Hanger Tea (shirts)! So cute. viaabstractextract
About
My name is Ryan. This is my online scrapbook for you to add to your lifestream. I've stitched together some of my musings. Here are things that have caught my interest.
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While trying to get some ideas for our new Sustainability project, my friend Steve showed me an amazing piece done by Alex Roman. The content in this video is made completely with animated CG about architecture art across a photographic point of view where main subjects.
are already-built spaces.. Interested more about this project visit here: thirdseventh.com/. More about the Spanish local, Alex Roman here.
WARNING: Please watch in full-screen. Lights off. Optionally with bag of popcorn. Truly brilliant.
Mic check 1-2! Check out one of my first photos with my new Canon EOS Rebel T1i purchased (refurbished…shhh) from Adorama.
My letter to Sophie Calle
Dear Sophie,
I saw your exhibit, ‘Talking to Strangers,’ today at the Whitechapel Gallery in London and I felt completely moved. It was more of a humbled feeling actually and noticed that your work made people smile through serendipitous actions and random acts of kindness.
I felt that while reading each project it was if I was eavesdropping on private conversations between you and your subjects. I especially liked your “Take care of yourself” piece and “The Sleepers.” Your works were great inspirations as I worked on an interactive narrative project for my masters degree at LCC.
Very cool write up. Can I buy you a glass of wine?
Merci,
Ryan
Flaming Lips (via halesyeah)
I’m thankful for the amazing food I’ve had over this past Thanksgiving week in London. Feels like I never left home :)
Video for the track ‘Thick Mugs’ by Vertical Montanas. www.nosotroscinco.com via: lookbothways
An experiment in interactive narratives, using a photographic heartbeat of 3214 images to document an Eskimo whale hunt in Barrow, Alaska. Simply Amazing.
Defend Jobs, Defend Education
The past few weeks at school I could not help but notice the security guard standing near the entrance turnstiles. I thought to myself- were they always there or did I just not have my morning coffee yet? As I headed towards the cafe cue I grabbed the thin school newsletter and read the front page article:
“Two members of the ‘Oppose’ group could face disciplinary action after staging a two-day sit-in at the London College of Communication over course closures and staff cuts. Louis Hartnoll, a third-year BA Creative Advertising student faces a possible three-day suspension, while LCC graduate Joana Pinto risks losing her alumni status.”
Now that sticker on the back of the bathroom stall makes sense “School Sit-in this Friday.” So I go from pay cuts, to job cuts, and now school cuts?! I can’t catch a break. As I read further I found that the University Union has not been told that up to 100 universities in London are planning to make collective “redundancies.” I was not sure what that term meant at first but learned that not only would jobs be cut but it also means 1) bigger class and seminar sizes for students 2) greater workloads for staff who remain 3) university staff on the dole rather than helping people to learn.There are a lot of angry journalist majors at LCC and I wouldn’t want to be one to cross them!
I have not been keeping up with what has been going on with US education systems but I assume this is a worldwide epidemic. If you are in the UK and want to help or learn more: http://www.ucu.org.uk/defendeducation
The Museum of Everything!
This weekend I went to a fabulous museum called “The Museum of Everything” located on the corner of Regents Park Road and Sharpleshall St. N. London (tube: Chalk Farm Station). The museum is fairly new, having only opened this past October 2009. Since then it has received so much attention that they will stay open until the new year and hopefully be permanent.
Upon arrival you think you are either walking into a bohemian speak-easy or a fight club garage down a dark alleyway. What I loved most was not only that it was FREEZIE but the curation of the exhibit. Each contemporary artist was nominated by another artists and each work description was then written about by another famous artist in the industry. Truly collective. Supposedly its Britain’s “first space to show works by Outsider Artists, described here as “un-taught artists who live or lived outside of modern society” (about two thirds are no longer alive). One piece that was exhibited was a yarn-wrapped sculpture created by an artist with downs syndrome, who was mute and deaf.
In tiny crevices and under dusty beds, there lies a secret creativity by the unknowns of society. Unexpected, delicate and profound, this democratic work has inspired the world’s greatest artists.
Google Wave or Google Tsunami?
Last Monday a few of my classmates and I attended a special invite to the Google Technology User Group for a preview of Google Wave. I was itching to find someone with open invites but was happy to hear that everyone who signed up was automatically getting active Wave accounts.
Some of the initial stats were quite impressive so far: .5% of waves are public, the longest wave has 1134 blips, 8% contributed to a public waves, 98% have tried photo uploading. Since I was granted access I’ve been using wave mostly with other wavers and some of my classmates. I still feel however that I cannot get the full experience since my entire network isn’t on Wave yet. In class we use it for sending documents, images, and creative to each other in collective environment. To do so I needed to install gears.
I think the branding choice of Google Wave is quite interesting. Since I’m studying HCI stuff in LCC we recently discussed how some theorists compared innovation to “waves” or the build up of an idea and movement of interaction.
What do you think of “the wave?”
Last Sunday I strolled on over to the Royal College of the Arts to check out the Anish Kapoor exhibit. One very British word sums it up: “Brilliant!” I really enjoyed the various mediums he used from wax, to mirrors, to cement, marble, & pigments. I was to see some of his work at this past summer’s Venice Biennale. Many describe him as “Maverick let loose in Art’s Hall of Fame. One of the more interesting works is called Svayambh (2007), which occupied over 5 galleries and had swarms of people on each side. A giant block of red wax moved very slowly, I mean SUPER slow-takes about 1.2 hrs to get from one side to the other riding along a wax covered track. The title means “self-generated,” and the sculpture uses the building to share its form as it moves sluggishly, leaving wax residue on the classical archways.
My only disappointment was that I was unable to see Shooting into the Corner (2008-09) which is basically a cannon that fires every 20-minute intervals shells of red wax weighing about 20lbs. The line was way too long and once I heard that you can see it live on the website I decided to split and beat the rain. Its in London until December 11th. Come see!
Hello school! I officially enrolled in grad school classes today at the London College of Communications this rainy afternoon. I received my student ID card, met my professor, and checked out the student union office for more info on sports and clubs. Luckily I navigated well through the tube, will have to get used to it since it will be my new mode of transportation.
Still To Do: Get my student oystercard, set up my UK bank account, pray that someone figures develops a way to unlock the iPhone 3.1 version, check out course assignments on Blackboard.
Classes start Monday…whoop whoop!
Huge THANKS to my amazing AIM coworkers who made me this commemorative plaque after my 4yrs at AOL. I feel so lucky to have worked with such a talented and inspiring bunch. I appreciate your support and kindness as I begin my new adventure in London!
Off to London for grad school! I leave next month to obtain my masters degree in Interactive Media at London College of Communications of the University of the Arts London. The program is expected to be very intense and is composed of 25-35 students from around the globe. Classes start on October 12th and still have LOTS to do. EEEK!
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