the neoscenes/tech-no-mad (b)log ::
traces pathways and actions encountered and undertaken
The third trip in the last year to the largest alligator juniper (Juniperus deppeana) tree in existence (twenty-six feet in diameter — see Ginny for scale!). It is now a strange and haunting memorial to the nineteen Granite Mountain hotshots who perished in the Yarnell Hill fire — just a few days after cutting a firebreak line that specifically saved this unique tree from the Doce fire.
Went on into the Cedar Spring wash area — it was flowing with copious amounts of snowmelt.
How to see, seeing, and changing a point-of-view: intractable questions, persistent challenges, fluid realities.
Last fall, after making yet another series of portraits on a trip with German friends to the Grand Canyon, I had the realization that the geometry of my portrait work had been locked-in for years, decades now. Changing subjects, changing situations, surroundings, but the fundamental geometry between camera, Self, and Other was/is essentially static: an unchanging point-of-view. Different Others in the relationship — the collaboration of portraiture — can it be that the essence of relation is also static? To implement a different geometry suggests the necessity of changing the nature of (the) relationship itself. The technical means, the protocol, does have an effect, of course: the choice of lens unequivocally determines a primary geometry of relation. But what is the intersection of that optical geometry and the sacred geometry sketched that is within the continuum of relation?
I use (almost exclusively) a medium-wide-angle (a 28mm with film SLRs, an 18mm with the digital SLR). These tools/technologies and their explicit protocols frame the relationship. The selection is not arbitrary. It’s not simply ‘environmental portraiture’ — that reductive term comes after the process that generates the images. It could similarly be called ‘distant portraiture’, and indeed, distance is a determining factor in the outcome. A wide-angle lens brings the photographer physically closer to the subject while allowing the intimacy to expand, encompassing the context of the situation. A telephoto lens often propagates a stealing-at-a-distance of visage. And it compresses the perspective of that visage in such a way that violates the normal perspective of the eye. The eye sees approximately as a 50mm lens on a 35mm camera.
But all this is merely the technology, the mediatory tool. Strip that away from the eye, and see. Through the wetware optics of the orb alone. Digging deep into the head. Transferring the energy of the world, and of that collaborating Other, inside: seeing, and be-ing in relation to.
I promised Patrick that I’d prepare a re-edited broadcast version of water fills the hall for his wonderful syndicated phonography (field recording) program framework:afield — by September 2015. Well, time got away from me and then last Thursday morning he let me know that the following Sunday’s slot was open. Nothing like having a deadline. I had procrastinated on it as I knew I needed to include at least some voice-over to introduce the work to the radio audience. I can’t stand the sound of my own voice, so, voice-over, argh! But with a little digital sweetening and tweaking, once I got the script done, it didn’t turn out all that bad.
So, framework:afield show #540:
(00:55:02, stereo audio, 132.1 mb)
this edition of framework:afield has been produced by john hopkins, aka neoscenes, and is entitled water fills the hall. notes from the producer:
water fills the hall is a sustained drift through the hopkins/neoscenes personal archive of field recordings relating to water. There is no detailed playlist as the work is a multi-track layering of sources and includes essences of several hundred field recordings from four continents. Many of the individual field recordings are available on the aporee::maps field recording project under the neoscenes moniker.
To sketch a few: it opens in the Mojave desert, as flies collect around the body of a dead rattlesnake, the dry air desiccating the corpse; there is organ practice by the harbor in Sydney; and wandering through the Pergammon on the Spree; students protesting along the Vilna River; monsoon rains and thunders, falling and filling desert cisterns in the High Sonoran desert; telecom wires hum in moist Arctic chill; melt-waters slowly cleave the Rocky Mountains to dust; film projectors clatter while representing fluid realities (homage to mentor and friend, film-maker Stan Brakhage); Geiger counters count what heavy waters we’ve made; rains falls on the roofs of hydrocarbon-fired chariots; rivers rage, and whining pumps pump the rivers; while F-18s storm in the wet clouds overhead, and baptisms soulfully bless the swimming pools; a plague of cicadas stands ready for the waters to recede, and is it Noah’s ark departing into an unknown future on the gray Baltic?
As a current and former resident of the US southwest with its tremendous water problems, the work is intended partly as a complex exploration of and meditation on water itself. Water in motion energetically yields sound; and thus, the work is about moving waters. Humans seek to direct those movements to their advantage with (lovingly graceful!) machinic systems, and in that lies a fundamental conflict. This is a mapping of that conflict: how the human species alters the flows of energy in the bio-system around itself.
The I Ching suggests that water simply flows, on and on, filling up all the places through which it moves. Nothing can make it lose its own essential nature: it remains true to itself under all conditions. What are we in the face of such an energized flux? Are we advancing or are we retreating with the tide? Will the rain wash our sins away? If we can swim, will we drown? Do we recall our amphibian soul? Are we thirsty for more? Are we simply thirsty?
Went live/online a bit before noon (GMT-7), with a few folks hanging out — I had suggested it as an event for the Milagro Art Center — with an accompanying talk on Fluxus, but for some reason it wasn’t compelling enough for them. The IRC channel was quiet except for a few pings from naisa — probably more evidence how ‘social media’ has sucked the oxygen from online conversations (speaking as a FB non-participant). Twitter hosted some activity.
The stream was an improv mix from more than 400 files on a ten-track mix* quasi-organized with random/blind files mixed in. Listen to the archive broadcast in its entirety:
(02:06:17, stereo audio, 303.1 mb)
* the improv mix refers to balance and volume on each of the ten tracks being selectively altered during the performance. All of the hundreds of files were unmanipulated field recordings from my personal archive.
Enough said:
Colorado School of Mines invites applications for the position of Technical Media Specialist.
The Colorado Geological Survey serves the State of Colorado to ensure that the citizens of Colorado gain most efficient use of and economic benefit from geological resources, while maximizing their protection from geological hazards. Education and research programs affiliated with CGS are enhanced through close collaboration with the strong departments in the College of Earth Resource Sciences and Engineering: Economics & Business, Geology & Geological Engineering, Geophysics, Liberal Arts & International Studies, Mining Engineering, and Petroleum Engineering.
Colorado is well-known for its quality of life and outdoor lifestyles. Mines is located in Golden, Colorado, in a scenic valley at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. Mines has enrollment of over 5,400 students in undergraduate and graduate degree programs in engineering and applied science. The metropolitan Denver area, with its cultural and sports activities, is located a few miles to the east of Golden. The climate is continental with gentle summers and occasional snow in the winter. There is a major international airport within 35 miles of campus. For more information visit us at: https://www.mines.edu.
Responsibilities: The Technical Media Specialist writes press releases (for what ‘press’?), prepares information for the media (who’s that?) and is responsible for posts/tweets to social media outlets (?), including tracking social media influence measurements. Writes clear and compelling website content (yup), including articles, product descriptions, e-newsletters, blog posts, and podcast scripts. Researches and writes annual reports, newsletters, pamphlets, and other print materials. Works with technical staff to improve document quality, usability and relevance. Other duties include researching material, managing outreach events and agency website, and coordinating content reviews with senior staff. The position assists with general office administration duties and other duties as assigned.
Mines is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer and educator that recognizes that diversity is crucial to its pursuit of excellence in learning and research. Mines is committed to developing student, faculty, and staff populations with differing perspectives, backgrounds, talents, and needs and to creating a richer mix of ideas, energizing and enlightening debates, deeper commitments, and a host of educational, research, and service outcomes. As such, Mines values candidates who have experience working in settings with individuals from diverse backgrounds. Minorities, women, veterans, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.
Qualifications: A bachelor’s (MFA) degree in journalism, communications, digital media or a closely related field is required (CHECK). Other requirements include strong writing and editing skills (CHECK); applicants must be able to write clearly, succinctly and in a manner that appeals to a wide audience (CHECK). Must be proficient in the use of Adobe Create Suite, Adobe Creative Cloud or similar print, web content management and digital publication software (CHECK). Applicants must demonstrate, or show evidence of, excellent written, oral communication and interpersonal skills (CHECK). Must be able to take complex, technical information and translate it for colleagues and consumers who have nontechnical backgrounds (CHECK).
Preference will be given to applicants who possess:
• A master’s (PhD) degree in journalism, communications, digital media, or a closely related field (CHECK)
• A bachelor’s degree in geology, geological engineering, engineering, geography, soil science, or a closely related field (CHECK)
• Expert knowledge of social networking channels, web design, HTML and search engine optimization (CHECK)
• Experience working with audio/visual production equipment and other multimedia tools used to distribute podcasts online (CHECK)
• Knowledge of technical subjects such as geology, geological engineering, engineering, geography, soil science, or a closely related field (CHECK)
Once again, hopkins/neoscenes — joining the party, walking the plank, perturbing the ‘net — will delve deep into the archive to bring a signature improv sonic streaming mix to the Eternal Network, celebrating 2016 Art’s Birthday, the 1,000,052nd. The stream, in fond memory of network friend Robert Adrian X, will originate from the neoscenes studio high in the Arizona desert mountains between 12:00-14:00 (GMT-7) 16 January.
Stay tuned here for up-to-date information on catching the live improv stream. Mark the time — (you can go to World Time Buddy to calculate other time zones). If you are in the Prescott, AZ area, you can attend the performance live @ my place — but please RSVP before-hand, there’s very limited space!
Phoenix – Saturday, 16 January 2016 12:00 noon – 2:00 PM GMT-7 (MST)
New York – 2:00-4:00 PM GMT-5 (EST)
London – 19:00-21:00 (GMT)
Helsinki – 2100-2300 GMT+2 (EEST)
Sydney 6:00-8:00 AM Sunday, 17 January GMT+10 (AEDT)
Auckland 8:00-10:00 AM Sunday, 17 January GMT+12 (NZDT).
Sonic stream address: https://locus.creacast.com:9001/neoscenes.m3u (this URL is only live during the scheduled performance times, starting 30 minutes before). You can copy/paste the address into iTunes (use ‘File’ menu – ‘Open Stream’ option), or other mp3 players once it’s live. Headphones recommended to capture the ethereal density of the stream!
I’ll also be on IRC chat.freenode.net #artsbirthday along with some of the other international participants — it’s possible to connect through a browser-based connection at: https://webchat.freenode.net/
******
The stream is over, but you can listen to the archive broadcast in its entirety:
(02:06:17, stereo audio, 303.1 mb)
What do the strange markings tell us about the civilization that produced such an object? Given the rare metal it appears to be fabricated of, it is clearly a fine ritual object. It was, however, subject to some sort of violence as suggested by the asymmetric penetrations in one end, and it appears to have been intentionally crushed at some point — with a certain symbolic gesture perhaps? A strange planet, this one.