James Steventon

Much of the art from the City Sculpture Project demonstrates the vision of artists and the need for curators and local authorities to show bravery in commissioning public art, holding their nerve while tastes are acquired to prevent an artificially short shelf life – rather than play it safe and commission something dreadfully mediocre.

In Channel 4’s short interview with Banner for the 2002 Turner Prize, she lists her favourite words as “ricochet, spunk, daffodil”. Of all the great words to choose from these three perhaps stand as a lexical Venn diagram, with Banner existing in the areas of overlap.

Please allow me to introduce myself. I am inhabited by the ghost of the late and respected critic Brian Sewell, and I am writing to you to inform you of Joana Hadjithomas and Khalil Joreige’s exhibition at Home in Manchester. I must first apologise…

Legend has it that the ancient Greeks Zeuxis and Parrhasius once held a competition to establish who was the better painter. Zeuxis unveiled a painting of grapes so realistic that the birds flew down to peck at them. Zeuxis, keen to reveal Parrhasius’ painting, grasped at the curtain, not realising that it too was a painted illusion. The story offers us a means to navigate this year’s Jerwood Drawing Prize.

“Our poetry now is the realisation that we possess nothing. Anything therefore is a delight (since we do not possess it) and thus need not fear its loss. We need not destroy the past; it is gone. At any moment it might reappear and seem to be and be the present. Would it be repetition? Only if we thought we owned it, but since we don’t, it is free and so are we.”

Robed in leather. An earthly, olfactory quality. Essence of bookshelves with notes of Dr Jones’ Grail Diary and Nietzsche’s typewriter. “Our writing equipment takes part in the forming of our thoughts”.

Drawing Paper 8 has been edited collaboratively with Amanda Ravetz, Kate Genever and Anne Douglas; featuring work by James Steventon.

The “Hundred Up” is an exercise invented by WG George, the fastest miler of 19th century, which consists of a drill to perfect running form.