connecting*the*dots

I Want Change, originally uploaded by davidcharding.

Red state / blue state political maps now have a behavioral map to further support the simplistic notions of a two-party system!

Don’t get me wrong, I find the visceral imprint of this study from the school of information at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor fascinating, but I’m hoping that as we further our attempts to understand one another through similar human behavior studies using our interactions on the web, we’ll look to use less obvious attributes than political party affiliations as a control.

Evelyn Roth, TV Trap (1973)

Joe Malia, Memoirs of a Computer Obsessive (2006)

(via BoingBoing)

Phillip Toledano, How To Spread Democracy

Picnic, Muayad Muhsin (oil-on-canvas)

Very cool deconstruction, but man… dude has some serious time on his hands.

(via ishbadiddle)

As only my father could express.

That great statement was captured in the front room of the elsewhere artist collaborative, right next door to The Scene on South Elm.

I just started going through some of their writings… interesting stuff. From organizational thoughts 2:

[…]

Politics is inherently artful and art is a manipulation of medium. To combine art and politics is to make the medium people and the property medium. Elsewhere’s political notion of collaboration is the balance of individual and community, where the individual is given full rights to application of the common property so long as use of such property is not distructive[1] to the community. The individual is the depleater[2], abuser, and the one to be feared, thus the community must protect itself from abuse. Abuse is about individual disregarding the needs of other individuals and disregarding the community needs as defined by the individual perception. However, in the jumbled state that this iterates, the individuals are disregarding and subjecting the environment by their ill perceptions of its maximus[3] capability. A fully applied concept does not insure that the individuals will produce great art as individuals, but a community governed by a thoughtful populace, an informed and informing populace, is partaking in the conceptual framework that directs the space. If there is constant flux in conceptual ideology issued by well-expressed discussion and submission of idea then everyone is participating in collaborative art.

[…]

I’m diggin’ my new neighborhood.

In 1997, at the age of 93, my grandmother — Reva Patrick Coon — asked me to design the cover for her first book.

Ties & Tales is her personal story of Dunsmuir, California — the place she’s called home since the early 1920’s. While much of the content focuses on our family, the book also provides interesting context to mainstream American history.

Three years in the making, G’ma’s memoirs are finally ready for the printer. And after a few attempts, I finally finished the book jacket this past weekend.

Now I’ve got to give her a call and ask permission to release the book as a blog…

UPDATE: I received the sweetest voice-mail message from G’ma today. I think she likes the book cover. ;-)

UPDATE II: G’ma gave me her blessings to publish her memoirs as a blog. The book is over 200 pages long, so I’ll probably convert each of her chapters into separate posts. Here’s a sample from chapter 1:

1 .. IN THE GARDEN

In 1732, the first of the Patrick’s left North Antrim, Ireland, and sailed to the United States where they settled in Kentucky, later moving to Indiana where they became grain farmers.

The McKinney’s, Irish with just a wee bit of Scotch (for flavouring, no doubt) emigrated to Minnesota and later Wisconsin.

My father, Thomas McVey Patrick, curly brown hair and snappy blue eyes, was an adventurer. He forsook the security of the rich farm life in Indiana at age twenty. Mounting his horse and taking only his knapsack, revolver and a very few good supplies, he waved farewell to his family and rode off. After six or seven months he arrived in Seattle, Washington.

[…]

Figures are power-washed out of the muck that builds up beneath our feet in order to raise awareness of power plant pollution in Chicago.

(via blakkbyrd)

Last September, I happened upon Michal Levy’s brilliant computer animation of the Coltrane classic, Giant Steps. After reading John Amato’s latest musical post on John Coltrane, I figured John and his audience would dig it. Thanks for the h/t, John.

Now, if you’re truly a political head, yet only a casual a fan of jazz, I’d be remiss if I didn’t point you over to the life work of Charles Mingus. The man lived life on the edge, spoke from the heart and translated his political perspective into complex compositions and straightforward lyrics that would make even the most polished, political pundit take notes.

Check out this quote from a review of the Mingus Big Band release of Blues & Politics:

…Mingus’ song titles are also fascinating because they are so suggestive — how does the Haitian revolution or the rise and decline of man (”Pithecanthropus Erectus“) sound? The titles make you think and pay attention to the music as it is played — this is what Mingus desired most as a performer. Throughout his career he sought a conscientious audience working with him to bring meaning to the music. Reprinted within the liner notes of Blues & Politics is Mingus’ untitled prose poem about pledging allegiance to the American flag as well as the lyrics to “Oh Lord, Don’t Let Them Drop That Atomic Bomb on Me”, “Don’t Let It Happen Here”, and “Freedom”. These pieces reflect Mingus’ concern with justice for all Americans across racial lines…

Pure genius.

SOHH.com, Janeé Bolden
Ecko Responds to Vegas Mayor’s Thumb Chopping Suggestion…

[…]

Last week, (Marc) Ecko, chairman and founder of Ecko Unltd., approached Mayor Goodman about his comments via a letter titled “Re: Taggers, Thumbs and Graffiti Art.”

“You recently suggested chopping off tagger’s thumbs and subjecting them to public canings and whippings,” Ecko wrote in the letter obtained by SOHH. “Your comments garnered national attention. I heard them and reflected upon your frustration and anger. You may be surprised to learn that I share some of your concerns about public defacement and vandalism. I simply believe in a different approach.

“First, graf should be celebrated and encouraged, not demeaned or attacked,” he added. “It is art. It is expression. It is a form of social commentary. It provokes thought and debate,” Ecko continued. “Second most graffiti writers - whom you apparently perceive as being a threat to civilized society - are legitimate and talented artists. Some are entrepreneurs who aspire to design fashion brands, for example, like mine. Many are just searching for an outlet to express their creative energy and establish a name for themselves.”

Ecko concluded the letter telling Mayor Goodman that he would like to meet him next week. “I will be in Las Vegas May 8-9; I’d like to meet you. I’d like you to show me the artistry of your City, while we discuss the finer points of graf and your anti-graffiti ordinances. I’d like to teach you how graf can be a positive form of artistic expression… We can auction off whatever we create, with the proceeds going to the Las Vegas charity of your choice. We can show the people of Las Vegas that graf art, properly created and distributed, is a powerful and effective tool of change.”

[…]

On the local front, Cara Michele has been arguing with Officer Tim Tepedino about the ties between graffiti and crime (well, until recently that is).

While I do understand why property owners don’t care for graffiti, and why law enforcement (and Malcolm Gladwell) believe that tagging leads to the creation of a social climate susceptable to crime, I also understand the desire to tag.

Graffiti, in all of it’s various forms, is a complex form of social expression — part peer pressure, part artistic endevour, part shot of self-esteem, part communication. And while a great majority of graffiti doesn’t speak to me personally, when it does, it blows me away — both exposing and reinforcing perspectives and creativity that I might never have become exposed to otherwise.

Look, graffiti artists know that their tags and creations aren’t permanent forms of expression. Tags in the real have a longer average shelf-life than a conversation at a pub, but less than as an expression on canvas. Property owners and municiple government have every right to remove graffiti from their property, yet that legal right is partially what fuels the intent of the artists / taggers themselves. It’s a complex issue.

That is, if you even believe it’s an issue… let alone one to chop thumbs over.

UPDATE: Australia Talks Back covers these very issues.

12 hours after experiencing this film and I still can’t formulate a pointed opinion. My mind is playing a constant, rotating game of tennis with the traditional protagonist / antagonist roles. So many unanswered questions, thoughts…

If you enjoy a ride, well, Hard Candy is that type of film. Just don’t bring the kids.

Seriously.

Captain America vs. The Patriot Act?

“Yesterday, Marvel Comics released the first in its miniseries Civil War, which can only be described as a gutsy comic-book series focusing on the whole debate over homeland security and tighter government controls in the name of public safety. The seven-issue series once again puts superheroes right back in the thick of real-world news, just as DC Comics has Batman battling al-Qaeda in a soon-to-appear comic and Marvel’s X-Men continue to explore themes of public intolerance and discrimination.

In Civil War, hero is pitted against hero in the choice of whether or not to side with the government, as issues ranging from a Guantanamo-like prison camp for superheroes, embedded reporters and the power of media all play in the mix as Superheroes are ordered to register as human WMDs or be branded fugitives.”

The kids are going to eat this storyline up.

I vividly remember a 1970’s Superman comic book that dealt with latch-key kids (being one myself). How much more personal and relevant is this?

I’m going comic shopping tomorrow.

This performance art service is brilliant.

(via Urban Retro Lifestyle)

via productdose

From the I Am 8 Bit art opening. The gallery images bring me back to ‘82, when I lined up “got next” quarters that I lifted from my father’s NJ Parkway commuting dish (top drawer, to the right under the papers) up on the screen of Elevator Action at Keil’s Pharmacy in Upper Montclair.

Jay, I know you’re closer to 2-bit, but there’s gotta be room in here for your pixel style, no?

What a fun and truth-laced animation this is from Iain Anderson (all made from airport iconography). Man, I wish I had more free time…

Check out more Tom Tomorrow brilliance at his blog: This Modern World

(via workingforchange)

You gotta love the Aunt Jemima bottle as Ann. More can art over here.

The making of…

Imaginary Foundation: A site full of brilliant t-shirt designs.

title: Dunk
created: fall 1990
media: Rapidograph illustration
dimensions: 18″ x 24″

It’s not that Alan Berliner (writer, director, editor, producer) can’t sleep.

His creative clock has him on the graveyard shift. When the sun goes down and the shadows of the day disappear into the cloak of the night, the world pauses for him to search, discover, find meaning in it all. It’s his time to capture the previous day’s cultural images and remix them into his library of meaning.

It’s his time to create.

Some would say that Berliner is obsessive compulsive. Sure, maybe by the definition of a pedigree expert needing to prescribe another individual’s place in the world a fitting label and a career extending dose of pharma.

I’d argue that he sees the world through his eyes, which isn’t as common of a feat as one might surmise. Berliner takes the time to categorize nearly every sound, image and video that he comes across, and the evening is his obvious extention of his rebuild process; creating new context from ideas and producing his vision for the screen.

Wide Awake is his meta-documentary, exploring all of his flaws and brilliance, as it relates to his health, childhood, wife and newborn son (an especially insightful and beautiful display of viewing life through the eyes of our children).

Alan, if you ever come across this post, you gotta go play with flickr. You’ll love it.

A working piece of art using a 1988 Mac SE, a 1923 Underwood typewriter and a Fresnel lens. Such a beautiful ode to Brazil — my all-time favorite movie.

(via Neatorama)

Well, maybe not 3D, but still… what an amazing set of spot-on patriotic posters. You gotta love the old school style of poster art. The sad thing is that I’m having a hard time calling many of these “spoofs.”

Beautifully haunting.

(via neatorama)