We were dismayed to hear that artist Phyllida Barlow passed away. She was a kind of role model for us, a 78-year old woman who taught for decades until finding fame late in her life for her daring monumental sculptures. We first fell in love and admiration when we watched trailer to the film “Phyllida”…
Read MoreOblique Strategies for Resisting Algorithms Online
Elan Kiderman Ullendorff has a great knack for finding creative ways to find interesting stuff online that resist being force-fed whatever “the algorithm” decides you want to see. His newsletter ”Deep Sea Diving” facilitates deep and surprising discovery.
Read MoreArt as Self-Alteration, Rather than Self Expression (John Cage)
John Cage used chance as the key determinant in his art. Rather than impose his will and self-expression, he preferred “self-alteration”, which is a unique approach to life as well.
Read MoreBrian Eno’s Oblique Strategies via David Bowie
Judging from his worn and taped together set of Brian Eno’s Oblique Strategies, David Bowie really made use of the cards designed to SHIFT your head when you’ve hit a creative block or impasse. Now long out of print, we found a digital version…
Read MoreGifts from Opening Books at Random: Bibliosophia? Bibliotherapy? Bibliomancy?
Daily we find ourselves opening a random book to find a kernel of something just right: an image, a bit of writing, a poem, an unexpected gift that resonates with the moment. We wondered what to call this mysterious occurance.
Read MorePurposeful Messages from Strangers
Ellen Silverman spotted this sign in tiny street garden in Paris. The curiously personal, handwritten note of fierce protection and thanks got us thinking about the loose, personal-yet-targeted messages left in public that we sometimes see that are quite different from graffiti. And that we could make some ourselves.
Read MoreThe Benefits of Looking Down
We often write signs that say LOOK UP to remind ourselves to get our heads out of whatever we’re doing and look around. We also practice looking DOWN, and had been meaning to write about our wonderful discoveries doing just that on our daily park rambles, when Dutch artist Saskia de Brauw beat us to the punch.
Read MoreChris Burden’s Beam Drop: steel, concrete + CHANCE
Video link HERE. Artist Chris Burden used some of our favorite materials — concrete, steel beams, a construction crane…and…chance — for his Beam Drop. For us, the crazy power of the piece is in watching it: pure gravitational and other mysterious forces violently plunking the beams into wet concrete, fueled by Burden’s vision.
Read MoreA Random Message Written in the Snow: What Would Be Yours?
At twilight yesterday, we went into the park across the way to walk in a snowy field. The light was almost gone, the landscrape a blueish white. As we walked and looked around, our eyes focused on a message written in the snow. We could barely make it out, but found safe amonst the boot…
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