The Bench

This blog continues ... in a different blog. Please change your bookmarks

2009-11-24T14:00:00.000-10:00

http://graffnews.blogspot.com/ is the new spot. Sorry for the hassle, but I think the new one will be better all around. I'm combining the news and events into one place finally.

NEA throws Yosi Sergant under the bus

2009-09-10T22:55:00.003-09:00

"Sergant was the key organizer in the historic arts effort to back the Obama campaign. In January 2008, Sergant teamed with Shepard Fairey to produce the now iconic HOPE posters (a variation on Fairey's original PROGRESS poster, above and flipped). He began handing out the first 3,000 copies at a rally at UCLA and they stumbled into history.

"He then went on to commission literally dozens of artists--and inspire hundreds more--to create Obama images--making the candidate the face of hope, progress, and change. By the end of the summer, Obama was riding the biggest creative surge for any presidential candidate ever.

"Earlier this year, at the request of grassroots artists and arts advocates, Sergant helped to organize a White House meeting for them--I was there--and he has helped open the doors to artists like Saul Williams, Mayda Del Valle, and graffiti artists like Kofie to the White House. He was appointed to one of the country's most influential positions in culture as the director of communications for the National Endowment for the Arts, the nation's largest funding agency and policy-setting body.

"In an interview I did earlier this year with him, he told me he started out in Los Angeles as a self-described "goofy kid trying to get down" in the cipher with the freestyle dancers and trying to get up in the train yards with the graffiti writers. "It's who I am, " he said. "Spray-paint brought me to the NEA and I won't forget that."

Thank you Yosi!

Harlem Audio Track blog

2009-07-26T09:43:00.001-09:00

Don't go there if you are offended by language. Do go there if you want to learn something about teaching yourself sound engineering.

Advice for creative agencies and people who work for them

2009-07-23T17:46:00.004-09:00

Blair Enns explains how not to waste time and money when you could be doing design work for your happily paying clients, in this interview by Eric Karjaluoto.

Surveillance self-defense

2009-07-21T19:29:00.002-09:00

The EFF has published a good primer to electronic self defense for anyone concerned with government spying and oppression.

Dash Snow memorial in NYC

2009-07-20T20:47:00.001-09:00

You can still contribute photos. See the article for details.

Car typeface made by driving

2009-07-18T11:57:00.001-09:00

Don't try this at home.

Free, complete Yale courses on iTunes and Feynmann

2009-07-17T10:18:00.003-09:00

This is great news for all the self-educators out there. Bill Gates made some Feynmann physics lectures free online last week also.

SACE RIP: Dash Snow's alter ego

2009-07-17T08:50:00.001-09:00

Thanks Claw Money.

RIP Dash Snow (SACER)

2009-07-14T08:21:00.003-09:00

Early reports are that he died of a heroin overdose.

This saddens me more than I can say. Condolences to IRAK and his friends.

Nike does it again

2009-07-07T19:27:00.003-09:00

Vague Terrain (link above) reports that Nike has ripped off another innovator, this time Applied Autonomy's bicycle "streetwriter."

Applied Autonomy press release

This week Nike unveiled a cool "new" chalk-writing robot used to print messages on the road during the Tour de France bicycle race. The trouble is, the robot isn't so new after all. The Nike Chalkbot is nearly identical to the "Streetwriter" we began developing ten years ago.

This big-corp idea stealing game is getting pretty tiresome isn't it? Nike's lost its credibility. That's the word on the street.

IZ THE WIZ - RIP

2009-06-28T22:10:00.002-09:00

on US freight trains

Michael Jackson RIP - Zagreb, Croatia

2009-06-28T22:08:00.001-09:00

By YCP crew, Zagreb, Croatia

Michael Jackson RIP - Holland

2009-06-28T21:53:00.004-09:00

I was born as a son of a preacher. My dad was from 1922, my mom from 1936. I was an only child and I am 29 years old. I was brought up with classial music. Bach, Mozart, Handel etc. were ruling at our house, no popmusic/disco/whatever at all.

On new year's eve 1987/88 (or was it a year later?) I was first allowed to stay up until late. My nephews were watching TV. I walked into the room and sat down, and there he was. Singing "Smooth Criminal", dancing like there ain't no tommorow in his white suit ... . I was stunned. I still remember it clearly. And let me tell you, I don't remember so many things because of all the fumes I inhaled during my years as a graffiti writer. My life was changed forever, and I went off the classical bandwagon and got on the popwagon. Soon after that disco followed, then came hiphop, etc., etc. My life had changed drastically.

I decided to paint this for Michael, because it's the way I remember him. I never paint characters that way, but to hell with it, this was a special occasion.

May he rest in peace.

(Sent anonymously, from The Netherlands)

Michael Jackson, RIP

2009-06-25T15:04:00.002-09:00

The news is reporting he died of a heart attack in Los Angeles, but it's still a bit early to be sure how and why he died so young.

Tragic in life, tragic in death, King of Pop, RIP.

Banksy at Bristol Museum

2009-06-25T09:23:00.001-09:00

Don't miss the "pictures" slide show link.

The science of anger management

2009-06-24T14:04:00.002-09:00

How to keep your body from hijacking your brain when you most need it.

The Free Sound Project

2009-06-22T19:55:00.003-09:00

Just make a username and password and you can download any of their free, Creative Commons licensed audio samples. You can also upload yours. A community project that focuses on sounds, not music.

The Freesound Project aims to create a huge collaborative database of audio snippets, samples, recordings, bleeps, ... released under the Creative Commons Sampling Plus License. The Freesound Project provides new and interesting ways of accessing these samples, allowing users to

-browse the sounds in new ways using keywords, a "sounds-like" type of browsing and more
-up and download sounds to and from the database, under the same creative commons license
-interact with fellow sound-artists!

We also aim to create an open database of sounds that can also be used for scientific research. Many audio research institutions have trouble finding correctly licensed audio to test their algorithms. Many have voiced this problem, but so far there hasn't been a solution.

IZ THE WIZ obituary

2009-06-20T18:47:00.001-09:00

Thanks to Pink Smith for sending this in.

Invader and WK Interact this summer at Jonathan Levine Gallery, NY

2009-06-20T18:34:00.003-09:00

Invader is back in the States, so if you're in NYC, keep looking up.

TOP 10
by extermitent

JLG shows some interesting art ... the upcoming Houser and Dalek shows for example.

Jonathan LeVine Gallery | 529 West 20th Street, 9th Floor | New York, NY 10011 | Open Tuesday through Saturday, 11am to 6pm | 212-243-3822

IZ THE WIZ candlelight memorial tonight in NYC

2009-06-18T10:30:00.003-09:00

The flyer for the event reproduces a magazine article from 1998 in which IZ explains his illness and warns against the dangers of spray paint.

Thanks IZ.

Wear those respirators, kids.

Haven Arts Gallery, 7-10 pm ... bring a candle.

50 Bruckner Blvd, Bldg A
Bronx NY 10454
+1 718.585.5753

Susan

IZ photos by Steam

2009-06-18T09:29:00.001-09:00

Steam156 has published some of his extensive photo collection, this time of IZ THE WIZ shots, in memory of the King.

Thanks, Steam!

RIP - IZ THE WIZ

2009-06-18T08:28:00.004-09:00

IZ THE WIZ left this Earth June 17, 2009.

He will be missed forever, yet hIs legend lives on.

His work is still on view at Tuff City Tattoo in the Bronx, but it's no longer for sale.

Memorial activities will be private, for close friends and family.

Sincere condolences to those he leaves behind.

Cap chairs

2009-06-17T20:56:00.002-09:00

Yep, it's exactly what it sounds like, in two styles, by Sander van Heukelom,

Thanks to Ralf for the tip!

(No pun intended.)

Tehran, Iran - Riots in the streets over suspicious election results

2009-06-13T19:02:00.002-09:00

Most Internet and mobile services have reportedly been cut off by the authorities.

What an exciting time for Iran. Let's hope democracy prevails.

--

1000th post.

Thanks for reading!