THE END
(THE END of the Vic Bar: Glasgow, Scotland)
Just a little more about the Degree Show – I’ll try not to bore you… I am pleased I took this picture – this is the legendary Vic bar upper floor with the epic THE END sign backlit behind the live band. On the walls running up the stairs there was a similar sized set of letters cut from MDF – the first flight reading THE and the upper one, END. A lot of effort had been expended to make the last night one to remember. I heard from a man clearing the Vic today that by 3am that night (after I had left) that some of the other dancers had begun prising the very tiles from the walls as souvenirs. When I was told, me reaction was half absolute shock and half hilarity – a feeling very familiar when I think of where I used to study.
On this floor of the Vic, just before I left for home, the smoke machine was being used to a heroic extent, pumping out an impenetrable cloud of fumes into the dancers every half minute. The smell of it is so particular that it transports me to Hallowe’en or a ghost train each time it spurts forth from the DJ booth. One person (lets call him a reveler) was inhaling the smoke directly from source and then blowing it in the faces of his friends. Very odd (and questionable) behaviour indeed; my friend, Michael and I looked on in barely disguised disgust.
Some detest the pretention of the Art School but the annual Degree Show in particular; I have a non art school friend who simply refuses to go. I agree that it cannot be every persons idea of a good time, as certainly it is a rather odd experience, though I believe anyone can have fun at either as long as they can overlook it. The Art School. It’s staff, students and afilliates can be completely and unacceptably rude, pretentious and irritatingly ‘arty’, have an over developed sense of intellect or are bohemian yet bourgois. I accept this inailiable fact about this place. In fact, it can be fun observing the entire picture and simply allowing the GSA to be what it is. Lets be honest, if art colleges and schools weren’t a bit well, ‘arty’ and annoyingly stacked with angst and subcultures then no one would bother going there and we would miss out on lifes curious and useful oddballs. That’s what I like to imagine anyway, being one of them, however well adjusted I believe myself to be.
Wait until next week when the farewell party occurs for all the buildings standing opposite the world famed Mackintosh building. I dread to imagine the size and sounds of the construction site that will develop mere minutes from my home.
– Today Rosie is drawing and developing calendar ideas, and eating her soon-to-move-out flatmate’s Korean cooking in Glasgow, Scotland –
Hi Rosie,
My name is Robbie, I was just looking for photos of ‘the end’ party and was really happy to come across your blog. I built the sign in the background but didn’t get any documentation of it! I was wondering if you had any more photos of it and if I could please use them?
thanks,
Robbie