Nicolaus

Really? What is it with people these days? The word "art" is tossed around so often these days its lost its meaning, almost. At least this guy tries to make a case for it, sort of. Paying notice to brushing ones teeth, the motions and actions, and eventually noticing the small muscle contractions taking place every moment without ones knowledge. It is....not artistic, in any way, shape, or form, for the very simple fact that the word no longer has any real definition, everyone has their own opinion on it. There is something special in focusing on such minor details of everyday life, but that does not make it art, or artistic, or even very important. Theres a reason our minds block out most of this junk during our day; because if we don't our minds would probably explode with all the information constantly flowing into it. Think of it; the constant changing wind, temperature, the feeling of your clothes, the noises going on around you, the changing light and shadow as the Sun moves....thats just a fraction of what the everyday human deals with and blocks out as part of their consciousness.

When I was reading it, it sounded like it is a form of meditation, if anything. Focusing ones thoughts on actions not usually noticed is a way of heightening the mind, which 'is' meditation, if nothing else. I am tempted to try this out simply to experience it, but I have this odd feeling I'll end up regretting it, mainly because if I spent an hour staring at myself in the mirror I would be late for class...that and I would look like some egotistical narcissist to my roommates.

In short, no, they guy should not have even mentioned 'art,' it doesn't matter who he is. Ya, you heard me. Thats my rant.

-Nicolaus

Ya, this caused more trouble than it was worth....though I blame the computer....cruel technology!

Well, specifically, I cant remember exactly what I put down. The first idea:

Watch traffic for 10 minutes on any street. At the end of that time, draw what immediately comes to mind after watching the flow of cars.

The Second:

Stand outside for 10 minutes and experience the wind and noise of the outside environment. At the end of that time, draw how the wind felt, and how the sounds sounded.

Ya, I think those were the basics of my ideas.

Download file

Ok, because the computer gods hate me and apparently everyone else around me, to be able to actually view this file you must do the following:
Press Control and click it
Save to Desktop
Open it with Google Earth

Hopefully, this should work. Enjoy my trip down Market!

This is the result of my art instructions. Think of a base line, then add a drum-beat, and then add a guitar riff. It's not exactly a song, but it works. The curved line is the pitch, the dashes are beats. I added a Saxophone because...I like Saxophones. Enjoy!

I've always liked old buildings, old bricks, wooden barns...always seems nice and old fashioned, and its so hard to find something like that in these concrete jungles.

So, find some bland, gray, concrete or steel warehouse, or office building, and transform as much as you can into an old piece of Americana. Spray on some old crumbling brinks, turn a side into some old rotted wood, so that someone passing by will have something more to look at than the simple, drab concrete of modernity. Show the people that there can be more to modernity than simplicity and grayness, and remind them of the older, nicer things in life.