Dividers, Not Uniters

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2 types of divisive people in the culture sphere:

1. Loudmouths who say what they think about artwork and institutions but have no power to change them except through argument. If challenged in person or online, they will do everything they can to persuade you but will admit an incorrect fact or badly formed opinion.

2. Apparently cheerful people who wield real power but never say anything substantive when challenged. They prefer the megaphone of institutional authority and behind the scenes decisions that have career consequences for others.

Which kind of divider are you?

"Mr. Ray"

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"Mr. Ray" [mp3 removed]

An exploration of the sonata form. A main (allegro) theme, a slower theme, a dance, and return to the allegro. The initial four-note motif is a Reaktor preset and the rest is me. Sonatas are supposed to have some kind of tonal center but this is all timbral and rhythmic. It is a "twelve tone" piece, I suppose, too, at least the fast synthesized string parts. The sound quality is pretty harsh--it's not very generous in terms of tunes or a groove anyone could sink into. It's something I had to do and I will now return to mellifluous Tin Pan Alley tunesmithing.

sketch_c6 (work in progress)

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sketch_c6 GIF

This is a sketch of something I'm working on in my studio. Most of the pieces like this I've been posting aren't permanent. They are photographed and disassembled, or part of the structure is left on the wall to be used in the next piece. The one above is a sketch of what's up now. I'm not currently in the studio so I'm working on it elsewhere in MSPaint. I saved it as a GIF which is why it's so pixelated. Anyway, I'm thinking I will make this a permanent piece, which means inlaying white paper in the interstitial spaces of the molecule and then taping the whole thing together with strips of linen tape on the back. I've been missing making quilty physical objects. The "painting" part started as a test sheet where a family member was painting with his daughter and using the heavy paper to wipe his brushes. I added some brushy molecules and glued down photocopied spheres. I mainly like the contrast between the rigid molecule and the "expressive" painting, which stands in for the disposable product packaging that often appears in these constructions.