Quarter of the way in

Last week, I showed my assessor my studio project (see below) so she could make a 'formative assessment' of it – a non-graded written indication of how I'm going. This arvo NSRU1 are meeting the tutor for our sound course for an informal verbal version of the same thing.

On Thursday, for critical studies, I've got to hand in an essay worth 50% and give a presentation on a reading worth 25%. We could choose which readings to do, and, being an idiot, I chose based on content without regard to the calendar. So my first assessment for that course is worth 75% of the final mark. If I stuff it up, it's pretty irrecoverable.

Oh well, it'll be good to see how I'm going.

A joke

During his speech at the opening of the World Cinema Showcase last week, Bill Gosden said he didn't want to talk about the programme but the global economic crisis. To the chorus of groans that greeted this announcement, he compared it to early drug experimentation: everyone's anxiously asking each other 'Are you feeling anything yet?'

Quote of the day

Suprematism is to all previous painting as philosophy is to journalism.

- Yurkevich

Oh yeah

If you haven't already, check out the radio show of NZ drone, noise, and lo-fi that Rose has been doing for an outfit called Radio 23. Details are on her blog.

Elective E

Part of my course this semester is Fine Arts Elective E, also known as 'rhythmic feedback noise from electrodes', about using sampling and synthesising technologies. For the course, we've split into groups and are each doing a project involving audio and/or video. My group – Neoteric Sound Research Unit No. 0001 – is doing an audio project, culminating in both a performance and a record.

Another member of the group's keeping a blog as a kind of online workbook. On it, you can check out the recording of Saturday's practice and look at pictures of Matt's violog, among other treats.

Border collies can recognise photos

Or so says this. I might have to experiment on mine.

Some pics

So I had my first crit yesterday. A tutor and a group of other students gathered in my studio:

I gave them a questionnaire:

A The content (images and text) of some of these paintings was intentionally chosen, but for others the content was randomly generated according to a system of rules. Does knowing this, but not which painting is which, affect the meaning of the paintings?

YES  NO 

Comment: ............................................................................................................................

B Please indicate whether each painting has a meaning:

1. YES  NO  Comment: ......................................................
2. YES  NO  Comment: ......................................................
3. YES  NO  Comment: ......................................................
4. YES  NO  Comment: ......................................................

And I showed them paintings 1–4:

My favourite comment for painting 1 was 'Neo-conservative rebellion'.



You can't see it cos I haven't painted it in yet, but the last one says 'the lure of sudden evil'.

After everyone'd filled in the questionnaire, we had a nice discussion.

And...

...speaking of photos, I promise I'll put up some photos of the paintings I'm currently working on soon.

And maybe I'll have a wee rant about participatory art as well. You never know.

Oh yeah

Check out some glorious photos of the end of the world.

The joy

I woke up with a hangover this morning to the joyous sound of contractors cutting into the street right outside our house.