Community Weblog - [ History ]

- Ben Gaydos  [ 8/11/2006 - 18:22 ]   #

- Ben Gaydos  [ 8/8/2006 - 02:12 ]   #

- Ben Gaydos  [ 2/28/2006 - 16:22 ]   #

- Ben Gaydos  [ 10/6/2005 - 10:18 ]   #

Artist video series

Reading about artists can be moving. Seeing their work can be inspiring and, at times, can provoke us to action. Hillman Curtis, in his video series, allows us to experience leading designers through sound and motion, uncovering what it is about them that inspires him. Curtis profiles such  luminaries as Stefan Sagmiester, Billy Bragg, Paula Scher, Badly Drawn Boy and Pentagram as well as profiling some of his favorite movies like LA Doce Vita and Spinal Tap.

Curtis has even more videos on his site. See the entire series.

David Carson "The starting point is never to make something ugly, or to make it hard to read, or to make it award-winning, or to make it pretty. The starting point is to try to interpret something." Time: 3:50 More...

Milton Glaser "And I am still astonished. Things still amaze me. And I think that's the great benefit of being in the arts: where the possibility of learning never disappears. Where you basically have to admit you never learn it." Time: 5:55 More...

from AIGA.

- Ande Johnston  [ 10/5/2005 - 17:15 ]   #

The photos of Ryan Spencer Reed are on display at the Jackson Symphony Orchestra Gallery in Jackson Michigan.  They are also available to view at www.groupM35.com/reed.

"Genocide begins, however improbably, in the conviction that classes of biological distinction indisputably sanction social and political discrimination." Andrea Dworkin

When French philosopher Albert Camus wrote, "A trial cannot be conducted by announcing the general culpability of a civilization. Only the actual deeds which, at least, stank in the nostrils of the entire world were brought to judgment," he had not lived long enough to witness a shift in the priorities of nations.

With instant communication from anywhere on earth and dedicated journalists willing to stand in harms way, how can it be suggested that "the stank" of Sudan is not in the nostrils of even the most semi-conscious citizen of the world? Mr. Camus could not have been aware of the extent to which the pursuit of the world's resources would require focus that discounts the value of cultures and people. This misplaced priority and the recognition of governments who assist those in power, fuel the machine that serves to distract from the collateral damage of the collectors of such wealth.

- Nick Gaydos  [ 9/20/2005 - 23:20 ]   #

BRIDGET RILEY: PAINTINGS AND WORKS ON PAPER, 1963-2005

_{Blaze 3, 1963 | Acrylic on board | 37 1/4” x 37}

"This exhibition encompasses forty years of uncompromising and remarkable innovation, exploring Bridget Riley’s characteristic and distinctive optically vibrant work. Her last exhibition in North America was at the Dia Center, New York, in 2000.

Riley’s work is celebrated for its ability to engage the viewer’s sensations and perceptions, producing visual experiences that are complex and challenging, subtle and arresting.

Her paintings employ a simple vocabulary of colors and abstract shapes to generate sensations of movement, light and space. This exhibition traces the development of Riley’s work from the early 1960s to the present day.

Ms. Riley will be at Cranbrook on Friday evening, September 23, 2005.

Ms. Riley will present a rare public lecture on Saturday, September 24 at 4:00 p.m."

The exhibit will be shown September 3, 2005 through October 30, 2005.

Call 877-462-7262 or visit Cranbrook's website for more information.

- frank vranckx  [ 7/15/2005 - 18:05 ]   #

de schaaf, 
our artist-collective in antwerp (2001-2003)

 it's not my latest work ... it's where it really started for me
the click i needed to consider myself as an "artist"

it was also the first thing i made on my computer
... turned out to end up as a videoclip

enjoy,
frank/aka slö

 

- frank vranckx  [ 5/25/2005 - 14:41 ]   #

rositadreams, hope you like it

more is in the makings

of the chaos

s00n sEE

 

(ö)

- Ben Gaydos  [ 5/15/2005 - 22:55 ]   #

 

 

The society was founded by design group, Experimental Jetset,  in 2000 with the design of Emigre issue no. 57. It's sole purpose is to save formats from obscurity.
This overview of Lost Formats is not presented in any particular order and not in any way complete. Anyone can nominate their own beloved format by sending a picture and specifications to formats@jetset.nl. (Shown here: Viewmaster, Travan, Compact Cassette).

- Ben Gaydos  [ 4/21/2005 - 02:44 ]   #

The AIGA (American Institute of Graphic Arts) Design Archives are a record of annual juried selections of design excellence and the work of designers honored by AIGA. These intereactive archives provide broad accesibility to an extensive collection of contemporary design for research and reference. This definitive resource on American design will continue to expand with each year's new selections and the addition of special archives.

- Ben Gaydos  [ 4/15/2005 - 00:37 ]   #

- Ben Gaydos  [ 3/11/2005 - 09:21 ]   #

a commemoration of logos withdrawn from the ocular landscape.

+ + + logo r.i.p. + + +

- Peter Richards  [ 2/22/2005 - 10:46 ]   #

THE SAN PEDRO FILM SOCIETY AND ROCKET FUEL
FILMS ANNOUNCE THE PREMIERE OF: WE JAM ECONO
- THE STORY OF THE MINUTEMEN

The San Pedro Film Society in association with Rocket Fuel Films is proud to announce the premiere of WE JAM ECONO - THE STORY OF THE MINUTEMEN at 8PM on Friday, February 25, 2005 at San Pedro's historic Warner Grand Theatre. Minutemen Mike Watt and George Hurley along with Director Tim Irwin and Producer Keith Schieron will sit for a question and answer session with the audience after the screening.

WE JAM ECONO - THE STORY OF THE MINUTEMEN is a feature length documentary chronicling this ground breaking, early 80's punk rock band from their humble beginnings in the harbor town of San Pedro, CA to their untimely demise when lead singer and guitarist D. Boon was killed in a van accident in December of 1985.

Told by those who were there, WE JAM ECONO - THE STORY OF THE MINUTEMEN weaves together footage from over fifty newly shot interviews with archival interviews and live performances to capture the dynamic energy and do-it-yourself spirit of these punk rock pioneers. Newly shot interviews include Minutemen Mike Watt and George Hurley as well as Dez Cadena, Ed Crawford, Flea, Greg Ginn, Henry Rollins, Ian Mackaye, J Mascis, Jello Biafra,  Kira Roessler, Milo Auckerman, Nels Cline,  Raymond Pettibon, Richard Hell, Richard Meltzer, and Thurston Moore, to name a few.

The Warner Grand Theatre box office will open
at 7PM. Advance tickets are available at
http://www.theminutemen.com/latest.html -
General Admission is $10. Students, San Pedro
Film Society Members and Grand Vision Members
can buy tickets the evening of the premiere
at the box office for $8.

For more information including trailer, press
kit, and ticket information:

http://www.theminutemen.com
http://www.thesanpedrofilm.org
http://www.warnergrand.com

- Nick Gaydos  [ 1/4/2005 - 13:40 ]   #

The newest exhibit at Kresge Art Museum in East Lansing, Michigan:

"When translated from French, trompe l’oeil literally means “to fool-the-eye.” Over 45 works of art will be on display and include paintings by the famous 19th century American artists William Michael Harnett and John Frederick Peto.

Some of the contemporary artists include Tom Friedman, Sylvia Mangold, Robert Gober, Vernon Fisher, Alan Magee, Sam Taylor-Wood, and Federico Castelluccio (known for his role as Furio Giunta on HBO’s The Sopranos).

The trompe l’oeil style has existed for centuries, but in the mid-19th century American painters became its foremost practitioners. These painters try to make the images on the canvas seem three-dimensional and to extend into the viewer’s space. They use depth and receding and jutting planes to achieve the illusion. “For some painters, the illusion lies in the details. In Vernon Fisher’s case, it is a small sculpted fly resting on a large abstract canvas,” says April Kingsley, curator of the exhibition."

EXHIBITION: Masters of Illusion: 150 Years of Trompe l’Oeil in America
DATES: January 10 – March 20, 2005
OPENING: Sunday, January 16, 2-5 p.m.
LOCATION: Kresge Art Museum, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Mich.

Of note:

- Peter Richards  [ 1/3/2005 - 11:17 ]   #

It all started when I had a discussion over the holidays with my niece Meredith about the Chinese Zodiac.  I had always been under the impression that I was a Tiger, since I was born in 1974.  I did not realize that the breaks in the year occur at a different time in the Chinese Zodiac (the placemats at restaurants don't go into this much detail!), so, I am in fact born in the year of the Ox.

Later in the week, I was hanging out with my friend David, and the topic came up again.  He pulled out an astronomy book and told me about a controversy concerning a 13th constellation that has moved into the traditional Zodiac.  This thirteenth sign, Ophiuchus the Serpent Bearer, falls between Scorpio and Sagittarius, and shifts all the signs somewhat.

Now, I am a skeptic by nature, but I do read my horoscope frequently (even fortune cookies captivate me), and I always felt that I was very much a Capricorn.  According to this new information, I am in fact a Sagittarius!

	Sun Sign	Meaning	Dates
01:	Pisces	the Fishes	12 Mar to 18 Apr
02:	Aries	the Ram	19 Apr to 13 May
03:	Taurus	the Bull	14 May to 19 Jun
04:	Gemini	the Twins	20 Jun to 20 Jul
05:	Cancer	the Crab	21 Jul to 9 Aug
06:	Leo	the Lion	10 Aug to 15 Sep
07:	Virgo	the Maiden	16 Sep to 30 Oct
08:	Libra	the Scales	31 Oct to 22 Nov
09:	Scorpius	the Scorpion	23 Nov to 29 Nov
10:	Ophiuchus	the Serpent Bearer	30 Nov to 17 Dec
11	Sagittarius	the Archer	18 Dec to 18 Jan
12:	Capricornus	the Sea Goat	19 Jan to 15 Feb
13:	Aquarius	the Water Carrier	16 Feb to 11 Mar

This would seem to throw the whole astrological world into disarray.  Here's a link or two with more about Ophiuchus.

- Nick Gaydos  [ 12/23/2004 - 18:23 ]   #

"10x10™ ('ten by ten') is an interactive exploration of the words and pictures that define the time. The result is an often moving, sometimes shocking, occasionally frivolous, but always fitting snapshot of our world.

Every hour, 10x10 collects the 100 words and pictures that matter most on a global scale, and presents them as a single image, taken to encapsulate that moment in time. Over the course of days, months, and years, 10x10 leaves a trail of these hourly statements which, stitched together side by side, form a continuous patchwork tapestry of human life."

- Nick Gaydos  [ 12/23/2004 - 18:04 ]   #

Have fun learning:

- Ben Gaydos  [ 12/22/2004 - 03:30 ]   #

- Peter Richards  [ 12/11/2004 - 01:47 ]   #

Back in the early nineties, the UN pulled out of Rwanda right when they were needed the most -- as the Hutu majority began "cutting the tall trees." This was a code phrase for systematically killing the Tutsi minority. Not a lot of people remember this: It blipped on the national news, Madelaine Albright studiously avoided using the word "genocide," and the Clinton administration decided it just wasn't worth the bad press after the Somalia debacle.

"Hotel Rwanda," which was previewed this evening on ten college campuses around the country, helps bring the Rwandan situation back into the collective consciousness -- and hopefully in time to avert similar human rights disasters in the Sudan and Darfour.

It was practically standing room only at the showing on MSU's campus, and was followed by audience discussion.

The film opens nationally in select theaters December 22.

- Ben Gaydos  [ 12/3/2004 - 03:04 ]   #

Jean Rouch was a universally-acclaimed filmmaker, anthropologist, civil engineer, explorer, and storyteller. His sudden death in February 2004 has brought an outpouring of gratitude and memories from friends, colleagues, students and audiences around the world.

Documentary Educational Resources, the major distributor of Rouch’s films in the U.S., presents a new web site in collaboration with Brenda Baugh, Craig Johnson and Talisman Interactive. This site is a place to share memories of Jean, to tell the story of his extraordinary life and work, and to bring his films to a wider audience. We invite you to learn more about Jean Rouch and to participate in the worldwide community that has been inspired by him. Access the new web site at www.der.org/jean-rouch/.

(from http://www.der.org/)

- Ben Gaydos  [ 11/27/2004 - 14:50 ]   #

I highly recommend this compelling (though somewhat long winded) film to all. It definetly sheds a broader perspective on how and why many corporations end up functioning in a socially negative way, and how to make a difference through activism.



One hundred and fifty years ago, the corporation was a relatively insignificant entity. Today, it is a vivid, dramatic and pervasive presence in all our lives. Like the Church, the Monarchy and the Communist Party in other times and places, corporation is today's dominant institution. But history humbles dominant institutions. All have been crushed, belittled or absorbed into some new order. The corporation is unlikely to be the first to defy history. In this complex and highly entertaining documentary, Mark Achbar, co-director of the influential and inventive MANUFACTURING CONSENT: NOAM CHOMSKY AND THE MEDIA, teams up with co-director Jennifer Abbott and writer Joel Bakan to examine the far-reaching repercussions of the corporation's increasing preeminence. Based on Bakan's book The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power, the film is a timely, critical inquiry that invites CEOs, whistle-blowers, brokers, gurus, spies, players, pawns and pundits on a graphic and engaging quest to reveal the corporation's inner workings, curious history, controversial impacts and possible futures. Featuring illuminating interviews with Noam Chomsky, Michael Moore, Howard Zinn and many others, THE CORPORATION charts the spectacular rise of an institution aimed at achieving specific economic goals as it also recounts victories against this apparently invincible force.


The website also has a myriad of ways you can get involved in grassroots activism including a Global Referendum on Corporate Power, their own iniative i-corp,  as well as an all encompassing links list of important activist and awareness organizations.

- Ben Gaydos  [ 11/25/2004 - 23:01 ]   #

- Ben Gaydos  [ 10/21/2004 - 10:16 ]   #

The Kresge Art Museum's current exhibition is one worth visiting- and it's only open until the end of the month (31.10.04). So hurry on over, if you haven't seen it yet!

           

There are twenty-four artists in Paintings That Paint Themselves, coming from many countries, though all but two live in the United States. They are reinventing painting for us once again in a host of new ways. Suddenly, young artists are excited about what the others are doing. They are visiting each others’ studios, sometimes even sharing secrets. They are experimenting, researching, and learning from and about new materials. There is joy in the artist’s studio as discoveries are made and ways found to speak through abstract matter. And the work is abstract – resolutely so. This is abstract expression without the handwriting, the tell-all gesture of the fifties; it is post-Minimal, post- Conceptual abstract expression – Mark Rothko without tears, Willem De Kooning’s whiplash line without a woman to use it on. We were ready to be excited by abstract painting again. Luckily the artists were ready for us.

The Exhibition website is all encompassing as well, detailing each artist and their work. Inspiring work!

- Anne Marie Hubbell  [ 9/26/2004 - 17:44 ]   #

Since we are rapidly approaching the third harvest festival of the year, I thought that I would kick off the season with a meditation.

Traditionally, Samhain was considered to be a time when the veil between the worlds was thin. (Hence the food offerings left on doorsteps for wandering dead/ ancient ancestors in Celtic countries.) Single candles shone in windows to guide lonely travelers. Apples were buried at crossroads for those souls unfortunate enough to have died without offspring. Men wore women's clothing and vice versa to avoid the gaze of the evil eye.

It was a night of magic and chaos where the dark side of the human soul rose to the surface. If we all have the face of the Stranger within, as Camus and Billy Joel both insist, it seems to me that Samhain allows the Stranger to wear our face for a night. Like the Lord of Misrule in Medieval times, this ability to turn ourselves and indeed---the world---topsy-turvy is a tremendous gift.

Why not invite the Stranger in a little early this year? Having eaten my asparagus (every damned bite) and minded my manners this year (almost nauseatingly well), I'm looking forward to the rising darkness.  

Happy Halloween.

 

- Nick Gaydos  [ 9/8/2004 - 11:28 ]   #

I ran across an essay on Post-Modernism by Australian author Mark Davis today.


For as much as people talk about the term "Post-Modernism" - this article is a simply way of explaining it.

[read the full article]