I was born in 1977 and I feel exquisitely connected to the changes that have transformed our techno-cultural environment over the last 30 years. An actual owner of a Commodore 64, learner of LOGOand a Nickelodeon/ MTV early adopter- I am inspired by the apparent bridge between the digital age and analog sensibilities. As a part of my graduate school experience, I am partnering with RECESS Activities, Inc.to utilize the internet as a means to create art material and develop a platform for a disciplined (yet mundane) performance. Stay Tuned...
"In economics, currency refers to a generally accepted medium of exchange. These are usually the coins and banknotes of a particular government, which comprise the physical aspects of a nation's money supply. The other part of a nation's money supply consists of bank deposits (sometimes called deposit money), ownership of which can be transferred by means of cheques, debit cards, or other forms of money transfer. Deposit money and currency are money in the sense that both are acceptable as a means of payment.
Money in the form of currency has predominated throughout most of history. Usually (gold or silver) coins of intrinsic value (commodity money) have been the norm. However, nearly all contemporary money systems are based on fiat money – modern currency has value only by government order (fiat). Usually, the government declares the fiat currency (typically notes and coins issued by the central bank) to be legal tender, making it unlawful to not accept the fiat currency as a means of repayment for all debts, public and private."MORE
Durning a day of hanging out with one of my favorite people (Jacolby Satterwhite) we ran into two of his MICAcolleagues. A recently engaged couple, they shared news of their rapidly evolving business: designing wallpaper. Wallpaper is one of those rare birds in New York City life, an relative anomaly in the midst of of single year leases and the gobs of paint used to cover evidence of former tenants. That being, said their work is delightfully conceived, and, with the plethora of customization options available, a worthwhile leap into more permanent living. Of course as an artist I'm thinking along the lines of portable wallpapered performance spaces, but that's another story...
I am a library junkie. If not an artist, perhaps I would've become a librarian, but with costumes, for certain. Inspired by the improvisational reading list of The Inflatable Mattress, it seems that my Summer Reading List is a worthwhile precursor to my academic studies. Special thanks to Dawit Petros and Joe Scanlan for their suggestions.
"Today's Google doodle is a classic. Grab a plectrum and head on over to Google.com right now, because it's time to play some tunes.
The search engine's home page logo has been converted into a slightly odd-shaped, but fully working virtual guitar to commemorate the 96th birthday of guitar legend Les Paul, who died in 2009.
There's more to this doodle than meets the eye, though.
If you're in the U.S., you should see a small Record button right underneath the guitar strings. Click it, then make your own song. You can share your finished masterpiece with others just by sending them the link, too.
Unfortunately the record and playback function doesn't work in all countries but you can still play songs in real time, which is much easier if you use the hidden keyboard controls. Just click the button, whether it looks like a record button or a keyboard, and start typing.
See what tune you can make with your name. Or type in your employer's mission statement. That'll liven up the day's work. A bit.
Why does Google do things like this? Partly because it's fun. And partly because it's excellent marketing. Millions of people will encounter this today, and start messing with it instead of doing their actual work. Totally worked on me."MORE
When I was 6 years old I had a striped outfit branded by Jordache. It was a two-piece confection in pink and heather gray and I wore it each time my Montessori school took a trip to the skating rink. Composed of a long sleeved leotard (with a snap closure at the crotch) and a swingy ruffled skirt, it became more than an outfit, it was a costume. It was 1983, Michael Jackson’s Thriller was my religion, my mother had just read The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe to me for the first time, and I was determined to learn how to skate. The rink’s décor was a holdover from its mid-1970’s heyday; a slightly nauseating mixture of orange, brown and mustard hues that matched the foot-stank-Lysol aroma in the days before Febreze®.
I had perfected a kind of skate shuffle that was a mere stepping-stone to the spins and jumps that were choreographed in my mind. I was an only child with no siblings to temper my overactive imagination or give “perspective” on my sense of cool. I WAS cool, you could tell by my outfit… but I digress, back to the shuffle.
The walls of the rink were covered with a shag carpet; color blocked in a modern fashion, which looked like the future to me- rounded angles and directional rhombuses that were obviously the tracks of lasers. I made my way around the rink, shuffling on my skates while holding onto the carpet strands. I even managed to clomp with the rhythm of the music as the older kids whisked by. Apparently, I’ve blocked out the number of times I fell. My mother had to inform the teachers my falling was actually a learning technique that I’d independently devised for my eventual success. I can understand their concern. I was spindly then; so there was no body cushion, save for the shag carpet.
One day my methods failed in a most peculiar way. As usual my shuffle-grab motion was in full effect- perhaps “Egyptian Lover” pulsed overhead- and I was looking Jordache fly. Shuffle, grab, shuffle, grab, shuffle, SLIP. My hand reached for my beloved shag, if only to rescue the picture that my outfit created, but instead my hand fell on something hard. And plastic. With a lever. That read FIRE. Instantly, the music was replaced by a tremendous honking and I somehow correlated this strange turn of events with the red and white lever. The spectacle was fantastic: my classmates were freaking, the teachers were frantic, the staff was puzzled and two gleaming fire trucks appeared in the parking lot- all within 5 minutes (I swear!).
Unfortunately I did not have the foresight, the technology, or permission from my mom to document this inaugural “performance”, nor did I take credit for the conceptual boundaries I crossed as an emerging artist. However, I have used this early example of my “work” as inspiration for my continued mission to create a spectacle of myself.
Clowns are comic performers stereotypically characterized by the grotesque image of the circus clown's colored wigs, stylistic makeup, outlandish costumes, unusually large footwear, and red nose, which evolved to project their actions to large audiences. Other less grotesque styles have also developed, including theatre, television, and film clowns. Peter Berger writes that "It seems plausible that folly and fools, like religion and magic, meet some deeply rooted needs in human society".[1] For this reason, clowning is often considered an important part of training as a physical performance discipline, partly because tricky subject matter can be dealt with, but also because it requires a high level of risk and play in the performer.[2]MORE
The whiteface is the oldest style of clown, dating back to Greek theatre. Contrary to popular belief, the clown does NOT wear make up to hide or disguise his figures, but rather to reveal them. In Greek theatre, lighting was poor (compared to modern day theater), and so a white background with black markings served well to illuminate the actor’s features. A well-known ancestor of the whiteface is the court jester of the middle ages (though authentic court jesters often performed with little or no make-up at all). MORE
There is a widely told legend about the origins of the Auguste clown. According to the legend, an American acrobat named Tom Belling was performing with a circus in Germany in 1869. Confined to his dressing room as punishment for missing his cues, he entertained his friends by putting on misfitting clothes to perform his impression of the show's manager. The manager suddenly entered the room. Belling took off running, ending up in the circus arena where he fell over the ring curb. In his embarrassment and haste to escape, he fell over the ring curb again on his way out. The audience yelled, "auguste!" which is German for fool. The manager commanded that Belling continue appearing as the Auguste. MORE
Joseph Frank Keaton Jr. (October 4, 1895 – February 1, 1966), always known as Buster Keaton, was a popular and influential American silent-film comic actor and filmmaker. His trademark was physical comedy with a stoic, deadpan expression on his face, earning him the nickname “The Great Stone Face”. His work as a performer and director is widely regarded to be some of the most innovative and important work in the history of cinema. MORE
The classic Tramp epitomized by Emmett Kelly and Otto Griebling of circus fame is the forlorn and downtrodden character who has nothing and knows he will never have anything. By nature, he will probably be a loner, which is reflected in his determination to be silent, generally not talking to anyone but his peers. His downcast mannerisms and shuffling burdensome movements reflect his hard life. The character clown is widely thought of as the tramp or hobo, but it can encompass many other things. For instance, a cowboy clown, virtually all of Red Skelton's TV characters (Sheriff Deadeye, Clem Kaddiddlehopper, the mean widdle kid, Cauliflower McPugg, etc.), Carol Burnett's famous wash woman character, Tim Conway's equally famous 'little old man' character, Urkel from the TV show "Family Matters," etc. are all clearly clowns, though definitely not either a whiteface nor an auguste clown. The vast majority of clowns in this category, however, are clearly tramps and hobos. MORE
"In mythology, and in the study of folklore and religion, a trickster is a god, goddess, spirit, man, woman, or anthropomorphic animal who plays tricks or otherwise disobeys normal rules and conventional behavior. It is suggested by Hansen (2001) that the term "Trickster" was probably first used in this context by Daniel G. Brinton in 1885." MORE
"Although trickster's actions and personality may seem ridiculous or extreme, some scholars have noted that he/she serves an important purpose in traditional and contemporary narratives. Trickster may work as a kind of outlet for strong emotions or actions in which humans cannot indulge. These actions are at the margins of social morality and normal behavior, so humans can express and feel things through the trickster that would be unsafe to express or experience outside of stories. In this sense the trickster is a kind of "escape valve" for a society. (See the Barbara Babcock link for more on this.) In spite of his/her flaws, the trickster often represents the introduction of good things to society. He/she might bring to the culture (wittingly or unwittingly) important knowledge, food, medicine, customs (like marriage), clothing, and other good things, often in spite of his/her intentions."MORE
"The trickster myth derives creative intelligence from appetite. It begins with a being whose main concern is getting fed and it ends with the same being grown mentally swift, adept at creating and unmasking deceit, proficient at hiding his tracks and at seeing through the devices used by others to hide theirs. Trickster starts out hungry, but before long he is master of the kind of creative deception that, according to a long tradition, is a prerequisite of art. Aristotle wrote that Homer first "taught the rest of us the art of framing lies the right way." Homer makes lies seem so real that they enter the world and walk among us. Odysseus walks among us to this day, and he would seem to be Homer's own self-portrait, for Odysseus, too, is a master of the art of lying, an art he got from his grandfather, Autolycus, who got it in turn from his father, Hermes. And Hermes, in an old story we shall soon consider, invented lying when he was a hungry child with a hankering for meat." MORE
The Fool : "Like all archetypes, The Fool is universal and easily recognized. He (for The Fool is usually male) is beyond the usual yoke of custom and convention. As the Village Idiot he is ostracized. But The Fool can see and do things others can not. He is often coupled with the King, for they make a balanced pair. The King must be dignified and proper, while the Fool has the “Fool’s Privilege”. He gets to say things no one else dares. King Lear is an excellent example. The Fool chastises Lear when no one else will." MORE
“The fool doth think he is wise, but the wise man knows himself to be a fool” MORE
"The Shakespearean fool is a recurring character type in the works of William Shakespeare. Shakespearean fools are usually clever peasants or commoners that use their wits to outdo people of higher social standing. In this sense, they are very similar to the real fools, clowns, and jesters of the time, but their characteristics are greatly heightened for theatrical effect."MORE
Palimpsestic : (n.) | 1. a parchment or other surface in which later writing has been superimposed on effaced earlier writing. 2. something bearing visible traces of an earlier form.
Bricoleur :(n.) | is a term used in several disciplines, among them the visual arts, to refer to the construction or creation of a work from a diverse range of things that happen to be available, or a work created by such a process. The term is borrowed from the French word bricolage, from the verb bricoler, the core meaning in French being, "fiddle, tinker" and, by extension, "to make creative and resourceful use of whatever materials are at hand (regardless of their original purpose)". In contemporary French the word is the equivalent of the English do it yourself, and is seen on large shed retail outlets throughout France. A person who engages in bricolage is a bricoleur.
Objets Trouvés :(n.) | The term found art—more commonly found object (French: objet trouvé) or readymade—describes art created from undisguised, but often modified, objects that are not normally considered art, often because they already have a non-art function. Marcel Duchamp was the originator of this in the early 20th century.
Lexical : (adj.) |1. of or relating to items of vocabulary in a language 2. Of or relating to lexicography or a lexicon.
Obliquely :(adj.) | 1. a.) Having a slanting or sloping direction, course, or position; inclined.b. Mathematics Designating geometric lines or planes that are neither parallel nor perpendicular. 2. Botany Having sides of unequal length or form 3. Anatomy Situated in a slanting position; not transverse or longitudinal 5. Not direct in descent; collateral. 6. Grammar Designating any noun case except the nominative or the vocative. | n. 1. An oblique thing, such as a line, direction, or muscles 2. Nautical The act of changing course by less than 90°. | adv. 1. At an angle of 45°.
Imaginaries : (n.) | 1. An imaginary, or social imaginary is the set of values, institutions, laws, and symbols common to a particular social group and the corresponding society.
Bijoux:(n.) 1. a small dainty usually ornamental piece of delicate workmanship 2. something delicate, elegant, or highly prized
Fecund :(adj.) 1. Producing or capable of producing an abundance of offspring or new growth; fertile 2. (of a woman or women) Capable of becoming pregnant and giving birth
Concomitantly(adj.)Occurring or existing concurrently; attendant. | (n.) One that occurs or exists concurrently with another
Praxis :(n.) | 1. Practice, as distinguished from theory 2. Accepted practice or custom
Subterraneous (adj.) | being or operating under the surface of the earth 2. lying beyond what is openly revealed or avowed (especially being kept in the background or deliberately concealed)
Flaneurs :The term flâneur comes from the French masculine noun flâneur—which has the basic meanings of "stroller", "lounger", "saunterer", "loafer"—which itself comes from the French verb flâner, which means "to stroll".
Peripatetic : (adj.) traveling from place to place, esp. working or based in various places for relatively short periods. | (n.) A person who travels from place to place
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