My book on synesthesia came in the mail today! I also got Jesus' Son by Denis Johnson because I loved the short story we read from it in class last week. Ancient Evenings is still missing...I'm worried about it.
Also, I got my letter, FINALLY. Now I have to write back.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Monday, January 25, 2010
Sun Exposures (Borrowing Light)
(Button Snow)
(Crumpled)
(Rocks in the Rain III)
(Rocks in the Rain II)
(Rocks in the Rain I)
(Crumpled vellum in the rain)
(One week indoors)
Shoes Hanging from Power Lines, Pt. II
Wikipedia has an entire article on shoes hanging from power lines. I have now heard many different theories about why/how the shoes got there:
1. Gangs marking territories
2. To mark places where drugs can be bought
3. To let everyone know you got laid for the first time
4. As a means of bullying or playing a prank
5. As a form of urban graffiti
6. Because we are a throw away culture
I am starting to think that taking them down would be destruction of a map and Maggie pointed out to me that they are probably disgusting inside from all of the years of being exposed to the weather. Maybe I will do a performance by adding my broken down Converse sneakers to the map...
1. Gangs marking territories
2. To mark places where drugs can be bought
3. To let everyone know you got laid for the first time
4. As a means of bullying or playing a prank
5. As a form of urban graffiti
6. Because we are a throw away culture
I am starting to think that taking them down would be destruction of a map and Maggie pointed out to me that they are probably disgusting inside from all of the years of being exposed to the weather. Maybe I will do a performance by adding my broken down Converse sneakers to the map...
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Thylias clears everything up in your head when you talk to her one on one and yet makes the world even more infinite at the same time. Josh called her a genius and he was not crazy in saying that. The way she speaks and how excited and open she is to the entire world is the most beautiful thing I've heard.
Our conversation floated from a comment Josh made about not wanting the things he works on to end up in his mom's basement. We were talking about the constant need to make things and the problem of finding a place to put them once they floated back into your life from exhibitions. This lead to a comment about how we're expected to make something tangible for art class even if we aren't ready in our own personal process (which was a relief to hear straight from a professor's mouth).
We talked about digital work not taking up much space. I have my third hard drive (I got it for xmas, it's 1 TB) and Thylias has about 25 (she recommended the Bus Driven G Technology brand). Then she told me a story of the time she was working on the BEST thing she'd ever made and her hard drive crashed. She lots 170GB of work and never remade it. She believes you always have to be willing to let go of what you're working on because you never know when you're going to lose it.
Also in our conversation was the documentary Mac Heads which lead to a man with a Mac museum (as seen in preview) and the Atari in my basement where all the stuff is piling up from my family.
Somewhere in there was a long discussion about choreography (and in my head I realized that's why I like editing video so much). This whole conversation was quiet and made tons of sense. It ended and I felt so empowered and excited about new ideas and doing a million things.
I have also decided I really want to choreograph to "Digital" by Joy Division
Our conversation floated from a comment Josh made about not wanting the things he works on to end up in his mom's basement. We were talking about the constant need to make things and the problem of finding a place to put them once they floated back into your life from exhibitions. This lead to a comment about how we're expected to make something tangible for art class even if we aren't ready in our own personal process (which was a relief to hear straight from a professor's mouth).
We talked about digital work not taking up much space. I have my third hard drive (I got it for xmas, it's 1 TB) and Thylias has about 25 (she recommended the Bus Driven G Technology brand). Then she told me a story of the time she was working on the BEST thing she'd ever made and her hard drive crashed. She lots 170GB of work and never remade it. She believes you always have to be willing to let go of what you're working on because you never know when you're going to lose it.
Also in our conversation was the documentary Mac Heads which lead to a man with a Mac museum (as seen in preview) and the Atari in my basement where all the stuff is piling up from my family.
Somewhere in there was a long discussion about choreography (and in my head I realized that's why I like editing video so much). This whole conversation was quiet and made tons of sense. It ended and I felt so empowered and excited about new ideas and doing a million things.
I have also decided I really want to choreograph to "Digital" by Joy Division
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Shoes Hanging From Power Lines
Is there a way to get all the shoes down from all the power lines in Ann Arbor? I see myself collecting them for some kind of performance...Why hasn't anyone taken them down before now? What if I had a really tall ladder...is it dangerous? I'd just cut the laces and rescue them!
How long has it been since those shoes walked anywhere? Who did they belong to? Why/how did they end up on that particular power line?
Maybe I should map the shoes...
Sunrise and Sunset Timetable for Ann Arbor, MI
See times here.
The sun is going to start rising earlier and earlier now, but it's still setting at around 5:30pm. I thought that Iceland's 4 hours days were crazy short, but ours are between 9-10 hrs this time of year, which means it's mostly dark. How depressing.
The sun is going to start rising earlier and earlier now, but it's still setting at around 5:30pm. I thought that Iceland's 4 hours days were crazy short, but ours are between 9-10 hrs this time of year, which means it's mostly dark. How depressing.
Dictionary & Thesaurus
foot·step (ftstp)
n.
1.
a. A step with the foot.
b. The sound of a foot stepping. Also called footfall.
2. The distance covered by a step: a footstep away.
3. See footprint.
4. A step on which to go up or down.
Idiom:
follow in (someone's) footsteps
To carry on the behavior, work, or tradition of.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
footstep [ˈfʊtˌstɛp]
n
1. the action of taking a step in walking
2. the sound made by stepping or walking
3. the distance covered with a step; pace
4. a footmark
5. a single stair; step
6. to continue the tradition or example of another
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 6th Edition 2003. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun 1. footstep
footstep - the sound of a step of someone walking; "he heard footsteps on the porch"
footfall, step
sound - the sudden occurrence of an audible event; "the sound awakened them"
tramp - a heavy footfall; "the tramp of military boots"
2. footstep - the act of taking a step in walking
step - the act of changing location by raising the foot and setting it down; "he walked with unsteady steps"
3. footstepfootstep - the distance covered by a step; "he stepped off ten paces from the old tree and began to dig"
pace, step, stride
indefinite quantity - an estimated quantity
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2008 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
footstep
noun
1. step, tread, footfall I heard footsteps outside.
2. footprint, mark, track, trace, outline, imprint, indentation, footmark people's footsteps in the snow
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
n.
1.
a. A step with the foot.
b. The sound of a foot stepping. Also called footfall.
2. The distance covered by a step: a footstep away.
3. See footprint.
4. A step on which to go up or down.
Idiom:
follow in (someone's) footsteps
To carry on the behavior, work, or tradition of.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
footstep [ˈfʊtˌstɛp]
n
1. the action of taking a step in walking
2. the sound made by stepping or walking
3. the distance covered with a step; pace
4. a footmark
5. a single stair; step
6. to continue the tradition or example of another
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 6th Edition 2003. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun 1. footstep
footstep - the sound of a step of someone walking; "he heard footsteps on the porch"
footfall, step
sound - the sudden occurrence of an audible event; "the sound awakened them"
tramp - a heavy footfall; "the tramp of military boots"
2. footstep - the act of taking a step in walking
step - the act of changing location by raising the foot and setting it down; "he walked with unsteady steps"
3. footstepfootstep - the distance covered by a step; "he stepped off ten paces from the old tree and began to dig"
pace, step, stride
indefinite quantity - an estimated quantity
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2008 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
footstep
noun
1. step, tread, footfall I heard footsteps outside.
2. footprint, mark, track, trace, outline, imprint, indentation, footmark people's footsteps in the snow
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
Google Search: Footsteps
Footsteps is "a non-profit organization dedicated to providing educational, vocational, and emotional support to those seeking to enter or explore a world beyond the insular, ultra-religious environments in which they were raised."
Footprints in the Sand is a well known religious poem about a person reflecting on their relationship with God throughout their life.
Footsteps of Reston is a shoe store that sells running shoes in Virginia. They appear to take it very seriously as there is a running track in the store.
Footsteps Magazine celebrates African American heritage. Their last issue was published in May 2006.
Footsteps is a made-for-TV Candace Bergen film from 2003.
Footsteps is a travel weblog.
Pearl Jam has a song called "Footsteps" that they have played live 78 times beginning in 1992.
Steve Lawrence-"Footsteps" (Doo Wop)
Footsteps Video on Flickr
In English we often say that you are following in someone's footsteps.
Footprints in the Sand is a well known religious poem about a person reflecting on their relationship with God throughout their life.
Footsteps of Reston is a shoe store that sells running shoes in Virginia. They appear to take it very seriously as there is a running track in the store.
Footsteps Magazine celebrates African American heritage. Their last issue was published in May 2006.
Footsteps is a made-for-TV Candace Bergen film from 2003.
Footsteps is a travel weblog.
Pearl Jam has a song called "Footsteps" that they have played live 78 times beginning in 1992.
Steve Lawrence-"Footsteps" (Doo Wop)
Footsteps Video on Flickr
In English we often say that you are following in someone's footsteps.
Time Mapping
So I'm taking Time Mapping this semester and I'm already struggling with the balance between doing something physical and just thinking. I've become a thinker since I went abroad and I spend a lot of time reflecting on a myriad of things that people say or even just what happens in my life from day to day. It makes me feel unproductive, but that isn't true at all when I think about it. Creative Writing is also a good reason for me to think. What should I write about? There is so much in my life to draw from. Anyway, my head has gotten stuck in a rut about footsteps and I intend to break that today by taking a little break from thinking about it. Breaks of that sort are always needed. We can't do the same thing over and over and expect life to be exciting and productive. Shake it up!
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Matthew Barney
Matthew Barney is an American filmmaker, performance artist, and sculptor who created the well-known, and much talked about, Cremaster Cycle:
Last night I got the chance to hear him speak at the DIA about some of his new work. His inspiration was Ancient Evenings by Norman Mailer, a story that details the stages of death a person enters according to Ancient Egyptian beliefs. He sees the story in seven distinct acts, the first of which was performed in Los Angeles. Now Barney is working in Detroit. He began by filming a preface that was inspired by Ancient Evenings as well as the work of James Lee Byars, a Detroit artist, and Harry Houdini who's first jump was off a bridge in Detroit.
Just to hear about what works inspired such an amazing artist and how those inspirations came together was really interesting because I think most people pull ideas from a lot of places and he uses not only interesting inspiration, but he's very good at articulating his thoughts on different subjects. I also think the reason his work is so elusive is because he finds inspiration in obscure things of which most people are unaware. If anything, I am inspired to dig deeper, read more, and find new topics that aren't already on the surface of society today.
Also, I ordered Ancient Evenings on a whim when I got home last night because I'm going to read it for my Creative Writing class. Apparently Mailer is one of the great modern American writers (and yet I've never read any of his work). The book took him almost ten years to write and got many negative reviews, but from the what I've read, it's very descriptive, interesting, and different. I'm ready to read something completely new. I just can't wait for it to get here...
Last night I got the chance to hear him speak at the DIA about some of his new work. His inspiration was Ancient Evenings by Norman Mailer, a story that details the stages of death a person enters according to Ancient Egyptian beliefs. He sees the story in seven distinct acts, the first of which was performed in Los Angeles. Now Barney is working in Detroit. He began by filming a preface that was inspired by Ancient Evenings as well as the work of James Lee Byars, a Detroit artist, and Harry Houdini who's first jump was off a bridge in Detroit.
Just to hear about what works inspired such an amazing artist and how those inspirations came together was really interesting because I think most people pull ideas from a lot of places and he uses not only interesting inspiration, but he's very good at articulating his thoughts on different subjects. I also think the reason his work is so elusive is because he finds inspiration in obscure things of which most people are unaware. If anything, I am inspired to dig deeper, read more, and find new topics that aren't already on the surface of society today.Also, I ordered Ancient Evenings on a whim when I got home last night because I'm going to read it for my Creative Writing class. Apparently Mailer is one of the great modern American writers (and yet I've never read any of his work). The book took him almost ten years to write and got many negative reviews, but from the what I've read, it's very descriptive, interesting, and different. I'm ready to read something completely new. I just can't wait for it to get here...
Monday, January 11, 2010
Winter 2010
So I've been to all of my classes once now and I'm really excited. I will post some of my first thoughts, artist notes, and sketches soon. I have to run to Time Mapping right now, but first I want to drink my Pomegranate Blueberry V8. Yes, you needed to know that.
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