The Porcupine School of Poetry tag:www.g-rad.org,2008-02-08:/porcupine//54 2008-06-11T23:35:56Z Movable Type Open Source 4.1 Tumblr has saved me from the horrors of Movable Type tag:www.g-rad.org,2008:/porcupine//54.6788 2008-06-11T23:23:19Z 2008-06-11T23:35:56Z Some of you may know that I've struggled from time to time with the design of this blog. Currently, this is just a Movable Type 4 default, and I really hate it. As a visual artist, it's very hard... http://www.g-rad.org/porcupine solar flare banner 550 copyb

Some of you may know that I've struggled from time to time with the design of this blog. Currently, this is just a Movable Type 4 default, and I really hate it. As a visual artist, it's very hard for me to get excited about blogging when I know the end product is going to look bland/gross. Whenever I try to haggle with CSS files and all that I either change only half of what I want to (like the front page but not the archives) or a break the whole damn blog.

Well I'm afraid I've had it. I've been seeing Tumblr blogs pop up, and they look really good, even in default or very near default mode. So I decided to make one. Not only was the design a breeze, posting stuff is absurdly easy. I've got a button on my browser now that says "Share on Tumblr," easy as that.

Of course, this means that my posts on Tumblr won't be pulled into the feed of new G-RAD blog posts, and this bums me out a lot. I really like blogging in community here at G-RAD, but I'm starting to feel like the neighbor with a really bad paint job, and try as I might, I just can't seem to master to mysteries of the CSS file. So my plan is this, when I do a post on my Tumblr, I'll repost it here, with a link to the good looking version. I hope that doesn't seem lame.

So here it is, The Porcupine School of Poetry, Tumblr Edition.

]]> Nico Nico Douga, Massively Collaborative Online Video tag:www.g-rad.org,2008:/porcupine//54.6750 2008-06-04T17:00:58Z 2008-06-04T17:40:14Z Kevin Kelly has a great post today on CT2 about vizuality, or visual literacy. Specifically, he writes about tools that are emerging to assist vizuality in regard to annotating and cross-referencing text and moving images. The most intriguing thing he... http://www.g-rad.org/porcupine Kevin Kelly has a great post today on CT2 about vizuality, or visual literacy. Specifically, he writes about tools that are emerging to assist vizuality in regard to annotating and cross-referencing text and moving images.

The most intriguing thing he covers is an immensely popular Japanese video sharing site called Nico Nico Douga. Seeking to make a more integrated hybrid of Youtube and forums, the site offers users the ability to comment on videos while watching them. But rather than have the comments show up below the player, the text in superimposed right onto the video. If a video gets too crowded with text, old comments drop off to make room for new ones. A typical frame from a Nico Nico Douga video looks like this:

nico nico douga 2

Sometimes the text obscures the image beyond recognition, this is called a "danmaku":

nico nico douga 1

Although the site has millions of users and is the 6th most visited website in Japan, it has had little cross-over success, largely due to the fact that users have to sign up for an account before watching any videos, and the sign-up screen is all in Japanese. Kevin Kelly provided a helpful link to a short English language guide to the phenomenon on a blog called Metagold. You can also watch the video I pulled those stills from.

I'm sure there are more capable scholars than me thinking about where Nico Nico Douga fits into the visual history of the Far East, but I couldn't help but be reminded of Japanese printmaking. For one thing, most of the videos on the site are collaborative, as viewers make mash-up upon mash-up of their favorites. Printmaking is also a medium that lends itself collaboration of all kinds, from assembly-line production of early mass-market woodblock prints to posters of Hokusai's Wave selling in Hobby Lobby. But perhaps the most intriguing parallel is the text superimposed over the image by someone other than the artist. Many Japanese prints bear red stamps on near the edges of the image. These were not a part of the original image, rather they are marks of ownership added later by various collectors who have owned the piece over the years.

]]> Matthew McConaughey, Savage of the East tag:www.g-rad.org,2008:/porcupine//54.6726 2008-05-29T19:24:41Z 2008-05-29T19:37:32Z When I was in college I took a Medieval art history class. We had to write a big paper about some work or idea or artist. I decided to write about the idea of "monstrous races," these were illustrations of... http://www.g-rad.org/porcupine When I was in college I took a Medieval art history class. We had to write a big paper about some work or idea or artist. I decided to write about the idea of "monstrous races," these were illustrations of far-out savages thought to dwell in the uncharted lands of the East. Crusaders and missionaries took these depictions seriously, as these were the people they expected to either convert or kill. While these drawings carry the taint of some pretty extreme xenophobia, they are still endearing to me. One of my favorites has always been the guys with faces on their torsos:

chest1

I had the idea recently to use Photoshop to recreate some of my favorite monstrous races. I decided to start with the torso-face guys. Without even trying, my search for a good photo of a shirtless man led me to Mr. Matthew McConaughey, the most unapologetically shirtless man of all time. If torso-face men ever to evolve, I believe they will come from Mr. McConaughey's seed.

monster 1 mc copy

]]> Best web show I've seen in a while tag:www.g-rad.org,2008:/porcupine//54.6719 2008-05-28T21:35:43Z 2008-05-28T21:42:54Z ITALIAN SPIDER-MAN!!! While faux retro can become tedious, I think they've hit a sweet spot here. The fast zooms, the music cues, the lighting! Christopher Campbell over on SpoutBlog pointed me to this episode, where he smartly asks, "why bother... http://www.g-rad.org/porcupine ITALIAN SPIDER-MAN!!!

While faux retro can become tedious, I think they've hit a sweet spot here. The fast zooms, the music cues, the lighting! Christopher Campbell over on SpoutBlog pointed me to this episode, where he smartly asks, "why bother making more Hollywood Spider-Man movies, when there's Italian Spiderman?" Indeed, unless Toby Macguire is willing to gain 50 lbs. and pick up a sawed-off shotgun, I'm not interested in a Spider-Man 4 or 5.

]]> NOW COME, STAR-LORD. LEAVE YOU MADNESS BEHIND AND WALK WITH ME. Saturday! tag:www.g-rad.org,2008:/porcupine//54.6382 2008-05-16T15:48:24Z 2008-05-16T16:08:04Z On August 15, 1979, James Dallas Egbert III entered the steam tunnels beneath the campus of Michigan State University. He did not intend to return. Opening Reception: Saturday, May 17, 5 to 10 PM fwd>>space gallery 120 S. Division #125... http://www.g-rad.org/porcupine On August 15, 1979, James Dallas Egbert III entered the steam tunnels beneath the campus of Michigan State University.

He did not intend to return.

star lord promo 3 web

star lord promo 1 web

star lord promo 4 web

star lord promo web


Opening Reception:

Saturday, May 17, 5 to 10 PM
fwd>>space gallery
120 S. Division #125

Admission is free, there will be refreshments.

]]> You can't untell a tale, you can't out-slow a snail tag:www.g-rad.org,2008:/porcupine//54.6144 2008-04-02T19:19:15Z 2008-04-02T19:25:47Z Wholphin #5 just came out. As usual the McSweeny's DVD magazine is a mixed bag, but there are some gems. By far my favorite is an animated short by Carson Mell called Chonto, here's the trailer:... http://www.g-rad.org/porcupine Wholphin #5 just came out. As usual the McSweeny's DVD magazine is a mixed bag, but there are some gems. By far my favorite is an animated short by Carson Mell called Chonto, here's the trailer:

]]> South by Southwest '08 tag:www.g-rad.org,2008:/porcupine//54.6051 2008-03-07T22:00:13Z 2008-03-07T22:16:32Z I got into Austin yesterday, and there hasn't been much going on yet, it's an uneasy calm before the storm. I'm sitting in a SXSW Interactive panel right now about gamer-generated wikis. Pretty interesting, not amazing. I just learned that... http://www.g-rad.org/porcupine I got into Austin yesterday, and there hasn't been much going on yet, it's an uneasy calm before the storm. I'm sitting in a SXSW Interactive panel right now about gamer-generated wikis. Pretty interesting, not amazing. I just learned that WoWWiki, a wiki about World of WarCraft, is the second largest wiki behind Wikipedia! They get 3 million users a month, half of all WoW players.

One of the panelists just said that 5 core editors is the tipping point for a wiki to take off. How many core people are building Viget? I'm sure the Civic Studio class is helping...

Anyway, I'm just here to kill time before the movies start tonight. First up, Super High Me, comedian Doug Benson smokes pot everyday for 30 days, then quits it cold turkey for 30 days, all the while monitoring the health effects. Should be interesting.

After that, a movie that I'm VERY excited about, Second Skin, a documentary about massively multiplayer online games, and the people who are hopelessly addicted to them. See trailer below:

]]> Too Much Confusion, part 1 tag:www.g-rad.org,2008:/porcupine//54.5967 2008-02-14T19:46:15Z 2008-02-14T19:48:09Z Here's a new video I made called Too Much Confusion, part 1.... http://www.g-rad.org/porcupine

Here's a new video I made called Too Much Confusion, part 1.

]]> WORLD'S SMALLEST BODYBUILDER tag:www.g-rad.org,2008:/porcupine//54.5964 2008-02-13T20:49:27Z 2008-02-13T20:51:32Z source... http://www.g-rad.org/porcupine

source

]]> SPACE COLONY tag:www.g-rad.org,2008:/porcupine//54.5963 2008-02-13T02:40:00Z 2008-02-13T03:37:35Z http://www.g-rad.org/porcupine at the farm

nasa2

life on mars

]]> Guy DeBord was a Gamer tag:www.g-rad.org,2008:/porcupine//54.5885 2008-01-31T22:47:51Z 2008-01-31T23:22:48Z "In 1978 the French Situationist Guy Debord designed and fabricated a board game called "The Game of War." Thirty years later RSG is resurrecting this largely forgotten game, translating the game instructions from French to Java and releasing it... http://www.g-rad.org/porcupine

"In 1978 the French Situationist Guy Debord designed and fabricated a board game called "The Game of War." Thirty years later RSG is resurrecting this largely forgotten game, translating the game instructions from French to Java and releasing it as an online computer game. We explore the contradiction between Debord, a symbol of radical politics and art in 1960s France, and the Napoleonic war game he created. In Debord's own words the game was the only thing in his entire body of work that had any value. Was it nostalgia, or a vision of things to come?"

-from Over the Opening

There doesn't seem to be a link to where one can play this online game, hopefully that's coming soon.

The description reminds me of the wargames that eventually led to the creation of Dungeons & Dragons. Legend has it that Dave Arneson, one of the creators of D&D, blew the minds of his fellow wargame players one night when he suggested that instead of controlling an entire garrison of soldiers attempting a siege on a castle, they instead would control a single character, and form a small group that would infiltrate the fortress. Fun, hilarity, and a twisting of existing social (and gaming) norms followed. I think DeBord would have been proud.

]]> Joe Swanberg's BUTTERKNIFE: New Web Series on Spout tag:www.g-rad.org,2008:/porcupine//54.5868 2008-01-29T14:50:26Z 2008-01-29T15:01:08Z I'm really excited about Butterknife, a new detective web series by Joe Swanberg (Hannah Takes the Stairs) starring Ronald Bronstein (dir. of Frownland, my vote for the best undistributed film of 2007). The show is a nice blend of dialog-driven... http://www.g-rad.org/porcupine I'm really excited about Butterknife, a new detective web series by Joe Swanberg (Hannah Takes the Stairs) starring Ronald Bronstein (dir. of Frownland, my vote for the best undistributed film of 2007).

The show is a nice blend of dialog-driven character studies with classic genre goodness. Here's the first episode:

BUTTERKNIFE 1: Plastic Hassle

Add to My Profile | More Videos

]]> Hitting Sundance with Spout.com tag:www.g-rad.org,2008:/porcupine//54.5843 2008-01-18T01:40:00Z 2008-01-18T03:09:10Z Sundance, that big fat enchilada of American film festivals, kicks off today. I'm here with Spout.com getting coverage, I've got a full schedule of interviews, screenings, meetings, parties, and various to-do's. I don't plan on sleeping. The coverage is... http://www.g-rad.org/porcupine

Sundance, that big fat enchilada of American film festivals, kicks off today. I'm here with Spout.com getting coverage, I've got a full schedule of interviews, screenings, meetings, parties, and various to-do's. I don't plan on sleeping.

The coverage is just starting to trickle in, so be sure to check out:
-Spout's Sundance Page
-Spout's MySpace Page (we're doing the official festival coverage for MySpace)
-and as always SpoutBlog (keep in mind that the Spout Sundance page just pulls in SpoutBlog posts about Sundance, so there's some overlap there.)

We're doing an open call for interviews for people who want to promote their films. I'll be doing interviews at a certain place and time every day, and the filmmakers will (hopefully) come to me. This is a welcome change of pace from hounding Sean Penn like a stalker until he finally agrees to an interview.

Another change in our approach to this festival is that we're going to be doing video segments on the ground and uploading them daily. I was going to be involved in this, but then we got the idea that we could have actual independent filmmakers do it, and it would be way better, so that's what we're doing. Joe Swanberg and Ronald Bronstein are both critically-acclaimed, award-winning filmmakers, but neither have ever been to Sundance. Swanberg wrote and directed Hannah Takes the Stairs (trailer here) which was a huge hit at SXSW last year, and Bronstein made Frownland (trailer here), which is definitely one of my favorite films of '07. I can't wait to see what these two come up with.

You can never really tell which movies will be great and which will suck just by reading the two sentence blurb in the program, but I've been trying. Here's a list of a few movies I'm really excited about that I'll try to see and get coverage of (a review, an interview, or both):

-The Wave a German film about the true story of a class activity that attempted to teach a lesson about fascism, but went horribly wrong.

-Up the Yangtze a Chinese documentary about poor rural folks who are drafted to work on a river cruise boat before the river is dammed, which will cover all their homes with the largest man-made lake in the world. Watch this trailer, seriously.

-Fear(s) of the Dark a French film in which 10 animators have "breathed life into phobias and nightmares..."

-Time Crimes a Spanish time-travel mystery (this better be good, or I'll be pissed!)

-Sleep Dealer all I know is that it's Mexican sci-fi set in a distopian-future. And it has this amazing teaser website. I'm sold.

-The Art Star and the Sudanese Twins this is a documentary about artist Vanessa Beecroft's attempts to adopt Sudanese twins. I hope it's as weird as it sounds.

-Choke an adaptation of a Chuck Palahniuk novel (Fight Club). Stars Angelica Huston, Sam Rockwell, and Kelly MacDonald.

And here are a few that I won't get to see because I'm not staying for the whole time, which really bums me out:

-Quentin Tarantino Presents: Hell Ride I imagine this will be nothing more than what I expect, but I still can't wait to see it.

-cASTING A gLANCE a documentary about Robert Smithson! I can't believe I'm missing this!! Hopefully it'll show up at the UICA later this year.

If that wasn't enough, I'm also really excited about what happening in the New Frontiers on Main space, which looks like it will be a phenomenal new media art show. It's featuring some of my favorites of the field: Doug Aitken, Graffiti Research Lab, Eddo Stern, and Paper Rad Art Collective in collaboration with Cory Arcangel, among many others.

]]> David Cross as Allen Ginsberg on a Golf Cart tag:www.g-rad.org,2007:/porcupine//54.5719 2007-12-12T18:54:51Z 2007-12-12T19:28:45Z The design of this blog is nowhere near what I want it to be. I haven't had the time or energy to figure it out, but I've decided to not use that as an excuse to avoid posting. So here... http://www.g-rad.org/porcupine The design of this blog is nowhere near what I want it to be. I haven't had the time or energy to figure it out, but I've decided to not use that as an excuse to avoid posting. So here I go, forging ahead...

This is one of my favorite clips from one of my favorite movies of the year, Todd Haynes' I'm Not There. In it, Cate Blanchett plays Jude Quinn, one of the film's many incarnations of Bob Dylan, as he meets Allen Ginsberg, played by David Cross.

The film has received mixed reviews. The funny thing is that everyone seems to agree that it's densely packed montage of 60s and 70s cultural references, stacking layers of meaning, irony, sincerity and satire. The difference in the verdicts on the film depend on whether you think that sort of thing is brilliant or pretentious and pointless. I'm in the brilliant camp. Films are never isolated texts. The celebrity status of cast members always play into how we read their performances, and Haynes embraces this more than I've ever seen.

I was blown away by the film when I first saw it in September at the Telluride Film Fest (I also got a chance to talk to Todd Haynes!). I'm not sure why I waited this long, but I just bought the soundtrack. Wow. I'm not usually impressed with soundtracks, and this two disc set does have some rather banal tracks. But holy crap there's some great stuff on here. All of the Stephen Malkmus tracks are good, especially Ballad of a Thin Man. I just got it, so I haven't made it through the whole thing yet, but some others tracks that have jumped out at me, I'm Not There by Sonic Youth, Goin' to Acapulco by Jim James and Calexico, and the one that's really blowing me away, Stuck Inside of Mobile With the Memphis Blues Again by Cat Power!

]]> TEST tag:www.g-rad.org,2007:/porcupine//54.5509 2007-11-01T19:46:57Z 2007-11-01T19:47:28Z my oh my, my blog is jacked. this is a test.... http://www.g-rad.org/porcupine my oh my, my blog is jacked. this is a test.

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