecting off all the wet surfaces. You feel relaxed and calm. It has those soft colours associated with being on holiday or somewhere relaxing.

The next photograph (the child’s face has been digitally altered to preserve identity) is what I believe are my characters Frank and Aahna. She is looking directly at the camera avoiding Frank who stands appearing to eat something. He stands like a towering guardian over Aahna but the two never share a single word. This is such a great photograph as you can read as much as your creative mind will allow about their relationship.

Emotional Depth

These three photographs kind of depict the emotions that I want to portray in my story.

The first photograph: The dark clouds vibrate with a haze of blue and the stream of sun that partially lights the ground. Those clouds have robbed the daylight and to me I feel a sense of loss in this photograph. Something that we take for granted has now been taken away and no matter how difficult it maybe we need to continue. I feel for Aahna in this photograph as she has lost her mother. She doesn’t know what else to do but to carry on…but to what extent can she carry on if she doesn’t have anyone to guide her properly – i.e. Frank, her Dad. At some point Frank must stop being the 100% man and try to take the place of his wife to support and nurture Aahna otherwise their relationship will be broke beyond repair and Aahna’s childhood irrevocably ruined.

The second photograph: Looking at these clouds which sit independently of each other lit up by the Sun, I get a sense of isolation. How hard is it for Frank to maintain a place to live yet work so many hours to keep hold of it? For me, Frank feels even more isolated when they lose their family house which was the tipping point for Purveen’s suicide (Aahna’s mother). They now live in a 2 bedroom flat in an unsavoury area. Not only are they isolated financially, but from their neighbourly friends and more important they are isolated from each other.

The third photograph: A sense of longing. The warmth of that Sun is what all we humans crave for. To be blanketed in warmth to give us protection from the outside world. No matter how difficult this journey is for Frank and Aahna, by the end they will be together. Through Frank’s transformational change and coming to terms with Purveen’s suicide he will forge a greater emotional link with Aahna.

Tate Britain – The Turner Paintings

On Sunday 26th September I decided to visit Tate Britain. My MA tutor, on discovering my leanings towards Impressionistic painters, advised that I take a look at works by Joseph Mallord Willam Turner (JMW Turner).  Born in 1775 until 1851, Turner is considered as one of the most important Impressionistic painters this country has ever produced. I, personally, am not an art historian but I am interested to find an intersection between visual art and the written word. Turner is fascinating as he illustrated the words from Virgil, Homer to his favourite Byron onto the canvas. Visiting the Tate I was taken aback by the sheer volume of his work and below are a few paintings which for me were beautiful to look at. I can tell you that many of these paintings I describe held me rooted to the spot for sometime, held by some imaginary force as I stood and attempted to delve into each painting.

Buttermere Lake, with Part of Cromackwater, Cumberland, a Shower (exhibited 1798)

This is a breathtaking painting made during the early Turner years. It’s moody, powerful, dark portrayal of Cumberland depicts an arc of white light that scratches the darkened heavens as it strikes a mountainous region behind a small village. The light appears it is gaining intensity as gravity pulls the arc down with such ferocity that it illuminates the surrounding area – much like a comet – before it strikes. In the foreground two people are seen in a rowing boat moving towards us. When I came across this painting I was dumbstruck in its sheer beauty in the use of dark but subtle shades. It is one of those paintings that you after a few minutes you begin to notice other things – very much like being in the dark after turning the late off and waiting for your pupils to dilate and adjust to the dark. Incredible detail to the eye.

The Battle of Trafalgar, as Seen from the Mizen Starboard Shrouds of the Victory (1806-8)

Turner trained as an architectural draughtsman and topographical copyist which when viewing this painting you begin to ask yourself are we witnessing a past event, or are we marvelling at the beautiful construct of man’s creation in the form of the ship’s sails and rigging? This may sound very odd but the way this picture hangs in the Tate (its approx 2m x 3m) the first thing that you notice is not what’s happening on deck (bearing in mind that the battle of Trafalgar marked the very pinnacle of British naval warfare administered by Horatio Nelson) but that Turner is almost showing off his architectural prowess. I am 6′ 3″ tall and what visually hits you is the intricacy of the sails and its rigging of the cluster of boats. You can tell that Turner spent a considerable amount of time drawing the rigging with such care and integrity that as a technical drawing it’s almost faultless. Examine the painting up close, you get the feeling the whole piece is about the technical nature of painting. To me this felt like an artist who was coming to grips with not the artistic side of painting but more structuring a painting in terms of its position to the audience. In screenwriting terms, it felt like a writer getting to grips with structure and composing a piece from that. To me, whilst the painting is glorious to look at there is nothing very emotive about it.

Interior of a Prison, Lecture – Diagram 65 (circa 1810)

Drawn in pencil and watercolours on paper Turner really captured the light and shadows in this piece. The fact that he was able to achieve the luminosity and shadows from pencil and watercolours is a testament to his skill as an artist as looking at the piece I actually thought it was oil based. Even though this is drawn on paper I am astounded at the level of detail in it. Therefore, art is not about size. It’s about what you render with absolute precision that makes it artistic. As a writer I always struggle whether I can depict a scene with imaginative detail but within the confines of a few action lines?

The Field of Waterloo (exhibited 1818)

The aftermath after the battle of Waterloo. What is quite shocking in this painting are the hundreds if not thousands of dead bodies that are strewn across the battle field. The eye is drawn to individuals who are either looking for their lost relatives, or are they merely picking the riches from the dead? The lighting is terrific as the eye is drawn to the naked flame blowing in the wind. As we look up we see a hazy moon beaming down. The more I look at it, I wonder whether the moon is acting as a conduit taking the lost souls onto their next journey?

Brighton from the Sea (circa 1829)

This is quite a departure from traditional Turner paintings as he begins to employ radiant yellow hues into his works. I love the yellow melting into the brackish waters of the Thames and the casting of shadows to the left and the right. Looking at the sky, Turner really captures the pigments of light across the sky.

The Thames above Waterloo Bridge (circa 1830-5)

I don’t particularly like this painting because it feels rushed. You can see sometime has been spent rendering the foreground but then as we move towards Waterloo bridge the smog is smudged showing a hint of the bridge’s arches and distilled sunlight shining through.

The Temple of Poseidon at Sunium (Cape Colonna) (circa 1834)

A glorious painting. Look at the remains of the columns as they edge themselves out to the edge angled against the faltering Sun. The shadows that are cast across the outcrop of land and a section illuminated in the front which reveals a couple of animals looking out to the see. If you then cast your eyes to the left, there is a breathtaking vista of the crashing seas rolling into the shore.

The Parting of Hero and Leander (exhibited 1837)

Leander would swim across the Hellespont (a narrow strait in Northern Turkey which connects the Aegean Sea to the Sea of Marmara) to be with Hero who resided in the tower of Sestos. Hero would light her lamp to guide Leander who would swim across the Hellespont each night to be with her. Unfortunately, as Greek tragedies go, Leander drowned one night and Hero flung herself into the Sea.

Sun Setting over a Lake (circa 1840)

Whilst I don’t particularly like the The Thames above Waterloo Bridge, I do like this piece. Some of the art pundits say that Turner actually produced his best pieces in his latter years. Even though his construction was never a literal depiction of the subjects he painted he would use sunlight to great effect. His brushing would be irregular sometimes circular, smudging, up and down strokes all used to create impressionistic vistas. This painting is all about light and judging by the spot of sun which occupies a small portion of the painting its rays disperse and intermingle with the surroundings.

The Sun of Venice Going to Sea (exhibited 1843)

I remember reading that Turner had spent some years travelling and this is evident in the maturity of his works.  I love the ships sails in which the lettering is clearly evident when viewed up close (computer images do no justice). However its surroundings are smudged and hazed forcing the viewer to stay staring ahead. The waves of the water amplitude heavily to the right leaving a calm stretch of water bringing the mighty ship to the viewers’ eye.

St Benedetto, Looking towards Fusina (exhibited 1843)

What’s quite majestic about this painting is the depiction of the Sun as its light stretched across the river almost creating a barrier between the two gondolas. The clouds plume and plumped amplify the Sun. The cloud looks as if it is swelling due to the intensity of the Sun and allowing the colour to slowly dissipate from its central core out to the its fringes.

`Hurrah! for the Whaler Erebus! Another Fish!’ (exhibited 1846)

What I love about this painting is that the beam of sunlight energizing down from the heavens is indistinguishable from its source – the almighty Sun itself! I love how Turner creates a central hurricane of sunlight exploding outwards like a supernova and down to the waters edge bleeding into the sea as it stretches its fingers across to the viewer.

The Visit to the Tomb (exhibited 1850)

Only Turner can make the Sun turn into vortex of swirling light that extends from the heavens into a tightly focusses central core that strikes the ground and creates a magnificent haze that supernovas outwards. I could stare for hours looking at this painting and get truly lost in its brilliance.

Whilst these paintings are not the complete works of Turner, I felt that this selection which spanned over 52 years of his life was showing me a form of structure that I had not noticed. Turner had spent his early years practising his art form painting diverse subjects. Looking at these paintings you can see how it arcs from dark (early years) to sublime beauty of light. The subjects in his early years were also of historical and allegorical content which itself suffered from dark themes but as we move into his latter years, Turner threw down the shackles of storytelling and opted for nirvanic enlightenment. Some would ponder at his paintings trying to discern the subject in the context of framing against paintings of its time. But for Turner, you have to leave your worldly possessions behind including your frame of mind and the place which roots you to normalcy. You have to let yourself go and feed the light that is so dominant in all his paintings. Over the years, light has transformed from a lantern, to the moon shifting from the right of the painting to the left before settling for the domineering central position. But painting a Sun as a round hazy circle as most painters would opt for, Turner shunned. For he took the glorious Sun and exploded it onto the canvas as it streaked, circled and merged with its surroundings.

For me, Turner in these pieces was simply breathtaking. All I need to now do is take all this artistic emotion and feed it into my screenplay.