Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Improbable Monument


Octavia Before
Octavia After
Preliminary Sketch

Photoshop Rendering
Google SketchUp Model
Google SketchUp 3D Model

















3D Model produced for
Google Earth

The final project is to make an improbable monument.  Our city, San Francisco, is known for many things - one distinction it holds is as the homeless capital of the US.  Though we are one of the richest cities in the nation, we have not yet found a way to address the issue successfully.  Instead we pour money into bandaging the problem rather than aiding through prevention and intervention.  Through non-action we seem to quietly embrace the problem, I think it is time we own up and create a monument to our homeless affliction.

I live on Octavia Blvd where the freeway once was.  Previously the area was under the raised central freeway, fenced off, and home to a large homeless enclave.  The monument I'm proposing would be a tribute to this local history and these underrepresented residents as well as a commentary on the pervasive homeless population in San Francisco that we continue to support with social services, but fail to ever remedy.

In true monument form, it would call to attention the neighborhood history, but also point out the stark contrast between past and present.  Now that the freeway is gone, the area is quickly becoming overly gentrified and expensive.  It is an unavoidable and obvious development.. probably even a positive one culturally and economically, but I can't help but roll my eyes every time yet another baby boutique or candy shop goes in - I feel like I'm at Disneyland.

The piece would consist of a row of life-size, cast bronze, gold gilt representations of the individuals that once called this area home.  They would be placed in a row down the center of Octavia blvd from Market to Hayes street - the span of about five blocks.  The gilding would be symbolic of the way we gild over the issue of homelessness as well as exhibit the dichotomy of rich and poor.  I think it is a valuable cultural notion for people to consider as they shop for designer clothes along Hayes.  By gilding the problem, making it pretty to look at, I hope people will take a longer look at the neighbors they otherwise choose to ignore.

This monument becomes especially improbable with the recent passing of sit/lie, the transparent, passive-aggressive measure that targets homeless people by making it illegal to sit and/or lay on public sidewalks.  I doubt the law is in place to crack down on the yuppies as they dine on pastries curbside - more likely cops will keep their attention focused on the more unsightly residents we see pictured above.

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Monument Intervention

For this project I wanted to comment on one of the more shameful aspects of San Francisco history by making a monument of sorts to Geary Blvd., a main thoroughfare and symbolic city divide.  Though Justin Herman has already been bestowed a namesake plaza downtown, I felt a dedication was in order for the work he did in the Fillmore:


 
on the table are two objects, a white cup filled with water and a black book.

Tuesday, November 2, 2010

Logo Heist

For the logo design I wanted to re-appropriate the Abercrombie & Fitch brand.  It's not much of a stretch because they already market to the mindless masses, which makes for a beautifully subversive ad campaign.  Clearly it wasn't hard to find poster boys - these two came up as one of the first images generic and photoshop-ready, blank stares and all!

Culture Jam

Personally I'm not offended by the act of eating meat, but to the factory farming industry itself.  If confronted with having to kill dinner, however, I don't think I'd be able to do it - for this reason I  feel it is not my place to consume it.  Even though I don't eat meat I don't really try to preach about it


..that said (see above preaching disclaimer), for this project I thought that it would be interesting to do something that would cause consumers to stop and think about the source of their food.  The factory farming industry is not only horrifying from the perspective of the commodity, but it is also committing crimes against nature and ruining our ecosystem in the process.  I thought that by placing this sticker on meat packaging it might cause consumers to consider what they're really getting for the low, low price of $1.99/lb.

Friday, October 29, 2010

Cultural Event: file under socio-reengineering

I don't want to give too much away, but I urge you all to consider unlocking the secrets of Jejune.  It's a mysterious city-wide interactive game that begins with a scavenger hunt.  I haven't finished it yet (not sure how deep it goes ..pretty deep I think); but it's fun and very well produced.  Good way to discover the city and change your perspective.  To paraphrase the creator's intent: it's a way of overlapping narrative, consciousness, and genuine space in an attempt to redefine public space.  Oh, and they even have a pirate radio broadcast.  Prepare to have your natural psyco-sensual abilities enhanced.

http://nonchalance.com/trailer.html

Thursday, October 21, 2010

PICKED: Street Artist JR Wins 2011 TED Prize

Just saw this. His work is really powerful. So glad that he is being recognized.  Follow the link and watch the second video.
PICKED: Street Artist JR Wins 2011 TED Prize

Culture Jamming: response to Mark Dery writings


Dery wrote this article in the mid 90's when this concept was still fairly new.  Though I think the web has taken the lead of influence over the TV, it is still a good reference for early developments of the movement.  15 years later it is, as Paula suggests, difficult to "see the forest through the trees," but not because we simply accept our culture, probably the opposite actually.  I think the reason this movement has been so adaptable is because of the collective mental shift that has taken place.  Because more and more people view mainstream media skeptically, we are less apt to simply trust what advertisers are telling us.  I think now everyone is somewhat leery of being sold.  Rather than taking the former, anarchist approach, which is simply a rejection of the system of oppression, we realize that it is more effective to work within the system to implode it on itself.  You could call it Post-Structuralist Anarchism.  

Since the late 70's, when graffiti started to become prominent in America, this new approach/aesthetic entered into our conscious.  Gradually we've changed our minds about graphic public statements, their purpose, and who can make them.  As commercial tactics infiltrate so do our reactions against them.  It's a co-evolution.  At this point even the advertisers are using guerrilla marketing tactics ..meaning culture jammers will only continue to up their game.

Here is a good example from Las Vegas where someone successfully undermined McDonald's billboard messages.  I think it's pretty ballsy and effective I also think McDonald's is a horrible institution, so I'm into it.  And, by reporting on it, the news media does a great job propagating its influence that much more.  Well done Dave and Kathy.  Now a word from our sponsors:

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Chance Project

Randomness Recipe by Nova Barton

- Look up tide info for San Francisco
- Find hightide, lowtide, sunrise, sunset, moonrise, moonset.
- Record this timetable for reference however many days you’ll need.
- Use the schedule. Whenever possible, take a video clip of your surroundings in conjunction with the times – wherever you are, whatever you feel like capturing, however long.
- Label the videos according to their time and significance (e.g., 4:15/high tide)
- Some of the times are in the wee hours of the morning, naturally you can skip these; but, if you are awake and can take video, do.
- If you forget or if you miss a cue because you just cannot do it, go or look outside and shoot skyward as soon as possible. If possible capture the sun or the moon.
- Do this until you have 12 video clips.
- Edit together in imovie (free mac software) or whatever video software you have/prefer.





Randomness Recipe by Kevin Koleckar
- Take your favorite picture of yourself and import it into photoshop. Create a file with six copies of
  your photo laid out in a grid. Each copy of your photo should be it's own layer. The first copy you
  should put in the upper left of the document. The rest will get altered in the following way:
- Press 'command U' to bring up the hue/saturation dialogue box. alter the Hue levels as follows:
- 2nd copy- age
- 3rd copy- age oldest grandparent
- 4th copy- number of sexual partners
- 5th copy- add the age you are now to the age you were when you had your first kiss and enter that  
  number as a negative number
- 6th copy- the number of devices you own that tell time, multiply by ten and enter that number as a negative number.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Stolen Identities and Alter Egos: An exercise in Internet Profiling, Data Mining and Personal Privacy

For this assignment I conjured a 17 year old boy.  The original impetus for the age was my own tendency to slide by at the minor rate on MUNI ($2.00 is just ridiculous!)  I figured if I could come up with an ID stating that I'm 17, I'd never have a problem.  Criminal tendencies along with my general immature mentality manifested Manny.  The boy part I just thought would be an entertaining outlet.  I probably don't need to point out the multiple aptronyms here.

I was to create as much evidence of this person's existence as possible - virtual and otherwise.  Using Photoshop, I created Manny's ID from a scanned copy of my own.  Since no 17 y.o. is complete with out a fake ID, I made one of those too.

But the funny thing about the world today is that real proof of life is primarily found thorough virtual means, that is, social networking.  Manny can be found on both Facebook and Myspace.  I also tried to get on OK Cupid, unfortunately this is one area where minor status did not serve me.. I mean Manny. Besides the virtual world, MLK is also visible on the streets. As a tagger, Manny writes.. well, MANNY. You'll see some flicks on his facebook page.

Originally from Fresno, CA., he currently resides in San Francisco.  Full bio along with some other photoshopped images of Manny can be found on
Facebook. Manny Koga




Email: manny9three@gmail.com
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/550560864

Sunday, October 10, 2010

For this cultural event I went to the White Walls opening of Augustine Kofie's exhibit "Retrofitted & Other Forms of Vintage Futurism."

The artist is otherwise known as Kofie One and is a well-known muralist and graffiti artist.  This work was on a smaller scale than that by which I know him, which gave it a very different sense.  The show was really beautiful and it was interesting to see it in a gallery, translated to another medium and scale.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

The extended body - cyborgs

Here's an example of artists working with the extended body. In this concept, the skin is adapted as the user interface. The computer would adhere to the skin's surface and run on body heat. It uses the DNA code to identify the user and determine settings. It remains solely conceptual at this point, but the technology is not that unfeasible. Unfortunately, neither is the person who will wear something so ridiculous and allow themselves to be tracked on a genetic level. I suspect this same person is currently wearing a bluetooth earpiece. http://news.discovery.com/tech/dattoos-body-art-melds-dna-computing.html

I make fun, but know that my view is antiquated. Maintaining anonymity as well as web presence is an impossible equation. Still the idea of being physically plugged in is just creepy. I already spend too much time with my computer.

Captured by Robots!



Speaking of cyborgs, if you haven't already heard of Captured by Robots, you have now.  Go see them!  It's a band consisting of one human and maybe five robots.  The human, "Jay-bot," builds and programs all of the robots and controls them on stage (speaks for them via his mask etc), though as the story goes: he's been captured by robots and they are controlling him.  Either way they're amazing.. if not from a musical standpoint, from a technological one.  Pretty sure he's local bay area, but I first discovered them years ago in SLC where they have a dedicated following - I guess the "stepford wives" there can relate.

http://capturedbyrobots.com
This interviewer is kindof a nightmare, but this video gives you a good overview of the band.


Wednesday, September 29, 2010

The extended body

Our current assignment is to develop a "post-human" interpretation of ourselves, so I considered what I would most like to modify or enhance about myself.  The first thing that occurred to me (after ray-gun nipples) was my emotional self.

Then I came across the book Mediating the Human Body.  It discusses this idea philosophically and from many different perspectives.  One thing that struck me was this:
"The deepest human characteristics, those associated with the emotions, communication, expression, the atavic inheritance linked to the body and rooted in the most ancient layers of evolution, which played a fundamental role in the survival and development of our species, would not immediately disappear just because technology had inserted its nanometric prosthetic devices in our bodies and brains." (Longo 24)

It made me think, first about grammar - six commas in one sentence.. SIX! but then, about mental/emotional rerouting. Perhaps we should use technology to do exactly what it is we most fear it will do - make us less human.  Technology as an emotional off switch ..though titty ray-guns will probably be more fun to illustrate.

Anyway, we'll see what I can come up with in Photoshop.
The chip would interrupt the neurotransmitter receptors to the Amygdala blocking emotional response.
Response data would be recorded for reference, accessible via USB.  Another thought would be to have uploadable emotions for those of us lacking in the sympathy and empathy departments.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

utah: love it or leave it.

Our current assignment is to create a tour in Google Earth.  For my project I wanted to show Utah, my birthplace, illustrating the dichotomy of natural beauty and overshadowing institution.  It's an autobiographical statement about what I love and why I left.


Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Examples of artists working in Google Earth

NEW MAPPING EXPERIMENT
Not a huge Arcade Fire fan.  Admittedly, it's probably due to their popularity even if it is well deserved.  Like most pop bands tho, all of their stuff just sounds the same to me.  Anyway, I'll give 'em this one - it's a pretty interesting video concept ..and relevant to the mapping stuff we are doing in class.
http://www.chromeexperiments.com/arcadefire/

BIBLICAL EARTH
Here's a very interesting project that I just came across.  I think the images are amazing and really beautiful.  The realness of satellite imagery provides an uncanny sense of reality.  Though I'm not religious, I love traveling to this mythical world of our cultural origin.  Also, from this perspective one can't help but feel a little god-like.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1295301/Gods-eye-view-Artist-uses-Google-Earth-images-recreate-parting-Red-Sea-Christs-crucifixion.html

Monday, August 30, 2010

Response to Sol Lewitt

6. If the artist changes his mind midway through the execution of the piece he compromises the result and repeats past results. 

I found the above statement interesting.  I can somewhat appreciate it from a conceptual perspective; but isn't the artist more susceptible to repeating past results if the result is so fully preconceived?  I believe separating art completely from the process is limiting.  For me, the process is part of the development of the idea.  As with abstract expressionism, making art is an essential step in the evolution of the artist and of the idea.  This negotiation is key in fleshing out that which is not, or can not yet be figured.  To conceptualize an idea from start to finish limits us to our mind's capacity; whereas, when we allow an idea to evolve beyond what we've mapped out, we go beyond our self.  Lewitt actually illustrates this in another sentence:

22. The artist cannot imagine his art, and cannot perceive it until it is complete.  

It seems Lewitt understands that evolution of ideas is a natural byproduct of art no matter the approach.  He would probably argue for developing all of the subsequent ideas to their full potential, albeit preconceived.  Perhaps Lewitt has more faith in human capacity than I ..or maybe just better ideas. 

28. Once the idea of the piece is established in the artist's mind and the final form is decided, the process is carried out blindly. There are many side effects that the artist cannot imagine. These may be used as ideas for new works.

Friday, August 27, 2010

John Baldessari retrospective at LACMA

There is currently a John Baldessari retrospective at LACMA if anyone is going to be down South.  I included a Juxtapose link because it contains some decent images from the exhibit in case you, like I, can't make it.

http://www.lacma.org/art/ExhibBaldessari.aspx
http://www.juxtapoz.com/26367-pure-beauty-money-well-spent