When my youngest brother was a wee ‘un, this was one of his favorite songs. Whenever the video would come on, he’d dance and sing along with it.
He also used to ask, “Why won’t that man turn around?” about this poster on my wall.
Tag: videos
The Automatons
I promised art a couple of days ago, but obviously, I lied. And by the time I finished last night, it was way past my bedtime.
This one has another packing tape transfer (a phrenology model), but it’s even fainter than the last one I did. I like the way it turned out. Tape transfers are kind of hit-and-miss for me. Often, the image pulls completely away from the tape, no matter how careful I am or how well I burnish. Some folks recommend soaking the taped image for a few minutes, but that makes the problem even worse. I’ve settled on taping, burnishing the hell out of it, then using a baby wipe to remove the paper from the tape. I haven’t had 100% success with doing it that way, but close to that.
This is a totally adorable demo for making tape transfers. I love that it’s a young boy doing it. He uses clear contact paper, instead of packing tape, but the technique is the same.
collage (altered Polaroid, anatomical illustration, packing tape transfer, and fragment from antique curtain) with watercolor pencil, watersoluble crayon, and found poem in altered book
9 3/8 x 11 3/4 inches
The Automatons
(a found poem)
More valuable than anything else,
his own desire for becoming.
The work and the excellence,
The common instincts of humanity
regarded as the highest virtue
And in the duties of tradition and custom
A convert denied
that destiny ruled his life,
Rejected demands and expectations
To devote himself
to the obstacles that were within him.
Only those who dared
could claim their autonomy.
“Do NOT Sit Next to Dennis!”
Twisty Dog!
“Do NOT Sit Next to Dennis!”
And, if the above does not make sense, then please to be watching the following clip, courtesy of YouTube. Be warned, though, that it is chock-a-block with gratuitous gratuitousness.
“Pancakes!” (from Cabin Fever)
They say a rose is a flower and that it is red
A coworker is retiring at the end of the year. Someone sent her a bouquet of gorgeous red roses yesterday, I assume because she’ll be leaving soon. It’s sort of bittersweet. She’s worked here her entire life, and I don’t think she’d planned on leaving quite yet, but she’s developed some mobility issues that make her job very difficult.
Anyway, the flowers are pretty. I think I probably caught them at peak color, but roses are fragile, and they’re starting to decay already. The whole thing makes me think of the Rasputina song Rose K.
It blooms, it grows, it wilts and then it is dead.
YouTube Goodness
We had a Fake Blog assignment to use YouTube. I thought I’d share the video I used for that assignment. The dogs belong to one of the dog group folks.
Rooroo
It is beautiful, especially that last, lone, plaintive roo.
When I was a kid, we had a dog who rooed (Bear). He taught other dogs in the neighborhood to howl along with him. I remember, in the summertime, when the windows were open, the neighborhood dogs hanging around outside the little Methodist church building and “singing” hymns along with Dorothy Humbarger.
How Can You Mend a Broken Heart?
The Bumpasses are totally rocking out to the Bee Gees. At 11:30pm. I’m more amused than disturbed by it, though, because I almost never hear a peep from them.
What makes me cranky is the Claritin commercial with the stone carver who is not wearing a freaking mask, much less a respirator. Because if you have allergies, the last thing on earth you need is to breathe a bunch of stone dust. The stupid, it doth offend!
The Conversation
1901 Edison Film of Boxer
I came across this yesterday, and thought I’d post it here. It’s an Edison film from 1901 of a Boxer doing what Boxers do best.
Historical images of dogs are interesting, in terms of how breeds change over time. The Boxer breed was quite young when this film was made (the first Boxer dog was entered into the studbook in 1895). Photos from those early years are rare enough, and video rarer still. This film is extra special. You can see that the boing boing boing–such a huge part of what makes a Boxer a Boxer–is present. Boxers as we know them now, in this country, are finer boned and more elegant than their ancestors, but it’s obvious that the breed’s athleticism and basic personality traits (boing boing boing!) are still present.
Babycake!
I’m probably the last person on earth who hasn’t seen this, but just in case, I thought I’d post it. Wow!
red paper boat 