What to Do With a Dozen Roses

Blind Communication

2006-02-22T01:09:00.001-05:00

I came up with the helium rose idea when we were working in class with manipulating roses (the "what to do with a dozen roses" project). My initial concept was "blind communication", sending a gift to a random stranger. You would not know who received your gift, and they would have no idea who it came from. The intention is to brighten up someone's day (even if it is a small gesture). I think it would be an amazing visual statement and a great interactive piece. Hopefully someone far from the Mattress Factory will see this rose descending toward them, it will spark their interest and they will follow it. That is the way I see it happening, though it might not work that perfectly. My design is to tie the bud of the rose with a tiny bit of the stem to a helium balloon that is filled enough to take it a great distance. I just realized that there are twelve puzzle pieces, so I have been pondering a new idea. Each puzzle piece could be photographed and printed small on a light weight piece of paper and place inside the balloon. There would be twelve balloons, one for each person in the class (with their puzzle piece inside and a rose attached). So each person would be letting a piece of themselves float away. I thought having some one in a car follow a balloon with a video camera would be an interesting way to document it (I don't know how practical that is, but it's an idea).
-- Kevin Clancy, Montour High School, Allegheny County

2006-02-20T17:30:00.000-05:00

Tape Face

2006-02-20T17:06:00.000-05:00

Jenna's zine hanging on the clothesline

Tape Face (Cover)

Lost + Found

Princess Ballerina Astronaut

PRINCESS BALLERINA ASTRONAUT

if you'd asked me what i wanted to grow up to be when i was little, i'd have said
princess ballerina astronaut.

i really wanted to be an astronaut, but i may have wanted to be a ballerina too. i'd tell them i wanted to be an astronaut but i think the fact that i dressed up like a
princess made people say "but don't you want to dance, or be a princess? why don't
you become the first princess ballerina astronaut?"

it always annoyed me later when my obscure dream job was brought up. i said i'd never
wanted to be a princess ballerina astronaut, i wanted to be an architect or something.

when people saw me draw they'd ask if i was going to be an artist. i'd answer NO!
and think they were crazy. they annoyed me. still those people who tell me, "i hate
you, you can draw, the things i draw are stick people, you suck," get on my nerves.
only now when they ask me if i'm going to be an artist, i say YES.

now i want to be an artist and realize it's the same and i haven't changed.

Jenna Boyles

2006-02-20T13:43:00.000-05:00

Ryan being interviewed for MF-TV

2006-02-20T13:35:00.000-05:00

The Mattress Factory's: Jennifer Baron + Kate Joranson
The Hardest Working Art Educators in Show Business!

2006-02-20T13:13:00.000-05:00

Danielle

Kevin

Exploding the Book has been one of the best experiences of my life. It exposed me to so many things, like meeting artists and discussing process, proposing an idea to museum curators, and unifying a group of people to create one installation. This class has been the biggest learning experience. I met Diane Samuels, David Pohl, and Biko through the Mattress Factory. I was able to talk to practicing artists in Pittsburgh, which for a young artist is an amazing opportunity. Art is what makes me happy and consumes the majority of my time. My art takes many forms, including music, poetry, drawing, painting, and sculpting. Art is not always a concrete object. Art is thought. There is art in the process of dreaming. Art can occur consciously and subconsciously. Art is directly related to everything. I have grown so much from Exploding the Book. I met amazing young artists who I could really relate to. This class really opened me up, and allowed me to share my ideas and opinions freely. I have been inspired by the other students, David, Diane, Biko, and everyone else I have met through my class. I am excited to work on another installation, and to learn from another great instructor.
-- Kevin Clancy, Montour High School, Allegheny County

2006-02-20T12:59:00.000-05:00

Eileen + David

David Pohl + Carol Skinger

Chelsea's performance with a hammer and rose

2006-02-20T12:47:00.000-05:00

Opening Reception

2006-02-20T00:42:00.000-05:00

Display of rose art from the "What To Do With A Dozen Roses" project.
Roses were stitched, melted, plucked, made into paint, made into cookies
and eaten, covered with hot glue, smashed with a hammer, reconfigured,
wrapped in wire, frozen and burnt.

Jenna talking with guests.

Ben, Kevin, Ryan, Eileen

MF 14s at the unveiling of "Clothesline Anthropology" 2.18.06

2006-02-19T23:54:00.000-05:00

Bottom Row (L-R)

Eileen Joseph, Hanna Schwartz, Danielle Tomson

Middle Row (L-R)

Ben Page, Gretchen Gally, James Pitt, Ben Stroup, Rose Fishman, Jenna Boyles

Top Row (L-R)

Kevin Clancy, David Pohl, Ryan Laib

Missing- Chelsea Greer

Pingting says.....

It was a pleasure and I will treasure the memories.

Keep making, doing, being, seeing and sharing
your ideas, talents, and dreams with the world.

Peace,
David

P.S. - - I'll be returning to teach at the MF, so I
hope to see some of you again. For those of you taking
the next class... I'm looking forward to viewing your
new work(s).

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

2006-02-18T21:19:00.000-05:00

Huge congratulations to EVERYONE on the outstanding opening reception today! It has been an honor and a joy to get to know you, and to experience your creative, thoughtful and inspiring artworks. What a fantastic turn-out for today's opening! We hope to see many of you soon, for the next Factory 14s class and visiting the museum.

Stay tuned for more pictures from throughout day, which I will post this week here on the blog. If everyone else could share their photos as well, that would be terrific.

WHIRL Magazine Tomorrow

2006-02-17T12:12:00.000-05:00

Hi Factory 14s!

A photographer from WHIRL Magazine is coming to the opening tomorrow at 4 PM to take some pictures of all of you!
See you soon!

Well, Come

2006-02-16T23:06:00.000-05:00

Clothesbasket Invitation concept/realization by Danielle.
Sock Invitations designed by James and Ben.

Ready To Fly!

2006-02-16T22:46:00.000-05:00

Rethinking Balloons

2006-02-15T17:36:00.000-05:00

Balloon Releases - Unjustified Concern

Mass balloon releases come under fire from misinformed critics who inaccurately claim releases generate a major source of litter and threaten the ecology. While anecdotal, subjective “evidence” is usually cited to support these assertions, corroborating factual data is rarely presented.

Important facts you should know about latex balloon releases:
Only latex balloons are used by professionals in mass releases. Industry guidelines require these balloons to be self-tied and have no attached strings or ribbons — each released balloon is 100 percent biodegradable.
Rarely do released balloons return to the earth’s surface intact. Studies show these balloons usually rise to an altitude of about five miles. At that point, freezing and air pressure causes “brittle fracture” creating spaghetti-like pieces that scatter to the four winds.
While some balloons don’t reach this altitude, research indicates that in an average 500-balloon release, the unexploded balloon return density is no greater than one per 15 square miles.
Research shows that regardless of the latex balloon’s ultimate form when it lands, it will decompose, forming a natural soil nutrient at the same rate as that of an oak leaf.

Balloon Rethinking

2006-02-15T17:24:00.000-05:00

I just read the environmental issue on the blog. I was really disappointed,
but I started to research. I think if we use the correct materials, we can
make this project earth-friendly without completely compromising the idea.
Here are the Industry Release Standards:

The American balloon industry has set firm standards for mass balloon
releases.

1. Releases must use only 100 percent latex balloons
2. All attachments must be biodegradable
3. All balloons must be self-tied
4. Balloons cannot be attached to each other

So if we use biodegradable latex, and a biodegradable rope material we can
do it. The site that you referenced,
http://www.balloonhq.com/BalloonCouncil/facts.html#releases, stated that
most of the concerns are misconceptions. There is a lot of good info, and I
will continue to research. E-mail me with your ideas.

One problem I came across is that Latex can be an allergic reactions, mild
to fatal. This is worth looking into, but 94% of the population will never
have a reaction.

Kevin

What happens when a balloon is released?

2006-02-15T14:42:00.000-05:00

Something that I discussed with Jennifer "Popcorn Fresh" Baron this morning was the
environmental impact of releasing dozens of balloons into the air. If they don't
happen to safely land in someone's front yard or nearby tree, what becomes of the rubber balloon itself,
the string? the print inside? Litter? Bird nest fodder? Hmmm. Possibly or possibly not.

Some things and something to think about and more to read on the subject below.
This is the amazing thing!.... On the WWW there's a link to EVERYTHING!

Who'd have thunk it. http://www.balloonrelease.com

What happens when a balloon is released?
A scientific survey carried out in 1989 revealed that on release a
balloon will float up to a height of approximately 5 miles and then
it becomes brittle and shatters into miniscule pieces falling back to earth at a rate of circa one piece every 5 square miles. Problems can arise when a balloon is not inflated properly or fully or is carrying too much weight and therefore does not reach the height at which shattering occurs. This situation causes a potential danger to wildlife and the environment.

We always practice the following steps to insure that our balloon releases are environmentally safe -

~ Never tie ANYTHING to balloons which are being released. Messages can easily be written on the balloons with a felt tip pen.

~ Only use biodegradable balloons. FYI- Latex is naturally occurring material made from tree sap.

~ Always use fully inflated balloons, and release shortly after filling.

More info at: http://www.balloonhq.com/BalloonCouncil/facts.html

Kevin.... any thoughts??

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

2006-02-15T01:30:00.000-05:00

Exploding the Book! From Book Arts to Installation Arts.
Our course title.
David Pohl.
Our instructor.
Rose Fishman, Ryan Laib, Danielle Tomson, Jenna Boyles, Chelsea Greer, Ben Stroup, Kevin Clancy, Eileen Joseph, Gretchen Gally, James Pitt, Ben Page, Hannah Schwartz.
Our group.
http://mattressfactory14s.blogspot.com
Our blog.
Saturday, February 18, 2006. 2-5pm
at The Mattress Factory
Our unveiling.
Clothesline Anthropology.
Our product from the process.

From the first class period in October to the February of a new year, this class has been focused on the meaning of a message. Through physically dissecting what a book beholds and discovering the truth behind the diverse connotations that the written word has, the MF 14s have explored many ways for an individual to communicate ideas, stories, and truths.
When planning the final installation project, the group wished to tell their own story—by exploding the book, story, and written word. The stories of a diverse group of individuals come to life in a tangible form of clothing, clotheslines, and a huge puzzle. While each message may be different, the concept stays the same: truth is not simply sketched in stone for one must go into the heart and soul of the story to get the message. Walk into the minds of different individuals. Envelope yourself in the study of others. Let your story fly away in a balloon. Become part of the art experience. And never judge a story by its façade.

-Danielle

Putting the Pieces Together

2006-02-13T19:59:00.000-05:00

Just to let everyone know if you didn't get David's email... We are hanging the puzzle pieces tomorrow. I'm coming after school (4 o'clock for me) until 6 (or it's done). Please make sure your piece is there!
And for everyone who was still at MF on Saturday for my catastrophe (long story, ask later) my piece will be right side up!

Also, about the artist statement thing, I am going to try and write something later (if I have time [application for Ecuador goes out tonight!]). If you have already started it or are planning to start, let me know. I think that we should try to collaborate on this.

*sigh* I can just tell it's going to be a long night.
~Gretchen

Tomorrow

2006-02-10T22:54:00.000-05:00

I just got back from the thrift store, I got glasses for kevin, old lady hankerchiefs and a baby bonnet. I saw the piece when I went in on tuesday and it looks awesome! You guys really got a lot of work done. We should try to cover details for the rose balloons (who, where, when) tommorow in class.
Also details for opening, who can bring what (Jennifer can give some money to anyone who brings in food).

If anyone can come in early tommorow OR stay late that would be great, I will be there at 11.

Tommorow we should definatly try to work on the zines for at least an hour.

-Eileen

Off the Page: From Book arts to Public Art

2006-02-10T22:47:00.000-05:00

Factory 14s Youth Art Course

Off the Page! From Book Arts to Public Art
Session II: Saturdays: March-May 2006
Instructor: Mary Tremonte
For ages 14-18
Cost: $125 ($110 MF members); scholarships available.
Register for this Course Online

Artist Statement for Clothesline Anthropology

2006-02-10T13:28:00.000-05:00

Hi all!

Everyone here at the MF is very excited about your opening. Your piece in progress looks fantastic and the title you chose is so thought-provoking. Many museum visitors have been enjoying the work and asking questions all week, so we have been handing our your lovely invitations.

This Saturday, or over the next few days, please have someone, or a group, from the class write the text (one-page is fine) for a wall panel to be placed in the Lobby near your installation, and to be used as a hand-out. Please include all of the basic info about the course, such as course title, date of the work, names of the artists, title of the piece & instructor name. Similar to the invite, but this document should serve as an Artist Statement about your final work, coming from the perspective of the class, in order to introduce your creative process and the installation to the museum's viewing public. Perhaps some of you might want to work on this together? Maybe include some of Kevin's text about the rose and balloon project, and/or some text from the blog? Could you please e-mail me this when it is ready, so we can make a sign and xerox copies? Or, Eileen and Gretchen could put the text onto a disc and leave it on my desk. Please let me know if I can help with this step in any way.

THANK YOU!
Jennifer Baron

blind communication

2006-02-10T13:22:00.000-05:00

I came up with the helium rose idea when we were working in class with
manipulating roses (the "what to do with a dozen roses" project). My
initial concept was "blind communication", sending a gift to a random
stranger. You would not know who received your gift, and they would have no
idea who it came from. The intention is to brighten up someone's day (even
if it is a small gesture). I think it would be an amazing visual statement
and a great interactive piece. Hopefully someone far from the Mattress
Factory will see this rose descending toward them, it will spark their
interest and they will follow it. That is the way I see it happening,
though it might not work that perfectly. My design is to tie the bud of the
rose with a tiny bit of the stem to a helium balloon that is filled enough
to take it a great distance.

I just realized that there are twelve puzzle pieces, so I have been
pondering a new idea. Each puzzle piece could be photographed and printed
small on a light weight piece of paper and place inside the balloon. There
would be twelve balloons, one for each person in the class (with their
puzzle piece inside and a rose attached). So each person would be letting a
piece of themselves float away. I thought having some one in a car follow a
balloon with a video camera would be an interesting way to document it (I
don't know how practical that is, but it's an idea).

Kevin

improvising and letting

2006-02-07T16:42:00.000-05:00

I do not really have a planned piece, I am just improvising and letting the work
go where it wants to. I am using paper mache, charcoal, paint, and maybe
some found objects. It may be completely different by Saturday.

Kevin

Hanging Clothes

2006-02-07T16:33:00.000-05:00

How is everyone doing?

2006-02-07T03:23:00.000-05:00

Blue Orchid had some questions (see below) and hope I made some sense answering them.
Remember that the puzzle piece you make will be seen from BOTH sides.
(Ruh-rOh!!?)

Deadlines are important and a necessary component of any art exhibit, but don't get too stressed out about it. Relax, have fun and enjoy the process of creating.

Anyone want to share their process?

Me? I'm really excited to see all the results.

Questions

2006-02-06T16:22:00.000-05:00

Will the backs of our puzzle pieces be seen?
and
Are the people making zines supposed to make just one and copy it, or make a couple different ones and use the originals?

Invitation for Clothesline Anthropolgy Opening Reception: Saturday February 18, 2006 2-5pm

2006-02-05T13:23:00.000-05:00

Invitation design by James + Ben

Hanging up the Clothes

2006-02-04T01:41:00.000-05:00

front

back

back

Photos

2006-02-04T01:36:00.000-05:00

Diane's art

David's record toaster

Discussing ideas

Projecting the puzzle

Tracing

Cutting the pieces

Visit with Diane Samuels

2006-02-03T12:38:00.000-05:00

A visit with Diane Samuels whose piece Mapping Sampsonia Way is included in the current exhibition Messages & Communication.

Diane spoke about her recent piece in the Mattress Factory galleries and lead students on a wonderful tour of her home and studio on Sampsonia Way.

Thanks Diane!!

Head Puzzle Figured Out

2006-01-31T18:41:00.000-05:00

Roses by any other name smell as sweet...

2006-01-29T22:51:00.000-05:00

For "what to do with a dozen roses," we talked about the significance of the roses and thought about different ways we could present roses. In our group, one rose was wrapped in wire, and another was burned. I used fresh petals to stain a drawing of a rose I made a purplish color. I also tried to paint a picture of a rose using crushed petals and leaves mixed with egg yolk, like egg tempera. It really didn't turn into paint; it just glued the petals and leaves to the paper. The first class we cut out words and pictures dealing with love from books. Later on we merged the book project with the rose idea by creating collages with the words of love with pictures of roses. For my collage, I placed the words and pictures of love around a picture of roses. I then used string to link some of the words. I'm trying to dye a white rose red at home by putting it in water dyed with food coloring. We are going to talk about how we will do the installation; where we might put it and what materials we might use.
-- Jenna Boyles, Frazier High School, Fayette County

Rose by Chelsea

2006-01-29T22:43:00.000-05:00

Hannah working / collage

2006-01-29T22:35:00.000-05:00

Jenna working / collage

2006-01-29T22:34:00.000-05:00

Kevin working

2006-01-29T22:33:00.000-05:00

Rose working

2006-01-29T22:31:00.000-05:00

Ryan's altered rose / Ryan altering rose

2006-01-29T22:26:00.000-05:00

Kevin's rose (made from leaves of a rose)

2006-01-29T22:25:00.000-05:00

James burning a rose

2006-01-29T22:23:00.000-05:00

James burning a rose (detail)

2006-01-29T22:22:00.000-05:00

Eileen working on rose with hot glue gun

2006-01-29T22:20:00.000-05:00

Chelsea's rose and hammer

2006-01-29T22:16:00.000-05:00

Danielle wrapping a rose with wire

2006-01-29T22:14:00.000-05:00

Gretchen's rose

2006-01-29T22:12:00.000-05:00

Gretchen stitching a rose

2006-01-29T22:10:00.000-05:00

An installation by L'ubo Stacho

2006-01-24T23:16:00.000-05:00

I was just looking at the past exhibits at the Mattress Factory, and I found
an installation by L'ubo Stacho.
His installation used clotheslines, and it may be a source of inspiration for our piece. You can find his installation
under Past Exhibitions: 1995 Artists of Central and Eastern Europe.
http://mattress.org/index.cfm?event=ShowArtist&eid=16&id=25&c=Past

-Kevin

Head / Puzzle Grid

2006-01-24T22:47:00.000-05:00

Thinking About Projects

2006-01-24T15:04:00.000-05:00

Class on Saturday was really productive in decision making. The bust, piece ideas, altered clothes, and zines sound like they will work really well together. I've been doing some brainstorming for my clothes, puzzle piece, and zine. It's really hard to keep some new ideas going for each part, but I want mine to have a subtle similarity to them all. It's a hard balance to keep!

The zine seems to be the easiest for me since I have a bunch of writing pieces lying around my room. I even found some homemade paper from the Children's Museum that I have been saving. I also have a mini-book that unfolds so I might use that for my basic pages. So many options on what to put inside, though!

For the puzzle piece, I was thinking of covering the entire piece with "aged" newspaper clippings and obituaries, contrasting the happy with the sad. Then I wanted to do a really light water color painting effect over that. I wanted to layer my own calligraphy writing in with some other found objects that I save like pressed flowers and bottle caps. But I think that it might be too cliche since it's like a cheesy self-portrait.

What are you guys thinking for your puzzle pieces? Are they along the same lines or something radically different?

Materials

2006-01-21T10:26:00.000-05:00

From Eileen
Saturday January 21
9:40 am

I have talked to a few of you individualy and I know some of you already plan to bring things in to class today but for those of you who have missed class or are not sure what you could bring here are some ideas. (feel free to add)

Clothesline project
clothes
clothespins
hankerchiefs
skarves
gloves
hats

Zine Project
special paper or fabric (the mf has a lot)
photos
poetry
any writing really
any collaging materials

Puzzle Project
(nothing yet, until we get the pieces cut)
but keep brainstorming!

Rose project
(the MF will provide all materials needed for this project)

I think at some point today we should come up with a materials list this will be very helpful in order to know what we have enough of and what we dont have any of.

Response from Kevin

2006-01-19T21:03:00.000-05:00

This is my response to the blog. I tried to publish my entry on the
site, but it did not work. I agree with Jenna that the audience should not
be permitted to manipulate the clothes on the clothesline. Initially I had
a vision for work on the fire escape, but now I see that this would deviate
from the idea. I do believe that duplicate pieces should be hidden in the
museum. I think that this relates to the concept of identity, and how
difficult it is to discover someone’s inner being. You must search for the
pieces of a person (usually they are hidden) to truly understand them. As
you get to know someone, you see small fragments of who they truly are. As
you begin to look for the pieces you find more and more. I think that this
concept works with the viewer seeing a puzzle piece, and then being
intrigued to look deeper. I hope that I explained that well enough.
As far as what our pieces should combine to form, I first thought of a
flowing dress. Thinking more about our theme, it seems that it should be
the outline of a human bust. It makes sense to have the pieces form the
person (maybe that’s too obvious and cliche). Maybe a piece should be
missing, signifying that a puzzle is never complete. There are always
pieces of your inner self that no one will ever know, and there is always
room for the puzzle to grow. My question is how many layers of clotheslines
should we have leading into the puzzle? Should the layers become more
manipulated as they approach the inside (keeping with the theme of a
presentable, normal facade)?

I’ll see you on saturday,
Kevin

Furthering Ideas

2006-01-18T12:07:00.000-05:00

These ideas sound great. I agree with Jenna that the piece needs to stay in one area and not require so much audience participation. As lame as this may sound, you can't trust people, even at a swanky museum like the Mattress Factory. Edie Tsong's piece is a good example of how a good idea can go wrong when people start to mess with the artwork a little too much. By keeping the participation in the realms of light touching of the zines in the pockets (if we go that route) then that should be enough. I'm not a big fan of scavenger hunts or surveys.

Are we still thinking about the lobby as the main place for the exhibit? Or are we thinking a different place in the museum?

~Gretchen

2006-01-15T16:01:00.000-05:00

Ok, my computer's being crappy. It said that there was an error when I got invited to the blog and I'd need invited again, but apparently there was no error and I'm part of the blog. So here's my opinon. I'm all for the clotheslines infront of the puzzle idea. The puzzle is good, but I think that it needs to form something when it's all connected, like the outline of a person or a book or something. It would just make more sense if all the pieces came together to make something. That's just what puzzles do. As for public interaction, I don't think they should be able to mess with the clothes on the line, like cut them up or manipulate them. If it represents physical appearance, it doesn't make sense to change it. You don't go up to people on the street and say, "I don't like your shirt" and start cutting it up. Besides, if I bring in some of my clothes (some of which are already manipulated by me), I don't want people screwing with them. It's like respect my physical appearance (dont judge a book by it's cover) dont try to change me. I think that a good way for the public to interact would be the blank puzzle piece idea or have white t shirts available (instead of a box of old clothes) that they can manipulate and hang up. That way the project grows, but our work isn't messed with. Not finished yet, hold on. Having puzzle pieces around the museum is a bad idea in my opinion. The installation would be more effective it was all together in just the lobby. Why have pieces laying around randomly? If I were a viewer, I'd be confused and wouldn't like the fact that they aren't together. The same goes for clothes in the fire escape or stairwell. First of all, the weather would ruin the clothes. Why would they be out there anyway? How would that tie into the main idea of physical/inner image? Is that the main idea? Is it messages in communications and exploding the book? If so, theres communication involved in the clothes covering the puzzle. It could be a metaphor for a book: the cover is the clothes and the puzzle would be the text. That's why I think the puzzle needs to form something other than another puzzle piece. The zine would be part of the book/communication idea as well and if the pages correlate with the puzzle pieces and the zines are in pockets of the clothes, it would show how inner image/personality shows through in what we carry with us or read. Ok, theres my outlook on the whole project. No clothes manip. unless white t's, one place for the installation, and the puzzle should create a form. Sorry that was so long, but I had to do it lol. I just mean for the ideas we presented yesters to be reconsidered a little before we start.
-Jenna

IDEAS FLOW like 3 Rivers

2006-01-08T13:09:00.000-05:00

WOW! I was really impressed by the ideas you all came up with yesterday.
Really, great. I am looking forward to seeing how they develop into an
installation. If anyone wants to post some of them up on this blog
that would be wonderfull.

In Memoriam: James Church 1958-2005

2005-12-29T12:39:00.000-05:00

03.church.07[1]1
Originally uploaded by pingting.

James Church
b. 1958, USA
Cold Comfort, 2003
cabinet, jars, down, chalk, elderberry wine, poison berries

James Church

2005-12-29T12:38:00.000-05:00

james_church_booksculpture
Originally uploaded by pingting.

Found object sculpture made for
The Mattress Factory's Garden Party
Auction / 2005

Listen

2005-12-13T11:00:00.000-05:00

Here are links to websites from the presentation....

free103point9.transmission arts

The Original Web-controlled
Shortwave Radio

neurotransmitter

Mattress Factory Radio Lab

December 3, 2005 : 1pm - 4pm

neuroTransmitter ,Tom Roe

The Mattress Factory
500 Sampsonia Way
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15212

Presented in conjunction with the exhibition Messages and Communications.
$5 ($4 MF Members)
For ages 8 and Up
RSVP required; space is limited
(412) 231-3169 or education@mattress.org

AUDIO STREAMED LIVE ON FREE103POINT9 ONLINE RADIO

2005-12-13T10:51:00.000-05:00

Roses
Originally uploaded by pingting.

Something to consider.

2005-12-12T12:37:00.000-05:00

HEY GUYS..

I was thinking that it would be really helpful if from now on every week someone would volunteer and write just a brief summary of what went on in class. That way if someone misses class they can just check out the blog to get filled in instead of having david try to catch them up during class. This will also ensure that everyone is on the same page when it comes time for the next class.

What do you guys think?
Can someone write one for last Saturday?

-eileen

Missing class is not good

2005-12-10T12:36:00.000-05:00

I am going to be missing class every other week. Starting today. Since I am going to be missing a lot of important infomation, I need someone to tell me what we did and what we are going to do. I know ping ting will but I would also like someone else to tell me too. I'm on the run. I have to go.
This is fun.

Imagine

2005-12-08T00:26:00.000-05:00

John Lennon (1940-1980)

Imagine
Imagine Peace

Yoko- Yes, fortunately we both agree.
John- Unfortunately not always.
Yoko- (Laughs) In the end.....I wonder what's gonna happen?
John- Fortunately we don't know.

"Fortunately" - vignette from "Bed-In" 1969
© 1998 Yoko Ono

Light and Dark, Opposites or Similarities?

2005-12-03T11:55:00.000-05:00

I was recently thinking about Light and Dark in the Middle Ages in an Art History Class. Light was used as a symbol of God, whereas darkness was a symbol of blindness, bad, etc. However, these two things really need each other to exist. There needs to be an opposite. Good exists because there is bad. Darknesss exists because there is light, or vice versa. Priests would even use darkness to "scare" people in to the light, (i.e. "If you don't believe, you go to darkness--hell") So, I ask beyond the context of this class... If darkness is blinding, isn't light just as blinding? They are immeasurable. You have faith in both that they exist. You are blind when ignorant and blind when immersed in truth. You can be ignorantly blind or humbly blind. I just thought that darkness and light could almost be a paradox-- opposites but the same. It goes to the question, is white the absence of color or is black? You can argue what you want, but they seem to be the same. I'm just so curious about this. Ah the paradox in our life! how beautiful.....

2005-11-24T20:02:00.000-05:00

i cant seem to get how to work this but all the stuff i want o write on this blog is on mine so if you feel like it you can check it out, and if you ahve enough energy you can leave a comment as you know how. it's www.bambabushkachelsea.blogspot.com see ya!

What to do with a gallon of paint

2005-11-22T23:54:00.000-05:00

One Gallon High Gloss Industrial Enamel, Thrown

3 in 1

2005-11-22T16:45:00.000-05:00

To anyone who would like to put a photo in their profile I can help you, its very simple. You can IM me (ambivalentxlove) or leave a comment.

ALSO, here is a link to my webshots page if any of you want to check it out. http://community.webshots.com/user/3ileen

AND Anyone who is free the day AFTER thanksgiving, there is gonna be some cool stuff going on at the MF. AIR (artist image resource) is going to be doing screen printing and there will be a few other tables with some stuff to do.

AIM

2005-11-20T19:24:00.000-05:00

You people need to download AIM so we dont haf 2 use this blog as our only form of communication. my AIM screenname is FordSuck45 and im turtleicious

2005-11-20T00:00:00.000-05:00

"Our youth now love luxury. They have bad manners, contempt for authority, they show disrespect for their elders and love chatter in place of exercise; they no longer rise when elders enter the room; they contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up their food and tyrannize their teachers."

Socrates (c. 470-399 BC)

What to Do? Help Desk

2005-11-19T13:27:00.000-05:00

How may I help you?

If you need some help why not post a question and someone can post an answer.

If something is boring after two minutes, try it for four

2005-11-18T16:24:00.000-05:00

I saw John Cage (1912-1992) give a talk
in NYC in 1986. I don't remember much or anything of what he said, but I'll never
forget
the way he
said it.

I met John Cage at The Mattress Factory in 1991 at an after opening party in Barbara & Micheal's apartment(s).
I was terribly shy at the time and a bit in awe of meeting one of my heroes of the avant-garde. So, I sat beside him
in silence on the couch & we bothed seemed quite content to do just that.

When the artist Buzz Spector met John Cage at The Mattress Factory in 1991, he said, "Mr. Cage, it's an honor to meet you."
John Cage replied smiling, "No it's not. It's just something that happened."

"I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened by the old ones."
-John Cage

"If something is boring after two minutes, try it for four. If still boring, then eight. Then sixteen. Then thirty-two. Eventually one discovers that it is not boring at all."
-John Cage

typing

2005-11-17T14:51:00.000-05:00

i dont like to type so my posts will be very short so dont get aggrivated. i dont usually go according to punctuation either so... i use abbriviations and shortened words so bear with me. its hard to type on my laptop so i just dont do it very much. my desktop thingy has sptware so i cant use it(which makes me mad even though its a windows 98 comp.)

later,
james

What's The Value of a Blog?

2005-11-12T20:13:00.000-05:00

I am very new to the world of blogging and it appears that many others are as well. The word blogging is so new infact,
that my spell check does not even recognize it....( blooding, blooming, blotting, blowing, logging, bogging, clogging, flogging
and slogging are several options to pick from to replace the word)....However, it's becoming increasingly clear that
blogging is a phenomenon which is rapidly changing the way that people share ideas & images, connect to like minded
indivduals, communities & family members and offers endless possibilities for self publishing.

I'm very pleased that we as a group (The Factory 14s) are entering into this new realm of "Messages & Communication".

And now a message from our sponsor.....

A friend recently told me about Technorati. Which is a search engine for blogs. http://www.technorati.com/

On their home page they claim to be Currently tracking 21.1 million sites and 1.7 billion links.

We here at Technorati think that all your blogs are priceless. But when Weblogs Inc. was bought by AOL a few weeks ago, Tristan Louis did the math. He figured out how much each blog in the Weblogs Inc. stable was worth, based on their Technorati rank.

Inspired, Dane Carlson whipped up a handy little calculator with the Technorati API. Just enter your blog URL to see how much it's "worth" using the Weblogs/AOL math. Give it a try!

My blog is worth $0.00.
How much is your blog worth?

Logging in and creating a username & password.................$0
Creating your first post................................................................$0
Commenting on previous posts...............................................$0
Uploading photographs & artwork............................................$0
Uploading stories, poems, journal entries, hyperlinks, memories,
shopping lists, recipes, reviews, comments, opinions, advice,
cryptic messages, jokes, rants, raves, small talk, large talk,
elephant talk, .......................................................................$0
Sharing ideas & communicating with one another................Priceless

Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose

2005-11-12T13:06:00.000-05:00

The sentence "Rose is a rose is a rose is a rose." was written by Gertrude Stein as part of the 1913 poem Sacred Emily, which appeared in the 1922 book Geography and Plays. In that poem, the first "Rose" is the name of a woman. Stein later used variations on the phrase in other writings, and "A rose is a rose is a rose" is probably her most famous quote, often interpreted as "things are what they are". In Stein's view, the sentence expresses the fact that simply using the name of a thing already invokes the imagery and emotions associated with it.

Gertrude Stein's repetitive language refers to the changing quality of language in time and history. She herself said to an audience at Oxford University that the statement referred to the fact that when the Romantics used the word "rose" it had a direct relationship to an actual rose.

For later periods in literature and visual art this would no longer be true.

Gertrude Stein was a member of The Lost generation, a group of expatriated American writers who resided primarily in Paris in the 1920's and 1930's. The group consisted of many influential American writers including Hemingway, Fitzgerald, William Carlos Williams, Thornton Wilder, Archibald MacLeish and Hart Crane. These writers were disillusioned with the American society and bitter about their World War I experiences.

She was the first writer who made integral to her work the idea of an indeterminate and discontinuous universe. Words represented neither character nor activity: they were "not imitations either of sounds or colors or emotions. Language was an intellectual re-creation. Through an emphasis on such stylistic devices as repetition she used language to deny meaning and representational concerns. As she pointed out, she would "write as if the fact of writing something were continually becoming true and completing itself, not as if it were leading to something. A rose is a rose is a rose. And a universe is a universe is a universe.

Hey Guys!

2005-11-05T17:42:00.000-05:00

Hello my fabulous Mattress Factory 14s!
Welcome to the wonderful world of Blogging. I encourage you to create your own user names and I will invite you to this blog. From there, we will each have our own user names and passwords so that we can edit this blog (and you can create your own too!) Please note that I will create a xanga for us to use, just incase we don't like blogger. I know xanga is easier for me to use, but this gives us the freedom of having our own user names and such. Everyone loves to have their own identity!
So that I may invite you to this blog please put your first and last name in the subject line and e-mail me at the address that David provides you with. I will have e-mailed him it. I will e-mail you back, inviting you to this blog and then follow the instructions the e-mail provides.

Lovely!
Ciao for now
DT

P.S. Sorry I can't be there on Saturday! My schedule is just FILLED to the brim with papers and tests to do this weekend and an upcoming performance. I will miss you all! :(