I thought some of you might be interested in the work of Tara Rogers (Pink Noise):

http://pinknoises.com/projects.html

Tara Rodgers (Analog Tara) is a musician, composer, and feminist technology scholar. Originally from upstate New York, she is now based in the DC area. She performed jazz piano in NYC in the mid-1990s and has made electronic music and sound art for about 10 years. Recent projects include sound installations based on butterfly migrations, human population shifts, and urban landscapes; a quiet album of piano and field recordings; and a live techno set. She received the 2007 New Genre Prize from the International Alliance of Women in Music, and a 2006 Frog Peak Experimental Music Award. Her work has been exhibited at venues including Eyebeam and the Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art. Recordings have been released on the Le Tigre Remix 12" and other compilations.

the fun theory

I came across this the other day
and I thought it might be interesting since we've been talking about the importance of fun
there are even more videos on thefuntheory.com but this one is my favorite

the piano stairs

-sasha

Elizabeth Gilbert's TED Talk

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/eng/elizabeth_gilbert_on_genius.html

So my drawing teacher showed us this video a couple of weeks ago and since then I've watched it like a million times, It really helped me understand what all the teachers here have been talking about when they talk about "FAILING"; because i hate to fail and it just feels horrible but i benefitted a lot from watching this and i thought some of you might too. It's ten minutes that are really worth watching.

Sofia :)

Winter Break

Over the Winter Break, please watch the following films:
1. The Wizard of Oz (The Technicolor version, not the original black and white.)
2. Pleasantville
3. Wim Wender's Wings of Desire

Please take note of the use of color in each film.

Also, please keep in touch with your collaborators. Share information and research related to your proposed collaborative project on the blog. Be ready to work on it on the first day of class of the Spring Semester.

Best wishes for a restful and rejuvenating break, and a good start to 2011.

A Current Documentary Worth Seeing: Waste Land

Filmed over nearly three years, WASTE LAND follows renowned artist Vik Muniz as he journeys from his home base in Brooklyn to his native Brazil and the world's largest garbage dump, Jardim Gramacho, located on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro. There he photographs an eclectic band of “catadores”—self-designated pickers of recyclable materials. Muniz’s initial objective was to “paint” the catadores with garbage. However, his collaboration with these inspiring characters as they recreate photographic images of themselves out of garbage reveals both the dignity and despair of the catadores as they begin to re-imagine their lives. Director Lucy Walker (DEVIL’S PLAYGROUND, BLINDSIGHT, COUNTDOWN TO ZERO) has great access to the entire process and, in the end, offers stirring evidence of the transformative power of art and the alchemy of the human spirit. For a trailer of the film, visit: http://www.wastelandmovie.com/index.html

Kate Macdowell

I saw this work a long time ago, and I continually run into it, but it always amazes me to look at it. Basically, I get alot of inspiration from this lady.

http://www.katemacdowell.com/portfolio.html

////cornie\\\\

Jenn's memory "vending machine"

I loved Jenn's figure head piece that let us turn the nose knob to recieve a puzzle piece of a full memory. It reminded me of one of my favorite artists, Riso Puno. One of her series involves handmade consumer art, titled "Vend-to-Own". Puno buys old vending machines and builds off of them to fit her idea. She even makes her own products that come out, like lipbalms and temporary tattoos!

- Jenny A.

See "Vend-to-Own" here.
See Risa Puno's other works here.