Unfortunately not going to be able to get over to Germany in 2 weeks to run a workshop for teens at a cultural summer camp... very disappointing but I had some stuff come up and we just couldn't work the dates. Now, prepare for the Art Institute of Chicago installation. It's an interesting project with an interesting finished piece.

Goodbye, Chicago

Thanks for a great time, my Chicago friends. And that's Ms. Jackson, if you're nasty.

Philadelphia: 1980s, MOVE siege

The Move photos are only the first 25 photos in this series, but worth checking out. Click the title to see them.

In 1985 Philadelphia's city government dropped a bomb on an inhabited home in West Philadelphia and murdered 11 people, including five children, and burned down 61 homes.


Osage Ave.

Brianna in front of Michael Jackson's childhood home.

Dear Chicago

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Philadelphia Airport Kiosk

Two teens killed in separate shootings in South Philly

2 people murdered in South Philly today. Are you fucking kidding me?

1500 block of Reed St.
2 blocks from my house

17th and Tasker St.
4 blocks from my house

"Full fathom five thy father lies;
Of his bones are coral made;
Those are pearls that were his eyes;
Nothing of him that doth fade,
But doth suffer a sea-change
Into something rich and strange..."

Ariel's Song to Ferdinand
from
The Tempest by
William Shakespeare


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What is the difference between a physical change and a chemical change?


Answer

1. A physical change is reversible, a chemical change is not. For example, the freezing of water would be a physical change because it can be reversed, whereas the burning of wood is a chemical change - you can't 'unburn' it: physical change is a change in which no new substance is formed.

2. A chemical change is a change of materials into other, new materials with different properties, and one or more new substances are formed. Freezing water into ice just results in water molecules which are 'stuck' together - it's still H2O. Whereas burning wood results in ash, carbon dioxide, etc, all new substances which weren't there when you started.

But a chemical change hasn't changed or added to the atoms of the burned wood. It's still what it is, with the atoms forming new alliances or going it alone. Carbon was there in the wood before burning and is there after burning... in a different state, but still carbon.

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Here's what happens with the pulling apart of atoms



A 23 kiloton tower shot called BADGER, fired on April 18, 1953 at the Nevada Test Site, as part of the Operation Upshot-Knothole nuclear test series.

Chicago Bound

First Moon Landing via The Onion

Summer Reading

I'm happy to be in this show for many reasons but mostly because I love Jen Bekman!

Work by Thomas Allen, Kate Bingaman-Burt, Kotama Bouabane, Lizzie Buckmaster Dove, Christine Callahan, Jorge Colombo, William Crump, Lauren DiCioccio, Nina Katchadourian, Gregory Krum, Steve Lambert, Michael Mandiberg, Carrie Marill, Mike Monteiro, Jane Mount, Kirby Pilcher, Jason Polan, Kent Rogowski, Ed Ruscha, Kelly Shimoda, Victor Schrager, Mickey Smith, Alec Soth, Zoe Strauss, Shaun Sundholm, Brian Ulrich and Tim Walker.

On View: July 16th - August 22nd, 2009
Opening Reception: July 15th, 6pm - 8pm

6 spring street
new york city 10012
tel: 212.219.0166
info (at) jenbekman (dot) com

Horses

America’s Civil War: Horses and Field Artillery

Cincinnati
Traveller


Civil War General Philip Sheridan's taxidermied horse.


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Palomino
Deborah Butterfield

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Aged 95 and still the ‘Lady Bucking Horse Champion of the World,’ Fannie Sperry Steele died on February 11, 1983. ‘I have never tired of rodeo in my life,’ she had written. ‘I have never seen one show too many, be it good, bad or middlin’. I hope there’s an arena in Heaven…that’s where you’ll find me…Fannie Sperry Steele.’

Fannie Sperry Steele

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Sioux Chiefs on Horseback
Photo by Edward S. Curtis
1905

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Man o' War
Secretariat
Smarty Jones
Misty of Chincoteague
Black Beauty
Equus

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"'Because the spine of the horses is supported by backpacks worn by the puppeteers inside, the chest manipulator' — the puppeteer handling the chest and front legs — 'simply has to bend and straighten his knees, allowing the torso of the horse to raise and lower,' simulating breathing, Mr. Kohler said."



"...thinking about a problem for about 25 years..."

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Hippocamp
Turkish Brooch of a late 5th or 4th century date.


Hippocampus

Hippocampus

Noun

1. A complex neural structure (shaped like a sea horse) consisting of gray matter and located on the floor of each lateral ventricle; intimately involved in motivation and emotion as part of the limbic system; has a central role in the formation of memories.
2. Seahorses.
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Trojan Horse

Here's a Show I Want To See- Projects 90: Song Dong

"Beijing-based artist Song Dong (b. 1966) explores notions of transience and impermanence with installations that combine aspects of performance, video, photography, and sculpture. Projects 90, his first solo U.S. museum show, presents his recent work Waste Not. A collaboration first conceived of with the artist's mother, the installation consists of the complete contents of her home, amassed over fifty years during which the Chinese concept of wu jin qi yong, or "waste not," was a prerequisite for survival. The assembled materials, ranging from pots and basins to blankets, oil flasks, and legless dolls, form a miniature cityscape that viewers can navigate around and through."


-From the MoMA website

Here's another I keep coming back to.

Revisiting this one.

Countdown Dated Edition Photos

Fuck this recession! Get ready to get some of the "Countdown Dated Edition Photos." The Countdown Dated Edition Photos" are a series of photos including a photo from each year spanning the duration of the I-95 project, 2000 to 2010. The sale of these photos will help pay for the 2010 I-95 show. And, believe me, the 2010 show will be spectacular. Rest assured that if you get one, it's money well spent.

Starting this month, I will be posting one image a month for sale and they will be available until May 2010 or until they sell out. The photos are 250 bucks a pop, and will be made in a dated edition of 5. Photos will be offered in chronological order: the July photo is 2000, August is 2001, September is 2002 and so on.

Image size for each photo is 7.5"x9.5", paper size is 8.5."x11", and the photos are archival ink-jet prints.

These are a limited edition 2009/2010 issue...they will be signed as such and come with a letter from me. This means that I am only printing 5 of these photos at 7.5" by 9.5" between right now and May 2010. Who knows what I'll print in 2010, but these are it from this year. Who knows what I'll do in 2010, period.

Please zoestrausslimitededition@gmail.com with any questions.

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July

Detail I-95 (Basketball Hoop) 2000-2010
35mm Negative 2000
printed 2009

Chicago, IL

Camp StraussundBloom Update

Chicago Bound Next Week

Marshalls in South Philadelphia.

Cheney Is Linked to Concealment of C.I.A. Project

Dear Friends,

As part of the upcoming I-95.10 preparation I am asking everyone ever to ask me questions about the I-95 project. The questions and answers will be included in something produced for the final show. So if you have any question at all... and I really mean any question... please send it to philapap (at) gmail (dot) com or put the question in the comments under this post. If you sign your name the question will be attributed to you, unless you request to be anonymous. You can also ask a question anonymously in the comments.

Again, I really mean any questions. Whatever you really want to know.

With Love,
ZS

Check Out Ashley's Flynn's Work at The Knapp Gallery

Ashley Flynn, amazing intern and amazing artist, has a show up at the Knapp Gallery until Sunday. Go check it out.

The Knapp Gallery
162 N 3rd St.
Philadelphia, PA 19106

Tomorrow: Walker Roberts Returns to Japan.

Hoooooooooooooo! I love you brother. Hurry home again.

TED Talks: Technology, Entertainment, Design

I will refrain from reposting of every TED talk I ever watch and instead post a link to TED. I am not a gal for lectures but I would give my eye teeth to be able to go to one of these conferences.

Happy Birthday, Cosmo Baker

To All:

Here's an ornate invitation to celebrate 35 years of the Great Cosmo Baker.
Love you, brother!

Racist Philadelphia Swim Club: The Valley Swim Club

"A Huntington Valley swim club is facing accusations of racial discrimination after 65 children from a Northeast Philadelphia day camp claim they heard prejudicial remarks by club members and later had their club membership rescinded.

'There was concern that a lot of kids would change the complexion … and the atmosphere of the club,' John Duesler, President of The Valley Swim Club said in a statement."

Fuck you, Valley Swim Club.

The public email and phone number for The Valley Swim Club is 215-947-0700 and info@thevalleyclub.com. The President of the club is John Duesler.


Phila. camp alleges racism at Montco swim club

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Campers are now swimming at the Girard College pool.

A World of Digital Manipulation

I have no problem with digital manipulation. As a rule for myself, I don't manipulate anymore than I could with a few tools in a darkroom. I crop, straighten out, burn, dodge, clean up dust, color correct. I'm not particularly stellar at photoshop and I'm more interested in rapid image production as opposed to polishing each pixel in an image, so there's not a ton to do. There's no image changing additions or subtractions, just basic digital dark room work.


Except for this one


original


finished

Everything, which I consider one of my favorites, has been impossible for me. It's cropped slightly, but the image is as it was made and that's the problem except for a little perspective pulling in upper left hand. The color is always slightly off and I've never really been able to get it right. And the exposure is off so I've worked endlessly with getting the ground and the wall on the same tone wavelength. The problem is really the ground below the curb. I could sign this photo, "Ahab."

Is the gratuitous use of parentheses still in full effect in academic writing? It was really one of my least favorite devices. I found a lot of the writing that employed the "parentheses wit" to be (to)rturo(us) and f(ill)ed with (pole)mic (up)percl(ass)man jargon. I'd rather have quotes, "written" or "air."

RIP Swells

2008


2009

Information designer Tom Wujec gives a brief talk about three areas of the brain that help us understand words, images, feelings, connections. I'm interested in the "lo-tech visual strategic plan" vs. "the emerging digital technology visual strategic plan." I think there there must be some kind of difference in logic formation between writing and mark-making using basic tools as opposed to using technology to record and "visually think out" things. Does anyone reading this know if the brain uses different pathways for writing and drawing with hand tools vs. typing for a screen and creating digital imagery? What role do learning styles play in this? I feel like the use of unseen and unknowable tools must impact the way we work out ideas and shift how we think. Like my inability to know the workings of the computer that I'm typing on this minute... how would my brain be firing up if I had a direct physical connection to the marks I'm making right now, via pen or typewriter? One thing is for sure, my vocabulary would be reduced to about 50 words due to my inability to spell.
Seriously, I really need to know about this.

In addition, this short talk implies that brain makes meaning through vision alone, which is completely wrong. It could have been edited in a truncated way that dropped out something about vision as one way to create meaning, so I'm not hating that much. But I am really fascinated by our idea that "seeing is believing" is still propping up "seeing is consciousness."

Looking for Model Trains and Trappings.

If anyone has model trains and accoutrement sitting around in their basement, please consider donating them to the Philadelphia Public Art Project. We will take any scale and we will pick up.

Please email the Phila PAP at philapap (@) gmail (.) com and we will get right back to you.

Thanks for your consideration.

In Memoriam: Steven Wells

Zoe Strauss: "The Phillies are the WORLD CHAMPIONS OF
BASEBALL. THE WORLD CHAMPIONS OF BASEBALL."

Steven Wells: "No they're not. They're national champions. America is not the world."

-Then an ongoing debate about the "World Champion" status for many, many emails. Of course, SW is right and after a valiant, but failed, attempt to make a claim that Phillies are "World Champions" I must openly acknowledge that Phillies are "World Series Champions" and not "World Champions" and modify my language accordingly.

The last presidential election ended the debate-

ZS: "USA is now World Champs of president electing!"

SW: "Yes you are."

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"Let's get this situation sorted out!
We're so polite
It makes me want to shout
We waive the everything we want
An' take the nothing we already have
An' I'm waiting on hold
For something to blow ..."

The Redskins, from Neither Washington Nor Moscow

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NME Memorial:
Steven Wells – Less A Journalist, More A Torch To The Face



Philadelphia Weekly Steven Wells Memorial Issue

Billy Bragg Remembers Steven Wells

The photos above are fine... Sharon is ok, the top one is out and out boring but I was interested in the "hometown parade" display in the top one. "Hometown" being Philadelphia, a major city. I feel like I've been in a slump since coming back from Alaska and not super into anything I've made in the last few months, with the exception of the photo below. I think this is kind of interesting, because the image below isn't one that best exemplifies my interest of exchange when making portraits.

Tomorrow, end of vacay. And I'm going to start using the word "vacay" henceforth, so be prepared.

How It's Made

I love this show.

Nancy Palindrome

I can't remember if I put this up before, but I know I love it enough to put it up again and again.

Happy 4th.

Couple from Chicago at Independence Hall

Cosmo Baker and Walker Roberts at Phillies Game

Sea-Change: The Official White House Photostream on Flickr

I find the White House flickr photostream fascinating. The White House using this kind of democratic format, with a constructed transparency, is brand new and I'm very excited to see how it plays out.


Here's a photo posted...

P062409JS-0069
Originally uploaded by The Official White House Photostream

the text underneath reads-
"Supreme Court Justice Nominee Sonia Sotomayor laughs with Deputy White House Counsel Cassadra Butts, left, Counsel to Vice-President Joe Biden Cynthia Hogan, right, and members of the White House Counsel's Office during her birthday party that was held inside the Eisenhower Executive Office Building Wednesday June 24, 2009. The Counsel's Office presented her with a framed, signed photograph of her with President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden from the announcement of her appointment on May 22. 2009. (Official White House Photo by Johnny Simon)"

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And the comments include...

"Let me know next time you guys have a party she looks like she would be fun at a party"

"Girl in the middle with black/white dress is cute :)"

"Women outshine men in every way...men are so dumb...LOL especially Barrack"

"Good to see a smile"

"Sotomayor:

What??
The Supreme Court overturned my ruling on the white firefighters??

Well, it just goes to prove my point! That's what you get from 8 whites and an Uncle Tom!"

"No hay vida sin fatigas."

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What does this mean, putting up these photos for not just public consumption, but to be commented on by anyone?