a funnytimeofyear

OH wow. I just discovered this still exists.

Hello.

http://funnytimeofyear.com/2012/02/02/view-from-the-9th-floor/

http://funnytimeofyear.com/2012/02/01/animals-alivedead/



Pixel, Salvador, and the rabbit that turned into a pretty good stew.

From 30th January - 29th February a billboard featuring 3 images from the Headism project will be shown in New Orleans for Mardi Gras. If you're in New Orleans, snap a photo for me and send it over!

Click here for the press release.

From Art Below:

Art Below are proud to announce their first "pop up" billboard show in America, running throughout February in New Orleans, bringing local and international artists together and enhancing the citys unique cityscape with even more color during the most festive time of the year, Mardi Gras.

Billboard space used normally for advertising will feature a mix of urban and contemporary art with a diverse range of techniques and influences. A curated selection of 20 billboards flanking the major Mardi Gras parade routes including the famed "Zulu" parade will feature works by artists including Inkie, Art Wars and Philip Levine, as well as New Orleans based artists Sarah Ashley Longshore, Dave Rhodes and street photographer Zack Smith.

Running alongside the billboard show is an exhibition of the artists original works at Gallery Orange based in the heart of the French quater, with a launch event on the 3rd February and a Mardi Gras style party on the 18th February. Artists from all over the world including Swedish borne Johan Wahlstrom, Inkie, (Bristol UK), Mario Denotti (Italian), Everton Wright (London, UK) Alejandro Mos Riera (Spain) and Pam Phillipo (UK) are making their way out to New Orleans for the first time to see their work in situ and join in the celebrations of the worlds biggest party. Scenes and moments from this epic trip by this eclectic group of creative adventurers will be captured and made into a short film to be screened on the Art Below web site in April 2012.

Click the map below to see the location:

S Broad St. between Tulane & Gravier, New Orleans

Yesterday I attended the Southbank Centre's Death Festival. I mostly wanted to go to see the debate with Jon Snow about assisted dying, but there were also some other talks that resonated with me. There were some great short talks in the Death Bites series. In particular one by Brian Parsons who gave us a visual whistlestop tour of London's most impressive cemeteries (including some of my favourites from The Magnificent Seven). I was also very interested in Stacey Pitsillides short but sweet talk about digital death - what happens to our data after we die, and how the Internet has changed the way in which we can mourn or collect belongings (including digital data) from those that die.

We also saw a very interesting talk from Brighton University graduate and documentary photographer Murray Ballard about his project, 'The Prospect of Immortality', an investigation into the world of cryonics. It's very odd to think that people are actually having their bodies (and animals) frozen in the hopes that science will one day be able to bring them back to life. An interesting insight into a world that seems so far removed from reality.

My favourite part of the day was the debate on assisted dying, something that I thought I understood and felt strongly about, but it helped to raise some important (and confusing) issues that surround the legalities of assisted dying. The debate focused solely on physical disabilities and terminal illness - involving mental health issues around this subject is a whole different debate in itself. Personally I'm pro assisted dying and sympathised with the views of Debbie Purdy who has been campaigning to change the law on assisted dying. The debate threw up some interesting issues about how to create a law that protects people from being coerced into dying, whilst also being open to individual cases. Interestingly it didn't cover assisted suicide which I'm also pro, but I assume that was due not only to time but also it being a whole extra topic to digest. Jon Snow chaired the debate extremely well. It was definitely food for thought. If you're interested in these issues you might like:

• How To Die In Oregon


• Terry Pratchett: Choosing To Die


• The Bridge

An excellent film explaining and following urban explorers across the world. Episode 2 is below. You can see first episode here (or embedded below).

Episode II takes a look at a small collection of explorers from across the pond in America and Canada, focusing on their participation and experiences within their local and global exploring community.

Filmed over six weeks resulting in over 1.5TB of raw footage from locations such as New York, Indianapolis, Chicago, Las Vegas, Minneapolis and Montreal.

Thank you to all those who have supported us throughout this project. It is for you we create these films and it isn't over yet!

If you have any questions or wish to contact us about anything at all, please feel free to email us at - contact@crackthesurface.com

Produced In Association With :

silentuk.com
sub-urban.com
placehacking.co.uk
allcitynewyork.com
shaneperez.com

Popped down to Brighton last weekend to spend some time with my old housemate and lovely friend Camilla (check out her blog). Yet again more cats and some lovely faces.

I'm very pleased to announce that one of my photos of Philip Levine in our collaborative project, 'Headism', is now on show at East Wing X (Somerset House) as part of the Material Matters exhibition. Taken from the East Wing X site:

East Wing X are proud to present our exhibition Material Matters, which will be a celebration of both established and emerging contemporary artists who use pioneering media or re-interpret traditional forms of representation.

We intend to create a show that provides a dynamic experience and looks at our personal encounter with art. Our intention is to challenge the stereotypical view of art history and art historians alike by creating a show that is accessible to everyone, proving that contemporary and cutting edge art doesn't have to be elitist.

The present East Wing committee is the tenth of its kind and the exhibition will mark the twentieth anniversary of East Wing. The exhibition will also coincide with the London 2012 Olympics and in this time Somerset House will be a focus of Olympic celebration. We intend to provide an exciting cultural dimension to the events taking place.

The exhibition can be viewed during the day-to-day life of the Institute, and during monthly public open weekends. There will also be a dynamic programme of events and talks running throughout the duration of the exhibition.

The show will run from its opening on 20th January 2012 until July 2013.

Hope you can all make it!