This is why the internet was invented.

I just needed to share this with you:



I saw this first at a delightful blog, plastique monkey, which is well worth a visit while you're making your cyber rounds today.

Keep this man busy!

John Azoni needs your help. He needs you to come up with a task for him to perform. That's right, you tell him what to do, and he just might do it.

I like this project a lot. It involves both collaboration, and the setting up of a rather absurd situation involving rules to be followed. Both things that I play with a lot. So help the guy out, and give him a task or two.

What To Draw and How To Draw It

What To Draw and How To Draw It - Model

The continuing adventures of the Zero Sum Art Project

Zero Sum Art #3

Things are bumping merrily along at the Zero Sum Art Project. Here's Zero Sum #3. Learn all about it, and even bid on it, by visiting the Zero Sum #3 auction.

Got My Game Face On

Subscribers to the FIMP Book of the Month Club should be on the lookout for "Got My Game Face On", which went to the post office this morning.

While you're out and about on the web, you might want to check out the auction for Zero Sum #2.

You know they're having a bad season when. . .

from the afternoon paper here in Pittsburgh.

The Zero Sum Art Project

I've started a new little thing called the "Zero Sum Art Project", exploring the strange alchemy involved in turning base materials into art. If you want to learn more, or be on the ground floor and own the first little Zero Sum drawing, visit my new eBay account made specifically for this event, at zero_sum_art.

Update: I've created a separate Zero Sum Art blog to record all of the ins and outs of this project in absurdly obsessive detail, for your blogging pleasure.

Hey Mom and Dad!

If your kid really wants a Sony PlayStation for Christmas, and the store is all sold out, DON'T try giving him a Home Weather Station instead:

Surprisingly enough, most kids can tell the difference.

And More Looking.

Looking, again

Collaboration through Containment

The old Lockhart prison was built in the early 1900's and was still in use until the mid-1980's. The most interesting part of the building is the graffiti still on the walls from the prisoners who were incarcerated in the small prison. I like how the craquelature of the paint adds an association with historic oil paintings - thus unconsciously elevating the perception of the graffiti to that of traditional "high art." Additions from different prisoners over time creates an interesting collaboration and conveys the passing of time in the small cells as writings and images add to each other and start to overlap.


I think the art work is fascinating - what would you paint/draw/carve into the walls if you were locked in a small iron cell?

More photos from the prison can be seen here.

FIMP at the Literary Marathon.

If you're in Pittsburgh Monday night, you might want to stop by the Gypsy Cafe at 1330 Bingham Street, South Side, for the Literary Marathon, the kickoff event to the Creative Non-Fiction Festival taking place this week. I'll be there between 10 and 11 pm with a "tiny book buffet", a bunch of FIMP's books available for your viewing and reading pleasure. Looks like fun!

Prof the linocut and Prof the book.

Still giddy from yesterday's "Howl" celebrations, I put up a new auction on eBay for both the "Prof" linocut you can find in the previous posts, and the first edition "Prof: one guy talking" by Bob Kunzinger that reproduces the linocut on the cover, and being in such a festive mood I started the auction at one measly cent.

It's a really great book, by the way. If you don't buy it from me with the original artwork, buy it from All Nations Press.

Howl is 50!

Today is the 50th anniversary of the publication of Allen Ginsberg's "Howl" by City Lights Bookstore! To honor the occasion, here's my linocut "Remarkable Collection of Angels".


First row: Lawrence Ferlinghetti, Allen Ginsberg, Kenneth Rexroth
Second row: Jack Kerouac, Philip Whalen, Michael McClure
Third row: Robert Kaufman, Richard Brautigan, Neal Cassady
Fourth row: William Carlos Williams, Robert Duncan, Gregory Corso, Kenneth Patchen, Gary Snyder
And on the far right, the City Lights Bookstore

And here's something else you gotta see. . .

Allen Ginsberg & Paul McCartney - Ballad of the Skeletons

Startlingly Lifelike Tableaux!

The Fiji Island Mermaid Press has directed highly trained employees of the United States Postal Service to deliver "Startlingly Lifelike Tableaux: Illustrating dramatic moments from great works of literature" to the homes of FIMP Book of the Month subscribers. They are fanning across the country as this message is being typed. Isn't that something!

A cautionary note - the words "startlingly" and "dramatic" have been used rather, well, carelessly in the title of this month's book.

The Tower of Babel

The joke that appears in subtitles in the final telling of the video is the original text, which was run several times through an online translation service. It was translated into Dutch, then French, then German, then back to English. You encounter 4 English versions in the video (two spoken and two in subtitles), which in order are the translations of the Dutch, French, German, and the original joke.

No wonder the world's a mess - we can't tell each other jokes. How could you translate "I can clearly see your (you're) nuts" in a joke, when it's only funny if "your" and "nuts" retain both of their meanings?

y'know, sort of a scary anxious pig-person type thing.

Zapatas

For when you need to fix your chairs and get a sandwich. Seen in Fentress, TX.

Getting an early start.

Maybe we're taking her to too many galleries. . .

Looking again

Robert Hirsch of Light Research sent this as a reply to looking. This is an image from his recent photographic work commissioned by the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra for its upcoming production of the opera Shining Brow.

I've wanted more than anything to have your respect

Return of the Cowboy

I am happy to say that the very large cowboy sign that had gone missing over a month ago has returned. The sign is a little different looking, but I am happy to see him back in place on my commute to work. I still don't know why the cowboy is there in the first place and there isn't even a driveway that I can see to go on the property. Something tells me that it wouldn't be a good idea to just hop the fence and start wandering around - as the cowboy reminds me, this is Texas (I'm still waiting to see my first baby stroller with a gun rack attached... I know it is out there somewhere)

How To Draw. . .

A Really Bad Day Bungee Jumping.
If you would like to see the entire image, just surf on over to the auction on eBay.

Welcome, little 300 millionth person!

FIMP would like to pause for a moment and welcome baby Miss or Mister 300 millionth person in the United States, who was born today at 7:46 a.m. ET. Congratulations! Welcome aboard! Do great things, and make us all proud. We're rooting for you.

Digging Pitt

John Morris over on his Digging Pitt blog posts his thoughts on some of FIMP's books . Digging Pitt Gallery, by the way, is one of THE places to see works on paper in Pittsburgh - he maintains quite an extensive set of flat files, open to the public. Be sure to check 'em out if you're in town.