Anything that happens, happens. Anything that, in happening, causes something else to happen, causes something else to happen. Anything that, in happening, causes itself to happen again, happens again.

It doesn’t necessarily do it in chronological order, though.

- Douglas Adams, Mostly Harmless

Posted via web from Unit 14

The following statement is true.
The previous sentence is false.

Mis en Abyme / Strange Loops / Infinity / Voids

Introversion, self-reference and meta-reality abound; the theme I’m working with is the concept of a thing in a thing. Mis en Abyme, literally translated, means ‘into the abyss’. Kind of like a Russian doll – but an infinite one.

Hofstadter investigates this in Gödel, Escher, Bach – the paradoxes that exist within each of these genius’ works are remarkably similar.

Expect an experience that is simultaneously introverted and ethereal; esoteric yet accessible. As I say, development is in progress, but here’s a list of influences so far (by no means exhaustive):

• Douglas Hofstadter
  Meta-physics, presentation of mathematics alongside music and art
  Gödel, Escher, Bach: an Eternal Golden Braid // The Mind’s I // I Am a Strange Loop

• Michel Gondry
  Incredible use of visual effects, warped looping and fractional distortion
  Björk – Bachelorette // Kylie Minogue – Come Into My World // The White Stripes - Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground // Also look at this video for the White Stripes – not Gondry, but Alexandre Courtès

• Charlie Kaufmann
  Screenplays with stories that fold into themselves and each other
  e.g. Synecdoche, New York // Adaptation // Being John Malkovich

• Francis Bacon
  Space frames, foreground and background merging, distorted figures – frankly, I relish any opportunity to browse through Bacon paintings
  See image reel at the end of this post

General points-of-reference

Optical illusions, magic, puppetry…plus other influences include all of the usual suspects, plus music videos, short films, etc, including: this book, this video, of course this group, this video, this one is equally cheesy, these projects, this studio (of course), fractals, ths photographer, these guys, this image is jerky and pixellates badly but a nice idea, you’ll regret this image, this guy, etc etc. (If you’re interested in my influences, check out my delicious stream, or head to Ruairi’s blog at interactivearchitectrue.org)

Click on the images below to be taken to their source. Images are property of their respective copyright holders.

In celebration of my latest toy gun project, here are three anecdotes regarding guns.

1. Feliks Topolski

Feliks Topolski’s stepfather was in the army. Consequently, Feliks found one of the guns that was in the house, and accidentally shot his 14-year old cousin in the head. A painting of this fateful moment can be found near the entrance to Topolski Century – the artist’s memoir of the century – under the Hungerford Bridge in London.

2. William S. Burrough’s "William Tell" Trick

William S. Burroughs, contemporary of Alan Ginsberg and famed for writing seminal opiate-influenced books such as Naked Lunch, shot and killed his wife in Mexico. Reportedly, during a party, Burroughs said to his wife "It’s time for our William Tell trick."

(It is worth noting here that they had never before done a William Tell trick.) She put an apple on her head, he raised his revolver, aimed for the apple, and shot her in the head. This prompted the unusual situation whereby Burroughs fled the law to the USA, before spending a few years drifting around South America in search of hallucinogenic drug Yagé.

3. My sister and I

My mother experimented with the theory of nature vs nurture. When I was a child, my mother gave me dolls to play with, hoping to nurture my caring, feminine side. My sister received guns, hoping that she might toughen up a tad.

And what became of this? I placed the dolls into the rear compartment of my Tonka truck, and rode around the garden trying to drive over them and burst their heads off, whilst my sister lovingly cared for her guns as if they were little children.

4. Boston

Sneaky fourth anecdote…in Boston politicians rallied to ban Super Soaker water guns in 1992 after gang members filled them with ammonia.

Such visual clutter is overwhelming, given the inherent risks of – heaven forbid – eating a biscuit. Not that many people die from eating biscuits. Surely somebody, at some stage – be it the person who comissioned the sign, or the designer who designed it, or the printer who printed it, or the person who put it out – thought that this may be a bit too much?

Seen at Piccadilly Circus Underground station, 29 April 2009.

I just found out that there’s a documentary about the Xixuau-Xiparina Reserve. It’s a fantastic cause, and a brilliant place. The work that Chris Clark and the Amazon Association have done is incredible: empowering a whole community with education and healthcare, internet access (and a football pitch!) plus creating a 500,000 acre protected rainforest reserve in one of the most biodiverse locations on the planet. If you can do anything to help the reserve, please do!

www.b-movies.co.uk/film-projects/amazon-association.htm

Storms in Firenze, December 08