Butterfly Superlative...

A pretentious title for my art history project I just finished tonight. Basically we are charged with the task of "responding" to our last 8 months of Art History lectures with a 5 minute presentation. I suggested my group do a collection of post-modern pieces and through a random process we decided to do a piece titled "Five Butterflies" Each member of the group is going to create a piece that has something to do with butterflies (we are free to abstract the concept completely if desired) and we're going to present them along with my presentation about post-modernism and the development of post-modern art. I very much encouraged ridiculousness in the projects.

Now I've seen a lot of post-modern art and thought "Hey, I'll just come up with a twisted, ridiculous idea and do it, piece of cake!" Well I now have new found respect for these kind of artists. Imagining and creating quality ridiculous ideas is a lot harder than I once thought.

I submit my piece for review ;)

I call it "Butterfly Superlative"



To justify a photograph of me snorting butterflies, I'm gonna say something about how post-modern art challenges social norms in order to invoke a unique response in the viewer blah blah blah... Maybe... Or perhaps I'll offer no explanation as is often typical of post-modern pieces...

I guess we'll see...

Hope you enjoyed it =D

We Don't Need Our Eyes To See...

After waking once more from an episode of sleep paralysis, a thought occurred to me. In the past, I have woken from a dream unable to move or speak for a matter of minutes and have found this terrifying. I now recognize it when it occurs and know that the sooner I relax, the sooner I will wake up.

What I discovered is this: While I am experiencing this phenomenon, others in the room report that for those few minutes between dreaming and awakening, my eyes are closed -- even though I can see around the room perfectly well. I can identify people and objects as if I had my eyes open. In the past I've even been able to sit up and look around the room and then "wake up" to find myself still laying down beside another who reports that I was laying down the whole time.

The thought dawned on me -- I do not believe we need our eyes to see.

We are all co-authors of this dancing exuberance, for even our inabilities are having a roast. We are the authors of ourselves, co-authoring a gigantic Dostoevsky novel starring clowns. This entire thing we're involved with called the world is an opportunity to exhibit how exciting alienation can be. Life is a matter of a miracle that is collected over time by moments flabbergasted to be in each others' presence. The world is an exam, to see if we can rise into the direct experiences. Our eyesight is here as a test, to see if we can see beyond it. Matter is here as a test for our curiosity. Doubt is here as an exam for our vitality. Thomas Mann wrote that he would rather participate in life than write a hundred stories. Giacometti was once run down by a car, and he recalled falling into a lucid faint - a sudden exhilaration as he realized at last, something was happening to him.
- Waking Life, Scene 25

Wreck Beach 1.0

So Vancouver is a strange city...

There are only two things to do here when I don't have homework:

1) Look at the beautiful scenery
(It really is a beautiful city outside of downtown, along the coast)

2) Be active like going for a walk, bike ride or the gym
(something in the air actually makes you WANT to do these things... odd..)

I get so bored I start doing... creative things!
Haven't had that urge since I started partying!

That's really all I've found to do in Vancouver... Where are the good-looking, young, intelligent, funny, artsy/geeky, playful people? Or am I to picky?

Anyway, I have a big project coming up so I've been gathering material... various photos and video clips and what-have-you. Today I was bored and it was sunny so I took a trip to the infamous Wreck beach for the first time. I took my camera along to curb my boredom and to grab some stuff for school. My roommate and my friend Paul are quasi-dating so that leaves me in a bit of a third wheel position. Looks like I'm flyin' solo for awhile =/

Wreck beach is a nude beach and after my 1hr. bike ride/photo adventure I took an hour to tan and swim in the ocean... who likes tan lines right?

Yup, that'd be me relaxing on the beach...
Yeah. In may. Crazy!

I come bearing photos of the amazing beaches in Vancouver... the only thing enjoyable here. (It's not entirely true, I'm just feeling sorry for myself)

After arriving at the UBC campus, you hike through the forest and emerge into a place with no signs of civilization and no noise of traffic or otherwise. Just trees, sand, ocean and the salty breeze.

Some guy was doin some kind of tide surfing or somethin... there was a couple guys spinning staff, I wished I'd brought my poi. Oh well, next time. I think I found my summer hang out, I can bike here in 20 minutes.

I decided to set up camp here and tan =D

That's my beach adventure =D Stay tuned kids, miss you guys!