The following iPhone application game "NANO" was created by the artist Adrian Johnson out of Colorado Springs.
NANO
If you do not have access to an iPhone to download you can still watch his video example on his page. Enjoy, I will let his work speak for itself.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Back in the world again.... and out....
Vertigo Art Space sits at the far Northern Edge of Denver's arts district on Santa Fe Drive. There are just some spaces that you enjoy and this is one of mine. Occasionally, I just find myself sitting there watching the world, quietly.
Last night it was First Friday. The weather was generally warm which meant there was a mass amount of artists and onlookers roaming the streets, gallery hopping, drinking and watching the events that can happen on this night.
A brief heavy rain had just hit the street which at first flooded the gallery with people that were trying to stay dry. A literal deluge of semi wet human beings crowded into the space. The rain stopped and the people drained out the door, leaving a sudden calm. The sun broke from the clouds and streamed through the large windows. The sun rays lit the delicate porcelain sculptures that hung on the walls in a new fashion, adding depth with shadows. The gallery door was still open and the sound of cars splashing along wet streets became rhythmic. Through that veil of rhythmic sound another sound began to build, this one man made, and I realized that across the street a couple of musicians had begun to play inside of a box truck that had been converted into a stage. The sound was familiar to me, touching and hypnotic.
We closed the gallery at 9:00 but the streets were still active so I chose to walk, look for old friends, observe what I could of the galleries that still had open doors and enjoy the street performers.
Finishing my walk I passed in front of the box truck. The musicians still played but this time I recognized them from a performance I had seen a few years ago. At the time I had seen them they were known as "Orwellian Math", they are now known as "The Construct". I found myself profoundly touched. The performance I had seen a few years ago had pulled me and the rest of the people that had crowded into a small and obscure venue out of our chairs. It was the end performance for what had been a cabaret type show. A surreal mixture of performance art and video work. It was really the only performance of that entire show that had completely moved me.
Moved me enough that upon seeing them again I was extremely happy. Happy to know they have continued on, played on. Moved me enough to remember that people who do what they love to do affect us, dare us to dream again, challenge us to care and wake us up when our souls become listless.
Last night it was First Friday. The weather was generally warm which meant there was a mass amount of artists and onlookers roaming the streets, gallery hopping, drinking and watching the events that can happen on this night.
A brief heavy rain had just hit the street which at first flooded the gallery with people that were trying to stay dry. A literal deluge of semi wet human beings crowded into the space. The rain stopped and the people drained out the door, leaving a sudden calm. The sun broke from the clouds and streamed through the large windows. The sun rays lit the delicate porcelain sculptures that hung on the walls in a new fashion, adding depth with shadows. The gallery door was still open and the sound of cars splashing along wet streets became rhythmic. Through that veil of rhythmic sound another sound began to build, this one man made, and I realized that across the street a couple of musicians had begun to play inside of a box truck that had been converted into a stage. The sound was familiar to me, touching and hypnotic.
We closed the gallery at 9:00 but the streets were still active so I chose to walk, look for old friends, observe what I could of the galleries that still had open doors and enjoy the street performers.
Finishing my walk I passed in front of the box truck. The musicians still played but this time I recognized them from a performance I had seen a few years ago. At the time I had seen them they were known as "Orwellian Math", they are now known as "The Construct". I found myself profoundly touched. The performance I had seen a few years ago had pulled me and the rest of the people that had crowded into a small and obscure venue out of our chairs. It was the end performance for what had been a cabaret type show. A surreal mixture of performance art and video work. It was really the only performance of that entire show that had completely moved me.
Moved me enough that upon seeing them again I was extremely happy. Happy to know they have continued on, played on. Moved me enough to remember that people who do what they love to do affect us, dare us to dream again, challenge us to care and wake us up when our souls become listless.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Rip - A Remix Manifesto
I have always loved the Creative Commons Copy-write. Since the moment I began playing with remix music and sound I found it a relief to work with music that was easier to license without a heavy concern of having some corporate giant of a record label come after me. Organizations that embraced a new era of creative exchange like Magnatune became my staple for source material. With them I found great relief in realizing that more of the money that I spent to license that music went straight into the hands of the artists instead of being lost in the black hole of middle men.
Recently, I went to go see the documentary "Rip- A Remix Manifesto". It is magnificently done and worth downloading. It gives a good overview of the issues that have been plaguing many creators since the Copy-write laws began being mutated to benefit major corporate giants instead of the artists and scientists that they originally were created to protect.
Recently, I went to go see the documentary "Rip- A Remix Manifesto". It is magnificently done and worth downloading. It gives a good overview of the issues that have been plaguing many creators since the Copy-write laws began being mutated to benefit major corporate giants instead of the artists and scientists that they originally were created to protect.
BackStory
My work is often a collage of what sometimes may seem like chaos to some at least during the process of creating it. I will admit that I often will take off on multiple tangents. Research random thoughts and ideas. Be influenced by dreams or the comments I overhear made by random strangers on the street. In some ways I am a sponge for chaos. However, that build up of chaos often becomes what eventually becomes a form of architecture for the work, a background of a piece or the backstory of a character.
Backstory, in writing or acting you always consider the backstory. The history of the character that makes him or her react in a certain way to their present circumstances. The things about the character that the audience may not know but which ultimately make the difference in why that character is who he or she is.
Backstory, for the future, what are we leaving for them. Those who come after? Our influence, our pain, our love, our passion, our knowledge. What backstory do I create today, for myself, for others, for every being I encounter and all those who cross my path.
Did I live as I should live? Did I consider anyone other then my own self and my immediate wants? Did I mend the problems that others left behind so that the future could be free of that which I was forced to deal with? Did I consider the backstory, not only of where I come from but what I leave behind?
The piece I work on now is about that. The backstory.
Backstory, in writing or acting you always consider the backstory. The history of the character that makes him or her react in a certain way to their present circumstances. The things about the character that the audience may not know but which ultimately make the difference in why that character is who he or she is.
Backstory, for the future, what are we leaving for them. Those who come after? Our influence, our pain, our love, our passion, our knowledge. What backstory do I create today, for myself, for others, for every being I encounter and all those who cross my path.
Did I live as I should live? Did I consider anyone other then my own self and my immediate wants? Did I mend the problems that others left behind so that the future could be free of that which I was forced to deal with? Did I consider the backstory, not only of where I come from but what I leave behind?
The piece I work on now is about that. The backstory.
Monday, May 26, 2008
Beaufort Wind Scale
I have been focusing on creating animated pieces that react to live wind data gathered from NOAA RSS Feeds. In order to show a progressive change in the animation that reflects different forces of wind I have decided to use the Beaufort Wind Scale.
This scale gives me twelve different stages of wind force and a description of the effects of that wind upon the environment that I can then incorporate into short animated image sequences.
Beaufort Wind Scale
For those interested in a bit of nautical history the Beaufort Wind Scale was created in 1805 by Sir Francis Beaufort in an attempt to standardize the wind and weather data recieved from mariners. Otherwise mariners were left with the subjective weather observations of individuals, thus making it hard to get a clear depiction of the possible conditions of the sea.
This scale gives me twelve different stages of wind force and a description of the effects of that wind upon the environment that I can then incorporate into short animated image sequences.
Beaufort Wind Scale
For those interested in a bit of nautical history the Beaufort Wind Scale was created in 1805 by Sir Francis Beaufort in an attempt to standardize the wind and weather data recieved from mariners. Otherwise mariners were left with the subjective weather observations of individuals, thus making it hard to get a clear depiction of the possible conditions of the sea.
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Wind Horse
Along with my research and exploration of nautical wind data and oil platforms in the Gulf of Mexico I have been working on animations that include horse imagery.
Is this a completely unrelated theme? I do not think so. The horse after all is another form of transport. To ride one full speed through an open field is to experience the feeling of wind. There is a connection.
To solidify this connection I came across the term "wind horse" used in Tibetan buddhism. In this context the "wind horse" refers to a type of tibetan prayer flag. These flags are hung outdoors to flutter in the wind. The intention is that the prayer will be carried by the wind horse into the heavens.
When I think of wind I think of its universal quality, unconfined nature and it's ability to cross all borders. The idea of a prayer being sent into the wind is, at the very least, affecting my thoughts.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
SkyTruth
Yes, it would be impossible to assume that with the destruction of so many oil platforms that there was no spilling of oil. The following organization tracks environmental change and impact using many of the same technology that geologist use to gather data for oil exploration.
The following information about Skytruth was obtained by their website.
SkyTruth promotes environmental awareness and protection with remote sensing and digital mapping technology. We provide stunning images backed by scientifically robust information about our changing environment to stimulate changes in habitat protection, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable resource management. We design and conduct our projects in close partnership with environmental groups, local planners and resource managers to complement their work on a broad spectrum of environmental issues.
HISTORY
Throughout the 1990s, working in the private sector as a geologist who used remote sensing as an exploration tool, John Amos became increasingly concerned by the mounting evidence of human-caused changes to landscapes and ecosystems around the world. He began to think that images of habitat loss and the spread of human influence could be important not only as a source of scientific data on environmental change, but also as a powerful tool for communicating these changes to the public.
SkyTruth results for the damage to oil and gas infrastructure from Hurricane Katrina
The following information about Skytruth was obtained by their website.
SkyTruth promotes environmental awareness and protection with remote sensing and digital mapping technology. We provide stunning images backed by scientifically robust information about our changing environment to stimulate changes in habitat protection, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable resource management. We design and conduct our projects in close partnership with environmental groups, local planners and resource managers to complement their work on a broad spectrum of environmental issues.
HISTORY
Throughout the 1990s, working in the private sector as a geologist who used remote sensing as an exploration tool, John Amos became increasingly concerned by the mounting evidence of human-caused changes to landscapes and ecosystems around the world. He began to think that images of habitat loss and the spread of human influence could be important not only as a source of scientific data on environmental change, but also as a powerful tool for communicating these changes to the public.
SkyTruth results for the damage to oil and gas infrastructure from Hurricane Katrina
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