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The Occupy with Art blog provides updates on projects in progress, opinion articles about art-related issues and OWS, useful tools built by artists for the movement, new features on the website, and requests for assistance. To submit a post, contact us at occupationalartschool(at)gmail(dot)com .

Entries in update (7)

Monday
Sep032012

OASN1@BH Week 2 Review

[Novadic transmission from A, September 1, 2012]:

 

friends. 

this morning i received a sweet letter from a NYC occupier which raises important questions for the struggle. riding on its wave, would like to discuss a bit the Body-Without-Organs (BwO) notion and the hot possibility of mathematically modeling the movement through non-linearity.  

occupier letter.

"The key is in learning to embrace contradiction. It's the only way we can grow. Radical + reformist. Masculine + feminine. Rejecting the system + using the system to implode itself. Outreach + Inreach. The list is endless. I know it's personal for me, but I feel so strongly that if we blow up the binary, everything becomes so much more POSSIBLE. It's a pretty obvious thing that these divisions are created to keep us submissive. What do we do once we dissolve these imaginary lines?"
C.

this brings us to the exploration-experimentation that our collective has been conducting in the movement so far, namely with the use -and abuse, why not?- of pluripotential spaces. these zones are effectively TAZs elicited by organizers, whom "code" a given space with the right inscription (rules) and then present the instructions to the players; through this rune-like operator, trained organizers can optimize the emergence of flow (optimal experience) at any given loci, outdoor or indoor. the consequences are endless. 

         A.

time suspension.                    

~ "When you will have made him a body without organs,

then you will have delivered him from all his automatic reactions

and restored him to his true freedom." ~ 

                         A. Artaud (1947) 

Fibonaci Arena (FA) is any given space coded with instructions that elicit flow (e.g. Salon, Magic Mountain). FAs are intentionally unintentional vortexes, a spiral-eliciting accident, which draws its theoretical basis on anarchy and the notion of BwO that Deleuze & Guattari introduce in their collaborative work. in those instances where play is elicited time is abolished. 

play is flow & flow is play

"what is your name?" dialogues.

(...) existence means exposition to and adaptation of a full range of given norms, structures and boundaries (...)

(...) this does not lead to a loss of personality but to a construction of an artificial one: already before we are born we are categorized based on our genitals, which decide what kind of name is going to be imposed on us, Susan or Tom (...) 

(...) a stratification of our bodies, which is created through the hierarchical order of society (...) Thousand Plateaus (...) continuous power relations amongst members of society (...) power where those at the top oppress the others 

Mark

in illo tempore ~ "in that time" ,  or "once upon a time".

in order to break binaries, and thus promote a revolution in the logical framework that guides -- and ensnares -- Western thought it is suggested: 

(1) that instead of "breaking" boundaries, revolutionaries seek to "dissolve" them by eliciting phase transitions :: from solid to liquid :: liquid time, flow :: ~ this method of engaging Empire discussed by OccupySunTzu acts on the links, on the spaces in between.

(2) this phase transition may be elicited through flash ~ liberations, i.e. collective processes of emancipation in public streets & squares :: similar to ancient tribal hierophanies :: regression to the undifferentiated state of BwO :: 

(3) dissemination of Fibonaci Arenas. 

the resulting kaleidoscopes are #novad-like supernovas. 

occupyMathematics ~ "and they say you always hated math (...)"

to start thinking about how to mathematically model the movement, at this point of maturity and beyond, is probably the last thing that Empire wants us to do. from here on lies the suggestion that we OccupyMathematics. 

check out mathematical approaches to model complex emergent behavior (eg, central nervous system;; ant colony;; traffic jams ;;) and these links with tricks from the trickster: 

Sent from my soul

Mapping the voyage of the Hippo.
[NOTES]:
The dynamics that manifest as revelations in the material zone or phase only comprise a small fraction of the dynamics in play. Most of the dimensional arena is active with immaterial transpects demonstrating what can be described as multiplicity, resistant to epistemology or the recursive. The key for the lead artist is to encourage or facilitate the transiting of evidence, of life, through the spatial layers we designate as free and open to our pluripotential phenomena. 
In OAS we discovered in Week 2, for example, that a course need not exist to exist in substantiated iterations. We found, additionally, that timing can pronounce the extended, even epic, duration of a 4D artistic project, given a dedicated locus + chronos, as long as the witness(es) and presenter(s) share the space with a focal media array, including networked electronics attached to the web and database. As such, the spectacle is only activated by a combination of hard-, soft- + wetware [LOL], in the actual stage, with the virtual as both accompaniment and archive. In relation to experience, the transmission is conducted in a flux of casual and formal micro-environments. The environment has a time feature, and it is easily translated as "a moment" itself, although such a designation is incomplete. 
The technical evaluation of the phenomena is hardly encompassing of the experience. 
Another interesting anecdote involves the act of preparation for the transmission. Is such activity not also an invitation, or a calling? What if the calling IS the event? 
Super Lucky Cat reappears to connect OASN1 & AFHGC.
1. Lead artist wears a "red dirt" shirt from Kauai, to initiate a discussion of source material for artistic, organic staining processes.
2. Today's business section of the NY Times is provided as a substrate, but also as an acknowledgment of timeliness, and other relevant considerations affecting (or not) the artistic enterprise. The subject of materials is expanded to include "non-artist" materials.
3. The lead artist displays a large set of many types of painting tools, mostly brushes. Students are encouraged to choose several for painting with the coffee. The brushes serve as the point of origin for a conversation about the "life" of the artist's tool, and/or the partnership between the artist and the tool + the history of making that may be thought of as embedded in the tool through usage and application. [Introduction to Techne, time, craft traditions... (+)]
4. Many types of papers are introduced. Experiments on viability as substrate for medium, "pigment" and expressive means.
5. An array of large format (mostly floral) photographs are mounted around the classroom. We will paint on the museum board cut into window mattes, enclosing the photos. Many considerations. One of the photos (a rose) is displayed on a nice Italian easel at the door.
6. "Final" exercise will be to paint on very fragile light paper (multi-hued), which will buckle and otherwise dramatically respond to the coffee-paint. 
7. Discussion about artists who use coffee as an important part of their exhibition practice (like Sara Sun, who has a show going currently at Governor's Island Art Fair - thanks for the heads-up Andrea; and Jayson Musson + Manning Williams). Discussion about coffee growing (political/economy). 
Clemens Poole + Shane Kennedy & other Hippo crew members talk story to a full Haus, Friday, August 31 at OASN1.
OASN1 reached an important marker with the "Voyage of the Hippo" program on Friday, August 31. The evening presentation, which consisted of a fantastic, compelling slideshow/movie sequence + Q&A + commentaries facilitated by Clemens Poole and long-time AFH anchor Shane Kennedy, realized our vision of how our "class" format would work in practice. At the conclusion of the talk, many of us walked to Tandem, a few blocks down Troutman in Bushwick, to continue the vibrant concourse over libations. 
Interior shot of Pickthorn in Bushwick.
We continue to make friends in the neighborhood, like Jayson Musson, AKA Hennessy Youngman and the amazing ladies of Pickthorn. We are also beginning to establish strategic partnerships. OASN1 is now sponsored by both Wyckoff Starr and the vaunted Brooklyn Rail. JenJoy Roybal is already proving invaluable, as she begins the process of scanning the domain for artist-teachers and relevant organizational/mission comparisons to/for our enterprise. She sent Chris & I links that reveal possibilities neither of us had entertained prior. JenJoy is gifted with big vision. 
The discourse that is percolating in the novad pool is providing us with tremendous inspiration and seed-thought, moving forward. Coming in multiple forms (poems, images, sounds, movies, links, texts, notations, forwarded correspondence, system schematics, references, citations, equations, juxtapositions... [+]) the novadic inputs are fueling some OAS movements, refining threads, introducing new seams, expanding horizons, shifting PoVs & frames of reference [+]. Thank you, gamers!
The occupationalartschool [dot] com nexus is weekly undergoing facelifts, as we assess the proper format for that organ. For now, the preponderance of notices and documentation is being sited on the OAS Tumblr and in the OwA/OAS Facebook pages. The OAS Twitter, Pinterest and other social media are functional but rudimentary in our usage of them for a bit longer. The question at this point is whether to invent an entirely new framework for the virtual / actual interplay. 
Finally, the ripple effect from DisciplineAriel [Event 1, August 25, 2012] has only begun to evidence itself in our secondary co-lab phase. Stay tuned.

Sunday
Jul222012

OwA UPDATE [July/August 2012]

Graphic by Paul McLean[NOTE]: We are pleased to announce a reformation of OwA, as we approach the first-year anniversary of the occupation of Liberty Square. Between now and the launch of OAS Node #1 in August, the Occupy with Art website will undergo an extensive overhaul. Some links may be broken in the process and features changed. We will be posting open calls for artists, proposals and project support. Several new social media campaigns and OAS/OwA iterations will be amended to the nexus site. We look forward to your participation on whatever basis you wish to contribute. Please direct all questions to artforhumans [at] gmail [dot] com.

Monday
Apr022012

WS2MS: Week 4

Sunday
Mar252012

WS2MS: Update!

Updated on Monday, March 26, 2012 at 06:46PM by Registered Commenteradmin

In the wake of Occupy Wall Street’s six month anniversary, small town America’s continuing struggle provides the backdrop for a unique art activist project, Wall Street to Main Street.  At the March 17th premier, curious locals and out-of-towners enjoyed a perfect spring day visiting the 20 pop-up exhibit sites along the Main Street in Catskill, NY.  Walking along four compact blocks, visitors had time to talk and digest ideas in between installations.  This ten week expo features over 50 exhibitors, performances, workshops and seminars with a newspaper that serves as the project’s guide, The Wall Street to Main Street Message.   The day culminated in a party with poetry, prose and protest songs at BRIK Gallery where a comprehensive exhibition introduces the movement’s historical and global context. Artists and organizers celebrated at the local Thai restaurant with laptops open to a live webcast as Michael Moore held a press conference announcing a fresh wave of protesters flooding into Zuccotti and Union Square Parks. 

Click to read more ...

Thursday
Feb092012

In the Arena - Occupy Update!

[Hahaha] ...the Occupy movement IS ABOUT IDEAS; was never meant to be a fixed thing or fixed physical presence. Here's a New York Times article today about the potency of the ideas of the Occupy Movement. The piece is interesting because it looks at Occupy as a sort of social experiment and even the author isn't quite sure what the answers are.

For a righteous analysis applied to the Occupy phenom, pick up a copy of the February issue of Brooklyn Rail at the local coffee house - or online here. It's Chris Moylan's analysis ("A Festival of Reason and the Art of Common Sense"), previously published in a BETA form at OwA (look in the CO-OP section of Active Projects & Proposals), which cuts to the chase and reframes the meaning of Occupy Wall Street and its material artifacts.

The most controversial occupational text of the past week no doubt is Chris Hedge's essay on Black Bloc and the so-called "Diversity of Tactics" euphemism, which concludes: "There is a word for this—'criminal.'” Milo asked in the mdst of the dust-up, "Why be distracted by this sideshow? Why not ask what it will actually require of the 99% to overthrow the 1%? It's been done before, just not thoroughly enough. If America could beat down the Nazis, Communism and colonialism, etc., why not unhinge the 3000 year-old top-down yoke of oppression that is strangling our commonwealth. Who and What's at the rotten roots of this exploitative, democracy-corrupting 1% inhumanity complex? How do we get rid of them - permanently, so we can be free?"

 

Mr. Fish

Monday
Nov072011

Occupennial Update, November 7

Week in Review:
Over the past week Sally has been working on a draft for an outreach letter that will be widely distributed through artist/art-org networks in the NYC area asking for volunteers to work on the Occupennial website as admins on team-task production for populating the databases and the content areas of Occupennial.org. The next phase immediately following our staffing measures (and to some degree simultaneous with it) will involve actually adding Occupant art content to all the areas of our website. Yaelle will be presenting the ready-to-vet iteration of the letter at tonight's Occupennial meeting at 6PM at 60 Wall St.

Also noteworthy is the Occupennial's inaugural project, the storefront installation at Printed Matter, which launched over the weekend in the Chelsea PM location. Kudos to Adrian for coordinating the expo with Max Schumann of PM, Occupy artists and Colab alumni. We will post photos as soon as they come in.

The forms feature of Occupennial, facilitating direct communications from artist wishing to participate in AC/Occupennial art actions/website functions has launched (thanks Monty), and the Performance Guild was the first (and only, so far) to submit a proposal form, which has been posted on the Occupennial site, here: http://www.occupennial.org/performance-guild/ .. Please, Guild folk, use this opportunity to send us a brief introductory/contact form for artists/arts activists who want to get involved, so we can immediately do our part to streamline the processing of inquiries.

The Occupennial calendar has been abandoned in favor of a direct link to NYCGA's event calendar. All are encouraged to populate the NYCGA calendar with AC-originating actions/events. Contact Antonio to do so.

Over the past couple weeks we've been staying aware of the ever-changing topology of Liberty Square/#OWS. The winterizing measures happening have dramatically altered the environment at the movement epicenter. Art has taken a back seat to preparations to make the protest site safe for occupants. A number of expositions focused on the occupation have engendered wide-ranging discussions about how best to proceed, with Occupennial, Arts & Culture, the NYCGA website and more. Occupennial has generated several proposals that are in process, that were temporarily tabled while we considered the emerging inter-group relationships and structures.

These proposals include:

  • - OWS/Low Lives
  • - Wall Exhibition (Madrid)
  • - Line of Sight
  • - Eviction
  • - The 99% Artist March
  • - Artist-led tours at Liberty Square


At tonight's meeting we'll give updates on the status of these projects, and what are next steps will be in their actualization.

Monty Stilson has been developing the Occupennial photo project offline for the past week, after having completed a restructuring of that area last weekend. He will be at the meeting tonight to discuss the new gallery set-up, Occupeyes.org and the Occupeyes Facebook page, and his findings emerging from research done to survey what photographers of the now-global occupation have been doing with their images, and our vision to make Occupennial the clearinghouse/database archive for occupant photography. He has proposed that we create an Occupennial business card with the contact info for the website/admin, that we can distribute when we're out and about at marches, openings and other Occupy-related activities. It's a great idea and perfect timing for our outreach campaign!

Chris Reitz has just completed writing/uploading the introductory entry to our new Occupennial Art History section, which is visible here: http://www.occupennial.org/occupant-ah-journal/ .. We are still refining the formatting a bit. Alan W. Moore contacted Chris and, judging from his initial rough-note, this area of our site shows tremendous promise for generating an art-historical context-based conversation on #OWS, in art historical terms.

In a response to Blithe Riley's efforts to start the already amazing Art & Labor working group, Occupennial is contemplating how we can create an area for databasing relevant info for those of us focused on art-as-occupation issues. Yaelle and I discussed folding Art History/Art & Labor/99% Art Models into a new zine format. We'll discuss that at the meetings, as well.

In case you haven't noticed -- She's a subtle operator -- Yaelle has made some more structural tweaks to the site layout over the past few days, to highlight/prioritize sections that are getting the most usage. We have a bit of a back-up of submitted content, but hopefully by the end of this week, we'll be all caught up.

The primary agenda for tonight's meeting will include the following points of discussion:

  • -defining the occupennial as a post- sept 17 database/community of artists.
  • -the new outreach letter (!)
  • -Monty will present on the Occupennial photo section
  • -how to populate the nycga calendar
  • -how proposals are streamlined
  • -occupennial group supporting autonomous projects


Again, please take the time to contribute to the content-sections of your Occupennial website. If you would like to/have the time to work on a section you're enthusiastic about, please let us know!

Guess that's it for now,
best,
p


[PLEASE FORWARD THIS TO YOUR LISTS/CONTACTS/NETWORKS!!!!!!]
The Occupennial Outreach Letter:

Calling all creative activists! The Wall Street Occupennial seeks enthusiastic participants to work with artists producing projects, performances, and actions within the #Occupywallstreet movement. Artists who already have a project in mind, but NEED participants/assistance, this call is for you too!

The Wall Street Occupennial, a working group of the Arts and Culture Committee, is an urgent call for artists to contribute to the ongoing #OccupyWallStreet (#OWS) movement in New York City and beyond. The Occupennial database (www.occupennial.org) serves to document and archive ongoing artist efforts that are in solidarity with the movement in Zuccotti park, as well as nationally and internationally. It also hosts a forum on 99% and occupation art, lists available spaces and resources, and strives to connect like minded and creative people together to build momentum and really make things happen!

Like the movement as a whole, many of the projects being developed cannot become a reality or be sustained at the hand of one person working alone. It has also become clear in the weeks since the occupation began, that a number of individuals, groups, classes, etc want to join in the movement, especially through creative actions, but are unsure of how to get involved in a movement that is already so developed.

If you are someone who would like to participate in the movement through creative action please reply immediately to occupennial.volunteers@gmail.com with the information requested below and The Wall Street Occupennial will connect you to an artist or team of artists that need your help!

1. Your name and contact information (email and telephone number)

2. Days/times you are available to volunteer.
[This could be more general availability like: Mondays and Thursdays from 1-6 PM, or more specific: Monday 11/7 from 4-10PM, Thursday 11/10 from 3-7 PM, and Friday 11/18 all day. You can be as open or specific as your schedule allows, but keep in mind that the more flexible you are, the more likely we will be able to link you up with a project. If you do not hear from us immediately, don't worry, more and more artists are coming to us every day and that means soon there will be no shortage of projects to dive into!]

3. (Optional) Specific skills/resources you have to offer a project and/or types of projects you are most excited about working on (see www.occupennial.org for examples of all the incredible projects that have happened so far.)


**If you are an artist in need of volunteers/participants to make your project happen:**


Send us a description of your idea, any applicable supporting imagery, and as much information as you have and we will work to connect you with volunteers to help you make it happen! If you have a specific date/time in mind for your project to happen, we will work to find participants for that date, but even better, if you are flexible with the timing, we can direct you to a time that already has a group of eager participants lined up and ready to go!

Please send all replies and inquiries to: occupennial.volunteers@gmail.com

The time is now. We can't wait to meet you!

Tuesday
Nov012011

Occupennial Update - 10.30.11

Hey all. Lots of progress on numerous fronts.

Yaelle spearheaded a major overhaul/streamlining organizational restructuring of the Occupennial website, spending a lot of hours adding/shifting content to make the site more usable. If you take a peek at Occupennial.org, you'll see the sidebars (right and left) contain a lot fewer sections. The subsections are more sensible. I won't spend a lot of time going thru the details, since we'll be discussing this at tomorrow's meeting. Great job Yaelle!

Monty Stilson took on admin role for the photography section and massively streamlined that area. For now, there are just three individual galleries online. We will be adding the general galleries (protests, protesters, signs) in the next several days. Monty purchased the domain Occupeyes.org so we can have a direct link site to migrate the individual photog galleries offsite after a period where each is featured (as they come in). All will be added to the 3 databases, which can be expanded, if we need more categories down the line. Monty also set up a facebook site for Occupeyes, so we can offer users the option of data-dumping/direct uploading their images (from protests, in real time), it that's their preference/immediate need. We can discuss more the photo archives/galleries at tomorrow's meeting.

The big news is the upgrade. Thanks to Monty for doing the purchase up-front! The Occupennial site is now capable of having forms, so we can set up our throughputs like so:

Project-proposals, guild/AC/Occupennial inquiries
> through Occupennial forms
> Guilds
> back to Occupennial for documentation/bundling
> AC for approval
> if AC approved, to GA for approval/funding if necessary
> funds to the artists/projects if approved by GA
> actualization
> evaluation by all parties
> documentation at Occupennial and/or the AC site (to be), as well as in the various guild sites

I sent an email to all the guild folk letting them know about the forms.

Since our Monday meeting will be a quickie, focused on site structure, and because two of the bundled projects are still in process of revision, I'm holding off on listing here in any detail what we'll be bringing to AC later in the week for approval. Here's the list in brief:

    •    OWS/Low Lives
    •    Pop-UP/Zuccotti
    •    Printed Matter Storefront Window Display for November
    •    Joy Behar (artist tour of Liberty Sq)

The outreach letter is in process. Sally is hacking at that today/tomorrow. Tamara of Fab wrote over the weekend she's looking forward to working with us to get the word out. I attended a Communications/Outreach meeting last Wednesday, during which the Outreach guy mentioned they have a very large list of people who want to get involved. I'll be contacting the OR peeps this week to see if they can help with our efforts. Hopefully by the end of the week we'll be able to begin our campaign to build teams for tasks/attracting content/submissions.

Last, Chris is planning on developing an OWS art history section for the site, and I reached out to Blithe, asking if she wanted to facilitate a similar section for artist/work issues.

Think that's it for now..
p