A moment in time for Chicago

Here is an icon of Daniel Burnham which I created on "Obamicon.me"

Photo of a painting I happened upon in the Bucktown area (above).

Chicago is present on the world stage. This city goes by many names, including: the Windy City, the Second City, and the City of Broad Shoulders. From the political circus surrounding 'Blago' to the recently inaugurated President Obama to the planning roots planted by Daniel Burnham, we are present in the eyes and minds of the world.

With President Obama now in Washington, we have new reasons to think about our place as a leader on the world stage. Chicago has a past filled with ambitious thinkers and planners. Cheif among these is Daniel H. Burnham, who was Director of Works for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition and he (along with assistant Edward H. Bennett) created the 1909 Plan of Chicago.

I am not alone in seeing an arts renaissance in conjunction with Obama's rise. Here are some links: Artists for Obama, The Obama Art Report (a blog), and Art of Obama.

Capturing the essence of Burnham's visionary spirit is this quote: "Make no little plans. They have no magic to stir men's blood." Capturing the strikingly similar essence of the hope for change which Obama embodies may be the slogan "Yes, we can!" (there is also a music video on YouTube, with celebrities galore, of course).

Design Probes

Philips Design Probes intend to anticipate "politics, economic, culture, environments and technology futures." The program's intention is to engender some debate about the new infromation age's possibilities. Specifically, they have "the aim of understanding ‘lifestyle’ post 2020."

Youtube video of SKIN electronic tattoos.
Some images:

Youtube video of the SKIN dresses.
Some images:

CAR

This post is a nod to the Chicago Artists Resource. I find the most interesting artist sites, great organizations, opportunities, etc. In sum: ideas galore, check it out!

Flash Mobbing

I co-ordinated a flash mob (note: 2 links there) as a photo essay project. To spread the word, I created a facebook event:


. . . and took photos in 35mm B&W film:


Flash Mobs are art made tangible, immediate, and impactful. Chicago had a dose of this recently, when Improv Everywhere co-ordinated "No Pants 2K9"/ "The No Pants! Subway Ride" in cities across the US. In Chicago, the event looked like this: Metromix video/ Chicago Tribune article.

I like this article by Pete McMartin in The Vancouver Sun, which calls flash mobs "a kind of guerilla street theatre." McMartin is critical of the flash mob phenomenon, and I think he has a point: "dancing to one's MP3 player, in public, is an inside joke and smells faintly of an art installation. Hey, look at us! We're crazy! Or we're making a statement! Or maybe not!"

Even the critical can enjoy them, though. These performances are brought to the public sphere-by the public sphere. Ultimate democratization? I think yes...arguably. You have to be somewhat savvy of them to participate or encounter them, but flash mobs have become more mainstream, and it is easy to find out about them and to participate.

The MP3 Experiment, Frozen in Grand Central Station, and Mobile Desktop are among my favorite "missions." This Unexpected Performance is also worth a gander.

Eponymous (roughly: self-titled)

Using picnik again, I have been creating some new ways of self-promoting. I treat picnik as a sketchpad of sorts. The images came from a site I stumbled upon (it's in Portuguese).

All in the Family

Click on the photo above and vote! The photo is of my cousin Samme and was taken by her sister Becca. The contest could help Becca with scholarships for college.

Anatomy in the Gallery

The International Museum of Surgical Science (IMSS) will soon be having their annual series called Anatomy in the Gallery (note: that link is for the show being taken down today and tomorrow, so read on!). There are a remarkable amount of photos on the MySpace page.

The opening for Dominic Paul Moore and Laurel Roth is from 5-8pm Friday January 30, 2009. The show will remain in the gallery through April 17th 2009.

These photos also have links to the artist's sites. I recommend you browse both. I am enamored with the concepts and aesthetic of Moore; the materials and details of Roth.

Dominic Paul Moore, "You're Gonna Love It Here"

Laurel Roth, "Norethindrone" (Which is a female hormone since I already googled it)