What are you sick of? - I think we’ve gotten to the point of design where it’s no longer OK to say that it’s all worth doing. I think that a whole lot of people dedicating their careers to making really beautiful tables and chairs and lamps when the same amount of energy could be set to other problems. I think it’s time for us to start having a conversation and say, “you know that project, that lamp, that chair, is not worth doing; do something else.”
I want to create meaningful work. Work that helps people – that does more than just “look pretty” and boast my ego momentarily because other people think its pretty too. This pushes me to do unglamorous work that doesn’t necessarily come easy to me. This drive to affect and serve humanity pushes me to do something else.
I suppose the article lingers because his response resonates with my own beliefs human effort going to do good and solve real problems vs just making the world a prettier place with nicer chairs.
Dont get me wrong, it makes me a bit jealous of people who can just sit back and create illustrations, advertising, branding ect for a living. I suppose things need to be illustrated and sold, yes. And I enjoy plenty a pretty picture just for the sake of aesthetic therapy, but I also think that all design can be pushed to be and do more. And that the intent behind a design endeavor can yield something that truly benefits humanity.
I was asked to participate in the second Phoenix Pecha Kucha Night by providing art direction. I’ve always found freeway over passes beautiful. Driving on them, driving under them. They still incite a bit of awe and wonder that I felt as a child from a small city with no freeways. Somewhere between archways and arteries to me they are an ever endearing aspect of Phoenix city living. The succulent flower provides a genuine organic contrast to the concrete structure. The colors, reminiscent of s toxic desert sunset.
Just over a year ago I came across this service called tumblr. I was heavy into my google reader obsession and stumbled into some photoblogs that were published with tumblr. I’m a fan of collages and curated image collections. The immediacy of visual media coupled with the ability to quickly consume a wide variety of subjects quickly really appeals to my impatient consumerist tendencies. I figure its my duty as a someone who creates visual things to digest as much visually as possible. Tumblr it turns out, is perfect for this.
I quit facebook a couple months ago and have been dedicating more time to my tumblr which I affectionately refer to as aesthetic therapy. Prior to tumblr I used a folder on my hard drive called “inspiration” that I saved any interesting images I came across to. You may have noticed the feed updating in my sidebar towards the bottom of blog.
I started obsessively tagging the images I post and I can proudly say that over 99% of the images I post can be clicked through for the original source. Another bonus is giving the images context. For example I have a host of images tagged because the colors used could make a lovely palette.
The tumblr dashboard is like an rss feeder for other tumblrs. I follow a handful my favorite artists and designers on there along with just random people who’s posts I like. There are also a handful of subject specific tumblrs people maintain with topics ranging from victorians to tattoos.
I really love the simplicity of tumblr. It takes on the less-is-more approach of twitter and similar social web 2.0 services and succeeds. The dashboard allows for endless scrolling which provides an effortless user experience. Talk about media gluttony!
I’m quite proud of my little collection so I’ve set ghostmeat.net to redirect there. Wont you take a moment to check it out? What do you think of this here tumblr service? Useful tool or another time dump?
The only consistent thing here is the inconsistency. And so, this is what I’ve been listening to over the past week. Florence & The Machine has been on rotation for some time now but you’ll notice the addition of Daedelus. As it happens I got a big dose of new music from Jesika Dearest (thank you!) and its been keeping my feets tappin as I work.
Flying Lotus melted my face off, scraped it off the floor, and then baked me a cake which I proceeded to eat with chopstix at Decibel Festival this year. I’ve been a bad tourist and have yet to download the images from my camera but I’m pretty sure I didn’t get (m)any pictures of the occasion. Chopstikkin and picture taking don’t walk hand in hand my friends.
Its been more than a while since I shared my musical flavorings so here is a snapshot of what I’ve been listening to for the past 3 months.
Radiohead made it into the top position based solely on this past 4th of July weekend.
IAMX – Hypergeneric Mike gave me some tunes a while back which I mostly ignored until I exhausted my current selections. IAMX, Bat for Lashes, & Florence & The Machine were included. I feel silly for waiting so long to peep em (something the new and unknown makes me anxious) but was so delighted when I did. They had me at “After Every Party I Die” and I spent 2 weeks of having the album “The Alternative” on loop. Last time something like that happened, the instant infatuation that is, must have been when someone clued me into Interpol. Here’s the track:
And on a final note, while I talked a bit of shit about Crystal Castles before, I’m really really digging the new album. Intimacy anyone?
For a change, I’m tasking myself with something fairly straight forward: review a music video by one of my favorite bands.
I just watched, in HD glory, Interpol’s recently released video for a single off their new album. The song is called Lights. This is the first time I hear this song as well. And this is just my gut instinct, I’ve only watched it once.
First off. I’m confused. I don’t love it. I don’t dislike it. I feel like I need to look up the director or the lyrics. Is that a bad thing? I’d say that I like being confused. Things that make me think. But right now my take on it veers slightly towards the negative. Maybe its because I’m freshly out of work. Worn out from errands and still there’s a growing to-do list. Maybe I’m just in the mood to have something handed to me. I think this is when people are most likely to watch re-runs on tv. At least I can remember a time when I lived for CSI Las Vegas reruns on Spike after work.
Maybe that kind of relaxation is good for your brain. Or, I should probably just do something relaxing. Meditative. Instead of trying to figure this video out. But… how the hell do you turn that off? Plagued by curiosity, hunches, and intuition. I don’t belong in this place.
Anyway, here’s the video:
So… drinking milky liquid off a microscope slide. Bathing with black loofahs (where do I pick up one of those) followed by a close shave with some straight razors. Ok. That makes sense. If I was going to coat someone in latex, that might indeed be a good idea. And now for the release… white milky liquid oozing out of her mouth.
If that description doesn’t make you want to go watch the video if you passed over it, I’d wonder whats wrong with you and how your neat little mind got here.
Song sounded like typical Interpol. Doesn’t make me want to run and pick up the album. Especially after checking out their 3D glossy logo on their website. Romantic-scifi-neo-noir-porn? Sure, why not.
Don’t be that way now… I couldn’t help it. You were in the back of my mind. Always. I swear. The things I’d tell you, the photos I’d share. Sometimes, in those intimate moments before sleep, I’d have a conversation with you in my head.
I can’t find the cable that connects my digital camera to my computer so… as soon as that happens I’ll be back to share the spoils. Until then, check out my new glasses:
Caribou continues on its upward ascent into my repertoire of choonz. Had to get some Green Velvet in when I saw the line up to HARD Summer. Omgz. Lots of goodness on the lineup but the only other thing that had me squirming was Major Lazer. Annd this is why:
Of course Team Crunk came back with reports from Coachella of delicious mind melt action. I can’t wait.
This last week brought about some changes to my listening habits. The Absentminded Professor (my partner) decided to come to the white side and purchased a Macbook. And in the age of the internet, valuable resources come in the form of digital bits, preferably those flavored for creative use or inspiration. He bestowed the gift of new music on the household, and all was good.
First off, Caribou. I noticed this guy was on the lineup for Sasquatch and Last.fm let me know he was coming a Phoenix a few weeks prior. I decided to give em a google and have been jamming on the delicious tunes since then. Had me dancing about the apt. Recommended!
I also got some Knife tunage to see what all the fuss is about. Kinda weird, in a good way. Also, the new Massive Attack album is great; just easing that into rotation. After all the mentions via Internet and IRL curiosity got the best of me and I gave into Neon Indian. It’s ok. Chill. I don’t foresee it having the longest shelf life. Maybe one of those albums you listen to like crazy, then forget for a while, then find again when organizing your files 6 months later. Ala Crystal Castles.
Oh Hello. Rest assured dearest reader, my inconsistently here is indicative of the luffliness going on IRL. I just finished moving out of the apartment I lived in for close to 4 years. All I can say is that I am ashamed of how much crap I own. WOW. It’s filed the new place and its twice the size of my old apt. Ridiculoso.
Its spring time and the allergy season this year is one for the record books. I’ve never had allergies. Never. I’ve always made fun of my friends who did taunting that “Mexicans don’t get allergies” and such. So, I had this coming. Pichu is also going crazy with allergies, not sure why the poor thing had to be dragged into this. Sigh. So unnecessary.
Also, I’m not at Coachella. Sasquatch is right around the corner though and it will be so nice to get out of AZ in may. AND the dates for the next Decibel Festival have been announced and Aphex Twin is confirmed (!!!). Ahhh summering in Seattle… life is good.
Sort of failing at this tunes on tuesday thing. I’ve keep having dreams about coachella and Thom playing. I would love to go for that last day but I don’t think there’s room in the budget considering Sasquatch is right around the corner. Revisited Goldenboy and Miss Kittin; I was oozing apathy like only oldskoo (?!) electro can induce. Danced around the apt while cleaning and moving to Deadmau5. And finally Boards of Canada is good dinner music.
It was a hectic week. Thom helped me through it. Loving the bit of Fever Ray that last.fm has exposed me to. I even go the idea in my head of making to just the last day (Sunday) of Coachella this year… since Thom Dearest will be performing. So far its just an idea…
Culture Shock aims to bring Arizona a fresh experience and expose some of the local talent the city is seething with. The night is “traveling” (like a circus!) and the first one was in December 2009 at Jugheads. Here is some footage from the night. I provided the visuals playing in the background:
Visit the official Culture Shock blog to stay informed about upcoming events: Culture Shock AZ
Enigmatica is a work in progress exploring new concepts in combining light, sound and space to create multi-dimensional synesthetic environments. The work experiments with spatial segmentation, illusory oddities and aural expression, freely shifting from order to disconnection and sweeping through the spectrum of colours from softly subtle to psychedelic. By constantly reforming the dynamics within the space, the installation demonstrates the potential for creating new forms of digital sculpture. – Kit Webster
Cheers!
