Why do I do this?

She emerges bleary eyed into the world to discover that suddenly the sun is setting well before 6pm (so by next week we'll be watching it go down around 4.30pm) and all the trees are togging themselves out in autumnal shades.

Yes, the artists' book fair is over, and now I have a brief space to think up and print my own 20:20 edition before we start sorting the whole exchange.  Why do I do this?  Autumn is my favourite season and I barely see it.

I feel like I lose whole months at this time of year. However, I don't miss out on everything.  I saw a good part of the MMU MA show, back before the fair (yup, this would be me once again about to discuss an exhibition that's over).  I must admit, somewhat shamefaced, that I failed to realise that I was only seeing that section of it that was in the Holden Gallery - shamefaced because I have a sneaky suspicion that the exact same thing has happened before - but I was very pleased with what I did see.  I am in the happy state of not knowing - and not having to know - what constitutes 'good' MA work - all I know is (that old chestnut) what I like.

My absolute favourite was James Goodchild's 'Hiraeth' - a collection of evocative, rich, black and white photos, based around or in some way connected to the early 20th century poem 'The Harp of Hiraeth' by Welsh poet Ernest Howard Harris.  Quiet, powerful images, presented in an understated way that also suggests lines of poetry on the wall.  I'm full of intentions to track the poem down and read it, but I'm not holding my breath on that one.  

I also really liked Daniel Tierney's 'Tilda' - I thought of it as an artist's book (artists' books were on my mind), though that might not have been what it was.  As I remember, it represented emotions playing across a face, undermined because they were acted emotions - essentially, I liked it for its sculptural quality and the element of near-repetition.

Other names I've noted down are Rikka Enna for her hangings (below left) and Eleanor Mulhearn who made these dogs,  There were other artists I liked too - I picked up a catalogue for later reference (that's how I discovered how much I'd missed) but then time happened and I've forgotten whatever it might have been that I meant to remember.  One piece of work that I found truly mesmerising but didn't even try for a photo (it would have missed the point) was Steve Oliver's upside down video of a catwalk.  I have absolutely no idea what it was about, but it was fascinating!  With the flipping of perception, you are not watching people but something more abstract, and all the movements become immensely strange.  Brilliant.

I don't know how much show I missed elsewhere in the art department, but in fact the Holden Gallery felt exactly the right amount of exhibition, so although I might have failed to see some wonderful work, I'm absolutely content with what I saw.