The Spontaneous Art Project (or The SAP) is a social art experiment currently being conducted by two University of Rochester students, Joe Benincasa and Elizabeth Del Mastro. The idea behind it is to use art to attempt to understand the different ideas and values of people living in different areas of the country. Tupperware containers filled with crayons and index cars have been hidden in arbitrary locations (parks, wooded trails, etc) in Rochester, New Hartford and Westchester County. 

The SAP is hoping to expand to other areas of the country and is currently looking for agents to help in the expansion of the project. I would love to see this spread, because I think it says a lot about the interconnection of people - I’m fascinated by the idea of a group of people running across something like this (which I would love to have happen to me) and being inspired to create art, which then the next person who finds the box sees and responds to. It’s all about paying it forward and using art, even simple art made from crayons and notecards, to communicate with one another. 

On how the idea for this project came about and what his ultimate goal for it is, Joe Benincasa says,

        “Liz and I originally came up with the idea when we were walking through this trail in the woods and saw a small tupperware container in the brush a few yards off the trail. I went to pick it up…on the inside was a bunch of stamps and a small flip-book of other peoples’ stamp designs that they had left there one by one. The idea was inspiring- though this geocache was lame and just held a log of the past travelers that had aspired to go hunting in the woods for a plastic box, the concept of a random selection of people finding one (like I did) seemed pretty cool. Both Liz and I have strong interest in sociology, anthropology, psychology and art, and the idea instantly developed…we decided that we wanted our boxes to be placed and found in areas of every socio-economic demographic in every possible environment so that the illustrations in each box might be linked to a targeted but random social group. Only 8 colors are in each set of crayons to provide control for the social experiment aspect of the project. If everyone surveyed can only use 8 colors, then trends in specific color usage by different social groups will be prominent. It is our hope that this project might translate into a national and even global phenomenon.”

This is a project with so many elements - art, the importance of spontaneity, psychology and how we understand and communicate with one another. I hope readers will support this project in any way possible and that it truly is able to spread and produce exciting results. Good luck SAP!

The College of Tactical Culture (CLC) presented by Eyebeam’s Summer School is a free lecture series/creative think tank which starts tonight (July 2nd) in NYC and goes every Thursday until the 23rd. The purpose of CLC is to help encourage the creative use of technologies for personal expression, activism, communication and more. Questions about measuring the impact of work, what we can take away from popular culture, the use of humor to get a message across and many other topics will be discussed. 

The list of lecturers along with more information is listed here. CLC is a great opportunity to network, discuss and learn more about creative uses for technology. But, remember, it starts tonight, so get ready.

LAPD, or Los Angeles Poverty Department, a theatre troupe comprised of homeless and impoverished individuals formed in 1985 by John Malpede has received an amazing amount of praise for both their theatrical performances and the incredibly real-life topics they choose to tackle. Their newest production, Agents & Assets, will both take place in Bolivia and include Boliviano cast members, and addresses the “drug war”, urging viewers to consider communities both in Bolivia and in the US affected by it. “The project brings together victims of the “War On Drugs’ in Bolivia and the U.S., people who have experienced first hand damage to their communities, their families, themselves.”

The story line for Agents & Assets was developed from the transcript of a 1998 hearing in the House Committee on Intelligence where allegations were heard regarding CIA involvement in crack cocaine trafficking in the Los Angeles area. 

LAPD is currently in Bolivia rehearsing and will begin performances on August 6th until the 23rd. For more information, visit the link and download the Agents & Assets press release.

Hipnostasis, a collaborative installation by Raymond Pettibon and Yoshua Okon, currently at the Armory Center for the Arts in Los Angeles has been described as both “celebratory and baleful”, using several cultural images and ideas to examine what it means to live a life of freedom. The installation, which features three elements - several TVs featuring videos of six scraggly, bearded men; a large phallus-like structure upon which the words “dead end” flash in and out of view; and pages from books by Jack Kerouac, Rudyard Kipling and Laurence Sterne as well as Samuel Beckett’s novel “Malone Dies”. The word “Hipnostasis” is scrawled somewhat haphazardly on the wall. 

The installation “reads like a mash-up of hippies, hypnosis and hypostasis” and obviously has a masculine feel to it, due to the phallic symbol, videos of men and “lost boyish” writings all by male authors, however  the deeper message is something most can relate to - aging, wanting to be free forever - these are classic desires of all humans that have been explored in art and literature for ages. Pettibon and Okon’s work seeks, it seems, to examine the all the good, bad, melancholy and beautiful sides to this desire, as well as pay homage to those who have explored it.

Concrete, Steel & Paint, the one hour documentary by Cindy Burnstein and Tony Heriza, follows the struggle of a prison art class to create an outdoor mural in the city of Philadelphia. Originally the project faced resistance from crime victims and victim advocates who questioned its message, but it was able to continue in a partnership with the city’s Mural Arts Program. The struggle and collaborative process resulted in a meaningful mural (for both prisoners and victims) about crime, restoration and healing.

The documentary does not attempt to suggest answers to the complicated issues surrounding incarceration and our nation’s prison system, but by highlighting programs like “Healing Walls” run by the Mural Arts Program, the film emphasizes the need for “dialogue and new approaches to finding justice and reconciliation.”

The Philadelphia premiere of Concrete, Steel & Paint will be at the International House on Thursday July 23, 2009 from 7-9 PM. The premiere features a discussion with the filmmakers, project participants and Howard Zehr (restorative justice pioneer). A reception follows the discussion. Tickets are $10 or whatever you can pay. Email cspfilm@gmail.com for your advanced reservations!!

Previous Post on the Mural Arts Program: Visual Restoration

Outpost for Contemporary Art
6375 N. Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, CA 90042

apexart Franchise | Outpost for Contemporary Art | The League of Imaginary Scientists present:
X, Y, Z, and U

“… an exhibition and a series of related workshops and interactions by artists and scientists who use participatory and experiential mapping in their work. The League of Imaginary Scientists is an art collective whose work pairs the creative experimentation of the science lab with free-floating and far-fetched ideas that are decidedly not guided by science. x, y, z, and u includes artists and scientists who are not members of the League, but whose practice also marries their creative practice to experimentation.”

participating artists and scientists: Kim Abeles|Kelly Jaclynn Andres|Jason Bobe and Mackenzie Cowell |Liz Kueneke |Andrea Polli and Chuck Varga

nb: through July 3

[text from Outpost public information mailing. Graphic from The League of Imaginary Scientists website. Thanks to JJ in LA for the tip. Cross-posted to The Data Stream.]

Apparently, we no longer need musical instruments to make music. In fact, scientists can now create music using nothing but human brain waves. It is done using brain wave reading from EEGs and using extremely  complicated (I can only imagine) math to create pitches and rhythms for the brain waves. Does this mean we can all be musicians now? Not quite, but according to some, if the technology is improved, it could be used to detect brain irregularities, such as Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia, etc. 

Follow the first link to hear some samples of tracks researchers have created, which sound like…kind of normal sounding music. Not very danceable, but music nonetheless. It will be interesting to see what develops with this unexpectedly cool technology.

Different Sames: New Perspectives in Contemporary Iranian Art is a relevant new book that seeks to explore Iranian culture and the contemporary art movement starting in the late 19th century. It explores both an artistic and socio-political timeline of events in Iran’s history - from the 1960’s at the heyday of the modern art movement, when art was only accessible to the most privileged classes, to the rejection of all modern art and forward thinking artists in 1979 as the Islamic Republic took power. 

Different Sames follows the path of contemporary art in Iran all the way up to present day where we see young artists recording biographies of themselves and their country through artistic means and using art as a drawing board and discussion forum for the creation of the future they aim for. The book also serves, it seems, as something of an analysis of the motivations, desires and culture of the young generation in Iran as well as an A-Z of the works of over 100 contemporary Iranian artists.

Not only is this book taking a unique and relatable approach to Iranian history, it seems to be a great reference tool. I think that understanding the art and art history of a culture gives a truly honest glimpse into the lives and minds of its citizens. For example, when we view art or listen to music of our parents generation, we certainly feel a closeness and deeper understanding of what their lives were like at that time. Art is often the only thing with the ability to successfully breach cultural, language and generational boundaries. In this way, Different Sames could not be more relevant at a time where we need to understand all we can about Iran’s history, present and future. 

For a full book review and more information about the book, visit Wallpaper.

Everyone’s favorite group of political pranksters are coming to the big screen. The Yes Men Fix the World premiered at the Sundance film festival to sold out crowds and standing ovations. The film follows a couple of activists as they break into the world of big business and pull outrageous pranks that “highlight the ways that corporate greed is destroying the planet.”

The Yes Men investigate why and how our society has created a market that makes doing the right thing nearly impossible. They take on some of the worlds biggest and baddest corporations, and relentlessly fight to break the cycle of ignorance. This funny, and hope-filled documentary will empower audiences and is another victory in the war against corporate greed.

Be sure to check out the trailer!

Previous Post: Yes Men Strike Again

From the Daily Dish - “It Happens When No One Is Watching”, shown above is the first advertisement to be able to use eye-tracking to respond to people’s gaze. I like this ad because it’s creative and reminds us that advertisements can be artistic too. It also makes its statement about domestic violence persuasively. Sadly, Amnesty International commissioned only one of these ads to be made and it currently sits at a bus stop in Berlin.

While this is awesome, many bloggers have pointed out its ultimate uselessness in informing citizens about domestic violence due to the fact that its one of a kind. However, I think from a design perspective it is great and shows that advertising does not have to be boring and also does not have to simply serve as a tool to sell us things we don’t need. It can be both creative and informative - but, unlike a work of art, there should probably be more than one.