pete mcgovern

   

 

I've a sappy rom-com novel from the tea-room at work I've borrowed which makes for an enjoyable time-out on these rain-free warm days. It's breezy but pleasant sat in the garden. Near to where I sit are some tall skinny plants with clusters of tiny purple flowerheads, nothing much to look at really but bumblebees seem totally drawn to them, there are always at least two hurriedly picking their way through them, like old ladies in the first few minutes of a jumble sale. With the stems flailing in the breeze it's impressive how they manoeuvre their way to an efficient landing, extract the nectar/pollen and move on to the next one with no hesitation or difficulty. It obviously made me start thinking of what it would be like for a bumblebee to experience zero gravity. I think they might like it.

I just joined a dating website.  Once you sign in it takes you through page and page of questions building up a profile (of sorts).  You also have to upload a photo.  I'm exhausted.  Too exhausted to even think of opening more than one or two of the many messages that have started to appear in my inbox (are they real people sending them?). If they are, they obviously haven't read all the details I included. I need another photo...

After a conversation with someone at work a few days ago I was suddenly re-connected with break up songs from my past and have been listening to them again the last few evenings.  They are still evocative of the time they helped.

The Format biennial in Derby next year has the theme Factory . A few years ago I realised that becoming trans seemed almost an evolutionary development for a man.  One aspect of the archetype male was perhaps defined in the industrial revolution and had perhaps historically declined along with the heavy industry, to be replaced by a less obviously masculine construct - permitting even a feminised idea of self.  My early montages included factory locations as a way of contrast, but later an interest in the powerful personal impact of needing to express myself through transgender identity felt best articulated by images of demolition (often of those factories) and construction, particularly earthworks, which took over and separated out. I'd like to try for the Derby show, so I'm back to painstakingly drawing paths in Photoshop and montaging two frames into one.

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