fait divers

fait divers

I take issue with both the words appropriated and plagiarism appearing in the following article’s title.

For better or worse, they are two different things. Activity and result. It’s a thin line between creative genius and stolen artwork.

ArtNet - Jeff Koons/Nef-Nef

https://news.artnet.com/art-world/jeff-koons-plagiarism-lawsuit-1354876

https://news.artnet.com/art-world/jeff-koons-plagiarism-lawsuit-1354876


And I'm no fan of appropriation art. See also: Richard Prince and art I've done in response to his works (which, based on this new blog, deserves a post of its own).

Fait D’hiver, 1985 advertisement versus Fait D’hiver, 1988 sculpture. Side by side.

It's derivative. It's not an exact copy. It's also an uninspired derivative... Koons swapped his then wife into the design, took out the booze/reference to being saved (like by a big mountain dog), and added some penguins.

But then again, it's an ad that's just leaning on the shock/out of place nature/juxtaposition of the subjects. So maybe the ad is uninspired, but maybe I just don't know the context well enough...

Is putting a fancy lady next to a pig low hanging fruit, conceptually? In 1985 was it?

But also, the original show that Koons' piece was created for was based on making derivative works. On purpose. Based on ads. This piece was made to specifically be a derivative. So... where does intent and permission come in here? Were there 10 other pieces? Was permission granted for any works if they were overtly derivative?

Do we just call this plagiarism because the original artist didn't give permission? Or are we just calling stolen artistic ideas with mildly different approaches "appropriation art"?

And what about it taking 30+ years for the original artist to know about the piece and bring suit?

Surely the original artist was paid for their designing the ad, as was the model for appearing in it. And the photographer for shooting it. And whoever else was involved.

I... assume the pig was a trained professional or a pet. And that it was not eaten, but was loved.



I want people to be original. Artists especially. Jeff Koons isn't particularly the most well known hero of the modern art world at this point. I don't care if he was or wasn't in 1988, in one case out of maybe a few dozen...

But a case does creates precedent. It this arena, this precedent, (from my point of view) stifles remix and re-imagining. By an inch only, maybe. But it takes that inch, without remorse.

Midterm 2018 aka RvBv3vNULL

Midterm 2018 aka RvBv3vNULL

It's a game. And the strategy is about sequence and priority.

The game is rigged,
but it's the only game in town.

November 6, 2018
Red versus Blue versus 3rd Party versus Null *

The most functional priority at this moment is to play the game as it is dealt. Because no matter the number of players, which team they play for, if they play for a team that has no chance, or if any players abstain… the team who wins tonight will still wield power as a result of the outcome of the game.

There are two dominating teams right now. One is doing damage to the field we play on. The other is trying to stop the damage to the field (at least).

The penultimate match for the current season started this morning.

*— I guess write-ins also? Or fourth or fifth parties.

So, here’s the game as I see it:

Red versus Blue. Capture the Flag.

It is two teams only (despite other teams hanging out near the field, even pretending to play). The game is "Capture the Flag". Every player is basically worth one point. Most players into the flag zone(s) before the time limit expires wins.

Before the game, whoever convinces the most people to play for their team (or removes the most players from the opposing team) has the best advantage to win.

It’s not a sprint, it’s a relay race. Each sprint is a serious part, but we HAVE TO keep going.

Participation.
Over multiple seasons.

Beyond that, the most optimal priority is to use the rules as they exist to affect future outcomes by participating constantly and consistently.

Voting == participation.

There are other forms of participation (soap, jury, ammo, etc). But participation in the voting form helps ensure that the next game will be played, if not in a more fair way, in a way that at least *you* (or your team) find(s) more suitable. I would like to say ‘let’s assume all players participate in an effort to make the game more fair next time’, but that would be childish of me. Some people will cheat. Some will manipulate the system. Some will manipulate the players. This is how this game has worked thus far.

So then, if you choose third party or choose to abstain… Your only input in the game is to skew the Red versus Blue outcome. While it would be nice to have the option, you can't just vote to [ make the game fair ] in a magic wand/silver bullet sort of way, where each team has an equally probable outcome (3, 4, 5, 6 teams… and on and on).

Right now, you have to participate for the team that is most likely to move the pieces into your perceived optimal and/or fairest position for the next game and the next game. Because there needs to keep being next games.

Next game, if you stay motivated and involved, you should have gleaned enough to know which team is the best one for you to participate for. And the time after that. And the time after that. So it’s incremental. Your involvement via support, via activity, via results. You evolve the system you’re a part of, or it stagnates, withers, and crumbles.

Right now our increments are the Red and Blue teams trading positions, over and over. I don’t like it as much as anyone else, but that is the reality of the situation.

I’m not saying disruption of that is impossible. I’m not saying I don’t want that disruption to happen.

It IS possible. I DO want that disruption.

But from a mile up, right now, in this very moment, you’ll see the Red and Blue teams fighting it out. The Green team and the White team… They’re not even taking significant chunks of the board. As for any other team color… I’m not even sure we could see them from this far up.

So swallow your pride. Your logic. Pick a color. Get in the meaningful part of the game- not forever, not permanently. Don’t sign a pledge to only ever back the Red team or the Blue team. Start working on the Green team. Or start the Lavender team.

But play the game that got dealt this morning. Play it because it matters so, so much… because it 100% does.

You’d have to be blind or complicit not to see that one side is breaking the rules right now. And that their primary strategy is to keep playing it like it’s about ONLY winning or losing.

But this isn’t a W/L, Elo number, zero-sum game. It’s a long, long, seasonal, recurring and stacking game.

ALL of this is predicated upon the idea that the game is worth playing. And it's only worth playing if the players participate. And the only outcomes that truly, truly matter are the ones that aren’t skewed or manipulated.

Patreon 1 - Sept 2018

Patreon 1 - Sept 2018

So, I’m not sure what Patreon counts as a month. Or rather, what they count as the first month. Is it the month you start or is it the first full month?

Anyway what I did was treat the people who signed up in September as folks who received September’s rewards. Thanks to my living situation and continued job hunt while working as a day laborer situation, I’m just now finishing parts of it, though I sent the September prints out a few weeks ago.

The first two postcard paintings from this new, continuing project are (finally) complete:

Big huge thank yous for September 2018:

THANK YOU ASHLIE
THANK YOU BRAD

I’ll be sending out the phone backgrounds this weekend. And posting more about October’s patrons and rewards soon! You know, since October is nearly done.

You can become a member here: patreon.com/irrezolut

Roaches and Endings

Roaches and Endings

I’ve moved out of my apartment in Reston.

I spent the last month working with the apartment complex and an exterminator. I got the leasing office to agree to let me out of my lease if the infestation wasn’t resolved to our satisfaction. It wasn’t. So here I am, couch surfing while I look for a new job and a new place to live.

99% of my life and my entire studio is now in a 10x20’ box. I thoroughly wrapped anything that wasn’t clearly and certainly not infested in plastic (hundreds of records, books, magazines, crates of electronics, my PC, my TV, my monitor…). Stuff that was questionable or made by Ikea was thrown out.

Some non-infested things just got ‘baled’ to make it easier to move them. Anything that might have hidden a roach or an egg sac was wrapped to suffocate and dehydrate. Everything in that unit is being cooked during the day and chilled at night. Having become nearly an expert on German cockroaches (the kind that infested my apartment), this should be sufficient to ensure they’re all dead within about two weeks. A month to be sure.

55979885688__C7189CA0-7981-4251-A1FC-81F7DF22E5AD.JPG
55979882738__7BB7449C-DEBF-4DB4-B01D-7F265FAE26A7.JPG

I moved for a bunch of reasons. A lot of them were to make myself and my dog happy. The location was key. Right next to a huge park to go for long walks in (and to mountain bike in). Close to the Metro.

The rest, I was sure, wouldn’t matter. But I was wrong. I had never lived with infestation. I didn’t know how to search for information on what it might mean. I saw some roaches when I moved in and thought “Normal. The reviews of this place say there are roaches, we’re right next to the park, and it’s an apartment. There’s no way to prevent it entirely. I’ll be fine.”

On my last night there, sleeping on a couch, I plugged in my phone charger only to have a roach crawl out of the outlet and along the wall, pausing as if to say “How dare you?” before I slapped the wall, crushing it.

RenderedImage.JPG

I should have engaged with the leasing office on day one. I should have looked up more than a few Wikipedia pages and blog posts. I should have been more concerned when the infestation got worse during the summer.

Would have/Should have…

The thing is, though, the building should be cleared and cleaned. It deserves a renovation and some upgrades. It’s an old building. It’s got some history. It’s not great, but it’s in a beautiful area and it deserves to be preserved better than it is.

Someone should put love into it, because it deserves that. Most of all, the people who move into it, who live there now, who want to live there in the future… they deserve to live free of the possibility that their possessions will become infested. They shouldn’t be worried that they’ll have to throw out their beloved rice cookers or their expensive TV’s or Playstations. Or that their food will become contaminated or their pets sick.

I’m glad that I was able to get out with so few problems, on the scale of problems that could have come from this whole situation. But we need to do better. Sharing a building is a necessity for so many people.

When I left the apartment yesterday for the last time, I sang:

Adventure Time, come on tell your friends
Let’s go to very distant lands
With Ghost the dog and Joe the human
The fun will never end
It’s adventure time

You can sing that song and make it sound kind of sad. Or you can sing it and remember that now you’re not bound to the DC area anymore. Not just by decision, but also by circumstance.

So I’m staying with friends for about 2 weeks. Then I’m heading down to NC to stay with my Mom for a bit. I have interviews and part time work lined up. But this might be the end of me living in the DC area.

More soon.

Jade Rabbit/Jade Jester/IR Custom - Anime & Homage

Comment

Jade Rabbit/Jade Jester/IR Custom - Anime & Homage

The Jade Rabbit and its iconic design, most notably the Jade Jester ornament, is one of the most intriguing designs in all of Destiny 2 (and D1).

It gives a nod, in game, to something that we just don’t have any lore for:

Anime.

My painting of the Jade Rabbit/Jade Jester ornament - optimized for 19x13” print.

The nod to Akira and the decoration style of Kaneda’s custom motorcycle is a fairly clear. It’s reminiscent of late 80’s early 90’s anime with a cyber punk lean. My version replaces the in-game decals with graffiti, my own logos, references to my play style (Hunter main, baby) and a nod to Akira and my favorite anime of all time, FLCL (which, side note, was also the icon used for the clan I have been a part of since joining in on Destiny on PS4 in 2015).

The suggestions that Destiny makes, time and again, to it existing in the future of our world, is something that few post-apocalyptic settings do well. Either its a huge effort and a long reach to get there, or it’s just ignored in favor of development of other kinds of story, game play, game modes, etc.

A full view of the finished 42x36” painting.

PROGRESS SHOTS

The overall process was fairly simple. Using in game screen caps, as well as a preview from the Destiny Companion app, I was able to isolate and get a full profile view of the Jade Rabbit. From there, I made a rough sketch that I then scanned, scaled up, printed and traced- this time using a ruler to straighten out and conform/balance the source sketch.

At this point, it’s still rough because just the outline needs to go onto the canvas. I have a lightbox projector thing that, tbh, just isn’t super bright or easy to use. But in a dark enough room, it works decently if I’m patient. Once the outline is on the painting surface, it’s a lot easier. I mixed up some bubblegum pink paint that would run and drip. I used some additional collage layers and stickers to get the right details on the canvas. And then I used transfer paper to get finer and finer details, and to add better outlines for fills (especially on that text).

The symbols I chose to modify or include push the references closer to the motorcycle in Akira. Obviously, the original design is reminiscent of several cyber punk and anime designs, and it smacks of American and UK punk culture. But I couldn’t not see the connection to Akira.

Kaneda’s Bike

Kaneda’s Bike

KANEEEEEDAAAAAAAAA

KANEEEEEDAAAAAAAAA

Destiny has a rich lore. Period. It’s one of the reasons it’s my favorite game. The new lore and triumph screens really turn this into the experience I’ve always wanted (you hear that, EA? You hear that, Bioware? Go back to the level of production in the original Mass Effect, please!). The depth and intricate web of story from a game that is essentially non-linear in its storytelling is fantastic… even if the story itself that your Guardian lives through is not always the most compelling narrative.

How many engrams do you think it would take to hold my favorite anime films, TV shows, related American spin-offs, and manga? Just one, probably, right?

Comment

Patronage & Work

Comment

Patronage & Work

PATRONS & CREATIVE WORK

Today is Monday, September 10th. I have decided to take advantage of the services offered by Patreon to connect with those of you who deem my work worthy of hanging in your homes, offices, game rooms, and various places of work.

You can check out my Patreon here:
patreon.com/irrezolut

I will be offering three things to you, potential Patron: digital art (wallpapers for your phone and computer), 4x6 postcard paintings, and prints.

12080913916_d86e7b8960_o.jpg

These offerings will be completed on a monthly basis (except the prints- more on that below). Certainly new designs and new prints will be made available to patrons as well. And I will also endeavor to offer everything that I make for the Patreon available for sale on my Etsy and at shows, via local pickups, etc.

Previously, I made postcard paintings once a year for anyone who wanted one, for free. Those of you who received them will remember that they were somewhat random. I know many, many of you still have them in cherished spots in your home. Below you will see a few additional examples of these works.

I never kept those addresses or e-mails to keep in touch. I definitely should have. So I'm starting from scratch, in some ways. I hope, even if you previously received free art from me once a year, you'll consider subscribing at any level.

DIGITAL ART

A wallpaper for your phone and computer- actually several for your phone, based on how the compositions will be made for large monitors. These will be formatted for high resolution screens and scaled down to fit most devices and screen ratios.

POSTCARD PAINTINGS

4x6 mixed media paintings, some started on blank postcards, others on extant postcards. These will be selected randomly from a batch created each month.

A huge number of examples of these kinds of paintings are available to view on my Flickr, with hundreds from previous years runs of gifted postcards. There are over 1,000 pieces to view, should you have the time. : )

2014 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 

PRINTS

Inspired by the mechanics in video games, I have created a "loot table" of my prints, available at 9.5x13" and 13x19". For the remainder of 2018, I will create a table with four prints. Everyone who subscribes to the monthly print "loot table" will get all four prints, which I will feature here in another post. If you subscribe, I'll roll a D4 and you'll get the corresponding print (#1-4).

The table will also utilize a "knockout" feature, which I will use to prevent patrons from receiving duplicate art.

dice.jpg

Next year, assuming things go well, I will offer 20 different prints. But you're saying to yourself- "How will that work? There's only 12 months in a year! How will I get the whole set?" Well, dear patron, I will offer bonus levels to receive "extra rolls" on the loot table each year so that you can obtain 20/20, if you are a completionist like I am.

More details on all of this soon, including the prints on offer for the remainder of 2018.

ON TASK (RABBIT)

Additionally, this week I will find out if I am approved to work as an independent contractor via Task Rabbit.

After seeking a job relentlessly these past two months, I have been offered only a few interviews. So I am looking to gain income through some ancillary skills, such as decorating, furniture assembly and deliveries.

I'll post more on that soon, if I'm approved for this work. I expect to be, but I don't know the exact criteria used, and assume that if there is a dearth of users already offering the same skills as me, I might be put on a waiting list or something.

I will continue to apply to design and art jobs throughout the DC metro area, and will begin looking for new opportunities elsewhere as well.

 

Thanks for reading. More soon.

Comment

This is Labor

This is Labor

Today, September 3rd 2018, is a national public holiday in the US. Labor Day. It is a day designated to celebrate labor unions and American labor.

You might not know it from the way the American government treats its workers. You might not know it from the way that American politicians talk about labor unions. You might not know it at all, because you are probably aware how hobbled individuals are by 'Right To Work' and the debacle that is the American healthcare/insurance system.

But I guarantee you that there are real people working hard, some being ground to dust by their labor, some sustaining entire families or groups by their efforts. We don't even really need to compare and we don't need to draw lines between them. We know labor when we see it.

To them, to those whose efforts drive us forward through progress and struggle, we can raise a hearty salute.

To everyone living paycheck-to-paycheck. To everyone secure in their station. To everyone locked in bed by their own brain after 10 days straight of full shifts. To everyone who spends a greater share of their working hours raising money and not _actually_ working. To the beggars and the destitute. To the impostors. To the originators.

Your labor is valuable. Your efforts rest on the shoulders of all those who came before who wanted to build a better place for themselves and for all others: friend, family or stranger.

Our individual efforts, accelerated by the gravity of our interests, bring us forward. Our best moments and our best interests drive us towards goals both lofty and mundane. We trust our momentum and do what we can, every day.

Let's help each other stay motivated and work hard to reach our goals. We can encourage each other with positivity and righteous critique, being as honest as we can about our successes and failures.

This is labor.

 
“Now, we the American working population
Hate the fact that eight hours a day
Is wasted on chasing the dream of someone that isn’t us
And we may not hate our jobs
But we hate jobs in general
That don’t have to do with fighting our own causes
We the American working population
Hate the nine-to-five day-in day-out
When we’d rather be supporting ourselves
By being paid to perfect the pastimes
That we have harbored based solely on the fact
That it makes us smile if it sounds dope”
— Aesop Rock