Sketchbook

Recent thoughts on art, technology, and politics.

Archive for the ‘art’ Category


A Voucher For Those Left Behind

November 28th, 2007 | art

I watch the bombarded people
Who is watching the media people?
Log on, Tune out, Drop in

How much randomness and lack of control can I tolerate?
A culture industry induced coma of domesticated apathy
Representations of the world I live in not the world
I remember.

Taste the memories and they do not look
like photographs.
Watch the bombarded people
Because it’s a very important question

Words & Images Matter (How?)

November 3rd, 2007 | art

I’ve seen the help signs on the roof tops of my generation
I’ve seen the terrified ash white pod people
walking uptown to the safety of the big box stores

Words & Images changed to fit the story
while all the progress of the 20th Century avant-garde
is now contained in software

misunderestimated truth people
misdirection people
no people left behind people

Take your Ritalin people
cut & paste
because collage made a comeback
with a vengeance

wake up people
Because it’s a very important question

Idols Cruft

July 25th, 2007 | art, celebrity portraits, cruft, technology

Idols Cruft

This cruft algorithm downloads a recent celebrity photo, as well as the image headline. The source image is cropped and converted to sepia tone while the headline text is then added to complete this celebrity portrait.

View the current Idols Cruft

Distress Cruft (my fellow americans)

July 22nd, 2007 | art, cruft, technology

Distress Cruft (my fellow americans)

Visitors to the Empire State Building are required to have their photo taken. This security photo is cleverly disguised as a tourist friendly service with a beautiful night view of the Empire State in the background. You and your party then have the ability to purchase this photo as you leave the building. (When I tried to opt out of the photo, I was specifically told I could not for security reasons.) This cruft process downloads one of these photos and creates a composite image with an American Flag.

Section 8a. of the Flag Code states: "The flag should never be displayed with the union down, except as a signal of dire distress in instances of extreme danger to life or property."

View the current Distress Cruft

Crayon Cruft (Childhoods End)

July 20th, 2007 | Iraq, art, cruft

Crayon Cruft 070720

This cruft process downloads an image from the Arabic website “Asharq Alawsat” (http://www.asharq-e.com/). From one hundred official Crayola Crayon™ colors, one is selected and a composite image is created.

View the current Crayon Cruft

Fear, Shop and Drop
pay no attention to the person behind the mirror

July 11th, 2007 | Iraq, art, celebrity portraits, political portraits

On Tuesday, Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff told the editorial board of The Chicago Tribune that he had a “gut feeling” about a new period of increased risk.

fear-shop-drop.png

Great American Past Time (memorial)

July 2nd, 2007 | Cruft Monument, art

Great American Past Time