Unsubtlety

Moving!

unsubtlety — Thu, 15 Apr 2010 01:17:07 +0000

No, not me. Yet. I have habit of moving. But this move is to consolidate my digital life. All the contents of this blog have been moved to: http://www.carriecfirman.com/blog

See you there!

Typographile

unsubtlety — Tue, 13 Apr 2010 01:56:52 +0000

ZOETROPE : FIRST YEAR MFA EXHIBIT

unsubtlety — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 16:35:51 +0000

April 15 – May 15th, 2010
Opening Reception: Thursday, April 15th, 5-7pm
Second Floor Gallery, University at Buffalo Center for the Arts

Art & Experience by the UB Visual Studies First Year Graduate Students:
Alice Alexandrescu
Jonathan Barcan
Katrina Boemig
Heather Brand
Caitlin Cass
Carrie Firman
Carolyn Kaser
Shasti O’Leary Soudant
Ellen Rogers
Timothy Scaffidi
Jason Seeley
Marc Tomko

The zoetrope is fundamentally related to optical illusion and the persistence of motion. The machine’s simple gesture of action couples with the mind’s natural ability to fill in the gaps between scenes, creating a fluid vision. The constructor of the device must be sensitive in understanding that without balance between pace, location, and image, this fluid momentum will disrupt, causing it to blur or stutter, rendering nothing but confusion.

Collaboration, much like a zoetrope, requires a centered equilibrium and pace. It is with this in mind that 12 artists with very different, yet complementary, ideas of artmaking explore the concepts of persistence and illusion. A curious dialogue emerges celebrating the peculiar experience of creating inside of a tightly-knit system. The proposed installation and accompanying exhibition, Zoetrope, investigates the literal process of picture and object making, as well as delving into the mind’s sense of space between movement.

Eat like a hippie, it’s good for you.

unsubtlety — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 01:29:44 +0000

I don’t really care for food or eating, but this recipe makes a highly excellent in (taste and nutrition) snack that can keep my fatigued self going. This stuff has a dash of chocolate, whole old fashioned oats, NO oil, butter, or egg, and best of all: no added sugar.
Thanks to stephchows for the initial inspiration!

Oat Peanut Butter Awesomes
1/2 cup natural peanut butter
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups old fashioned (or rolled) oats
1/2 cup flax seeds
1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp fine grain sea salt
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup semisweet or dark chocolate chips
3/4 cup raisins or other small dried fruit of your choice

Preheat oven to 350 with rack in the top third.

Mix peanut butter, applesauce, and vanilla in large bowl (might help to have the peanut butter a little bit warm… I keep my pb in the fridge to keep it from separating after I stir it, so I set my metal mixing bowl on the exhaust vent of my stove and a little heat helped mix). Combine the dry ingredients except the chips and fruit in another bowl. Mix the dry into the wet, fold in the chips and fruit afterward. Either spread in dish or shape into cookie shapes and bake 10-15 minutes.

It’s a pretty loose mixture, I may add a little more peanut butter next time. Some of this I didn’t even bake and it tastes great. Mix with strawberries or toss with a tiny bit of chocolate syrup too!

Bit of Wisdom #4

unsubtlety — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 01:14:11 +0000

“Some people like what you do, some people hate what you do, but most people simply don’t give a damn.”
Charles Bukowski

“This sentiment consoles me. Linguistic theory rarely does.”
Rick Valicenti (graphic designer)

::: yes and yes (deep breath).

Bit of Widsom #3

unsubtlety — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 22:21:53 +0000

“It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.”
J Krishnamurti

::: yes.

Bit of Wisdom #2

unsubtlety — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 14:31:10 +0000

“Regularity, order, desire for perfection (which is always a false perfection) destroy art.”
Pierre-Auguste Renoir

::: this gives me a reason to continue.

Bit of Wisdom #1

unsubtlety — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 02:33:13 +0000

“You might as well fall flat on your face as lean over too far backwards.”
James Thurber

::: this gives me help in standing up straight.

These mules look how I feel.

unsubtlety — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 03:42:52 +0000

–found in the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs online reading room.

A Bit of Truth from Weimar

unsubtlety — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 23:51:18 +0000

“The mediator between brain and muscle must be the heart.” Thea von Harbou

(Screenwriter of the 1927 film Metropolis, about machines, humans, working, and modernity.)

Too bad no one seems to take her advice.