implicit art

ABCNEWS.com : ABC News’ The Note: First Source for Political News

DIANE SAWYER: The polls show 53 percent of the voters in the recent poll think that you change your mind too often. George Bush has 59 percent of a clear stand on the issues ’Äî you have 28 percent. Is there any way in which you’re responsible for that?

JOHN KERRY: I think their advertising and their ’Äî their effort over these last months to use that word have been particularly successful. I give them credit for it. But it doesn’t reflect the truth. See what the Republicans do ’Äî and they love to do ’Äî and they’re very good at it ’Äî and they’ve spent millions of dollars doing it ’Äî is just find a little sentence here and find a little sentence there ’Äî and take it out of context. That’s why I look forward to this debate, because it’s an opportunity to be able to really let the American people know the truth and know where you stand.

There seems to be a theme running with the latest art exhibitions I’m covering. Similar to what I said about Dylan Thomas Graham, Santu Mofokeng’s show, at gallery momo, similarly asks its viewers to construct their own meaning, find their own narrative.

At first.

One major difference between this show and Dylan’s is that Santu has very obviously been doing this for a long time. Each image is prolific, articulate, precise, and beautiful in its own way. But the other major difference is that, on further inspection (and a bit of prodding), the personal explorations of Santu become ours as well.

The show centers around images of his brother - who Santu recently found out is HIV positive. One of these images, eyes wide shut, then takes us on a journey through the rest; some very literal, some rather potent-tho-banal-looking-at-first. Each photo takes on new form in the story, once we know its backdrop. Walk through a few times; ask a few questions.

As usual, worth checking out.

I should also mention that I heard fantastic things about Lesego Rampolokeng’s book launch, which I could not make, last night (at the very same gallery). Despite my little run-in with his publisher, rumor has it that there was a great turn-out, and Lesego’s reading was as interesting and entertaining (this, we all know) as he was personable (so much for M&G biases).

I’m gonna pick me up a copy of his book, blackheart, at the local Exclusive Books, and put some words up here about it at the first chance I get (may be a while, but that’s a promise).

One of my students (Adriane Gilbert), in her first link list for portfolio.net (MCAD), put up a small design team from Chicago. thirstype’s best bit is their typeface entitled freedumb (sample above) - and all proceeds get donated to MoveOn.org.

I should also note that you can get one of two versions of this typeface: With or Ithout - the latter of which has no W.

Summer is coming!

Here’s a pic from a portion of our ‘entertainment patio,’ complete with our (about 2/3rds) indigenous garden. Don’t you wish you were here?

As a fan and friend of Jonah and Katherine, I’ve been blogging about their work, including umbrella.net, since I first had a blog (my first post ever was actually a link to Jonah! I’s ‘in the know,’ baby!).

However, I would never claim to be as well informed, or as articluate, as Douglas Rushkoff:
TheFeature :: Networks Without the Net

Boing Boing: Bushism DVD out

Bushisms the book is now Bushisms the DVD — hosted by comic uber-genius Brian Unger of The Daily Show. The DVD features Al Franken and others commenting on nucular-strength malapropisms from the presidentiary such as:
# “War is a dangerous place.”
# “Karyn is a West Texas girl, just like me.”
# “Rarely is the question asked, is our children learning.”
Link

Noah Wardrip-Fruin (of Regime Change, which I just reviewed, and will be on Net.Art News soon) has some interesting things to say: Grand Text Auto » SIGGRAPH 2005: Back in the game?

SIGGRAPH used to be one of the lone outlets for people to exhibit digital art, and has, as of late, gone to sh!t. However, if this guy is into the new game plan, I’d check it out (note: as far as I know, all SIGGRAPH-goers are self-funded, or by their institution; if you, like me, are on a South African budget, then it’s a no-go)

So, I’ve been having major trouble with my database today, and struggled to install various fix-its on my server. I’ve no doubt that there is little interest in my problems or solutions (especially since I’m not sure what I did to fix it, and I lost the few blogs I tried to write about it during said process), but hey, it’s an excuse for your not seeing any writing from me today.

Last night, Willem Bosshoff and his wife, Annelle (sp?), Gerhard & Maja Marx, and Abrie Fourie and Donna (I always forget her surname) came round for dinner. It was lekker - as in tasty. Me and Nicks mades good foods.

Lesego Rampolokeng’s book (blackheart) is being published, and the launch is over at one of my fave spaces - gallery momo. Here’s an interesting article on him / the book. Admittedly, I’ve seen Lesego perform a time or two, and it was most certainly worth the effort; and then some. However, is it just me, or does this article paint him as a condescending, ‘hard-done-by,’ who thinks he is smarter than the world / universe / Stephen Hawking?

Of course, this could just be a bias of the author, so I’m gonna show up to the opening on Tuesday (6:45PM), to see for myself. I hope I’m reading it wrong.

I’ll follow-up.