Mutability

Solar powered immigrant shelter provides Internet access

Solar powered immigrant shelter provides Internet access:

Kyle says: Robert Ransick has completed a 6 month Residency at Eyebeam developing Casa Segura (Safe House).

The artwork combines a sheltered room on private land in the Sonoran desert in Southern Arizona with a bilingual web space that facilitates creative exchange and understanding.

Casa Segura proposes private property owners on the border to create a life-saving beacon in the desert, a platform for engaging with the anonymous individuals crossing their land in search of a better life, and a non-aggressive means of protecting their homes.

Link

Lessing wins Nobel honour

Author Lessing wins Nobel honour:

Doris Lessing wins the 2007 Nobel Prize for Literature, widely regarded as the world’s highest accolade for writers.

Although everyone is raving about the novel “The Golden Notebook” and the short story “To Room Nineteen” my favorites have been the “Canopus in Argos” Series. The critics have always panned it as a “cheap” attempt. The Sci-Fi community have ignored it because it wasn’t “techie” enough. The social questions it presents and the way she does it — as an “outside” observer who tries but cannot keep impartiality makes it my favorite. The ideas about a “controlled” evolution of a society are interesting as are Lessing’s weaving of Sufi Philosophy into it. Not to mention the Argos theme. It makes me want to dust off the bookshelves and re-read it.

More about What’s the point?

WHAT IS THE POINT?

A few months ago someone came into the studio and got pretty interested in my work. He infact got a little excited. We talked a while and he went through my prints one by one. Then he got a distant look on his face and said. Yeah, your art is nice, but what’s the point?” I was left speechless, and the doubt demon took over and I was suddenly questioning everything I had done. “What was the point?” For days I came to studio and was unable to do anything. “What was the point?” When I get stuck I usually go back and make some pots or make something in clay. I couldn’t even bring the energy to do that. Then I found 3 boxes of those conical water cups — the kind they use at office water fountains. Why not make a point?? So I started in March. It made a few over 850 points in all. They have been fired twice, with a ceramic stain applied in several layers on the second firing. That turned into a grid 17 x 50. I thought at first about naming each one, then the thought of some kind of interactive computer/internet program. Like a giant touch screen — with each point setting off an internet search for some obscure bit of knowledge. After seeing them on the wall though and spending a great deal of time on the ladder to get the lighting like I wanted I decided it looked good just by itself.

The Argive Plain

42″ high x 48″ wide, Oil, Cold Wax on Canvas

The Demise of Power and Democracy

Almost a year ago I installed a sculpture for the Weekend at the Galleries called Power and Democracy. It was made out of unfired clay blocks. The intent was it would dissolve over a few months in the weather and disappear. Well the blocks lasted much longer. A few days ago vandals did bring Power and Democracy down as you can see below.

The piece just after it was installed.