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Memory and Truth

I’m reminded constantly these days that memory and truth are not immutable. One of the first lessons one learns when taking up photography is that capturing a fraction of a second in an image does not represent truth. It is just a moment in time. It is equally true that memories are liable to change by the very act of recall. Life, love, past deeds whether heroic or dastardly get rewritten in time.

By the same token tools used by artists do not define the validity of the work created. Art is not in the expert use of tools but the ideas brought forward by the artist. New methods of working, even AI automated tools are not the death of human creativity. They are just another way of working.

Technical skills such as drawing are sometimes said to represent art. It seems to me that art is much more that dexterous tool use. I’m careful not to define my images as art. However someone using the same tools could produce art. It’s all about intention.

Shelter In Place

Shelter In Place – The New Duck and Cover

The recent history of gun violence in U.S. schools makes the phrase ‘Shelter In Place’ a common expression. Now it seems with the latest posturing East and West, it has new meaning; ‘Duck and Cover’. My childhood fear revisited as an additional burden on young people of today.

I remember seeing the Duck and Cover safety films in in grade school class. Nowadays we laugh about the cute turtle teaching us to avoid the nuclear flash and find shelter. It was absurd to think about surviving such an attack.

Being free to explore and feeling safe were the things I took for granted growing up in America. At least my schoolrooms were safe from assault rifles. Now it seems children must consider another unthinkable danger.

Next Time Take the Train

The governor looks into the camera and says, “Sure, I’d drink the water”. I wonder whether he would be so cheerful if he had to drink from that well for the rest of his life? Maybe not.

The railroad CEO says, “We are committed to making sure everything gets cleaned-up and back to normal. Well I guess they could reroute the river, dig up a square mile of soil and destroy a few houses. That would be a start. Maybe not.

As I sit here with the background hum of my oxygen concentrator, I’m skeptical about life returning to normal after a massive toxic spill in any small town. My fear is that a few hundred residents of a crossroads village are small sacrifice for the governor and the CEO. Both will likely move on and forget the whole episode.

Looking at the hopelessness in the eyes of residents, you know, they know the score. Another day in paradise.

Persona Roulette

Perhaps not the best title in the world but an interesting subject. Humans are hardwired to trust members of their tribe. At some level it’s a matter of survival. We are social beings who depend upon one another in many situations.

The problems is we can’t actually know anyone but ourselves. Trust is as much a matter of faith as it is judgement. What can we do to be safe? Stay away from the edge of the herd and hope for the best.

It never hurts to keep your head down just in case of unexpected events.

Happy New Year

It may seem a bit early to be thinking of New Year before Christmas but perhaps not. Since December 2019 I’ve posted several greeting card animations online for Western and Chinese New Year. The first 2023 version is already posted on Pinterest.

My interest in motion graphics came about to make photo slide shows. Adobe After Effects seemed to be an interesting tool. How hard could it be to use? Famous last words. Doing simple things in After Effects was easy, anything more required skills. Being a techie there is always one more skill to learn. I created many mediocre slide shows and learned enough AE to be dangerous.

Unfortunately, this blog cannot serve video due to bandwidth considerations. The still frame image gives a sense of the finished work. If you are interested in seeing the complete video, please click the link below. Fair warning, some of my videos may not appeal to everyone.

Happy New Year

City Mirage No2

I seem to be spending lots of time exploring image composites. ‘Borrowing’ the work of others always made me uncomfortable so my photo archive is primary source material. Combining photos is much like using found images.

MidJourney and similar tools make it possible to generate specific source material for compositing. It is an inexact process but with some work you can get interesting and useful results. Such is the case here by building upon the City Mirage work posted a week or two ago.

That brings up some interesting issues for commercial illustrators and similar work-for-hire consultants. Highly specific time sensitive advertising work seems to be the niche for AI imaging at the moment. For Ad-Men time is money and good enough is the goal. Many people feel AI devalues commercial work in general. Possibly, but looking back, automation has increasingly been a factor for at least a couple of decades.

From my point of view ideas are where value is to be found. Manual skills will always be in demand in an upscale market. Quick production of good ideas is bread and butter for commercial work.

City Mirage No2 and the original City Mirage are not fine art, probably not art of any sort. They are an exercise in quirky creative imaging that is entirely personal. I’m sure there must be many people like me doing ‘vernacular art?’ and enjoying a bit of creative freedom.

Rhythm Section

We are the rhythm section. The tune plays in everyone we meet. Universal nature is destiny and burden at once. Deep secrets we now change with a little cut and paste. Hey Presto what was done is undone or vice-versa. Maybe a sabre-toothed cat to prowl my back garden?

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Dream Whisperer

The Dream Whisperer

Dream whisperer fills the mind between conscious thoughts. Conjuring subtle mysteries from the edge of nothing into the beginning of something, The magic just happens, we don’t know why.

It is cold today here in Texas. Creativity favors cold and dark as days become shorter. It could be the whispers get louder this time of the year. Be careful out there!

Wings of Desire

On the Wings of Desire

What do we all seek as humans? Companionship must be near the top of the list of priorities. We are greatly diminished as solitary individuals. So celebrate with those who have chosen to share your life.

This image started as a digital watercolor with many elements and textures added to produce the final composite. The finished work has some resemblance to conventional mixed media but strictly speaking it is simply a digital image.

World Was Young

When The World Was Young

Self-image is an interesting human trait. I wake up feeling pretty much like I did forty years ago. The illusion crumbles about the time my feet touch the floor. Seventy something year-old reality settles in pretty quickly. Well that is the way of the world.

People tend to be in good shape these days but eventually life happens to everyone. It is a little disappointing being invisible to young people. The experience of getting dumbed down clownish explanations of technical things is trying to say the least. After all I spent my life writing code and playing with computers. Of course that was back when the world was young.

So make every day your best day. It’s worth the effort.