Mendo Magic in the Rain

Ah… FaceBook sucks all my creative energy. Thus tolls the blog bell. Haven’t posted pics on here lately because of the ease on FB. Share TO the world rather than have them come find it. Spending more time up in Mendocino county on some land that the Noyo River runs through. Rained five inches when I was there a few weeks ago! The land is so alive; the river fast and furious. A bear visits sometimes. Salmon are said to like the Noyo. No industry along this river which cracks out of the hills and heads to the Pacific.

Here are four photos I took this past visit. Morel mushrooms! Yum. Lichen loving a rotting log. A rusting piece of farm equipment in a field in front of second growth redwoods. And the flooded banks of the Noyo.

New Mural on Haight St.

Had a fun time painting this one up on Haight St. this past week. When the weather was sunny, between those rainy days, I painted, met neighbors, chatted with tourists, was documented by photographers and videographers, and had some friends wander by. I also met a few stencils artists wandering by. Good times had by all. What was once an ugly gray fire exit is now a nice, trippy, half-toned stencil mural!

20 Nov. :: Celebrate People’s History Release Party/Exhibit

ONE DAY ONLY

Poster Exhibit – Book Release Party – Artist Panel

CELEBRATE PEOPLE’S HISTORY: the Poster Book of Resistance and Revolution

Edited by Josh MacPhee

Foreword by Rebecca Solnit

Published by the Feminist Press

7pm – Saturday Nov. 20

The Center for Political Education

522 Valencia St, SF

www.politicaleducation.org

Since 1998, Celebrate People’s History posters have documented feminist organizers, indigenous uprisings, civil rights leaders, union struggles, LGBT activism and much more. Bay Area history stands out with posters on Los Siete de la Raza, the 1969 Alcatraz occupation, the International Hotel and the 1966 transgender riot at Compton’s Cafeteria. The Feminist Press has just released over 100 posters in hardback, and the book’s West Coast premiere includes a poster exhibit, book signing and artist panel.

Featured Speakers:

Lincoln Cushing, historian, www.docspopuli.org

Favianna Rodríguez, artist, www.favianna.com

FREE admission. Donations go to MacPhee’s partner, Dara Greenwald, who is battling cancer.

Two Calaverita Poems

There is a Day of the Dead tradition in Mexico where souls who live through the day can write poems killing whomever they wish. A calaverita is limerick-styled writing that usually makes fun of the subject by using their quirks to do them in. I wrote a long poem that I didn’t read at a Day of the Dead Gathering in the Mission District, so am posting it here to share. While people were writing their pieces at the party, hostess Adrianna wanted someone to kill Critical Mass. An idea sprung up which I jotted down. I read that one and then had to repeat it with a beat box dropping beats. So I rapped it the second time, trying hard not to laugh during the performance.

A pile of bikes roll down the street
Having the best time ever
The riders in front fail to see the bait
Some car drivers lead them to the bridge – too drunk the bikes spill over

And here is one where a huge Giant takes revenge upon a group of Texan Kings:

all hail the baseball kings
presiding from texas way
proceeding with banners and pennants asway
expecting to forever reign

invading the City with their weapons drawn
hoping to conquer their frey
their bats seeking to find easy prey
their balls hoping to go long

but the monarchs from the Lone Star state
met a terrible and mighty foe
and quickly their fate was neatly sewn
and their eyes came wide awake

for a ferocious bearded thonged beast
with long hair and snapping glove
soon grabbed those Texans from above
and had a mighty feast

five courses this Giant did gladly eat
with only one spell of woe
four entrees, three where the enemy did go
to make the meal complete

then sitting on a pile of bones
and bats and balls and gloves
the Giant for the City did finger shove
into the crowns that shone

and with a mighty roar he yelled
“Fool kings your kingdom’s is done!”
And took the crowns one by one
and tossed them so they sailed

The Giants shall rule from their foggy realms!
Their people will all agree
the Texans made a great entree
and with a burp, we are the helm

In New Book: Celebrate People’s History

When Josh MacPhee sent a call for art e-mail out about four years ago, he wanted a fresh pile of posters to put in his book project for “Celebrate People’s History” (just released from the Feminist Press). While Josh and I collaborated and crossed over on our stencil projects, he was always making, printing, selling, and giving away CPH posters. Josh always talked about how this project was a labor of love as well as a way to “teach” history that tended to fall through the cracks. Sometimes the posters ended up on public walls. Other times, they would end up framed on private walls. But they always educated and entertained.

With this in mind, I reached out to long-time friend and collaborator Mark Cort with an idea of sharing some of South Carolina’s lost People’s History. Being our home state, the obvious choice was a poorly documented event known as the Stono Rebellion. I found one slim history book that had all the contemporary accounts and I found very little valuable sources online, but nonetheless I wrote a paragraph of text and then had Mark draw a simple illustration for the poster.

The mock-up of the CPH Stono Rebellion poster. Text and stencil by Russell Howze; artwork by Mark Cort; edited by Josh MacPhee
The mock-up of the CPH Stono Rebellion poster. Text and stencil by Russell Howze; artwork by Mark Cort; edited by Josh MacPhee

Continue reading “In New Book: Celebrate People’s History”

My Summer Vacation(s) : Pics

Random NYC Pics

[u] Ground to Cloud to be in REDCAT’s Now Fest

New Original Works Festival 2010

Ground to Cloud will play July 29-31

Follow the link above to purchase tickets online or
call the REDCAT box office at 213-237-2800.

For three weeks REDCAT is a vibrant performance laboratory. Join us as Los Angeles artists gather to push the boundaries of creative expression in new dance, theater, music and multimedia performance works.

CHRISTINE MARIE & ENSEMBLE: GROUND TO CLOUD

(I will be light operator and on stage with all the amazing action)

Seamlessly integrating projected shadows, live actors and an innovative sound score, Christine Marie and her collaborators draw on the history of electric light to manifest a flickering world of natural phenomena and human intervention. Large-scale imagery from simple handheld lights and props takes on mythological proportions as scientific discovery, religious folklore and magical trickery blend into an incandescent work of expressionist theater.

“Christine Marie’s shadow design conjures a literal ocean of surprise.” —Los Angeles Times

A 3D Shadow Photo and Video [u]

Photographer Steve Newman spent a good part of the evening last night wearing 3D glasses and enjoying the live action in his camera screen. “The 3D effect still works,” he told me, echoing a few other people who were photographing the fun. If you have anaglyph glasses (that’s blue and red old skool 3D glasses), check out this photo Steve took and tell me what you think.

stevenewmanshadowsnstereopic

Tonight! Shadows in Stereo at SpaceCraft

Shadows In Stereo, is an installation that provides a rare opportunity to create and experience stereoscopic 3D with one’s own shadow.

Guests are invited to wear anaglyph glasses as they traverse the gallery having their shadows projected 40’ high.  Unlike a typical shadow, when viewed in 3D shadows do not cling to surfaces they move out into cubic space.  A sense of somatic dislocation occurs that is surprising and delightful.

The viewing experience is created by hand made stereoscopic lights and glasses constructed by artist Christine Marie.  The installation is a low- fi spectacle, more congruent with the light magic of Athanasius Kircher than the CG-Real-D digital work of James Cameron.

The experience is just as sensational appealing both to feeling of awe and an archetypal sense of wonder.

Installation created by Christine Marie.  www.cimimarie.com

Soundscape by Aden Liggett.

Maintained by Russell Howze

8 May : Florida St. Community Celebration

A Florida St. Community Celebration

Spend a day creating community through art, bicycles, and gardening!

Sat., May 8
noon to 6pm

Esperanza Gardens
685 Florida St. @ 19th
San Francisco, CA

(if there is rain, the music and mural painting will be in the CELLspace Gallery noon to 3pm)

Activities for the Day:

– Help paint the Bike Kitchen mural with artist Henry Kitchen
– Work with the Esperanza Gardens volunteers
– Listen to live music from community performers
– Ask questions about CELLspace’s Florida St. Mural Project
– Work on your bike at the Bike Kitchen ($5)
– Grill out and eat some food (some food provided while supplies last)

Florida St. has gone through many changes recently, with a square block of new neighbors, a new Bike Kitchen, a revived garden, and an in-progress mural project. On Saturday, May 8, all of these neighbors, artists, and volunteers will get a chance to meet one another, learn about the projects, and participate in some community activities. No experience is necessary, and all are invited to drop in on the fun! Paints will be available to help paint the Bike Kitchen mural, and you might want to wear work clothes if you wish to help in the garden.

Florida Street ha pasado por muchos cambios recientemente, con un bloque cuadrado de los nuevos vecinos, un nuevo Bike Kitchen, un jardín renovado, y con una proyecto mural. El Sábado, 08 de mayo 2010, todos estos vecinos, artistas y voluntarios tendrá la oportunidad de conocerse entre ellos, aprender acerca de los proyectos, y participar en algunas actividades de la comunidad. No se necesita experiencia y todos están invitados a divertirse! Las pinturas estarán disponibles para ayudar a pintar The Bike Kitchen Mural. Por favor, use ropa de trabajo si quieres ayudar en el jardín.

Hope to see you there!

www.cellspace.org
www.bikekitchen.org