MulÂti-award winÂning GerÂman design colÂlecÂtive URBANSCREEN speÂcialÂizes in large-scale proÂjecÂtion on urban surÂfaces. Their first great interÂnaÂtionÂal sucÂcess was “555 KUBIK — How it would be if a house was dreamÂing,” a brilÂliant media instalÂlaÂtion using the façade of the KunÂsthalle HamÂburg. This project quickÂly found its way to all major blogs and sites on the InterÂnet and gained so much fame that it surÂpassed the popÂuÂlarÂiÂty of lolÂcat videos for almost an hour.
This year, URBANSCREEN was comÂmisÂsioned to transÂform the sails of the iconÂic SydÂney Opera House as part of Vivid SydÂney, a fesÂtiÂval of light, music and ideas. The truÂly amazÂing proÂjecÂtions explore the sculpÂturÂal form of the Opera House and its place as a home for music, dance and draÂma. The conÂcluÂsion is not to be missed.
By proÂfesÂsion, Matthias RaschÂer teachÂes EngÂlish and HisÂtoÂry at a High School in northÂern Bavaria, GerÂmany. In his free time he scours the web for good links and posts the best finds on TwitÂter.
For my monÂey, “I don’t necÂesÂsarÂiÂly agree with everyÂthing I say” tops the list of MarÂshall McLuhan-isms, folÂlowed closeÂly and at times surÂpassed by “You don’t like those ideas? I got othÂers.” Many preÂfer the immorÂtal “You know nothÂing of my work!”, the line McLuhan delivÂers durÂing his brief appearÂance in Woody Allen’s Annie Hall. In 1977, the same year Allen’s proÂtagÂoÂnist would sumÂmon him to defeat that ponÂtifÂiÂcatÂing acaÂdÂeÂmÂic, McLuhan flew to SydÂney to delivÂer a lecÂture. Then, for the AusÂtralian BroadÂcastÂing CorÂpoÂraÂtion’s Radio NationÂal, he recordÂed a proÂgram answerÂing quesÂtions from stuÂdents, nuns, and othÂers about his views on media. (Find Part 1 above, and Parts 2 and 3 here and here.) McLuhan hapÂpened to view media in a way nobody else did at the time, and the fields of media studÂies and media theÂoÂry would go on to develÂop in large part from his work. This Joyce-lovÂing, God-fearÂing, sixÂteenth-cenÂtuÂry-pamÂphlet-studyÂing proÂfesÂsor of EngÂlish litÂerÂaÂture nevÂerÂtheÂless deployed modÂern sound bites with as much indusÂtry as he scruÂtiÂnized them. Hence the endurance, over thirÂty years after his death and over forty years past the peak of his popÂuÂlarÂiÂty, of “The mediÂum is the mesÂsage,” a phrase that, seemÂingÂly since the moment McLuhan first uttered it, has stood as a lightÂning rod to his detracÂtors.
Very often, someÂone will insist that, no, the conÂtent of a mesÂsage matÂters too, makÂing the proÂnounceÂment with the attiÂtude of havÂing seen through the emperÂor’s clothes. A disÂemÂbodÂied voice makes a simÂiÂlar critÂiÂcism of McLuhan’s critÂics in The MediÂum is the MasÂsage, the 1968 album that mirÂrors both the conÂtent and the dense, experÂiÂmenÂtal visuÂal colÂlage form of McLuhan and graphÂic designÂer Quentin Fiore’s eponyÂmous book. LisÂten to the album (side A, side B) at UBUweÂb’s MarÂshall McLuhan sound archive and get an aurÂal glimpse into the mind that, upon receivÂing a proof of his book back from the printÂer’s with the title misÂspelled, sudÂdenÂly realÂized that only the word MasÂsage, with conÂnoÂtaÂtions of the mass media in whose age he lived, expressed the full extent of his meanÂing. But he did believe that the very exisÂtence of the teleÂphone or teleÂviÂsion, and the effects of their exisÂtence on humanÂiÂty as a whole, made for an infiÂniteÂly richÂer object of study than whatÂevÂer conÂtent humans hapÂpened to send across them. Through the pieces of media in this post, you can see and hear McLuhan expand upon this idea in his delibÂerÂate, oraÂtorÂiÂcalÂly metaphorÂiÂcal, someÂtimes madÂdenÂingÂly oblique manÂner. He works through the impliÂcaÂtions of, extenÂsions of, and posÂsiÂble conÂtraÂdicÂtions to this oddÂly robust notion, which some, in our hyperÂcomÂmuÂnicaÂtive, endÂlessÂly mediÂatÂed interÂnet age, would in hindÂsight call propheÂcy.
This weekÂend, Mike WalÂlace died at the age of 93. As The New York Times observes in its obit, WalÂlace was “a pioÂneer of AmerÂiÂcan broadÂcastÂing who conÂfrontÂed leadÂers and liars for 60 MinÂutes over four decades.” But before he became a fixÂture on 60 MinÂutes, Mike WalÂlace hostÂed his own short-lived TV show in the late 1950s, The Mike WalÂlace InterÂview, which let AmerÂiÂcans get an up-close and perÂsonÂal view of some legÂendary figÂures — Frank Lloyd Wright, Eleanor RooÂsevelt, ReinÂhold Niebuhr, Aldous HuxÂley, Erich Fromm, Ayn Rand and GloÂria SwanÂson.
Above, we’re bringÂing back Mike WalÂlace’s memÂoÂrable interÂview with SalÂvador Dali in 1958. For the betÂter part of a half hour, WalÂlace tried to demysÂtiÂfy “the enigÂma that is SalÂvador Dali,” and it didÂn’t go terÂriÂbly well. It turns out that surÂreÂalÂist painters give surÂreÂal answers to conÂvenÂtionÂal interÂview quesÂtions too. PretÂty quickÂly, WalÂlace capitÂuÂlates and says, “I must conÂfess, you lost me halfway through.” HapÂpiÂly for us, the video makes for some good viewÂing more than 50 years latÂer.
Some of the big webÂsites are going black today to protest SOPA, the Stop Online PiraÂcy Act, that has been windÂing its way through ConÂgress. We’re going to hanÂdle things in our own way — by illuÂmiÂnatÂing the matÂter with a litÂtle intelÂliÂgent media.
Backed by the Motion PicÂture AssoÂciÂaÂtion of AmerÂiÂca, SOPA is designed to debilÂiÂtate and effecÂtiveÂly shut down forÂeign-based webÂsites that sell piratÂed movies, music and othÂer goods. That all sounds fine on the face of things. But the legÂisÂlaÂtion, if enactÂed, would carÂry with it a series of unexÂpectÂed conÂseÂquences that could change the interÂnet as we know it. Among othÂer things, the law could be used to shut down AmerÂiÂcan sites that unwitÂtingÂly host or link to illeÂgal conÂtent — and withÂout givÂing the sites due process, a real day in court. Big sites like YouTube and TwitÂter could fall under presÂsure, and so could countÂless small sites. NeedÂless to say, that could have a seriÂous chillÂing effect on the openÂness of the web and free speech.
To give a quick examÂple: It could conÂceivÂably be the case that StanÂford might object to my feaÂturÂing their video above, file a claim, and shut the site down withÂout givÂing me notice and an opporÂtuÂniÂty to remove the mateÂrÂiÂal (as exists under curÂrent law). It’s not likeÂly. But it is posÂsiÂble, and the risk increasÂes with every post we write. If this law passÂes, the amount of mateÂrÂiÂal we could truÂly safeÂly covÂer would become ludiÂcrousÂly small, so much so that it wouldÂn’t be worth runÂning the site and using the web as an eduÂcaÂtionÂal mediÂum.
The ObaÂma adminÂisÂtraÂtion has come out against SOPA and PIPA, sidelinÂing the legÂisÂlaÂtion for now. But you can almost guarÂanÂtee that reviÂsions will be made, and the bills will return soon. So, while othÂer sites go black, we’re going to do what we do best. We’re feaÂturÂing video of an event held in DecemÂber by the StanÂford CenÂter for InterÂnet and SociÂety (SCIS). What’s Wrong with SOPAÂť brings togethÂer a series of informed oppoÂnents to SOPA, includÂing StanÂford law proÂfesÂsors and busiÂness leadÂers withÂin SilÂiÂcon ValÂley. (Find their bios below the jump.) Some of the most inciÂsive comÂments are made by Fred von Lohmann, a Google lawyer, startÂing at the 19:10 mark.
Note: If you’re lookÂing to underÂstand the debate from the perÂspecÂtive of copyÂright holdÂers, then we’d recÂomÂmend you spend time watchÂing, FolÂlow the MonÂey: Who ProfÂits from PiraÂcy?, a video that tracks the theft of one movie, makÂing it a microÂcosm of a largÂer probÂlem.
Eve Arnold, one of the pioÂneerÂing women of phoÂtoÂjourÂnalÂism, died WednesÂday at the age of 99.
WideÂly known for her phoÂtographs of MarÂiÂlyn MonÂroe and othÂer celebriÂties, Arnold just as often phoÂtographed the poor and the unknown. “I don’t see anyÂbody as either ordiÂnary or extraÂorÂdiÂnary,” she told the BBC in 1990. “I see them simÂply as peoÂple in front of my lens.”
Born Eve Cohen in PhiladelÂphia on April 21, 1912, she was one of nine chilÂdren of UkrainÂian immiÂgrant parÂents. When she was 28 years old she gave up plans to become a docÂtor after a boyfriend gave her a camÂera. She studÂied phoÂtogÂraÂphy for a brief time under AlexÂey Brodovitch at the New School for Social Research before going out on her own and findÂing her style.
“I didÂn’t work in a stuÂdio, I didÂn’t light anyÂthing,” Arnold would latÂer say. “I found a way of workÂing which pleased me because I didÂn’t have to frightÂen peoÂple with heavy equipÂment. It was that litÂtle black box and me.”
A series of phoÂtographs Arnold took of fashÂion shows in Harlem attractÂed the attenÂtion of HenÂri CartiÂer-BresÂson, one of the founders of MagÂnum PhoÂtos, and she was invitÂed to conÂtribute to the agency. In 1957 Arnold became the first woman phoÂtogÂraÂphÂer to join MagÂnum as a full memÂber. She worked often for Life and latÂer, after movÂing to EngÂland in 1961, for The SunÂday Times MagÂaÂzine, travÂelÂing to places like Afghanistan, South Africa, MonÂgoÂlia and Cuba while always mainÂtainÂing a perÂsonÂal point of view. In her 1976 book, The UnreÂtouched Woman, Arnold wrote:
Themes recur again and again in my work. I have been poor and I wantÂed to docÂuÂment poverÂty; I had lost a child and I was obsessed with birth; I was interÂestÂed in polÂiÂtics and I wantÂed to know how it affectÂed our lives; I am a woman and I wantÂed to know about women.
Arnold pubÂlished 15 books in her lifeÂtime, includÂing the NationÂal Book Award-winÂning In ChiÂna. In 2003 she was awardÂed the Order of the British Empire by Queen ElisÂaÂbeth II, whom she had once phoÂtographed. In the 2007 book MagÂnum MagÂnum, phoÂtogÂraÂphÂer Elliott Erwitt summed things up:
Eve Arnold’s legaÂcy is as varÂied as it is fasÂciÂnatÂing. It is hard to fathÂom how one perÂsonÂ’s work can be so diverse. I covÂers the humÂblest to the most exaltÂed, the meanÂest to the kindÂest, and everyÂthing in between. The subÂjects are all there in Eve Arnold’s phoÂtographs and they are treatÂed with intelÂliÂgence, conÂsidÂerÂaÂtion and symÂpaÂthy. Most imporÂtant is Eve’s abilÂiÂty to visuÂalÂly comÂmuÂniÂcate her conÂcerns directÂly, withÂout fanÂfare or preÂtense, in the best humanÂisÂtic traÂdiÂtion.
Most of these “crazy ones, misÂfits, rebels and rule breakÂers” have been feaÂtured on Open CulÂture throughÂout the years (click the links above), and what make this ad speÂcial is that Steve Jobs narÂrates it himÂself. The origÂiÂnal TV ad — the one that made it on air — had Richard DreyÂfuss doing the voiceover…
One drawÂing by The New YorkÂer carÂtoonÂists says it all. BrilÂliantÂly done. You can find the origÂiÂnal covÂer here, and watch how the carÂtoonÂists go about their work here.
And then from across the very big pond, we have AusÂtralian carÂtoonÂist Peter NicholÂson offerÂing anothÂer creÂative take on Mr. Jobs’ meetÂing with St. Peter. Find origÂiÂnal here, and thanks Geoff for sendÂing…
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