Nonchalance

Algorithm Dancing

noreply@blogger.com (Nonchalance) — Wed, 21 May 2008 16:33:00 +0000

If you search for "Algorithm March", you will find this particular song & dance that originated in Japan, wherein people begin a set of syncopated movements that result in funny interactive mechanics. It's a cute team exercise exhibiting creative group dynamics (which we like). Below is a version of an adapted dance created in New Zealand called "Algorithm Chores" (which we like even better).

A New Rube (Goldberg)

noreply@blogger.com (Nonchalance) — Wed, 21 May 2008 16:04:00 +0000

"Wild" Styles

noreply@blogger.com (Nonchalance) — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 00:53:00 +0000

Somebody clever has been recycling used plastic shopping bags to create animals that spring to life when the subway goes by. I'm pleased that street art is alive & well.

The BIL Conference

noreply@blogger.com (Nonchalance) — Sat, 29 Mar 2008 21:14:00 +0000

You've probably heard of the TED conference in Monterey, the acronym standing for "Technology, Entertainment, and Design". The get-together is an expensive and elitist (invite only) gathering of high minded presentations intended to inspire participants, and allow direct social interfacing between impresarios from a variety of fields. I actually snuck in one year and witnessed talks by Charles Mayseles and Matt Groening, among others. It was very cool, but perhaps not exactly worth the ten thousand dollar price tag.

And so, a group of Bay Area cats have responded in critique to TED, creating the low-rent cross-town sibling, "BIL". ("Brilliance. Ingenuous. Latitude.") From the photos posted it appears there was an interesting crowd sharing good times. You've got to be skeptical about the quality of the talks, though, at an uncurated, open-source intellectual jam session. But for free, I'm not squabbling. Honestly, I wish I went and presented. Here's a link. http://bilconference.com

BTW, many of the TED talks are free on the website: http://www.ted.com

Launch of Nonchalance 2.0

noreply@blogger.com (Nonchalance) — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 18:29:00 +0000

a fresh phase with more movement: www.nonchalance.com

PUG: "Pervasive Urban Gaming"

noreply@blogger.com (Nonchalance) — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 05:12:00 +0000

From Sean de la Sean (Goblinko Manifold) we hear a report on the rise of Pervasive Urban Gaming. We see the Hide & Seek Festival in the UK, and the Come Out & Play event in Amsterdam. Apparently there's a salt & peppery blawg post from Momus about this movement (to be read here).

I also recently heard from Sherry, a former collaborator who moved on to Shanghai to produce events with Bad Cat Productions. They're staging all kinds of Global Pillow Fights, Mass Picnics, and Pajama Jams. Sherry credits her time with Oaklandish as a major inspiration for their movement. Then there's MobMov, some berkeley cats who gained international attention for recreating the Liberation Drive-In (seven years after we showed people how).

We take these signals to indicate that intercontinentally we're all picking up on the same signals, all drinking from the same stream. We are connected, and our ideas do not occur in isolation. Our seperate threads weave together, forming a larger fabric that cannot wholy be seen by any of the individuals involved.

Kinetic Sculpture

noreply@blogger.com (Nonchalance) — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 22:48:00 +0000

I'm now inspired to post about advancements in Kinetic Sculpture. That is sculptural pieces with movement, often upon their own accord. Like any other genre there is the good and the bad. I'm not so into the "robotics" stuff, i.e. Survival Research Labs, Robot Wars, etc. (Respect due, just not my thing). But I have recently discovered this other coonceptual school of sculpting (often wire, metal, and tubing) that really touches upon the unseeable forces of nature: Wind. DNA. Evloution.

The cream of the crop is Theo Jansen, a Dutch Artist who has given authentic life to inanimate materials. Check out the work on his website with huge wind driven insectine creatures that are meant to roam the beaches independantly, and have self preservation mechanisms built in. But what truly flipped my lid was this video of the ANIMARIS RHINOCEROS TRANSPORT, a mobile turantula/dinosaur weighing 2.8 tons, and reaching over 7 meters high. This old fellow believes he is creating new life forms. God like. See for your self.

Other amazing artists in this field:
- Ivan Black
- Arthur Ganson
- Tim Prentice

Also giving a shout out to the great American Master of the form Alexander Calder. We're all aware of his hanging scultures, but have you seen this 1961 film of his intricately assembled performance piece, the French Circus?

Incognito; The Rebirth of Nonchalance

noreply@blogger.com (Nonchalance) — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 07:04:00 +0000

Fair Reader you may be wondering, "What About This Project?". Fore I'd previously alluded to some grand endeavor that was taking place in 2008, the post-Oaklandish project that would once and for all settle the score. And yes it's underway, however the overall approach has been modified. Rather than hyping it up / going massive, I'm starting at the other miniscule end of the spectrum. It's gotta begin micro & mysterious. And then grow organically, eventually arriving at an appropriate scale. I will drop clues here, but I will not be "promoting". To the viewer/player/performer, the author(s) will be quite anonymous. And there will be no press. No reference. No alternate resource. All I shall say now is that the script has been written, and we are in full production mode. Funny that I'm discussing this here in a manner in which there is a supposed audience who actually gives a flarn.

Acting as if >>> Humble beginnings >>> Nameless >>> Nobody but us in here.

Couch Forts

noreply@blogger.com (Nonchalance) — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 21:20:00 +0000

A fundemental childhood development: fun & shelter built from found domestic resources. Creating an enclosed atmosphere of play within your living room. Inspired by basic human instincts. An environment is assembled, an ambiance is composed, an alternate reality set inside the most oridinary of settings. By nature the fort is exclusive, private. The question is begged; who is this fort for, and what (or who) does it protect against? The values and sensibilities of the builder are somehow implied in the act of construction. This is not simply a physical shelter. *Note: the close cousin; "Blanket Fort" (below).

"mixtape for after you get hardsonned"

noreply@blogger.com (Nonchalance) — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 06:06:00 +0000

This is a direct quote from a post on the "I Love Music" message board. The text's indiscretions touch on many important yet ambiguously delicate matters.

a G works with me and he sonned the hell out of me from 7:30 in the morning to 2:00 this afternoon, culminating at around 10:20. saw straight through me, deep through the bullshit. we were getting high and i started acting super-gay-crazy bitch-made devil-racist beast-mode and i accidentally painted an upside-down 7 on the wall and a cross then erased it!!!! WTF. all sorts of mystical negro type shit occurred that's too trippy to describe, and he told me my old girl realized i was crazy too and that's why we might never get along, and made me realize i never really got real situation or the finality of life never having brushed with death, like he was fucking the world and i was getting fucked, so he must experience it like the antithesis of tripping, and told me i'm an emo fucktard for not shaping up and getting pussy, and that it would be excusable if i were a real nerd. my fucking pot-hexed lack of memory is lapsing on 100 tons of hardrofl beyond zings. he also told me my age and height and birthday when i met him *:?

-- luriqua, Friday, September 7, 2007 4:44 AM

For those who don't understand the format of ILM, this user has requested other users to submit songs for a mix tape to listen to after a rather confusing and difficult day. At some point, we hope to acquire this tape and post it's contents here.

5D: The Breatharian Way

noreply@blogger.com (Nonchalance) — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 22:32:00 +0000

I just got off the phone with Mr. Wiley Brookes, Breatharian, Spiritual Teacher, Inter-dimensional Traveler, and Founder of the Breatharian Institute Of America. Breathariansim is the practice of meditation and a diet consisting of oxygen alone, that will lead people from the 3D world to the 5D world.

Now, I'm not telling anybody to stop eating food (there have been a number of international followers who have died attempting this). I love food. And I'm not saying that Mr. Brookes is neccesarily sane minded. I also can not personally attest to travelling to the fifth dimension. But I am always hungry for exotic knowledge, be it factual or otherwise. I am especially attracted to the "Lost Cause", the more esoteric the better.

And I just got off the phone with The King. He very articulately explained to me a bit about the frequencies differentiating the 3rd and the 5th dimension. He then guided me through the prescribed meditational exercises. He also informed me of the strict diet that must be consumed after the meditation (until you have ascended beyond the 3D world), which consists of a 20 oz bottle of Diet Coke and a Quarter Pounder (no exceptions).

I won't link to the website because I don't want a bunch of Jackanapes & Jerkalopes bothering Mr. Wiley, who is an honerable and kind teacher of his philosophy. He offers workshops that are valued at $25,000,000, but he's willing to work out a payment plan. However, the phone consultation was free!

There are obvious parrallels between this 5D world and that of Nonchalance (aka ElseWhere), which generally abhors an overinfatuation with physical, practical concerns and basic needs. That's why I feel it was important to do some personal research into the ways of Mr. Brookes, who has been developing his practice for over 30 years. The touching part of the conversation was when he explained how difficult it is to continue his teachings considering how painful and fatiguing it can be to inhabit the 3rd Dimension since he's achieved ascension. It's part of his work and journey though, and somehow I can relate to this.

WeTube de la n0ncha1ance

noreply@blogger.com (Nonchalance) — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 22:19:00 +0000

We've gone ahead and done it. (That is, created a YouTube channel for Nonchalance). Mostly a grab bag of oddball moving images that relate to our art theory & practice, organized into discreet playlists. Enjoy.

URL: http://www.youtube.com/n0ncha1ance

Savant Spam

noreply@blogger.com (Nonchalance) — Sun, 03 Feb 2008 01:16:00 +0000

I read about Linzie Hunter, the woman who creats paintings out of Spam subject lines. ( Boing Boing article ). Basically, she was making art from junk mail. This reminded me of how strangely poetic some of the spam filter proof emails can be, especially the porno ones. So, I'm beginning to collect a few here. And I quote:

Sexy tender feet swans
Analog cat rape
Hott red stockings frog
Bubble butt indian dogsstuff
Cum on her nose omen

noreply@blogger.com (Nonchalance) — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 23:05:00 +0000

That post about Andy, Keith and Jean-Michel inspired me to finally produce this design.

Cinema for your Domepiece: Esoteric & Mind Expanding Film Experiences

noreply@blogger.com (Nonchalance) — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 20:59:00 +0000

With a bizarre slant in cinematic interests, this is my 1st offering of many film lists . Beyond simply being "Art House" or documentary, this index refers to those films possessing a deeper informative component. They represent a visual expression of the theoretical, often issuing a kind of perceptual challenge to the viewer. They are experimental, but also accomplished productions, both memorable and entertaining. Sometimes dry, though, and best saved for those slow days when you're in a specificly idea thirsty mood...

Maschinenträume (Machine Dreams 1988)
A quirky & abstract meditation on the intersections of technology and the human spirit. NY Times Review

Synthetic Pleasures 1995
With good ambient music and a peppering of experts, artists and kooks, an exploration of the human inclination to create technologies intended to "improve" reality, such as cryogenics, Cyber-sex, and A.I. NY Times Review

Jonah who will be 25 in the year 2000 1976
The Swiss film maker Alain Tanner describes his film as "a dramatic tragi-comedy in political science fiction."
NY Times Review

Wax, or the Discovery of Television Among the Bees 1992
A bomb-sight grid becomes a honeycomb that becomes a map of the brain. The letters of a riddle float in the air and rearrange themselves into another slogan that seems to answer the first riddle. "Wax" imagines an alternative alphabet used to communicate by the spirits of the dead, as a pseudo-documentary on the development of photography and its relation to the occult. NY Times Review

Citizen 1982
"Follows an ensemble cast on an apparently random journey through a disjointed San Francisco cityscape. Along their travels they encounter a succession of madmen and eccentrics, portrayed by various West Coast performance artists, whose impassioned monologues and improvisations satirize the institutions of contemporary American society". Wikipedia entry - Now available on DVD here!

Slacker
Waking Life
Baraka
The Cruise
Fast, Cheap & Out of Control
Apocalypse; Revelations for a New Millennium

I will amend this list soon with more titles, descriptions, and links. Unfortunately, many of these are not released on DVD yet, and therefore unavailable on Netflix. You'll just have to track them down and watch them the old fashioned way: VHS rental or purchase. (Try Reel Video, Facets, or Amazon). Other lists to come include: Arts, "Quirky", Animation, Political, Mainstream, etc etc etc!

SFZero

noreply@blogger.com (Nonchalance) — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 20:15:00 +0000

"If there is such a thing as open source games, sf0 is a beautiful version of it."- Greg Niemeyer

From the site: "SFZero is a Collaborative Production Game. Players build characters by completing tasks for their groups and increasing their Score. The goals of play include meeting new people, exploring the city, and participating in non-consumer leisure activities.
......

SFZero: An interface for San Francisco. That is to say, a new representation for the data that's already there. Your mind is full of /inaccurate/ representations that are affecting the way you use the San Francisco dataflow: steering you away from interaction and collaboration and towards unproductive reflexive data loops (forNext). SFZero designers are working double-shifts to engineer this next-generation interface that will bring you together with your cohabitants to experience the freedom that is /hard-coded/ into San Francisco's protocol."

http://sf0.org/

The Philosophy of Andy Warhol

noreply@blogger.com (Nonchalance) — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 06:12:00 +0000

Just finished this book again. Some view his philosophy as empty, vapid. And it is empty... in the buddhist sense. Andy was quite zen. To me he was the corkscrew of America. He released the bubbly! He had completely come to terms with his own faults: through forgetfulness. And in the end, he was extremely chaste. Almost a saint in his aeseticism.

Additionally, he obviously had very interesting views on the relationships between business and art. This was part of his deep affinity for "America", as a cultural identity. Money was integral to the proccess. He never shied away from that.

Let me also say this about my 3 Saints, The New York Holy Trinity of Warhol, Basquiat, and Haring. They were all heavily criticized by those "politicized" voices who claimed some find of cutural theft. Warhol was accused of being an expoliter of other people's work and talent. Haring was seen as an interloper, colonizing the true urban art form of graffitti. While Basquiat was denounced as uncredible because he wasn't actually a homeless vagrant. Not poor enough, not black enough.

I'd challenge any such critic to create a single image as compelling or inventive as these 3 artists. That's where it starts and ends with me. Let's see the work. Period. And, having been accused of exploitation, interloping, and lacking in credibiltiy, it appears I am in wonderful company. These 3 Art Heroes of mine all died within a few years of each other, while I was in my late teens. Loss after loss in my formative years. I suppose that's why they are immortals in my lexicon.

"Alternative Reality Gaming"

noreply@blogger.com (Nonchalance) — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 21:27:00 +0000

"So, yes, I think we are going to be seeing more alternative reality games. The movement is gaining momentum, though there is still not a fully developed business model for thinking about how to build on this trend yet, and so it is likely to remain in the hands of marketers on the one hand and amateurs on the other."
- Henry Jenkins, Director of Comparative Media Studies Program and Full Professor of Literature at MIT

To learn about the basic tenets of ARG's, start here:
- Wikipedia article on Alternative Reality Games
- The Alternative Reality Gaming Network

OK, when you read the description of Immersive Media Narratives, you might observe that it sounds remarkably similar to an "Alternative Reality Game". And you would be correct. However, there are a few distinctions I'd like to make. As a genre these ARG's are defined by their adult, macabre, nerded out sensibility. Without exception they are all hard-boiled & dark mysteries, reminiscent of the comic book & video game world that are their breeding grounds. By nature, they are a "cult" activity, accessible mainly to the initiated gamer (adult male). Here's where I believe these games fall short as engaging entertainment.

- Producers are not seeing the "next level" of ARG as a broad entertainment platform with a massive intergenerational audience.
- There are no colorful, playful, joyful, completely integrated examples of this medium.
- So far the major games have been limited to "marketing tools".
- There is a tremendous gap to be filled here.

The "Games of Nonchalance" as an Immersive Media Narrative is different in that:
- it is designed as an ongoing activity for parents and children together in real space.
- There is a different level of immersion, with real stylized sets, rooms, and character actors.
- The aesthetics of the game are on a different creative & conceptual level. It is driven by an arts & entertainment model.
- There is a rough business model.

{ Immersive Media Narrative }

noreply@blogger.com (Nonchalance) — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 21:51:00 +0000

Now we're getting closer to the heart of why this blog exists. It serves as a conceptual safety net for ideas. More specifically: a safety net for ideas related to an upcoming creative project. This project could be described as an "Immersive Media Narrative", and this is what I have to say about it right now...

It is an activity, an "alternate reality game", a story, a novel, a movie, a website, a pirate radio program, a map, a guided tour, an urban exploration, a public art project, a scavenger hunt, a choose your own adventure book, trading cards, both a mystery & science fiction play, socio-reengineering experiment, and new commercial venture. For children & Adults. Foreshadowing the future of entertainment.

The story has online and offline content, that is immeshed. These tools are used as "narrative devices", all guiding the "participant" to real time / real space journeys. Examples of online content include: Google Maps, You Tube Video, Streaming Audio, Websites, Text Messaging & E-Mail. Examples of offline content include: Wheat paste visuals, FM radio transmissions, epoxy figurines, voice-mail boxes, graffiti-like messages, sidewalk chalk, exchanges of alternative currency, vending machines, photocopy tear-off flyers, oddball print ads, buried treasures, lock boxes, actual rooms or "sets", and introductions to the characters (actors placed in real space).

Besides the medium, it is really about the style and the content of the narrative. I'll save that very important subject for another day.

Eclectro/Magnetic: Jerk Music

noreply@blogger.com (Nonchalance) — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 20:20:00 +0000

Brazilian, Afrobeat, No-Wave, Post Punk, Glitch Pop, and Esoterica
in high fidelity 60 minute doses. 9 fine episodes & counting.
(This is basically a documentation of our most favorite and out-there musical explorations).

Download or Stream Here.

Beautiful Katamari

noreply@blogger.com (Nonchalance) — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 19:50:00 +0000

We're not "gamers", in the traditional context. That's why it's so satisfying to find a contemporary video game that is so colorful, fun, and trippy. You're this little prince who has to roll up this little ball of human clutter, unitl it gets bigger and bigger and bigger! You start off with bottle caps and match books, moving on to bikes and vending machines, and finally buildings, killer whales, and entire continents. It's so gratifying to move on to the larger scales and start grabbing huge stuff.

This is another great example of the sense of *scale* & *scope* being creatively explored through modern media. Such a game we can surely get down with, like the ones we used to enjoy in the arcade! Q-Bert, Pacman, Berzerker, Tempest, Battlezone, Dig Dug, Burgertime, etc. etc. These were playful, conceptual, silly, and just delightful. Such a contrast to the loud and gloomy shoot 'em up flarnery being pushed so heavily today.

Midnight Motel

noreply@blogger.com (Nonchalance) — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 23:00:00 +0000

So hard to find a good podcast mix. But we at nonchalance are quite fickle. This one here is hitting me just right, though.

MIDNIGHT MOTEL
HOST: Doctor Tiki
DESCRIPTION: Unpredictable audio odysseys for musical adventurists. Ambient, eclectic, funky.
LOCATION: A dusty town off the Highway

Note: Only one episode. (Best stuff is always short lived).

Powers of Ten

noreply@blogger.com (Nonchalance) — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 23:09:00 +0000

You may be familiar with the Eames film, Powers of Ten. It's a fine choice then for the subject of one of our first posts here, because it's a fundemental example of the use of media to expand consciousness. This short film, which I remember seeing as a child on PBS, visually exhibited very profound concepts of scale, from the macroscopic to the microscopic and back again.

Apparently the Eames foundation has set up an entire "Powers of Ten" website, where you may view the film, play the game(!), and do other interactive exercises related to these concepts. And this makes us glad.

http://powersof10.com/

The Concept of Nonchalance

noreply@blogger.com (Nonchalance) — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 22:41:00 +0000

Some people misinterpret the meaning of Nonchalance as to be somehow uncaring. The dictionary definition describes "a cool indifference or lack of concern; casualness". But when put in the context of "Divine Nonchlanace", the significance of the word is altered. Now it evokes the fearlessness required to create, a disregard for the judgement of others, and a keen blindness to the ramshackle state of the human race. Therefore, Divine Nonchlance is a self-enforced ignorance built on hope.

"Picture in your mind a cartoon character sleepwalking. Observe as they stutter, step, and stumble blindly out of bed, down the stairs and out the front door on to a busy street. They narrowly dodge impending danger without effort or awareness. Cars race by, they are turned around in a revolving door, and after the languid adventure they are somehow returned to bed unharmed. It's a certain attribute the cartoon character possesses: to be able to stumble through life with nary a care, prodigiously protected and provided for by the invisible hand of good fortune. This ability is called Divine Nonchalance.

And so; our titled is lifted from this phrase, which may have its origins in modern Tarot: it appears on the card of The Fool. It signifies a certain blessed carelessness, a freedom from inhibition that sparks and inspires creativity. Long ago our local clique adopted the phrase to describe certain peoples who possessed the gift. If you possess it, as visionary artists often do, than you too may be one of the Divine Nonchalants.

BUT BEWARE: like any other gift, it comes with a price. The special power of Nonchalance is not found on the card of the King, or of the Sun... it is found on the card of The Fool. Clowns, wise guys, drunks and musicians are the salty sort of down-trodden folk who usually possess this super power in spades. And of course; cartoon characters. This special breed of people all share the wonderful attribute. It's a shame they'll never quite know what to do with it. By definition the Nonchalant is wonderfully scattered, and lacking in all direction. The ride is fantastic, but it only leads back to where we began.

It is appropriate then that we put the title to use. Nonchalance.org is a small looking glass into the creative lives of a few east bay souls. Here is where we document our works, make audacious statements of purpose, post exhibit schedules, engage with theory, trade intelligence, and celebrate our love for the past, present and future of this glorious lifetime.

We are the Nonchalants. Join us...