Garbage Garbage

So last year for one of my Intermedia projects I wanted to see what would happen if my roommates and I were to keep all of our trash for four days.  On top of that, we also agreed to not wash any pots, pans and dishes, so you can imagine the buildup of dirt and garbage sitting on our kitchen counter.  My original intention was to keep this going for a week, but the project needed to come to a close.  Basically I really wanted to kind of reveal how much we actually throw away.

On Monday Jill pointed out to me that there was an article in the NY Times about a man who was dedicated to keeping his trash for an entire year.  I couldn't find the specific article on their website, but it does seem like this project has been done before.

Here's two links (one, two) of people who have done this recently.  In the first one the man that had done this for 12 months actually ended up wanting to give an artist all of what he had learned so the artist could depict it in a way that we would respond to.  Garbage is a lot more interesting than you'd think... too bad it's still garbage, right?

KILL YOUR IDOLS.

KILL YOUR IDOLS (2004) is a rock documentry directed by Scott Creary, taking its name from the first SONIC YOUTH record. This film is a following/explanantion of what 'no wave' or the post punk scene involved. many great new your bands circa late 1970's through mid 1980's are featured. This film is heavy on New York, this first movement and the more recent 2000's bands now active. It also features a 'no wave' scene as it jumps to the year 2002 and tells us whats going on now. bands featured; SUICIDE, SONIC YOUTH, FOETUS, TENAGE JESUS & THE JERKS, DNA, THE YEAH YEAH YEAHS, LIARS, A.R.E WEAPONS, and many more.

here is a youtube trailer; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfw1pZsAUqI


WATCH!

personal work post

here are the images I have taken from the most recent installation. enjoy.

Phenomenal Underrated Artist

   I happened to stumble over Duane Hanson's work the other day.  He is an American sculptor that passed away nearly thirteen years ago, yet this is the first time I've seen or heard of his work.  I know I've said before that I'm fascinated by Chuck Close's Photorealism, but this takes it to a whole new level.

You would probably be better off Google-ing his name in the Image Search, but if you don't feel like it, you can click here.

   The photograph's original link can be found here, and is titled "The Traveler" (1986).

Eyebeam artist Christina Kral Visiting Oct. 29

Christina Kral will be joining our class on Wednesday Oct 29 to lead a discussion/activity about writing, reflecting and rearranging the everyday into critical and political acts. You might want to familiarize yourself with her work before class on Wednesday! It will be a fun day!

Miranda July

Miranda July is multi-talented. She's a great writer (you may have noticed in my last project her book 'No One Belongs Here More than You'), shes a filmmaker, and she does performance art. She is well known for her movie 'You, Me and Everyone We Know'. I really enjoyed this movie and since seeing it I have been following her work. I would love to get my hands on more of her short films. 

She also takes part in the Learning to Love You More Project with Harrell Fletcher. Check it out. 

These are photos from the Harvester Show in Cedar Rapids this past weekend.
You cannot see much of the hanging art but you can get an idea of the atmosphere.

These are the paintings I displayed

Trafik Studio

Trafik is a graphic design studio in Lyon, France. They are four graphic designers and one computer programmer that collaborate to create a lot of cutting edge work. A lot of it is installation using light and interactive computer graphics. This also fits in to the video we watched about "relationalism." Here is a video on apple's site that shows them working. You can visit their website here. The website also contains some neat downloadable material such as screensavers. Cheers.

Hooray Paint!

This is an instillation I got to do this weekend in Public Space One. I did the sunset, and haven't painted since elementary art class, so cut me some slack.

The Aluminium Falcon

Here are pictures from my "Aluminium Falcon" project.

My idea here was taking a crappy rust-bucket car (originally belonging to my sister) and turning it into a unique space mural unlike anything else in Iowa City. I guess this is kind of like the show "Pimp-my-ride," but the idea here is more about having a cool work of art on wheels, instead of having a a pair of wheels with a cool paint job. My hope is that the car will be interactive within Iowa City, just through showcasing a one of a kind paintjob on campus, even if individual audience members only get to experience it for 5 seconds.

The name is a reference to The Millennium Falcon from Star Wars, but I imagine this car would resemble an Aluminium can if it ever got in a car crash. I was surprised nobody brought up the spelling of "Aluminim" instead of the more common "Aluminum." I guess I figured the scientific spelling would be more fitting, instead of the familiar "Aluminum." Here's a link to the history of ALUMINIUM Vs. ALUMINUM.

Soggy Breakfast

Soggy Breakfast animation.

I've never been much for animation. I guess i just don't have the patience it takes to do all of those tedious drawings. Here's my first attempt so far though... just a short animation that I then digitized. It was a good learning experience, and I think for my next project i want to do something involving animation. Hopefully involving comic book cutouts instead of hand drawn frames.

Yamantaka Eye & Super Ae

July 7, 2007, long in the making a performance long in the making under the Brooklyn Bridge. The Boadrum or Boadrum 77 was an outdoor performance led by Yamantaka Eye leader of the Japanese psych Noise band the Boredoms.

clip 1; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ymqTBePX6Xk

boadrum 77 involved 77 drummers from all kinds of bands. In a spiral in this park 77 live drummers perform to the lead of Yamantaka or "EYE" as he prefers to be called. It happened again, the second was "Boadrum 88" performed with 88 drummers on August 8, 2008. awesome!

Boadrum 88, this clip features a song by Noise group Gang Gang Dance; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ThwRCkt1boQ

EYE is also an interesting visual artist and Boredoms music is amazing! Check it out. Their album "Chocolate Synthesizer" is a masterpiece.

Viveur discussion cont.

kitsche

Again, I bring you a link to "commoners art." Nobody well-known with galleries, but what does that matter, right? ;)

A 19 year old girl (Cindy) started a paper journal project with the goal to draw or write something in it every day. Her blog has scans full of drawings from her journal, pretty neat. She doesn't use anything really sophisticated, mostly watercolors & ink (some of the more recent ones are made with some acrylics, I think).

Just thought it was fun. I get kicks out of not-famous artists out there, they don't seem to be as pretentious.

Here's the link: Kitsche @ LJ.com

Visiting Artists Oct 28, 29 and 30

Steve Lambert, Jeff Crouse, Jamie O'Shea and Christina Kral from Eyebeam Roadshow will be here next Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday! They will be giving a lecture Tuesday evening, Oct 28, in the Becker Communications Building and will be holding workshops on Wednesday and Thursday. Here is the schedule so far:

The Eyebeam Roadshow will be here on Tuesday, October 28th! The Roadshow will consist of 4 artists - Steve Lambert, Jeff Crouse, Christina Kral, and Jamie O'Shea.

Tuesday night, 8pm: Lecture in 101 BCSB

Wednesday, from 10:30am - 1:30pm: "Camp Eyebeam"

Impromptu construction of "Camp Eyebeam" in the front of the Studio Arts Building. Students should come and help to create temporary lounge where they can talk with Eyebeam artists further about the artists' projects, processes, and how they have managed to get where they are. Students will also be welcome to bring projects of their own to discuss with the Eyebeam artists.

Wednesday, from 3:30pm - 6:30pm: "Shopdrop Workshop"

Learn how to reverse shoplift your artwork into stores with Steve Lambert, a former undercover investigator. Plus, how to be a superhero.

Thursday, from 10:30am - 1:30pm: Website Building Workshop

Learn how to get your artwork on the web! Please bring your personal laptop, if you have one. If not, one will be provided.

Thursday, from 3:30pm - 6:30pm: Surprise Workshop with Jamie O'Shea & Christina Kral

My BFA show and installation

The collection displayed at the studio arts gallery is meant to be a bfa show for michael J Ryan

Viewers find themselves pulled between several different styles and mediums. Each piece involved is part of a semi-cohesive effort to show my artistic understanding, and perhaps where i intend to go with it in the future.

My show here was created to visually describe my artistic process throughout the last few years of my formal education. I have become increasingly bi-polaristic with my content and i wanted to show viewers the artistic frustration that this condition creates.

dan witz

Everyone should check out dan witz. He is a cooper union grad who does really cool photorealistic paintings in graffitied spaces.

www.danwitzstreetart.com

Kurt Vonnegut Post

A hoi hoi chaps.
So, I'm a huge fan of Kurt Vonnegut; a great writer and very smart man. He passed away a few years ago but wrote some of the greatest books I've ever read about humanity and the comedy that can be seen in it. I don't think that Vonnegut ever made any great instillations or experimental sound pieces, but he did illustrate all of his own books and said some great things. Here's a link to a website I found containing some of his best quotes. Most of them can be applied to contemporary art, which intermedia is largely a part of. I encourage everyone to read a Kurt Vonnegut book; they're funny, intelligent, and not that long.
-Drew

Harvester Show

In Cedar Rapids there is an exhibition on Fri and sat displaying contemporary Iowan artist. I am showing some of my paintings. Here is the Flyer...

Saul Williams

At the beginning of the semester someone was interested in spoken word, I'm not sure who. This is a link to Saul Williams' page. He is probably the most well known spoken word artist and recently collaborated with Trent Reznor from Nine Inch Nails on an album called, "The Inevitable Rise and Fall of Niggy Tardust." In addition to the songs themselves, his videos are also interesting.

Acton by James Turrell

Check out Acton by James Turrell.


It's going to be hard to describe this one. Basically you walk into this room (with very dull lighting, and none of the lights pointed directly at the artwork) and in front of you there seems to be a giant ractangle piece of artwork hanging on the wall... and it's just one big gray color. Before I found the room, I had been told by the security guard at the museum that when I came into the room, I was supposed to put my arms out in front of me, and then speed-walk at the "painting" and try to touch it with my palms without slowing down.

Well, I did this, and much to my surprise, (and to the surprise of other people who did this after me) the giant rectangle was not a painting at all. In fact, it wasn't even hanging on the wall. It was actually a very well cut hole in the wall, leading into a room of similar size without any lights. The lack of lighting, which created a huge lack of depth, along with what little information you are provided with makes your brain piece together the rational idea of a regular art display, but in fact it turns out to be quite irrational. Of course, none of this clicks in your brain until you fall forward threw the "painting" and practically fall over the bottom ledge into the next room.

I'm not sure this was the artists intention of interactivity with the view, or if it was more of a joke by the security guard, but either way it was probably one of the coolest intermedia pieces I've ever interacted with.

Sharing Mass graves ...time to thrash

Unrelated to our class, my friends band is playing in Iowa City tonight. Originally from Iowa City, kids from the iowa city area is SHARING MASS GRAVES.

They are the best revival old school punk band I have heard! My buddy Todd who works sometimes at the Co-op with me plays Bass, and with two other dudes Forrest and Casey. They grew a small punk following when they were in town and now they have moved to Portland. They are on a national tour and have had a week in Iowa City to see friends, before they are off to Chicago this weekend. They played at Public Space One last Thursday and are at The Picador tonight. Im going after class i would check it out if I was you! Give em a listen!

http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=22995419

A Love Story: Based on True Events

Here is my video. The idea started sometime last year when I was working at the Iowa City Senior Center and simultaneously reading Alain de Botton's book On Love. I started out with a very large idea. I wanted to interview all sorts of people about their relationships and create a documentary. That idea will take more time then I have so at the moment, I'm creating my own little love story. My video is meant to be very abstract. I wanted the man and the woman to be nondescript. I wanted everyone to be able to relate to the words that came out of the "couples" mouths. I wrote a script of common things said in relationships. They are things that I have said and have been said to me. What I've realized in this process is that everybody can identify with these phrases, making the words of love and perhaps even the feeling itself common. No one wants to feel like their relationship is common or indispensable, but so often they are. This video might be uncomfortable for many some to watch. Highlighting love in throw away sentences in such a throw away manner makes things look redundant and perhaps pointless.but we all keep searching for it.

 These are just my musings. Feel free to add to the conversation. I come from a divorced family and my parents have both gone through a series of unhappy relationships. Watching that sort of love and destruction definitely takes it toll on the thought of "love" verse marriage and functionality. 

I'm going to continue on with this project, adding in more men and seeing where they lead me. I use what I hear and I have no set directions as to how this little love story will turn out. But I am still the filter so ultimately, I make what I believe.

Final questions: How are relationships different and special if we all say the same things? And, how do we create special meaning in a territory so vastly constructed by media and tradition?

Done and done.

Generation Iowa

This is a website I write for. It highlights some interesting things happening around Iowa that are available to young professionals and artist and people in general. Give it a look. I've found a lot of great opportunities while researching for my articles. 

http://www.generationiowa.com/

Something's happening...

Huzzah for ambiguity! You all know too much already.
PLEASE come and enjoy yourself any time, all night.
The time that you are there dictates your experience.
Don't drink too much, and don't at all if you're underage.

"Pristine" project

Here is my first project in pieces before its in-class installation. Its blank face is meant both to be metaphorical for how a patient is viewed by a surgeon and how I personally felt; like nothing. The surrounding instruments were carefully placed in a silver platter to accentuate their grandeur as the surgeon's hand, bathed in deified light, hangs above. This hand, eager to cut, hides sinister motivations though, as it is guided from an unknown master of torment whose calling card seems to always be a carefully arranged line of rusted razors.

Man On Wire playing at the Bijou this weekend Oct 17-19

...the "artistic crime of the century"... See the Bijou schedule and read more at www.manonwire.com

Jenny Holzer: PROTECT PROTECT

I just discovered that Jenny Holzer has an exhibition going up at the MCA Chicago on October 25th. For those who do not recall her, she was interviewed for the 2007 art21 series. Her work deals much with text and media. If you are in Chicago I would suggest visiting the show, it is up until Feb.
Also here is the website to see a short from the ART:21 episode.
http://www.pbs.org/art21/series/seasonfour/protest.html#

Studio Project

This projects is the start of a semester long study I am dealing with. I am experimenting and researching the affects of differing studio space. With this project I am researching the effects of the work I produce in conjunction with the studio space I am working in. So, I have been constructing differing studio spaces and this is an example of my 1st one. This project has transformed and is becoming a larger project than 1st anticipated but this is all I have for now.

Here are the photos from my studio project #1

In the spirit of creation

I was introduced to this site by a friend of mine, the same that introduced me to Michael Una. I have referenced it for circuit projects. Lots of fun!

http://makezine.com/

Speed Painting Video

Here's the video that was not included yet in my earlier post.  It's a shortened version with a really cheesy song.  Nice.

i am technologically deaf

where do i find the writing assignment?

good call van

And if you havnt checked out banksy...you absolutly must. He is a groundbreaking graff artist incorporating literature and post modern content.

iceland rocks

allright classmates. I have something for you to check out. go to youtube and look up sigur ros videos in the tradition of the bjork post. there are also icelandic. Their videos are pretty incredible examples of stop animation. cool stuuuuf. ch-ch-ch-check it.

Late Monday Night Show

Hi everyone. I have a show tonight at the Mill around 11. It's just open mic night, but it's always a good time and free. I'll be there around 10 with a ukulele, hope you can make it.

-Drew-

website

forgot the address...

http://www.artnewsonline.com/issues/article.asp?art_id=2556

The Church Gives Contemporary Art Its Blessing

this is an article from Octobers ARTnews about the Vatican and Contemporary artists. It talks about how many living artists are disconnected from the church and how the Roman Catholic Church is going to try and mend the relationship by displaying contemporary works. It is an interesting article.

Björk / Drawing Restraint 9

If you haven't heard of Björk, get your head from underneath that rock and clean at least a decade and a half of dust out of your ears.

I absolutely love Björk, but she's hit or miss with some people, as you would expect of an avant-garde virtuosic composer/vocalist. But she operates outside of the music world frequently as well and has an insane sense of style and color.

She is also Matthew Barney's partner and played a crucial role in Drawing Restraint 9, including both on-camera performance and the production of the entire score.

She is so prolific that many people have become obsessed with her to frightening ends. There is one incident of interest where Ricardo López mailed her an acid bomb to her London flat, but was thankfully intercepted by the London police. In what I consider a bizarre/sickening example of video art, he created a video tape almost 18 hours long as he constructed the bomb as he spoke of many things, including his obsession and his views on love. Later in the tape he leaves to mail the bomb, comes back, paints his face, shaves his head and then commits suicide with a gun. I will not post a link to some excerpts of the video that have been leaked to the net, as it seem to be in bad taste in this context, however if things like this interest you, please dive in.

Drawing Restraint 9 Official Site
Drawing Restraint 9 trailer
Björk Offical site - tons of videos and pictures
Her Newest single featuring Antony Hegarty (from Antony and the Johnsons and Hercules and Love Affair) - this is a video with three different directors: Christoph Jantos, Masahiro Mogari, and Marçal Cuberta Junca based in Germany, Japan, and Spain respectively that collaborated via email.

also of note, the last link goes to pitchfork.tv where you can find the entirety of Liars' "Drum's Not Bread" which is a video compendeum to their album "Drum's Not Dead"

okay that's enough for me, happy clickings.

SOUNDS

Photographs from my sound piece we listened to in class.

Work is a collection of media from 9/10 - 9/24. I have a windows media file of the piece as a mp3 and am having trouble getting that to the blog. If anyone can help, or knows how to post the mp3 let me know.

thanks

"VILLAGE PET STORE AND CHARCOAL GRILL"

Banksy's "The Village Pet Store and Charcoal Grill"

It's an exhibit in NYC by the artist known for mainly stencil and street art work.

Check it out if you have heard of him, check it out if you have not!

it is a really cool collection of different scenes, like ones you would see in macbride hall, or a pet store.

Museum of Bad Art

This is a link to The Museum of Bad Art, showcasing art that has less than desirable quality. Some of it is sort of humorous, but that is based purely on your own perceptions (the site doesn't make fun of any of the work). Rather than just labeling it as "bad art," however, the site does offer some inquiries into what the work is about and why it is displayed where it is. Some of it is actually so bad it has an expressive quality to it. I usually just look at it when I'm feeling uncreative and think to myself, "at least I don't suck that bad."

Ben Glenn

This artist is in response to the presentation on Monday about the process of a painting coming together in front of you (I think it was Jeff?), but Van had also posted a video about live painting.


This performance artist does large murals with chalk, which I find really cool. I thought this goes along with Van's last project, when he was talking about "temporary graffiti." Here's his website, but there are also several videos on youtube which show him in action. Clearly the process of making these large chalk artworks is what draws people to him. I don't see any of his art for sale, likely because the end product is too massive and non-permanent to do anything with. This intrigues me, because when I make art, all I care about is if the end product looks good, and it makes me wonder if perhaps it's not the process that should be the focus (I suppose though, the end result is an accumulation of the process I had been through, anyway).

Viveur

So I remember a few weeks ago someone was asking what the French word "viveur" means. Viveur is a reveller or someone who takes great delight in something. I'm not sure what context it was used in, so there is a good chance that it has a different meaning in English. Most French words that are used in English have different meanings than in French. (i.e. in English a rendezvous means to meet up or a meeting, but in French rendezvous refers only to a formal appointment like with a doctor or professor).

-Jeff

Indifferent Graffiti

Here's are pictures from my last project. This first one is a quote from Demetri Martin, which inspired the project. I executed his idea of "indifferent Graffiti" by tagging a bridge with different somewhat confusing slogans. My hope is that someday someone else will stumble into this area (it's kind of off the beaten path) and discover this work... and maybe even understand the reference it is making.