1923 aka Heaven

I want to apologize to the two people who have been enjoying our blog. We haven't posted anything since the end of October so I want to make up for it by posting one of the coolest animations, I've ever seen. The director is Max Hattler and it looks like he got a small team of talented collaborators to create this beautiful piece. More info can be found here. If the video stutters, turn off the “HD” feature.

Short description:

1923 aka Heaven is one of two animation loops directed by Max Hattler, inspired by the work of French outsider artist Augustin Lesage (1876-1954). 1923 is based on Lesage's painting A symbolic Composition of the Spiritual World from 1923. Here is the painting that he references (and if anyone requests to see more of Leseage's work, I will post more here. Its pretty amazing stuff.):

BIT TRIP BEAT

. . .stumbled across this video on my web wandering this morning. I appreciate the integration of sound this game. What's more fascinating to me is that it looks like the player is either extremely relaxed and focused—in a meditative state—or totally stressed out and tripping balls. . .anyone played this game before? Which is it?

Little Red Riding Hood by Tomas Nilssonse

This is a student project created by Tomas Nilssonse, Sweden. Overall, I think it was a really great animation and fun to watch.



Here is the original animation that inspired Tomas (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Xhdy9zBEws) while the animation is more flushed out I still like the Red Riding Hood one.

i want you to want me

I can't remember the last time I was actually floored by a work of art—I mean floored, effected in every conceivable way. I recently came across one of the most moving pieces of technology art/information architecture that I have ever seen. What is unique about it is that not only is the gathered data fascinating, the delivery is quite beautiful. I mean, yes technology art usually looks interesting with its random visual output, and information architecture is quite appealing in a black and white sort of way, but I tend to miss the poetry. This piece has the graphic design know-how needed to carry its message closer to the heart.

Take a look at Jonathan Harris & Sep Kamvar's I Want You to Want Me, (featured at NY MOMA last spring). It's a powerful soliloquy, real expressions of desire and loneliness orchestrated into an interactive installation that speaks of our human need for company and sense of self. This ode to humanity reveals how we see our selves, how we represent ourselves to the world, and our struggle to find a perfect match. Across time and cultures, methods and technologies vary, but this need is always universally the same in its urgency.


Perhaps, the work can be best described as a tracking device on the human quest for love and a chronicle of the phenomena that is online dating—what it says about us, and how it reveals our ultimate solo essence.

The Kite Runner

Have y'all seen (or read) Afghan-American writer Khaled Hosseini's The Kite Runner? We finally did. If you like type (and I know you do), you'll enjoy the film titles that The Ebeling Group created:

And, I must mention the story, too: Whoa. Amidst the intensity of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, the film manages to reveal a Kabul that is universal in its everyday make up of good and evil. I am not very familiar with this culture (I've never even flown a kite), but I absolutely felt our kinship as a species. I know some of the scenes are difficult to watch, but necessary, I think. Rather than allowing you to just be an observer, the author broaches the subject of honor vs. shame in a way that injects the moral directly into your blood stream. Pretty effective from my perspective. Your reactions?

*For those of you who don't know the story, I hate to ruin it, but it must be acknowledged that the rape scene caused so much controversy, the actors were actually threatened and had to be relocated to an undisclosed city in the United Arab Emirates before the movie's release last year. What's surprising to me is that the family that experienced the most grief was that of 12-year-old Ahmad Khan Mahmidzada, the boy who played the victim. In Afghanistan, the victim of a rape is often ostracized. (And, not that it should matter but: Fearing their community's response, Ahmad and his parents actuality refused Ahmad's participation in the rape scene. A body double was used.)

Hitchhikers Guide to the Universe: Babel Fish

Here is an animation from the movie Hitchhikers Guide to the Universe. What I appreciate about this 80's style computer animation is how "graphic" the images are. The creator, Rod Lord (with this name you either work in the creative industry or in porn) does an excellent job animating the information graphics, using minimal imagery for maximum impact in terms of communicating an abstract idea.

More information on Rod Lord

HiFana's Animated Music Video

HiFana is a Japanese Instrumental HipHop band I stumbled upon on the net last weekend.
This DJ duo consists of KEIZOmachine and Juicy.

Two things I love about these guys:
1. Use of traditional sounds mixed in a break beat style.
2. Truly unique video animation style.

Video & song title Wamono:


By the way, check out their website and click the "Fresh Push" button in the upper left. You can practice your mad skills on their turn tables and beat boxes.