Plastic Futures 2 Framed
Here's that review in of the Plastic Futures 2 exhibition in FrameMag: http://www.framemag.com/news/857
iPatch™ revisited
Last year I presented the iPatch™ (complete with ironic trademarking) as a satire on the way we look to technology to solve problems often caused by technology. In this case the vast amount of information we recieve via a growing number of technological media. At the same time the iPatch™ is a recognition that the pace of technological change and →
Abstract Intimacy
The New Worlds magazine discussed in the previous post, was something I "stumbled upon". I got there because I did a search for 'Harrison 2002 Light' and found this useful review of M J Harrison's 2002 sci-fi novel Light. This contains a link to something about New Worlds , which doesn't go anywhere, but obviously I persisted and found info. Now, →
What New Worlds look like
Across Plastic Futures, we have often discussed what the future looks like (or, more precisely, how it is imagined and depicted). In Plastic Futures 1, for instance, we noticed that images of the future (often sci-fi) quite often involve grandiose scenes of enormity in which people become minute figures. So, in Plastic Futures 2 with the next group of participants, →
Architectures of the Near Future
Nic Clear's lecture, "Architectures of the Near Future: A Tribute to JG Ballard", at the Bartlett, Wed 21 October: http://www.bartlett.ucl.ac.uk/architecture/events/lectures/lectures Nic Clear Architectures of the Near Future: A Tribute to JG Ballard JG Ballard was one of the most original and distinctive authors of the last part of the C20th and beginning of the C21st; his writing encompassed topics as diverse as ecological crisis, →
Framed
Look out for the Jan/Feb edition of Frame magazine – http://www.framemag.com/ – for an appearance of the Plastic Futures exhibition.
Plastic Futures 2 Review
I think I might have nearly recovered from the Plastic Futures exhibition (marked by the creeping, insane desire to do another one). This week, the Plastic Futures 2 group are meeting up for a final session, after a long break. Time for the next layer of reflection. Pics of the exhibition, for those who missed it, are here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/piaedniebrown/sets/72157621732953109/ Plus, I just stumbled upon →
NeuroLogica » Memes and the Singularity
As I've discussed before, blogging (and reposting the content of other blogs - dubbed "re-tweeting" on twitter) is an example of how technology has affected culture - specifically the miriad ways we now access information and how integrated we are becoming. The idea of the meme as a unit of culture that is self replicating really came into it's own in →
The Adaptation Workshop @ SymbioticA
As part of Plastic Futures 2 we had the opportunity to travel to Perth, Western Australia and participate in a workshop hosted by Oron Catts and Ionat Zurr at SymbioticA (a centre for excellence in bio-art research within the Department of Anatomy & Human Biology at UWA). This involved a loose set of investigations around the theme of "adaptation" with →
Nellie McKay: “Clonie”
I think I'm in love with Nellie McKay. Not sure if it's her sense of humour, her adorable outfit or her cute 50s American accent (that's 1950s a la Shirly Temple, not 2050s). http://www.ted.com/talks/nellie_mckay_sings_clonie_1.html
Lucy Irvine
Some work by local artist Lucy Irvine. She explores biomimetic organic forms using inorganic and industrial materials such as fishing line, nylon cord and cable ties. sources: http://www.abl.com.au/default.asp?p=2,199,200 http://www.redgallery.com.au/2006Shows/2006Show13.htm
Clouds, Crochet and Plastic Fields
Plastic Futures 2 was a project exploring the intersections of bio-art and contemporary field-based design practices in the context of ‘speculative futures’. It was run over a five week period between 19 June and 26 July 2009, including a one week intensive workshop in Western Australia with SymbioticA (UWA) and based around a colony of thrombolites, bacterial ‘growing rocks’ found →
The Angriest Dog in the World
Earlier this week I was alerted to the existence of this comic created by David Lynch and published in a number of independent newspapers in the U.S. during the 80s and 90s. The Angriest Dog in the World comic strip always features the same four frames depicting a weird looking dog in a backyard and speech bubbles containing overheard conversations →
the news on Barbie
The gossip on Barbie. And she's coming to town in an exhibition at Federation Square, June 26 to July 12. As it coincides with the Salvador Dali exhibition down the road, I'd say this is a very Vermilion Sands moment in Melbourne.
what kind of potential catastrophe is this?
What does this mean? What threat does this water pose? One might get wet? Or does the water come alive, form massive mouths in its waves and like monsters, chew you up? (wild west: where the wild things are?) Is it about to rise out of control? North Cottesloe beach is, for those who don't know Western Australia, one of the →
Scale + Laughter and Self + Ballard
As we explore the immensity of the world through photographing tiny 1:87 scale people, the short story 'Scale' by Will Self, is a useful and entertaining read. I haven't managed to confirm this anywhere, but its seems unlikely that this story isn't highly influenced by (an adaptation even) of J. G. Ballards novel Concrete Island. At the bottom of this →