Monday, November 8, 2010
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
The Futurist Manifesto (1909)
- We want to sing the love of danger, the habit of energy and rashness.
- The essential elements of our poetry will be courage, audacity and revolt.
- Literature has up to now magnified pensive immobility, ecstasy and slumber. We want to exalt movements of aggression, feverish sleeplessness, the double march, the perilous leap, the slap and the blow with the fist.
- We declare that the splendor of the world has been enriched by a new beauty: the beauty of speed. A racing automobile with its bonnet adorned with great tubes like serpents with explosive breath ... a roaring motor car which seems to run on machine-gun fire, is more beautiful than the Victory of Samothrace.
- We want to sing the man at the wheel, the ideal axis of which crosses the earth, itself hurled along its orbit.
- The poet must spend himself with warmth, glamour and prodigality to increase the enthusiastic fervor of the primordial elements.
- Beauty exists only in struggle. There is no masterpiece that has not an aggressive character. Poetry must be a violent assault on the forces of the unknown, to force them to bow before man.
- We are on the extreme promontory of the centuries! What is the use of looking behind at the moment when we must open the mysterious shutters of the impossible? Time and Space died yesterday. We are already living in the absolute, since we have already created eternal, omnipresent speed.
- We want to glorify war — the only cure for the world — militarism, patriotism, the destructive gesture of the anarchists, the beautiful ideas which kill, and contempt for woman.
- We want to demolish museums and libraries, fight morality, feminism and all opportunist and utilitarian cowardice.
- We will sing of the great crowds agitated by work, pleasure and revolt; the multi-colored and polyphonic surf of revolutions in modern capitals: the nocturnal vibration of the arsenals and the workshops beneath their violent electric moons: the gluttonous railway stations devouring smoking serpents; factories suspended from the clouds by the thread of their smoke; bridges with the leap of gymnasts flung across the diabolic cutlery of sunny rivers: adventurous steamers sniffing the horizon; great-breasted locomotives, puffing on the rails like enormous steel horses with long tubes for bridle, and the gliding flight of aeroplanes whose propeller sounds like the flapping of a flag and the applause of enthusiastic crowds.
Written by the Italian poet Filippo Tommaso Marinetti
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Friday, May 7, 2010
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Monday, April 12, 2010
The Lovebomb Duo: Son Of A Gun
STATEMENT:
The Lovebomb Duo consists of guitarist/vocalist Ricky Milan and drummer Joel Forbes. The following video was developed as a school project for an Interactive Wearables class. The concept draws from post-modernist methods of post-production, utilizing a projection that can be "worn" and interacted with by performers.
The goal was to develop a system in which musicians are able to control their own visuals while performing live shows. In this case, stock footage is developed prior to the performance, in which the duo is followed through a forest chasing one another, ending with the drummer (Joel) killing the guitarist (Ricky). The projections and other forms of lighting are then triggered by the performers through the use of foot pedals and drum triggers, giving them complete visual and audible control.
This last scene is shown at the end of the film, as Ricky watches himself meet his own fate. In this particular setting, the projection acts as a form of body extension, where the performers extend their bodies into the liquidity of technology and projection, enabling their own mechanical reproduction.
INFLUENCE:
The film borrows from earlier forms of performance projection. Sam Perry's psychedelic visuals which he produced for the Tripps Festival in Vancouver in 1966 provided a starting point form myself in terms of concept. Scott Watson's essay Urban Renewal, Ghost Traps, Collage, Condos and Squats elaborates on the influence that Sam Perry's projections had on the developing subculture of Vancouver in the 60s. The nature aspect of the projections borrows from the films of Doug Aitken, which he displays as projections. A central theme in Aitken's work is the juxtaposition of the natural in the manufactured world.
DOCUMENTATION:
The Lovebomb Duo consists of guitarist/vocalist Ricky Milan and drummer Joel Forbes. The following video was developed as a school project for an Interactive Wearables class. The concept draws from post-modernist methods of post-production, utilizing a projection that can be "worn" and interacted with by performers.
The goal was to develop a system in which musicians are able to control their own visuals while performing live shows. In this case, stock footage is developed prior to the performance, in which the duo is followed through a forest chasing one another, ending with the drummer (Joel) killing the guitarist (Ricky). The projections and other forms of lighting are then triggered by the performers through the use of foot pedals and drum triggers, giving them complete visual and audible control.
This last scene is shown at the end of the film, as Ricky watches himself meet his own fate. In this particular setting, the projection acts as a form of body extension, where the performers extend their bodies into the liquidity of technology and projection, enabling their own mechanical reproduction.
INFLUENCE:
The film borrows from earlier forms of performance projection. Sam Perry's psychedelic visuals which he produced for the Tripps Festival in Vancouver in 1966 provided a starting point form myself in terms of concept. Scott Watson's essay Urban Renewal, Ghost Traps, Collage, Condos and Squats elaborates on the influence that Sam Perry's projections had on the developing subculture of Vancouver in the 60s. The nature aspect of the projections borrows from the films of Doug Aitken, which he displays as projections. A central theme in Aitken's work is the juxtaposition of the natural in the manufactured world.
DOCUMENTATION:
Monday, March 1, 2010
Critical Review: Here is Now
On a late, dark and wet night I attended the last Here Is Now show before it takes off for its west coast tour. The show took place at The Chapel located on Dunlevy Ave. not far from Hasting and Main in Downtown Vancouver. At the door I was greeted by a former Emily Carr student. I gave her a donation of $2.50, "money I would have spent on the bus ride if I hadn't walked" I explained to her. Without hesitating she produced an unused bus ticket, which I later used for the ride home. The general atmosphere in the gallery was a positive one, with beer for sale on the bottom floor, and a pool table and live DJ on the 2nd floor.
The first piece I noticed was Graham Landin's textile sculpture that hung from the ceiling accompanied by two other colorful sculptures of his which were hung on the wall behind it. The wall sculptures consisted of spray paint applied to wood in a minimalist style. All of his work is light-hearted, colorful and humorous. For the most part his sculptures are a nice aesthetic experience but accomplish nothing conceptually. His sculpture works are reminiscent of cubist paintings by Piet Mondrian and Kazimir Malevich. I found the large-scale photograph by Calen Knauf, which was placed in the middle of the wall between two of Landin's sculptures, fairly distracting and would have preferred Landin's work on its own.
As I walked into the next room to grab a beer I found the work of Mark Jacobson a.k.a. Rainbow Thunderbird. Jacobson is most likely considered to be one of the technically stronger and respected artists of the collective as his work took up a full wall of the gallery. I was struck by Jacobson's strong use of bright, bold colours and intrigued by his ambiguous imagery. Jacobson uses traditional motifs that are popular in Native North American art such as the eagle and bear, but I couldn't associate Jacobson's symbolism to any certain tribe or region. Jacobson has certainly found a way to exploit the rising popularity of Native art just as Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun and Sonny Assu have in the past. I was more interested in the graphic quality of his work and the technical precision Jacobson has rather than the spiritual connection that is often perceived in the paintings.
The spiritual experience happened in a dark room located next to Jacobson's work which housed a projection by the art collective Salazar. The projection consisted of an underwater shot of a man swimming in mirky water that had a green hue to it. The projection was displayed on the roof without any audio, putting the viewer in a place of tranquility and peace. Common associations of being under water such as drowning were disregarded, I instead had the sensation of comfortably floating under the male figure, which gently floated and swam in both the water and the medium (light). For me, the Salazar projection was the strongest of the exhibit. I discovered later that Salazar is made up of four innovative individuals: Jesse Savath, Bienviendo Cruz, Jeff Petry and nathan Drillot and mostly "focus on music videos and narrative films" (hereisnow.ca).
Upstairs I passed under a sculpture by Joshua van Dyke that hung above the stairs and into a room that featured photographs by Natasha Lands and a pool table which I proceeded to play on with my girlfriend and two other local art enthusiasts. I respect Lands' work to a certain degree, being both a skateboarder and photographer myself. There were four photographs by Lands in the pool room, the first a shot of surfers relaxing close to the coast, the second a photograph taken when the surf had risen a bit higher than first shot without the surfers, the third a set of stairs and the last a shot of a rail with stoppers meant to prevent the use by skateboarders. I enjoyed the consistency that exists in Lands' work and her ability to document subcultures and the various objects and environments that they exist in and are apart of.
The last room I entered was the most diverse, containing the work of Kaput, Roger Allen, Wizard Gang and Robert Mearns to name a few. Naturally I was intrigued mostly by the print work of graffiti artist Kaput. Kaput's style is a return to the 80's themes of punk motifs and graphics, not unlike the work of Vernon Johnson who drew designs for Powell Skateboards. Perhaps it’s the graphic and illustrative quality of Kaput's work that I'm attracted to but it's certainly not the concepts. His work is instantly sellable and easily produced, most likely to be printed on a shirt or under a skateboard. Other work that I was attracted to in this diverse room was the portraits painted by Robert Mearns. The two portraits were relatively conservative in regards to most of his other paintings in which mortality, and the erratic application of paint are central themes.
Overall I was pleased with exhibit and found it comforting that local artists are producing aesthetically pleasing work. On the contrary most of the work explores nothing new conceptually or politically. With an exception of the projection, all of the work had a price, which distracted me from the artist's intention and work itself. For this reason I consider this exhibit to be more of an art sale than art show. I realize the importance of making money for an artist but would rather see contact information rather than the price. Pricing a piece forces the viewer to judge the work on an economical basis and the concept or intention can be lost or dismissed when critiquing the work. When considering the fact that the gallery is so close to the conflict area of Hastings and Main, I would expect to see more work that references that struggle of the individuals that occupy that environment. I find galleries in religious spaces such as the Chapel intriguing and would like to see more artists utilizing spaces like these. The idea of the art gallery as a place of sanctuary is an interesting theme and I would like to see more artists use that to their advantage.
1st Floor
Graham Landin
Calen Knauf
Peter Taylor
Mark Jacobson
Salazar
Heather Martin
Caleb Beyers
Anna Macellan
Bob Kronbauer
2nd Floor
Joshua van Dyke
Natasha Lands
Kaput
Roger Allen
Hana Pesut
Luke Ramsey
Wizard Gang
Justin Gradin
Robert Mearns
By Max Cirka
Prepared for Patrik Andersson,
AHIS Studies in Contemporary Art
The first piece I noticed was Graham Landin's textile sculpture that hung from the ceiling accompanied by two other colorful sculptures of his which were hung on the wall behind it. The wall sculptures consisted of spray paint applied to wood in a minimalist style. All of his work is light-hearted, colorful and humorous. For the most part his sculptures are a nice aesthetic experience but accomplish nothing conceptually. His sculpture works are reminiscent of cubist paintings by Piet Mondrian and Kazimir Malevich. I found the large-scale photograph by Calen Knauf, which was placed in the middle of the wall between two of Landin's sculptures, fairly distracting and would have preferred Landin's work on its own.
As I walked into the next room to grab a beer I found the work of Mark Jacobson a.k.a. Rainbow Thunderbird. Jacobson is most likely considered to be one of the technically stronger and respected artists of the collective as his work took up a full wall of the gallery. I was struck by Jacobson's strong use of bright, bold colours and intrigued by his ambiguous imagery. Jacobson uses traditional motifs that are popular in Native North American art such as the eagle and bear, but I couldn't associate Jacobson's symbolism to any certain tribe or region. Jacobson has certainly found a way to exploit the rising popularity of Native art just as Lawrence Paul Yuxweluptun and Sonny Assu have in the past. I was more interested in the graphic quality of his work and the technical precision Jacobson has rather than the spiritual connection that is often perceived in the paintings.
The spiritual experience happened in a dark room located next to Jacobson's work which housed a projection by the art collective Salazar. The projection consisted of an underwater shot of a man swimming in mirky water that had a green hue to it. The projection was displayed on the roof without any audio, putting the viewer in a place of tranquility and peace. Common associations of being under water such as drowning were disregarded, I instead had the sensation of comfortably floating under the male figure, which gently floated and swam in both the water and the medium (light). For me, the Salazar projection was the strongest of the exhibit. I discovered later that Salazar is made up of four innovative individuals: Jesse Savath, Bienviendo Cruz, Jeff Petry and nathan Drillot and mostly "focus on music videos and narrative films" (hereisnow.ca).
Upstairs I passed under a sculpture by Joshua van Dyke that hung above the stairs and into a room that featured photographs by Natasha Lands and a pool table which I proceeded to play on with my girlfriend and two other local art enthusiasts. I respect Lands' work to a certain degree, being both a skateboarder and photographer myself. There were four photographs by Lands in the pool room, the first a shot of surfers relaxing close to the coast, the second a photograph taken when the surf had risen a bit higher than first shot without the surfers, the third a set of stairs and the last a shot of a rail with stoppers meant to prevent the use by skateboarders. I enjoyed the consistency that exists in Lands' work and her ability to document subcultures and the various objects and environments that they exist in and are apart of.
The last room I entered was the most diverse, containing the work of Kaput, Roger Allen, Wizard Gang and Robert Mearns to name a few. Naturally I was intrigued mostly by the print work of graffiti artist Kaput. Kaput's style is a return to the 80's themes of punk motifs and graphics, not unlike the work of Vernon Johnson who drew designs for Powell Skateboards. Perhaps it’s the graphic and illustrative quality of Kaput's work that I'm attracted to but it's certainly not the concepts. His work is instantly sellable and easily produced, most likely to be printed on a shirt or under a skateboard. Other work that I was attracted to in this diverse room was the portraits painted by Robert Mearns. The two portraits were relatively conservative in regards to most of his other paintings in which mortality, and the erratic application of paint are central themes.
Overall I was pleased with exhibit and found it comforting that local artists are producing aesthetically pleasing work. On the contrary most of the work explores nothing new conceptually or politically. With an exception of the projection, all of the work had a price, which distracted me from the artist's intention and work itself. For this reason I consider this exhibit to be more of an art sale than art show. I realize the importance of making money for an artist but would rather see contact information rather than the price. Pricing a piece forces the viewer to judge the work on an economical basis and the concept or intention can be lost or dismissed when critiquing the work. When considering the fact that the gallery is so close to the conflict area of Hastings and Main, I would expect to see more work that references that struggle of the individuals that occupy that environment. I find galleries in religious spaces such as the Chapel intriguing and would like to see more artists utilizing spaces like these. The idea of the art gallery as a place of sanctuary is an interesting theme and I would like to see more artists use that to their advantage.
1st Floor
Graham Landin
Calen Knauf
Peter Taylor
Mark Jacobson
Salazar
Heather Martin
Caleb Beyers
Anna Macellan
Bob Kronbauer
2nd Floor
Joshua van Dyke
Natasha Lands
Kaput
Roger Allen
Hana Pesut
Luke Ramsey
Wizard Gang
Justin Gradin
Robert Mearns
By Max Cirka
Prepared for Patrik Andersson,
AHIS Studies in Contemporary Art
Monday, February 8, 2010
SON OF A GUN (1st draft)
THE STORY
CHAPTER 1: The Find
Ricky and Max are out for a drive searching for goods that they can bring back to their house. They find an old TV that someone is throwing away and proceed to knock on the owner's house. After no one answers the two put the TV in the back of Max's truck and bring it back to the house.
When they set it up and get settled in they find that the TV is not working. Knowing that Dan is a electrician they call him.
Dan: "I'm picking up right now, I'll be home in 30"
Dan comes home and proceeds to fix the TV. After opening up the TV the three characters discover a bag full of a mysterious and valuable material/substance. The three decide to hide the bag in the attic.
CHAPTER 2: The Kill
Ricky awakes the next morning and begins to cook up some eggs. He calls up his band mate Joel over for a jam. What Ricky does not know is that the bag belonged to Joel and he is looking to get it back. After Ricky refuses to tell Joel where the bag is they end up in a heated argument. Joel grabs an ax and proceeds to chase Ricky out of the house. The chase ends with Joel lifting the axe above Ricky, but not showing his death.
CHAPTER 3: The Fire
While Joel is looking for the bag, Dan returns to the house and receives an anonymous text message telling him to get out of the house. Sensing somebody is already in the house, Dan grabs a can of spray paint for defense. When he sees Joel he blasts him in face. blinding him. Joel blindly swings the axe, decapitating Dan. Joel then slips on the blood from Dan and falls back, the axe flies in the air and lands in Joel's head. Max returns to the house to find the bloody ax and the bodies of Joel and Dan. Max grabs the bag and sets fire to the house and exits.
THE CHARACTERS:
CHAPTER 1: The Find
Ricky and Max are out for a drive searching for goods that they can bring back to their house. They find an old TV that someone is throwing away and proceed to knock on the owner's house. After no one answers the two put the TV in the back of Max's truck and bring it back to the house.
When they set it up and get settled in they find that the TV is not working. Knowing that Dan is a electrician they call him.
Dan: "I'm picking up right now, I'll be home in 30"
Dan comes home and proceeds to fix the TV. After opening up the TV the three characters discover a bag full of a mysterious and valuable material/substance. The three decide to hide the bag in the attic.
CHAPTER 2: The Kill
Ricky awakes the next morning and begins to cook up some eggs. He calls up his band mate Joel over for a jam. What Ricky does not know is that the bag belonged to Joel and he is looking to get it back. After Ricky refuses to tell Joel where the bag is they end up in a heated argument. Joel grabs an ax and proceeds to chase Ricky out of the house. The chase ends with Joel lifting the axe above Ricky, but not showing his death.
CHAPTER 3: The Fire
While Joel is looking for the bag, Dan returns to the house and receives an anonymous text message telling him to get out of the house. Sensing somebody is already in the house, Dan grabs a can of spray paint for defense. When he sees Joel he blasts him in face. blinding him. Joel blindly swings the axe, decapitating Dan. Joel then slips on the blood from Dan and falls back, the axe flies in the air and lands in Joel's head. Max returns to the house to find the bloody ax and the bodies of Joel and Dan. Max grabs the bag and sets fire to the house and exits.
THE CHARACTERS:
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