Recycled art as metaphor

This artist/designer buys old stuffed animals at thrift stores, turns them inside out, and calls them "Vintage Characters." They reflect "unhappy people searching inwardly for happiness" (nothing intrinsically wrong with exploring one's inner life -- therapy is good) When they are inside-out, Wilson (the artist) goes on to say, "their smiles disappear, the true colours disappear, and the ability to listen to others seems gone -- most vintage characters lose their ears in the transformation process." He believes people would be happier if they reached out to others.

hmmm... there is some truth to it, though I don't buy his philosophy entirely. But personally, I think they look really cool, and sorta sad. Check it out: Recycled Vintage Characters

One of the FUNNIEST websites I've EVER seen

This guy is amazing in his prolific creative output. Must be great to just have fun making this stuff all day long. Check out his "How to Dance Properly" flash thin, and "Impress your Date" -- also "Naughty Bird" there's so much ...ze's page

American Style Low-Maintenance Landscaping

Why do Americans do some things well and some things so BADLY?

A Quantum View of Art

Your consciousness supposedly affects the behaviour of subatomic particles. There is an interaction between mind and matter. Something about the Einstein-Rosen-Podolsky Effect and Bell's Inequality thing.

A work of ART does not exist in a vacumn. It's impact and effect depends almost entirely on the perception of it's meaning by viewers. Art needs at least one person to see it, and is forever changed by the actual presence and seeing, of the viewer(s).

Viewers become part of the art as they come into contact with it, either from far off, in close proximity or through physical touch and participation. Viewers themselves have an effect on the meaning and impact of the piece, both for themselves and for others viewing the same piece. As one is viewing the artwork, one is also part of the scene from the point of view of others seeing you in the context of the piece. By your presence you contribute to the experience and thus, change the piece forever.

This is a very unpolished idea, inspired by Arthur Danto's article on the MoMA, published in The Nation. Danto wrote about Yoshio Taniguchi's 2004 redesign of the MoMA, "...the consciousness of others moving from space to space is so much a part of the experience that one feels one is always part of a constantly changing work of art."

Thinking about making art ... what's it good for? Here's an excerpt from an article in Adbusters about how artists can/should actively try to change society for the better, through their art:

" ... on view at Massachusett's MASSMoCA through March 2005: The Interventionists. These artists seek to "enter physically,"

writes Nato Thompson in the show's catalog:

"that is, they place their work into the heart of the political situation itself. By changing the context - going into the streets or bringing the "real world" into the gallery - art makes the much-touted, yet little realized, leap between art and life. For example, the exhibition features mobile shelters for the homeless created by Krzysztof Wodiczko and the Danish art group n55 that could easily be relegated to a museum show on design. But fabricated for actual use outside the gallery, these constructions serve dual roles of giving practical help to the homeless while using aesthetic means to raise the visibility of the easily overlooked urban poor."

Making another world possible

How many of these BANNED BOOKS have you read?

and how many books on this list are on your reading list?

Outsider Garden Art

a Local Perennial Garden... low maintenance and it blooms in winter!

burnt beans

... in a pot smell really bad! uck! the whole damn house smells like a crematorium for beans!

I was desperate to clean my stainless steel pot (desperate houswives???) and my soda and hot water trick was NOT working, so I did a google search for "burnt pot" +beans +"how to clean" and lo and behold(!) I got a bunch of answers -- the weirdest of which was to use Bounce dryer sheets and water (put it in a plastic bag and leave it sealed for a couple of days. Must be SOME strong chemical in those dryer sheets!

I used steel wool and elbow grease.

obidiah

Gabe, your description of the Temple of Stars at Burning Man and that Obidiah's name was in there, burning ... made me miss my sweet O. He kept me company during some dark times.

at the bird bath

trying day of uninstalling, installing, upgrading and cussing

very senior citizen

pass GO, collect 50 ideas and get out of jail free

a journey of a thousand steps begins with the first step ...