William S. Burroughs.

William S. Burroughs demonstrates his weapon collection.

A Taste of T.G.

Throbbing Gristle - Something Came Over Me - Live 1981.

Playmobil.

My mum is currently clearing out the attic so she phoned me earlier today to see what I want to do with my old stuff in particular the tens of boxes of Playmobil I owned as a child. KEEP IT, came my reply. When I was a child I had all sorts of Playmobil and it kept me occupied for hours; I am 22 next week yet even at this ripe old age I still take great glee in thumbing through a copy of the annual Playmobil catalogue if even only to see how times have changed and for nostalgia purposes. I am now interested in Playmobil as a design-object and I admire it's simplicity and diversity. I bought a book last year called 'Playmobil: The Story Of A Smile' and it is reassuring to see that I am not alone in this fandom. Adults the world over are creating stop-motion videos from Playmobil characters and accessories and posting them on YouTube, some are collecting and some are simply buying it for a new generation of children. Playmobil has longevity due to the fact it is timeless, easy to grasp and can easily be appreciated by all. There are no negatives in Playmobil (the smile on the figures faces say it all) please enjoy this advert from 1986 (the year before I was born)...

The 1980s.

The 1980s seen through a set of anxieties demonstrated in the medium of moving image:

The Blogger Returns.

I have decided it is high time I sorted the wheat from the chaff as regards this Blog. I have just started an MA in 'Design Writing Criticism' and we were told to start a Blog, as I already had one it was rather easy to indulge myself in this advice however I couldn't help but notice that the Blog I saw before me was out-dated, boring and a lot of my opinions have changed for the better, this is not a bad thing, it's nice to look back (sometimes) although I thought I would start a-fresh a move symbolic of a new chapter in my life and studies.

I will aim to update these pages as much as possible although I cannot promise to be up-to-the-minute with opinions and wit. Even in this fast moving technological age where I could Twitter myself to death if I so choose sometimes these things take time as a great and gloriously miserable man once said.

Although I am essentially a qualified and published critic (with certificates and magazine articles to prove it) a picture can say a thousand words if not more so I shall look outside the box marked 'discourse' and try to make this Blog not only a platform for provocation of thought through text but also a visual... (dare I say 'experience'..?)

With thanks for now. Matt.