Impulse » Cool Art

Amanda Koster: Can I Come with You?

Rob McKaughan — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 16:36:12 +0000

Speaking of new works of art, my friend Amanda Koster is coming out with her first book next month. By day, Amanda is a full-time assignment photographer. She dedicates the rest of her time to social documentary (and cooking fabulous meals). This book, made up of her photographs and personal journal entries, describes how everyone use their creative talents to change the world.

I love Amanda’s work — in fact, I have at least 7 of her photos hanging in my house right now — more than any other photographer (including me!).

Amanda’s book is available for presale at her publisher’s web site. She’s also having a lecture & signing on September 18. Those who buy a ticket get a free book (or, if you prefer, you get a free ticket for buying the book). Either way, go here right now to buy one or the other. I’ve already got my order in.

RAAM: a little distance is good

Change

Rob McKaughan — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 14:07:38 +0000

This photo is cool and amusing on so very many levels.

No related posts.

Heroes: addiction meets politics

Rob McKaughan — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 11:42:16 +0000

Sometimes the battle between good and evil is really the battle between what I want long term vs what I want here and now.

Up until recently, I was only merely curious about the TV show Heroes. (Having my TV hooked up only to my DVD player gives me lots more free time, but takes me out of pop culture). That curiosity ended when I walked into Hollywood Video ten days ago to rent the first disk of Heroes. Two hours later, I looked at the clock and thought, “11:30… They’re still open for another half hour. Plenty of time to get the next disk.” I managed to hold out for a day, but I gave in. One week and 21 episodes later, I’d seen the entire first season.

The first step towards recovery is admitting you have a problem.

I’m completely addicted to Heroes. Sure, the writing falls flat every once and a while (Why did Niki help Peter in the finale when she’d never met him?), but it’s fun! A good mix of comedy, suspense, and catharsis (who wouldn’t be attracted to as story about average Joes fighting back the evil malaise many of us feel?). I need more.

But there’s a problem in Metropolis: to catch up with the current season, I need to watch the first seven episodes of season 2 — and these are kept under the lock and key of my nemesis, DRM. The premier and 2nd episode are only available on Amazon’s Unboxed — which only plays through Amazon’s DRM-laden downloadable player — and I have sworn years ago to boycott all DRM products.

Curses.

I hate DRM because it puts the burden of maintaining the media industry’s aging business model on the shoulders of technology companies. I hate it because it assumes that all customers are unscrupulous. More practically, I hate it because DRM schemes prevent me from playing my media the way I want. (e.g. Amazon’s player makes it impossible to watch those two Heroes episodes on my big TV in front of my comfy couch). Thus, years ago, I vowed to fight DRM by boycotting all things DRM (including iTunes), and donating time and money to fellow crusaders like the Electronic Freedom Foundation, and iPac.

But I really want to see those episodes. I need them. It’d be so easy to just fork over the $2 each, install Amazon’s damnable player, and feed my addition on through my laptop. Who’s going to know?

It’s a battle of short term gain — satisfying my Heroes craving — vs long term gain: eliminating DRM from the marketplace. Selfish needs vs the common good. A multi-dimensional conflict of desires. All heroes must go to their Personal Hell.

FADE-IN:
EXT. HELL — NIGHT.  DEMON dangles MEDIA before HERO’S face tauntingly.  Flames burst from lava flows nearby.
DEMON: c’mon, it’s only this one time.  You can get rid of it later.  Who’s gonna know?
CLOSE-UP: HERO, sweating, struggling with his decision.
HERO (whispering): no…no…
Cut to: 
INT. LIVING ROOM.  NIGHT.  HERO munches popcorn, watching THE CONTENDER on his TV.
SEN. LAINE HANSON (on TV): Principles only mean something if you stick by them when they’re inconvenient.
Cut to: HELL.  
HERO knocks MEDIA from DEMON’S hand.  MEDIA shatters on the ground, the pieces vanishing in smoke.
HERO: I’ll never give in to you and your evil ways. Greed doesn’t work. You’ll wither and die, and I’ll be there to watch it.
Cue soap opera music.

And so I must wait.……

Cartoon construction

Rob McKaughan — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 18:04:26 +0000

John K (of Ren and Stimpy fame) wrote an excellent post on the construction of cartoons. Even if you are like me and can barely manage drawing stick figures, this post is worth reading. He breaks down the fundamentals of cartoon design and what makes good drawing better than bad. If you enjoy animation at all, this is required reading. You’ll never look at cartoons the same again. (link)

Artwalk: Pioneer Square

Rob McKaughan — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 22:38:53 +0000

It’s been a long time since I wrote about artwalk. Tonight’s was a blast. It also hammered home the trend that the most interesting stuff isn’t in the swank galleries on Occidental Ave anymore (Davidson excepted), but in the little off-beat places that you have to work a little to find. (Mirroring my musical and cinematic tastes exactly).

Ron Reeder’s show at Wall Space was a treat. The show is entirely photographic nudes done in a variety of interesting ways. Some are fanciful montages that reminded me of Uelsmann’s work — winged angels, ghostly reflections in pools of water, the birth of Venus, etc. (See photos 14–20 on Wall Space’s site). Others are mysterious images printed as tintypes — yes, civil war era technology. The process gives them a darkness that amplifies their mystery. The back room of the gallery holds more typical nude studies, which you can gloss over on your way to see the fun of the show: the “toys”. Throwing all typical concepts of framing to the wind, Reeder mounted his photos in a number of interesting, hand-made contraptions. First is a series of standing nudes mounted on a wheel, which was connected through a series of gears and pulleys to a crank — giving you a kind of kinematoscope. Continuing the Victorian riff, another photo — of a late 19th century photographer photographing a nude — is hung with a lace curtain over it. The curtain can be rolled up with a little crank at the top. Finally — and most alluring — is the nude of an asian woman lying down, mounted in a long wooden box with a japanese sliding screen in front (and everyone slid the screen back, giggling to themselves). I liked how the toys invited participation in a way that mirrored the complicity of the model with the photographer — like everyone was in on the game.
Following Yesler towards the water, our happy crew made a discovery: the artists lofts at 619 Western. Five labyrinthine floors of artists lofts — many of them live-in. Every one was packed with great work. The diversity of work is overwhelming — from classic landscapes, to fetish photography (complete with improvised goth club), to student works, to paintings, etchings, graffiti, and watercolor. Just about anything you could imagine on a wall, somebody’s got on a wall in this place. Happily, the building was full of an equally diverse range of viewers. This place makes the TK lofts up the street look like a side-show. There was a lot to see and it was well worth it. (My favorites were some of the work by Shawn Foote).

CoolArt: Ron Hammond

Rob McKaughan — Tue, 31 Jan 2006 13:01:04 +0000

I met Ron at my first Group f/5.6 meeting about 5 years ago. As Chief of Stuff, Ron is one of the driving forces behind the photo group. It’s impossible not to like Ron: a jolly elf clad in an old sweatshirt, his grey hair pulled back into a pony tail, a medallion hanging around his neck, Ron is quick to smile, his eyes sparkling like a 7 year old boy who just discovered something really cool. He is warm and generous — traits you can easily see in all his photographs.

I’ve got one thing against Ron, though: he started my photography book addiction (now approaching 100 books — which seems small until you remember that they usually weigh 5lbs and cost $80 apiece). He introduced me to two of my favorite photographers, Robert Doisneau and Peter Turnley as well as several other interesting folks: Eduard Boubat, Willy Ronis, Helen Levitt, and Bruce Davidson. You can see the influence of these photographers throughout Ron’s work. Ron photographs the quiet, yet savory moments of every day life with respect and honesty. I’d love to turn Ron loose in Paris for a month to see what he does.

True, the naked lady on the bike doesn’t exactly constitute everyday life — at least outside Fremont & Capitol Hill. Ron also has been covering the Fremont Solstice and Seattle Gay Pride parade for years and has created quite the collection of shots of people being unusual. Notice, though, that he doesn’t treat them as weirdos and freaks. He photographs them with the same humanist connection he does any of his other subjects.
Ron’s also got a sly sense of humor that pops up frequently. One of my favorite pictures is of a forlorn man, flowers in hand, standing alone, waiting next to a sign that says, “Coming Soon”.

Ron works a little differently than your average street photographer. Most street photographers try to shoot photos discretely, without disturbing their quarry, often never speaking to them. Ron, on the other hand, will happily walk up and chat with the people he photographs, often taking a few more pictures besides. If the he can find them again, he brings them a print of one of these photos. This really warms people up to him, allowing him to take even better portraits. Like I said, it’s hard not to like someone this generous.
It’s a bit of a shame to show his work here on the web. Ron is an excellent printer. Seeing his prints in person is a completely different experience. The tiny scans of prints shown here just don’t do justice to his work. If you’re lucky enough to live in the Puget Sound region, you can drop by one of his upcoming shows.
More pics:

Links:

Ron’s web site

Followup: reading list

Rob McKaughan — Fri, 27 Jan 2006 18:34:18 +0000

My friend Kate gives us a few more suggestions to the reading list. Her collection is a combination of classics and british humor, proving that she’s a classy woman.

Psmith in the City, P. G. Wodehouse
Mike and Psmith, P. G. Wodehouse
Winter of our Discontent, John Steinbeck
Wayward Bus, John Steinbeck
David Copperfield, Dickens
Tale of Two Cities, Dickens — This book causes chills for anyone who took honors english at Upland High School. No mere book report was good enough for this. We had to do a compendium of analysis, banding together in groups of 5 to write 5–10 essays each on specific aspects of the novel. For most of us, it was our first all-nighter (academic all-nighter, anyway). Despite all that toil, I still liked the book. It was one of about 3 assigned books I actually enjoyed in high school.

My reading list

Rob McKaughan — Tue, 17 Jan 2006 00:05:12 +0000

I want to be more literate. A few months back, I sent mail to my more well read friends — writers, editors, and people of exceptionally good taste — and asked them what books they think I absolutely must read. Here are their suggestions. What I find cool is that many of these authors are still alive and scribbling.

A heartbreaking work of staggering genius, Dave Eggers — this one was recommended by several people, thus is the one I’m currently reading.
Ada, Vladimir Nabokov
Pale Fire, Vladimir Nabokov
Penny Dreadful, Will Christopher Baer
Justine, Lawrence Durrell
The Painted Bird, Jerzy Kosinski
Roots, Alex Haley
The Gospel According to Jesus Christ, Jose Saramago
The Cosmic Serpent, Jeremy Narby
Upside Down, Eduardo Galeano
Ginsberg: A Biography, Barry Miles
Super-Cannes, J.G. Ballard
The Dazzle of Day, Molly Gloss
One Hundred Years of Solitude, Gabriel Garcia Marquez — Lots of people love this book. I think the book works best if you read it when you’re at just the right place in life. I must not have been in the right place as I managed to only get 3/4 of the way through it before giving up. Perhaps, being single and self-employed, it was unwise to read something titled “one hundred years of solitude”.
Lightning Bird, Lyall Watson
Crackpot, John Waters
A Brief History of Everything, Ken Wilber
Blood Meridian, Cormac McCarthy
Civilwarland in Bad Decline, George Saunders
Pastoralia, George Saunders
The Baron in the Trees, Italo Calvino
The Town Where Time Stood Still, Bohumil Hrabal
Bird by bird, Anne Lamott
Operating instructions, Anne Lamott
The World and Other Places, Jeanette Winterson
Weight: The Myth of Atlas and Heracles, Jeanette Winterson
How to be alone, Jonathan Franzen
Fraud, David Rakoff
The boys of my youth, Joann Beard
Birds of America, Lorrie Moore
I know some things, Lorrie Moore (editor)
Catcher in the Rye, J. D. Salinger — like everyone else, I read this in high school. That was long, long ago. Several people have told me it’s a whole different book when you read it as an adult.
Bean trees, Barbara Kingsolver
Map of the world, jane hamilton
Stranger than fiction, Chuck Palahniuk
Girls guide to hunting & fishing, Melissa Bank
Steppenwolf, Herman Hesse
Siddhartha, Herman Hesse
Partly cloudy patriot, Sarah Vowell
The Bhagavad Gita
The Tale of Genji

What else should I be reading? Leave me some comments.
Thanks to Jay for his extensive list, to Wilson for her tailor-made suggestions, and to Becky, Bobby, and Laurie for their suggestions. I think this list coupled with my own should last me until at least my 50th birthday.
Update: More recommendations here.

CoolArt: Jeff Bridges: Pictures

Rob McKaughan — Thu, 05 Jan 2006 16:38:42 +0000

I’m a Jeff Bridges fan. That boy can act. His performances, especially in The Big Lebowski, Tucker, and Fearless, are consistently pitch perfect. Pouring through the bonus tracks of his DVDs, I discovered that he not only acts, but dabbles in photography. Yesterday, I picked up a copy of his book, Pictures. He more than dabbles: that boy can shoot.

If you ever visit a film set, you’ll quickly notice that actors spend most of their time sitting around waiting for the crew. When they start a new scene, the crew takes a couple hours to set up. Then, they should the actors in about 15 minutes. They usually shoot a few different angles in a scene, each of which requires about a half hour to set up and 15 minutes with the actors to shoot it. In all, the actors were “on” only for about an hour and waiting for about 3. The best thing an actor can bring to the set is something to do.
Bridges brings a camera. Specifically he brings a Widelux 35mm panorama camera — a camera that shoots very wide angle images that feel like a 70mm movie on the big screen. He wields it expertly, capturing the strange behind-the-scenes world of movie making that I love: the juxtaposition between reality and staged reality; the the odd intensity that exists as dozens of people focus their attention on a single individual; the moments of quiet; the moments of camaraderie. It’s like theatre, but weirder. Bridges skillfully uses the particularly wide-angle of this camera to give the images a grand scale, but also manages to make very personal, intimate portraits as well. All the elements across the wide image hang tightly together with very graphic composition.
Bridges also accomplishes something rarely done: he takes satisfying vertical panoramas — check out his great portraits of Michelle Pfeiffer and Robin Williams.
Having done some production still photography myself (e.g. The Golden Leaf), I’ve got a particular soft spot for excellent work in this field. My favorite image in the book, though, is a photo only Bridges could get — a shot from the point of view of the actor as camera crew members peer intently at him through hands held up to form miniature movie frames. Meanwhile, the rest crew looks on waiting for direction. It’s a great image that gives me a whole new empathy for actors. Next time I direct something, I’m going to be a whole lot nicer to my actors. Maybe even treat them as people…
This isn’t just a book of snapshots. There are excellent pieces of documentary here, and wonderful portraits (like the one of Tommy Lee Jones on p. 102). I’m thoroughly inspired by the book (I spent all of lunchtime running around with my widest angle lens, wishing I had another film to cover).

CoolArt: Flickr roundup

Rob McKaughan — Tue, 03 Jan 2006 19:04:40 +0000

I like to keep an eye on photos on Flickr to keep visually stimulated. I’ve written about a couple photographers from Flickr on this blog (1 2). Here’s a quick roundup of other photographers, tags, and pools that I find cool.

[note: I’d have included more example photos as I normally do in CoolArt, but most of these folks are not using a creative commons license and didn’t respond to my email asking for permission (sigh)]
Update: Janebug gave me permission to use her images in this post, so now the place is decorated. Thanks Janebug!
Photographers

Coquita — (Buenos Aires, Argentina) Coquita has an intriguing way of seeing the world. Her photos have an appealing intimacy to them and a willingness to experiment. (My favorites: 1 2 3 4)
Janebug — (Manchester, UK) great at moody atmosphere in places & things. (My favorites: 1 2 3)
Frans Peter Verheyen — (Groningen / Rotterdam, the Netherlands) I like Verheyen’s photos of people the most as well as his cinematic examples (he’s a cinematographer). (My favorites: 1 2 3)
Iguana Jo — (Modena, Italia) crisp composition; sometimes surreal; often very visually interesting. (My favorites: 1 2 3 4 5)
Bartu — Bartu has very few photos on Flickr, but those that are up are quite good. Definately check out her excellent photo essay El Campo y su gente
!efatima — Go see efatima’s photos and come back here — I bet you the word “colorful” is now in your mind. Great place to go when the world seems monochrome. (My favorites: 1 2 3)
Cuellar — (Madrid, Spain) mostly does scenic photography, but also quite good at capturing quiet moments with people (yes, I’ve got a bit of a bias). (My favorites: 1 2 3 4)
athomic — weird, surreal, comical; always interesting. (My favorites: 1 2 3 4 5)
Alvise Forcellini — (cameroon) Good photojournalism from Cameroon, India, and northern Africa. He’s especially good at capturing children at play. (My favorites: 1 2 3)
dtc — (ottawa, canada) more good street photography. (My favorites: 1 2)

Pools and tags

Director of Photography pool
streetphotography tag
One Face @ a Time ~ Street Portraiture photo pool
blackandwhite tag
JPG Magazine
The Photographic Essay — note: this group contains links to peoples photo essays, not the entire essays.