Ah, Bless!

Found via stumbleupon

New Motto

Bringing people together.

This artist, Luke Jerram, is placing pianos on city streets and spaces around the world.

As it says on his website, which you should visit btw:

“Located in skate parks, industrial estates, laundrettes, precincts, bus shelters and train stations, outside pubs and football grounds, the pianos are for any member of the public to enjoy and claim ownership of. Who plays them and how long they remain is up to each community. The pianos act as sculptural, musical, blank canvas’s that become a reflection of the communities they are embedded into. Many pianos are personalised and decorated.

Questioning the ownership and rules of public space ‘Play Me I’m Yours’ is a provocation, inviting the public to engage with, activate and take ownership of their urban environment.”

I happen to think that there’s more this, in that I expect that some people will be surprised at finding out another person’s hidden talents. I also think that if you look at the photos, people are coming together and possibly singing along whilst someone plays. I love the way things like this bring communities and people together; it just demonstrates that people do want to have community and that life gets in the way sometimes. Such a simple and original idea.

This guy has too much time on his hands!

I found this via stumbleupon. This artist, Eric Testroete, decided to make a

“costume for Halloween 2009. It was kind of inspired by big-head mode seen in videogames. I really wanted to get the faceted geosphere look with wireframe.”

As you can see, he did a really great job.

What do you think?! This guy gets a huge ‘Uh-huh’ from me – what a legend! Check out his website here.

Barrie

Beautiful and Captivating Video

This is a wonderful video, and hard to believe it is computer generated. The image is a cross between paint in water and an audio visualiser. The song is nice but I think the video is just great.

Enjoy it here.

Beautiful and Provocative

I found these pics about a week ago via stumbleupon. I knew I wanted to post it but I’ve been mulling over it all week, trying to work out what I felt and thought about it. I’m still not sure but I’m keen to hear what other people’s initial and considered responses are. Right click the image below to see it in full.

So, I work with young offenders. And one night, I take a young person, who is working out their reparation, to a club for children with learning difficulties and/or disabilities. Whilst there I met a young lad, of about 16 years, who ’suffers’ with Downs Syndrome.

Now, I grew up in a deaf family. My hearing is fine, so I am aware of what it is like to be deaf and what it is like to be hearing around deaf people. I grew up frustrated with people’s immediate presumptions about deafness. I saw people treat my family members as though they are stupid just because they can’t hear.

What I am saddened about, is that I made those same presumptions when I met this lad. I had very low expectations for what he might be capable of, or what level we might communicate at. However, after he ridiculed my pool playing and then thrashed me at pool, we then discussed football and loads of other stuff,and I felt an idiot and a hypocrite. What’s more, it’s not like he’s the first person I’ve met with Down’s. I KNOW that I shouldn’t just presume anything.

So, what are your first thoughts on these images? My first thought was that they are beautiful, but straight away I thought ‘Why’? Why pick actors/models with Down’s Syndrome? Are they being exploited? Why have I just wondered whether they are being expoited? Why do I feel a bit embarrased at or for these guys?

Over the week, I’ve thought more about the fact that the artist has chosen to do Da Vinci’s ‘Last Supper’. I have no idea why he did, but I like this because there are verses that talk about Jesus as plant in dry soil, possibly being unattractive and stunted. The bible says that there was nothing attractive in his appearance. I love the fact that ‘Jesus’ in this pic has a pair of glasses sat beside him, if I lived before Jesus’ time and had to desribe what I thought the messiah would be like, I sure I wouldn’t have listed “short sighted” as a quality. I love this as a piece of art because it seems more real, more human and more challenging than the stupid blonde haired, blue eyed portraits of Jesus – the good looking Gentile that he was!!

I am keen not to have this post, and blog, feel like I’m preaching! I just stumbled across this and was desperate to share it. I really would like to hear people’s views on this and maybe get a discussion going. Share your first thoughts and maybe come back a while later and add if you have had more.

I’d love to hear from you. And by the way, I found these pics here. there is a discussion thread on that page which is very interesting but be warned, some comments are offensive, so please don’t go there if you might be offended.

Barrie

Another flowchart.

A little while ago, I posted this. In response to it, Lisa asked for more flowcharts for songs. So, here’s another:

Found this here, via stumbleupon.

Falling with Style

This guy gets down a huge sand dune in heroic style and earns a massive “Uh-huh” from me. The pain he must have gone through practising this…! What an absolute legend. I won’t put a pic of the clip on here cos it’s such a surprise when you see it.

Check it out here.

Full Court Flip Shot

So, this lad asked his teacher to film him doing this trick and he tried this shot again and again through his break time. As people were heading back to class, he asked for one more go…. He is now an internet legend, with this clip being watched all over the world and he can’t walk the streets without people recognising him.

Watch it here.

Got a year to waste?…

If so, check this out! It’s a crazy performance art video type thing, in which 2 men are living in cells. But it’s simulated so that when you log on in the eve, you see them doing evening things, and if you log on in the morning, they’re doing morning stuff. You can log in and save your progress – the artists challenge you to rack up a year’s worth of viewing for a little reward.

I love the fact that in reality, not many people would see this through, in fact most will probably do what you are about to – click, look around, then never go back! But they did it anyway. Top drawer.