bureaucracy baby pictures
I’m either just about to get this dream kicked into gear, or on the verge of realizing I’m totally nuts. Hopefully.
What is the dream? Well, quite simply it is a cooperative re-purposing factory (with functional and fanciful output) that also happens to be a school of creativity, a laboratory for scientific observation, and a relaxing outdoor environment for vocational therapy.
Getting the chalkboard up to facilitate the factory/school functions and Metal Alley constructed to house materials was super exciting this last weekend. Getting O-R-G-A-N-I-Z-E-D. Here is the current list:
All this and more…
Wanna help? Volunteers will be reimbursed with alternative currency (ATEN Hours), a pleasant experience, and good karma.
Fence Paint
I felt a sudden need to document this moment in history via Fernando’s [former] fence.
Former because Fernando is no longer my neighbor. This moment in history, because we are in a transitional space, where new meets old and negotiations, adjustments, and compromises may have to be made. In other words, I don’t know if the new property managers, and tenants, are going to like this wabi sabi style, so it may or may not get painted over.
Pythagoras and Austinites Discover the Musical Intervals – September 2012
My friend Jessica co-curated this very intriguing inter-disciplinary art show this past month, so I just had to submit something.
My art statement:
My feeling is that physical truths which can be expressed mathematically are inherently present all around us and therefore intuitive. Finding the mathematical relationships which describe those truths gives tangible (albeit still mysterious) justification for our unconscious recognition of things like the “good sound” of a perfect fifth.
The invitation to create art about a sonic concept prompted me to delve into my synaesthetic pathways. Similar to Pythagoras encountering the perfect tonal relationships, I can relate as a photographer encountering color and/or shape combinations which simply “sing”. In this installation, I present two photographs which I have “translated” sonically by breaking them down into different visual-auditory elements/motifs. By no means scientific, this process is a kind of intuitive approximating that I rely on as an art-maker…
After matching the sounds in my head to field recordings and keyboard tones, I engaged in some improvisational play to combine the elements into compositions. (Enjoy!)
I didn’t get a photo of the installed piece, but here are the two photos I submitted:
They were displayed above a diagram showing how I dissected the images for “elements”, and a small shelf for a CD player with headphones. The audio project can be heard at: http://soundcloud.com/the-lost-art-of/sets/pythagoras-sound-project.
Change Studies at KD’s Backyard Gardens
There is a curiosity-inspiring little community growing in the fenced-in yard next to 11th St.’s Victory Grill. Between that historic venue and the nearby trailer eateries which buffer old East 11th from the monstrously modern new orange-balconied development, is Kenny Dorham’s backyard, a fantastic place to take in some blues or soul music, tend to some plots, or to have a healthy garden-to-plate meal with kind new friends.
I made a post on the Austin Time Exchange Network a few months back, offering my services as a photographer to do a time-lapse sequence of a project or place. Kesten Broughton, proprietor of SunFarmKitchens, a (partially) solar-powered food trailer, has been spearheading the community garden projects and hosting Fambly Dinner once a week, and he took me up on the offer. So far I have been out there 3 times, and it has been a good learning experience for me to observe the changes and try and figure out the best way to capture it on camera. Some of the work-in-progress below:
sunflowers, 5/7/12
sunflowers, 5/16/12
sunflowers, 6/21/12
— _____ — _______ — ______ —
center garden, 5/7/12
center garden, 5/16/12
center garden, 6/21/12
— _____ — _______ — ______ —
haybed, 5/7/12
haybed, 5/16/12
haybed-turned-food, 6/21/12
— _____ — _______ — ______ —
mural side, 5/7/12
mural side, 5/16/12
mural side, 6/21/12
— _____ — _______ — ______ —
This last time I was there, there was a lot of stuff growing all around, so I have a lot of extra pictures which do not show an evolution. See those and more at http://www.flickr.com/photos/70127061@N07/sets/
Do you to-do List?
Now seeking submissions for an ongoing to-do list gallery. (virtual. here).
I like the scanned piece of paper (or whatever you write on) sent as a jpg of web-quality size (72 dpi), but at least 800 pixels on one of its sides.
Send to collectionrert<>at<>gmail<>dot<>com
Starting, …NOW!
Please and Thank You.
p.s. I stole/borrowed the Please and Thank you from mr. chad hopper, my beloved heartmate.
p.p.s. so, the idea is, I wanna see how+what people write, when they are writing reminders to themselves, be it in a very structured format, or in a more right-brain wabi-sabi way… If you send, I will post.
Gang of 6: The Wreck Center Does Its Thang
Grady Roper, Enoch Rios, Michael White, Holly Brown and myself. Mike’s piece was an interactive sound collage. February 2012…
We had fun hanging the show til 3 in the morning. We found ways to connect the bodies of work at their meeting points, like Enoch’s photo of the mermaid arms connects to Holly’s photo of the arms + ice cream on dirt. Etcetera…
CURE FOR BOREDOM tour commences!
Next Tuesday is the trip to The Valley (… that’s the Rio Grande Valley, y’all).
I have been invited to make a big beautiful mess in a gallery down there (Feb. 24th). So, my brain has been in hamster wheel overdrive. Of course, as usual, I have thought up a project that is waaay bigger than what can be accomplished by one person, so I+the gallery are recruiting volunteers to help make my fantasies become real (like Pinocchio becoming a real boy).
Here are some examples, for you potential volunteer recruits reading this out there, of what I might have you do to help out. But remember, always be prepared for something unexpected (including but not limited to your own inspiration!) —
-Anyone have access to a P.A. or have an extra amp or 2?
-Scavenger hunts (tracking down random-specific materials) ** In fact, if someone would join this list-serve a.s.a.p., that would be VERY helpful. It is McAllen’s Freecycle group — an excellent resource for finding free materials… I can’t join because I don’t live there.
-I need a cardboard computer.
-sewing, and sewing.
-Leading stretches, yoga or other physical activity to energize in the morning or provide healthy breaks to the focused work time.
-Assisting with production (i.e. help manage schedules, meals, times+places, etc.).
-Making a 2-D (miniature) representation of a carnival ride out of bottle caps & other junk.
-Straightforward stuff like climbing a ladder to hang something or adjust lighting.
-Making signs…
-Assembling costumes (sewing, glue-gun, etc.); Inventing accessories.
-Trying on costumes…
-Setting up Office; sorting papers with writing on them; Helping make IDEAS book.
-Musicians! Especially those who like improvisation.
-being part of the think tank.
-performing a Role for opening night. **It would be awesome to have 3-4 people willing to wear a costume of their choice and to perform one or more roles for the benefit of the event-game-organism’s participants. WE will be video-recording as much of the event as possible.
If you’re wondering what I will be doing, I will probably be:
-sweeping, even though the NAAG is by far cleaner than the other places I show (it’s a grounding thing),
-moving objects and climbing ladders,
-spending QT in each of the different sub-spaces,
-teaching/ training/ guiding the processes
-making messes, taking pictures and cleaning up
But truly, it is the DOCUMENTERS (will that be you?) who will reveal and plant the lasting memories of what really happens, and how.
*
*
p.S. There will be a dog named Chips there, too, who is a sweet ol’ Schnauzer love-bunny.
Improvisational Architecture
The long saga of the bottles has gotten exciting again!
And this is an ATEN success story.
I posted a request on the network for help building a bottle wall, including one “expert” in some form of construction to consult with me before the build day. A member forwarded the post to his nephew, concrete builder Paul Adam, who was interested in the project and in the idea of ATEN and contacted me. He ended up coming over and answering all my questions and more, as well as moving a bunch of heavy rocks into the shape of a foundation. In return, I am telling everyone I know to call him if they need fine concrete work done (hardscape, hearth, shower, etc.)!
Two other ATEN members volunteered to help with the build, and one brought along an extra helper, so we were set! Throughout the day, I was reminded of one important reason why I like to collaborate — because it is more likely that the right questions will be asked. For example, I would have totally forgotten to document the process if Diane hadn’t reminded me! I emphasized at the beginning that this was an experiment, so as a result, everyone’s full brain was engaged, thinking of how to make this structure a success.
Mike, Charlotte, and Diane.
We worked from 11 to 4 with a lunch break in the middle.
3 parts sand, one part Portland cement, one part lime + enough water to make it like smooth peanut butter!
Slopping the mortar on the wall (with gloves!) was surprisingly fun. The texture reminded Charlotte of cookie dough.
This picture is before I smoothed the surfaces and wiped clean all the bottles at 10:13pm.
The wall/bench is currently half-way done. We decided to stop for it to dry before adding more weight. I also decided to add some wire mesh into the next mortar layer and in the sides, to reinforce the strength. Finish day will be Feb. 4th.
**BACK STORY**
I’m not sure when my neighbors started saving bottles for me, but it back was in 2010.
A few large parties plus the regular flow of consumption yielded a handsome collection before too long, and Then…
We had enough where it became time to figure out how to clean those labels off.
The internet do-it-yourself-ers said, “for sure, use Oxiclean”!
So we soaked them in warm buckets, peeled and scrubbed with rubber gloves, rinsed in the kiddee pool. It’s so fun being outside! Weston observed, and emptied more bottles; Fernando took pictures:
The start of 2011 brought unemployment to Chad. For 3 1/2 months, he had extra time on his hands, so he clocked in to work at the recycling center. The repetitive chore was transforming our pile into a sorted, clean collection, and probably helping with his sanity, too.
When Chad went back to work, the bottle-cleaning factory pretty much shut down, but we already had quite a stockpile of usable bottles. They sat and waited…
** THANKS **
I would like to thank Bunny White for encouraging me to do something with the bottles “Now!” Also of course to all the helpers who worked on this project: Chad, Paul, Charlotte, Mike, Diane, and Katarina. Thanks to my neighbors, Josh, Johnny, Weston, Christina, and all their friends, for donating bottles! For inspiration, I would like to thank Scott Webel from the Museum of Ephemerata, Susan Maynard of Spunky Monkey Ranch (now Further Farm), The Orange Show and Beer can House in Houston, Vince Hanneman of the Cathedral of Junk, the Buddhist temple-builders in Thailand, Earthship-makers, and all the folks who posted information on the internet for me to find out how easy this is. This project is also completed in the honor of someone who designs and builds with light in mind: my brother-in-law, architect Brett Rhode.
I have long lists
…Of posts I want to post, and reasons why I haven’t posted.
One time-sucking convenient reason = Facebook.
Second really big reason = the time I spend keeping this organization going…
But I don’t really care much for excuses; just take this teaser photo and anticipate the deluge to come…
Got a new (to me) camera from my brother for christmas; see what it can do!
Paper chains and body doubles: The art of Silky Shoemaker
This just-recently-passed E.A.S.T. (east austin studio tour), I received an invite to visit the bungalow/studio of Silky. It had been quite awhile since I’d seen her or her work; years, in fact! So I plotted her location into my bike-steering device and rolled on down the hill… Well, I was pleasantly reassured to see that she is still making ultra-fancy fantasy worlds with handmade-textural and maximally-detailed effects. And oh, the motifs!
Check it out:
image c. Silky Shoemaker, 2011
-
- image c. Silky Shoemaker, 2011
-
- image c. Silky Shoemaker, 2011
-
- recipe c/o Martha Stewart!
-
- image c. Silky Shoemaker, 2011
-
- image c. Silky Shoemaker, 2011
We’ve Lost Count
Junkyard Casserole (descendent of Junk-a-thon) happened once again at 2608 Rogers Ave., this time from noon til midnight.
For the umpteenth time, it was an ecstatic confluence if friends, friendly strangers, strange art and fun junk. Oh yeah, it was hot. But there was an a.c./indoors section of the department store.
Here are some of the other departments:
-
- Fernando looks at Palfloat greeting cards next to the OMEBI booth.
-
- Chad items.
-
- A delicious Lori display.
Favorite Chad documentary pics Of late…
photo by Chad Hopper
photo by Chad Hopper
photo by Chad Hopper
photo by Chad Hopper
On the theme of House, Home, Habitat
Another thing I did in May was create some new artwork for an art show at the Walkers’ Gallery in San Marcos. I submit art to the Activity Center shows every once in a while, and this theme particularly spoke to me. The show, which is up through the first week of July, features a good percentage of work from the Art from the Streets (AFTS) program in Austin (which hosts a drop-in studio for homeless artists), plus nine pieces from Chad (6 of them World Salads), eight from me, a couple of very interesting national artists, and of course plenty more contributions from the San Marcos area.
At the opening reception last week, an AFTS representative presented a feature-length documentary on the Art from the Streets program, which revealed both the incredibly awesome art that is created by the homeless participants in the program, and the cruel hardships in their lives that we maybe take too much for granted.
Here are some of my favorite pieces from the show:
Growin' Home by Timothy Baker (AFTS)
S. African Weaver Bird, 1-3 by Susan Winters Cook
Terreform Tree Habitat by Mitchell Joachim
another by Mitchell Joachim
Cathedral of Junk collage by Vince Hanneman
World Salad by Chad Hopper
And here are my own submissions ~~ some new, some old…
Home = a variety of attachments, c. 2004
Home = HARD + soft, c. 2011
Harmony and Spice, c. 2011
House of Divisibles, c. 2011
House Plan, c. 2011
House for Ideas, c. 2011
Balls Dining, c. 2011
Welcome, c. 2011
Not knowing where to start…
One month ago tonight:
this photo taken by Stephanie Bonham :
And this was the end — 
Sean actually got some good documentation with his fancy camera and made a mini-documentary about it. You can watch it on vimeo. Thanks, Sean!
Untitled (Generic)
- GENERIC PERFORMANCE – CO-LAB – 5/6&5/7 2011
OFFER: “Roaming Apples” Installation
I would like to install this apple “wallpaper” somewhere new. It is a work of art that mutates and changes (panels are rearrange-able, expandable…), and it was made to be in a domestic space.
Do you have a nook that could use some soft colors, an artistic touch? This wallpaper = the comforting rhythm of reflective imagery + a hand-made “each one unique” aesthetic.
I currently have 32 panels (each roughly 8.5″ x 6.5″) which will be arranged site-specifically.
Here they are as installed currently:
Jan-April 2011
And in their original context as part of the Collection Rert + LMNL show, “It’s About Time”:
March-April 2008, L_M_N_L gallery
If accepting offer through the Austin Time Exchange Network, my fee is just 1.5 hours (approximate amount of time it will take to disassemble and reassemble).
If you want the wallpaper to be expanded via creation of more panels, I would love to. For this, donation$ accepted 🙂
LAST (Odd) Saturday…
Gee-willickers, TIME is constant. tick-tock. Keeps on moving, just like this wind, here. (I live in the “Blackland Heights” neighborhood of East Austin, atop a hill with an almost constant breeze from the South. Across the street, just downhill a little to the South, is an elementary school. Behind us are the backyards of neighbors, some with shady trees and dense weeds, some with hard-worked garden rows, protected by solid fence. There used to be orchards here, some say… ) Anyway,
Here is our Documentation of APRIL 9th, 2011 (minus a video of a new musical instrument, which is coming soon…):
After Luke (our Participant #1 in the Social art Experiment which is “Odd Saturdays”) tinkered awhile to invent a fantastic use for glass bottles, he spent a lil time in the Studio, tidying up and doodling with the special treasures.
the objects in the studio have personalities and prefer sitting next to their friends
This guy's Surprised To Be Alive.
a pirate... (w/reflection)
An Albert Einstein cyborg.
Chad came out for awhile and SORTED. He managed to pop open some deep pockets of time-accumulation, and then he took some scientific-ish shots of these details:
As it was already a hot day, salad with hard-boiled egg and cran-rasp. spritzers were had by all.
In the afternoon, SIGN-PAINTING was undertaken as a serious motion to advance the cause of RE-aRT. Unfortunately for Luke (or fortunately, if he’s into action-adventure scenarios), the master list of JOBS changed
after he had already begun painting. The term palimpsest was discussed. The list continued to change long after Luke had to journey forth into the rest of his day.
...work-in-progress...
I enjoyed the day very much. I became re-aware of how much work there is to do, which is invigorating. And I made this picture:
** )_( ** =_= ** `+` in other news, CURRENTS is updated w/the current PRESS RELEASES. cHeck it oUT.
(check back later for video updates)
CHISEL STORY RUST panoramas
Gee golly, making art and collaboratively installing it is so much fun!
This is the Domy (Houston) show as it looked Saturday night. It will be up through May 7th.
And, here are some close-ups.
Recent Pictures
monster legs for sale
movie-to-be
Office Makeover Proposal
August?
— —|==– [i n t e r m i s s i o n] –==+> —
Now these are all from the last Junkathon time:
we do interior decorating...
Itinerary for E.A.S.T.
Saturday, November 13th
Forecast: sunny and cool (60’s)
At our plaza – stop#129, 2608 Rogers Ave. – there will be a bountiful display of art to look at, including:
* Science Bear Arcade: Palfloat brand homemade gifts and souvenirs, plus framed art by Chad Hopper for your walls.
* Bargain prices on fine art collage plus cheap but delightful prints by myself.
* A million photos by Fernando Flores hung on a crazy fence.
* Kevin Pope art.
AND…
* The “Permanent Collection” — that is, the combined 2608B household art collection, featuring 30 different artists, displayed for your discovering pleasure inside our home. You will be met at the door by Chips the dog, who likes you but will bark until you offer him a palm to sniff.
Also, there is a DIY sculpture garden!!
Throughout the day, I will be alternating between “keepin it real” and performing a piece entitled “Self Employment”. This performance piece will include doing the work of organizing materials and people for the creation of a Social Experiment/Employment Agency/Recycling Center/Sovereign Nation which culminates on Day 4. If you are interested in being a participant, ask about Jobs.
As for treats, there will probably just be some cider. (Unless someone gets motivated to make popcorn balls or soup.)
Sunday, November 14th
Forecast: cold and rainy
Much of the Day 1 displays will have to turn inside out so as to not be ruined by rain. This makes for some interesting challenges. Maybe we’ll get around to the soup on this day. I think some music would be in order as well. I can still conduct job interviews, too!
Saturday, November 20th
Forecast: ??
Full-on documentation needed all weekend. (Bring your camera, rolling.)
MINI ALTERNATIVE JOB FAIR
! ! ! !
(You can get paid in Hours via Austin Time Exchange Network.)
Sunday, November 21st
Forecast: ??
RERTLANDIA SECESSION PROCLAMATION
recycling center alternative universe climactic ending
{In which we all find our role(s) within the game(s) and perform our tasks with admirable tenacity, leading to a visible and tangible transformation of materials, as well as the unpredictable manifestion of a bureaucratic dream.}
Video fun
Well, Chad has been busier with video editing than I have, so you should check out palfloat’s YouTube channel next:
He re-edited footage from the Alien Eyes movie, and set it to a track from the new Night Viking album (KCF).
Oh boy, gettin’ excited about next weekend’s Junkyard Casserole @ Cherrywood! Come out between 9 and 9 on Sat., 12 and 6 on Sunday…
Display at Thunderbird
Howdy!
Chad and I have some art up at Thunderbird Coffee (1401 Koenig, Austin, TX 78756) for the month of July — all for sale at super-steal prices! Yes, this is a show where we are really trying to get the art to go away and become parts of other people’s homes.
We will be having a small reception for the art with our friend Chris Hutchins, who plays phenomenal music that will reach deep into you and make a smile or laugh come out. Tuesday, July 27th, 6:30-8! That is during their Pint night, with $1 Lonestar + happy hour prices all day (in case you’re into that kind of thing).
It’s really difficult to take pictures in there with so many windows and reflections, so you’ll have to come see the rest of it that I couldn’t photograph.
Synaesthetic Breakfast 