30.1.09
27.1.09
MADT 101 Narrative Project
class: MADT 101
Assignment: Create a Narrative using whatever you like
Recently I did a photo narrative regarding the decent into madness. I decided to round up the photos from the shoot and put together a simple video using them and some sound clips. I've also got a poem to go with it, but will be posting that later as I'm very tired and can't find my journal at the moment. I hope you enjoy the video, I'm pretty happy with it but would have liked to spend a little more time on it than I did, and I suspect the quality will be a little seedy on here. None the less take a peak!
Assignment: Create a Narrative using whatever you like
Recently I did a photo narrative regarding the decent into madness. I decided to round up the photos from the shoot and put together a simple video using them and some sound clips. I've also got a poem to go with it, but will be posting that later as I'm very tired and can't find my journal at the moment. I hope you enjoy the video, I'm pretty happy with it but would have liked to spend a little more time on it than I did, and I suspect the quality will be a little seedy on here. None the less take a peak!
20.1.09
MADT 101
Class: MADT 101
Assignment: Surveillance
The question this week is Surveillance, which is rapidly becoming either a topic of concern or indifference. For me surveillance and it's sneaky inconspicuous existence, is somewhat easy to ignore but once I notice and focus on it, my ignorance is quickly replaced with a consuming feeling of unease. Quickly my mind begins to wonder, is there any escape? Is there any way to protest against such an intrusive and unstoppable force? And of course, when does safety become merely an excuse rather than the purpose of surveillance?
My only idea to stop an unstoppable force, my only answer is to work within the system. Destroy it by giving it what it wants. How you ask???? Surveillance is only as good as the credibility of what it is surveilling, therefore if everyone was pretending to be someone else when on camera, surveillance would be useless. Now obviously this would take a lot of effort and would need to be partaken by a lot of people in order to hold merit. But in a world that seems to keep getting smaller, and as the areas for privacy diminish, honestly, lunacy could easily settle in our bones. Desperate times call for desperate measures, as they say. It could get to the point that the only way of conserving the privacy and existence of oneself would be by accepting and portraying an alter ego which would allow us to show those prying plastic eyes exactly what we want them to see. Control would be back in our hands. Of course all these false identities running around leads to a whole new disturbance of issues, If we show a false identity to the cameras we must be showing it to each other as well. All of a sudden no one knows who anyone is, all of sudden you may even forget who you are.
Below is a bit of prose and/or a stream of conscious writing which allowed me to open and develop my thought process on all this:
They intrusively pry, they stare and hide trying to uncover everything you do. They want to know who you are, where you shop, where you work, what websites you visit. Soon they have a consumer profile for you, and they gleefully feed you tatalizing materialistic meals to tickle your fancy. A 30 second film of you waiting for the train, you were unawear you were a movie star... their eyes follow you still, you call a friend on your cellphone, this silent film now has words. Gathering sound bites and pixels they collect who you are, store you in a databank a file with a number. Trust is non-existent everyone is a threat, every move of every limb must be recorded, watched, judged. How far with this go? Can a thought be monitered? Can guilt be tracked? A soul be traced?
Is the only way to preserve your identity to loose it? Become someone else in front of the cameras, show them what you want them to see, let them know what you want them to know. The world is a stage, shrouded in disguise we will conserve ourselves, people will flock the streets in teams of false identity as a silent protest against the prying eyes that bulge from every street lamp and ill lit alley way. Everyone trading and flipping fingerprints to fool the system....identity crisis at its finest. If you forget who you are amongst it all...don't worry,
they remember you,
filed away safetly,
as number 32.
These are some images of a multi "identity" mask I made to go along with my ideas for the project. I basically just put a collage of faces on one of those opera type masks. It's a very chaotic looking thing, and my nose seems to disappear amongst the chaos, but the idea of having multiple identities to trick surveillance is a tad chaotic as well.
Assignment: Surveillance
The question this week is Surveillance, which is rapidly becoming either a topic of concern or indifference. For me surveillance and it's sneaky inconspicuous existence, is somewhat easy to ignore but once I notice and focus on it, my ignorance is quickly replaced with a consuming feeling of unease. Quickly my mind begins to wonder, is there any escape? Is there any way to protest against such an intrusive and unstoppable force? And of course, when does safety become merely an excuse rather than the purpose of surveillance?
My only idea to stop an unstoppable force, my only answer is to work within the system. Destroy it by giving it what it wants. How you ask???? Surveillance is only as good as the credibility of what it is surveilling, therefore if everyone was pretending to be someone else when on camera, surveillance would be useless. Now obviously this would take a lot of effort and would need to be partaken by a lot of people in order to hold merit. But in a world that seems to keep getting smaller, and as the areas for privacy diminish, honestly, lunacy could easily settle in our bones. Desperate times call for desperate measures, as they say. It could get to the point that the only way of conserving the privacy and existence of oneself would be by accepting and portraying an alter ego which would allow us to show those prying plastic eyes exactly what we want them to see. Control would be back in our hands. Of course all these false identities running around leads to a whole new disturbance of issues, If we show a false identity to the cameras we must be showing it to each other as well. All of a sudden no one knows who anyone is, all of sudden you may even forget who you are.
Below is a bit of prose and/or a stream of conscious writing which allowed me to open and develop my thought process on all this:
They intrusively pry, they stare and hide trying to uncover everything you do. They want to know who you are, where you shop, where you work, what websites you visit. Soon they have a consumer profile for you, and they gleefully feed you tatalizing materialistic meals to tickle your fancy. A 30 second film of you waiting for the train, you were unawear you were a movie star... their eyes follow you still, you call a friend on your cellphone, this silent film now has words. Gathering sound bites and pixels they collect who you are, store you in a databank a file with a number. Trust is non-existent everyone is a threat, every move of every limb must be recorded, watched, judged. How far with this go? Can a thought be monitered? Can guilt be tracked? A soul be traced?
Is the only way to preserve your identity to loose it? Become someone else in front of the cameras, show them what you want them to see, let them know what you want them to know. The world is a stage, shrouded in disguise we will conserve ourselves, people will flock the streets in teams of false identity as a silent protest against the prying eyes that bulge from every street lamp and ill lit alley way. Everyone trading and flipping fingerprints to fool the system....identity crisis at its finest. If you forget who you are amongst it all...don't worry,
they remember you,
filed away safetly,
as number 32.
These are some images of a multi "identity" mask I made to go along with my ideas for the project. I basically just put a collage of faces on one of those opera type masks. It's a very chaotic looking thing, and my nose seems to disappear amongst the chaos, but the idea of having multiple identities to trick surveillance is a tad chaotic as well.
12.1.09
MADT 101 Cellphone???
Class: MADT 101
Project:Use your cellphone for a purpose radically different from it's intended use
As first projects go, this one was slightly entertaining while being sufficiently challenging. I'm sure everyone can relate that using an object for a useful purpose other than the one it was intended for is a difficult task. After rummaging through my mind for half decent ideas (one being a high tech barbie lounge chair...didn't really make the cut) I finally stumbled upon a collabrative idea with Colby and Matt. We decided it might be cool to use our phones as instruments and attempt to make a short song with them. This idea seemed a lot easier in my mind than it quickly materialized to be, but alas with a few cellphone induced strums of the guitar, some off beat dail tones, and an "as good as we could get it" cellphone clapping metranome polished off by some nice consistent vibrato, all mashed together on garage band....we came up with a little tune. I gotta say it turned out alright with the 3 hour time limit, but I feel like it could have been really awesome given some more experimentation with the cellphone sounds and of course more time as well.
Project:Use your cellphone for a purpose radically different from it's intended use
As first projects go, this one was slightly entertaining while being sufficiently challenging. I'm sure everyone can relate that using an object for a useful purpose other than the one it was intended for is a difficult task. After rummaging through my mind for half decent ideas (one being a high tech barbie lounge chair...didn't really make the cut) I finally stumbled upon a collabrative idea with Colby and Matt. We decided it might be cool to use our phones as instruments and attempt to make a short song with them. This idea seemed a lot easier in my mind than it quickly materialized to be, but alas with a few cellphone induced strums of the guitar, some off beat dail tones, and an "as good as we could get it" cellphone clapping metranome polished off by some nice consistent vibrato, all mashed together on garage band....we came up with a little tune. I gotta say it turned out alright with the 3 hour time limit, but I feel like it could have been really awesome given some more experimentation with the cellphone sounds and of course more time as well.
2.5.08
N e w Z e a l a n d
The grass is a vibrant green. It looks as if it has been raining, and the lingering wetness has heightened the contrast of each hue, turning it electric. Surrounding hills roll, climbing high and plunging low along the winding roads. Cliffs collapse into deep valley's creating an overwhelming abyss of beauty. Humble farm houses, shaded by the canopies of massive low trees sprout across the hills. They are met by millions of white sheep which collect along the fence lines. Cows stand in clumps of black and white against the lime green grass.
The clouds are hanging heavy and low, but they crack every so slightly to reveal the brilliant blue sky. It contrasts beautifully against the black mountains and electric green landscape. The sea breeze is cool and comforting, it floats through the towns accompanied by the hum of grasshoppers and the occasional giggle escaping from the smile of a child playing nearby. It speaks softy but noticeably, as if to remind us of the incredible natural beauty which lays welcoming at our feet. Take care of it, it urges. See it for it's exquisite value, feel it to your core, deep within your soul.
The scent of fish and chips also lingers briefly on the air. It teases a near empty stomach and flirts with and even emptier wallet. There is so much to appreciate, so much beauty given freely, that no sum of money large or small, could make even the slightest difference, or even matter at all. All the grabs me and pulls me, like a magnet to my heart, is the sight of the sea, the fingers of the breeze against my cheek, the warmth of the sun clinging to the clouds, and all the natural wonders that surrounding me, holding me here, caressing my soul.
The simplicity of all these natural splendors awaken something so deep, so terribly, yet brilliantly complex. And I wonder why I ever wanted or needed anything else.
A few conversations with strangers whom quickly reveal themselves to be comrades dedicated to the same cause, also reveal accents not contrived from the local tongue. No need to even wonder why so many are so far away from home, or even why most won't be returning there for weeks, months, even years. We've all been easily charmed by the whimsical and alluring taste of freedom. Freedom given to us by traveling down unmarked roads, climbing towering boulders, standing with our feet in the sand at the mercy of the sea as we watch waves crash beneath a burning sunset. It is very hard leave, almost tragic to let go of a place which has awakened our senses in such miraculous ways.
The way of life that travelers lead, is indeed one bursting with seductive freedom. A beautiful existence, and usually temporary, except for the most extremists. Some will gladly give their lives if only to taste such freedom everyday. They die in one way, so they can feel fully alive in another.
Traveling strips us of many things, different things depending on how it's done. But no matter how we do it, we are quickly re-embersed by all that travel has to give. Materials may be lost, the constant place to call your own, but there is so much to gain, that loosing such things, barely seems like a loss at all.
Opportunities to learn come fast and leave quick, but are never in short supply. Like the waves in the ocean there is always a chance to catch the next. At first they came fierce, fast, sporadically, wiping me out and leaving me smothering in white sea foam, marinating in the evidence of a missed chance. After enough time in the water I begun to learn to read the waves. I began to see the opportunities building on the horizon, and soon I was ready, and they became easy to catch. Quickly I was hooked, and couldn't wait for the next clumsy ride. With enough experience each ride became steady and strong, and I felt as something had been achieved. That's growing, that's learning and that's what traveling is to me.
20.8.07
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