the tinyblog

On the University of Washington campus grounds, there is a work of art known as "The Department of Forensic Morphology Annex". The work basically looks like a large sheet metal igloo, and where an entryway would be, there is a complex latticework skeleton of interlocking circles. Through these holes, semi-retarded university students toss empty bottles of Mountain Dew and discarded roaches.

I've always loved the work, and one day, while bored and stoned, walking around with Jessetastic, I began hitting the sculpture with the palm of my hand. It made a variety of sounds, and before long I was feverishly playing a little musical composition with my heels and hands.

I got a little dream in my heart that I would invite people I knew in the spring, and play a whole concert at the piece, and it never left me. I didn't know the name of the piece and couldn't find it mentioned on any description of the campus' public art.

Eventually I contacted the campus and found Kurt Kiefer, the director of public art on campus, and he was incredibly nice. I put together a letter for Kurt. Sadly, I got the following response:

Hi Daniel,

Well, it appears that Cris Bruch is very much opposed to this because of the possibility of damage to the work. I think I need to go with his wishes and not allow the concert. Thanks for asking.

Kurt

Posted by tiny daniel at 10:26 AM | Permalink

I met Ian Ferger and Maria Medina when I was working at LXIS Networks.

Ian seemed like an all-around troublesome rascal, so I was surprised the first time I was exposed to his artwork. Usually this consists of extremely large format collages on cardboard and a lot of shellac. His themes are often of advertising and information management, but he has a style that takes itself a little less painfully seriously than, say, Adbusters.

I first saw Maria's art more recently, when I saw this piece as she was working on it:

I was impressed and asked her if I could feature the pieces of that series on the tinyblog.

She told me that Ian and her had a show at the Bellevue City Hall (Bellevue is the largerst suburb of Seattle). When the pieces were finished, she sent me a few images.

Here are my favorites (click the image detail for a pop-up of the full image):

Maria Medina

Ian Ferger

Thank you to Ian and Maria for letting me show their work on the tinyblog and a shout out to the very cool arts organization they're involved with: What Is Art.

Posted by tiny daniel at 11:28 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

First there was the Peace Arch. Then there was the Peas Arch. Now comes the Plesenarch, by Rowan 'Fuzzball' Sodenkamp.

A brief interview with the artist.

Tinyblog: I'm sure my readers will want to know...what exactly is the plesenarch?

Rowan: It's just something I made up.

Tinyblog: And what does "rook:" mean?

Rowan: It means "look". Rook means look, and plesenarch means Peas Arch...it's like it's in a different language.

Tinyblog: What is being depicted here?

Rowan: It's a race. The she's the girl in the middle, and the other two people are people racing her. At the end is the trophy.

Tinyblog: Why is it in another language? Is it in another country or on another planet?

Rowan: It's on another planet that's in my imagination.

Tinyblog: Why is there a race going on underneath the plesenarch?

Rowan: it was a very bright and sunny day, and there are two suns on this planet, so they were having a race. After they do this race, then they do a bicycle race. The bicycle race actually goes through the Peas Arch.

Posted by tiny daniel at 3:20 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

My fellow LXIS man Joe just put up a small installation of his experimental DHTML art, cirrusa. It's elegant and simple and looks pretty.

One of my favorite pieces:
Los Amigos Invisibles

Posted by tiny daniel at 2:35 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

It interesting what you find when you clean. Rzan did this only a few months ago.

Posted by tiny daniel at 2:22 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Bas Jan Ader

I'm Too Sad To Tell You
Bas Jan Ader, 1970
Postcard

Posted by tiny daniel at 8:19 AM | Permalink

futurismo

Abstract Speed
Giacomo Balla, 1913
Oil on canvas (530x750), Private Collection

"And so, faces smeared with good factory muck�plastered with metallic waste, with senseless sweat, with celestial soot�we, bruised, our arms in slings, but unafraid, declared our high intentions to all the living of the earth:"

From The Manifesto of Futurism.

Futurists...arrogant, sexist, cocky young Italian boys. Incredible painters. Everything is nicked from the Bob Osborn's excellent Futurism site.

Posted by tiny daniel at 11:52 PM | Permalink