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About Me
- The Thrash Prince of Hell Air, G. Tso Money (Ret.)
- New York, New York, United States
- Mostly visual art and air guitar.
Showing posts with label art. Show all posts
Showing posts with label art. Show all posts
Thursday, November 13, 2014
摸魚～ Fumbling for Fish. V
Searching through Google for other examples of scanner art has yielded a pedestrian abundance of body parts and static arrangements. It cannot be understated that search optimization efforts as well as a lack of artistic imagination are prime suspects in this expanding pool of derivatives.
In light of recent philosophical changes, the tones of future posts will attempt to steer away from negative attitudes towards current art trends.
Sunday, April 14, 2013
摸魚～ Fumbling for Fish. IV
Digital manipulation tools like Adobe Photoshop are best used to cosmetically modify or efficiently emulate physical alterations existing practically-made works. Over-reliance on computer-generated effects as a primary source of displaying imagination reflects the disposable consumerist attitude that followed a culture once proud of its ability to manufacture and produce abundant national products for worldwide dispersal. By not adapting the citizenship to raise native standards with better early education and improved family resources, it comes as no surprise that a formerly industrious populace neither living within its means nor evolving to meet new definitions would also result in a shrunken middle-class growing more desperate to secure a perch on the economic ladder.
When a nation's citizens grow increasingly ignorant of their own productive capabilities and are insidiously steered toward developing insatiable appetites for image-oriented mirages designed by visual media conglomerates for individual rather than communal profit, the financial gaps in society will eventually become ravenous abysses the likes of which only few can traverse. It's been said that fortune favors the brave, while perpetuating various irrational fears among an uneducated people has proved historically accurate and customarily advantageous to the slave trade.
"You're not your job. You're not how much money you have in the bank. You're not the car you drive. You're not the contents of your wallet. You're not your fucking khakis."
- Tyler Durden, Fight Club (1999)
Note: All images are *not* created with digital manipulation software (i.e. Adobe Photoshop) for composition and content.
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| Bottle on 4990. (click to enlarge) |
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| Bottle on 4990. (click to enlarge) |
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| Bottle on 4990. (click to enlarge) |
When a nation's citizens grow increasingly ignorant of their own productive capabilities and are insidiously steered toward developing insatiable appetites for image-oriented mirages designed by visual media conglomerates for individual rather than communal profit, the financial gaps in society will eventually become ravenous abysses the likes of which only few can traverse. It's been said that fortune favors the brave, while perpetuating various irrational fears among an uneducated people has proved historically accurate and customarily advantageous to the slave trade.
"You're not your job. You're not how much money you have in the bank. You're not the car you drive. You're not the contents of your wallet. You're not your fucking khakis."
- Tyler Durden, Fight Club (1999)
Note: All images are *not* created with digital manipulation software (i.e. Adobe Photoshop) for composition and content.
Thursday, April 4, 2013
摸魚～ Fumbling for Fish. III
Recently there was a bit of furor over an Instagram picture being on the front page of the New York Times that triggered concerns whether traditional photography had become obsolete.
The fact of the matter is that modern views of representative imaging have now become adopted by a media outlet of bygone eras in order to reinvigorate its cultural relevancy. The instantaneous social-sharing feature of wireless digital information is a logical business adaptation for this faded major player to regain the attention of future generations; commercial radio still flourishes despite the dominance of cable television, pedigree racehorses are more profitable investments than personal automobiles, and steakhouses take opposite floorspace at malls while McDonald's huddles away in the food court.
By trying to connect to less-discerning audiences via integration of mass appeal imagery, the "hipster" generation has something to possibly latch onto and give the New York Times some viably consumable reputation.
In the meantime, it seems hard pressed to find photographic evidence of similar work on Google Image Search for this type of scanography.
Note: All images are *not* created with digital manipulation software (i.e. Adobe Photoshop) for composition and content.
The fact of the matter is that modern views of representative imaging have now become adopted by a media outlet of bygone eras in order to reinvigorate its cultural relevancy. The instantaneous social-sharing feature of wireless digital information is a logical business adaptation for this faded major player to regain the attention of future generations; commercial radio still flourishes despite the dominance of cable television, pedigree racehorses are more profitable investments than personal automobiles, and steakhouses take opposite floorspace at malls while McDonald's huddles away in the food court.
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In the meantime, it seems hard pressed to find photographic evidence of similar work on Google Image Search for this type of scanography.
Note: All images are *not* created with digital manipulation software (i.e. Adobe Photoshop) for composition and content.
Monday, March 18, 2013
CONTINUE?
The Museum of Modern Art has permanently added 14 examples of groundbreaking digital interactive entertainment (i.e. video games) to their Architecture and Design Collection - by recognizing the many elements of aesthetics, storytelling, creative logic, etc., that are essential (but not always implemented) in each game, countless enthusiasts and experts who have long championed the legitimacy of video games as artistic experiences now stand to gain a distinctly more esteemed appreciation of what was once considered a hollow and superficial pastime.
Drawing from an incredibly rich timeline of candidates to represent this first wave of video-game-as-art, commercial and critical successes such as Tetris, Another World, Pac-Man, Sim City 2000, Myst, Katamari Damacy, The Sims, vib-ribbon, Portal, flOw and EVE Online, among others, held particular significance with their simplicity, innovation, graphics, simulations, details, personalities, atmospheres and narratives; the collection is expected to later include 27 more games that encompass the initial search criteria as well as other defining factors. Visitors to this new collection are afforded opportunities to interact directly with some displays - though occasionally the physical controls could malfunction due to human abuse, as is often the case in reality- while other games are much more immersive (EVE Online, The Sims, Myst, Sim City 2000) and shown as demo videos. The installation allows for a handful of observers to congregate around each screen (approximately 55" high in the walls) without interfering with adjoining games, though hand sanitizers are highly encouraged. Headsets are provided with the playable games and a looped mix of snippets from famous themes like "Super Mario Bros." is set as the exhibit's ambient music.
Currently this collection can be found in one corner of the Architecture and Design exhibit, but hopefully will earn its own dedicated gallery when the new games are eventually selected. It is quite likely that once a more complete lineup of video games has been established, all displays would become less immediately engaging due to unnecessary repairs of broken controllers and shift to a picture-in-picture presentation of actual gameplay and players' hand movements. Despite the fact that video games are explicitly designed to require user input to extract their potential, not everyone who goes to museums will sit in Dale Earnhardt's car, fire a Civil War cannon, play Jimi Hendrix's guitar, flip through Salvador Dali's sketchbook or use a Neanderthal's stone hammer.
By and large, the MoMA's initial foray into truly digital realms should serve as a welcome beacon of hope to other generations of diverse artists that toil unceasingly on their craft in the event that some day even one culmination of efforts be preserved as a worthy contribution to culture and society.
Drawing from an incredibly rich timeline of candidates to represent this first wave of video-game-as-art, commercial and critical successes such as Tetris, Another World, Pac-Man, Sim City 2000, Myst, Katamari Damacy, The Sims, vib-ribbon, Portal, flOw and EVE Online, among others, held particular significance with their simplicity, innovation, graphics, simulations, details, personalities, atmospheres and narratives; the collection is expected to later include 27 more games that encompass the initial search criteria as well as other defining factors. Visitors to this new collection are afforded opportunities to interact directly with some displays - though occasionally the physical controls could malfunction due to human abuse, as is often the case in reality- while other games are much more immersive (EVE Online, The Sims, Myst, Sim City 2000) and shown as demo videos. The installation allows for a handful of observers to congregate around each screen (approximately 55" high in the walls) without interfering with adjoining games, though hand sanitizers are highly encouraged. Headsets are provided with the playable games and a looped mix of snippets from famous themes like "Super Mario Bros." is set as the exhibit's ambient music.
Currently this collection can be found in one corner of the Architecture and Design exhibit, but hopefully will earn its own dedicated gallery when the new games are eventually selected. It is quite likely that once a more complete lineup of video games has been established, all displays would become less immediately engaging due to unnecessary repairs of broken controllers and shift to a picture-in-picture presentation of actual gameplay and players' hand movements. Despite the fact that video games are explicitly designed to require user input to extract their potential, not everyone who goes to museums will sit in Dale Earnhardt's car, fire a Civil War cannon, play Jimi Hendrix's guitar, flip through Salvador Dali's sketchbook or use a Neanderthal's stone hammer.
By and large, the MoMA's initial foray into truly digital realms should serve as a welcome beacon of hope to other generations of diverse artists that toil unceasingly on their craft in the event that some day even one culmination of efforts be preserved as a worthy contribution to culture and society.
Monday, March 11, 2013
摸魚～ Fumbling For Fish. II
Did a Google search for similar visuals and found that this technique has already been attempted, so apparently it's something called scanography.
Since basic principles with the "Appetite for Creation" series include a mechanical eye recording lines of reflected information and interrupting its predictable motions via human involvement, it then became an experimental search for suitable subject matter.
Note: All images are *not* created with digital manipulation software (i.e. Adobe Photoshop) for composition and content.
Since basic principles with the "Appetite for Creation" series include a mechanical eye recording lines of reflected information and interrupting its predictable motions via human involvement, it then became an experimental search for suitable subject matter.
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| Temple roof in Taiwan. (click to enlarge) |
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| Temple roof in Taiwan. (click to enlarge) |
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| Temple roof in Taiwan. (click to enlarge) |
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| Temple roof in Taiwan. (click to enlarge) |
Note: All images are *not* created with digital manipulation software (i.e. Adobe Photoshop) for composition and content.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
摸魚～ Fumbling For Fish.
This new project involves techniques and ideas derived from the previous series, - "Appetite for Creation" - and utilizes a newer yet similar form of technology.
Note: All images are *not* created with digital manipulation software (i.e. Adobe Photoshop) for composition and content.
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| X'mas in New Jersey, late 1990s. (click to enlarge) |
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| UMBC in late 1990s. (click to enlarge) |
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| UMBC in late 1990s. (click to enlarge) |
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| X'mas in New Jersey, late 1990s. (click to enlarge) |
Note: All images are *not* created with digital manipulation software (i.e. Adobe Photoshop) for composition and content.
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
AppetiteForCreationZ: You Could Be Mayan
With the Museum of Modern Art having announced its intention to include digital interactive entertainment to the permanent collection, there is no question that physical manipulation of material substances remains a prominent component of the definition of art in this space age of human history. Prophecy or not, the stasis of this current civilization beyond the next few weeks is still in flux.
There are far more tangible clues to explain and identify the past than creative leaps of faith (which are in themselves not entirely a laughing matter, of course) - telltale remnants from preceding societies have endured until future generations discover and attempt to comprehend their meanings. Art, when done well, is capable of capturing incidentals and fundamentals that reflect the creator's environment.
Like any reasonably organic resource, fixed technology has its own life cycle that, when imaginatively explored and utilized, runs the course until tomorrow simply leaves everything behind. Making art means letting everybody know what's on your mind, so it's good that someone like Leonardo da Vinci didn't become a shoe cobbler instead.
Note: The above images are taken from a Samsung SCH-u540 camera/phone.
There are far more tangible clues to explain and identify the past than creative leaps of faith (which are in themselves not entirely a laughing matter, of course) - telltale remnants from preceding societies have endured until future generations discover and attempt to comprehend their meanings. Art, when done well, is capable of capturing incidentals and fundamentals that reflect the creator's environment.
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| 08-12-12: Union Square station, NYC. |
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| 08-12-12: Union Square station, NYC. |
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| 08-12-12: Union Square station, NYC. |
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| 11-22-12: Fernbank Museum of Natural History, GA. |
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| 11-22-12: Fernbank Museum of Natural History, GA. |
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| 11-22-12: Fernbank Museum of Natural History, GA. |
Note: The above images are taken from a Samsung SCH-u540 camera/phone.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Appetite for Creation Part 12: Frames Bond
Philadelphia hosted one stop of the 2012 US Air Guitar Tournament.
Local favorites Windhammer and President Baberham Lincoln made everyone proud as representatives in Denver at the USAG Nationals.
Peace, love, air guitar~
Note: The above images are taken directly from a Samsung SCH-u540 camera/phone with no post-capture manipulation.
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| 06-20-12: Fishtown sculpture in Philly, PA (click to enlarge) |
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| 06-20-12: Fishtown sculpture in Philly, PA (click to enlarge) |
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| 06-20-12: Fishtown sculpture in Philly, PA (click to enlarge) |
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| 06-20-12: Fishtown sculpture in Philly, PA (click to enlarge) |
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| 06-20-12: Fishtown sculpture in Philly, PA (click to enlarge) |
Local favorites Windhammer and President Baberham Lincoln made everyone proud as representatives in Denver at the USAG Nationals.
Peace, love, air guitar~
Note: The above images are taken directly from a Samsung SCH-u540 camera/phone with no post-capture manipulation.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Appetite for Creation Part 10: Just Flaws
"An ancient tenet in Chinese painting holds that the Master paints not the created thing, but the forces that created it."
- Art and Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking
One great thing about making art is how the results never lie to the creator - by evaluating the techniques, ideas and materials of a finished piece, success and/or failure is transparently evident for the viewer to perceive. Being one's own worst critic can be a tricky strategy: since no piece of art or body of work can ever be perfect, this reality can cause the artist to either abandon such futile pursuits or lose sight what "perfection" may actually be.
"Ansel Adams, never one to mistake precision for perfection, often recalled the old adage that 'perfection is the enemy of the good', his point being that if he waited for everything in the scene to be exactly right, he'd probably never make a photograph."
- Art and Fear
While many elements are far beyond the control of the artist, it is the familiarity of techniques, knowledge of materials and detail of ideas that one must bring to bear with as much certainty as possible in order to best capture the time, place and mindset when a piece of art achieves not perfection, but authenticity and truth.
Doing the best we can with what we have should be no less than the world comes to expect from artists of every stripe.
Note: The above images are taken directly from a Samsung SCH-u540 camera/phone with no processing or manipulation.
- Art and Fear: Observations on the Perils (and Rewards) of Artmaking
One great thing about making art is how the results never lie to the creator - by evaluating the techniques, ideas and materials of a finished piece, success and/or failure is transparently evident for the viewer to perceive. Being one's own worst critic can be a tricky strategy: since no piece of art or body of work can ever be perfect, this reality can cause the artist to either abandon such futile pursuits or lose sight what "perfection" may actually be.
"Ansel Adams, never one to mistake precision for perfection, often recalled the old adage that 'perfection is the enemy of the good', his point being that if he waited for everything in the scene to be exactly right, he'd probably never make a photograph."
- Art and Fear
While many elements are far beyond the control of the artist, it is the familiarity of techniques, knowledge of materials and detail of ideas that one must bring to bear with as much certainty as possible in order to best capture the time, place and mindset when a piece of art achieves not perfection, but authenticity and truth.
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| 03-10-12: Skywalk in Rego Park, NY (click to enlarge) |
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| 03-10-12: Skywalk in Rego Park, NY (click to enlarge) |
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| 03-11-12: Parking Lot Lamp in Flushing, NY (click to enlarge) |
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| 03-11-12: Windmill in Flushing, NY (click to enlarge) |
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| 03-11-12: Windmill in Flushing, NY (click to enlarge) |
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| 03-11-12: Windmill in Flushing, NY (click to enlarge) |
Note: The above images are taken directly from a Samsung SCH-u540 camera/phone with no processing or manipulation.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Appetite for Creation Part 9: Human Seeing
Surrealism has always been a subject of enduring interest - while it has many definitions according to various perspectives, the one that comes to mind most often is: making what is familiar look unfamiliar. Cubism is another field that continues to make sense; the idea of combining multiple views into a single frame is not so bizarre if one considers the adage that walking in the shoes of another will help broaden horizons.
Making art is risky because it exposes and elaborates on some of the most personal issues that will not always garner the response that an artist hopes for. Effective art is whatever that can create dialogue, spur intellect, solicit opinions and change minds. Each and every person who pursues art can bring about such effects as long as they do not give up hope in seeking to comprehend one of the greatest mysteries of all time: the meaning and purpose of life itself.
The answers we get depend upon the questions we ask, and trying to find a right answer to our own dilemmas is certainly worth the price of a lifetime's devotion to understanding the human psyche through art.
Note: The above images are taken directly from a Samsung SCH-u540 camera/phone with no processing or manipulation.
Making art is risky because it exposes and elaborates on some of the most personal issues that will not always garner the response that an artist hopes for. Effective art is whatever that can create dialogue, spur intellect, solicit opinions and change minds. Each and every person who pursues art can bring about such effects as long as they do not give up hope in seeking to comprehend one of the greatest mysteries of all time: the meaning and purpose of life itself.
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| 03-03-12: Steel gate in Woodside, NYC (click to enlarge) |
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| 03-03-12: Steel fence in Woodside, NYC (click to enlarge) |
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| 03-06-12: Archway in Sunnyside, NYC (click to enlarge) |
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| 03-06-12: Archway in Sunnyside, NYC (click to enlarge) |
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| 03-06-12: Archway in Sunnyside, NYC (click to enlarge) |
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| 03-06-12: Archway in Sunnyside, NYC (click to enlarge) |
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| 03-06-12: Archway in Sunnyside, NYC (click to enlarge) |
The answers we get depend upon the questions we ask, and trying to find a right answer to our own dilemmas is certainly worth the price of a lifetime's devotion to understanding the human psyche through art.
Note: The above images are taken directly from a Samsung SCH-u540 camera/phone with no processing or manipulation.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Appetite for Creation Part 8: Untitled Fury
Making art has become similar to hunting. Either for sport or for sustenance, this sudden urge to create is partially a response to the gluttonous spoon-feeding of media outlets informing us of countless manufactured commercial messages that do nothing but bloat our minds with useless information. Being bombarded 24/7/365 with prepackaged sensationalist "news" is just too much for a reasonable person to handle and for some the only response is to fight back with our own attempts to view the world subjectively and without financial prioritization; mass media is now reaching the point where over-consumption is neither healthy nor productive.
The excesses of the 1980's eventually led to the rise of the disillusioned grunge movement. As realization that the false promises of a previous generation were no longer attainable due to forces beyond control, the truth reveals itself through creative outlets such as music, performance, or otherwise - simply put, the dream of quick and easy riches is once again dead. History shows how the broad appeal that far too many seek in order to obtain the largest market share comes at the expense of finding truly original ideas. Immediate success is easily forgotten when seen in the longer timeline.
The future needs to learn that lasting influence only comes from hard work, determination and the occasional stroke of luck only after the first two criteria are satisfied. As stated in "Art and Fear: Observations on The Perils (and Rewards of Artmaking)":
...art is less polished - but more innovative - than craft.
Note: The above images are taken directly from a Samsung SCH-u540 camera/phone with no processing or manipulation.
The excesses of the 1980's eventually led to the rise of the disillusioned grunge movement. As realization that the false promises of a previous generation were no longer attainable due to forces beyond control, the truth reveals itself through creative outlets such as music, performance, or otherwise - simply put, the dream of quick and easy riches is once again dead. History shows how the broad appeal that far too many seek in order to obtain the largest market share comes at the expense of finding truly original ideas. Immediate success is easily forgotten when seen in the longer timeline.
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| 02-28-12: Steel gate in Elmhurst, NYC (click to enlarge) |
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| 03-03-12: Shopping cart in Woodside, NYC (click to enlarge) |
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| 03-03-12: Shopping cart in Woodside, NYC (click to enlarge) |
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| 03-03-12: Shopping cart in Woodside, NYC (click to enlarge) |
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| 03-03-12: Shopping cart in Woodside, NYC (click to enlarge) |
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| 03-03-12: Shopping cart in Woodside, NYC (click to enlarge) |
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| 03-03-12: Shopping cart in Woodside, NYC (click to enlarge) |
The future needs to learn that lasting influence only comes from hard work, determination and the occasional stroke of luck only after the first two criteria are satisfied. As stated in "Art and Fear: Observations on The Perils (and Rewards of Artmaking)":
...art is less polished - but more innovative - than craft.
Note: The above images are taken directly from a Samsung SCH-u540 camera/phone with no processing or manipulation.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
Appetite for Creation Part 7: More Than Treats The Eye
Producing art can be a rush, an obsession, an addiction. The moment when concept, execution and luck all meld together harmoniously to realize one's efforts is a thrill that only an artist will truly enjoy; critics rarely see the events leading up to an subjective offering and thus can merely provide superficial judgments on what little they immediately experience.
What matters most is not to look and see that a camera was there, but that an artist was there.
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| 02-18-12: Elevated subway tracks in Woodside, NYC |
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| 02-18-12: Elevated subway tracks in Woodside, NYC |
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| 02-18-12: Elevated subway tracks in Woodside, NYC |
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| 02-27-12: Elevated subway tracks in Woodside, NYC |
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| 02-27-12: Elevated subway tracks in Woodside, NYC |
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| 02-27-12: Elevated subway tracks in Woodside, NYC |
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| 02-27-12: Elevated subway tracks in Woodside, NYC |
What matters most is not to look and see that a camera was there, but that an artist was there.
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