Potpouri of Banality

I spent most of the day today looking for a couch that I could steal for my office. I guess I should have done that during the summer when there were fewer people around and I could have gotten away with it easier. The only one I like is in a much too conspicuous location and it would probably be missed quickly, even though I don't think it gets sat on very often.

In other news, the Littlest Print Exchange is really moving now, with 31 of the 50 editions in my possession. Tomorrow's the official deadline, so we'll see how many holdouts there are after the mail comes. I ordered supplies for the finished portfolios a couple of days ago, so I'll be ready soon to put everything together and send them out to all the participants.

Most importantly, I posted the new exhibit at Captive Werewolf, and it is a really good one.

Second Chance 001

Here's the first finished print from what I'm planning on turning into a long series. You can see me working on it in the video I posted earlier this week.

My First Movie (Not Really)

I bought a cheap video camera at Big Lots for about $20. It is a Jazz DV153, basically a cheaper version of those Flip cameras all the kids love. I think it is discontinued, so if you want one, you'll have to get the newer, fancier version with a screen that revolves so you can see your own face and look directly into the lens at the same time. Or else buy an old one like mine on ebay. Anyway, this camera has been sitting around here for a few weeks and I decided I should probably do something with it. Today I videotaped my shirt doing some screenprinting.

P.S. youtube's magic computer can tell that I used copywritten music in the video. How does it do that? Hopefully I won't go to jail. I'm not too worried. I'll just tell you this, Elvis Live at Madison Square Garden is a good record and it is only $8. You should buy it.

Popcorn Party

Until I have access to a decent scanner again, I'm not going to waste too much time with photography. It just isn't worth the effort to scan and color correct and dust off negatives when I know the resulting images will be worthless for anything other than posting on the web. I'll probably keep shooting, but will wait until I have a good scanner around to do the digital parts. The pictures above were scanned from the small prints that I picked up today. Normally, I just use these prints as a reference for which negatives I want to fool around with. But I decided to quickly scan these and post them here since I've been pretty lax on my internet activity lately.

I have been doing some screen printing stuff though. Today I printed the first two colors of what will ultimately be a project of at least ten screens. Tomorrow I hope to get another two colors finished and maybe even four. I could do it all a lot faster if I bought a few more screens. Right now I only have two, so I'm exposing and printing, then clearing off the stencils and getting the screen ready to start again the next day. The waiting time in between while the screens dry is the worst part.

Mr. Ali

Fair Grounds

I think I'm going to spend the next few weeks working out a good way to translate the photography I've been working on this summer into a screen printing project that can occupy me while the weather is get colder. Hopefully, I'll have access to a good film scanner again soon.

Captive Werewolf - Mike Egan

Even though the plan was made several weeks ago to open Mike Egan's exhibit on Captive Werewolf tonight, his paintings are surprisingly reminiscent of my mood right now.

More on Captivity

The other day I registered captivewerewolf.com to make that whole thing just a little bit more legitimate. Right now the address just redirects to the same old blog, but I might do a ground-up redesign of the gallery for the sake of practicing my web design skills. I also whipped up some business cards that I can pass out to unsuspecting people on the street. I gave away two today.

You'll Never Need a Better Friend

Little Prints

Portfolios have started coming in for the Littlest Print Exchange. As of today, I've received 15 out of 50. What's that, 30 percent? Whatever it is, it seems like a pretty good percentage with more than two weeks left to go til the September 1st deadline. I'm sure there will be a few holdouts that I'll have to put pressure on in order to get them to finish their prints, but so far, I'm pretty content with the project's progress.

The other day, I took out this old CD rack (that I'm planning to someday turn into a stand-up bass) and, using some cardboard dividers, made it into a collating device. I figured it would be easier to organize these prints as they trickle in rather than wait and have to do it all at once.

Expansion

Last Sunday I bought a box of vintage cameras at an auction for $27. Included in that box were these two awesome 35mm cameras, an Argus C3 and an Argus C4. Neither of these cameras is especially well regarded among aficionados of classic cameras, but I really like them. The C3, on the left, was the earlier model and was one of the most popular cameras of its day. Some reports suggest that the C3 was the best selling camera of the 1940s, 50s and 60s. According to its styling and serial number, this particular camera was probably produced in 1949. I can't get over the awesome "brick" shape, from which this camera gets its nickname. It is also quite heavy and solidly constructed, which probably has something to do with why there are so many of these cameras surviving in perfect working condition. I think the rangefinder on this one is a bit cockeyed, but otherwise it seems to be in pretty good shape.

The C4 seems to be in even better condition. Argus released it in 1951 with a non-changeable lens, which is a step back when compared to the lens options of the C3. However, it has a beautiful viewfinder/rangefinder combination which makes focusing much easier. That viewfinder is also a lot larger and brighter than the C3. The shutter resets itself when the film is advanced and, unlike the C3, it doesn't need to be cocked before shooting. Argus also changed the design drastically. The camera is lighter and easier on the hands than the big heavy "brick." Unfortunately, these changes make the C4 seem more like a boring, regular camera than a scientific instrument that might look at home on a WW2 submarine. In my opinion, the C3 is a much cooler camera.

I picked up a few box cameras and some folding brownies too. I think I'll just unload them on ebay. I've got so many old cameras sitting around here it is getting stupid. I like them a lot, but if I'm not using them regularly to take pictures, then I think I probably shouldn't keep them.

Finally, when I was taking pictures of the cameras, with my digital (which I haven't used for months) I found this picture I took in the rain of a dirty dinner plate on a dashboard.

Design

I recently completed these postcard designs for a couple of events coming up at GSU. I'm pretty happy with both of them and that made me start thinking that I should probably be keeping a graphic design portfolio. Even if I was just doing a few business card designs every once in a while, it would probably be fun and maybe I could even make a little bit of money.

Growing Up Cad

Next weekend you can stop in at the Chicago Art Department and buy some artwork. CAD is holding an auction to raise funds for their organization. In case you don't know, the Chicago Art Department is a non-profit art gallery/community dedicated to fostering new artists. CAD regularly hosts exhibits, providing opportunities for artists that might otherwise have a hard time finding a place to show their work. They also offer classes and workshops to help artists develop their ideas and skills. Although, I'm not really associated with CAD, one of the most enjoyable and successful shows In which I've had work was the 200 Lincolns exhibit there last winter. When I heard CAD was asking for donations, I thought this could be a chance for me to show my appreciation. So stop by CAD next Friday, August 14th for an auction preview and then come back Saturday to bid on your favorite pieces. Mine would be a good choice.

Chicago Art Department
1837 South Halsted
Chicago, IL 60608

Exhibiting artists will include: Hilesh Patel, Trent Reusnow, Abraham Velazquez, Marta Sasinowska, Ricardo Gonzalez, Brian Galin, Matt Hill, Edyta Stepien, Chuck Przybyl, carlsweets, Galina Shevchenko, Shellie Fiocca, Christopher Clark, Elsa Munoz, Jen Rosenthal, Lisa Peterson, Kerry Flaherty, Roxane Legenstein, Katie Brown, Alta Buden, Kristine Borcz, Sangini Brahmbhatt, David Schalliol, Nat Soti, Arlene Badillo, Chris Hales, JaGoFF, Ingrid Bonne, Katie Holland, Seth Gershberg, Nick Haas, Shawn Stucky, Delicious Design League, Byron Durham, Stacy Peterson and Aaron Edwards.

Americans Love America

Breaking Away

One of my recent photos was chosen for the Rearview section of Gaper's Block, a Chicago-centric web magazine. Since it went up on Friday, it will be on the front page of the site for the whole weekend. That's pretty nice, but it isn't cutting it. I also found out today, that I didn't win any awards in D.C. I didn't really expect to win anything, but that would have been a really nice boost. How personal should this blog be? I'm feeling a serious need for something good to happen.