Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Speaking of Bob
I mentioned friend-artist-philosopher Robert Edgar in a previous post,and it is long past time when I should have mentioned him again. Bob got himself some beefier hardware last fall, and--like a painter with a new set of top-quality paints and brushes, embarked on a creative spree that has accelerated over the last month. To see his video creations, waltz over to his vimeo site. If you are the sort who wants explanations for art, and a bit more Bob bio, see Robert Edgar's portfolio site.

For example, view this video

EyEExam Simultaneous Opposites #49 from Robert Edgar on Vimeo.

Then, read this excerpt from Robert's portfolio site:

Robert's Simultaneous Opposites program loads a video file and initial parameters for loop length, center frame # of loop, and frames per second. The program uses these parameters to play through the loop away from and back toward the center, one frame at a time, simultaneously in opposite directions. The opposing movements through the video file fit together like a zipper.

The center frame between the two ends of the simultaneous opposites loop becomes a temporal focal plane, with the length of the loop a temporal depth of field. The flow of the original images is shaken down, and the surfaces and tendencies are brought forward as subject. Depending on how objects appear and move in the frames, one finds both new ways of noticing, and new contexts to explain how we notice.

Against the looping algorithm Robert deflects the automation with commands from a Fender MIDI Stratocaster. Audio is from the original video frames, as well as audio triggered and modulated by the Strat, during the Simultaneous Opposites' Engine's traversal of the source videos.

Monday, June 21, 2010

Sunday, June 13, 2010

Of course I'm honored that the Schmap travel guide chose one of my photos to help illustrate their San Francisco attractions, but click the link to my photo to see whether you can guess why this is also amusing: Ghirardelli Square.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

Tuesday, June 01, 2010