Spiroart

Whilst watching the telly I came across James May: My Sisters Top Toys. I've watch some of these before, but one toy he talked about in amongst Tiny Tears and Barbie, was Spirograph. And now I've become completely obsessed by the idea of getting hold of a spirograph set again. In the programme, May interviewed artist Lesley Halliwell, who creates huge spirograph artworks:

Now since it was my birthday last week (I'm now an impressive 25) and I had a little money to spend, I decided to buy myself a spirograph set to have a play with. It arrived this morning and I've been very unsuccessfully trying to produce patterns, but given it's probably been about fifteen years since I had a go with one I'm not surprised. Halliwell's pieces however are incredible and the speed at which she produces the hypotrochoids is ridiculous and I can say that having seemed like an arthritic 80 year old when I tried some patterns this morning. What I really love about these drawings is the fact that Halliwell has embraced the flaws and the fact that perfection isn't necessary. If it was I dare say she would follow a lot of peoples example and use a computer - certainly most designers I know personally took this option for perfect patterns time and again.

I think sometimes people become to obsessed with absolute perfection - I'm guilty of this when finishing pieces of jewellery - and there was a quote I can never accurately remember by Leonardo da Vinci which essential says, when a piece of work is completely finished there is no potential left in it. Therefore a flawed piece, even in the slightest way, has the potential to evolve. Not entirely true, but it puts a positive spin on unfinished work.

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Listening: Taking Back Sunday- Great Romances of the 20th Century