Tea Party in the Park

Making the tea hot using sterno cans. They are this weird flammable purple jelly that keeps things hot. They are used for fondue pots and the like. We also had cucumber sandwiches so it was a pretty classy affair.





























Someone who came to the tea party taught us 'bibliomancy'. It is a type of fortune telling technique. You get a book, the type does not matter, and envision your question. You flip through the book and stop on a random page. (All of this is done without looking at the book) You then slide your finger along the page and stop at a random passage. You can either read the passage or a single sentence and that is the answer to your question. This was a lot of fun.

I do need to find a way of secretly documenting the people that showed up. Many of them were very wary about having their photo taken. They seemed taken aback by the idea of the parties and while apprehensive did come to talk to me. I am hoping I can get them to write me notes or other things as a way of incorporating these strangers into my project in a larger sense.



I am going to continue having parties in the park. Both impromptu and advertised. I will be checking weather forecasts constantly. I thought that this was a nice way to start off my residency. I talked to some people that work in the office buildings around the park and I am going to start bringing sandwiches and hot beverages for free. Or at least for a barter. I will give them food in exchange for a piece of their mind. I will also advertise said luncheons on the blog but, depending on the weather, these dates may change. So far, this Friday is supposed to be sunny with a high of 51. It shouldn't be so bad outside.

On the Way to Eclipse

Today's first improv art expression with whatever is lying around happened as I was headed out the front door to go to the mountain (I live near Mt. Tabor) I came upon a plastic 6 pack thing that was unbroken. I'd hate to be a bird or fish finding one of those things by getting stuck in it. Half of the inhabitants of the house I live in clean up after ourselves, the other half leaves garbage laying around. So I dismantled it and it looked kinda cool so I arranged it on the chair where I found it and snapped a photo. Reminds me of Chinese dragons only in plastic.








Then it was off to the mountain where I made a face with rocks over by the west reservoirs. I was thinking about my dad who I lost when I was a kid because Mt. Tabor was one of his favorite places to go for a walk. It's a wrathful demon face because I got a lot of my anger issues from him. One tooth is darker than the rest symbolizing the dead tooth I'm having pulled soon. It got infected last december and made my face hurt so bad I couldn't chew. If I got angry it got worse. If I relaxed I got better. It was a great lesson in anger management, but I don't want to repeat it so the dead tooth and childish attachments to behaviors I learned from my dad are going bye bye via qigong and dentistry.

On the way to an annular eclipse in the tropical sign Aquarius the local star appears to be perched on the edge of a cloud.

Video Game Club (1/21)

First Manifestation Complete

The link at the top of the post will lead you to my UrBlog also known as Livejournal. I call it UrBLog because it was my first blog started back in 2003 when I was still in my first year of college and going through what astrogeeks call Saturn return. Strangely enough I just remembered that at the exact moment that Saturn was in the same degree of the zodiac he occupied when I transformed from water creature to air breather I was teaching my 3D basic design class about photosynthesis and the cycle of sunlight and air exchange between animals and plants. The story was told via the prop of my sculpture made of yellow yarn with which I made a web by tying fir cones to strands of yarn and using them like grappling hooks to weave a sort of net that culminated in a ball of yellow yarn at the bottom representing the sun.

It would seem that I'm just now starting to grow into the teaching role initiated in that experience. Saturn represents patience, discipline and time. Sound byte culture hardly knows what to do with him. Me Capricorn. Yeah so the Phoenix act is useful from time to time, but for some things like mastery of musical expression or skill with internal martial arts or growing a healthy garden daily maintenance and perseverance through a significant (for a human) span of time is required. An Aikido teacher once told me that you can't do anything well until you've done it 10,000 times. That's a lot of practice.

Bla bla bla...clicky the link, enjoy my pretty pictures. Wy'East was particularly pretty today wearing a granite colored cloud stretching all the way to Portland like a hat. I'm about to turn into a pumpkin. 'Nite.

Yeticave

I've delineated the first couple of weeks for Yeticave visits.

Thursday 29 jan: 4-5pm
Friday 30 jan: 2-3pm and 6-7pm

Thursday 5 feb: 4-5pm
Friday 6 feb: 4-5pm and 6-7pm

2 people is ideal, but I can probably handle up to 4 if it works that way. If you want to bring a friend that's cool, but indicate when you sign up that you will be 2 and not 1 so I don't get too many people showing up at once.

The conversations that arise from having them in my studio/living space are part of what I want to invoke with this project. Part of why I want to keep the attendance down to a small number is so that I can truly focus on interaction with only a few people rather than scattering my attention throughout a crowd. Then there's also the fact that my room is spacious for me, but gets crowded quickly with more than me.

The way I see this as fitting into the social practice meme is that it's breaking the idea that only galleries and museums have the authority to curate an art environment. It's also an experiment to find out what kind of conversations arise from people who I wouldn't normally invite to see my room (only about 4 people have seen my space since I moved in last October) and interact with my various art objects on the walls, speakers and boxes doubling as furniture. I love to share my knowledge since hoarding it all for myself just gives me a headache, but in my own cave I have different thoughts to share than I do when I'm out in the wild of other people's space.


So if you want to visit sign up in the comments so that others can see which slots are still open. Next week I'll post some more times if there's still more people who want to participate.

Groove on.

At 515 N.W. Broadway in Morgan's Alley is where I've decided to do my artist in residency. I am very excited about the location! This week i am going to go there and spend some time conversating with all of the businesses located in M.A... I've talked with Dayna Pinkham of Dayna Pinkham Millinary and she is willing to give tours of her hat studio and workspace to anyone that might be interested. So if you might like to try on lovely hats (men and women), see how they are made or just look at all of her creations, let me know and we can make an appointment! Thanks Flossie

Talk: the Yetiblog Nexus and Project Revision

The link is to the Talk quarter of my website which is the nexus of all of my blogs. 3 are specialized and exist on my own website and one is my Livejournal which Eric also has linked from this blog's page.

A revision has occurred to me after realizing that I'm not really thrilled about the whole other people giving me walking routes idea. I already have an instinct for taking different routes when I need novelty. Anyway, I don't want to walk on any heavy car roads unless it involves a definite purpose like food, guitar strings, crossing rivers or freeways, or catching a bus. So here's my new idea that I find a lot more interesting:

My residencies are still the same with the heart of Portland as my Yang aspect and Yeticave as Yin. I had the thought earlier today that I could link the two by taking my space arranging altar building skills to the public. Then I flashed on the artist Andy Goldsworthy (thanks for the reminder E) who does artworks in the wild with stuff he finds laying around. I decided to expand my Citywood project which began as a painting derived from direct observation of the city from inside wooded areas at night, then became a video, and now will be a public art project. (unofficial of course. I prefer to be a free agent.Of course if anyone wants to pay me to do this stuff I'm willing to negotiate...)

I will make arrangements pleasing to my spacial and visual sensibilities with whatever I find at hand in parks and anywhere I find interesting stuff to make an installation. I will take photos and even go back to check and document the deconstruction of my temporary constructions.

Since this is essentially inspired by my affinity for crows I'm going to perform a sort of intentional act that you could call sympathetic magic, art, or voodoo, whatever works best for your worldview. I like to see it from any and all angles:

I'll Make the veve, or visual link to, the loa (google it if you want to know more) of the crossroads, Papa Legba in raw, unshelled peanuts. Then I'll play crow calls on my headphones really loud (not on my ears) and wait for the shiny black goofballs to show up with my camera already rolling video. I want to obtain sound samples of a whole bunch of crows going gaga for peanuts and also manifest a symbol of intention drawing the minds of humans to the fact that the boundaries of social include all life on this planet and not only humans who share a language and culture. Extending our awareness and respect to the non human intelligences of our planet is necessary for our continued survival. We need the trees more than they need us. Chew on that one, monkey.

This is also an aspect of permaculture which is a subject I'm just beginning to learn about. Basically it's an orientation towards cooperative interrelation with "nature". I put quotes around the word since the idea that we're something other than natural is complete bullshit in my view of things. All wealth comes from the earth including the matter of our bodies replenished, built and maintained by our planet's life support system. If you consider how long it took for hydrogen atoms to figure out the star trick it might be easier to comprehend how computers are every bit as natural as atoms, whales, and apples, or whatever of the 10,000 things you care to name. Still there are ways that suck and ways that suck less. Permaculture is a way to minimize suckitude by finding cooperative ways to do things instead of always operating by conquest. Grow food IN the forest rather than destroying the forest to make a chemical wasteland pretending to be an industrial farm for a short time. This has everything to do with global warming: more plants = less carbon in the atmosphere=less warming. Plants also slow the wind diminishing its ferocity.

Walking not driving, backpack neither paper nor plastic, reuseable cup and water bottle are just some of the practices I've adopted. My gift to the crows and Papa Legba is a symbol of my intention to learn more and eventually be able to grow some of my own food in a permaculture way.

My net brain is now fried. I'll post a schedule for Yeticave visits and a blurb about how the Yin of my project relates to the Yang sometime before the weekend. Visits will start a week from tomorrow. I still have to figure out times. Stay tuned.

Wandering Yeti Arts Term Project

Hey y'all

This is a textual manifestation of the parameters of Greg Wandering Yeti's term project for the art as a social practice class winter 09.

The Yang aspect is the continuation of the Walking Portland blog that I started last term. This is a way for me to make more public the insights and awareness generated by a significant shift in daily practice such as quitting the car and using my own feet to get around. This term I will accept walking routes from others to find out what happens when something other than my own whimsy, habit or obligation directs the course of a walk. I will report back in the form of photos from the walk posted to blog including a coffee shop review describing anything learned via conversations with baristas or coffee addicts in a coffee shop I've never visited before. The boundaries of Yeti's natural habitat are Tualatin Mountain in the west, Mt. Tabor in the east, Alberta street in the north, and Powell blvd. in the south. I might be compelled to walk in Beaverton if the walk includes the Tualatin Hills Nature Park. Powell Butte is also a nice treat hidden in the Eastern suburbs. Seriously, if a city walk doesn't include some time on no-car roads surrounded by living wood it just wears me down. Breathing car exhaust is exhausting.

The Yin aspect of my project is allowing more than myself and a few of my closest friends to enjoy the harmonious flow of qi generated in my room/studio/temple/adytum recently enhanced by learning some basic principles of the Chinese art of harmonizing living spaces with the home world called Feng Shui. Adding the Chinese perspective helped me clear up my mental clutter which resulted in a living space less muffled, stifled, and crowded by clutterful habits than I had known previously. My clutter is finally under control enough for me to feel ok about letting other people see my studio...which happens to also be my living space. Bring a hard drive that knows how to communicate with Macintosh computers like an iPod or external hard drive and I'll give you a prototype of the next Ascension Conspiracy album plastic, fee, and shrink wrap free.

Later in the term Yin and Yang will combine to form a walk that starts from a meeting at the Yeticave. This walk I will direct. I want to hike the Maple Trail in Forest Park again and this time I'd like to have some company. It's a trail deep in a canyon where you can't hear the city and it's too far up for me to make it very often. I learned what emptiness means on that trail a few years ago. This journey will include a bus ride on the 15 Belmont where I demonstrate the technique of Bus Surfing followed by a hike in Forest Park. Bring food and water and clothes that can survive mud. This hike can have silent parts when that's the natural thing that happens. Sharing knowledge and telling stories is more the point this time.

I'll bring a schedule to sign up for Yeticave visits at our next class. Feel free to bring a friend.

Send walking routes to the email addy in the class list.

Groove on,

g

How to Throw a Rat Tea Party!

I would like to introduce Stella (on left) and Sam!

To throw a rat tea party, first you must make itty-bitty invitations and create a guest list of only the most sophisticated rats.

You can use a frame and a swatch of fabric to create a rat-size table.

For the props, you can use old birthday cards and saved objects.



Here is Sam all dressed up!

Stella with her pearls and purse. Make sure your guests wear their most distinguished attire.

Here is the table with a miniature, rat-sized tea set (you'll need one of those).

Put a little smidgen of peanut butter on the edge of the table, and if that does not work, add some enticing cheese. I am afraid that these two were not very hungry.

Here are the props for your entertainment at tea. Every good party has performers! I taped BBQ skewers to magazine cut-outs, but popsicle sticks could work just fine, too!

And what is a party without some music.

Last, to aid in digestion, a stroll in the garden should suffice. This is Monet's garden, what a treat for a little rat!

Special thanks to my very patient crew (my hubby)!

How to sew down a shirt without a machine.

Schools, Lecture Series, Residencies, etc.

Hello and welcome to a new term and a new class. We will be posting our experiences here so feel free to subscribe if you want to see what we are up to. This particular post is information for the lecture Eric is giving during next class. This is by no means a comprehensive list of the topics. Feel free to peruse the links.

RESIDENCIES:
Retreats and artists studios
Künstlerstätte Schloss Bleckede
Skowhegan

More public-based residencies
SF Recycling
New York Sanitation Department and Mierle Laderman Ukeles

Artist hosted/created residencies
Island Fold Art Farm
The Pancake Clubhouse
Laurel Kurtz Official Unofficial Goodwill Residency
PSU Dept of Conflict and Resolution Residency

EDUCATION:
Conferences/Mini-Lecture Series
A Grassy Mound (With Kind Regards To Utopia)
Utopia Night - A Science Fiction Marathon
Pawel Althamer At The Centre Pompidou
Thomas Hirschhorn 24 Hour Foucalt
Open Engagement: Art After Aesthetic Distance


Schools/Classes
The School of Life
The Exploding School
Paul Thek's 4-D Design Class
Public Social University
Chiron Studies
Mountain School of Arts
Social Practice Spring 2008
The Land Foundation
Public School in LA
EXCOTC
United Nations Plaza
Sundown Schoolhouse (Fritz Haeg)
Village Free School in Portland

That's A Rap!

This is the sound file of the rap that Davis helped us make. If you can access it, try clicking here.

Groovy by Public Social University

Fandalism Free MP3 Hosting

Images from Public Social University

Public Social University was a whole lot of fun and it was a great way to utilize the public library's free room. The students in the class clearly loved being facilitators and educators. Here are images of what some of the classes looked like:

Monday Nov. 24
The first class was organized by Gia. She brought in a friend who takes old shoes and gives them new life. She gave us a bunch of paint and some brushes to work with and we transformed the old shoes.

I was really into the shoe I painted, but I concentrated so hard on making it perfect that I ran out of time to paint the second shoe.




The next class was led by Lily with a participatory lecture style. Lily gave us helpful tips on how to be brave, and what she does when she needs the courage to do something.

She was talking about bravery in an everyday sense, not in a superhero kind of way. Each of us talked briefly about something we felt we needed more bravery for in our lives.


For the third class, Zach brought his newly finished, transportable printing press. It's modeled after the Gutenberg press.

Each person was given a couple foam plates that we could draw on and then we turned our drawings into prints. A bunch of younger kids showed up for this event and had a lot of fun.



For the final class on Nov. 24, Judith brought in a couple people who taught us some Capoeira Angola, which is martial arts disguised as a dance and practiced by slaves in Southern America.

This was a really great workout and we each learned how to do some offensive and defensive moves.

After this we also learned how to play instruments that are made of everyday materials. These instruments are an important part of the dance.


Wed. Dec. 3
For the second installment of Public Social University, Eric started with a class about utopian and dystopian science fiction. He explained how the two terms are blurred in sci fi movies. His favorite dystopian/utopian sci fi movie is Gattaca.

Discussion followed about the relevance of these movies to our lives.


The second class was led by Tracé. She gaves us a great tutorial on how to properly sew your buttons back onto your clothes, how to mend hems, and how to make frays in your clothes go away.

Each person got to practice what Tracé was showing us with our own practice-materials.





For the third class Davis organized a hip hop session where the entire class participated in making a rap.

Each person wrote some lines and rapped them into the microphone. By the end of the class, we had a 3 minute song! The audio file is posted here.



For our final class, Ace led us through a presentation about morality within comic books and his fascination with superhero comics.

He showed us the comic where Spider Man dies as well as the first Watchmen comic.

Public Social University Part 2 on Dec. 3rd

PUBLIC SOCIAL UNIVERSITY
PRESENTS:
Free Lecture Series Part 2
This is second installment of the presentation/lecture series arranged by Public Social University - a free school and workshop group created by the members of the art and social practice undergraduate class at Portland State University. On Dec. 3rd, they will present a mini-lecture/presentation series to the public on the topics of: Utopian/Dystopian Sci Fi Movies, Permaculture and Chinese Martial Arts, Mending Clothes, and Making Hip Hop raps. All are invited.

FREE
Date: Mon. Nov. 24
Times: 2:00-5:00pm
Place: Downtown Central Library; U.S. Bank Meeting Room
More information: click on poster...more information will be posted below soon.

* * * * * MORE INFORMATION BELOW * * * * *

1:30-2:00
Sci Fi Movie Listings
by Eric Steen
Information: A presentation of utopian and dystopian science fiction movies, ranked from worst to best.

* * * * *

2:00-3:00
Permaculture and Chinese Martial Arts
by Greg Wandering Yeti and Adam Stone
Information: Lately Adam and Greg have had regular conversations centering on our practice of Chinese martial arts and permaculture. They will manifest one of these conversations for our presentation and include some demonstrations of basic exercises from the internal Chinese martial arts.

* * * * *

3:00-3:30
Simple Mending
By Tracé Hulette
Information:
Tired of Falling Hems? In need of Buttons replaced?
Come learn to thread that sewing needle and complete basic sewing tasks

* * * * *

3:30-4:00
That's a Rap!
By Davis Eliason Brown
Information:
A look inside the hip hop world. Learn to work in collaboration to formulate a positive hip hop rap. Learn how to Rap with others and how to mix sound with linguistics.
Bio:
Davis grew up in Wisconsin and Iowa before moving to the west coast. He enjoys stimulating conversation and has been producing hip hop hop music for the last four years. Originally intending on studying Pre-med as an undergraduate, he now finds himself struggling to decide whether to continue in that direction or to switch to a more design oriented field.