Structural Patterns

Did The Takeaway really use the latest Game of Thrones music to introduce a report on the attack at the Istanbul airport? I hope that I’ mistaken, but it sounds as if the attack at the Istanbul airport was introduced with the music from this past Sunday’s Game of Thrones, which would be problematic.

Listen to the music track from episode 10 of season 6 at around the three minute and fifty second portion

It sounds too similar to the beginning of the story from The Takeaway on Wednesday June 29th. There is a problem when the news utilizes elements of fiction to capture our attention. We can not accept this sort of broadcasting! Link to The Takeaway

Reality becomes fiction and our brains collapse.

I’ve spent a good chunk of time this past year learning Unity3D. Although I’ve primarily been covering Unity for 3D and VR content, I wanted to build a 2D game as well and a first version is nearly finished! “Ometepe” – a 2D platformer type game is set on the island Ometepe in Lake Nicaragua where you control El Chapulin Colorado who defends the island from ecological havoc wrought by President Daniel Ortega and Hong Kong Billionaire Wang Jing has they attempt to construct the Nicaragua Canal. (If ever realized, the Nicaragua Canal would entail the largest movement of earth in the planet’s history. I plan to complete the game and have it available this July 2016!

I recently revisited a project from 2008 – On Transmitting Ideology, that is partly an audio montage of historically famous speeches that I feel have helped define the current conservative and liberal ideologies so prominent in the United States political and cultural arenas. Although the piece has been exhibited several times, I’d really like for more people to listen to the audio montage, particularly since we’re in a presidential election year. So much of the current rhetoric is drawn almost verbatim from our past. For example a famous speech known as “Rivers of Blood” (1968) by the conservative British Parliament member Enoch Powell strongly reflects some of the things that Donald Trump has said regarding immigration. The 1968 speech is a call to shutting down the British borders largely due to bigotry.

In the desire for more people to listen to the audio montage, I’ve created a video featuring the audio montage. Perhaps if people give it a few seconds they will be intrigued by the voices of Calvin Coolidge, George Wallace, Ronald Reagan, Martin Luther King Jr., Barry Goldwater… enough to play the entire 17 minute and 30 second video. It begins with quick snippets, but as the piece proceeds longer excerpts compliment one another, ideally to create a nice flow.

The montage only includes 12 men, however, they are amongst the most prominent in U.S. history (with exception of one Brit – Powell). At over 17 minutes the piece is already longer than most people will listen, many more diverse voices could easily be referenced, but I tried to keep it short. The 12 voices included are:
Calvin Cooldige, George Wallace, Ronald Reagan, Martin Luther King Jr., Barry Goldwater, Barack Obama, Enoch Powell, Malcolm X, Douglas MacCarthur, Noam Chomsky, William F Buckley Jr., Dwight D. Eisenhower

I recently saw the exhibition of drawings and sculptures by June Leaf and felt a familiar throwback to work that I really enjoyed 20 years ago. The drawings are fun and fantastic. In an art world that tends to take itself much to seriously, June Leaf’s exhibition is a reminder that art may be inquisitive, fun and simple to execute. There’s a sincerity in the work that I generally don’t find in Contemporary Art. The show is up until July 17 at the Whitney Museum.

Call for Applicants:
Deadline: Wednesday, May 18, 2016
A vital component of our Immigrant Artist Program (IAP), the Mentoring Program pairs immigrant artists working in all disciplines with artist mentors who provide one-on-one support, guiding participants to achieve specific goals to sustain one’s art practice, while navigating different cultural perspectives in the NYC art world and beyond. The Mentoring Program aims to foster a community, providing opportunities to connect with other immigrant artists through group meetings, peer learning, and informal gatherings. For more information and to apply, click here.

Call for Mentors:
Deadline: Monday, May 9, 2016
We are also looking for mentors for this year’s program, which is open to past Mentors and Mentees (for at least three years). Many mentors express how rewarding and valuable the experience is, with collaborations and exhibitions coming out of the program. NYFA appreciates having IAP alumni participate as you understand the benefits that this experience offers.

To Apply: Please fill out this brief questionnaire.

Been a mentor several times and want to support the program in others ways? Respond to this email with your availability given the dates below.

Mentor Expectations:
Review applications to identify 3 potential mentees
Attend the Mentor Meeting: Introductions/Expectations/Guidance/Questions on Tuesday, May 31, 6:00 – 7:30PM
Meet with your mentee individually for at least six hours
Attend at least 3 of the 4 Group Meetings as listed:
Meet the Mentors: Tuesday, June 21, 5:30 – 8:00PM
Alumni Mixer: Tuesday, July 14, 5:30 – 8:00PM
Check In: Tuesday, September 1, 5:30 – 8:00PM
Final Celebration: Tuesday, September 20, 5:30 – 8:00PM

NYFA provides a stipend of $500 (provided in two installments of $250) to support your time invested in the program. We’ll reach out to confirm participation as a mentor shortly after the deadline of May 9. If you apply, please hold the dates of the meetings until confirmation.

Eyebeam Awards Benefit Invitation

May 10th is the Second Eyebeam Awards Benefit, a gala event that this year celebrates the work of new media curator Barbara London and artist-activist collective Not An Alternative on May 10th from 6:30-9pm at Industry City Distillery, 33 35th St 6A, Brooklyn, NY. If you are unable to attend the gala, please consider making a donation to help Eyebeam to continue to support artists exemplifying creativity and courage!

Eyebeam Mission

Eyebeam is a nonprofit studio for collaborative experiments with technology toward a more imaginative and just world. By providing generous support to artists for research, production and education, Eyebeam makes ideas real.

Eyebeam Model of Practice

As the leading arts organization for technology in the United States, Eyebeam grounds its unique model of practice on the following assertions:

Ideas work. With critical knowledge of the world, people can create a better one.
Process matters. Nothing is more powerful than expectation-free experimentation.
Impact counts. When ideas work together, the effects can cascade exponentially.

The vision of technology here includes all processes, tools and strategies for navigating a complex world. The residency program provides people with space and time to develop their ideas into full projects. Drawing entirely on the community of residents and alums, Eyebeam then expands their work into exciting programs with lasting impact.

to send checks instead of making donations online, they should make checks payable to: Eyebeam
Mail to:
Eyebeam
Attn: André St. Clair
34 35th Street
5th Floor, Unit 26
Brooklyn, NY 11232

Tonight at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, Bruce Springsteen performed Purple Rain. It was amazing.

Watch it full screen on dedicated page

Peter Fischli and David Weiss unfired clay tableaus are whimsical and striking. Here are just a few that I really enjoyed from the Guggenheim exhibition How To Work Better.

Yesterday, I made it to the Peter Fischli and David Weiss exhibition How To Work Better at the Guggenheim Museum. A big fan of their work for a very long time, I’d been looking forward to seeing this show and it is great. Below are a few of the drawings that I enjoy and separately I’m posting a selection of the ceramic pieces from the “Popular Opposites” series.

Play the memory game concentration with the portraits of dictators from across the globe in recent history. The memory game features illustrations of Stalin, Putin, Smith, Mugabe, Batista, Castro, King Idris, Gaddafi, Somoza, Ortega, Hirohito, Il-sung, the GOP and Dems. Test your dictator knowledge and see if you can identify the portraits! Play it multiple times to sharpen your memory.