Saturday, March 29, 2008

DIORAMA REAL PIC


Here's the real pic we're going to use for the publicity for the installation/record. I'm making dioramas this weekend that will magically be sunk into our bellies by Photoshop.

Corey Hayes took this photo. He's a mensch, as well as a great photographer. He had a lot of good ideas, including building me a campfire:
I have to say that that morning, while it doesn't look it, was COLD. I can't remember ever being so cold. I couldn't feel my feet for two hours after we finally came inside. If only our Central Park photo permit allowed us open fires, we would have lit that thing, i'm telling you.

Which brings me to rope jumping, a warm reindeer game that i am apparently sad to be left out of:

Dioramas posted tomorrow!

Sunday, March 16, 2008

DIORAMA PICS


I went out on Thursday with Corey Hayes who is going to take our pics for the record/tour/promo/etc. We had a lovely walk around Central Park, scouting locations, chatting, and watching a hawk attack a squirrel. The squirrel didn't get eaten, but it was real close.

We came up with this location--103 and 8th Ave...I think this is the winner. Of course, only I'm in the test shot. I the real thing they'll be four of us. We'll take the pic as is and then I'll sink cardboard dioramas into our bellys. The diaramas will have very bright colors.

The idea is that the color comes from the sky and the grass (which I will colorize), we'll wear grayish colors and the dioramas in our bellies will also be bright. I'm going to try to suggest the shape of CP with the box too--as though we're all maps of Manhattan and the park is inside us--get it?

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

YARN CONES EVERYWHERE


Because of a newly imposed deadline for at least one of the bigger pieces (we need something to take pictures of, no?) I've stepped up my production of yarn cones. They now cover nearly every surface of my home, and I have a couple hundred more to go!

I've sent my mom some yarn to help. I hope she can do a handful too. If anyone wants to help I have easy instructions and will ship yarn.


Thursday, March 6, 2008

TEABAG WRAPPER BIRDS/STAR HOLDERS

(CLICK TO ENLARGE)

Here's a bird I made of teabag wrappers, teabag tabs, printer paper and staples. I'm figuring that 100 or so will be attached to the ceiling and each will hold a single led "star" from it's undercarriage. That way when night "falls" the stars will turn on--you won't be able to see the birds anymore, just the stars.

Here's another pic of a few of his friends in my window:

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

CARDBOARD PARK BENCHES


(CLICK TO SEE PICTURE)

In trying to solve the problem of making park benches that are both in keeping with the re-appropriated materials idea and the portable idea, I became interested in making furniture out of cardboard for the installation. I found a few things on the internet which lead me to believe cardboard can be engineered to support human weight. I actually think it will be pretty easy. The park bench above is one I made to see what it would look like--I'm liking the foldy-ness of it, and also that it looks pretty beefy yet cast-off. This is an idea I'd like to carry throughout the whole project-- a kind of large, heavy presence in dimension, but light to pick up. I also want to continue with the idea making castoff things into solid, usable objects--the idea that your imagination uses available materials to construct a Utopian world.

Right now this Tyvek bear is taking advantage of the so-far miniatureness of the Utopian world. He has quite a habitat there on the windowsill.

Can't wait to be out of bed long enough to make a life-sized prototype!

A

Tuesday, March 4, 2008

PATH/CROWS

(CLICK TO SEE IMAGE)
Here's just a cursory sketch of the foot path. The gist of it is that a stationary bike will control wooden (or maybe cardboard) crows that fly overhead when someone pedals. This is Austin's challenge to figure out how this'll work. He's smart. I didn't draw an an important element to this whole thing--mirrors will be at crow level so that it looks like a lot more of them. That was Tully's great idea.

The stepping stones on the path will be Rice Krispies epoxied hard. Some experimentation must occur with this...