Sunday morning reading

Cause this seems served best with a slow start, some coffee or tea, a bagel or toast and homemade jam...

"When I was A Very Small Boy"

pointed at by Keri Smith

Polaroids

I added some new polaroids to my website. Click on the link to color work to see more.

One of the kinds of videos I'd love to make...

Watch it all the way through. Powerful stuff. I saw it first here.

Thank you Google Reader.




Now, let's get to work!

Sound and Color in Bb

Sound and Color in Bb from Evan Rattenbury on Vimeo.

"These are my grandparents home movies animated to the plucking of a thumb piano. Kind of an experiment in motion and sound."

Thought I'd share something special.

Evan Rattenbury is a film/video student of a friend of mine in Michigan. I find this utterly beautiful.

Today's reading:

A snippet from gapingvoid.  Worth reading the whole entry, this is a good example of one man's effort to get his stuff out there on his own terms, and a good explanation of why that's a fine idea.  I say, join the movement, DIY (and help each other).  We'll all be better off for it. 

(click the image to make it bigger and stuff...)

sentimental analogue

Maybe it was the photobooth pictures, or the pile of polaroids I recently unearthed while reorganizing my studio, but I have been thinking about photography more than I have in awhile. I haven't taken photographs seriously in over a year. I imagine that this is because the things that I found so pleasurable about it are no longer available to me. These are, in order of sentimentality, walking around new parts of a city, Philadelphia specifically, the smell of the color darkroom, the lack of control inherent to polaroid and cheap old cameras. And I guess I am posting this also because this time of year, I am sorely missing Philadelphia, and I thought I'd share some images of it.

Stop what you're doing. Read this article now.

(click on title for the link...)

Sent to me this morning from Margaret, it should be required reading and testable material for makers of any kind that want to participate in the public bazaar.   The systems and rules imposed up to this point don't work so well (or at all) any more, so there's no reason not to make our own.  We're makers, after all, which implies do-ers.   

So, I suggest D I Y...  all of it, in conjunction with like-minded co-conspirators.  

The wheel turns; time for a new way for a new day.

A bit of historical context...

Everything is more than one thing

Click to Play

Feb 13 show, Mike Davis'

Formats available: Quicktime (.mov), Flash Video (.flv)

"The artist's job is to reveal in new ways that which is hidden."

We showed Mr. Croma's video Friday night on a flat screen in front of a bunch of people.  It was well and warmly received.  So I thought maybe some background on the man, by the man, is relevant and would be worth posting.

Robert is a mentor of mine, and I have a great deal of respect for how he works and what he makes:  poetry in all it's forms.

Thank you Robert, for giving us beautiful things to watch and listen to.

(click image to watch)

We made a show (preview, no sound)

Click to Play

preshow, no sound

Formats available: Quicktime (.mov)

you'll never get anything done again...

I have stumbled across perhaps a new winner for the title of "website that is going to take up far too much of my time." It is a collection of old snapshots and it's truly wonderful. Square America. Take a look. Here is a selection of photo booth shots.

HONK!

Our Mr. Croma will never blow his own horn, so I'll do it for him:

(and if you can't make it to Clermont-Ferrand, there'll be a local showing of "The Future and the Dream" this Friday at chez Davis...) 

Elizabeth Gilbert: A different way to think about creative genius

'Elizabeth Gilbert muses on the impossible things we expect from artists and geniuses -- and shares the radical idea that, instead of the rare person "being" a genius, all of us "have" a genius. It's a funny, personal and surprisingly moving talk.'

To Help Your Winter Woes

A bunch of us shoestringers are having a house show & potluck this friday at the house of Mike Davis. Bring friends and food.

Friday 13th. 700.

NC Local

This looks interesting. 

I'm thinking they could use some ShoeStringers in their lineup. Who's gonna be first and represent?

What is Art?

An ongoing conversation over @ http://seesmic.com

Catching up

I suppose everyone but me knows about this guy, I saw some images and did some reading about him for the first time tonight.  I think his stuff is pretty amazing---has anyone seen it in real life?

Red Grooms

Red Grooms
American b. 1937
The Bus (detail), 1995
Mixed media construction

Quote of the day

"...artists need to remember they're the court jesters, entertainers...if they forget that, they're lost.."

(paraphrased)

Thumbnails from ventures to Portland & Seattle.

Beauty and Truth

Granite Copper Motor from Patrick Johnson on Vimeo.

"A short profile of New Hampshire artist Ted Johnson.

Shot on 16mm B&W film with no sync sound."