Bird Brained

Smart!



Thanks Mike!

Shiva

A Few Photons Can Stop 2 Tons Of Steel

Driving along in my car, I arrive at an intersection. Above the intersection, there is a traffic light. A few photons of light of a wavelength we refer to as "red" are focused onto a few cells in the back of my eye. These cells happen to be somewhat special and they respond by chemically messaging a few nearby cells. Now, there are a few billion of these special cells, and they're all hooked up in different structures. So, when the photons hit those special cells, all hell breaks loose in this system. There are signals going this way and that way. The raw input is abstracted, given symbolic meaning, STOP! Signals get sent down my spine, down to the muscles in my leg. These signals trigger chemical reactions in the fibers of my muscles, causing them to tighten and relax an appropriate sequence to cause my foot to lift off the gas and press the break pedal. This, through a series of mechanisms has the effect of converting the forward momentum of my vehicle into heat energy in my breaks, or in simpler terms, 2 tons of steal has just stopped abruptly… All because a few photons happened to hit a few cells.......and I won't even go into how the energy in those photons from the traffic light actually originated 95 million miles away, in the sun, when a few hydrogen atoms bumped into each other!

The Long Over Due Spring 2006 Art Update

So, I meant to do this way back at the beginning of the summer....but then I didn't. Anyway, better late than never. Here it is, my spring 2006 Art update!

Wood Sculpture

Laminates


This was my second wood sculpture project. We cut strips of plywood and made 3 layer laminates. In this way we were able to form curves that held their shape quite well. We then cut the curves into smaller pieces and used bolts to assemble them into a 3 dimensional form. Because we had a small class, we all met outside of class and worked as a group making all the laminates, then divided them up later. It was really nice working together like that and I think it brought our class together.

Complexity

More Photos | Structure Guide | Destruction | Aftermath

This was my final project for wood sculpture. It got off to a very frustrating start of multiple failures and miscalculations, and by 2 weeks into the project I still had absolutely nothing to show for it. But finally I got my system for producing the triangles to work, and after a 18 hour marathon session in the studio, I was able to make about 1500 triangle units and assemble them into this.

The Crit went really really well. I still remember Ray pausing to collect his thoughts before we began. Then he said to everyone, "we're not even going to talk about how much work went into this, because that goes without saying, and there's a lot more to talk about here". To me that was one of the greatest compliments I have ever gotten.

The basic idea was to create a unit, in this case a wooden triangle with slots. I knew they would fit together, but I did not know what structure would be inherent in the smaller unit. Once I had made enough to experiment with, I began to see how I could fit the basic units together into slightly more complex units. In this case, my second level of complexity was made of 7 triangles and somewhat resembled a 'C'. 12 of the 'C' units, along with 4 triangles fit together into a ribbon like structure folded into a sphere. 3 of these combined into a globby triangle, and 3 of those into an even bigger and more complex globby triangle. There are 1008 triangles in this structure.

The universe is built in a similar fashion. No, not wooden triangles, but atoms, molecules, amino acids, protine chains, cells, tissues, organs, organisms, and entire societies. It's all increasing layers of complexity of the same thing.

Ok, I just wrote more on this subject, but it's long and so I will move it to it's own post so as to stay on topic here.

Anyway, after the crit, I decided that the destruction of the piece was the next logical step, and would be fitting to the whole concept of the piece. So spontaneously I grabbed a few friends from the hallway, telling them I was about to do "spontaneous performance art". I gave my camera to one friend to video tape. Then I climbed up a ladder and dropped my creation.

Ceramic Sculpture

Amorphaces 3D

More Photos

I decided to take my Amorphaces into the 3rd dimension. This is what I was working on the night I posted about spending 11 hours in the studio.



Thingy (for lack of a better name)

More Photos

This was my second project for my clay sculpture class. I produced 10 of these forms made from 3 slip cast parts joined together. Unfortunately I don't have any photos of the installation, which involved the repeated form in different groupings and arrangements.



Rock Thingys

More Photos

This project was very experimental, and I really had fun with it. It was based on Andy Goldsworthy's "torn stone". I collected a bunch of rocks, covered them with raw clay and placed them immediately in the kiln. As the clay was fired, it shrank around the rocks and cracked. Many of the rocks too experienced a change. Some crumbled, others cracked, and most turned red.

Udus!

More Photos

In Spring 2005 I took Ray's "Percussion Design and Fabrication" class. It was a fun class, and my favorite part was making Udus, a type of ceramic drum. During Fall 2005 I took a pottery class. Tim (one of my classmates) was also interested in Udus, so we decided to do an independent study with Ray in the Spring. We spent the semester making Udus, and a few other experimental pieces. My good friend Jenn, who was in the percussion class with me, also made a few more of her own. At the end of the semester we did another barrel fire. It was a lot of fun!!

Scholarship Show + Long River Review

More Photos

I submitted some of my work to the scholarship show for the first time this year. I didn't win anything, but I did get a few pieces in the show, and a lot of compliments. I also submited some work to the Long River Review....and won this year's Photography Award!

Widescreen!

I switched from this,

To this!

This week I replaced my old bulky, blurry, annoying dual monitor setup, with a nice new 20" widescreen LCD. I have so much more desk space, and I can read text!

Boo!

Anti Gay Phone Company

The Following is from Eugene Mirman's web site. Listen to the audio clips at the bottom!


ANTI GAY PHONE COMPANY

Starting in late December I began to get phone calls from what I thought was a phone company (United American Technologies) trying to get me to switch from my phone company to a Christian one that didnπt support gay marriage and pornography. It was so weird and creepy that I decided to record them. There are three calls. It turns out that they are from a non-profit that works with United American Technologies and calls people on their behalf. UAT then donates money to them. I think this non-profit stopped making these calls, but UAT still has many other organizations making the calls for them I believe. Though they claimed to donate 10% of their profits to ministries I think the money actually went into an Oklahoma Republican political campaign, but some of it may go to Churches and ministries, I'm not sure. The whole thing is confusing and spooky. But enjoy the calls. You can also read this article from the New York Sun for more information.

Anti Gay Phone Company I

Anti Gay Phone Company II

Anti Gay Phone Company III

The Japanese Open Their Beer The Olde Fashioned Way

E Taco La Se Dichi

E Taco La Se Dichi

I don't know that it means, but it's way cool man! Thanks for the link Gretchen.

Yo Man

Dukakis 1988: yo man
Dukakis 1988: what are you still doing up?
wompfilms: yo
wompfilms: I'm doing visual research for my senior project
wompfilms: ie...trying to figure out what the fuck i'm doing
Dukakis 1988: ah
wompfilms: I'm having a hard time getting back in a creative state of mind
Dukakis 1988: you should do something with windows paint
wompfilms: my blog has suffered lately even
Dukakis 1988: i've noticed... i need more dylan news
wompfilms: I think I'm in a rut
wompfilms: creatively
Dukakis 1988: it happens to us all
wompfilms: I need a spark to get it going again
Dukakis 1988: what do you usually do when you're in a rut?
wompfilms: never really thought about it
wompfilms: i guess it's usually just worked itself out
wompfilms: I always have trouble at the beginning of a project
wompfilms: trying to get started
wompfilms: but once I do I usually can't stop
wompfilms: like I'll work 15+ hrs straight sometimes
wompfilms: ...on my first movie...when it was almost due...I worked on it for like 30 straight
Dukakis 1988: wow
wompfilms: not sure how I managed that really
Dukakis 1988: so, you just need to get some inspiration
Dukakis 1988: good luck... that must be a pain in the ass
wompfilms: I think maybe I have too much inspiration and I'm overwhelmed and cant focus in on one thing
wompfilms: or just don't know where to start
Dukakis 1988: do something on your great loves: vaginas and nipples
wompfilms: hahahahaha
wompfilms: those are two very awesome things

Guilt Is Sour

Guilt only breeds more guilt and more pain. Don’t let it obscure the good memories. Please, be free of it.