Old Versus New Technology

 

This is the fourth heart to my Industrial inspired heart collection, entitled "Old Versus New Technology".

I was taking pictures of this piece in my lightbox at about 6am this morning and I had accidently left my settings on "Sepia" so it gave this antiqued-brass heart a very old style look that I just had to put it up.

So yes, I like the way that the capacitor and diodes line up so well with the alignment of the picture. Their very perpendicular and parallel to eachother. I kind of like that. It's like a steam engine or something. 

Former MORTIIS Drummer Hits The Arts

Former MORTIIS drummer Svein Traserud (aka Leo Troy) who left the band in 2007 to pursue his interest in the contemporary arts, will make his UK debut at the third Parallax AF International Art Fair in London in February. He will be exhibiting a range of his works at the event which takes place at Chelsea Town Hall, Kings Road, London, UK from Thursday, February 16th to Saturday, February 18th. Entry is free to the public.

The Parallax AF International Art Fair showcases modern artists from around the world and will this year feature works from the UK, USA, West and East Europe, Asia, South America, Turkey, UAE and Oceania.

Traserud was a member of Mortiis for six years during which time he undertook numerous tours and appeared on the 2004 album, The Grudge, which was released through Earache Records. The album produced two UK singles - 'The Grudge' and 'Decadent & Desperate', which charted at #51 and #49 respectively.



For the rock drummer turned artist, art has become a burning passion. His motivation behind his works is "old versus new" as he mixes new medium with old crafts. Possessing a keen interest for the abstract and the unusual, his inspiration is the surreal and futuristic with a tendency towards the use of dark hues. He has an approach that often sees him using an extensive range of media in his works.Though mainly self taught, Svein spent ten years assisting leading Norwegian artist Tor-Arne Moen where he learned the intricacies of traditional wood cutting. Moen has described Traserud's works as providing "puzzling images, saturated and often dramatic in effect, which intensifies the desire to search deeper in the work. At first the image is attention grabbing, then a second wave summons further inner curiosity".

Svein Traserud has set his sights high with an aim and desire to establish something unique in the art world. Commenting on what he hopes to achieve, he explains that “My grand idea is to develop and create something new and outrageous, something that the art world can’t ignore.”

Old & New Art Pictures

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Battle Has Begun and Why You Should Pay Attention

 

We might be headed into some new found territory in the street art world.  You may have read in the last two months about a little tit for tat going on in London involving these two and a 25 year graf piece hidden away under London streets on a canal wall in Camden. We are used to graf artists battling over sides of town, trains, and great mural spots everywhere in the world.  Hell you can even find the battles splashed across the pages of magazines in your local shop these days.
This is different though.
On one hand you have the humble well established graf artist from way back in the day.  The other hand holds the political stencil writer cum gallery artist who, as it just so happens, has a bit more credit to his name and not just on the street.  If that isn’t enough difference for you then think of it this way.  Graf writing is one of the four elements of hip hop, and those elements have a long history of paying respect to their predecessors.  Stencil artists don’t have this rich history.  As a matter of fact they break down barriers at anyone’s cost, politician or corporation alike.  This isn’t about old school vs. new school, this is about a battle of art forms and who should be respecting whom.  Did you ever see Dali paint over a Giacometti? No, you didn’t.
This battle is gaining new found press.  It is becoming so intwined in the fabric of art history that even the Wall Street Journal has decided it to make it a small center piece.  That’s big.  We’re talking about the WSJ here, not Juxtapoz.  While you and I would rather see this in Juxtapoz it is spilling onto the pages of the largest financial paper in the world.

Revisiting and testing

Current Nikon D7000 vs a 2005 Konica Minolta 7D

My film post on Monday has me stuck in time. Old time that is! I want to revisit my Old vs New post. Also note, I’ve moved my Old vs New to a sticky in the header area scroll bar. I’m going to be spending some time talking about this topic in the coming weeks. I’m doing quite a bit of testing and will share some more thoughts after I do some more real life shooting with some not so new gear. Until then, take a look at the following images. Without looking at the EXIF data, can you tell which is which? Both shot at 50mm f2 ISO 200.

One of these is from a current state of the art DSLR, a Nikon D7000 with a premium 50mm f1.4 G lens. The other is from an old Konica Minolta 7D DSLR with a $79 used 50mm f1.7 lens. The KM 7D was launched on September 15, 2004. I know this isn’t a great test and that at this size of image it’s hard to tell. That is not the point. The point is that good quality old equipment can take some fine photographs and for most folks and many situations for most photographers, it is all you or I need. I have more thoughts on this as I’ve been enjoying shooting my old Konica Minolta 7D a lot. Tomorrow I’ll be sharing a few photos including some Minnesota wildlife from the KM 7D. Stay tuned.

hunger games trailer

The Hunger Games teaser trailer has finally arrived, giving fans of Suzanne Collins’ novels and casual moviegoers a look at what could be the next young-adult book series-turned blockbuster movie franchise (a la Harry Potter and The Twilight Saga).

Guiding The Hunger Games to the big screen is director Gary Ross (Seabiscuit, Pleasantville), and this first teaser will be the first testament to whether or not Ross (along with second unit director Steven Soderbergh) has managed to capture the rich world of Collins’ novels, or simply crafted yet another standard action/drama blockbuster.

For those who don’t know, here’s the lowdown on The Hunger Games:

In a dystopian future America is now Panem, a nation made up of twelve impoverished districts, all ruled by a militant capitol where technology and excess are a way of life. Every year the capitol holds a televised battle royal, where one male and female teenager from the twelve districts must battle to the death for the pleasure of capitol. When a young hunter from District 12 named Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) sacrifices herself to save her little sister from the games, she embarks on a brave fight for survival that could change a nation.

Hunger Games Mov just received a confirmation from Lionsgate that The Hunger Games Trailer will be attached to Breaking Dawn: Part 1 in Theaters!

A full-length "Hunger Games" trailer, complete with sequences from the movie that aren't all chopped up and teaser-like, has yet to hit the Web. But here's a little something to hold you over: character posters!
Okay, so it doesn't compare to a trailer, but these eight character posters will still give you a good idea of what the major players in "The Hunger Games" will look like. That includes Haymitch (played by Woody Harrelson) and Effie (played by Elizabeth Banks), who we haven't seen thus far... and Effie's makeup and wig look every bit as ridiculous as described in the book.
Other new faces include Cinna, who will be played by Lenny Kravitz and is a casting choice that has been met with mixed reactions from fans. Rue and Cato also make their first appearances in pictures, and we get another look at Katniss, Peeta and Gale.
The posters are suffiently dark considering the subject matter, and I like how Katniss is the only one facing right while everyone else faces left. It highlights the idea that it's her vs. the world (even though some of these characters are on her side).

By now, you've probably seen the Hunger Games trailer, right? No? Here:
Allow me to sum up my initial reaction: "ASDK;AKDFAJSDF;KANSDFJA;DFJA;KLFJAS;DFJA;AJKA;SKDJFA!"
One always worries about screen adaptations of beloved novels, but I'm no longer worried about this one. It looks awesome.
When I first read the book, I had grave concerns about its adaptability. Collins's depictions of violence are both brutal and alarmingly specific. Hollywood could never show the full effect without alienating 3/4 of its target audience.
Based on the trailer, at any rate, the film seems to take an angle that perhaps requires less focus on the brutality. The trailer jumps between the dystopian Panem and the spectacle of the games. There's every possibility that the movie will do a better job of hammering the book's political themes.
But enough with the thinking. Let's get down to brass tacks.

Beloved Katniss. I don't think you could conjure up better casting in a laboratory. "Straight black hair, olive skin, we even have the same gray eyes. But we’re not related, at least not closely. Most of the families who work the mines resemble one another this way." So she doesn't quite have gray eyes or black hair. I'll live.

Liam Hemsworth is about 20 times hotter than I pictured Gale (but I'm on record as a Gale-hater. That said, the sort of character he plays tends to work much better in films than in books). I'm worried that his extreme good looks will disrupt the Peeta vs. Gale equation in my mind.

And speaking of beloved Peeta...I wasn't sold on Josh Hutcherson's casting originally, but now he seems to have the right amount of quiet intensity.

Whoever cast Elizabeth Banks as Effie deserves an award. Just look at that shot. In the drab greys and blacks of this horrible mining town, she's not a sight for sore eyes, she's an invasion of neon color. The falseness of her identity jars against the gritty reality of District 12. Which is just how it should be.

I had to find something to complain about, right? I won't lie, despite my near total lack of interest in fashion, I was very interested in how the movie would bring Katniss's interview dress to life.

jason russell

 

The man behind the “Kony 2012” video that went viral last week was detained by police for troubling behavior on a California Beach, NBC San Diego reported.
Invisible Children co-founder Jason Russell, San Diego police say, was caught Thursday night masturbating, vandalizing cars and acting under the influence of alcohol and possibly drugs.
Russell, 33, is a married father of two and a Christian.
Update from TMZ: Ben Keesey, the Invisible Children CEO has released a statement saying,  “Jason Russell was unfortunately hospitalized yesterday suffering from exhaustion, dehydration, and malnutrition. He is now receiving medical care and is focused on getting better.”
“The past two weeks have taken a severe emotional toll on all of us, Jason especially, and that toll manifested itself in an unfortunate incident yesterday. Jason’s passion and his work have done so much to help so many, and we are devastated to see him dealing with this personal health issue. We will always love and support Jason, and we ask that you give his entire family privacy during this difficult time.”
Along with others at Invisible Children, Russell had recently spoken out to defend his organization and the viral video against criticism that they misrepresent conditions in Uganda. He was on the Today show a week ago.

 

Warlords and Strongmen

Invisible Children founder Jason Russell arrives to Billabong's 4th Annual "Design For Humanity" Benefit at Paramount Studios on June 10, 2010 in Los Angeles, California.

 

 

 

This video of Jason Russell going completely bonkers on a San Diego sidewalk outside his house is creepy, disturbing and unlike his KONY 2012 campaign, unquestionably real.
He’s cursing up a storm, talking about the devil, doing some kind of squat exercise and unbelievably, he hasn’t been arrested nor charged with anything.
Russell has been placed on a 5150 psychiatric hold and his wife is maintaining he’s never been under the influence of drugs and alcohol.

 

 

Diplomacy in the Digital Age

Do a web search for the Egyptian Influence Network and what emerges is a visual depiction of the social network that helped bring down President Hosni Mubarak a year ago. The United States government knew about broad public discontent, but did not have a meaningful relationship with these new digital elites. It certainly underestimated their power.

Invisible Children's Jason Russel is trailing behind U.S. Policy

Earlier this week other digital actors released a dramatic film on the Lord’s Resistance Army, called KONY 2012. It instantly went viral; the State Department learned of it via the daughter of its Deputy Spokesman (in the interest of full disclosure, my former deputy). In this case, Jason Russell, the film’s producer, is trailing U.S. policy. The government months ago deployed military advisors to help improve the ability of regional governments to defeat the LRA.
Both cases underscore the dynamism of the digital age and the pressures it places on U.S. diplomacy. More and more people will have access to the kind and quality of information that was previously reserved for governments. Digital media do not fundamentally change the diplomatic process, but it expands the number of influencers, accelerates the process and can generate sudden shifts in public opinion.
As cell phones and other technologies become even more ubiquitous – equipped with cameras and connected to the Internet – everything we say and do will be increasingly visible. Government bureaucracies are going to struggle to keep pace and respond meaningfully in real time.

The State Department is already aggressively expanding its use of social media to communicate beyond governments directly to the people in multiple languages. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in her first Quadrennial Diplomacy and Development Review has created a vision of a new breed of ambassador who will be more visible and more empowered than ever. Recently minted Ambassadors Robert Ford and Michael McFaul in Syria and Russia respectively are great examples of “early adopters” who have led significant engagement campaigns using social media.
But they are still the exceptions, not the rules. It will take some time to change bureaucratic culture whose first instinct is to carefully control the flow of information. But the global information infrastructure is simply too advanced to be controlled. The new digital elites must be engaged.
This will require both cultural and process changes to empower more leaders to willingly and effectively communicate with key audiences around the world. It will take a new generation of Foreign Service officers for whom information and communications technology is second nature. This will involve more engagement, more risk taking and greater focus on global public opinion.
Given what we are seeing in the Arab Awakening, public opinion will shape policies and diplomatic options in more countries of consequence to the United States. Policies are going to be more populist – the immediate impact of the Koran burning is another recent case in point.