Interview

Short TV interview about Fair Use (notes from spam) for Open Book

Open Book TV: Graham Parker at Brooklyn Navy Yard from Graham Parker on Vimeo.

Filed under: Fair Use (notes from spam), News , 419 spam, Brooklyn, Fair Use (notes from spam), navy yard, Nigeria, Open Book, Petrol Liar

Filming

Been filming screen tests for my forthcoming work. Actors speaking other actors’ heavily edited lines.

They’re speaking fragments of memories of a film or a long con they claim to have enacted years ago. Someone else’s art or crime claimed for their own.

More soon…

Filed under: Art , actors, The Gist n

Michael Mandiberg

I did a studio visit with artist Michael Mandiberg on Monday. He’s currently a research fellow at Eyebeam, where he’s been making a lot of work using a laser cutter. He’d set a bunch of that work up in Eyebeam’s main display space, so it has the look and feel of a solo show. We had a good conversation – particularly about that process of adopting a new technology into your practice – how you negotiate your way past a certain wariness or over-reverent approach to the technology whilst you’re working out what it can do (and more importantly, what it can do for you…).

Michael’s been doing a lot of work with reference books – laser cutting through them with words that add a sometimes brutal comment on these once state-of-the-art information retrieval technologies (a dictionary cut right through with large block letters saying “SPELLCHECK” for example). We talked a little about reaching the stage with the work where he can loosen up the relationship between these cut texts and the material they are carved in – I think I called it “choosing your words less carefully”. Thinking about my own work too, I believe that that initial wary exploration of new tools that I described above can lead us towards solutions that tend to the tautological – the very self-conscious mode of deployment of a new piece of kit, or software, within a workflow is reflected in what we do with it. The results can be over-determined and mannered so that the technology’s presence can dominate too much in ‘the mix’ – not allowing the viewer to see past it. It was interesting in seeing the progression of Michael’s work to watch him work through this – watching the laser become more smoothly integrated into the work, as he learned about its (im)materiality.

I had my video camera with me and at the end of our visit Michael agreed to record a brief tour of his work which you can see on Vimeo here. It’s a little grainy in places since it was a very ad hoc shoot under existing light, but you’ll get an idea of Michael’s work. You can also see more at mandiberg.com or even better, go to the Eyebeam open studios on October 23rd or 24th between 3-6pm.

Filed under: Art , Eyebeam, Michael Mandiberg, studio visits

Reviews / New York Art Book Fair at PS1

Had a nice write up in the new issue of Artforum – just in time for the opening of the Art Book Fair at PS1 (a new venue following their last 2 incarnations at the former DIA space). Hopefully it’ll generate a little interest in the book.

I went by this evening to the opening. Very, very busy. Saw Gavin and James at the hyper minimal Book Works stand (courtesy of US customs zeal rather than curatorial discipline…). Ended up dropping my own copy of the book with them so they had one on the stand. Few more on the RAM stand – nice to put some faces to names too. Ram are the US distributors of Fair Use (notes from spam) and they have a lot of great books.

Nice to see Gabrielle at Dispatch too. Dispatch is one of my favourite small project spaces in New York and they’re showing some very nice limited edition prints in support of their work.

And there’s a strong looking program at Electronic Arts intermix that I’m looking forward to catching properly tomorrow (just as soon as I’ve dropped off a pile of books for Book Works…).

Anyway the Fair Use (notes from spam) page on my website has a link to a few press clippings on it – including the Artforum one.

Filed under: Art, Fair Use (notes from spam), News, Uncategorized , Artforum, Book Works, Dispatch Bureau, EAI, Fair Use (notes from spam), Gabrielle Ciattino, New York, ram

infrastructure messes

I’ve been photographing server rooms – especially the chaos of leads in them – for a few years now. So when my friend (and Fair Use book designer) Stewart Cauley showed me an amazing photo he’d found from the 1917 construction of the Beekman Street Subway, it really struck a chord.

We went back to the street vendor Stewart had found the photo and got some more – you can see some here

Beekman Street subway construction

Filed under: Uncategorized , Beekman, infrastucture, pipes, server rooms, Stewart Cauley, subway

Intervener

From today’s spam…:

SSAGES. CAMP VICARS (Mind.), P. I., May 7, 1902. Announcement: The 
troops of the Lake Lanao Expedition have been paraded in order that the 
following messages may be read to them: FIRST. MANILA, May 4, 1902. TO 
GENERAL DAVIS: Order that the following message of the President of the 
United States be read to every company and troop in your Brigade. It 
will be published in Division Orders for the information of other 
commanders, and as a special mark and tribute to the assaulting force of 
the Battle of Bayan. (Sgd.) CHAFFEE. PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE. WASHINGTON, D. 
C., May 5, 1902. TO GENERAL CHAFFEE, MANILA. Accept for the Army under 
your command, and express to General Davis and Colonel Baldwin 
especially, my congratulations and thanks for the splendid courage and 
fidelity which has again carried our flag to victory. Your fellow 
countrymen at home will ever reverence the memory of the fallen, and be 
faithful to the survivors, who have themselves been faithful unto death 
for their country’s sake. (Sgd.) THEODORE ROOSEVELT. SECOND. MANILA, May 
4, 1902. TO GENERAL DAVIS: Please accept my congratulations for 
yourself, and express to Colonel Baldwin and all the officers and men 
engaged in the Battle of May 2, my high appreciation of the 

Filed under: Uncategorized , spam

New media

There are forthcoming reviews/features in Artforum and Artworld magazines on my book Fair Use (notes from spam). And on Saturday 15th August 12.10pm EST I’ll be appearing on The Point is on KZFR. More soon I hope. The book is getting a pretty positive response so far.

Hoping to confirm details of my next project soon – a four screen video work that’s grown out of one of the books in Fair Use, entitled ‘Spectres of Marks.’ Just finalising a couple of things with one of the potential producers.

Filed under: Art, Fair Use (notes from spam), News , Fair Use (notes from spam), Spectres of Marks

Toxic Waste

Image © [2009] Basel Action Network

In the section of my book called 419 (occasional 420) I described a number of phenomena relating directly and indirectly to Nigerian 419 spam – one of which was corrupt deals surrounding supposedly locally recycled technology, much of which ends up in illegal landfills overseas. The Basel Action Network (BAN) are an activist organisation who amongst other things, monitor and challenge such activities.

BAN just released a press release about the fact that in the last few days the Make-a-Wish Foundation and the Humane Society have found themselves implicated in the activities of EarthEcycle (their partner electronic waste handler). The EPA has filed a legal order against them regarding the disposal of electronic goods donated in electronic recycling drives by members of the public.

The current legislation is just not adequate to prevent potential abuses. Perfectly well meaning individuals and companies may be inadvertently contributing to pollution by participating in drives run by companies whose other business practices and partnerships are pretty questionable.

Filed under: Fair Use (notes from spam), News, Uncategorized , 419 spam, BAN, electronic waste, Nigeria

Nation Interview

A Q and A I did with Christine Smallwood for The Nation – up online now. In print June 22nd. You have to register (free) to view the interview.

Filed under: Bio, News , Fair Use (notes from spam), press

Manchester, England

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m in Manchester. Train down from Glasgow this morning after a good trip there. Some new faces, some familiar ones (Caoimhín Mac Giolla Léith has the magical ability to be in every continent at every art event at once) and another few copies of Fair Use in circulation. Technically it has now ‘launched’.

But not in Manchester, where arguably it all began… I’m staying across the street from Cornerhouse (venue for Tuesday’s launch), at the Palace Hotel, where 13 years ago I sat in the lobby for 24 hours. It’s also on the corner that’s the setting for Petrol Liar – book one of Fair Use. It’s shown in the map above, which features in the book.

Filed under: Art, Fair Use (notes from spam), Uncategorized , Cornerhouse, Manchester, maps, Petrol Liar