Canal Mills: Conrtributions

The digital world is rarely represented anywhere but on our computer screens - yet the practice of artist Jen Hesse combines painterly technique with glitch visuals to create a series of stunning artworks.

Hesse’s large paintings reference online internet culture through the classical art medium of oil paint, which comes as a rather surprising collaboration. By fragmenting a narrative image through such datamoshing distortion, Hesse somehow manages to enhance – rather than destroy - the story and emotion in the picture. This leaves us with a beautiful interpretation of modern-day portraiture and still life, capturing both the physical and the virtual aspects of daily

 

This contemporary glitch aesthetic seems familiar to our hardware/software-reliant generation, giving a very fresh approach to a traditional method of art making. There’s certainly something fantastic about knowing that these images have been painted and thus physically exist, as opposed to being computer-generated files. Rather than floating around somewhere in cyberspace, these artworks are as real as the emotions that they illustrate in their subject and provoke in us.

Jen Hesse’s website offers more information and examples of her practice.

http://canalmills.com/art/jen-hesse-glitch-painting  

3D Printshow: London & Paris

Since the beginning of my position at 3D Printshow, I've been part of a small team working towards two huge events - which happened on the 7th, 8th and 9th of this month in London, and on the 15th and 16th of this month in Paris. Nine of us organised a series of events which attracted nearly 20, 000 visitors overall, and we're really proud of ourselves.

I organised and curated a 3D Printed fashion exhibition which was shown at the Business Design Centre in London and at the Carousel du Louvre in Paris. I liaised with over thirty designers and took responsibility for nearly one hundred pieces - which included shipping the whole collection abroad and back. I supported with the management of twelve live catwalk shows over both events and lead a team of fifteen in the production of them - showcasing 3D printed work from fashion designers all over the world.

Since the team was so small, there's so much more that I experienced and learnt. I was privileged to be able to work with many talented professionals, and I was humbled by everyone's support. Now it's back to the office until the same team produces a whole new 3D Printshow event in New York in February. Yikes.

A list of some of the designers I have worked with: http://3dprintshow.com/london2013/fashion-designers/

Smart Data: Safe & Secure Planet @ The Science Museum

@flexians @eyehub  #securiot
http://vimeo.com/77040326

I went to the Science Museum after hours last week not only to enjoy the large amount of free (and very good) white wine on offer, but to learn a little bit more about the term 'Smart Data' and the implications of keeping our data secure.

A 'quiet revolution' of people from all fields of industry and research gathered for an evening of discussion - which at times got rather heated - concerning solutions and suggestions to liberate the data that we all produce. Mostly, what was being opposed is the dominance of private information storage hubs (prime example: Google) which take the information we create (through use of the internet, our smartphones, etc) and use it for their own strategical benefit. A major change in attitude towards openness and privacy might offer us the potential to realise that innovation isn't with the holder of the data, but that the value of this information is found away from these large corporations.Thinkers and artists can provide new - and more 'cultural' - approaches to interpreting such big data; releasing this information can let more people 'get smart' and consider new ways to combat serious world issues.By fragmenting data into a distributive system of many small domains, we not only have a lot less to loose should something be hacked/corrupted, but we offer all kinds of 'non-tech' people he chance to use the tools and structures in place.

I also got the chance to have a look at the new 3D printing exhibition with no-one else around, which was great since some of our 3D Pritnshow team had helped do some printed at the PR exhibition opening the day before.

I was most excited by the trend I am seeing in acknowledging that culturally-educated/trained/interested individuals are slowly being given more opportunity to exchange with issues of Digital Humanities within a technological context. 'Big Data' is a vague and complicated term, but in my opinion can only be understood through a collaboration between people of different disciplines - rather than leaving everything to the (often) narrow-minded technologists as we have for the last nine or ten years.

I really hope to find my place amongst this movement. 

Canal Mills: contributions

A short piece I've written for Canal Mills, which is a warehouse club back up in Leeds

http://canalmills.com/art/unicorn-paris

My contributions to their blog will cover arts and music.

Tapping into the context of a CAD-reliant world of fluro snakeskin and trippy renaissance gifs, French design team UNICORN create some pretty awesome visuals.With projects ranging from shop-front installations and data mapping, right through to fashion show animations and beat-match visualisations, their tumblr portfolio makes for both an impressive and a really interesting scroll. UNICORN infuse a critical technological element into their work. Their use of 3D scanning (employing the mega-successful kinect sensor) takes the physicality of the body/sculpture and slots it into the surreal, digital environment of the Internet animation

The graphic aesthetic is that of early-days myspace embellishment, whilst the soundtrack ranges anywhere from an electro-synth organ symphony to a glitchy techno clickbeat - and this experimental, musical aspect of their work is particularly interesting. Under the impact of generative design and digital imagery, UNICORN explores contemporary music visualisation in a tangible way. Such a playful approach to matching moving images with live track mixing not only looks really effective, but really fun, and could certainly provide some creative performance possibilities for live DJ sets and shows in the future.

For more examples of their work, including their video projects, visit the Unicorn Paris tumblr page

Additionally, this mentioned work reminded me of this: Rhizomatiks

Tokyo Hands: Exotic Fantasy

Feeling miserable about the grey London drizzle? As we slowly slump back into the disheartening routine of winter, some of us tend to look for that tropical summer feeling in all the wrong places. Fake tan won't help you here ladies. And you'd better replace that 5-panel snapback for a beanie my friend. If you're sitting in your bedroom reminiscing over Croatian cliff-diving or Thai-white beaches, then perhaps easing into an online exotic fantasy might help you forget about tomorrow morning's wet walk into uni. 

https://soundcloud.com/dismagazine/tokyo-hands-exotic-fantasy/s-ay4WH

Tokoyo Hands (via DIS Magazine) present to you an excellent half-hour mix of nostalgic summer vibes combined with some trancy jungle beats. It's the sound of running water and parrot-song that will really take you elsewhere - either that, or the hyper-real, neon rainforest themed artwork that accompanies the mix.

ze illest skejdaz

Quick link to the ski blog I keep:

http://zeillestskejdaz.tumblr.com/

Skiing is a real personal, separate passion of mine, and this blog is a great way for me to keep involved even when I'm out of the scene (which I have been for too long!).
Get in touch if you're interested in contributions to anything from me.

Denmark