Comments for ironoclast

Comment on 100 Images: Painting Archives By Number by mlaurie

mlaurie — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 04:21:36 +0000

wow, this is pretty cool. and I think quite a valid approach, given that one of the first things one might observe in examining the archive is the gray-white-brown-green cast of the photos, which would appear to be directly related to its subject/material contents: stone, concrete, bare walls, wood, earth, foliage. not many bright blues or reds, yellows or oranges. reminds me of the synthaesia phenomenon. Looks like a winner.

Comment on 100 Images: Breakdowns and Breakthroughs by virphys

virphys — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 14:49:02 +0000

I agree with your ‘guiding principle’ vs. ‘ultimate destination’ approach to ‘perfection’. I actually conclude that paper with an example from Japanese culture, the idea of ‘wabi-sabi’, which is a kind of perfection that includes a degree of ‘flawedness’ insofar as the passing of time is evident (it’s more subtle and complex than that but I’m finalizing my presentation right now and shouldn’t let myself get too distracted, though I’ve been following your ‘100 Images’ blogging with interest).

I decided to categorize on the simple details obvious to me, letting the gaps be, knowing that even these attempts at objectivity (referencing the externally visible) are also reflections of my subjective selection, and to focus on devising a flexible means of perusing the 100 Images.

I look forward to your presentation – I’d better go get mine together.

Comment on 100 Images: Painting Archives By Number by virphys

virphys — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 14:35:41 +0000

This is great! And beautiful besides. Looks like a lot of work in Photoshop (though batch processing may have helped?). I like the Martha Rosler reference, too. :^)

Comment on 100 Images: Breakdowns and Breakthroughs by Graham Runciman

Graham Runciman — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 21:37:23 +0000

When treated as an actual destination, perfection is surely a tyrant. I see it more as a siren which may assist navigation if you can resist its song, but will wreck you upon the rocks if you let it seduce you. If treated as a journey it can be helpful.

I am still struggling with ideas of subjective interpretation. Where do the universal and the personal collide? Can they ever? Are they always in communication?

Comment on 100 Images: Breakdowns and Breakthroughs by virphys

virphys — Sun, 09 Nov 2008 19:31:38 +0000

Interesting shift in your process and quite a layered analysis! There seems to be a tension between ideals of objectivity and recognition of subjective interpretation.

“The pursuit of perfection is always an exercise in productive frustration.”

Reminds me of a short paper I wrote three years ago, titled ‘On Perfection’, which opens with the following:

“Perfection is a tyrant*. It is that which reminds us how we fail to measure up, how we never can measure up. Perfection is whatever set of socially constructed ideals that fulfill this function. Perfection as an absolute is unattainable because in life there is no stoppage. In all existence as we know it there is no complete stasis, only different rates of change, perceivable (or not) depending on the observer and frame of reference. So why do we place such fixed demands on phenomena in a context where total fixity is unlikely in the extreme?”

From the notes at the end of the paper:
“(*) I use this word specifically for its connotation of an arrogant assumption of authority that is undeserved, as well as for the arbitrariness of rule characteristic of a tyrant. See http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=tyrant and http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=tyrant“

Comment on New Media / New Ideology by iknowtheledge

iknowtheledge — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 20:54:10 +0000

Your on point, sometimes it even screams “counter culture!”

Comment on 100 Images: Into The Wilderness by mlaurie

mlaurie — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 00:01:14 +0000

Hey Graham, how did your film shoot with your grandma go? Where are you going to get your stock processed? The more I think about Super-8, the more I want to switch my entire thesis to the medium… I am actually going to pitch something to this effect to Don tomorrow. How’s the 100 Images going? I have scrapped the compilation film after a rather dreary encounter with Final Cut Pro today, and am thinking of doing a library intervention, kinda like we discussed in class. Hopefully one which doesn’t cause too many problems.

Comment on Crits: New Media Documents by Telepresence Forum

Telepresence Forum — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 07:00:37 +0000

“What is the nature of the document produced here?”

Just like a drug – it provides an escape from reality. “Escapes from reality” don’t have to make sense, just like a dream, they rarely ever do.

L II, Inc.

Comment on New Media / New Ideology by Graham Runciman

Graham Runciman — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 20:01:15 +0000

Thank you for your encouragement Alex. This post represents some of my very preliminary reflections on the class discussion we had during the first week. I was curious about why New Media represented such a challenging intellectual break, and I felt like there must be more going on than simply a change of tools, methods or modes of distribution.

Having reached the end of the term, I feel like looking at the ideological foundations driving New Media was a fruitful way to approach such a diverse subject. Changing your tools is a technical challenge. Changing your mind is a personal challenge. And this kind of profound personal change is what good New Media production asks of us.

We must not only to begin to create differently, but we must also begin to think differently.

Comment on New Media / New Ideology by alxbal

alxbal — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 18:44:10 +0000

did I tell you this was a very powerful post? Your grasp of the issues is quite clear and your questioning very appropriate.