This semester has been a trip.. and my special gift to Art 100

I haven't been through so many emotions in one semester. It's been an interesting trip, and I can say it was a learning experience, although not necessarly a fun one. I have been teetering on the positive scale of depression and anxiety pretty much all semester. Ive had to deal with past heartbreaks, things ive been trying to bury away, stresses of friendship and bearing the load of many for classes. But thats a good thing... You must face your demons and the things you fear, and cause you dis-ease. I will never be able to erase the name Marina Abramovic from my mind ever again. She has moved me. After hearing about her, i was thrust into a 2 day mindfuck/depression. Other fancies of the semester: Pollock. LACMA. Tagging/Urban graffiti. Museum Of Jurrasic Technology, VENICE BEACH ART WALLS!!!! Coco Fusco. The Cacophony Society, flash mobs, happenings. I've been inspired all semester, yet let down because a majority of things i enjoy about what we have learned arent present. Oh well, LA and SF is calling to me, so eventually ill go to one. BUT! Heres my gift to everyone, plus some tracks ive been listening to lately, and my personal thoughts on it. Enjoy! ;)

Ok, here is a youtube "video" (basically a picture with effects) I made for my remix of Young Nosha's video "Rapper passes out from blunt hit". Musically, its been called "Young Nosha - Get Smoked By That Blunt".. so I did a proper techno/electronic remix from scratch using his vocals, fruity loops studio 5 and basic samples/vst's/effects. I made this track over a week ago, finalized the video on youtube on the 14th, and now im sharing with you now!

This track here, I heard for the first time in years a few days ago. It has consumed me ever since, and it has made me over the last few days shed more tears than I have in a long time. This is very nostalgic to me, and it represents a mindset, a way of life that has slowly disappeared in the Los Angeles rave scene. This is such a moving experience, I dont know why LA has phased out Happy Hardcore... =`( Seriously, I cry each time I listen to this track...

Okok, enough of the cheezy touchy feely emotional shiz. Let's Get fucking DIRTY AND GRIMY!!!
Ive just recently heard of drumstep, and this shit is fucking so dirty, that I dont want to get clean. Fucking amazing. This is the future of edm.

And this is just pure sex. Taking the best of Scarface and making it a smooth yet semi dirty drumstep monster. Im telling you, drumstep is coming up. I love the classics, trance, house, dnb, techno, happy hardcore, but this young beast is going to explode.

Take care, its been a trip.

Id like to keep in touch with thoes who care to care back.

http://www.fb.com/lizzle1

Yours Truely,

 Epicnizzle

Earth/Land Art!

I know its not much, but I wanted either to do something on a big scale, or something small and simple. I unfortunately had to go with small and simple, I don't have the time required to do something on a bigger scale. Here I just collected up various colorful objects in the yard.. we have these little white flower things that drop from the tree, and the red flowers were from a bush thing we have out there as well. As for the sand, theres this small patch of this sand by the garage door. Completely out of place, so i had to use it! haha. I wanted bright colors, and wanted to use yellow flowers we have, but none have fallen off the plant yet, and i dont want to disrupt it :). Anyways.. I wanted it to flow, but at the same time just kinda go with what felt right and not think about it so much (maybe i should think about it more!) Anyways, enjoy my lil slice of art ;)

M4 #8 Robert Smithson

Robert Smithson (January 2, 1938–July 20, 1973) was an American artist famous for his land art.

The Spiral Jetty, considered to be the main work of American sculptor Robert Smithson, is an earthwork sculpture constructed in 1970. Composed of mud and basalt rocks on the northern shore of the Great Salt Lake 30 miles from Brigham, Utah, it forms a 457-meter-long counterclockwise coil jutting from the shore of the lake. The coil is only visible when the level of the Great Salt Lake is low.

This is an interesting piece of work, its land art on a massive scale! Taking something natural and making it into an un-natural spectacle to look at. I think it would be pretty fun to walk the entire length!

This one is called Broken Circle.. I find this very interesting and nice to look at, as with the first one its taking natural materials and forming it into very un-natural, aesthetically pleasing image. I think it would be very fun to design and actually make something like this.

M4 #7 Isamu Noguchi

Isamu Noguchi (November 17, 1904 – December 30, 1988) was a prominent Japanese American artist and landscape architect whose artistic career spanned six decades, from the 1920s onward. Known for his sculpture and public works, Noguchi also designed stage sets for various Martha Graham productions, and several mass-produced lamps and furniture pieces, some of which are still manufactured and sold.

Portal: This is a piece in Cleveland, Ohio. Pretty darn interesting.. and huge! This reminds me of something a computer company would use for thier logo ;)

Red Cube: This one is in New York. Looks like a die if you ask me! Snake eyes!! Haha..

I didnt catch the name of this one. This one is pretty cool too. I wish sometimes I could see all these works of art in person, and not just by images. They dont do it much justice! I wouldnt even know where to start in regards to making work like this. It must take a huge out of the box thinking and focus to be able to create something like this. And for that reason, i pay homage and respect to artists like Isamu Noguchi!

M4 #6 David Wilson and Trip to Museum of Jurassic Technology

David Hildebrand Wilson is the co-founder of the Museum of Jurrasic Technology along with his wife, Diana Wilson. He was awarded the MacArthur Fellowship in 2001.  He received an MFA in Experimental Animation from the California Institute of the Arts in 1976. He and his museum are the subject of the book, "Mr. Wilson's Cabinet of Wonder".

I decided that I would go to the Mueseum of Jurassic Technology for my museum visit. After hearing such negative reviews of FarmLab I decided to check out this little gem, plus I love visits to West LA ;) Anyways this place is tiny on the outside and I got lost looking for it, driving up and down Venice Blvd a few times before stopping off at a Starbucks for a coffee and directions. Good thing, because the lovely barista girl told me it was just a few min walk up Venice. Sweet! I totally forgot to take a picture of the entrance, but here a a few of the shots I thought were awesome.

 This was a "horn" from some ladies head!

 This was interesting, it was a fox/dog(?) head and when you walk up it started barking and growling.. but when you looked into this lil thing, you see an image of a sitting man doing the barking noises.. trippy!

 This contraption was cool, every so often it would spin and ring all the bells that was on it.. I was almost afraid to come into this room because it was so luminous and... scary haha.

 xray radiographs of plants!

 This is a sculpture of Goofy.. yes, its sitting on the head of a needle. Tiny!!

 This is the Pope in the eye of a needle

 And this is Napoleon Bonaparte

An image of mother and child, child has a nasty case of gangrene of the feet. This photo doesnt do it justice, you could see the bones in the feet and everything. crazy.

 A room full of Napoleon stuff.

 Seen off of Venice Blvd in Culver City

 Same street, different truck haha

 A picture from the parking structure.

 Photo of downtown from the parking structure

Downtown Los Angeles taken from the 10 freeway

M4 #5 Marina Abramovic

Marina Abramović (November 30, 1946) is a New York-based Yugoslavian performance artist who began her career in the early 1970s. Active for over three decades, she has recently begun to describe herself as the “grandmother of performance art.” Abramović's work explores the relationship between performer and audience, the limits of the body, and the possibilities of the mind.

Rhythm 0, 1974
To test the limits of the relationship between performer and audience, Abramović developed one of her most challenging (and best-known) performances. She assigned a passive role to herself, with the public being the force which would act on her.
Abramović had placed upon a table 72 objects that people were allowed to use (a sign informed them) in any way that they chose. Some of these were objects that could give pleasure, while others could be wielded to inflict pain, or to harm her. Among them were a rose, a feather, honey, a whip, scissors, a scalpel, a gun and a single bullet. For six hours the artist allowed the audience members to manipulate her body and actions.

Initially, members of the audience reacted with caution and modesty, but as time passed (and the artist remained impassive) people began to act more aggressively. As Abramović described it later:

“What I learned was that... if you leave it up to the audience, they can kill you.” ... “I felt really violated: they cut up my clothes, stuck rose thorns in my stomach, one person aimed the gun at my head, and another took it away. It created an aggressive atmosphere. After exactly 6 hours, as planned, I stood up and started walking toward the audience. Everyone ran away, to escape an actual confrontation.”


Now this has to be the one artist/performance this semester that had me in shock. Watching and listening to her interview in class, had my stomach in knots. The discussion of why she would do that had me thinking. I believe its for the experience. Most people don't (as Glenn mentioned) want to experience the things she left herself open for, but she put it all out there for the experience. You can't really fear something (as much) after its already been done to you. At least as an performance art piece, it can be controlled and monitored. I admire her for her ability to put herself into thoes shoes. Marina, you are my master :)

M4 #4 Andy Goldsworthy

Andy Goldsworthy (born 26 July 1956) is a British sculptor, photographer and environmentalist producing site-specific sculpture and land art situated in natural and urban settings. He lives and works in Scotland.

This is really interesting to me because of its simplicity, but also because its so mesmerizing. Imagine stumbling upon this while your out of a hike. Would be pretty cool to look at! Land art seems to be the most basic form (not the least at all though) since all your tools and medium is just earth itself! Plus it gives you something to do beside sit at home and watch tv!!

Now i like this one here because it reminds me of a prehistoric fossil. It almost makes you question if this was natural or man made (obviously its man made) but at first glance and thought you can believe it was nature-made, or a fossil of some kind. This one looks a bit more difficult than the first photo, but its still art in a very simplistic, cheap form!

Playing when I should be doing hw.. tsk tsk!

Ever since ive seen that video "Rapper passes out after bljunt hit" it's pretty much consumed my life. So much in the fact that I did a techno remix of Young Nosha's funny ass video/rap freestyle! Im getting better at producing on Fruity Loops, this little gem only took me about 4 hours. Welp, enjoy!

Young Nosha - Get Smoked Like That Blunt (Epicnova Remix) by Epicnova

M4 #3 James Turrell

James Turrell (born 6 May 1943) is an American artist primarily concerned with light and space.

Turrell’s work involves explorations in light and space that speak to viewers without words, impacting the eye, body, and mind with the force of a spiritual awakening. “I want to create an atmosphere that can be consciously plumbed with seeing,” says the artist, “like the wordless thought that comes from looking in a fire.”

 Now this interests me alot. Its so simple yet so profound. Like Turrell stated above, its like "the wordless thought that comes from looking in a fire." Theres is nothing to see here but light, and geometrically filled space. Its the kind of piece where id ask the person what they were feeling, or where it takes thier thoughts. What experience does your mind have when you look at this? Where does it take you?

Same goes for this piece. What do you imagine when you look at just the photo alone? I think of a huge catwalk into the unknown. Im sure it has a much more profound effect in person, but this image is amazing to look at!

Bjork

Björk Guðmundsdóttir (born 21 November 1965), known as Björk, is an Icelandic Polar Music Prize-winning singer-songwriter, occasional actress, music composer and music producer, whose solo work includes seven solo albums and two original film soundtracks.

In 2010, Bjork received the Polar Music Prize from the Royal Swedish Academy of Music, in recognition for her "deeply personal music and lyrics, her precise arrangements and her unique voice".


"The reason I do photographs is to help people understand my music, so it's very important that I am the same, emotionally, in the photographs as in the music. Most people's eyes are much better developed than their ears. If they see a certain emotion in the photograph, then they'll understand the music."

Björk, Index Magazine, July 2001

 

I can remember Bjork always being cutting edge when it came to wardrobe, and this pictures sure confirm that notion. I was also always very intrigued with her choice of attire during photo shoots, as it has so much to say, plus its very visually stunning to say the least!

An interesting interview

Also, her music videos are always fun to watch. Her track "Human Behaviour" has been a favorite of mine since high school!

                                              Bjork's music video titled "All is Full of Love"

                                            

                                               Another Bjork fav of mine, "Human Behavior"

Happy Mothers Day!

What a wonderful way to show mom you love her with some good ol' fashioned techno!! haha!  I was just playing with my Nikon CoolPix S4000 recording clips of my fav mixes to date and filming the visualizer through Winamp.

The first clip is from a set by Forest Green. Shes a breaks dj from San Francisco, old school too! Shes amazing!

This is from a set by techno dj duo Android Cartel from Los Angeles.. Smoooth sexy techno!!

Instant Classic

I can not stop watching nor stop laughing hysterically to tears by this video.. Instant classic. Thanks to Skrillex for sharing on FB!

Cant hold it in.

Something that really interested me and excited me happened last month, after I had blogged about Scott Blake's barcode art. The interesting and exciting thing? He commented on my blog. A simple "Thanks for showing interest in my work!"

Now what interests me, is I can't find my link to the Scott Blake blog on google. How the fuck did he find my page, and comment? I think small things like this are amazing and are what make life worth living :)

Ponderings about sampling, remixing..

Glenn talked in class Wednesday about the ethics of remixing, or using other people's work and making something of your own. While I am all about sampling and remixing, but I am also for giving credit where credit is due. I believe it was Torsten who was talking about the electronic world, and how remixes are always credited to the artist first, then the remixer. This made me think about one track in particular (one of my all time favorites) and one ive posted numerous times on this blog, Binary Finary's massive trance anthem titled "1998". Now the original is amazing, but its so... dated. Paul Van Dyk remixed 1998 I believe in 1999 or 2000 and it revived the original trancemonster. Binary Finary was placed back on the map, due to Paul Van Dyk's twist of the original. All he did was take Binary Finary's general idea, and make it his own rework. And its amazing, and in NO way takes credit away from Binary Finary. Fast forward to late 2000's and you have Alex M.O.R.P.H.'s remix of 1998. This one blows both the original and PVD's remix out of the water. Its still Binary Finary's work, but now with Alex M.O.R.P.H.'s style and touch put on it. This form of remixing is only help further trance and the artists! Whenever I hear any version I always at first think "Oh shit! Binary Finary!", then try to place whos remixing it. Things to ponder over I suppose! Well here is the original, PVD's remix, and Alex M.O.R.P.H.'s remix so you can see the progression of trance over the years, while still maintaining the originality and idea. It's amazing to have been a part of the evolution of trance! Enjoy, and trust in trance!!!! \o/ hands up!!

                                                        Binary Finary - 1998 (Original Mix)

                                                   Binary Finary - 1998 (Paul Van Dyk Remix)

                              The fuckin trancemonster! Binary Finary - 1998 (Alex M.O.R.P.H. Remix)

Tales from my crypt

This track I am sharing is a techno track produced in the early 1990's by a London techno dj/producer who went by the name Moby. Yes. The same Moby that did a duet with Gwen Stefani. Little do people know he was at first an underground techno dj. His roots started in techno. And this track, was the one that introduced me to the world of electronic music, way back in time, back in 1994. I was a freshman in highschool, into metal, punk all the teenage shit. I heard this and it opened up a whole new world. I also remember me and my friends wanting to go to this rave called Beatrix back in '96.. Fuck im old aren't I? Anyways.. here's Moby how I will always see and remember him by..

Its amazing to be a part of such a massive transformation.. This is the type of music I first started raving to.. now we have amazing artists such as Armin Van Buuren and Skrillex. To be a part of such as ever evolving form is an honor!! :D enjoy.

I love this movie

I saw this movie once when I was a child, and I liked it then.. didn't watch it again until I was about 26, and I loved it even more! If you haven't seen Dune, I personally recommend it. Im sure a majority of you will hate it. Its long, and its slow. But its just so deep, and full of meaning.

great music too! by Toto

The lovely weather

There always something about the sun shining that makes me happy. Im always a miserable grouch when its overcast. Maybe that has something to do with me living up where it snowed 6 months a year for 3 years (Sierra Nevada Mountains) I hate being miserable (as does everyone I think). This spring break I basically had a mental nuclear meltdown (evident of my Spring Break post). This class makes me think, and when I think, it usually takes me to dark places I try to forget about. But its a good thing to break them free, express them on whatever medium of choice, and share that feeling, emotion, anything with the world. So here I will share with you Alex M.O.R.P.H.'s ASOT 500 mix at UMF 2011 (I met Alex the weekend after UMF! good times!!) Ok I know alot of you are closet ravers, some are obvious some arent. Break free of that shell! I need more people to roll out with or meet there.

The trancemaster himself, Alex M.O.R.P.H. and I, at Circus Saturdays - Club Circus, Hollywood,CA

And finally, Alex's Set from ASOT 500! Remember all you 21+'s, Alex M.O.R.P.H. will be spinning at Circus Saturdays May 28th, you know my ass will be there.. You should make it out. Contact me, ill put you on my guestlist, get in early and have a good time. Take care!

Android Cartel

A techno/chillout/downtempo duo from Los Angeles. Check em out! Ive been listening to all of thier work on Soundcloud. I like this mix, and thier track "Talking Night (Original Mix)"!

Android Cartel - Beyond Wonderland 2011 Promo Mix by insomniacevents

As You Wish, ponderings and shameful plugging

About the same time I was making the fractal art using Apophsys, I was hard at work creating the original version of this blog (which was more about the spirtual/mind expansion culture), and this CafePress online store. There's not much designs, but I was pumping out all these "shirt" ideas and thought why not throw a few of them on t-shirts and products and see if they sell. Ive sold 2 shirts over 3 years. Not bad!! Some people would be all discouraged! Two people in the world are walking around with a t-shirt that only one other person has. Kind of mind-blowing isnt it? Someone is walking around with my design on thier shirt! :D Anyways, id like to keep going with this site, but dont have the time or energy or $$ to invest in it at the second. But take a look, and if you see anything you like, don't hesitate to order something! :D

As You Wish - Rave and Psychedelic Wear

M4 #2 Kevin Bracken and Newmindspace

                                                           (from newmindspace.com)
Kevin Bracken is originally from Long Island, New York and co-founded Newmindspace during his 5-year studies in Toronto, Canada, where he contributed to numerous projects aimed at improving public life such as the TRIP! Project and the Toronto Public Space Committee. In January of 2009, he returned to New York to work on Refuge, a multi-purpose center for the arts in Brooklyn, where Newmindspace is now headquartered.


He delights in late-night techno dance parties, blowing large volumes of bubbles with brightly-colored machines, website design and technology, public infrastructure and transit, tall buildings, big cities, boardwalks, electronic music, the earth, beauty, and adventures of all kinds.



This guy sounds awesome already!
 
now these pictures and text may not direct reflect Kevin Bracken or newmindspace, but this is the general idea of what it is he does and the idea of flash mobs.
 
Subway Party!
 
 

 
A subway party is a celebration that occurs on a mass transit system. Generally, people meet at a predetermined station in their city's mass transit system, wait until their numbers have achieved critical mass, and board the train. From there, revelers may engage in many different activities, from playing music and dancing to exchanging gifts.




There are several kinds of subway parties, the two most distinct being the rush hour subway party and the late night subway party.

Now this is what I am talking about. Free celebration of life! A gathering of people for the purpose of positivity, plur and a great time. And its not at some 18 or 21+ overpriced club or event, its in the local subways! Things like this gives me faith in humanity, or better yet, our youth.

Pillow Fight!!!!

A pillow fight flash mob is a social phenomenon of flash mobbing and shares many characteristics of a culture jam. The flash mob version of massive pillow fights is distinguished by the fact that nearly all of the promotion is Internet-based. These events occur around the world, some taking the name Pillow Fight Club, a reference to Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk in which anyone could join and fight as long as they fought by the rules.Both the London and Vancouver Pillow Fight Club's rules reflect that described in the book and feature film.

The trend owes much to uses of modern communications technologies, including decentralised personal networking, known as smartmobbing. Word of the events spreads primarily via digital means, usually on the internet via email, chat rooms and text messaging which result in seemingly spontaneous mass gatherings. Pillows are sometimes hidden and at the exact pre-arranged time or the sound of a whistle, the pillow fighters pull out their pillows and commence pillow fighting. The pillow fights can last from a few minutes to several hours.

My friend actually attended a few of these in downtown Los Angeles a few years ago. It blew my mind when he told me about these.. A pillow fight with 1000+ people in the middle of downtown? Awesome! This is regression to the most sought after emotional feeling.. to be a child again. As we grow up, we lose the sense of play (Remember that from Bomb It?) and just do our routines, work (school), eat, sleep repeat. We as humans (adults in particular) need to be able to go out and play! Alot of my friends when they go out to parks and stuff to do yoga, acroyoga or the like, always say they are "Going out to play." Not many seem to have that playful mentality (me included!)

So everyone.. go out and play!!


Im also thinking, this would have been an amazing semester full class participation project where the class comes up with an idea for a flash mob on campus. That would have been completely AMAZING. (hint hint!)

This track is a Lady Gaga remix by the man, Skrillex. This is an uncompleted work, someone stole the hard-drives which contained his work, and someone leaked it. Skrillex knows, and actually shared it on his FB page. So enjoy! its sick ;)