If anyone out there reads this thing (aside from the 'rents, of course...I know they read it), you are allowed to comment on my posts. Just sayin'.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Mini Exhibition
It went pretty well once all was said and done. By my estimation, about 200 people showed up...way more than I expected. The big exhibition in December (shortly after my birthday) is going to be much, much bigger, so it should be exciting.
Anyway, back to our artefact. We focused on sound and color systems. My contribution was a children's game called Mondrian Music:
This artefact focuses on colour and sound systems. Because man-made systems contain arbitrary elements (why is an A chord called an A chord and not a “maditrope”, and why is purple called purple and not “schwoopelkang”?), we decided to manipulate theses elements.
We translated a painting by Piet Mondrian into music by measuring the areas of colour and determining what percentage each colour block inhabited on the canvas. We then assigned a chord for each colour arbitrarily, but loosely using the Circle of Fifths as a guide. Later, we thought that we could create a game to allow people to create an aural version of a Mondrian painting. First, all players place the pieces face down on the template. Then, the conductor turns the pieces over in any order he or she desires and instructs the players to hit their bottles the number of times indicated on each playing piece.
This is the game:
Mondrian Music (for 4 players or more)
Contents:
3 blue bottles
3 red bottles
3 yellow bottles
3 white bottles
3 black bottles
3 grey bottles
3 mallets or sticks (spoons in this case)
3 red rectangles
3 blue rectangles
8 white rectangles
4 black rectangles
4 yellow rectangles
5 grey rectangles
Not included:
Water (although, I included it last night)
Instructions:
1) Fill each of the bottles with water up to the top of the small windows.
2) The conductor divides the playing pieces face down among the other players, and all of the players place their pieces in the appropriate spaces.
3) The conductor gives one of each of the filled coloured bottles and a mallet to each of the other 3 players.
4) The conductor flips one of the coloured rectangles over. Each of the rectangles has a number of times the bottle should be hit. The conductor instructs the other players when to hit the coloured bottles (for example, if a black rectangle is being played, everyone should hit his or her black bottle when instructed). In other words, the conductor is in control of the rhythm. Players should hit their assigned bottles at the same time to play the chord. (If there are more than 4 players, other players wait until a current player either hits the incorrect bottle or hits a bottle before instructed to do so.)
5) When all of the pieces have been flipped over, the Mondrian painting has been played. You may now switch conductors and/or players.
Anyway, back to our artefact. We focused on sound and color systems. My contribution was a children's game called Mondrian Music:
This artefact focuses on colour and sound systems. Because man-made systems contain arbitrary elements (why is an A chord called an A chord and not a “maditrope”, and why is purple called purple and not “schwoopelkang”?), we decided to manipulate theses elements.
We translated a painting by Piet Mondrian into music by measuring the areas of colour and determining what percentage each colour block inhabited on the canvas. We then assigned a chord for each colour arbitrarily, but loosely using the Circle of Fifths as a guide. Later, we thought that we could create a game to allow people to create an aural version of a Mondrian painting. First, all players place the pieces face down on the template. Then, the conductor turns the pieces over in any order he or she desires and instructs the players to hit their bottles the number of times indicated on each playing piece.
This is the game:
Mondrian Music (for 4 players or more)
Contents:
3 blue bottles
3 red bottles
3 yellow bottles
3 white bottles
3 black bottles
3 grey bottles
3 mallets or sticks (spoons in this case)
3 red rectangles
3 blue rectangles
8 white rectangles
4 black rectangles
4 yellow rectangles
5 grey rectangles
Not included:
Water (although, I included it last night)
Instructions:
1) Fill each of the bottles with water up to the top of the small windows.
2) The conductor divides the playing pieces face down among the other players, and all of the players place their pieces in the appropriate spaces.
3) The conductor gives one of each of the filled coloured bottles and a mallet to each of the other 3 players.
4) The conductor flips one of the coloured rectangles over. Each of the rectangles has a number of times the bottle should be hit. The conductor instructs the other players when to hit the coloured bottles (for example, if a black rectangle is being played, everyone should hit his or her black bottle when instructed). In other words, the conductor is in control of the rhythm. Players should hit their assigned bottles at the same time to play the chord. (If there are more than 4 players, other players wait until a current player either hits the incorrect bottle or hits a bottle before instructed to do so.)
5) When all of the pieces have been flipped over, the Mondrian painting has been played. You may now switch conductors and/or players.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Systemania
Now that everyone in my nuclear family has been wished a Happy Birthday, I can get back to writing some more about what's going on here in Merry Ole England...
On Monday, my classmates and I are having a mid-term exhibition that is a dry run for our big exhibition in December. It's called Systemania.
Here's our brief:
"Find an existing man-made system, investigate the reason behind its existence and explore the possibilities of redesigning it to serve a new purpose utilizing (however vaguely) the principle of the ‘rhizome theory’ [this was explained earlier in the brief, but it's based on Deleuze & Guattari's theory of Recombinant Poetics]. Once you are clear about the purpose that you want your system to serve make it (or allow it to) evolve. Take it to the next step, interfere with it, or completely destroy, or reconstruct it, if necessary but let it grow and evolve of its own volition where possible."
Our group decided to focus on interfering with Color and Music systems since they both are based on circles (the Color Wheel and the Circle of Fifths). I'll explain more later as I am up to my eyeballs in artifact (sorry, that's "artefact" over here) iterations and exhibition logistics.
On Monday, my classmates and I are having a mid-term exhibition that is a dry run for our big exhibition in December. It's called Systemania.
Here's our brief:
"Find an existing man-made system, investigate the reason behind its existence and explore the possibilities of redesigning it to serve a new purpose utilizing (however vaguely) the principle of the ‘rhizome theory’ [this was explained earlier in the brief, but it's based on Deleuze & Guattari's theory of Recombinant Poetics]. Once you are clear about the purpose that you want your system to serve make it (or allow it to) evolve. Take it to the next step, interfere with it, or completely destroy, or reconstruct it, if necessary but let it grow and evolve of its own volition where possible."
Our group decided to focus on interfering with Color and Music systems since they both are based on circles (the Color Wheel and the Circle of Fifths). I'll explain more later as I am up to my eyeballs in artifact (sorry, that's "artefact" over here) iterations and exhibition logistics.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Happy Taxiversary
My parents went on their first date on February 14th, Valentine's Day, and got married on April 15th, Tax Day, the same year (I don't think there could be any two dates that represent such extremes, but that's mom and dad). Yup. It was a two month courtship. 37 years later, they still manage to laugh and have a good time, and they will continue to do so until they take a dirt nap. Amen, Hallelujah!
Happy Anniversary, Mom and Dad!
Sunday, April 13, 2008
April 13th 2008. Devin Turns a Quarter Century!
Happy Birthday, Duncely!
For future reference, you're not supposed to ride flamingos. They are for Aunt Di's golf cart.
Much better!
Happy Birthday, Dev! Love you!
For future reference, you're not supposed to ride flamingos. They are for Aunt Di's golf cart.
Much better!
Happy Birthday, Dev! Love you!
Saturday, April 12, 2008
More Pics and a Camera Hunt
I'm still hunting for a camera that has video capabilities like my old one. I've been bidding on ebay, but to no avail. I'm always pretty close, so I'm hoping something come through one of these days.
Here are a few more pics from Budapest. Enjoy!
Thorlak, Esayas, and Tamra in a diptych.
A couple of group shots.
These made me laugh out loud. Anybody up for a fried lamb of leg?
Or a grilled chicken of breast?
Here are a few more pics from Budapest. Enjoy!
Thorlak, Esayas, and Tamra in a diptych.
A couple of group shots.
These made me laugh out loud. Anybody up for a fried lamb of leg?
Or a grilled chicken of breast?
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Broken Camera in Budapest
Somehow, I broke the LCD screen on my camera, but I was able to upload the photos I took before I broke the screen. I've taken the camera apart to see if I can get a replacement part. If I can't manage to fix it, I'll just have to get a new one, which I would have had to do anyway. Just one of those things. Apart from that, my trip was great. The food was amazing. 
Crispy Goose Leg is my friend. I will write more once I get some more pics from friends so I can have more visuals to go with my words. Until then, check out Pest (on one side of the Danube) from Buda (on the other side of the Danube):
Crispy Goose Leg is my friend. I will write more once I get some more pics from friends so I can have more visuals to go with my words. Until then, check out Pest (on one side of the Danube) from Buda (on the other side of the Danube):
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