A space to discover what the Source Arts have to offer and teach. As a Source Artist I will post and explore the conceptual and development process of the Cultural Fusion art series and the socially purposeful art movement. My primary interest is in advancing art based research to illuminate new opportunities and valuable insights.
Showing posts with label cultural fusion. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cultural fusion. Show all posts
Just as advertising in its modern incarnations have been summoned by the needs of business as usual...I wonder what remains to be discovered to serve the needs of newly defined contexts of social enterprise and the commons. I think the concept of interactive public art that can be accessed in private spaces a paradox worthy of some Attention.
Recently a friend of mine shared with me that he has found the love of his life using an online service. While we were hanging out one evening, observing the way text messaging technology has allowed them to nurture this emotional bond, I thought of all the ney-sayers of fifteen years ago who warned that email was destroying the human connection.
What many people failed to consider was the ways that we would be changed by this new technology. Technology is not a wall to be scaled it has been transformed into an enabler. One of my early Attention experiments was about using music to consciously share Attention...it raised more questions.
This had me thinking about the way perception of the computer voice has been humanized...for example, think of what that computer voice means when it is communicating with or for someone for whom that door would have previously been closed? The man who could not speak to those closest to him without the computer enabled voice that converts his text to speech. In that kind of context the computer voice takes on an unfamiliar intimacy.
For this video project (it may be the first of a series of them) are interested in exploring how to make sense of this paradox - how to make it practical while at the same time going into the artistic inquiry rabbit hole.
Obsessed With Being Practical
Interesting that I chose something like article marketing to play around with since it does related to the Cosmic Tree Memorial Art series and the memorial art planter business. After pondering some of the market research findings - namely the strong appeal of the memorial art concept for pets.
Using an article I done to increase traffic to http://memorial-planters.com/new to create the first audio track for the video "Not All Memorial Planters Are Created Equal". Next to interject supportive content for a contrasting experience I am adding an instrumental track for "My Heart Will Go On". I am definitely using some text from the article in the visuals with the memorial planter header as the static background...
It should be interesting...certainly it is an interesting experiment to think and work through.
Over the weekend I watched "Rocky Balboa" again because my husband had not yet seen it. It was my recollection of two scenes, that made look forward to seeing it again. Like many of the books I read - after I see a movie I often forget much of it. However, this speech from the movie sticks with me - especially on those days or at those moments when I get discouraged.
While I feel ego has been put to rest in my quest - I also feel we are the vessels of the dreams that seek expression through us. That is what my journey as an artist has been about - and although it would be easier to just paint or do something that was easier for most people to comprehend, I realize that is the challenge of doing something new.
"When you have a dream - you have to protect it. People can't do something themselves they want to tell you, you can't do it." (from the movie Pursuit of Happiness)
Yes, I have had those moments where I wondered why I didn't have an easier dream, something easier - simpler.... like "normal people". For whatever reason(s) that is not what calls me - that is not who I am. I suspect like many of you, I seek to live a life that is authentic and true to who I know myself to be....and sometimes that isn't as easy as we would hope. "The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step." Chinese Proverb
No one else can walk your journey for you - even if others are with you, your experience feels like a solitary one. Because there will come a time, maybe more than once, that you will have to reach inside yourself and find out what you and your dream are really made of.
So what keeps you going? What helps give one the persistence and tenacity to keep moving forward? That is also part of who we are.
I share this clip because when you feel you have hit the wall....that life has knocked you to your knees and you are doubting that you can get back up and keep going. Please remember that it is in you to do it.
The cf House of Cards has continued to evolve. I finally got the sketch of the installation modified and put online as a conceptual drawing. At first I was fussing over details before remembering the concept would be modified for the space it is install in.....as part of the virtual counterpart I am working on a digital piece - my reason for finally learning Flash.
Unfortunately, it is not going quite as I intended. The image above is the overlay layer, the original diagram is being modified to go underneath with the top layer parting, so to speak, to see the diagram text associated with the original cf House of Cards. One of the problems is the rippling water effect I was doing for half of the top layer seems to conflict with the script being used to provide the interactive component for the viewer. Since trying to fix it has finally given me a headache I have taken a break from it.
The on site installation requires a few things I still haven't completely ironed out so I am considering possible collaborations to help address that...namely the augmented reality, software art and 3D VR integration.
One of the things I am really excited about is that the piece integrates information that has value/merit in practical terms but it is transformed by its inclusion in the piece. I am hoping the discussions with potential tech partners will deliver the tools to make the information and content being included usable for the audience.
The installation needs a home so I have wondered about what the smallest size space could be....still not quite sure about that.
Since finishing the first play and starting the next couple - one of which could be Act 2 for the first one....I have been pondering positioning the piece when it is performed.
Since Proposition 8 took the scene I have thought about how my play goes beyond the standard excuse given for supporting a policy of discrimination. That excuse is usually religious in nature (See Proposition 8:The Musical)but what has gotten far less attention is what is really driving church fueled homophobia - I suggest it is rooted in denial, self hatred, and self rejection. I guess that would be a key theme in the play.
I was struck by reports about support for the ban which indicated that:
Proposition 8 draws its heaviest support in Republican strongholds such as the Central Valley and Inland Empire of Southern California, according to recent polls. Its biggest opposition is coming from Democratic bastions such as San Francisco and Los Angeles along the coast.
But two Democratic constituencies -- African-Americans and Latinos -- are leaning toward the ban. Among likely black voters, 58% supported Proposition 8 compared with 38% who opposed it in the most recent Survey USA poll. Among Latinos, 47% supported the proposition while 41% opposed it; white voters were nearly evenly split. The reason, "Yes" officials say, is that church attendance is strong in many minority communities. WSJ.com
In the Huffington Post I found a piece on Rev. Al Sharpton's response that resonated with my own views.
"There is something immoral and sick about using all of that power to not end brutality and poverty, but to break into people's bedrooms and claim that God sent you," Sharpton said bluntly. He made the remarks as the keynote speaker of the Human Rights Ecumenical Service
"It amazes me," he said, "when I looked at California and saw churches that had nothing to say about police brutality, nothing to say when a young black boy was shot while he was wearing police handcuffs, nothing to say when they overturned affirmative action, nothing to say when people were being [relegated] into poverty, yet they were organizing and mobilizing to stop consenting adults from choosing their life partners."
This has all inspired me to look at partnering the Human Rights Campaign or a similar organization to make the play part of an educational outreach that moves beyond PR.
If anyone reading this is interested please contact me to discuss further.
I don't understand people who complain of boredom. I can't recall the last time I was bored but I can tell you it was before I discovered I was an artist. That means prior to 1987 which was around the time I did my first painting "Portrait of a Soul".
I have always believed that only boring people get bored. There is so much to do and so little time that I just don't understand the tendency. If you are sitting doing nothing, then enjoy doing that. There is so much to be inspired by, so much to create that I don't know where there is a place for boredom. With the stuff in life that we "have to do" that the time to do what we want is precious beyond measure. Create more of that and enjoy it more.
The main reason I have several projects in the pipeline at any time is that I try to find a balance between projects that need to get done, and the ones I want to do. Also, if there is a delay with one it's not a problem because I have others to pay attention to until the first situation is sorted. Each at different phases rather than push through them, I move between them as I consider the next step. Because I do keep working on them they do come to completion and I get to check them off the list of works in progress.
At last after three years in the making I have finished writing my first play. I have shared it with a few friends for feedback and will continue to tighten up the dialog. And having completed it I feel that at some point I will write more of them.
I have the start of what will be Act Two of the first play or perhaps a related One Act play on its own. In fact, I have another manuscript from a short story developed for another project that I think would work well adapted into a stage play...there were several angles I was interested in exploring in that piece so this could be one path to do that.
One thing with the first play is that I wish I had found more humor in it so that is something I am looking for on the next read through. It was a piece conceived with malice and birthed through acceptance, rather than forgiveness. After all was said in done what was there to forgive really? Who was I to ask someone to apologize for being who they are or assume I need to forgive them for the same? It wasn't going to change anything and what transpired had provided the inspiration, as well as the initial anger that fueled my start writing the play.
I guess the time is drawing near when I need to be able to tell people what the play is about. Not as easy as it would seem since there is what the play is about (the action carried out by the characters) and what the play is REALLY about (what the characters do, why and what it represents). Those are the kind of details probably only of interest to me :-)
I hope to have this finished soon but in the meantime I will post parts of it to my blogs.
This document emerges from the realization that there is a recipe for capitalizing on the potential of a given situation. Much like cooking there are a lot of consistencies in the process, but what may seem like small differences are actually quite significant in the results produced.
While this is not to debate whether to continue investing in existing system, but to suggest that alternatives get attention. Consider that many of our old systems are based on the needs and thinking of the industrial age. Even in attempting to adapt to the information age, changes were largely superficial and do not reflect the depth of our current knowledge of information or organic systems.
Rather than a debate, this paper invites discussion on and consideration for how to develop structures that integrate more of what we have learned about freedom (creative expression), information and natural systems. This is a strong basis for developing strategies for working with rather than against the flow.
An analysis of seven tropical forests around the world has found that nature encourages species diversity by selecting for less common trees as the trees mature. The landmark study, which was conducted by 33 ecologists from 12 countries and published in the journal Science, conclusively demonstrates that diversity matters and has ecological importance
As an art based approach, the process for creating with attention towards multilateral potentiality that cultivates social capital requires a different world view. It is not based on either or, but and. Existing systems which are cracking at best and crumbling at worse, were not designed to enable inclusion. Inclusion supports diversity.
Another reason to support - explore - invest in Art based research is that Art Embraces Diversity and helps chart unknown terrain about 12:34pm from TweetDeck
To get better results we need to cultivate more original ideas using what is here identified as "self referencing creativity". Again, this is not an either or situation but in addition to what is coming from traditional institutions. Many ideas develop outside of them not by ignorance of the various programs and bureaucratic processes, but because they do not offer the context conducive to their maturation. The very environment they foster is counterproductive in this new paradigm.
It requires less energy to flow with the water moving down stream than to hold that water flow back. This energy expenditure is also expressed in resources required and the efficiency with which they can be applied to the challenge.
Decision makers would be well advised to keep this common sense example in mind when considering why broader and deeper perspectives are needed to make better decisions. For example the self organization phenomena represented by the growth in peer to peer networks gives new insight into the understanding of culture and collaboration. Within these networks there is a wealth of great ideas and the nation/community that benefits will be the one that makes it easiest to advance them. This new approach will actually reduce risk, and this counter intuitive idea needs to be explored because it could actually be the salvation for economic stabilization and renewal.
Bernard Lietaer talks about the relationship between the money system and sustainability
While there are those within institutions that see the problem, I find there are far less who understand the fundamental issues that are being ignored that will have a dramatic impact on the outcomes expected from current investments of majority of attention and resources.
In Cultural Fusion I find an opportunity to explore a radically different conceptual basis for open system organizations or frameworks. Art based solutions allow a depth and breadth of perspective that does not seem possible (or natural)within knowledge silos or through the lens of judgment.
After I get this sorted out I will move most of it to the comfusion an new Oci Novosti websites.
Instead of telling someone else what they should not do, what would happen if I paid attention to what I was doing? Then it is more natural to be inspired - paying attention without negative emotional charge. And that's an important part of flexibility of perspective.
Had a chance to work on revisions to my play, tentatively called "In Your Own Backyard". One of the big issues now resolved was framing a tawdry drama inspired by my early observations and frustrations developing multifaceted programs to address homelessness/poverty/domestic violence/HIV/AID prevention and interventions within a specific community.
The play explores first the region as community. It is a hot spot for STDs including HIV/AIDS, political corruption, intangible deficits of all kinds and how they translate into a series of events that will redefine community and define a region for decades.
It was inspired by three southern communities ranking first, second and third in the nation for chlamydia and syphilis. After noticing discrepancies in the local numbers for the counties and CDC (center for disease control). Closer attention to what was driving these stats and how a drama
I learned what "community revitalization" really means. It is part of that Orwellian inspired industry of Spin Doctoring, which one refers to the people who manage dialgues. This seems intended to suggest a distance between the the carrying out of a misdeed and spinning of it.
Based on my observations I developed this idea to engage more people in the BIG ISSUES by breaking them down to a scale of impact that people can conceptualize. The time for this to happen is sooner rather than later.
In times of distress - domestic abuses increases. This has never been a good situation but in light of mandatory furloughs for state social intervention agencies and insufficient funding of community based programs - without attention could have increasingly tragic results.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008 :As families confront the impact of the current economic crisis, social service agencies across the US are seeing growing numbers of cases of domestic violence and child abuse. The correlation between financial stress and the growing incidence of such cases is shown in increased calls to hotlines, visits to emergency rooms and the utilization of social services and shelters.
My informal survey from contacts I have in grassroots advocacy report a similar story...shelters are seeing almost daily increases. Considering the numbers falling through the cracks before all this the prospects are troublesome of more being doomed to be cast in invisible shadows. Although no one will say the words, actions and priorities speak quite clearly about what (who) is valued and who is not. For example, what is the message when billions are committed to financial sector bail out due to circumstance they created, and cut backs for those that serve the people impacted? These messages are internalized and to play out to have political, social and economic impact on larger scales.
Looking at my own little sphere of "what can i do?" I am allowing expressions of solutions in the context of seeing what is being dealt with and transformed.
I could write more white papers, articles, research papers but fewer people would digest the information. Therefore the impact would be limited because it would perpetuate an underlying belief about value or rather values.
Tiger Woods A Game
Today Jeremy reminded me of what it takes for Tiger Woods to maintain his A Game. Listen to the show to see what he said about that.
Of course most of us know this intellectually - many of us want it for ourselves. But how many people think of this for people who are considered poor, who have survived being abused, or witnessing abuse overcoming serious odds to break cycles of violence?
It is no secret that these questions are connected to issues of incarceration because a significant number of people in prison could have been diverted with successful intervention providing them with personal development tools alongside opportunities to realize their potential professionally, and express themselves creatively.
I am writing my play as a series of connected stories because I want to explore the complexity of this tangled set of "facts" and observations for example - Consider that at least sometimes privatization of prisons has been used as a perverted kind of economic stimulus and redistricting tool. If we want to reduce crime - increase the peace - -then it is important that we begin to see where the underlying attributes are institutionalized?
Who is considering the long term impact of this kind of thinking? And regardless of what your ideas are about the situation, the reality is that are more people are released from prison we must find way to 1.minimize the damage to children left behind 2. successfully re-integrate them into society if we want to reduce crime and the costs of managing the crisis caused.
Now to be honest as I write this I know it is not an easy thing to learn forgiveness but having dealt with these issues personally I believe the rewards are worth the effort.
It is no small thing to have ones self survive and thrive despite such harsh conditions. When people have been encouraged by something i shared, i feel that i have been given a gift. To avert the worse case scenarios we have to set about the business of creating alternative structures and programs that can support regional collaborations. However, I believe that what a region is will come to be redefined with the evolution of cyberinfrastructure.
BUT what can we learn from people that make it? What is making it?
I am learning to be curious about what others believe before jumping to judgment. Does the need for resistance decrease and does less resistance translate into more efficiency over the longer term. By that i mean might it be worth looking at how personal intervention - focused on those that are already committed and motivated but just need access to resources pay off many times over.
What changes if we make that adjustment in our attitude?
Because much of what has been done will not work in this emerging context- it is important to identify what information to build upon- that which can shift much faster than our organizational dinosaurs, individuals creating the trends in P2P, open source, social enterprise development, employment & social media will command the expected attention.
There are those conversations that for some mysterious reason come at the just the right time to help crystallize an idea or lesson.
Imagine, a 20 year desire takes center stage and I felt compelled to make my mark as an installation artist, rather than confining myself to my previous explorations that rarely ventured beyond the land of canvas or paper. I felt drawn to software and digital art although I knew virtually nothing about the tools of the trade.
Gradually it started to dawn on me that if I announced this intention that I was opening the door to let whoever wanted to pay attention witness my growth process as an artist. When I realized and accepted what I was setting out to do, I had not even learned to use Photoshop. Since then I have made playing with various tools to work out ideas part of the process art concept.....
Recently I had a conversation that helped me understand you don't let what you don't have stop you from doing what you need to do. If I waited for someone else to see the value in what I have been working on then there would be nothing to communicate it now. I had to start in order to increase the potential for the goal to be realized.
Last week Dawn was discussing fear in her blog. Later as an aside she explained the reason for shining the light to clear them out.
Today I had one of those conversations that allowed me to see more fully the fears I had overcome to pursue Cultural Fusion…and what the phrases, "art as philosophy" and "art with purpose" mean for me.
Tonight I have had a deepening of my experience and understanding of why process art as a core component of the installations I have been developing.
Process artists were involved in issues attendant to the body, random occurrences, improvisation, and the liberating qualities of nontraditional materials such as wax, felt, and latex. Using these, they created eccentric forms in erratic or irregular arrangements produced by actions such as cutting, hanging, and dropping, or organic processes such as growth, condensation, freezing, or decomposition.
What they refer to as random occurrences I see as synchronicity when they advance the work to become part of the process. In this multilateral framework these are points of Source:Convergence. Where most work has been concerned with growth in context of plants or base perspectives, this one is concerned with growth in consciousness, self awareness and personal fulfillment on the individuals and collective/community levels.
Process art
U.S. and Europe, mid-1960s Process art emphasizes the “process” of making art (rather than any predetermined composition or plan) and the concepts of change and transience….
Their interest in process and the properties of materials as determining factors has precedents in the Abstract Expressionists’ use of unconventional methods such as dripping and staining. In a ground-breaking essay and exhibition in 1968, Morris posited the notion of “anti-form” as a basis for making art works in terms of process and time rather than as static and enduring icons, which he associated with “object-type” art. Morris stressed this new art’s de-emphasis of order through nonrigid materials, pioneered by Claes Oldenburg, and the manipulation of those materials through the processes of gravity, stacking, piling, and hanging.
Where formal discussions of process art is concerned with "properties of materials" and expanding the understanding of "unconventional methods".
The adaption of Process Art to a context that is possible of engaging larger communities rather than ascribed as a luxury of the few.
Taken several steps further SoulFood as framework for the Source Artist Process-internal. Attention has been paid to the survey of the ingredients .
This is most definitely research into the metaphysics of art applied to real life challenges.
1. Personal growth through art as process 2. Transparent model for the above as part of sustainability and community renewal 3. Research and Development into implementations of open economies as part of the above 4. Helps define intangible assets and economies that can leverage opportunities previously mentioned 5. Concept for works of art that are interconnected expressions of the above
I have long been an advocate for end user led innovation, especially in IT. Recently I have been pondering connections between our failed check and balances in U.S. political arena. I generally don't get into politics here but because we have only traveled further down this road I feel I have an obligation to at least put some questions and information forward. It is hard for me to believe that Americans don't care, and it seems that those outside the States may be completely unaware of what is happening.
Also, with my interest in social capital this has been a primary instance that I have been paying attention to for a number of years. For several years, I have asserted that this decline in social capital would have economic consequences and I feel the market crash is an indicator of this.
Cultural Fusion has emerged from my interest in finding an alternative to Protest Art because as an artist we have an responsibility/choice to comment on the times we live in as we see/experience them.....and even better, Cultural Fusion intends to be part of solutions. Obviously, I like to keep things as positive and proactive as possible and this is no exception.
Key questions I have are:
Did the Gonzales firings in the Dept. of Justice thwart investigations into voter fraud or irregularities?
Why did Kerry concede the election when he knew that not doing so would have supported checks and balances working to investigate questionable results?
Why are the people shut out of the process of selecting voting machines and operating software?
Given that these issues have gone largely unaddressed what is the point of the Presidential campaign where no one pays attention to such a fundamental usurping of political credibility?
Will ignoring this problem yield results similar to what we have seen on Wall Street?
AND what does that mean for you?
The series of video projects I am working on now are not blatantly political but the ideas I am exploring them have evolved in this context (at least in part). However, the video art projects are less concerned with rehashing the problem(s) as much as it is presenting a context for solutions....not by focusing on the symptoms but going to the heart of the matter which really isn't so much about politics as it is the status quo in general. In that paradigm the underlying deficit in social capital - and the personal expression of that reality in the lives of millions of individuals merit attention that can perceive the broader context.
For up to the minute info on this issue see Black Box Voting If you have not seen it already, please watch and share this video
This is an Art:Work under construction. I decided to do it three or four segments that will be brought together in the space. Each segment will be a central part of creating spaces, framing them if you will, inside that larger venue space.
So here is the beginning minus most of the music/sound. If you have suggestions, feel free to post links to audio in the comments.
In addition to the issues of place and affection that sparked this piece for me, it is being shaped by my work in Art as Interface.
One of the striking findings I have had during this development process is the issue of Radical Inclusion in relation to technology. And perhaps the most surprising thing has been the connection this has to my work in the area of Relationships and Connection.
Sitting outside enjoying the morning with my animal companions including a few visiting birds, my attention was fixed on my decision to re-visit a software I had actually forgotten about until I stumbled upon in a folder. The funny thing was this captured my attention when I was actually pondering something I thought was completely unrelated....the recent death of my father.
You see, I am in process of updating my Clarity: Relationship Valuation Analysis software. Originally, it sold for around $50 but version 2.2 is going to be distributed for free! I am approaching this as my official move into the realm of software art as I do have other plans for it that include making it available to as many people as possible who can benefit AND using it in an art installation and performance pieces I have been developing with Desmond and Ron. Yes, I am going to be giving it away. Why? Well that I will share with you in my Source Artist blog shortly. I was working on the revision until around 2am this morning because it is clear to me the program, and its supporting services can be a great service to others. What are the supportive services? The personal coaching via podcasts, teleconferences, and hotline services (phone and online) AND some special retreats we're developing for Jamaica. We will work out a way for anyone who need these services to access them, so stay tuned. I will not post the access numbers in public, so those who are interested will need to contact us to get subscription info which includes those access numbers.
You can contact me through this site or any of my others if you do not have my personal email address and I will reply ASAP. For now, however, we have provided these services to only a personal network of friends but now it is being offered to you.
These are a few of the questions I thought I should have answered BEFORE I did this, but somewhere along the way I just decided I would discover those answers along with you.
I have been working on a collaborative art series called "Cultural Fusion Art as Philosophy" and although that is still in development I am not sure how this will connect to that, other than both having a connection to me. Both flow from my quest to express this connection between personal intention, clarity of consciousness, system solutions and art/creative expression.
My first line of thinking with regard to this blog is that I will explore using it to share podcast with subscribers and develop the "outreach hot line".
I have been exploring how this works to support someone as an intervention when their mood starts to shift, before they find themselves knee deep in it.....you can call the hot line to be connected with a frame of reference that supports you in dealing with the reality facing you AND your power to create the reality you choose.
