FuseBlog

New Fusestudios in the Pipeline

2009-01-05T10:37:00.004-05:00

Fusestudios is in the process of being entirely rebuilt and refocused to house and support my volunteer, freelance and consulting work. I have over the past couple of years moved to an open source focus for much of the web development work that I am doing, and Fusestudios is currently hosted on an Microsoft ISS platform and uses a set of tools that I am no longer interested in using or maintaining.

The new site will include a News/Blog area that will be kept up more regularly than this site, but with a focus on the new generation of online tools available to non profits – tools that make it easier than ever before to collaborate, share information and mobilize support for their work.

The new site will be built on the open source Concrete5 CMS and will incorporate some of the new tools that I have been developing for some of my recent clients.

I hope you will check back again soon.

Bryce Tugwell

Web 2.0 And the Future of Art

2007-06-21T13:50:00.000-05:00

I have been considering the future of electronic art recently - and how it will be effected by the arrival of what many are calling Web 2.0. Web 2.0 is a second generation of Web-based services and tools — which include social networking sites, wiki's, communication tools, and folksonomies—that emphasize online collaboration and sharing among users, at both the Data level (content), and in some cases, such as with Flickr.com, the programmatic level.

Probably the most important difference between the traditional web system model and what is being called Web 2.0 is the disassociation of content, and form. Meaning that data, be it text, images, pictures, or any other form of digital information, is not presented in a deterministic fashion. This means that whatever the content, it can be displayed or used in virtually any way or context imaginable. Rather than being strictly defined to the frame of a web page, or other delivery vehicle, the content (data) is made available for whatever use the end user might decide to apply it to. This disassociation of content (information) and content (container, context, use, etc...) lets information become completely cooperative, promiscuous, and plastic.

The question is what effect will this have on Art? Clearly it will affect the delivery and context of some forms of artistic expression; it already has on sites likes Youtube, Flickr, and many others. But will it affect the content of artistic expression? Can there be successful Wikiworks, artworks with content and form that are in some way publicly malleable, or guided? How would something like this work? Will it transcend the screen?

I don't have the answers to these questions. While there is a history of collaborative artworks of varying degrees of success in realization, these radically collaborative works often share an uncomfortable disorganization, and unlike more traditional text based information portals - like Wikipedia, they don't tend to coalesce towards either an aesthetic quality or rational content.

It will be fastinating to watch as artist begin to examine these new technologies and tools.

New Gombe Chimpanzee Blog Launches

2007-06-09T21:20:00.000-05:00

I am very pleased to report that the new Gombe Chimpanzee Blog launched successfully on Friday. I have been working on the concept behind the new blog for about 6 months, and over the last 5 weeks or so I was able to get all the resources and talent in place to make the concept a reality. The new blog is the newest incarnation of an idea I have been working with for the last couple of years: Conservation geoblogging.

The introduction of technologies like Google Earth, Google Maps, and all the other global mapping tools have introduced to the world new and unprecedented ways of seeing our planet and are leading to a rethinking of the way we interact with our world. The impact that these new technologies are going to have on our lives, and how we interact with the space around us is only just beginning to be conceived.

The concept behind conservation geoblogging is a simple one - give the people and organizations who care about our planet a tool to document it, a voice to tell it's stories, and the interconnectivity to make action a possibility. There are a multitude of ways that conservation organizations have used these tools, but the tools have historically been only available to well funded engineers, scientists and researchers. Using these tools for outreach and education has been prohibitively expensive, and limited by software that technically difficult to use.

The Amazon Basin: Vast deforestation threatens to destroy some of the most environmentally rich places on earth

A destroyed village in the Darfur region of Sudan: One of thousands now being documented by Google Earth and Amnesty International in two separate geologging environments.

The new version of the Gombe Chimpazee Blog takes advantage of new, cheap and widely available technologies to make telling these stories to a vast audience possible at a fraction of the cost. Behind the scenes of the Gombe Chimpanzee Blog is EarthWatchr, server software we have developed at the Jane Goodall Institute to make conservation geoblogging available to anyone.

EarthWatchr incorporates standard blogging tools with Google Maps and Google Earth with a simple content management system to create a rich geo-referenced blogging tool that will be useful to conservation organizations as well as individuals interested in creating geoblogs of their own. A beta version of the software is set to be released in July at http://www.earthwatchr.org/ under the Jane Goodall Institutes's new EarthWatchr program.

At the heart of the Earthwatchr project is the hope that by distributing easy to use geoblogging software, both individuals and organizations can use these new mapping tools to document the world around them. Weather the tool is used for tracking a long distance hike or for documenting the impact of logging on local communities, tracking a family of chimpanzees, or documenting bird sightings, the effect will be same. A picture tells a thousand words, and geoblogging tools help bring readers, donors and actors to the story on the ground in a way that is both powerful and entirely new.

I want to give special thanks to Nick Novitski, who worked very hard on this project with me. He was integral in developing the Google Maps integration for both the blog, and the content management system, and deserves kudos for both his excellent work on the project as well as his persistence in working out some of the more difficult details that make the blogging tool easy to use. Nick came to the Institute to work on this project and really took the idea of the blog and made it his own. His inquisitiveness and sharp mind has helped take this project to the next level. I look forward to working with him on the future of the EarthWatchr Project.

NPR Series - Where Science Meets Art

2007-05-19T20:10:00.000-05:00

I just found this series of stories on NPR's Morning Edition website on Art and Science. I ran into the Story on Kendal Buster recently and looked up the whole series. Kendal was a professor and friend from the Corcoran School of Art when I was a student. I helped her with the construction of a couple of her pieces in the 1990's and it was interesting to hear about her work again. The whole series is worthwhile, some of the stories are better than others but each has at least a few good points of interest.

Series Home:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4111499

In the Series
For Pianist, Music Unleashes Rainbows of Color
April 18, 2005 · When pianist Laura Rosser performs, she hears more than sounds. She hears colors -- each note has its own associated hue. Rosser has a rare neurological condition called synesthesia. Stimulation of one sense produces the sensation of another.

Artist Known for Ephemera Creates Slate Landscape
March 28, 2005 · Andy Goldsworthy, a sculptor best known for impermanent works in nature made of leaves, rocks and even ice, has created a permanent slate structure for the National Gallery of Art. To do so, he studied optics and physics to create a series of domes that should stand forever without any cement. Web Extra: See the Sculpture Get Built

Donald Knuth, Founding Artist of Computer Science
March 14, 2005 · Donald Knuth is legendary in the computer science world for writing a series of must-have reference books called The Art of Computer Programming. Part cookbook, part textbook, part encyclopedia, these books are also considered by many to be technical and personal works of art.

Artist Captures Wonder of Natural Phenomena
March 7, 2005 · Artists use their creativity to reveal the world in new and sometimes unexpected ways. Artist Ned Kahn's work focuses on the physical world. From the harmonies of randomness to the dynamics of Earth's crust, Kahn uses scientific principles to create art. Web Extra: Kahn's Work in Words, Photos

Music of the Human Heart May Hold Clues to Healing
February 28, 2005 · In the 1960s and '70s, Milford Graves was a jazz drummer who played with New York's avant-garde. He's still a musician, but he spends a great deal of time exploring the relationship between music and the human heart. Some doctors think he's onto something. Web Extra: Graves Plays Jazz, Manipulates Heartbeats

Holy Evolution, Darwin! Comics Take On Science
February 14, 2005 · Comic books have become a new frontier for the portrayal of scientific ideas and the drama of discovery. But they're also a battleground for the ongoing debate between evolutionary scientists and proponents of creationism. Web Extra: Read Excerpts of Science Comics

The Barrons: Forgotten Pioneers of Electronic Music
February 7, 2005 · Before synthesizers and samplers, Bebe and Louis Barron created otherworldly electronic sounds. Web Extra: See Clips from Films the Barrons Scored

MIT-Trained Artist Blurs Technology and Art
November 18, 2004 · An artist educated at MIT has a unique perspective on his trade. Using lasers, heart monitors and other technological gadgets, Christopher Janney explores the nature of creativity and origin of the soul.

Music Helps Physicians Heal Themselves
November 15, 2004 · When they aren't seeing patients, many doctors moonlight as musicians. Doctors' orchestras exist in a handful of cities around the country. Many doctors say these groups help them unwind. Some think it makes them better physicians, too. Joel Rose of member station WHYY reports. Web Extra: Hear the Doctors' Orchestra Perform

Software Helps Singers Find Perfect Pitch
November 8, 2004 · For those with less-than-perfect singing voices, technology offers help. A number of computer programs can correct pitch to make just about anyone sound in tune -- even NPR's Renee Montagne, who lends her voice to show how the software works. Web Extra: Hear Renee Montagne Sing Like Cher

Bringing the Lost World of Dinosaurs to Life
November 1, 2004 · At the American Museum of Natural History, a lost world is taking shape. Artists, writers and scientists have joined forces to create the most up-to-date dinosaur show ever. NPR's Christopher Joyce reports. Web Extra: See Dino Displays in Progress

Exploring the Drama of Science, Faithfully
October 25, 2004 · Many films and plays present a cartoon version of science bearing little resemblance to reality. Playwright Paul Mullin prefers to explain the facts to the audience, highlighting the human drama inherent in scientific discovery. NPR's Joe Palca reports. Web Extra: Photos of Mullin's Work on Stage

Manjul Bhargava: An Artist of Music and Math
October 18, 2004 · Number theory expert Manjul Bhargava is also a master of Indian drumming. He sees close links between his two loves -- both connect seemingly random ideas to create beauty. Web Extra: Hear Bhargava Play the Tabla

From Microscopes to Large-Scale Sculpture
October 11, 2004 · For sculptor Kendall Buster, there is no distinction between art and science. Trained as a microbiologist, she explores the forms and landscapes seen in a microscope lens through her giant sculptures. NPR's Neda Ulaby reports. Web Extra: Photos of Buster's Sculptures, Video of an Inspiration

In Evolution, a Taste for Beauty Has a Purpose
October 4, 2004 · An appreciation for beauty may play a vital role in evolution. Female bowerbirds, for example, choose mates based on the aesthetics of their mating dance. Human behavior is more complex, but scientists say our love of beauty has also helped us survive. NPR's Christopher Joyce reports. Web Extra: Watch the Bowerbird's Seduction Dance

Stephane Halleux - Sculpture

2007-05-03T14:25:00.000-05:00

Stephane Halleux, a French sculptor is the creator of a remarkable collection of Steampunkish characters, engines and vehicles. You see more of Stephane's work at http: www.stephanehalleux.com - Well worth the visit for the Nevertech art fan. I wish we saw this kind of art more often in galleries and museums, I have always preferred to see art in person, in the round, but thus far only the fringe of this type of work is found in such places. It surprises me as I can't help but imagine that this kind of work much have broad appeal. Maybe I am wrong. (Via) Link

Project Portrait: FACE2FACE

2007-03-20T10:57:00.001-05:00

In 2005 A French photographer named JR and a North African technology consultant decided to go together in the Middle-East to figure out why Palestinians and Israelis couldn't find a way to get along together. The Face2Face Project was born.

"We then traveled across the Israeli and Palestinian cities without speaking much. Just looking to this world with amazement.
This holy place for Judaism, Christianity and Islam.

This tiny area where you can see mountains, sea, deserts and lakes, love and hate, hope and despair embedded together.
After a week, we had a conclusion with the same words: these people look the same; they speak almost the same language, like twin brothers raised in different families.
A religious covered woman has her twin sister on the other side. A farmer, a taxi driver, a teacher, has his twin brother in front of him. And he is endlessly fighting with him.
It's obvious, but they don't see that.
We must put them face to face. They will realize.

http://face2faceproject.com/

Creative Use of Materials - AR Awards For Emerging Architecture

2007-03-19T20:11:00.000-05:00

The Architectural Review Awards for Emerging Architecture is billed as the biggest and best award for young architects in the world. Inaugurated in 1999, the award is intended to bring wider international recognition to a talented new generation of architects and designers. The Awards have attracted entries from more than 80 countries, representing every inhabited continent. Awards are for built or manufactured work only, and besides buildings, the full range of design activity, from landscapes and urban spaces to furniture and cutlery can be submitted.

My design picks from the award winners last year (2006) are simple and elegant designs using a single material to create a small and intimate space. Neither were not official winners but instead from the "hightly recommended" sub-awards group, and shared a unique approach to design and constuction using a single material in a creative way.

Concrete Pod

Kazuya Morita designed and built this airy structure from white concrete mixed with fiberglass and a lightweight aggregate (perlite?). The resulting concrete mix was troweled on to a layered styrofoam mould form. The concrete a remarkable thickness of only 15mm. The final work, a structure of immense beauty and simplicity, is very strong and can easily sustain the wieght of a person.

Architect
Kazuya Morita Architecture Studio, Kyoto
Photograph
Ichiro Sugioka

Mafoombey Acoustic Space

Carved from a stack of 360 layers of corrugated cardboard this intimate sound installation is set within a 2.5 meter cube. Designed as a space for listening to and experiencing music, the initial concept for the design developed from the architect’s ambition to create a strong spatial intensity and a distinct internal atmosphere. All services, including cable runs and apertures for the six-speaker surround sound system are integrated within an irregular free-form interior.

Architect
Martti Kalliala and Esa Ruskeepää
with Martin Lukasczyk,
Helsinki
Photograph
Jukka Uotila,

Yang Zhenzhong

2007-02-17T23:19:00.000-05:00

Yang Zhenzhong is a Photographer and Video artist who lives in works in Shanghai, China. Naomi and I found a several of his works in the 5th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art that is currently on in the Queensland Museum of Modern Art in Brisbane.

Tonight I found the artist's website (Chinese Language site here), and I wanted to go ahead and post a link to the set of images from which the image on the left is a part.

The Queensland Gallery has this image listed as Light and easy no.15 - while the artist has it listed as Light as Fuck #15, which serves I think to show that the series has an angry or aggressive edge that the family oriented museum friendly name softens too much. The work is clearly anti establishment, and makes some interesting statements about the society that artist inhabits, but in a way clever and playful enough to make it poetic, and light hearted. I really loved these works and wanted to share links to whoever might be interested. In my experience here in the US we get far too little contemporary Asian art, and it was enlightening to visit a well funded museum, albeit one closer to Asia, that was taking Asian art as seriously as the Queensland Museum of Modern Art has with this show.

The Future of the Internet The Gombe Chimpanzee Blog is Featured in the Economist's The World in 2007 Interview with Eric Schmidt

2007-02-13T12:46:00.000-05:00

I started working on the Gombe Chimpanzee Blog (requires Google Earth) in November of 2005. I started playing with the Google Earth API after reading a really striking article in Technology Review on Google Earth, and Microsoft's Virtual Earth (which hadn't been released yet), and knew right away that there were exciting possibilities presented by this relatively new software.

A year and a half later and I am excited to say that the ideas behind the blog have really blossomed. The Google Earth/blog mash-up has gotten a fair amount of Internet coverage over the last year, and last month was cited as an example in an interview with Google's CEO, Eric Schmidt for an article in The Economist magazine's The World in 2007 on the future of the Internet.

The thing that set the Gombe Chimpanzee Blog (GCB) apart from the many other geo-referenced blogs is that rather than just geotagging (place marking) blog content, the the GCB dedicates all blog content to the Google Earth format. This format requires readers to download Google Earth to read the blog, a decision that I felt was important but was not terribly popular when the blog was first published. Both at the Institute, and in the eyes of some who wrote about the blog at the time of its release, the decision to have the blog run its content exclusively in the Google Earth format was criticized. The format at first seemed unwieldy and downloading software asked too much of the reader; ultimately however it was to be what set us apart, and the reason the blog became so successful.

If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to treat everything as if it were a nail

I argued that as a developer, both embracing and simultaneously transcending the preconceptions of the format of Google Earth (or Microsoft's Virtual earth, Yahoo's maps etc..) is the key to what lies behind the future of this new medium, and what made the GCB exciting. "I describe it as a browser for the earth," John Hanke, general manager of Google's Keyhole group, says of Google Earth, and this is the key leap that isn't being made with applications that rely solely on "place marking" from traditional web browsers alone. Ultimately these new "earth" browsers are interesting because they promise a means of wedding the web with real space, enhancing physical places with information that can deepen our experiences of them and make computing into a more transparent and "continuous" part of our real lives. How this information is rendered "inside" these new browsers is where the interesting challenge for designers, artists and developers lies.

Ultimately, the GCB was celebrated for providing content in a new way, rather than damned for alienating users of traditional tool sets. An important set of ideas to come to terms with when approaching a new technology like Google Earth, is that someone else's attention, intention, and assumption about how a tool will be used is built into that instrument. Abraham Maslow a twentieth century American psychologist commented on technology, saying that if the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to treat everything as if it were a nail. Overcoming this barrier in thinking is imperative to understanding the broader potential impact of a new instrument. It is the artist's responsibility, if not fate, to pick up a tool and use it in a completely novel way.

Rebuilding Fuse Studios

2007-02-09T10:20:00.000-05:00

The Fuse Studios site is being rebuilt now for the sixth time. While the site has been mostly idle for the last several years I am attempting to reinvigorate it - to both post my resume and portfolio, and start posting some information on some of the new projects on which I am working. Naomi and I hope to have some exciting news coming up in the near future. So if you are interested stop by again soon to see where we are headed.

One of the things I am hoping to do with the FuseBlog is to showcase interesting artworks that are web accessible in some format. Sometimes these pieces will be photographic representations of the artworks - but as often as I can find them I would like to include works that are primarily digital - or exist "in between" the digital and "real" worlds.

Today I want to introduce an online interactive artwork by Jared Tarbell, a digital artist from Albuquerque, New Mexico who has done some spectacular work in flash over the last few years - and is a major inspiration to me. I have a couple of Jared's books locked up in my storage locker that I look forward to cracking open again someday.

The piece is called the IChing Poetry Engine and has been on the web for a long time (since 2001) but it is still worth revisiting - offering up something different every time.
Enjoy: http://www.levitated.net/exhibit/iching/index.html
-Bryce

Why I Have Worked for Jane Goodall for the Past Six Years

2007-01-17T10:59:00.000-05:00