vistas of the unbelievable

Tonight at midnight concludes the work of this years graduating thesis candidates at SCI-arc. As part of tradition, incoming students aid in the production for what essentially is an "opening" in the art gallery sense of the word. I have had the honor of aiding Alex Cornelious and his Metabolic Architecture.

In all honesty, I own inadequate tools towards interpreting the work on the walls. My own judgment is to dismiss most of the work as unrealistic and un-build-able fantasies. There is more to the work however and since my interests run along a divergent path then those of the students here at the school, it is in my own interest to hear them out. The undeniable fact of the work is its overwhelming scale and quality. I have never seen such quality out of student work or such dedication. Entire families are here, now, at 11pm aiding in the final push. Girlfriend, Mothers, and Fathers, supporting their sons and daughters in work they cannot fully understand, but fully back with all their might.

What seems apparent is that the students as a whole have developed unparalleled tools towards representing ideas. They seem to choose plans too difficult to even hold in the imagination to prove the point.

One must question, however, the desires and motivations which move these people to such extremes. While there is a wide array of work, all seem to be hell bent towards personal vision and extreme newness. An overall lack of depth seems to mark most projects. Ideas are moved from the firing of neurons to the scale and complexity of a building without development. The students' tools allow them to script their minds eye in form - conventions allow us to almost see these creations as buildings (even inhabitable at times) if we squint.

I have always felt that a project must be evaluated on its terms. These projects will be put to the test this weekend in front of famous men, women, fathers and mothers. To everything not present in these projects, one must suspend disbelief to see what is there. I believe among the clamor are unrivaled experiments, daring future projects, and the personal developement of many young artists. I am honored to have been a part of it, and look forward to hearing the horizon argued out in so many different ways. Images to follow.....


In the meantime, below is my first addition to the "work" of this school. Butterflies...each one unique.

First day - SCI-arc

"Still Life"

Modeled a butterfly in Maya - for 12 hours - using only linework. Tomorrow will be better.

Sunday

"Blessed is he who has found his work, let him ask for no other blessings." Thomas Carlyle 1843

what day is it?...

After a month away, New York seems like a dream. There is no other place which can match its intensity. In fact, every other place seems to taunt you, making you wonder if you had dreamed New York. If perhaps maybe, you made most of it up, like the one that got away.

After a week in Los Angeles, you wonder if you have in fact arrived in the city. If you are in the city, what precisely has ever been located outside the city. Here, freeways are like surface streets, and surface streets are like back alleys.

In between New York and Los Angeles, there are countless miles. These miles are wonderful, filled with an emptiness and a fullness unrivaled by the coasts. There are more experiences of people and the land then anyone caught in a city or by its myth will ever know.

I am like many of you - from nowhere and everywhere.

I am in LA now - and like a greedy child, I will take everything I can.