27 October 2009

Five Interesting Articles

The Tools of Doctors, and a Price for Patients

An article chronicling the development and widespread use of technology as a means of diagnosis for doctors, and how each new discovery and invention is met with different opinion in the medical community versus the public.
[See also: Knowledge of Shadows: Introduction of X-ray images into Medicine]

A New Electronic Reader, the Nook, Enters the Market

An article about book retail conglomerate Barnes & Noble's new answer to the Amazon Kindle, featuring a "lending" option.
[See also: Amazon Kindle]

Changing the World

An opinion column about the gross passivity of modern Americans and their beliefs that they as individual citizens cannot affect change on the present dismal state of affairs, and how this mode of thinking is what allows the status quo to remain unchanged.
[See also: Are Americans Passive Cowards?]

The Alluring Power of Blood in Spiders

An article which notes the level of attraction to the opposite sex in Evarcha culicivora jumping spiders increases with the amount of blood the spider has ingested.
[See also: Female Spiders Eat Small Males When They Mate]

Slaughterhouse Live

An article about a class offered in New York City that teaches ethically-conscious, borderline vegetarian, and financially frugal citizens how to kill and butcher their own meat.
[See also: How to Butcher a Pig]

23 October 2009

New Blog & New Banner


Recently, Live From Memphis offered to let me have a blog on their website. Okay, that was like in January. But I finally got around to setting one up during the excess spare time I had lofting around the house post-op. I haven't really squared down a theme or anything like that. This blog really doesn't have one, but so far on LFM, I'm trying to post Memphis related stuff, specifically social & cultural commentary, criticisms and showcases on the good & bad happening in this city, reviews on art shows, art happenings, indie movies, and other cool shit locals are doing, and other things of the sort. I drew something in the park the other day and made it into a banner last night. Check it & my blog out at: livefrommemphis.com/holtermonsterinhiding

22 October 2009

H to Hammerhead Shark

For this assignment, I had to take the first letter of my last name and morph that into an object beginning with the same letter in six steps. I think this would look cool as an animation, but as it is, it's probably the most fun thing we've gotten to do in Design Systems I thus far.

17 October 2009

I am a spoiled child of technology

With everything that happens automatically, why is it I still have to keep track of my money?

11 October 2009

Stingray Sam is my hero.

Stingray Sam

The 12th Annual Indie Memphis Film Fest is well underway and so far, though I'm there open to close, I don't really get to watch many of the movies. But today I got the chance to watch Stingray Sam, a six episode installment of the adventures of Stingray Sam, an outlaw cowboy lounge singer in outerspace in the future. And he's my new favorite hero.


Really nice looking black & white 35mm live action mixed with colorized collage sequences, illustrative animations, and robot hand puppets. Also, the writer and director, Cory McAbee is also the lead role, and the lead singer of the band who wrote & performed all of the music, The Bily Nayer Show. Oh yeah, did I mention it's a musical?

I can only describe it as like Monty Python meets Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy meets the Firefly series... meets Idiocracy... Did I mention it's a musical?

I got a chance to meet Cory and he's a very cool guy. His film, the American Astronaut, is screening at the festival Saturday night at 10PM, and I'm going to use every volunteer I have to keep the fort held down while I slip into that one. You should make time and put aside a few bucks to do the same.

I'm the type of person who likes to go into a movie completely blind and dumb of what I'm getting into, and that's means two things: firstly, I wandered blindly into a badass surprise this time, and secondly, I'm not going to ruin a damned thing for any of you that might want to see it.

If you're interested in researching a little more about Mr. McAbee, or downloading Stingray Sam, check out: http://www.corymcabee.com/

[ crossposted to livefrommemphis.com/holtermonster ]

08 October 2009

Schedule THIS.

I'm not trying to piss anyone off by writing this---I'm really not. But it's an issue that has irritated me for a while now, and having discussed it with others, I've found I'm not alone in my irritation. Memphis is a great city, at least I think so. Yeah, we've had a shitty mayor for 18 years straight, a crime rate through the roof, high infant mortality and murder rates and the absolute worst drivers in the country, but the arts scene, albeit small is strong and usually cohesive.


Perhaps its the fact we don't have a big booming art scene like the metropolises of the East Coast that has spurred on so many locals and undergrounds to strive tirelessly to get things happening in this city--like Live From Memphis, or Indie Memphis, or Odessa, or Five In One. In a lot of ways, it's an uphill battle. Since Rozelle Artists Guild starting in 2006, it's always been a struggle to do something cool enough for people to pay for that doesn't solely revolve around alcohol. You oftentimes end up having to trick your audience into showing up. You're constantly fighting for people to give a shit or give a dollar, and more often than not, we all end up being each other's support group. I mean, if the guys from Marshall Arts and Material and the Brooks and MCA didn't come out to our fundraisers, who the fuck would?

So in a city with an art scene entirely interdependent, why would anyone grow an ego about what they're doing as compared to anybody else's creative efforts? Why would anyone think the seeds they're planting are any more important than the others being sown all over Memphis? I'm not going to get all middle school and name names, but I've heard some disappointing encounters between art gallery/organization owners butting heads and refusing collaboration. We do not have the luxury of being picky. If we, as this hodge-podge group of artists & art advocates, really want to see our collective goal of art flourishing in Memphis, everyone should be chomping at the bit to get another party into what they're doing.

Now, I'm obviously of the opinion that all the art orgs--MCA, MBMA, LFM, RAG, VINI, Material, Odessa, Marshall Arts, PHM, ArtsMemphis, NOMM, Pink Palace, AMUM, etc.---are after the same bigger picture endgoal, but I also respect everyone has their own individual subgoals. The Brooks & MCA are looking to engage international artists with an older, more sophisticated, more financially generous demographic, while people like VINI & RAG are aiming more for the younger, amateur, post-grad art kid crowd. Whether it's Cabernet Sauvignon in a Riedel or Pabst Blue Ribbon in a Solo, we're all respectively contributing to a nice well-rounded arts community, but we've got our own agendas.

And like I've already mentioned, not everyone is up for collaboration and cooperation. That's fine. To each his own. I was personally very supportive of the talks of a collective arts entity for the city that were happening at Material several months back, and equally as disappointed to see them bear no fruit for lack of agreement between all the reps. What I'm saying is, it's okay that some are open to joining forces, and others aren't, but it seems there isn't always the courtesy of respect either.

We are all so eager to draw the rest of Memphis into our events (although I'd like to think we all appreciate the interdependent proxy art crowd that show up to most of them), but we've got to make it easier for the rest to show up. No one between all these awesome arts entities is going to agree on a standard means of attracting outsiders--and rightly that we shouldn't. The diversity is what makes our tiny bubble so interesting. But can't we all at least have the courtesy to check each other's calendars?

Look at this weekend. We have the kick-off weekend of Indie Memphis' 12th Annual Film Festival (a date which I've had in my iCal for over six months) the same weekend as National Ornamental Metals Museum's Annual Repair Days (also a weekend long event) the same weekend at the Memphis College of Art Reunion the same weekend as the AIGA Design Conference (which can carry no blame as it is a nationally sanctioned event, not a local organizer) the same weekend as Rock O Rama at Odessa---and these are just the events I know of off the top of my head, having been isolated in Cordova recovering from back surgery the past two weeks.

Come on, people. Visual arts, live music, filmmaking, designing---it's the same crowd. I will be at IMFF this weekend as I'll be receiving a paycheck for it, but this is the second year in a row that the Film Festival and Repair Days coincide. I love metalsmithing! I was looking forward to attending this year and soldering some old lady's jewelry box hinge or retinning another copper platter. And the design conference which I will miss approximately all of? I'd love to go. I'm majoring in Design Arts and I have awful taste in fonts. It would have been a lovely educational experience. I'd also love to go schmooze with MCA alum from the 1980's or see my buddy Travis play at Odessa.

But poor planning like this weekend doesn't help anyone, it just splits up the already slim pickins of an audience. Three of my four roommates who would love to hit up IMFF will be at AIGA, because they're designers. Bill Price who probably wouldn't be opposed to hanging out with oldschool MCA students will be at Repair Days, because he's a metalsmither. Why don't we just throw in a couple art openings and a theatre event too?

I'm not blaming any one specific AO here. I don't know who scheduled what first and it's not really the point of this schpiel, but come on, Memphis. We've got to work together, if only just a little bit, at least when it comes to scheduling.

With all that being said, go to at least one of these things this weekend, and if you can, make it to more than one. Everything going on will be amazing and you'll be impressed wherever you go.

05 October 2009

EDGEFEST 2009!

This past Saturday was the first ever Edgefest, an art sale, outdoor music show, and general good time at the Edge Coffeehouse at 1400 Overton Park. Although it was small, it was fun. Alex Harrison from the Warble played live, local artists came out to set up tables and booths, and the Edge got a bit more business for the day. I even made $50.

Amoung the vendors: VINI's Alice Laskey-Castle & Michael Andrews, Rozelle Artists Guild's Lauren Rae Holtermann, Shea Colburn, Derrick Dent, Taylor Martin, & Markece Brown, and others, Meaghan Chadouin, Alex Warble, & Rachel Holtermann.






Check out the rest of the photos on my flickr:

HLTRMNSTR


I couldn't resist.

Another Vector

Did another vector today... of Miguelito X.

04 October 2009

Something Good In Memphis

Watch the local news in Memphis and you get damn depressed. I can't watch it everyday. A bombardment of stories about dog fighting rings, stolen babies, corrupt politicians, drive-by shootings and stray bullets killing innocent kids, and even the good stories like the Memphis Gay & Lesbian Community Center's billboards celebrating National Coming Out Day are ruined by ignorant hate crimes ripping them down.

And then there's Something Good.

Something Good In Memphis is a website that showcases the good stuff happening in Memphis. From filmmakers helping to document this city's musical history in the making to volunteers keeping non-profit organizations open to 80-year old MIFA Meal's delivery guys.

Check out the website for a pick-me-up next time the news brings you down. I've been nominating people for a while. Christopher Reyes has already made it up on the board:

03 October 2009

Vectoring my brains out...

I'm still in post-op recovery, which means I'm still at my dad's house unable to drive and out of school, which means I'm spending a lot of time bored on my couch. So I made this vector of myself today:

& some different color ideas:

01 October 2009

EDGEFEST: Art Sale this Saturday


Join us this Saturday, October 3rd from 10AM-6PM for EDGEFEST!

Memphis artists from Five In One & Rozelle Artists Guild, as well as local artists Markece Brown, Alex Harrison, Derrick Dent, & others will be selling art in the parking lot at the Edge Coffeehouse.

Guest musical appearance by the Warble!