unrelated irony, or, unironed relations

I found myself at a loss of the word 'acronym' moments ago, yet I am now set to graduate from my university (of the Rutgers New Brunswick variety). Transcripts are in, I'm calling myself a winner.

Now, a BA means BS to me, and those aren't acronyms anyway. And the omniscient spellchecker is contradicting my contractions, so screw it. My brain-loss can probably be attributed to the past five days I spent at Fusion Festival, in Lärz, Germany. It was a total adventure into partyland; magical forests, crazy structural installations, glowing things and people of all kinds (but mostly of the cool variety) infiltrating the music, non-stop all hours funshow.

Well, it's all still sinking in and I'll be wishing I had more pictures, but check out FLICKRFUSION2009. It's not as if I could showcase how awesome my time was. Best of all, I must say, was the incredible surprising good fortune I had to get a chance to see Ratatat perform, so I may as well have died happy and been reborn ecstatic as I left that sweaty room. And I did, and I was, and I stayed up and partied all through the night, into the light, unlike the advice from Poltergeist.

The graduation thing is taking time to sink in, too. I won't have a diploma until October, and not even a ceremony (I don't want any ritual observances from Rutgers, please, God). I'm just looking forward to celebrating with my friends who went through it with me, and those who must yet persist in their educations, and for those whose life is education, as we all live and learn through anything if we persist (and insist, and desist [from intravenous drugs, please]). And Rutgers taught me shit that a non-flying ape could have thrown at me. It hasn't made me a man or a mind. I am both of those anyway. And so, we make this work.

~electro sizzles

P.S. I wanna give a shout out to Michael Jackson, although he won't hear it.

The Dirtiest Night In The City

Check out the digital version I posted a few entries ago, and compare to the work I made today. FINALLY, after sitting on this for so long, I set it down for good, on wood. The background is made of cigarette carton foils.

Celestial Bodies

I made this painting as Friday's night stretched long into Saturday. I got some samples of curved wooden postcards from a design gallery. The circles are a printed pattern, and I did the rest.

I write, last night at Cross-Continental Spirit, with Ray Blues on his sax:

"Like the ebb and flow of a river, free, pure music finds cycles and streams, runs up against obstacles and around them, too, and swirls along its course. An endless cartography of terrain to cover. As each drop of water contributes to the whole of the river, so do the notes of a session get caught up in progression. A quick view of the tumultuousness created in a moment, in every moment of living. Sounds and liquids mix up the colors of your reflection and sHape you as something infinitely greater than that which you know you are."

I'm reading a book on the biography of "the New Music" of the 60s and 70s, influences of John Coltrane and Ornette Coleman and the like. As serious as your life, by Valerie Wilmer.

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OTHER NEWS!! NEW NEWS!! ONE NEW TWO NEWS!!
Check out a slideshow of my project ||Pu|Blic|| on Flickr.
Do it to it!

Outer Frills

I offer myself a toast, a post, some toast for breakfast? I ate breakfast already. Müsli and joghurt everyday. I'm trying to save a bit of spending money for when Deva comes, only three more days, and I'm hella excited to blow my load on her. That was contextually appropriate, so I had to say it. I recently moved into an apartment in Kreuzberg, which is a much more happening neighborhood than Schöneberg, while remaining closeby for bike rides. Since the last post my former bike was stolen and I've inherited the most ridiculous set of wheels. I look ridiculous on this thing, and it moves so slowly, but I'm not so worried about accidents, at least. I'm finally healing from my spillage, and settling into new context feels good. The flat is well-accommodated and I have nice roommates, too, while most of my friends have left for America or travels elsewhere. Befriending Berliners, I feel more welcome in the city, I learn more about what the place really is, and maybe I find how I fit here. I can't stay forever, and I find it an interesting notion of what might someday really hold me down somewhere. I am still exploring life, the world, life in the world, and the world as it relates to life.

I gave a presentation the first of the month of my project on public space in Berlin. I didn't have a lot of time to develop a thorough project, so it was more of an exploration and an evolution at the same time, of my approach to photography and my experience of the city. I was offered very constructive comments on the presentation, material, and ideas, and I want to put together a portfolio of the work accordingly. It by no means embodies a completed investigation, but I am unsure that I will continue making work in the same vein during the rest of my stay here. Initially coming to Berlin into Lexia's program, I had expected a whole semester of focused work on a single project. It turned out to be only the last month of studies devoted to an independent project and a relationship with an advisor. I am very grateful for the experiences I've had, all the places I have been, and the many notions or people that may have inspired me.

If man is conscious of every step he takes, how will he ever learn to run, to feel the wind rush past and fill his ears and eyes and nose and mouth with white noise, and leave his skin to tingle?

-Styles

Bike Accident of the Week! (BAWWWW)

I've decided, from now on this blog is devoted to exciting wipeouts, accidents, and other ridiculous shit that happens on my bike! Check back often to find out how long I can go without reflectors or a headlamp! When will I finally get the helmet that Nate has promised to me?! When will a car finally run me over when I skid along these super busy city streets!? Check out the awesome photos of Leipziger Str embedded in my elbow! I really love my bike, and I've even written "Ode to Torpedo."

-~How I love thee, let me count the ways. Three weeks I've had thee. You are shineless and black as night, and so make me invisible to the speed demons who scour the lonely streets at night looking for prey. Without reflectors you emanate your love for me. Twice, today marks, you have thrown me from your grasp as your pumping chain skips a beat from the tenderness of my touch, which arouses your gears to spin free. You get on your weakened knees and you beg me to take me with you, when you break down and squeal. I know I've let another nurse you back to health, and it cost me. Still I try to pull you back together, stretch the boundaries of hesitancy that keep us from exploring. Yet when even all fails, you give me golden wings to make believe I am flying with you.~-

E bandaged-strictly

Trippins

This deserves a post on its own, since it is post-dated. Here are pictures from the trip to Budapest and Transylvania, by my friend James Wetzel and some guest shooters. Particular subjects may be somewhat biased, but he's a good photographer and captured some of the great sights which I was unable to.