Arthur Ganson - Kinetic Sculptures

I went by the UT School of Architecture Mebane Gallery last week and was pleasantly surprised to find an exhibit called "Machines" by Arthur Ganson. There were all kinds of fun, interactive mechanical toys/art that you could connect and play with. It was wonder-full and fun. They somewhat reminded me of the miniature scale and child-like quality of Alexander Calder's mobiles or circus work, but more movement through mechanics - rather than just balance. (They also had similar veins to the Mouse Trap board game.)

harry ransom center - photo booth

I'm really enjoying the playful photos of people who have visited the Harry Ransom Center Photo Booth. It accompanies an exhibit and involves a Victorian backdrop setup with a foot pedal switch in a semi-private room. All you have to do is go in the room and stand in front of the camera. There's a live video feed of what the camera sees so you can see how the photo might come out. There's a few instructions on the wall - asking folks to please limit themselves to 5 photos (although some people were having a lot of fun & took a few more), that by taking the photos they're releasing the HRC to publish their photos, and that the HRC has the final say on what's put online/published. The switch is a foot pedal–similar to a sewing machine pedal-that is hooked up to the camera. Usually people play a little bit–seeing that they're on camera–and then they press the pedal to take a photo. It takes a few seconds to focus & take the picture. So you have to hold a pose for a few seconds to get a clear picture.

I think it's a brilliant idea! I love the way you get to see ordinary people playing - jumping, hugging, kissing, hiding, acting, smiling, laughing, moving, with loved ones, by themself, elderly, little children, college students, adults, etc. It's so fun to see other people in play - being themselves or just having fun. Even shy people who normally wouldn't do something like this have a chance to be expressive because there's no one else in the room (it is open on one corner to the gallery but it's hidden). I like the diverse cultures represented and the range of emotions shown in the photos. It seems that a lot of people have had fun with the installation.

Wonderful art! Great idea David Coleman. :)

a sandcastle on campus / guerrilla art

I was walking home for working out yesterday when I saw this big mound of sand just sitting there beside the sidewalk. I thought "wouldn't it be fun to make a sandcastle?" "I haven't done that in forever." I thought about it for awhile & what people would think of me, but then I just went for it – right in the middle of the University of Texas at Austin campus at 25th & Whitis. The sand was there because they're doing a little construction at the Communications building. They're a dumpster & some fence on the road beside this big pile of sand ... it was really fun.

It took me a few hours to build the castle (a half-castle really - the rest of the sand pile is still raw & natural). I know that it will probably be destroyed soon - either by the construction crew using the sand or some random person going in and squashing it. It'll be neat to see how long it stands there. I made a little flag out of a scrap of paper I found on a poster kiosk. I thought yellow would be good color with some green tacks - to represent joy & playfulness ... bringing that playfulness to a campus that can be pretty serious & adult-like. That's where all the beauty-full artwork comes from - in the architecture, in design, in film, in writing, etc. ... when folks are being playful and experimenting with their medium/environment ... looking at something in new ways with fascination, curiosity and a little creativity.

Maybe I can bring that to the UT campus, if not a few smiles as people walk to class & work.
:)

a birthday drawing

here's a fun picture I drew for my friend Christin

J-bird

I finished a portrait drawing of J-bird. This is the graphite sketch, but I gave him a version finished with marker. He's a really good friend.