All is Full of Love

Window, Mirror, Screen: An Installation Piece

2010-04-21T13:12:00.006-04:00

I finally worked out all the kinks with my installation piece for Borrowing Light. From broken fluorescent bulbs and getting the right projector to locked doors with alarms and blown out circuits, it was a bit frustrating. But I got there in the end. When I started documenting the piece, I fell in love with individual pictures. So here are two parts of the installation in images and a video of the third part.

My goal was to use a bank of windows as a window, a mirror, and a screen.

This section of the windows is acting as a window. At night you see your own reflection in the window because it's light inside and dark outside. To reverse this, I added light outside so that the wall becomes the focal point of the window scene.

Outside, the window does the opposite, acting as a mirror and shielding the view of the interior. From this angle, the whole panel looks black.

If you get a bit closer to the window, you can make out what is going on both inside and outside--the bricks from outside sit on top of the interior image.

On one section of the windows I used a rear projection (projected from outside onto the back of the glass) to turn the windows into a screen from inside.

In this section of the installation I enhanced the reflective quality of the windows by adding more light. Normally the windows are already reflective indoors, but they are even more effective with the added lights.

From outside there is a very clear view of the interior.

605 TV Mapping

2010-04-18T12:09:00.002-04:00

Until I develop something to do with my little TV Maps (possible summer installation?), I'm putting them on a blog. Check it out.

This or That?

2010-04-18T10:59:00.013-04:00

So I want to upgrade my SLR, but I'm not sure how crazy I want to go. This is the debate right now. I know these cameras (and their prices) are really different, but there are reasons I'm drawn to each one. I'll start talking about my current camera and then move up in price/features. Opinions please!

This is the Olympus EVOLT E-500, my current camera.

Stats/Info:
8.0 Megapixels
No video at all
2.5" LCD Monitor
2.5 fps continuous shooting
100-400 ISO
Kit with 14-45mm & 40-150mm lenses ~$625

This is the Nikon D5000.

Stats/Info:
12.3 Megapixels
720p HD Video
Only 5 min/2GB length vids
24 fps video
2.7" Vari-angle monitor
100-6400 ISO
GPS Geo-tagging
~4 fps continuous shooting
Quiet Mode
Kit with 18-55mm lens ~$525-$575

This is the Nikon D90.

Stats/Info:
12.3 Megapixels
720p HD Video
Only 5min/2GB length vids
Overheats after an hour of video
3" LCD Monitor
100-6400ISO
~4.5 fps continuous shooting
Body only ~$775

This was made with a Nikon D90.

And this is the Canon EOS 7D.

Stats/Info:
18.0 Megapixels
1080p HD Video
Manual video exposure control
Selectable frame rates
100% field of view display
3" LCD Monitor
100-6400 ISO
8.0 fps continuous shooting
Waterproof
Kit with 28-135mm lens ~$1800

Hecq Vs Exillion - Spheres Of Fury from Tim.Chris.Film on Vimeo.

Stop motion made with a Canon EOS 7D.

Made with a 7D.

The appeal of the 7D is that it would be investing in a video camera and an SLR at the same time, which is pretty legit. I mean, if I wanted to go all the way with that concept I might buy the Canon 5D Mark II (they filmed the latest season of House with it!), except the 7D has a better fps continuous shooting rate (and I want to do some stop motion). Also the Mark II price gives me a heart attack ($2500 for the body). Selling my current camera will only make me a couple hundred bucks. The D5000 is appealing because the price is far more reasonable and it's still got HD video (just with a lot more drawbacks). The D90 is a step up from that, but still more reasonable in pricing. Ahhhhhh.

So what do I do?

P.S. Look at all this stuff...

Friday Commute

2010-04-16T12:52:00.001-04:00

Friday Commute from Laura Thompson on Vimeo.

Detroit Connections Final Project

0D Video I Never Posted

2010-04-16T12:28:00.002-04:00

Untitled from Laura Thompson on Vimeo.

It's here! The minimalist video I never put online from my time in the Netherlands. If you go back in the posts you can read about it...it's meant to play on a small screen on loop as a very intimate piece. Enjoy!

A Few Favorite TV Moments

2010-03-30T12:55:00.001-04:00

Ann Arbor Film Festival

2010-03-28T10:25:00.004-04:00

Black Rain by Semiconductor
Illuminations of the Beyond

#37, Interview with Joost Rekveld, Part 1
Illuminations of the Beyond

#37, Interview with Joost Rekveld, Part 2
Illuminations of the Beyond

Twightlight Spirit by Jodie Mack
Music Video Showcase

Anonanimal by Lisa Barcy (Andrew Bird, Noble Beast)
Music Video Showcase

Sour 'Hibi No Neiro' (Tone of Everyday)
by Masashi Kawamura, Hal Kirkland, Magico Nakamura, & Masayoshi Nakamura
Music Video Showcase

Gary War "Highspeed Drift" by Jacqueline Castel
Music Video Showcase

Blonde Redhead Meets Gainsbourg by Jérome Schlomoff
Music Video Showcase

Her Morning Elegance by Oren Lavi, Yuval, & Merav Nathan
Music Video Showcase

Forest by Allison Schulnik (Grizzly Bear's "Ready, Able")
Music Video Showcase

The Black Dog's Progress by Stephen Irwin
This Animated Life

Horn Dog by Bill Plympton
This Animated Life

Mecanismo Olvidador by Juan Camilo González
This Animated Life

Please Say Something by Bill O'Reilly
This Animated Life

Popsong Living

2010-03-28T10:21:00.002-04:00

My friend Eric who goes to UMass is starting a zine called "Popsong Living" and he asked me to submit some stuff. I gave him two of my poems and I'm really excited about it. I think I'm going to work on some visual stuff as well for another issue. I love this kind of thing!

Borrowing Light: Surfaces

2010-03-22T22:48:00.000-04:00

2010-03-18T16:39:00.003-04:00

I have quite a few posts up about a collaborative piece I'm doing in Borrowing Light. Check them out at our class blog. Feel free to leave comments either there or here, they're always appreciated (aka I love you Maggie & Lucy). I think this has been a good collaboration and I'm excited to see where it takes us over the weekend!

Borrowing Lightbulbs

2010-03-15T19:53:00.001-04:00

Time Mapping: Raw TV Footage

2010-03-15T19:35:00.001-04:00

I am uploading some of my raw footage of the television in my living room. I plan to work with each clip as a separate entity. I will experiment with re-filming it and seeing how the sound and video changes...

Precedents for Strike

2010-03-11T13:08:00.001-05:00

1. Yoko Ono-Match Piece, 1965

This piece Yoko Ono did with Fluxus relates very directly to mine because we use the same medium (video) to look at the striking and burning of a match. I would say that Yoko Ono's piece is far more minimalistic in its exploration while mine takes on a spatial component and the surrounding darkness, which I personally think is an important part of the human component tied to matches.

2. Yaacov Agam-Fiat Lux, 1967

Yaccov Agam likes to work with motion, sound and light. This piece is a lightbulb that turns on because of sound. I feel like the setting and singular light source relates to my piece. Matches produce a sound when lit and Agam is associating light with a sound as well as a space. I found this piece in the Light Art from Artificial Light book I checked out from the Dude.

3. Seth Riskin-Light Dances

Seth Riskin uses dance and light to show space in his works. His work is as much about the darkness as it is about the light source and human interaction. I am actually really excited that I discovered him because his artist statement (quoted below) reveals that we think in similar ways about light and space and movement.

"My first impulse as an artist was to become space. I wanted to bring viewers inside the movement experience, into contact with the numinous dimensions of space. Light allows me to realize this artistic vision.

In the Light Dance performances, light carries the subjective experience of movement beyond the limits of my body. Light Dance is a transposition of the “dance” from the body to the boundaries of the room. In silent, space-defining performances, light effects extend from my body. I “sculpt” space; precise body movements articulate fluid architectures of light, encompassing viewers with the “dance”.

Fundamental tenets of the Light Dance thesis include the concept that inner light and physical light are one, and that an experience of light can overcome the experience of body.

The silence of Light Dance I experience as wholeness. Inspired by a sense of the unlimited, I was led to light as a metaphor for deep knowing, dissolving borders between the body and space, the human spirit and material, the performer and viewer. I understand silence as I do darkness: not void, but whole, the fullest knowing of light, rather than its absence, that may be infinitely articulated and approached through art."

4. Plato's Allegory of the Cave

In his allegory Plato describes people chained to the wall in a cave. Behind them a fire burns and there are puppeteers making shadows. The people fear the shadows because they don't see what causes them. This is all they know of as reality.

I think this relates to my piece because the only light comes from the matches, which create shadows and reveal the world to the performer and audience at the same time. The performer and the camera become puppeteers, deciding what the viewer gets to see within the space at any given moment. Video uses a singular perspective, creating the only reality of my basement that the audience can know.

5. 15th Century Projector-Johannes de Fontana

The projector was initially invented in 1420 by Johannes de Fontana. He drew a picture (seen below) of a monk holding a lantern with a translucent window containing the image of a devil. Most of the initial projections were frightening and related to hell. I think the darkness and flickering shadows of candles and match light can take on that ambiance and they project shadows into a space, even if they are soft and out of focus (which is what Fontana's image would have looked like since his projector didn't have a lens).

Collaborations

2010-03-10T20:14:00.003-05:00

I am becoming more and more excited and interested in collaborating with other people. Here are some of the collaborations of my past, present and future...

PAST

Dance Day 2006
Music by Ben Babbit
Choreography by Laura Thompson

Ben and I collaborated for one other dance during the summer of 2008. That was for my company, Patchwork City Dance, and it isn't on the internet at the moment.

PRESENT

This weekend I am shooting and editing One Day Runway, a Basement Arts show that is free to the public. It's a spoof of Project Runway and should be a lot of fun. The designers have 24 hours to complete their challenge and the runway show will be live right after the video airs at 11pm in Studio One in the Walgreen Drama Center on North Campus.

FUTURE

I may collaborate with a fellow student in my light course to do something with small holes people can look through, projections, and light. Who knows. He's interested in boxes and lights in liquids and I'm interested in the transitory flickering of matches, video, and odd spatial installations.

My friend Josh of Our Brother the Native just mentioned something about dance and a music video this summer.

I'm hoping to collaborate with an actor/performance artist in my Creative Writing class. He is way out there and so in tune with himself.

My friend Ali has been writing a lot of screenplays and has a ton of ideas. We should really get together.

Strike: Update

2010-03-10T20:06:00.002-05:00

This is my latest update of Strike, a piece about source light. I found that matches only exist within the context of humans because we are the only people who use them and are capable of striking them. A match sitting on its own is not a source of any light. Someone has to act upon it, strike it.

This is a collage of three different "situations" using matches. I am still tweaking the editing and coloring. My goal is to get rid of the boxes in the background so light comes from the pitch black of the whole screen as opposed to a small frame. I was told that people's outfits are distracting, but I was very interested in giving very few directions to the people involved so that it was a purer form of interaction. I don't think I want to change that thought of it.

Also, my friend Max Shults has offered to write music, which would maintain the striking match sounds but add another layer to the piece.

Strike from Laura Thompson on Vimeo.

Television Maps

2010-03-10T19:24:00.000-05:00

I have taken a new direction through many failures and a change of heart. I have become very interested in low quality video this year. The sheer volume of low quality video out there in the world vastly outweighs the HD, which is an odd phenomenon considering the image quality of existing cameras and how inexpensive HD has become for consumers. Last semester I made a video of television feedback by filming it with a crappy cell phone camera and then re-filming that video about 60 times. I took the change in pitch and images and created a composition out of it (see video below).

My roommates watch a lot of TV so I am going to start mapping what they're watching by filming it with a portable video camera I got cheaply. I may also explore filming some epic moments in television history (man landing on the moon, first ten minutes of MTV...I don't know).

I have some crazy plan in my mind that I am going to combine this with Jitter (Max/MSP/Jitter) because I've been teaching myself how to use it and I think it would be a good thing to incorporate into my learning experience. Right now the thought is that there would be a television or a series of televisions that would show different pieces of the map. When someone physically changes the channel of the TV, the clip would change.

I could edit these piece of the map--each as a separate entity that is composed to be a part of the whole--or I could let MSP & Jitter do some of the manipulation work for me by using data and the drunk or random functions. More video data to come...

Surfacing from Laura Thompson on Vimeo.

2010-02-16T12:20:00.003-05:00

I'm sorry I haven't said anything in a while. Life sometimes consists of thinking and quietly talking with other people about it before you can make anything concrete. Also, two of my three studio classes have their own blogs where I'm posting and the third is working with kids in Detroit so there really isn't much to physically show that's my own at the moment. That is why I'm linking this blog to my class blogs.

Time Mapping
Borrowing Light

Strike from Laura Thompson on Vimeo.

Borrowing Light Sketch

Sketchbooks are not my thing.

2010-02-01T11:54:00.002-05:00

How do you sketch when you think in motion?

This has been my dilemma for quite some time. I don't think in shapes or how something is built (well sometimes I do but then it's just a material study because all of my work seems to have an idea...and even then I think about how it moves or how I move). I think about how I move when I build it, see it, experience it, perform it. I think about how the material(s) feel in my hands.

I think I am going to start making some "sketches" that are what my body parts are doing when I make something. So if I was working with my hands I would use a different color for each hand and progressively draw what they were doing...pulling tape, cutting, shaping. This could be very interesting...

I want to see this once I'm done with the book.

2010-02-01T11:53:00.000-05:00

Today was a good day for my mailbox.

2010-01-28T00:55:00.003-05:00

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.

Sun Exposures (Borrowing Light)

2010-01-25T22:24:00.004-05:00

(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

2010-01-25T20:38:00.003-05:00

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...

2010-01-21T01:17:00.001-05:00

2010-01-21T00:57:00.003-05:00

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

Shoes Hanging From Power Lines

2010-01-20T19:27:00.006-05:00

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

2010-01-20T16:53:00.002-05:00

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.

Dictionary & Thesaurus

2010-01-20T16:40:00.002-05:00

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

Google Search: Footsteps

2010-01-20T16:13:00.004-05:00

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.

Time Mapping

2010-01-20T16:07:00.003-05:00

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!

Matthew Barney

2010-01-14T10:20:00.003-05:00

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...

Winter 2010

2010-01-11T18:24:00.002-05:00

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.

Christian Boltanski

2009-12-01T12:22:00.000-05:00

Elke Krystufek

2009-11-10T09:20:00.003-05:00

Austrian artist born in 1970. I saw one of her works in Paris and I really like her stuff.

Eva Hesse

2009-11-10T09:05:00.002-05:00

There is something in the fragility, complexity, and materiality of her work that I find to be fascinating and grounding.

Brad Neely

2009-11-07T03:57:00.002-05:00

Brad Neely is a comic book artist from Fort Smith, Arkansas. His work includes the series "Creased Comics" and the unauthorized spoof of Harry Potter called Wizard People, Dear Readers. The latter consists of an alternate soundtrack of narration in the style of a book on tape, which viewers can play over the muted movie.

Neely is the creator of "Cox & Combes' Washington."

Aside from occasional one-off videos, he also has three series: "I Am Baby Cakes", "The Professor Brothers" and "China, Illinois".

"Mark 'Baby' Cakes, a socially inept, yet wise about life, 30-year-old playboy man-baby."

"The Professor Brothers" follows the professional and personal misadventures of Frank and Steve Smith, two brother professors at a local college.

He has also produced "America Now", a series of musical shorts for Adult Swim and he was a consultant for South Park during the second half of season eleven.

Michel Gondry

2009-11-07T02:29:00.002-05:00

Michel Gondry is a French filmmaker born in Versailles, France. He made 7 of Björk's music videos, created "bullet time" for a vodka commercial (later used in the Matrix), and he directed Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and The Science of Sleep. I would say that Gondry is a master of sonography who uses the camera and what's in front of it to create many "effects" that are just tricking our eyes via perspective and well made scenery. Below is an example from Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.

DJ Shadow

2009-11-05T05:14:00.006-05:00

DJ Shadow (born Joshua Davis, June 29, 1972)^[1] is an American music producer, DJ and songwriter. He is considered a prominent figure in the development of instrumental hip hop and first gained notice with the release of his highly acclaimed debut album Endtroducing....., which was constructed entirely from samples. He has an exceptionally large record collection, with over 60,000 records.^[2]

(from wikipedia.org)

DJ shadow was probably one of the first things I listened to that made me really conscious of samples in music. I am always especially excited when something non-hip-hop that I listen to gets mixed in and I notice. It's like my little secret with the artist. Well, DJ Shadow used Björk...and of course it was awesome.

Amanda Krugliak

2009-11-04T19:20:00.003-05:00

I just wanted to post a blog of some of my TMP 3 professor's work because I really love it and more people should see it if they haven't. She's a performance artist who taught me a lot of things about life & time.

Sadie Benning

2009-11-04T18:37:00.003-05:00

Sadie Benning grew up in Milwaukee. Her father was a famous filmmaker and he gave her a Fisher Price Pixelvision camera. As a 15 year old girl in the 90s, she made crappy black and white videos, one of which was called "If Every Girl Had a Diary." We watched it in class and it was awesome. Sadly, I cannot find it on the internet.

So instead I wanted to post an actual music video from the band she's in, Le Tigre. Oddly enough, I've been listening to them for 5 years but I didn't make the connection. One of my friends who also listens to Le Tigre told me...anway...here's a link to one of their videos (embedding disabled):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMK3OKkmNd0

And here is the first song I ever heard by them at the age of 16:

Sound Poetry

2009-10-06T09:19:00.000-04:00

Ursonography (COMPLETE), Jaap Blonk & Golan Levin, 2005 [Premiere] from Golan Levin on Vimeo.

Kurt Schwitters "Ursonate"

0D ("Army of Me" by Björk)

2009-09-29T07:08:00.002-04:00

At a concert the audience anticipates what the next song will be as the clapping dies down and a wave of whispers fills the room. The anticipation for what may come next on a new album you’ve never heard, or when your iTunes is on shuffle, is no different. Imagine a moment of silence and then an electronic pulse builds in one steady stream and explodes in just two seconds, turning into a powerful rhythm that drives bass straight into your chest. The explosion is a distinct sound that will forever be linked with the mysterious voice and danceable beats that follow. In less than four minutes it will fizzle out of your ears into the next silence, leaving you with the need for more music.

Two rhythms set the stage in a steady 4/4. The drums play each count with a double kick on the bass—dumdum—and a steady tap—tah—on the drum: dumdum tah dumdum tah dumdum tah dumdum tah. Over it is a rhythmic electronic pulse of sixteenth notes sliding in and out of each other as they move up and down a small scale. A clash of the symbol ends some measures for emphasis and other electronic sounds build. These keep you awake and completely invested in the rhythm that is moving your entire body.

And then, on the fourth note of the ninth measure, a voice comes through with clarity and strength: “Stand up.” It is a command that lingers with patience as it escapes her lips, and then she continues: “You’ve got to manage. I won’t sympathize anymore.” The words don’t follow the exact structure of the music, but they sing through it for seven measures, exploding into a new beat that serves to back the chorus.

A heavy electronic drone replaces the sixteenth notes, ripping through your heart with a quick descent—RRR RRR RRR—and sharpening the tah of the fourth note as it rests silent for a moment. “Any of you complain once more,” the voice warns, “you’ll meet an army of me.” An explosive sound cracks on the fourth beat like a slam in the face at the end of each measure as the warning is repeated: “Any of you complain once more, you’ll meet an army of me.”

We are returned to the initial beat, but the flourish of a metallic ping is added to the second beat of every count of eight. “You’re alright. There’s nothing wrong. Self sufficient, please. And get to work.” And with that we are catapulted back into the tumultuous chorus, which always comes back with one barely noticeable variable in how the rhythm is played. Sometimes the instrument playing a certain beat has changed or new layers are added to the swirl of music, making it a stronger, more overpowering sound. The chorus then melts into a melodic interlude of haunting electronic drones paired with the initial sixteenth notes.

One more verse rings out, backed by just the sixteenth notes and eighth notes on the cymbal. In a voice that has maintained a compelling contrast to the strong beat of the music throughout, a harsh message is softened to a whisper without a change in volume: “You’re on your own now. We won’t save you. Your rescue squad is too exhausted.” The chorus resumes as thought it is a cry for sanity and it repeats a second time, but the sixteenth notes and the droning descent come together, creating a monstrous climax. It continues with power and then explodes one final time into fading noise leaving the audience energized for more.

___________________________________________________________________

What is it about “Army of Me” that you liked so much?
-First moment when you hear the beat come in
-Björk’s voice
-Contrast between voice and music

What is it about Björk that you like so much?
I have a CD that is just covers of "Army of Me" by other people. I absolutely hate the majority of the tracks. So, it's not exactly the music that I like. Upon listening to a myriad of her songs, I’ve realized that Björk often changes instrumentation during her live performances, but it doesn’t change the integrity of the song. For example, when touring for Volta she brought a 10-piece horn ensemble with her and used it to play songs off Vespertine, which was originally a strings album. It is the lyrics and vocals that really create the songs, but the way they are sung isn’t always consistent either. So what is it about her voice?

I feel that Björk’s voice embodies certain characteristics and feelings that are what attract me to her music:
-soft
-sensual
-clear
-strong
-big range
-breathing
-full of life
-patient
-steady
-surprising
-consistent
-improvisational
-free
-fragile
-grit
-strain
-emotional
-passionate
-confident
-honest
-storyteller
-raw

Assignment #2: Make a simple form of the essence you’re distilling.
Björk embodies individuality, femininity, confidence, and strength, which are qualities that I try to find in my life and I am able to feel through her music. Confidence in my own form as a human being is a simple way to show the essence of Björk’s voice. The curves of a woman’s body, the texture of skin, and a simplified black and white view will show all of the characteristics I find in Björk’s voice, which is what I am trying to distill.

DELTA

2009-09-25T10:36:00.003-04:00

Delta Brainwaves: Understanding the Slowest, Most Confusing Brainwaves

"Delta brain waves are the slowest of all your brainwaves. They usually fall within the frequency range of 0 - 4 Hz. When your brain waves reach levels below 0.1 Hz, you will literally be “brain dead.”

Delta brain waves have long been linked to stages 3 and 4 of sleep. The delta brainwave range is considered “the lowest brainwave frequency. A decreased sense of awareness, increased empathy, and access to the “unconscious mind” are common. It is extremely rare to have conscious awareness of delta brainwaves. Only certain highly spiritual individuals, gurus, yogis, monks, and avid meditators usually are able to consciously access this brainwave range.

Being in delta is like being in the most deeply relaxing trance or non-physical awareness. Usually, when individuals are asleep in the delta range, their other brainwave patterns shut down and delta takes over. If you’ve ever woken up and felt irritable, unconscious, confused, or disorientated, you likely woke up during your delta stage of sleep."

Understanding the "Delta" Brainwave

2009-08-31T09:47:00.001-04:00

We never are what we intend or invent.

2009-08-21T03:34:00.002-04:00

So, in an unforseen--almost accidental--spontaneous bout of being myself, I was perusing the website of my foreign institution of higher learning (Koninklijke Academie van Beeldende Kunsten), specifically the ArtScience department mumbo jumbo, when I found the introductory course & research group descriptions for the whole year. What luck this holds since it's first semester of this year I was hoping to read about. Upon a quick perusal, I knew exactly what I wanted to take.

And then I realized that it was last year's course descriptions I was looking at. In a typical fashion, the program has changed as I've arrived, but it still sounds amazing (and so me). So now I will post what little I do know. I have to pick two of these five groups (or maybe it's one per semester, I don't know):

RecPlay
This studiolab is an extension of the RecPLay group that has existed since 2001. It will deal with subjects such as audiovisual improvisation, improvised electronic music, real-time visuals and freestyle video, and the practical focus will be on developing hardware- and software instruments and ensemble playing. The labcoach of RecPlay is Robert Pravda, complemented by Kasper van der Horst.
AdLib
This studiolab is an extension of the existing AdLib performance group. Its focus is theatrical performance in which the body, light, sound and projections are used as instruments. Practical work includes body training, work with light and sound on stage and developing performances. The labcoach of AdLib is Michiel Pijpe.
Spatial Interaction Lab
This lab is a new form for the subjects that were earlier adressed in the 'Audiovisual Interfaces', 'Interactive Sonic Spaces' and other research groups. It deals with composing interactions by way of audiovisual interfaces, interactive spaces, robotics, physical computing, extra senses and interactive architecture. Its practical focus will be on hardware controllers, sensors, actuators and spatial use of sound and light. The labcoach of the Spatial Interaction Lab is Edwin van der Heide.
Audiovisual Composition Lab
This is a new lab dealing with multichannel audiovisual composition, montage, animation, visualization, generative composition and generative art. Its practical focus will be on HD and multichannel editing, animation and generative software. The labcoach of the Audiovisual Composition Lab will be Kasper van der Horst, complemented by Joost Rekveld.
Tactile Research Lab
This is a new lab,dealing with wearables, inflatables and new, active and responsive materials. Its practical focus will be on the skills that are necessary to make physical environments out of light-weight materials. The labcoach of the Tactile Research Lab is Cocky Eek.

A new country, a new city, and a year to recall while making new memories.

2009-08-12T09:14:00.006-04:00

A year is a long time to wait before you see the smile on your friends' faces in person again.
Barcelona, España

Europe

2009-07-27T18:02:00.002-04:00

I do not have a way to upload my pictures yet, but wait and they will come. I meant to stay in Spain for 2 weeks and I have been here four--without apostrophes and with accents, lots of accents. I have been to Barcelona (5 nights), Granada (3 nights), Sevilla (3 nights), Lagos (4 nights YES THAT IS PORTUGAL), Lisbon (2 nights), Madrid (3 nights), Zaragoza (3 nights), and now Barcelona again (1 night). What a first half to my trip! I am an idiot and my Eurail is gone (and was not worth its cost). I am going to Prague in the morning and then Berlin. Then hopefully Copenhagen...but who really knows. To all my new friends: gracias, gracias por todo. I do not want to leave Spain, mi amor.

Back in Zwolle

2009-07-01T03:18:00.002-04:00

Things have been a little crazy. My parents live in such a small town that I had to ride an hour to Utrecht yesterday to book my tickets to Barcelona. It's a bit last minute to be doing it (oops), but I got seats on both trains. I leave from Rotterdam to go to Paris and then Paris to Barcelona on the Joan Miro train (they're all named after Spanish artists). I got a prepaid cell phone and it's YELLOW (now we're complimentary Yonit...). I have been running around Zwolle picking things up and now I'm blasting David Bowie and packing. I need to go to the Apple Store and back to Vodafone to get a few questions answered. Catching the train to Rotterdam at 12:46 from Track 1 (it will really leave at EXACTLY that time).

PARIS, DAY 4

2009-06-29T03:07:00.000-04:00

Our last day in Paris. My shoes were dead and my feet were killing me so I dragged my parents back to Montmarte to get some shoes. Then I of course convinced them to go with me to Cafe de Deux Moulins. It wasn't exactly like Amelie, but I WAS THERE and that was exciting. Then we went and saw the Arch de Triomphe and walked down the Champs de Elysees, which is upscale shopping galore. We ate lunch at Lina's again, grabbed our suitcases, and took the train back to Zwolle.

Cafe de Deux Moulins

Inside

Inside
(for those who know Amelie: note where that man is sitting LOL)

Inside (no Tobacconist's counter!)

Arch de Triomphe

PARIS. DAY 3

2009-06-28T02:46:00.000-04:00

We took the train out to Versailles. There were people everywhere, but it was really interesting to see traditional clothing and jewels and where Louis XIV-XVIII lived (and Marie Antoinette). The rooms were so large and ornately decorated just on the walls. I can't imagine living there at all. The gardens were absolutely fabulous as well.

Fountain Spectacle

Gardens

Chateau

Hall of Mirrors

Hall of Mirrors

After Versailles we were all very tired, but we ate dinner at a Pizza place (it was easier to find Italian food as opposed to anything else) and then we got crepes from a vendor on the street. Nutella crepes are DELICIOUS.

PARIS, DAY 2

2009-06-27T18:34:00.000-04:00

We went to the Centre Pompidou. On the way there we met a man from Iran. He had come to Paris the day before. We had to part ways because he had to get in line to buy a ticket and we had Museum Passes. Centre Pompidou is Modern Art heaven! It had exhibitions on Caulder and Kandinsky along with works by so many artists I've come to know since going to college. There were plenty of Picassos and Matisses, but to see Orlan, Marina Abramovic, Louise Bourgeoise, Eva Hesse, Carolee Schneeman, the Guerilla Girls, Annette Messager, etc. was AMAZINGLY EXCITING.

CENTRE POMPIDOU

CAULDER

MATISSE

ELKE KRYSTUFEK
size does not matter, age does not matter

GUERILLA GIRLS

CRISTINA IGLESIAS

EVA HESSE

v
Paris Metro

Paris Metro

We also visited Sainte Chapelle, Notre Dame, Sacre Cour & Montmartre.

Sainte Chapelle

Sainte Chapelle

Sainte Chapelle

Notre Dame

Notre Dame

Notre Dame

Notre Dame

PARIS, DAY 1

2009-06-26T23:59:00.000-04:00

We (my parents and I) arrived in Paris around 12:30, checked into our hotel, had some lunch as a small café called Lina's, and went to the Louvre for 5 hours. We saw all the main sights (Venus de Milo, Winged Victory of Samothrace, & the Mona Lisa). Also notable are Liberty Leading the People and the Coronation of Napolean the I (which is one of the biggest paintings I have EVER seen). We then moved on to view the French collection, but only made it through 2/3 of the 3 HOUR AUDIOGUIDE TOUR before we had to give up. It was amazing, but tiring.

Outside the Louvre

Entering in through the pyramid designed by Pei.

Venus de Milo (very crowded)

Winged Victory of Samothrace

Red Gallery

Gallery

After a pasta dinner at Les Deux Magots, we went to the Eiffel Tower, which is beautiful but crowded on a Friday night. There were so many Americans (you could tell just by listening). Not too far ahead of us in line I heard an OBNOXIOUSLY loud Southern girl on her cell phone saying that she'd eaten at McDonald's in Paris earlier that day and it was the best meal she'd ever had. Yikes. We got to bed rather late at around 1:00.

Eiffel Tower

Walking under

Nightime view from the 3rd level.
I find taking panoramic pictures to be a waste so enjoy my artful interpretations.

Life

2009-06-03T23:25:00.001-04:00

I hope you all are loving life right now. laura needs to give me back my podishuffclip asap and bustdown. thanks for listening

Europe Plans, Updated

2009-05-07T17:50:00.002-04:00

Well, I bought my plane tickets just now. I am taking off for Amsterdam via Dublin on Wednesday, June 24 at 6:50pm. I will arrive in Amsterdam at 12:20pm, spend the night with my parents and then do a weekend in Paris! After that I have school interviews and a play date in Barcelona. This is shaping up to potentially be the best summer ever! I have over $60 in my wallet thanks to babysitting, I have my job back at FAST, and I have a huge and amazing tour of Europe ahead of me!

Martin Arnold, Summer, OBTN, Europe Trip

2009-05-07T00:45:00.002-04:00

Martin Arnold is an amazing filmmaker...click!

This summer is wasting. I need to get back on track and start making things, but putting everything away is taking too long and all I want to do is sit and eat, which is making me upset and causing more sitting and eating.

Our Brother the Native CD went on sale yesterday! Josh still owes me a copy because I lent him $10. Check them out HERE!

I've started a tentative itinerary for my European travels this summer. I want to visit people and travel around so if you're going to be in Europe in July or August, let me know and we can do something. Below is my tentative schedule thus far:

June 30: Arrive in Amsterdam (spend night @ parent's in Zwolle, Netherlands)
July 1: The Hague, Netherlands...KABK interview? Train to Paris, France
July 2 & 3: Paris, France
July 4-7: Barcelona, Spain
July 8-11: Sevilla, Spain
July 12-14: Madrid, Spain
July 15-18: France somewhere?
July 19-23: Lucerne, Switzerland (Blue Balls Festival!)
July 24-27: Munich, Germany
July 28-30: Krakow, Poland?
July 31-August 2: Prague, Czech Republic
August 3-6: Berlin, Germany
August 7-9: Copenhagen, Denmark
August 10-12: Sweden (visitng Gustav?)
August 13-16: Northern Germany?
August 17-20: Belgium somewhere?
August 21-23: Amsterdam, Netherlands
August 24-?: Zwolle??

Fall 2009.

2009-04-29T11:13:00.002-04:00

This is where I want to study abroad.

NOT ICELAND. So stop asking/thinking that everyone!

I'm also applying here.

Back to work on my applications...

Final Recycling

2009-04-20T12:56:00.000-04:00

Digital Memories from Laura Thompson on Vimeo.

Final Screendance

2009-04-20T12:55:00.000-04:00

The Final Push

2009-04-10T08:34:00.002-04:00

Well, I'm moving into my last week of classes in the art school. It's crazy to think that I'm pretty much halfway done with college. These two years went by fast! I can't believe it's summer again already...

CFC III: Monday I present my mock sophomore review to Rebekah and the class (Ironically enough, Rebekah is on my review panel so I get some feedback before I do the real thing in front of her. I am so lucky!). My final piece on crying is due Wednesday. I've got 13 interviews done and I'm off to do 14 in a few minutes actually. I apparently know a lot more boys than girls because the guy: girl ratio is 2:1 at this point.

HBA: Working away on my boots. I'm so glad it's the type of project I can do while a movie is playing. I'd be way too stressed out to have another thought heavy, time intensive thing going on. I'll put up pics of the progress on my HBA blog soon enough...

Recycling: I just need to figure out how to install my stuff by Tuesday. I need to find a monitor I suppose. I just want it to be an intimate viewing. Might email Andy T during the week (or talk to him Sat when we go on our field trip to MOCAD & some other Detroit spots...SO EXCITED!).

Screendance: My final project is a bit of a mess. I need to slow down and really film this thing right. My life has been on FF for a few weeks and now that Cadence & Dance Mix are over, I'm so relieved.

The Cadence show went really well. It was a little depressing that more ppl didn't come, but that's what we get for having the show on a Wednesday (specifically Passover). I was really happy with my dance...

This has been one of the hardest semesters of my entire life. I'm still pulling together sophomore review. I'm having trouble knowing what order to arrange things in...I've got a lot of thematic stuff going on, but also some chronological stuff. Need to figure that out.

Cadence Show: What Sound?

2009-04-09T14:57:00.000-04:00

Screendance Final Project Storyboard

2009-04-02T03:01:00.004-04:00

For the record, I don't sketch.

RECYCLING: Please leave critique comments!

2009-04-01T00:10:00.004-04:00

Hello.
Are you wearing headphones?

No?
I recommend you put some on.

Yes, much better.

Digital Memories from Laura Thompson on Vimeo.

Crying

2009-03-30T07:56:00.004-04:00

Crying: An Exploration of Tears from Laura Thompson on Vimeo.

Challenge for Part III:
15 people of varying ages, races, & genders.
Longer interviews (which can be edited, but should allow them to open up).
Build a relationship between the audience and these people.

Amanda sent me a video that reminds me of my first iteration where I simply showed myself crying in two different situations to the class:

"I'm too sad to tell you" by Bas Jan Ader

Henceforth

2009-03-26T07:51:00.001-04:00

Video Dance
Figure in a Landscape

Collaboration with
Matthew Bendure
Dave Merian

My Spine UPDATED

2009-03-12T23:06:00.002-04:00

My Spine from Laura Thompson on Vimeo.

Updates (I've lost track of the weeks)

2009-03-08T13:20:00.002-04:00

Well, all of my projects finished up before spring break and then I went to the Netherlands and now I have to generate idea for four new projects. It's a tad overwhelming if you ask me. So here's what's up in each of my classes:

CFC III: I finished my cigarette piece. I ended up making a sound piece, which I'm not entirely sure how to share on here...but I'll get it up when I can. I think it's one of my more successful explorations of sound, but I have a long way to goooo. Now we're doing our final project and I am doing a video piece on crying. Reading all these books. It's really interesting.

HBA: I am doing a piece with multiple bodies melting into each other like wax (oh wait, I'm using wax I think). Check out my other blog for more updates.

Recycling: We're starting up a piece that's about materiality and minimalism. In essence, I need to figure out how/what I'm gathering and what I form out of it will come from the material's intrinsic nature. I will now spew some pretentious rule for how it's meant to be viewed (kidding).

Video Dance: Figure in a Landscape. I don't know what to do! Also, this is AMAZING. We watched in class...

Stage to Screen

2009-02-19T03:23:00.001-05:00

Stage to Screen from Laura Thompson on Vimeo.

Outdoor Smoking

2009-02-18T09:58:00.006-05:00

People who smoke tend to gather outside in certain spots to enjoy their nicotine and socialize with other smokers. Some people also smoke to gain a sense of solitude or to have a moment to themselves. I want to create a piece that makes smokers more aware of where they are when they're smoking, which I think is often overlooked or secondary to their experience. My plan is to develop a sound piece based on the natural sounds of the environment in which people are smoking and the actual sounds of smoking. I then want to play them in that area, hopefully causing someone to notcie the audio and therefore the space around them.

2009-02-17T00:05:00.006-05:00

CFC Inspiration: Cigarettes in the Landscape

2009-02-16T01:55:00.005-05:00

Irving Penn

Normally a fashion photographer, this photograph is a portrait of cigarette butts that are decaying and look almost like they're a part of some natural landscape.

Cigarette Art by Tom Deininger

He collects cigarettes off the beach to make his pieces. The shell is composed entirely of cigarette butts. The rabbit's fur is made from old cigarette filters. Both pieces smell very strongly like cigarettes.

Some very smelly drawing...

Terrarium Update

2009-02-08T23:54:00.003-05:00

The feedback I got about my terrarium was that the rope was too clunky the way it was knotted to the corners and it was too close to Vinnie's piece and the light sort of fell out (whoops). So I redid the rope so that it ties into a complex and large knot but the threading is clean-lined. I decided not to go with a smaller rope because I was partially worried about it holding up and because I like the rustic sort of heavy handed feel it gives the piece. I also moved my terrarium to the other side of the room and bought some of those boat ties that you figure 8 rope around and attached them to the wall so that I wouldn't need compost buckets to hold my piece up anymore. I also wired the light back in and left it on for the night. I think it's lookin' good and I see some little green things sprouting in there :)

Classes, Week 5

2009-02-06T10:43:00.004-05:00

CFC III-We finished our terrariums and hung them up in our room on Wednesday. I think the feedback I got on mine was fairly positive (minus the fact that the light decided to fall out). Rebekah though the rope was too clunky and I have to agree with her. She didn't give us homework over the weekend so now I have time to mess around with it and fix it.

Human Body as an Armature-We're working on our second long term project and I'm really excited about my idea (see other blog for more information). I'm still doing weekly quickies and we sketch a lot in class and do short activities. I just need to figure out what sort of work I can do in-class on this one on Monday (maybe I should email Sarah and explain to her what's up and ask what I should do).

Aztec, Maya, & Inca Civilizations-Well, we just finished learning about the Aztec and had a test yesterday. I'm a little bit nervous because the test was 30% of my grade and it was only 15 questions long. The majority of the MC questions left it open for you to circle multiple things. I'm not sure if they're giving partial credit. I knew there had to be some kind of catch to how things were set up.

Recycling-We're working on using materials to create an unexpected form. My stamps are coming together into a closed, but very dynamic shape. I really like the way it's going. Last night it dawned on me that I should do a bigger version with used envelopes and then put the two together...AWESOME! I need to start collecting used envelopes :)

Video Dance-I got a tour of ISS yesterday so now I can go work there during downtime on central campus if I reserve a space. Tomorrow I'm doing a 4 hour Duderstadt training session, which will be a good refresher on Final Cut Pro. It never hurts to go over things another time. ISS is supposedly having all sorts of workshops to learn various things. I'm determined to go and learn as much as I can. The Dance on Camera festival is this weekend and I'm really excited about it. I still have to edit my footage from the Power Center and then I have to do the Solo Study footage we took in class last week (so I'm going to be spending some time in the Dude, luckily it's my favorite library).

Speaking of which, I need to drop off the dv tape at Groundworks and return library books...I've built up a nice stack on my printer.

You know, I just realized that the work I've been making this semester is all things that I can be proud of. I feel as though the craft on each of my long term pieces is to a higher standard and I feel like the ideas I'm generating are worthwhile. I need to redo my blood fountain, but beyond that I'm pretty happy with most everything. A few tweaks or reassessments are needed here & there, but I'm falling into a pattern of work that is truly my own and I like it. That's a happy feeling.

P.S. THIS IS MY 100th POST ON THIS BLOG. YAY ME.

More Terrarium Chandelier

2009-02-04T01:01:00.002-05:00

Letters to Louanna

2009-02-04T00:09:00.009-05:00

This is the latest piece I'm working on for Recycling. My great
aunt had a house full of stuff and one of the things I got when she
passed was a bag full of tons of old stamps that had been through
the mail. They were all off letters she had received, but now
I'm making them into a sculpturally interesting piece (and finally
finding a use for them since they were saved for so long).

Terrarium Chandelier

2009-02-03T23:56:00.013-05:00

This is my terrarium chandelier in progress. It's meant to go in a country style breakfast nook (aka it's very rustic looking).

(Left) This is the top. It has a very simple design and the hardware is visible purposefully. I think it adds to the style (and I like it).

This is the underside. It will have mason jars screwed into each lid. Each jar will preserve an herb and create interesting shadows when light reflects through it.

My chandelier hangs from the four corners
of the rectangular wooden frame with rope.
The rope hangs on a pulley system so that I
can adjust the hanging height and easily
access herbs for cooking.

2009-02-03T09:37:00.005-05:00

2009-02-02T16:57:00.001-05:00

Lucky Dragons

Video Dance Assignment #1: Variations on a Theme

2009-02-01T12:01:00.002-05:00

Classes, Week 4

2009-02-01T10:31:00.007-05:00

Since I've been so diligent, I'll keep doing a weekly update for those of you who aren't around to see my work.

In CFC III we're still working on our terrariums. I have everything I need except wood, screws, some other hardware pieces & rope. Well, and the compost that Rebekah is going to give me. I'm growing 6 different kinds of herbs. I just need to assemble it (some electrician work required). I will probably go to Home Depot today to pick up what I need. We turned in our first long assignment in Human Body as an Armature. I did a piece based off the lyrics "I'm a fountain of blood/In the shape of a girl." I think that the idea was really good, but I am having some technical difficulties. I really want to install it in a space where I can work on it over time, which should happen soon (I'll explain in a minute). I also need to rework how I route the tubing because that was a factor in the issues. I also want to get a bigger basin. In Aztec, Maya, & Inca Civilizations we're almost done talking about the Aztec already. We have a test this Thursday. I'm a little nervous because that is 1/3 of my grade and you never know if professors are going to throw you for a loop. The class seems far too straightforward. I need to gather materials for recycling. We're using materials to make forms, which I'm really excited about. I want to do something thing and stringy (but maybe with more form like a piece of wire or string with a lot of tension on it). I'm not really sure yet (hence needing to go foraging). We got into a long talk about Cradle to Cradle and recycling, which I really enjoyed. Video Dance is awesome. We watched my first piece (which is a little jenky on the editing if you ask me) and I got some good feedback. Terri said she could see me expanding it and I agree with her completely. I haven't actually touched my Power Center footage yet (which is probably really bad). We also filmed a dancer in class and I'm really excited about that because she did some amazing improvisations and our camera at least caught some really cool footage (I'm sure the others did too). Now for the real news. I am opening a gallery in a storage space in Ypsilanti. It's going to be for installations, collaborations, and other people can rent it for the average daily cost I'm paying to use it (TBD). I think this is such an exciting idea and one of my professors is really excited about it too. I already formed a facebook group and invited people who I think would be a supportive base for this project. I think it's going to be an amazing experience. More info later.

Christa Donner

2009-01-27T09:23:00.000-05:00

Christa Donner

Classes, Week Three

2009-01-25T18:48:00.008-05:00

I feel like this is probably terribly boring but I sort of enjoy doing it for posterity. Let's see...

Video Dance-I still need to fix the problems with my first project, but yesterday I went and watched the girl I'm filming and I'm going to film her tomorrow and possibly Tuesday. So many projects!

Aztec, Maya, & Inca Civilizations-We've moved from nomadic people to chiefdoms to forming states. No talk of the Aztecs quite yet.

Recycling-Project 1 is over. John Walters taught us how to mig weld. I have to go dumpster diving to gather some materials for our next piece.

CFC III-In spite of all the sketches, I'm still fixated with the idea of a mason jar chandelier. So I bought a 12 pack today.

Human Body as an Armature-I'm working on a piece based off of some lyrics from "Bachelorette" by Bjork (I'm a fountain of blood/In the shape of a girl). Basically, I will be wearing a white unitard that has clear tubing attached to it in the form of veins and I will stand in a basin of water with an aquarium pump that pushes red water through the system. I'm excited. It's going to be SICK.

Screendance

2009-01-22T00:41:00.003-05:00

Well, I think I'm pretty much finished editing my piece for screendance. I think I'm going to go to sleep and try to transfer it back onto my tape in the morning. I really hope I don't turn my alarm off because I need to be up! in time to do a few final edits, export it, and go to the Dude to transfer it back on. I'm sort of nervous. I'm probably going to look like an idiot with my editing skills and they're going to wonder why I'm taking the class. I question myself so much. Will post Variations on a Theme later.

UPDATE: I went to Groundworks at 7:30, giving me an hour to transfer the tape and get to class. I tried two different computers, got a new tape, and ended up getting it on there (but not through Print to Video). I was an hour late to class. Luckily I had two friends there from class to help me. We didn't watch my tape so now I have time to redo the transfer and add credits (I knew i forgot something). Also, we have to bring bagels to class next week. Oh joy.

Tah Do List Update (AKA Distractions)

2009-01-20T00:01:00.007-05:00

Well I got some work off my to do list done (and some things that weren't on there done too).

Here's what's left of the agenda:
Attach heart to soft sculpture
Check out 3 more books on light
14.5 sketches for terrarium
Root wearable piece
Edit screendance piece
Concept/sketches for HBA

Things I did do this weekend:
Hung out with friends (a whole variety)
Made fondant cupcakes
Taped my boob?
Went to the Reuse Center
Did my laundry
Did 1/2 sketch
Watched Snatch w/ Cassie :)
Watched Batman Begins & The Dark Knight
Sewed & Stuffed Soft Sculpture
Made lots of new friends
Heard two conversations in Swedish
Danced until 3:30 am
Put empty cans on a ceiling fan
Made peanut butter & syrup waffles!
Listened to METAL
Got my car stuck in the snow
Had two strangers push my car out of the snow
Cooked a delicious stir fry
Burned things on a parking garage roof
Listened to my iPod shuffle itself perfectly
Watched the sun come up
Made oatmeal w/ blueberries for lunch
Got interviewed for the Michigan Daily
Wore a skirt in the cold
Danced to Sigur Rós in the snow
Filmed in Walgreen Drama Center for 2 hours
Transferred my tape onto my computer
Hung around the Dude
Realized I live in a small world
Made a storyboard
Booked my flight to Amsterdam

I'd say it was an eventful and enjoyable long weekend. Now I can look forward to TOMORROW
(well, TODAY now) because TODAY is the first day of life after GEORGE W. BUSH. Hello future.
Now I'm going to buckle down and SKETCH...

Recycling 101: How to Make a Teddy Bear into an Abstract Form

2009-01-18T22:55:00.009-05:00

Me & My Teddy Bear (cell phone pic)

Step 1: Rip bear apart at seams & remove stuffing.

Step 2: Sew flat pieces back together

Step 3: Reattach large, flat piece into a three dimensional form.
Step 4: Stuff it with its own innards.
Step 5: Sew shut.

Voila!

Bright Colors

2009-01-18T17:06:00.003-05:00

Mike Kelley

Fondant Cupcakes

Classes, Week Two

2009-01-16T13:13:00.002-05:00

Things are beginning to pick up even more work wise. I have a lot of work I SHOULD be doing right now, but I'm making mini fondant cakes to surprise Yonit for her mad hatter tea party tonight. Perhaps I shall photograph the process so everyone else can revel in the glory of my first fondant adventure.

As for my classes, let's recap:

CFC III-We did 20 sketches for our terrariums and looked at 5 different books. Now we're looking at 5 more books and doing 15 more sketches. I am not the biggest fan of sketching, but it is really helping me to develop my ideas. My first set of sketches is more note taking than drawing. I'm going to do more of a collage/nice sketch thing for the next 15 so maybe I'll scan and post them. My idea is developing into a light that relates to humans and plants. It might also utilize mason jars for growing an herb garden.

Human Body as an Armature-We have weekly QUICKIE projects (see my other blog for images) as well as shorter studies. Our first study was using t-shirts to make something. Our second one is using a yard of muslin to develop a wearable idea. We also have a longer project going which revolves around a single human body as an armature. I'm not entirely sure of what I want to do yet, but more than ever I want a small white room that I can install things in. I should start looking...

Aztec, Maya, & Inca Civilizations-I lucked out choosing this course. I don't have readings or a large final. I have to show up to class, take good notes, and show up to discussion. I have 3 tests (one on each civilization) that count for 30% of my grade each. The other 10% is attendance. At least I don't have homework...that would be the stressful part.

Recycling-We are doing soft sculptures right now. I have a Build a Bear that was dismantled and is being patched back together. Too bad it's really creepy that it sings happy birthday and had a little red & white heart inside it. I will probably take some documentation pictures of this as well because it's kind of fun to look at in progress. I'm not entirely sure where I'm going with it, but it's going to be CRAZY.

Screendance-We are working on our first project in groups. We have to do variations on a phrase. I am in one of two groups of three. We're filming on Monday. I have to edit it and have it all ready to go on Thursday. We are also starting our project From Stage to Screen. I have to follow around a dance major at their upcoming show and make a piece all about them. I need to email my dancer and figure out when I'm going. This class is intimidating because I feel inexperienced and slightly nervous about my projects. I'm worried about time I guess. I need to find some confidence and just go for it!

I am posting my favorite video dance piece, Reines D'un Jour (Queens for a Day):

Penny Stamps-Nick Tobier last night. He's amazing and his work is so interesting. I love the fact that he strives to interact with people because a lot of the work he's done reminds me of things I've taken interest in doing or thought of doing in the past. I'm still sad I never dressed up as a bell hop and operated the elevator in Couzens for a day last year...

This Weekends To Do List:
Quickie #2
Soft sculpture
Check out 5 books on light
15 terrarium sketches
Muslin tree roots
Concept/sketches for single body as armature
Film variation
Edit variation
Email dancer

Olafur Eliasson

2009-01-14T17:08:00.002-05:00

Classes, Week One

2009-01-11T16:01:00.005-05:00

So I'm already unbelievably busy and unfocused. I'm trying to do more work in my sketchbooks, but I'm avoiding my sketches for CFC III. I love all of my classes, but they're individually a lot of work. Human body as an armature is going to be SWEET. I'm posting my work from that class in a separate blog so you really won't see much of it in this one (http://laurashumanbody.blogspot.com). I'll leave you with a picture of my first QUICKIE:

This is my sketchbook for recycling. I've been cutting out a lot of inspiration pictures and making various
collages. I made this on Friday and I really like it. Now I need to fill up the inside...

Nick Knight

2009-01-02T18:37:00.005-05:00

So This is the New Year

2009-01-01T16:37:00.003-05:00

Make more clothing w/o patterns

Lose 10 lbs
Silk screen some more t-shirts
Work on my book
Dance for the camera on multiple screens
Meditate once a week
Start taking yoga
Regular ballet class
Run once a week
Go to a hockey game
Stretch...everything

Winter 2009 Course Schedule

2008-12-18T16:19:00.003-05:00

Well, I'm pretty excited about the classes I'm taking next semester:

ANTHRARC 284 Aztec, Maya, & Inca Civilzations :: T/TH 1-2:30 LECTURE, T 3-4 DISCUSSION
This course focuses on the rise and fall of the ancient civilizations of Latin America. Two major goals are to expose undergraduates to an anthropological perspective and to a comparative perspective. The geographic focus is on two key regions:

South America (Peru and Bolivia); and
Mesoamerica (Mexico, Guatemala, Belize, and Honduras).

The South American societies to be studied include the Chavin, Moche, Chimu, Wari, Tiwanaku, and Inca. The Mesoamerican societies to be studied include the Olmec, Zapotec, Maya, Mixtec, and Aztec.

ARTDES 231 Concept, Form, & Context III: Nature :: M/W 8:30-11:30 AM

One of a series of three required freshman/sophomore studio courses that focuses on problem solving, problem generation, and the development of ideas. Each incorporates reading, research and writing components that integrate critical thinking and language skills with personal expression, and focuses on structured projects that encourage the development of transferable conceptual and formal skills.

ARTDES 261 Penny W. Stamps Distinguished Visitors Series :: TH 5-6:30PM

http://www.art-design.umich.edu/ev_lectures.php?aud=e&menucat=ne

ARTDES 300 The Human Body as an Armature :: M/W 1:30-4:30PM

This course focuses on anatomy and the function of the human body and its relationship to space and human identity. Students will examine, manipulate, alter, fashion, model, adorn, deconstruct and reconstruct, perform, fabricate, protect, extend, augment, and document the human body through the creation of wearables, small spaces/dwellings, sculptural appendages, drawings, performances, videos, and/or photographs. Students will be introduced to contemporary and historical creative thinkers and makers who derive ideas from the study of the human body.

ARTDES 300 Recycling :: T/TH 7-10PM

This course explores meaning within the physical materiality of an artwork and discusses sustainable art practices along with the reusing or re-purposing of cultural materials. A variety of methodologies will be covered, more specifically 3-D sculptural practices, but will also include performance, conceptual, 2-D, and digital medias as applicable to the classroom dialogue. In this course, students will learn how to create work without going to the art supply store.

DANCE 462/SAC 404 Screendance :: TH 8:30-11AM

From Maya Deren to Merce Cunningham, to music video and beyond, this course will explore the unique challenges of capturing and creating dance for the camera. Through class screenings of film and video work, class exercises, reading and discussion, students will learn about various historical and contemporary issues and approaches in combining dance and the moving image. Students will work alone and in small collaborative groups to create their own works integrating dance and video. At the end of the course, students should be able to articulate meaning in dance on film or video and discuss, analyze, and critique both student projects and "professional" dance screen works. Through creative projects, students will develop their own visual style and an increased proficiency with digital video cameras and editing.

Frustrations

2008-12-13T23:15:00.003-05:00

This is the piece of paper that says I can take Dance 462/SAC 404 next semester. No one seems to be able to make it electronic for me.

I have been to:
Dance School
Art School
Music School
North Campus Registrar

I shall now send out an email to many people in hopes of being able to take it. Grrr.

TRASHY.

2008-12-12T12:52:00.005-05:00

Photo Credit: Vince Roberts

http://www.michigandaily.com/content/2008-12-09/art-and-design-students-turn-trash-fashion

Nine and One Half Hours

2008-12-11T09:27:00.001-05:00

Nine and one half hours.
That is how long I was in the print studio.
Seven and a half to clear the background.
Two to print six prints (with mixed litho and etching ink....bad idea, DAMMIT PEOPLE).
Three more layers to go.
Pictures ensue...

Layer 1 Print, Layer 2 Print, The board with the background cleared for Layer 3

Court C

2008-12-07T21:45:00.001-05:00

So I just finished editing my final piece for TMP 3 and I have some time to go back and make changes if I feel the need to (it's due Tuesday). I wanted to post what I have so far so that I could get some feedback. The assignment was to spend time in a place and then make a piece in reaction. I spent my time in a racket ball court in the CCRB (and I also spent quite a bit of time having Cadence rehearsals there too, which might explain how the piece came about). Please comment!

The End is Far Too Near

2008-12-04T14:54:00.000-05:00

I've written more To Do Lists than notes this semester. Edit. Items in BOLD are still left on the list...

To Do (The Rest of the Semester in Order by Due Date):
1. Spanish Paper
It must be a story of some kind using the grammar we've been taught this semester. At least two pages. I have yet to start. DUE FRIDAY, DECEMBER 5 @ 2PM
2. CFC Final Project
It was a half semester research and make something type of project that has to be related to culture. My project has something to do with the idea of faith as opposed to religion in American culture. I am lost as to what to make, which is really really REALLY bad. Need an artist statement. DUE TUESDAY, DECEMBER 9 @ 8:30AM
3. ADP 3 Field Research Project
My project is on apples and local, in season foods (too bad apples are now out of season). I need to finish designing product labels for my locally made applesauce. DUE TUESDAY, DECEMBER 9 @ 11:30AM
4. TMP 3 Final Project
This is about exploring a space over time. I'm making a video that shows the juxtaposition between me, a ball, and a racketball court. Dance for the camera FTW. I need to film and edit everything. DUE TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 9 @ 1:30PM
5. Printmaking Portfolio
This includes finishing my 6+ layer reduction woodcut (I'm on layer 2), an etching (which I am still cutting into), a group lino thing (have to start), and all of my other prints from the semester (need to print a few more of some of them). DUE FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12 @ 9AM
6. ADP 3 Group Project
Trash to clothes. Gotta finish. Shiiiit. DUE FRIDAY, DECEMBER 12 by 5 PM.
7. Spanish Final MONDAY, DECEMBER 15 @10:30AM
8. Penny Stamps Makeup Paper
1 page, based on a Ted Talk (or podcast of lecture I missed). DUE DECEMBER 18

The Night Before Thanksgiving-Family Movie List

2008-11-27T13:19:00.003-05:00

1988-Oliver & Company (I was 1 month old!!!)
1989-The Adventures of Milo and Otis
1990-Rescuers Down Under
1991-An American Tale: Fivel Goes West
1992-Home Alone 2: Lost in New York
1993-Cool Runnings?
1994-The Santa Clause
1995-Toy Story
1996-101 Dalmations
1997-Anastasia?
1998-A Bug's Life
1999-James Bond: The World is Not Enough (Dad, Nathan, Kathryn)/Toy Story 2 (Mom, Laura)
2000-How the Grinch Stole Christmas
2001-Monster's Inc.
2002-James Bond: Die Another Day
2003-The Cat in the Hat
2004--National Treasure
2005-Pride and Predjudice
2006-James Bond: Casino Royale
2007-August Rush
2008-James Bond: Quantum of Solace

Nattúra

2008-11-20T09:04:00.003-05:00

Bjork put a new song out not too long ago feat. Thom Yorke called "Nattúra."

It all started back with the Bjork/Sigur Rós free concert in Reykjavík that I missed by 2 WEEKS this summer.
It has spawned a website which facilitates discussions concerning environmental issues as well as research and development specifically pertaining to Iceland's sustainability. Check it out: http://nattura.info

Trashy

2008-11-18T00:52:00.005-05:00

I think we're going to call our clothing line "Trashy" haha. I attached a skirt to the dress, but I don't know how I feel about it at this point in time...I want to redo the pleats. They're driving me INSANE. EDIT: They look bad. I'm redoing them!

hybriddd.

2008-11-18T00:51:00.000-05:00

I have an idea for my hybrid...FINALLY. An eye w/ a vagina for the pupil that's crying/bleeding BUT it's a detached eyeball with feet instead of the large optic nerves. I had a long conversation about whether or not I would try eating human flesh if given the opportunity right before I started drawing on my board last night. That combined with the fact that I cleaned out a slaughterhouse when I was in Iceland this summer lead to me hanging the eyes from meat hooks on tracks...

Images of board in first stages of carving:

Images of board as I draw and add to the image. The pics were just taken quickly in photobooth so they're in reverse and thus look like it will when printed:

The inspiration pics:

Have a nice day!

2008-11-12T16:18:00.005-05:00

This is the final video for my CFC sranger/volunteer project. I was a greeter at a church so I decided to translate the idea to another community: North Campus.