I'M SO STARTLED!

So South park concluded their adventure in Peru this week. Artistically, it almost up to par with their 'heavy metal' episode. Some many different types of design were integrated into the episode. The houses and town were transformed into a simple yet stylistic 3D form, improved illustrations and animation(incan ruins and the people running), and even live motion with the Guinea pigs.

I was kind of surprised that they ended up killing more people in American than they did in Peru. That's kind of how it goes I guess. Peru's role wasn't as big as I thought it was, it really focused more on the cloverfield parody and craig. The show was a bit of a hit and miss, but funny nonetheless.

Understanding Comics

I really enjoyed looking back at this book. I haven't read the entire thing but I love the bits and pieces I've read over time. Comics are really what inspired me to become an artist. Reading Garfield and peanuts really inspired me to do my own little comics. I would draw them all the time in middle school but that's a different story all together.

I don't want to write too much about the scans we read, I have read chapter two god-knows how many times. I never really looked at it through the aspect of design so it was a different experience reading it this time through.

I have to say Scott McCloud is a genius and has a vast knowledge in comics and an extreme talent in being able to explain the nature of comics and design with such clarity. This really has sparked some interest in making my comic again. The premise for the comic was suppose to be music and relationships. It's a little broad so maybe I'll go for it this week. We'll see.

Purest form of Art

I found this interesting little piece here

I thought it was interesting because it ended up on the internet, gaining attention, and acclaim. It's funny to think what art really is, and if art can ever be 'PURE.'

I doubt the artist himself took the picture and posted it on the internet because that would be very hypocritical. But I do consider him an artist, and I do consider this art because it makes you THINK.

The picture actually made me stop, and think about art itself. I haven't been stricken with such curiosity in a while and I'm glad to have seen it. I guess since the picture ended up on the internet, the artist/s was sabotaged. There'll always be people there to question you and your art, and that's another great quality about art itself, that it can conjure up such great discussions.

Good job toilet-wall artist, ya done good pig, ya done good.

TV Shirts

I love these tv shirts. I think it's a really innovative approach to advertising, and not to mention a new way to sell out. It's lovely and I really look forward to see how advertising takes shape in the future.

This actually reminds me much of an artist who dressed a model with a dress that was full of tvs. She would play an upright bass while the tvs would play interesting images, it was all fascinating. unfortunately it caused her to develop cancer but her commitment to the arts was vastly admiring.

South Park Plugs Peru

So it finally happened. South Park takes a shot at Peru, Peruvians, and Peruvian culture. My friend had actually predicted this happening, i don't know how she was right but it finally happened. I'm of Peruvian descent just in case you're wondering.

This episode was a real test to see whether I could take a joke about myself, it wasn't directly against me, but it did make fun of me and my family's culture. I've been laughing at the shows incessant racism, prejudice, potty humor, and just outright twisted humor. I have to say, it has influenced me A LOT.

So I watched it and I have to say it was pretty funny. I wasn't too offended and actually laughed out loud when army personal in the cartoon couldn't find the a country called 'Peruvian' on the map.

I think a really important aspect of humor is being able to make fun yourself. Not in a self-demeaning way like a certain George Costanza, but in a throw a pie in your own face kind of way.

Speaking of which, I really hate peruvian pan-flute music too.

The Medium is the Massage therapy

So I was happy to find that the book, 'The Medium is the Massage,' a book by, Marshall McLuhan, was available at the Beaverton City Library. I rushed over there and picked up my copy. I was very interested to find that it was between books about historical black social movements and other social causes. I thought this was just going to be another artsy-fartsy book but something about its placement told me something otherwise.

I've read about half way and it's very stimulating, the aesthetic and the mental process of it. It's visual approach is very interesting, I very much like the 4 pages consisting of just toes. The backwards quotes are annoying but actually cause you to work, and read them in front of a mirror(or in my case a BRAND NEW MAC LAPTOP). Reading the quotes reminded me much of a kid and having to put my comics in front of the mirror to read and solve the secret mystery about something-who cares.

McHulan raises good points but reminds me of people who have subtle, paranoid on views about technology and the media. He's not crazy in the way a homeless man fears for his life because of constant fear that government radios are invading his mind. He had made his intellectual rant about what might happen, and what he thought was happening at the time. Even thought he wasn't right about everything he brought up very interesting, many that can be applied to the internet today.

I still open my laptop backwards sometimes. end.

Awesomeness, to the max.

http://www.fusionbrands.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&zenid=6vu6qca89qin8107gau7bpng75&products_id=194

Laptop + Bauhaus

Well today after being somewhat embarrassed and vulnerable today in class(kidding), I bought a laptop. It's pretty nice, it's my first time owning a mac or a laptop. I've never used one extensively like this before. I've never really favored laptops, I always found them somewhat annoying, just being able to go to the internet and do whatever wherever you like? I dunno, it just never really appealed to me. I like just having one spot, where I can sit, relax, and do my thing. It's kind of like having your own study room, a single place where you can just work or do whatever...anyways...this is laptop is nice. I look forward to using it in the future.

The Bauhaus establishment sounded very interesting. I was excited to hear about it yet disappointed that I did not know about it earlier. It's really easy to learn about, and be influenced by, older artists and older movements because they are big parts of history being told time and time again. They've inspired many and continue to inspire but it's harder to learn about contemporary artists because they haven't been a big part of history yet. They're definitely vital to the progression of art but as far as being known, they're surely no Picasso or Van Gogh.

I'm glad this class exists basically. I like to see how my profession originated and evolved over recent time. I feel it was something that the UO lacked. I think a class like this should be required for the digital arts major, I mean, architect majors have to take history classes based on architecture, right? Anyways, I'll try not to rant but I truly believe this is an eye-opening experience.

I really like Herbert Bayer's work in typography. His 'Architype Bayer' font is really wonderful. I love designing fonts, althought tedious, it's something I've always wanted to invest more time in.

The Lava Lamp, a brief history

Edward Craven Walker was the inventor of one of the most psychedelic pieces of furniture ever invented, the lava lamp. Originally called the 'Astro Lamp,' Walker was first determined to invent the unusual piece when he was inspired at a pub in Hampshire, England. He walked into the pug and saw an interesting object that was composed by a Mr. Dunnet who had deceased. It was an egg timer, a cocktail shaker with wax in it. To make it work, you place the cocktail shaker in the boiling water with your eggs, when the wax inside the shaker melts and reaches the top, your eggs are done. Walker was fascinated, he saw a money-making opportunity here, so he bought the patent from the widow of the inventor and continued for 15 years, perfecting the invention until it was released in the UK, then the US.
Walker tinkered with his idea in his backyard, he replaced the wax with heavy oils so that they would take shape when heated. The lamp is an interesting mix of science and art. Oil and water do not mix, so of course there's need to work about the materials in the lamp mixing. The way the blobs work, what makes it goes up and down, usually comes from a heat source such as light bulb. The heavier liquid(oil, 'blobs') absorbs the heat, and as it heats up, it expands. As it expands it becomes less dense. Because the liquids have very similar densities, the formerly heavier liquid is suddenly lighter than the other liquid, so it rises. As it rises, it cools, making it denser and therefore heavier, so it sinks. There are many different types of ingredients for lava lamps, the patent for the lava lamp says: "a solidified globule of mineral oil such as Ondina 17 (R.T.M.) with a light paraffin, carbon tetrachloride, a dye and paraffin wax.". Though it is somewhat vague, there are different versions on the lamp on the Internet today including many DIY models.
What's very interesting about Walker and his lava lamp is that there's nothing in his past that could have predicted, or lead up to, it. He was not a scientist nor was he an artist. He was born July 4th, 1918 in Singapore. His father was a shipping agent and at the age of three, Walker was sent to attend a boarding school in England. During World War II he was a pilot for the royal air force, flying reconnaissance missions. After the war, he started a travel agency and home-exchange program.
There's not much that would predicted his aspiration, and willingness to create such an interesting piece of work. What a compelled a man, with no artistic background and no architectural or scientific background, to design the 'Lava Lamp'? It could have been possible that he was an innovator, possibly a risk-taker. It could have come to him like a sign, like a shinning light, but whatever it was id definitely the start of an interesting and artistic experience.
Walker was an avid Naturalist, an advocate for social nudity in private and in the public. A lifelong interest, he eventually made nudist films in the '50s and '60s. In '59/'60 made a hit film called 'Traveling Light' promoting nudity and helped him found a nudist club called 'Bournemouth and District Outdoor Club.' The profits from his movies and lava lamps allowed him to create and sustain his establishments.
His Lava Lamp was completed in 1963, called the 'Astro Lamp,' becoming very popular in the psychedelic era of the '60s. Walker's slogan at the time, when referring to the lamp was: “If you buy my lamp, you won't need drugs.” In the '70s the BBC did an investigation showing that some of the chemicals in lava lamps were toxic and harmful to consumers. This and the transition of minimalism in the 70s destroyed the sales of the Astro Lamp and it's company from which it was manufactured was all but shut down. There was revival in the 1990s and sales from this decade and accumulated more profits than the 60s, 70s, and 80s combined. In an interview, Walker lists two reasons for the lamp's enduring appeal: ''It's like the cycle of life. It grows, breaks up, falls down and then starts all over again. And besides, the shapes are sexy.''

Edward Craven Walker and his Lava Lamp

So I've started a little research on my artist,

Edward Craven Walker!

I have to say the man sounds interesting. I thought it was really neat that Edward was inspired to make the Lava Lamp by something that he saw, much like our assignment, it's based on a previous object.

The lava lamp was inspired by a homemade device made of an egg-timer and a light-bulb. For some reason, Edward was taken by this, and it inspired him to eventually make the lava lamp. I'd really love to know what this device looked like. I mean, I can't really visualize an egg-timer and light bulb together, as an object.

I definitely want to look more into the origin of how the lava lamp came to be. Maybe there's some interviews I can find online... I'd also like to see if there's some connection between his lava lamp and his love for naturism(nudity).

9 Evenings - Variations VII by John Cage

So I got my DVD in the mail and was very excited! John Cage has been a favorite composer of mine so I was thrilled to learn that he was involved in the group. I had first learned about him in my Electronic Music class back at the UO. I instantly took a liking to him after seeing this video:



So I popped in the DVD and turned the speakers up, waiting contently for the composition to start. The transition from silence worked very well, before I knew it, I was already listening to the piece. The speaker on the screen was wailing loudly, like a war siren. It was a very intense yet subtle introduction to Variations VII.

The radio frequencies were filling the air and feedback of all sorts could be heard. I was starting to feel numbness from the collage of noises. Although it must have been noise to some in the audience(you could tell by some disappointing faces), it was music to me. The sound came together and really seemed to reach a climax after 3 or 4 minutes. The sounds just came together so well that it felt like nothing could possibly make this better.

It felt as if the sound had ended as soon as it came. There was only silence followed by applause. I thought it was one of his greatest piece of works, his ingenuity, his innovations, his quirk. It all played a roll in how all this came to be.

I recommend this DVD to anyone. You might want to be familiar with his work first, but you really don't have to, it's just that great.

Open Score - Robert Rauschenberg

So a friend of mine was able to loan me the movie documenting Robert Rauschenbergs work, 'Open Score'. I really didn't know what to expect, it was kind of eerie as the movie started with an explanation of what 9 Evenings was and then jumping right to the performance.


I enjoyed it but it really made me wish I was there to actually witness it. You definitely get a reaction out of watching it, but if one were to actually experience it made me wonder how my view on the piece would change. The film in color was very beautiful as well although I did enjoy watching more in black and white, it suites the performance much better in my opinion.


I did not understand the part in the end(might just have to watch it a couple more times), but I really liked a commentators explanation of how you wish a piece or performance would never end, and even though it does, there will always be a part if it you take with you, forever etched into your mind. I think he's describing that as the man is carrying the ghost person away, taking it with him, wherever he goes.


The explanation of how the technology was used in the piece was very interesting. I didn't know how far and how much work was put into Rauchsnbergs performance. These artists were very lucky to have the engineers fulfill their vision, and these engineers were lucky to have the artists stimulate them creatively and intellectually.

I recommend this DVD to anyone who's interested in Rauscenbergs work, here are some screenshots: