SPINE House Blog

Pilates for Inner Strength at Jai Yoga Arts

2011-10-01T15:36:00.002-04:00

Join me next week for this Introductory Body Intelligence workshop hosted by Jai Yoga Arts

Postnatal Pilates for you and your friends on YOUR schedule, every weekend

2011-09-19T22:23:00.002-04:00

Hi Everyone,

I’m offering a new weekend option for postnatal Pilates at the SPINE house in Williamsburg, here’s how it works:

#1 You schedule a time on Saturday or Sunday for yourself and a couple friends.
#2 The schedule can change from week to week depending on your needs.
#3 If you can’t find someone to take class with I will find someone.
#4 Class will always be held at least 10mins.for late-comers.
#5 REPEAT EVERY WEEKEND

The SPINE house is a casual, comfortable place for you to do postnatal Pilates with your friends, and even hang out after class for tea and snacks prepared by our Tall Table Chef, Kristen Revier.

Plan on doing a Pilates mat workout mixed with yoga, strength training and Pilates equipment. Each class holds only 3 people, so each class is a semi-private. Please forward to your friends.

See you soon,
CN

More Cory More Greenpoint!

2011-09-08T09:36:00.005-04:00

Cory is showing up in two new places in Greenpoint:

Caribou Baby, a gorgeous shop with a large, beautiful, sunlit studio in the back. She is teaching postnatal Pilates on Monday afternoons starting Sept. 12th for $20 a class. The space is big, bring your friends. The shop has everything you can think of and all of their products are organic, sustainable, artisanal, and progressive leaning.

Greenpoint Tattoo Company, an equally beautiful venue that feels like an artist's studio and gallery. At the moment, their Pilates class is only open to the artists and their friends, but they may be willing to accept a couple crashers next month. Watch out, they may want to "initiate" you, if you know what I mean...

Introducing Tall Table, a supper club at SPINE house

2011-09-04T16:39:00.014-04:00

Hi friends,

As some of you know I have spent the last several months consumed by cooking. Long story short, I started recipe testing for Dirt Candy, a restaurant in the East Village, and I can't stop. It is a delicious addiction. But, in order to support and feed my addiction, I need to feed YOU. See long story.

So, I invite you to Tall Table, a supper club at SPINE house, our beautiful and spacious apartment in South Williamsburg. Please help me get started by first liking Tall Table's Facebook page, then coming for dinner and finally spreading the word.

INFO:

Tall Table features recipes from the restaurant Dirt Candy, and other fun dishes curated and prepared by Kristen Revier with the assistance of SPINE house co-founders Cory Nakasue and Brent Felker. There will be occasional, surprise wine and cocktail tastings as we get access to them, and when available, live performances from local artists.
Price: Suggested donation $30. BYOB
Location: SPINE house in Williamsburg (5 blocks from Lorimer L stop).
When: Sundays, and upon request for private parties.

Tall Table's Inaugural Dinner

We are having a very special first dinner on Sunday, September 25th at 7:00PM. Along with delicious Dirt Candy dishes, our maiden dinner is unique because it comes with a select Italian wine service courtesy of Aroma Kitchen and Wine Bar, and of course, you'll be able to enjoy the meal with access to Kristen's Italian wine expertise. An added perk to this evening's seating is that all proceeds from the evening go to Brent Felker's latest project that he will be exhibiting this month; he will be on hand to talk a bit about that. If you or anyone you know would like to enjoy a scrumptious intimate dinner with delectable wines please email Kristen.spine@gmail.com for a reservation, and feel free to forward this to your friends.

SEPTEMBER 25TH MENU
Jalapeno Hush Puppies w/ Maple Butter
Portobello Mushroom Mousse
Grilled Asparagus Paella
Roasted Pear Sorbet with Crystallized Ginger/Molasses Cookies
All dishes paired with Southern Italian Red, White, Sparkling or Desert Wine.
All dishes are vegetarian.

$60 suggested donation per person.

(menu subject to change)

-kristen

Illustrations by Edwina White

Island living

2011-08-27T11:12:00.006-04:00

I've been installing some video art for the past week on Governors Island. My work was selected by 4heads for the the Governors Island Art Fair. After a slightly rocky start where I was offered a room with no outlets that people could not enter, we worked something out. I had initially applied with 4 pieces, and when accepted said my only requirements were as many outlets as I could get. As a video artist, they come in quite handy. The plan was to install 6 pieces into a room as a cohesive installation.

In college we had a theater called the Cellar. Because it was a cellar. The beauty of naming its entrance aside, the place was a logistical nightmare. 8 ft (at best) ceilings meant the lights were so low, no one over 6ft could effectively be on stage. There were 4 entrances to the space. One "entrance" led to the prop room from which there was no exit, so anyone exiting there had to remain in storage for the rest of the play. The other three could only be accessed by leaving the building and running outside to another door. Not fun in a Maine winter. The floor, walls and ceiling were all cement and acoustically atrocious, not to mention hell for any dancing or stage combat. It was as if someone dropped a giant cinder block into the foundation of the theater, and we were left to perform in the cavity it formed.

It was a wonderful space. We did dozens of shows there in my four years. We did shows in the round, proscenium, thrust, alley you name it. The space forced us into heights of creativity by its very intractability. I spent the first day at Governors Island trying to get a different space, but ended up compromising by taking a few rooms with no outlets and running power up from the floor below. In fact, they gave me a whole section of the attic including the hallway, so people can view the different pieces from different doorways. I spent the next day figuring out exactly how it would all work, and ended up rearranging just about everything. The end result is a much better exhibit, I think, that incorporates the space in a way that would be impossible using a neutral room.
All in all, I am grateful for the restrictions that force creativity, even if the initial reaction is to rail against any imperfection. While I would like to get everything I want to realize my vision (obviously) and will try to create the opportunities that allow it, I know I will also look for the boundaries to push against. Knowing that those concrete walls are never as solid as they first appear.

-Brent

Compositional editing

2010-11-16T13:31:00.004-05:00

I was shown the following video by the illustrious Steven Kidd.

I was struck by the editing of the piece, and not surprised to see that the editor and director were one and the same (William Hoffman). I mentioned after that picking apart all the edits would be like a master class in compositional editing. Steve asked what I meant by that, and I realized I hadn't heard the term before.

What I am talking about may (probably) already have a name, but I have not been able to find it using the google.

When I use the term "compositional editing," it is in contrast to "narrative editing" and implies a focus on the part of the editor. Any time 2 or more pieces are placed in proximity, you have composition. Any time 2 or more pieces are placed in a sequence, you have narrative. So any edited footage must contain both compositional and narrative elements.

Compositional editing focuses on the content of the two pieces on either side of the cut in a more abstract way. This is often done visually, where the two clips "rhyme" in motion. For example, the line being drawn on the test paper cutting to the surgeon slicing flesh with a scalpel. Same movement, same direction. However, clips may also rhyme in theme, color, overall visual composition (within the framing of the shot), etc. One of the more interesting (and successful) cuts in the piece above moves from a close-up of a person stepping in (presumably dog) crap to a close-up of a tongue licking ice cream. Both motions are close and towards the camera, although the placement of the actor is in opposition. The tongue appears in the exact same place as the crap, causing a disconcerting moment for the viewer. While the two elements being acted upon are in juxtaposition thematically (crap and food), and in color (dark brown and white), their texture is similar, furthering the rhyme between the two.

As I mentioned previously, all editing has components of composition and narrative. The best techniques use both to tell a story, and there is certainly a story (or, more accurately, a number of tiny stories) being told above. But the narrative arises out of the composition, and not the other way around. In narrative editing, composition is second fiddle to driving the story forward. Although it must not be ignored, even in a simple conversation between two actors.

--Brent

October Events and News!

2010-09-30T22:39:00.006-04:00

Hi All,
Fall is here (FINALLY)! And along with the cooler weather, we have some pretty cool events coming up:

Tonight is Brent's opening for "Tidal" in its final form. If you saw the preliminary draft at Monkeytown last year or at the SPINEsalon last month, you're in for a real treat. He's added sound by the incomparable Alan Sondheim and some stunning visual effects. You can catch it in all of its very large and loud glory at Greenpoint Gallery as part of the BIG GUNS! group show, and all weekend as part of Greenpoint Open Studios. The opening is tonight though and the party lasts 'till 2AM! We will only be there opening night because...
(more info)
http://asset3.flavorpill.com/brooklyn/events/2010/10/1/greenpoint-open-studios
http://greenpointopenstudios.org/

SPINE will be visiting our friends at EMPAC for Filament 2010, where we plan to see about 2010 shows, and come back with a full report and pics, and then...
(more info)
http://filament.empac.rpi.edu/

Off to Providence for the Firstworks Festival where we will be screening a fully remastered and re-edited Reframed --part of the Pixilerations program on October 5th.
(more info)
http://www.first-works.org/firstworks-pages/firstworks-festival-2010-01.php
http://www.spineart.com/reframed.html

After we take a moment to catch our collective breath, we will be announcing the new SPINE and Vietnam Fund collaboration, Lotus and Lightning on October 24th at the annual Vietnam Fund Fundraiser. Please save the date, for there will be much gorgeous art, yummy nibbles, and equally yummy wine. A slew of info will be headed your way after our art excursions, including project website, trailer, and ways you can support this project and the children who will benefit from it.
(more info)
http://www.vietnamemifund.org/

Hope to see you soon!
Cory

Ummmmmm...

2010-09-06T10:52:00.005-04:00

I was working on a long overdue project (do I have any other kind?) with Allen where he tells stories on the streets of Brooklyn, when I had an idea. Of course this new idea HAD to take precedence. The way the edit of the story itself shaped up made me think about using everything I had cut out, a negative image of the story using just the footage pre and post talking.

Well, I put it together and here it is. A reverse image of a story:

Impromptu Gathering!

2010-09-03T20:48:00.003-04:00

You are invited to join us at the SPINE house this Sunday the 5th for the unveiling and discussion of video work, film, photography and works in progress from exciting new and established artists. There will be wining, grilling, music and dining. Feel free to bring something special to throw on the grill, or the projector, or something special to drink.
We will be answering the door around 4PM and we will stop answering the door on Monday. Drop by if you're in the 'hood. Email for directions: kristen.spine@gmail.com

Artists Featured:
Brent Felker http://spineart.com/who.html#
Edwina White http://www.edwinawhite.com/
Alexis Raskin http://www.collectiveye.com/about.html
Oliver Lyons http://www.collectiveye.com/videos/d1review1.html
Cory Nakasue http://spineart.com/who.html#

In other news:
I'd like to plug the Dancenow/NYC Festival which starts next week and runs September 8-11. This festival is a true heralding of the New York City fall dance season. This year 40 of NYC's most innovative choreographers are taking the Dancenow Challenge to "say more with less." Cory Nakasue will be sitting on the panel this year and help decide on one choreographer who's going to win some amazing opportunities to create and share more work. More details: http://www.dancenownyc.org/index.php

That's all folks! Enjoy these last gasps of summer...*gasp*

Dusting Off Old Skills

2010-08-15T18:30:00.010-04:00

Brent does all the fabulous video editing for SPINE. He is our Computer Guru, helping with all things creative and technical. I did a small amount of video editing at Cal Arts. I really enjoyed it, getting to exercise my choreographic muscle on frames instead of bodies. I thought I might try my hand at it again in the hope that maybe in the future I could alleviate Brent from some of his creative, but probably not technical, responsibilities.

This is just a little something for fun and practice. My first stop motion experiment:

(Thank you, Brent, for helping me play.)

Summer/Fall Events--Save the Dates!

2010-08-03T14:52:00.002-04:00

Dear Friends,

Hope you are having a fabulous summer! Just thought we’d let you know about some new developments with SPINE. Here’s what we’re up to for the rest of the summer into fall. Save the dates! Hope to see you at any/all of these:

EVENTS

AUGUST 6^th

Cory Nakasue in conversation with Aynsely Vandenbrouke at Mount Tremper Arts’ Food for the Arts Friday nights. The two share critical writings and a sneak peek at their research and development of new work. New media writer, Alan Sondheim is scheduled to perform as well.

http://www.smarttix.com/show.aspx?showCode=BAR27

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/16/arts/dance/16dancefests.html

http://hudson-valley.chronogram.com/issue/2010/7/Arts%20&%20Culture/The-Avant-Garde-Invades-Mount-Tremper

SEPTEMBER 8^th-11^th

Don’t miss four nights of dance choreographed by NYC’s freshest talent alongside established veterans. This year the DanceNOW/NYC Festival is issuing a challenge to NYC choreographers to create a new work or present a repertory work of seven minutes or less, that offers a concise, clear, and complete artistic statement. The artist that best meets the DanceNOW Challenge will be awarded a week-long residency at Silo at Kirkland Farm in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, along with a $1,000 residency stipend, and a paid teaching opportunity at DeSales University. Cory Nakasue will be there on the selection panel.

http://www.dancenownyc.org/the-festival.php

OCTOBER 6^th

Reframed directed by Brent Felker, will be screened at the First Works Festival in Providence, RI as part of the new media platform, Pixilerations. More details TBA.

http://www.first-works.org/

Trailer:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/SPINE/190554590096?v=app_2392950137&ref=ts#!/video/video.php?v=185719264002

OCTOBER 23^rd

SPINE, in conjunction with The Vietnam Fund for Education, Music, & Infrastructure is producing a documentary about a living musical and cultural legend of Vietnam; a look through the eyes of Nguyen Ngoc Khánh and his experience of coming to the States to share his music with western artists. All proceeds from this film will go to The Vietnam Fund. Brent Felker will be directing this film and Cory Nakasue is producing. There will be a Vietnam Fund fundraiser on October 23^rd along with an official announcement and celebration of this new documentary venture. More details TBA

http://www.vietnamemifund.org/

NOVEMBER 9^th

Cory Nakasue and Aynsley Vandenbroucke share a work in progress at The Chocolate Factory’s THROW series. More info. TBA

http://www.chocolatefactorytheater.org/home.html

Please fan us on Facebook for impromptu invites to gatherings, readings and showings at the SPINE house. Enjoy the rest of this hot hot summer.

EVERYONE NEEDS A MASSAGE

2010-06-30T00:50:00.005-04:00

Massage Therapy is not to be confused with a hot fudge sundae. Massage should not be considered some sort of treat, nor a luxury, only to be received when you feel you deserve it.

EVERYONE needs a massage just as much as they need exercise and a healthy diet. It should be included in a health regime to assist in a well balanced, fulfilling, and happy lifestyle. It's like when you take your car in for maintenance. To ensure it is running efficiently you have to clean the pipes, change the filters, change the oil, and periodically get it smog checked, but don't forget to get it detailed every once and awhile.

The confusion with massage is that people think they are 'indulging' instead of 'healing'. The massage I practice, Thai Yoga Massage, like so many eastern medicines or practices, offers a balancing of the body's energy. Balance is obtainable when treating the whole body, not just one ailment. Bringing the body into a balanced state will allow healing, including more restful sleep, better digestion, ease of anxiety, soothing of bodies aches and pains, and opening of the heart and relaxing the mind.

Of course there is always the question of money. Massage tends to be expensive. One hour of massage may cost you one hundred dollars. This tends to make massage a practice geared to the wealthy. But I believe EVERYONE should get a massage, whether it be Thai Yoga Massage, Deep tissue, or Shiatsu. This is why I offer Thai Yoga Massage by donation, PAY WHAT YOU CAN. I have suggested $65 in the past, but I am truly offering PAY WHAT YOU CAN. Come, get a massage, and drop something in the donation jar at the end of the session based on what you can afford. I am encouraging this with the hope that people who have never had massage before will give it a try, and people who would like to get a massage on a more regular basis can.

I am in the intermediate portion of my studies, and have been learning many new postures and new approaches including lifestyle and nutrition studies. I am excited to share it with you. Please contact me to set up an appointment. We have a lovely air-conditioned studio in Brooklyn. You can find more information about me and my partner, Cory, who is an amazing certified Pilates and yoga teacher at our website, Body Intelligence.

SPINE LIVE!

2010-05-09T20:09:00.010-04:00

May 13,15, & 19 at 8pm SPINE will be performing Stupid (an excerpt) as part of The Comedy In Dance Festival at Triskelion Arts in Williamsburg. A one-woman performance showcasing the physical comedy stylings of Kristen Revier. Self-Flagellation in all of its masochistic glory.

The Comedy in Dance Festival May 12-16 & 19-23, 2010. 8pm A new annual performance series featuring over 20 curated works, including Abby Bender Schmantze Theatre's full-length premiere Geegahdongpeoria

The festival runs for a full ten days and includes work with a comic bent by: Phil Lanzetta/Vantage, The LeRoy Sisters, Amy Larimer, alexanDance Performance, cakeface, The Donovan Ensemble, Rhea Daniels, SPINE, Alisa Fendley Dance, Janessa Olsen/equal and opposite, Two-Hander, New Extreme Dance Explosions Awesomes, Billy Schultz, Cirque This, Jacobs Campbell Dance, EmmaGrace Skove-Epes, Leanne Schmidt and Company, Ashley Meeder Movement Project,, Adrian Jevicki/Movementpants Dance.

Inspired by the medieval dancing plagues, Schmantze Theatre's Geegahdongpeoria, included in the festival on on May 13-15, & 20-23, follows a landmark day-in-the-life of a fictitious people compelled to dance. This performance conjures up one of humanity’s lost tribes…lost with good reason. This tiny nation of likeable human dodo birds swaggers blithely through fable and folk dance, while tromping over atavistic technologies and cornball Satan-worship. Geegahdongpeoria is performed by Abby Bender, Jonathan Ciccarelli, Sara K. Edwards, Katie Federowicz, Rebecca Frank, Charles Gushue, Sarah Lannon, Lyz Merida, Reshma Patel, Brandon Polanco, Natasha Ross, Hanlon Smith-Dorsey and Charmian Wells. Story and choreography by Abby Bender and co. Script by Jeremy Wilson. Songs and video by Derek Breen, Jeremy Wilson, and Rebecca Frank

Visit Trisk elion Arts for a detailed festival schedule. Tickets: $15 general admission/$12 students Reservations strongly recommended: info@triskelionarts.org or 718-599-3577

This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.

The Sustainability of Dance Writing: A report and a couple of opinions

2010-04-14T12:27:00.003-04:00

Relevance and Sustainability

By Cory Nakasue

Dance/NYC’s Town Hall: Solutions for Sustainable Dance Writing

April 12th, 2010 at Joyce SoHo

This town hall was moderated by Marc Kirschner, General Manager, TenduTV. The panel included: Tonya Plank (Swan Lake Samba Girl), Robert Johnson (Newark Star-Ledger & Dance Critics Association), Jaki Levy (Arrow Root Media), Elizabeth Barry (Gendance, EB & Associates) and Brian McCormick (bmacmedia.net, The New School, Bessies Committee).

Few stones were left unturned in this discussion about the sustainability of dance writing, journalism, and criticism. Unfortunately that is because we have had this talk before, and a new discussion needs to be broached; instead of talking sustainability maybe we should be talking about relevance. Who cares about dance?

We have all heard the horrific figures cited again and again, such as the number of full-time dance writers in the country (1), how the inches and pages relating to dance are dwindling from arts news sections and other publications, and how the blogosphere has turned into a murky free-for-all in terms of dance content. The problem doesn’t reside in the world of publishing (although the future of publishing in general is uncertain), marketing, or quality control (though, once there is an audience for dance writing, this issue should be on table.) The problem resides in audience development, the huge cultural shift from live art, and demand—the problem resides in the dance “ecosystem” (a buzz-word of the evening, along with “branding”).

Robert Johnson provided one of the most compelling arguments of the evening stating that the increasing suburbanization of America has created a population that cannot relate to urban culture. And, right now, suburban America is the largest consumer of information on the web and print media; a population whose dance appetites are sated by TV shows like “So You Think You Can Dance” and “Dancing with the Stars.” They are simply not interested in reading reviews of modern dance companies, much less an intellectual discourse of a post-modern aesthetic…for example. It has become irrelevant for most of the country. One writer in the audience who previously worked for a major publication claimed she was asked by editors to “dumb down” pieces of writing because a large part of their circulation wouldn’t understand it. It seems that dance has positioned itself in an elitist ghetto.

Another audience member commented on the insular nature of dance as a contributing factor and the short runs that most companies have in theaters, thus turning an already ephemeral art form into an art form that almost doesn’t even happen. Who will pay for writing about a non-event?

Moderator Mark Kirshner was teased throughout the evening for his capitalist take on the issue, but his pragmatism on the simple economics of supply and demand also put the responsibility back on the dance world to figure out how to grow its audience, or in this case consumers. Perhaps one of the funniest moments of the evening was when panelist Elizabeth Barry was trying to sell the legendary (and very vocal) Elizabeth Zimmer on branding herself, at one point exclaiming, “Old people are cool!” Herein lay the frisson of the evening; watching young marketers and web gurus try to consult with intellectuals and artists, especially those of another generation.

Bottom line: If there is no more dance writing, there will be no more dance. If we can turn this conversation into one about building audiences who are hungry for dance content, and making the art form more relevant to our culture, our writers will be compensated. I made not one peep during this town hall meeting, so, “peep.”

WE NEED YOU...

2010-04-06T17:34:00.002-04:00

SPINE has been accepted into Triskellion's Dance Comedy Festival. We are looking for some performers for the event. The piece we are performing is four minutes. It will be performed three times throughout the festival. It should be a fun time.

We are looking for:

girl: a little dancing, and lots of laughing and flirtatious running
boy 1: have articulate long arm and hand
boy 2: a little acting and play with yo-yo
boy 3: a little acting, mostly sit and read newspaper

Rehearsals: two a week until the show

Performances (all at 8pm):

Thursday, May 13
Saturday, May 15
Wednesday, May 19

Tech:

Tuesday, May 11 at 9pm

Description of piece:
Convenience Girl, is a piece based on a video SPINE (http://spineart.com/) created last year (link to rough draft below). The premise: Girl is stuck in a hula hoop while being controlled/seduced by an arm that hands her things sometimes lovingly and sometimes violently (the arm's body is hidden by a white board), simultaneously being seduced by a boy that is dancing with a yo-yo in the background always out of reach, while a girl dances by freely, flirting and whispering in yo-yo boy's ear, and a man watches in chair in the far background. The piece exemplifies our enjoyments of and our struggles with the insidious nature of convenience.

Link to rough draft: click here

Let us know if you are interested (email: kristen.spine@gmail.com), or if know anyone who would be please pass information along to those people.

Paaaaiiint oooooon meeeeeee...(paint on me)....taaaake meeee hoooomee....

2010-03-25T12:02:00.003-04:00

I felt the A-ha reference was apropos to this very slick group of work by Alexa Meade. I don't want to paraphrase too much, but I really enjoy and appreciate this kind of art. At first glance, I assumed it was paintings photoshopped into real life situations, but it's real people painted on to appear as if they're in a painting. I've said it before, I'm not art student, but I know neat when I see it.

Check it out.

Here are a couple highlights.

This is the kind of art that makes me more interested in art. It makes me want to see more by Meade and see what else she can come up with. It also helps me to want to stop seeing the box.

Lecture as Art

2010-03-24T23:02:00.014-04:00

Last Wednesday evening I attended Deborah Hay's 'A Lecture on the Performance of Beauty' at the Great Hall at The Cooper Union. While my expectations were of a lecture on Beauty, it turned out to be a Performance Art piece in disguise. 'Beauty' is a solo piece Deborah Hay created for herself in 2002, and performed at least twice, once in Helsinki and once in London. The piece is based on 'Oh Beautiful...'. The 'lecture' begins as she speaks into a microphone in front of an easel displaying a doodle on white paper. Next to her are two large projector screens. I continue to think this is a 'lecture' while she explains her political motivations, the rehearsal process, the choreographic process, and explains that the doodle behind her is a blueprint of the piece, 'Beauty'. While she continues to speak the two video monitors begin. One shows the Helsinki performance of 'Beauty' with Hay performing in a post apocalyptic costume (punk/biker outfit with soda cans taped to each hand). The other screen shows the London performance of 'Beauty' with Hay performing in her new 'more appropriate costume' as she called it (naked, the idea conceived in a hot donated rehearsal space where she took off her clothes to cool down instead of turning on the air conditioner to save the space money). Hay, the one present, begins dramatically to read the text off a sheet of paper. As I watch her, the screens, and the doodle together I realize I am watching a composed live performance. I am not watching a lecture. The three Hays dancing together, the two on the screens and the one present, creating the union of all the incarnations of 'Beauty'. Once I got home I researched the piece a little more. I came to find out she had all the text for the lecture on her website written out somewhat like a play with character action notes and everything.

I have seen artists do this before: turn formal conventional speaking events into Art. The Artist can use the formal lecture as a vehicle of performance, and do what they do best, in Hay's case, a live dance performance. I guess you could say that all lectures are a sort of performance, but when the lecture becomes Art it extends the boundaries of a formal lecture. It creates an elusive piece of work that is composed and meant to be interpreted by the audience members.

The 'performance' ends, and we are brought back to the formal lecture with a Q and A session. In which the audience acts as they usually do in a lecture hall, although I think Hay is still performing. The last question was asked slowly, awkwardly and with a self-aware dramatic pause by a gentleman in the back row who I couldn't see. He asked Hay what she thought Dance had to do with it all. Like, why do we dance, but he asked it like he was asking what is the meaning of life. Hay stood there for awhile. To be fair it was a loaded question, but Hay replied humbly, 'All the major lessons I have learned about life I have learned through my body while dancing'. (she repeated this twice). I think Hay may interpret her whole life as a dance.

A Matter of Good Taste

2010-03-22T22:35:00.007-04:00

This is a great clip from Ira Glass (I first saw it on a 'Craft' newsletter, but I guess it is all over the place, Brent had already seen it, and Cory actually said he may have stole this thought from another writer, although I couldn't figure out who). His thought is on how we become artists, and that one of the reasons we do is because we believe ourselves to have good taste. Explaining that when we start making work we are the first people to stop ourselves when we think the work is not up to our 'good taste' standards. He goes on to say the only way we will successfully achieve these standards is if we practice making work, lots and lots and LOTS, even if it is bad work.

I am thinking, 'Don't I know this already', but yes, I must relearn. As Doris Humphrey said, 'They can't all be masterpieces' (I think she said that). I am trying to practice this in all parts of my life in conversation, in cooking, in love and TOTALLY in writing on this blog. I don't write anything half of the time because I think the post has to be as good as the things I really like to read (and so I stop). But the truth is, it is good practice (and hopefully I don't bore you all in the meantime).

Good taste should be an aid not a hindrance, not the lock on the door, but the key that opens it.

So when I start putting boxes on people's heads in my new piece, a questionable choice I admit (Cory is already wary), I have to evaluate the decision, but not throw it out entirely because it's not the 'perfect' decision', especially when no other decisions are coming. Try it. Figure it out. And in the end I may realize it was a bad decision, but I won't know until I try. Maybe it will give me insight into something else.

Life and Art

2010-02-12T12:57:00.006-05:00

Balancing Life and Art is a messy frustrating thing. It is like I'm riding in a car in the front passenger seat trying to talk to Life, the driver, and talk to Art, the passenger in the back seat, at the same time. It makes me car sick. I am struggling to find time and inspiration to work on new artistic projects. This proving difficult at the moment while I'm feeling somewhat beaten down by my the commitment to my day job (server - only server - at Dirt Candy. It is like a 9-5 office job but with much more physical activity, although I do have a masochistic love for it). To keep my body inspired I try to take dance class twice a week. Then my artistic brain tries to get a groove on in the quiet hours of the night, whilst battling not to veg out on Facebook (sadly, sometimes trying to keep up with my own SPINE mates Cory, Brent and Allen via status updates because we are all so busy). Then enters the administrative seductions of grants and fund raising (actually more like research hell). Oh, and did I mention a love life. Let's just squeeze that in like putting a box on a shelf when it is a millimeter too big. UGH. Balancing, Juggling, Dropping. I am trying not to spend too much time preciously picking up the pieces. Just trying to get on with it (after I take some 'ginger trips' for my car sickness).

Pr0n

2010-01-30T12:45:00.003-05:00

Dear Time Warner Cable,

I would like to point out that the 1.67 GB of hidden camera masturbation videos (Best Of!) I am currently downloading are for an artistic project. Due to an unforeseen prudishness in the people around me, perhaps exacerbated by a subconscious eagerness that pervades my asking, I have been unable to procure the services of non-sketchy, relatively disease free models. Having heard the internet may be home to certain purveyors of such wares(z), I ventured forth on a hunting expedition. Nearly .31 seconds later I was rewarded with my quarry, the aforementioned 1.67 GB of hidden camera masturbation videos (Best Of!). Once fully captured to my hard drive, these potentially erotic/disgusting bits of moving-picture will form the basis for my next opus for which you will be fully credited.

Thank you for your time and God Bless,
Brent

Dance on video!

2010-01-25T13:53:00.002-05:00

Some great dance on video at this vimeo account.

Mostly stuff from Flying Mammoth. A lot of recordings of live pieces (what you would generally call archival), but what makes them special, aside from some kick-ass choreography, is the editing. It really shows in the Flying Mammoth choreography reel (sorry embedding disabled).

A bunch of clips from stage/gallery shows, but the editing makes them sing.

3 Minute Romeo and Juliet

2010-01-05T16:47:00.002-05:00

Check out Shakespeare as it should have been meant to be seen (should have meant to be seen?). Original work created by Brent Felker and Paul Coffey.

Top 10 Dishes of the Decade *

2009-12-26T15:03:00.011-05:00

10. Green Curry with Tofu at Lily Thai in Williamsburg, Brooklyn
I love green curry, and this is my favorite.

9. Fresh guacamole, plantains, black beans and flour tortillas at Dos Caminos in Midtown
Not necessarily a 'dish', but i believe this is a perfect combination of components for a taco. I used to work at Dos Caminos. A reward for a 'job well done' was any dish on the menu. I always chose this.

8. Pancakes with strawberry butter at Le Barricou in Williamsburg, Brooklyn
This is more like dessert than breakfast. Two thick cake-like pancakes with plenty of strawberry butter, real maple syrup and fresh fruit. Possibly the best pancakes I have ever had.

7. Watermelon Salad at Back Forty in the East Village
A seasonal salad with tomato, feta and dill. It is so simple, but the combination is oh so amazing.

6. Burger at DuMont in Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Tasty burger always cooked exactly to your order with cheese, yummy bun, pickles, dijon mustard and ketchup (heaped on thick tomato slice and bibb lettuce). It is totally falling apart when two thirds done. Just confirming there was plenty of juicy happiness.

5. Bhuna with lamb at Brick Lane in the East Village
Sweet, spicy and fresh curry with lamb meatballs.

4. Duck with sherry reduction, Restaurante Kirkilla in Enea, Zarautz, Spain
In a little mom and pop restaurant in Basque Country, 'mom' served me a fillet of duck perfectly cooked set over a plentiful drizzle of sherry reduction served with magical fresh baked rolls crispy outside doughy inside, useful to wipe up every bit of sauce.

3. Carrot Risotto Dirt Candy in the East Village (pictured above)
Okay, so I work here, but this is no brown nose to my boss, Amanda Cohen (chef and owner), I believe this is a frickin' fantastic dish. Creamy sweet carrot risotto, savory carrot ribbons (fried bits of goodness), carrot dumplings, a little parmesan, and thyme (can't do without). Unfortunately this dish lives on the island of retired dishes. I heart Dirt Candy!**

2. Patacones/Tostones Maracuchos at El Cocotero in Chelsea
Crispy green plantain crostini with black beans, sweet plantains, salty cheese and flank steak. The dreamiest sandwich ever - in close competition with a banana, fluff, peanut butter and M&M sandwich from the Peanut Butter Shop in the Quincy Market in Boston I had when I was ten.

1. North African Paella at Black Betty (Closed - R.I.P) in Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Couscous with mussels, chicken, salmon and merguez in an amazing spicy Moroccan red sauce (I have never had anything like it, and sadly I won't ever again).

Two honorable mentions:
1. Fiorentina Pizza at Pizza Express in London
Spinach, grana padano, free range egg, garlic oil and olives
2. Salmon Cakes at Wagamama in London
Super yummy with sweet sauce and heaping salad

*eaten in restaurants more like the last three years than decade, due to my bad memory and the fact I spent most of the first half of the decade in London and the suburbs of Southern California.
**two other awesome dishes from Dirt Candy that nearly made the list, Mixed Green Salad with avocado, almonds, grilled cheese croutons and grapefruit pops, and Golden Beet Pappardelle with goat cheese yogurt sauce, beet pesto, beet honey, and a rainbow of roasted beets.

My Favorite Album of 2009: Grace/Wastelands by Peter Doherty

2009-12-26T14:06:00.004-05:00

It may not be “the best” album, but these lists are subjective, like the way we listen to music. But, I can tell you that this year, Pete Doherty's first solo effort fit the mood, the tone and the spirit of my 2009. A hopeful breath of fresh air that tastes of a little longing on the exhale.

Pete Doherty has been marinating in 50 years of British pop…and heroin, alcohol, cocaine…yeah yeah yeah, I know. Just thought I’d get drug jokes out of the way before I go on. And, I do feel that the druggie-bad-boy issue needs to be addressed because of the stunning foil it provides for the innocence of this album. Doherty comes off as blushing troubadour from a simpler time—sent to the past to dry out, and now emerges gentler and wiser. Whether he constructed the songs on this album to conjure the history of British pop or not (I think not), the work is soaked in it. There is such a distinct sense of place—but not time. However, the nostalgia that courses through every track makes you yearn for everything past, before, and gone.

Stylistically, this album is all over the map; a couple of ragtime ditties, a torch song here, a folk song there, and some straight up alternative, indie, pop tunes. The magic of this album lies in the threads that hold them all together. I think these threads are the Beatles, Oasis (during the 5 minutes they didn’t suck), and The Smiths (mostly Johnny Marr). Doherty somehow manages to balance some fucking lovely Beatle-esque melodies (circa 1968), effortless pop-hooks, with some excellent punk guitar work—nice and jangley and oh so English.

The result is an album to smoke lots of cigarettes to while basking in the memory of your last encounter with Him or Her; and imagining running down the streets of London with them as you make fun of strangers and try on funny hats at the flea market, then go home and make love with a gentle rain falling outside…and lots, lots more cigarettes.

Happy Holidays from SPINE!

2009-12-23T09:39:00.007-05:00

Dear Friends,

We just want to wish you Happy Holidays and all the best in the New Year! We are so grateful for your support, encouragement and patronage during this, our first official year as a company in New York City.

For those of you who didn't know, SPINE was based in London, England for 4 years, Los Angeles for 4 years, and we disbanded for a year during 2007-2008. Our regrouping started with a film commission and things took off from there. This year we premiered a new film at the Berkshire Fringe, exhibited a photo project at 3rd Ward, produced a live music and video event at Monkey Town, and produced a new work written by Allen Norvick, our newest member, which was presented at Speakeasy Stories this fall. Slated for 2010 are a web comedy series, 2 new films, a video exhibit, and an adaptation of a play. Our website has been updated, and we have a blog and a Facebook fanpage so you can keep up with it all.

Minus our year long hiatus, the core group of SPINE has been working together for 10 years. To mark our anniversary we're posting some "best of the decade" lists to our blog; a little thing we like to do at the SPINE house during family dinners that often result in drunken after-dinner brawls. Feel free to chime in and share some of your picks.

In what has become a yearly tradition, we used the holidays as an excuse to do an impromptu photo shoot based around a theme. As you can see, this year we chose "Domestic Bliss". Click the photos to embiggen. Thanks to Alvaro Gonzales, photographer extraordinaire.

We leave you with 2 pieces of rehearsal footage in their very nascent stages; The first, a video story-board for Kristen's new piece, and the very beginning of movement ideas for a duet Cory is working on. Become a Facebook Fan or follow our blog to check the progress of, and give commentary on, our newest works.

Take care,

Allen, Brent, Cory & Kristen

Top Ten Moments in The Comic Book World of the Decade (Special Foil Cover Edition)

2009-12-22T17:37:00.004-05:00

What with the end of the decade coming up, I felt it appropriate to have my own Top 10 list. Something that fits my particular...idiom. So, I present to you, my Top Ten (pun intended for those of you that are familiar with Alan Moore) Moments in Comics for the Zeroes.*

10. The 52 Civil Infinite Crisis of the Secret Invasion of Ambush Bug's Butt - Crossovers aren't a new phenomenon in the mainstream comic world. They've been around since The Secret Wars or Crisis on Infinite Earths. What really stands out about the crossovers of the 00s are the FREQUENCY. And the quickly dwindling gap between the next one. It seemed like Secret Invasion picked up almost immediately where Civil War left off. And can we come up with some new words for crossovers that aren't secret, crisis or infinite?

9. ZOMBIES. LOTS AND LOTS OF ZOMBIES - This isn't JUST the mainstream comic world, but as often happens, as the more mainstream pop culture bleeds into specifically comic culture, there starts to be some symbiosis (ie Elvis' fascination with Captain Marvel Jr. and CM3's, which is a dumb name, later obsession with The King). Zombies seem to have exploded onto pop culture again (Dawn of the Dead, Shaun of the Dead, Bong of the Dead, etc) and with that, of course, zombie comics.

8. The Rebirth of the Silver Age - With such titles as Earth X and Kingdom Come, comes an obvious harkening back to the childhood of our now employed comic book artists and writers. There isn't much to say about this, other than "fanboys all grown up and got the power and want to turn their fanfiction into profit."

7. Lavaroid - This is nothing but a blatant plug for Kevin Conn's comic, Lavaroid. Suck it, weenies.

6. The Coincidal Coincindental Rebirth of Winter Soldier and Red Robin - With the rebirth/return/marketing tactic of Jason Todd and James "Bucky" Barnes, comes the retirement of the terms "Bucky Dead" and "Jason Todd Dead". This is actually more monumental than it seems, in my opinion. Bucky and Jason Todd were the standard for death. If you were Bucky dead, you were DEAD. That's how it worked. Now that we've returned BOTH of these characters, we've essentially said, "All bets are off." Death has lost it's weight and intensity in both Big Boys. Which leads me to number 5.

5. The Death of Captain America (again) - The reason this is on the list at all isn't because I think it had a monumental impact on the comic book world, but because it didn't. Life moved on. Captain America was shot, people were sad, they moved on. The number one comment heard was, "He'll be back." This doesn't happen in the real world. People don't die and the public doesn't say, "Oh, he'll be back with Thriller 2." Except on Easter. Take that as you will. The Death of Superman was a much bigger deal (and handled better), because you thought there was an actual chance Superman was being replaced.

4. Women in Refrigerators - This was another top 10 that should have been higher. What this was is a list of all of the female characters in the mainstream comic world (mostly) that had been killed, depowered or dehumanized. It originated from a scene in a Green Lantern comic where Green Lantern's girlfriend gets killed and stuffed into a refrigerator to make him angry. Point being, that females in comic books are, more often than not, used as punching bags to give the male heroes something to save. The list is pretty extensive. The issue is, most fanboys KNOW of the site, but it's used almost as a joke. I'm not going to start a rant about how the lack of impact its had is a perfect example of its purpose, but it's true.

3. Acceptance of Comics into Mainstream Society - This wasn't so much an EVENT that happened in this decade, as it was a result that happened in this decade. There has always been an overall awareness of comic books in popular society, but it's not as much of a social stigma to read comics in general as it was even 15 years ago. This is the result of a few factors, some being a result of each other, like the surge of comic book movies, comic book cartoons, and the wearing of Underoos by hot chicks.

2. The Erasing "Reboot" of Spiderman's Marriage - I find this a VERY important event in the mainstream comic book world. It was a blatant use of editorial power, that was (in my opinion) just a reflection of Joe Quesada's fear of growing up. Spiderman/Peter Parker's entire marriage to Mary Jane was (sloppily) erased to rewind Spiderman back to his carefree teenager days of crimefightin' and going to night clubs. It made me stop caring about Spiderman stories.

1. The Damn Interwebs - With the popularization and wild-fire spread of forum boards, social networking sites and mind-melting slashfiction, the internet has actually affected what is being created. The internet is not just an information site, it had become an extended form of our reality. In some cases, it has replaced our reality. To not call this the most significant change in the way comics are seen, created and bitched about would be false.

*this is entirely based on my opinions and observations. If you disagree, why don't you start a flamewar about it?

Favorite Albums* of the Decade

2009-12-18T14:02:00.013-05:00

The decade in music. And by music, I mean popular music. And by popular, I mean what I listened to. For each year this past decade, I chose one album. This made me sad. So I then chose 2 runners-up. So many songs left. So I picked a single as well. No artist is represented more than once. I wanted to make a list where if you listened to every single one of these albums/songs before the end of 2009, you would have a lot more time on your hands than I do. I hope I succeeded.

2000

Heartbreaker – Ryan Adams

He certainly is. You treat him right, Mandy Moore.

Runner-ups: Stories From The City, Stories From The Sea– PJ Harvey; Agaetis Byrjun – Sigur Ros

Single: Dry The Rain – Zeroes to Heroes – The Beta Band

2001

Girls Can Tell – Spoon

Tight tight tight.

Runner-ups: Pleased to Meet You – James; Cuts For Luck and Scars For Freedom – Mystic

Single: Come What May – Moulin Rouge – Nicole Kidman & Ewan McGregor

2002

Son of Evil Reindeer – The Reindeer Section

Scottish supergroup with Snow Patrol, Belle & Sebastian and Arab Strap represented? Sign me up!

Runner-ups: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot – Wilco; Deadringer – RJD2

Single: Seed 2.0 – Phrenology – The Roots

2003

Speakerboxxx/The Love Below – Outkast

Their White Album after Stankonia’s Sgt. Peppers

Runner-ups: Want One – Rufus Wainwright; Ghosts of the Great Highway – Sun Kil Moon

Single: My Coco – Stellastarr* – Stellastarr*

2004

Funeral – Arcade Fire

After listening to this I feel like I just got out of a Fellini film.

Runner-ups: Cee-Lo Green Is the Soul Machine – Cee-Lo; Hot Fuss – The Killers

Single: Still At Home – Rendezvous – Luna

2005

With Teeth – NIN

Master Trent gets back to the force of Pretty Hate Machine, but using all the tricks he’s learned since.

Runner-ups: Get Behind Me Satan– The White Stripes; Come on Feel the Illinoise! – Sufjan Stevens

Single: Fuck Forever – Down In Albion – Babyshambles

2006

Return to Cookie Mountain – TV on the Radio

Sonically sprawling. A disgorgement of all their influences while setting the stage for what comes next.

Runner-ups: Pick a Bigger Weapon –The Coup; 2 – Simple Kid

Single: The Funeral - Everything All The Time – Band of Horses

2007

Great Vengeance & Furious Fire – The Heavy

That scrappy kid from London lays down some funky FUNKY tunes.

Runner-ups: We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank – Modest Mouse; Let’s Stay Friends – Les Savy Fav

Single: Fake Empire – Boxer – The National

2008

Flight of the Conchords – Flight of the Conchords

Most of these songs came out live long before, however I can’t help but returning to this album again and again. I thought novelty records were supposed to get old?

Runner-ups: Seventh Tree – Goldfrapp; Heretic Pride – The Mountain Goats

Single: Dónde Está la Playa – You & Me – The Walkmen

2009

Hazards Of Love – The Decemberists

The Decemberists finally figure out how to stretch their wonderful story/songs into a full-length album.

Runner-ups: Broomst – Dan Deacon; Veckmatist – The Grizzly Bears

Single: I Quit Girls – Post-Nothing – The Japandroids

Hula Girl - Rough Draft

2009-12-18T10:54:00.006-05:00

I have been playing with hula hoops. You may have witnessed if you have been following the blog. This video is a rough draft of Hula Girl (truly just a working title). This past month, Brent and I have been collaborating on a storyboard. We were playing with split screen ideas and such. At this point, I won't bombard you with a play by play of the story. I leave to enjoy, for now. Please post comments if you are inspired.

Salvage.Recycle.Repeat

2009-12-16T12:18:00.005-05:00

A snippet of movement material from rehearsal #3 of “the mega piece”. And, no that is not gratuitous, sexy-dance, self-touching you’re seeing. Shame on you. It makes sense in the larger context of the piece. I do plan to shoot it from this angle and from much higher, and, at the moment anyway, it will be paired with a corresponding live performance.

If some of this choreography looks familiar, it’s because I stole some of it from myself. A few years back, I started work on a piece that never quite came together as far as movement and concept are concerned. Actually, at times the choreography and concept felt like two magnets I was trying to push together. I didn’t show it very much. I was really frustrated with it (despite a lovely performance from Kristen and amazing video from Brent). I feel like I finally found a “home” for this movement. Lots more to come.

PS and, am I crazy? Do you feel you’ve seen 20 dance pieces the past several years that have used this “In the Mood for Love" music? It’s lovely, but getting music composed.

Sounds of creation

2009-12-14T14:46:00.003-05:00

The Blog has been quiet this week, but the SPINE House is louder than ever. New creations are brewing.

Reimagining

2009-12-03T22:34:00.004-05:00

As some of you may have heard, we have a show coming up at Monkey Town on Dec 6th. This has involved a lot of work.

From our end (the other end being the band Oliphant) we are presenting 4 videos. 3 have been shown before and 1 premiere. The work comes from the location. Monkey Town is an impressive space. 4 giant screens (one for each wall) in a room where the audience sits around the walls, with a performance space in the middle. I have seen a few shows there, and the usual M.O. is to have all 4 screens playing the same thing. There is a logic to this since each audience member will have one screen behind them, and therefore cannot see it. However, I think this approach does not properly utilize the space. I mean, you've got these 4 GIANT SCREENS.

So, we are repurposing the videos. And by we, I mean me. That's OK I enjoy it. Luckily I had lots of help in the generating ideas phase. We aren't adding to the footage we already shot, so we need to find ways to take advantage of the 4 screens with videos that were meant to be shown on one screen while keeping in mind that each of the 4 screens will not be seen by 25% of the audience.

It has been fun, and I am aided by the pieces that I directed making liberal use of split screen. I guess I am the DePalma of SPINE. Which makes Cory=Scorsese, Kristen=Coppola and Allen=Landis.

I am finishing up the DVD burning tonight, and we should find out on Sunday if it all works as planned. Because, where the hell are you going to test this out?

Persperation/Suffocation

2009-12-02T22:23:00.004-05:00

During the day, I work at Lexus of Manhattan, in the Business Development Center. It sounds both more and less than it is. It is part of the sales department, but it is not sales. It's technically customer service, but it isn't. I wear many hats throughout the day, which usually causes my manager to say, "Take off all those stupid hats." Ba dump psh. It's not a physical job, but anyone who has to deal with the public all day knows, it can take its toll. Sometimes I get home mentally and physically exhausted and it makes it difficult to create. I'm not alone in wishing money was not a factor in my day to day, but unfortunately, it is. Luckily, we're all very supportive in this house of our creative ventures and I'm glad I have the other members of SPINE to hold me accountable for pushing forward. :)

SPINE House Date Night

2009-11-30T15:00:00.010-05:00

Ah Sundays, the only day we all have off (except for Cory who usually has to take a Pilates client for an hour or two), we get to spend the day catching up, usually including a lengthy SPINE meeting and some cleaning. Then, we like to enjoy a nice evening together, which I like to call SPINE House Date Night. This usually means a mini adventure to a cool neighborhood restaurant . Last night it was Rye Restaurant where we had a fantastically yummy filling meal. The evening also included a guest appearance by Rachel Biello who is currently working on comedy sketches with Allen. After we are stuffed and happily sated we come home for a sharing. Last night it was a review of Cory's 'Lover's Discourse' rehearsal and the final cut of 'Tidal', Brent's newest video project we are premiering at MonkeyTown next Sunday. Yay!

SPINE @ MONKEYTOWN DEC 6th 8PM

2009-11-29T15:35:00.002-05:00

CLICK THIS SEXXXY LINK!!!

Better Than Dreaming of Hula Hoops

2009-11-28T01:43:00.004-05:00

After we gobbled up our Thanksgiving grub, we at the SPINE House decided to experiment with the wonders of hula hooping and drinking. Not as easy as it sounds. Brent was on camera testing out some possibilities for our shoot next month. Enjoy the music attached to the clip, but imagine the laughter. My cheeks are still hurting.

Dreaming of Hula Hoops

2009-11-23T23:29:00.004-05:00

We are mapping out a rough draft of a project I have been working on. We will shoot it in December once our Monkey Town gig is over. And why yes, it involves a hula hoop. I bought an awesome handmade one from Nice Hoops on Etsy.com. This piece is merely a fetus at the moment. It needs some serious incubation time before it will take on a distinguishable form.

SYNERGY!!!

2009-11-18T19:40:00.002-05:00

So my personal blog, The Only Living Dead Boy in New York, is over on Wordpress (I hope blogger doesn't take offense, it's nothing personal, I just saw them first) and I've linked The Spineart Home Page to it. I also linked my main Facebook profile and recently added the Facebook app to my XBOX and am trying to link all my emails together and as soon as I get a smartphone, will most likely link all that to the phone somehow. I feel like one of the Borg. I'm not entirely sure if that's a good or a bad thing. One one hand, it's good to be connected and have everything hub to your brain, but where do you draw the line? Should there be a line? No idea. But...SYNERGY! (I just like saying synergy)

Patterns II

2009-11-18T10:30:00.004-05:00

As I mentioned in my last post I am working on a new video piece for our show at Monkey Town with Oliphant on Dec 6th (fetch the cleaver!). The last post dealt with my attempts to create patterns that I could then subvert.

The piece has a title now: Tidal. Which is problematic only in that whenever I say it, it sounds like I am saying Title. I am sure this will lead to some hilarious Who's On First routine in the near future. The patterns are coming into focus. A little too much, actually. One of the nice things about the previous iteration (in that last post I think I mentioned) is its organic feel.

Something has definitely been lost. I shot new footage and I became enamored in my head with creating a binary system. Most likely because it was easier to wrap my head around, I filmed the new bits so they would move from white to black and back. While this did make it easier to structure the sections, it made it a little too easy. By setting up a strictly binary system, the box aspect of the overall structure was highlighted. With only 144 pixels (16x9) it is difficult to create organic patterns. Easy to make big boxes, though!

So the next step is to pull back from this. While the first version was too muddy and indistinct, I need to recapture the organic nature of it, but try and maintain the clarity of the newer version. Honing in on it. 2.5 weeks to go!

Body Art worth waiting for...

2009-11-16T14:48:00.013-05:00

After 7 months of waiting for Noon to get back from France, Kristen finally got her tat finished. Her eyes wet with mascara from all of the crying, looked at me and said, "I think I'm getting my next one on my thigh." This is what four hours under the needle will get you:

Before, half-way through and the finished product:

More details:

2009-11-12T15:45:00.004-05:00

SAVE THE DATE for Allen, Brent, Cory & Kristen

Hi All!

SPINE has a new project in the works that will be making its debut on Sunday evening, DECEMBER 6. Yes, DECEMBER 6 is the date we are asking you to save.

SPINE in collaboration with Oliphant will present Common Fictions, an evening of video and live music at Monkey Town in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. You can expect a couple SPINE signature videos along with the New York premiere of Reframed, and the world premiere of Tidal, both directed by Brent Felker. Peter Wise of Oliphant supplies the score for Reframed and Oliphant is creating a live original soundscape for Tidal as we speak.

Bring your friends and enjoy the unique Monkey Town venue which houses four screens (ideal for our 4-channel video installations), a full bar and an amazing (seriously the food is outstanding) menu by chef Ryan Jaronik. Food and drink will be available before, during and after the show.

More details and info to come, but please save DECEMBER 6^th for us.

We would like to take this opportunity to welcome Allen Norvick to SPINE as our newest co-director and children’s programs coordinator. He’s an actor and writer who hails from southern California. He is a long-time friend of ours and we are so happy to have him with us here in New York.

For more SPINE news please check our NEW & IMPROVED website www.spineart.com we’ve updated the bios, links, and gave it a few other nips ad tucks.

For up-to-the-minute news on SPINE plus exclusive videos and photos, please FAN US on Facebook. Once you've become a fan you'll be the first to know about shows, classes, impromptu showings and SPINE recommendations. So stop by and say hi!

Take care,

SPINE

MY BRAIN ASPLODE!

2009-11-09T22:44:00.007-05:00

I finally got to sit down with Rachel Biello and work on sketches this weekend. Oh, how I needed that. I know what Cory was talking about how when she said just getting started makes you want to keep moving. I worked a full day on the yoke of Lexus and then went to Greenpoint for a writing party. If I wasn’t dead tired, I could’ve stayed up yelling out scripts and bouncing ideas off her head until morning. It also helps that she’s good to work stuff through with and she KNOWS HER SHIT. We extrapolated on each idea and came up with at least four or five more new ideas for scripts just bullshitting. I LOVE IT. We have another meeting next Sunday to vomit on some more pages and work out a format. I really don’t want to lose momentum on this. I’m feeling like I’m doing what I came here to do.

inspiration/procrastination II

2009-11-09T19:33:00.016-05:00

I laughed out loud alone in my room at 3am after watching this:

I feel in love with these boys. Obsessed again. Why can't all performances capture such unbridled passion and conviction. These boys are partnered so strongly in their silliness. Oh, their channeling of the Backstreet boys is fascinating with the detail and articulation of their lip syncing and the brilliantly simple choices of their choreography to this absolutely cheesy song (ah, guilty pleasures). But what makes it all the more perfect is a uninterested boy in the background on his computer, and it totally heightens the whole performance.

In my travels through the archives of You Tube I found several recordings of them. Many others just as good at the Backstreet Boys song, always a cheesy song, always with the boy in the background. Sadly, the one live performance I found was no match for boxed videos that I love so much.

And again, SHOULDN'T I BE WORKING ON MY OWN STUFF. STOP WATCHING YOU TUBE (though, I know I won't, but I will work, tomorrow, really).

Revisiting

2009-11-08T11:31:00.004-05:00

It is odd going back to a piece you think of as "finished". I am currently reworking "Reframed" for our show at Monkey Town (Dec 6th, catch the fever!). Now, when we presented it at the Berkshire Fringe Festival back in July, we knew that there would be further changes. As they say, films don't get released, they escape. We needed to show it, so it was done.

Now we need to show it again, and in a different format. At the fringe there were 4 screens which could all be seen simultaneously, at Monkey Town there will be four screens, but at opposite ends of the room, so you can only see 3 (really just 1 and parts of 2 others) at a time. To convey the story of the piece, we need to mix it up a bit.

This entails creating what is essentially a different screen. Which means going back through all the old footage. Editing is like sculpting. You begin with a large chunk and whittle away until the piece is revealed. We ended up shooting at a 15:1 ratio, so for every minute of screen time there were 15 minutes of footage shot. The end result is a 13 minute film on four screens which gives us 52 minutes. Cut down from around 9 hours of footage. Every cut, every shot that was included at the expense of another, was done for a reason. At this point I don't always remember why I did things. 3 AM decisions, cuts made after trying 10 different things, requests and suggestions from other SPINE members, all these things are more or less opaque now.

So when I dig into the piece, I have to trust that those decisions were correct as I muck about and try not to mess it up. Almost like I'm working on someone else's film. Once it is finished ("finished"), the choices I am making now which are based on half-remembered choices made months ago will become codified, canon. Then I get to make the trailer.

Art is life. Life is art.

2009-11-04T21:58:00.002-05:00

I'm definitely going to use my experiences in the auto industry to create something worth telling/showing/exploding all over the world. So far, I've come up with a basic outline and some characters and a feel for it. And a possible title, Hard Sell. There's a possibility if it's as good as I feel it is, that I'll never work in the auto industry again. Take that as you will.

I have to fill in for Rachel at Speakeasy?!?! What?!?!? And I have less than 24 hours to prepare?!?!? LET'S DO IT! I'M READY! Oh, wait, nevermind

2009-11-03T09:02:00.004-05:00

Our friend Rachel was unable to speak tonight at Speakeasy Stories, so asked me to fill in for her. AAAHHH!!! I'm unprepared! They're all veteran storytellers!!! LET'S DO IT!!! Okay, let me clean up this story. And get some sleep. And get my schedule set up. And...find out today they had to cut the scheduled speakers down anyway. Oh, well. At least I'll be prepared for next time. :)

Patterns

2009-11-02T11:01:00.006-05:00

I am working on a new video piece for our Monkey Town date (December 6th, catch the fever!). Here is a very early rough draft:

The idea (from a formal perspective) is to set up these repeating patterns, so the video can loop indefinitely. I have seen many time-based visual art pieces with this conceit, but they tend to stop there. Once the pattern is identified, we watch until its logical conclusion, then it starts again. This approach has always left me cold and feeling that the work is a bit unfinished. When a pattern becomes apparent, I don't get a lot out of just observing its completion. Perhaps I am just a plot whore, but I like my art to fall into the category of "Surprising but inevitable" The instant a pattern is recognizable is the place to begin its subversion, don't necessarily break the established rules, but turn them around, throw them up in the air and see how they rearrange themselves.

The clip above is the 1st attempt at establishing the beginning pattern. Once I am happy with that, the subversion comes in. In addition to the individual patterns of the looping images, an overall pattern should also emerge, taking the viewer on a emotional journey. Otherwise it's just wallpaper.

Support Storytelling!!! Or I'll start posting in caps.

2009-11-01T22:08:00.007-05:00

Our good friends, Rachel Biello and Mike Daisey, are performing at The Cornelia Cafe with Speakeasy Stories. Hopefully, soon, I'll be telling there again, but until then, don't miss out! I've never had a dull night at Speakeasy.

Social Network Hell

2009-11-01T22:02:00.002-05:00

Spent the better part the evening trying to figure out the Facebook fan page thingie, and the blog watchamagigger, and the website hooptie in my weird post-Halloween drunken haze. Not confusing, just draining, time consuming...The Children (as I like to call my house mates), all had different plans. When I left the house Allen was a harrowing Two Face and Brent was an adorable Bob Ross. Kristen was working. I had a lovely costume-less...but clothed evening, drank too much or ate too little and woke up in Cobble Hill. Happy, tired. Can't wait for rehearsal tomorrow, working with bodies and no more looking at little glowing rectangles.

Latest "song". No chorus, open to suggestions.

2009-10-30T18:52:00.002-04:00

Proof
I can’t prove it, but it’s a fact
It’s nothing you’ve done,
It’s the way I react when you walk in the room
Everything in me knows
I’m doomed to need you even though you’ll just go
Without a second thought about me
There is no evidence, just this feeling
That I’ve been recognized as one of your own
I think I see you too
But, it’s not enough to render proof
I keep looking for confirmation
Halfheartedly
But, obsessively mining my own memories
For clues
To prove my sanity to myself
We are the most intimate of strangers

inspiration/procrastination I

2009-10-26T13:42:00.002-04:00

I have been obsessively watching the 1980's movie Popeye. It started when I heard a remix of 'He Needs Me' when I was at an event for work on Tuesday. I have now watched all the musical clips on You Tube, including the forgotten dusty gem 'Everything is Food'. I have not found the remix yet. The music in the movie is so simple and child-like but beautifully awkward and bittersweet. I feel inspired by it, but I question that I am just procrastinating working on my own art.