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Spy Emerson Reflects On Swimming Cities

via Laughing Squid by Aaron Muszalski on 2/5/10

Spy Emerson & Moses Grubb

photo by Tod Seelie

Writing for Juxtapoz magazine, San Francisco artist and performer Spy Emerson recounts her experiences creating and voyaging on the junk art rafts of “Swimming Cities of the Switchback Sea” and “Swimming Cities of Serenissima“.

Both daunting projects were based on Swoon’s giant multimedia floating sculptures, beautiful rafts built from trash. As a group, we made these great, impossible situations happen. For Serenissima, we built junk boats in Slovenia and floated them all the way to [the Biennale in] Venice, Italy — and right into the Arsenal, with the band playing a haunting soundtrack, reverberating off the brick walls. We shook the art elite.

Arriving in Venice

photo by Tod Seelie

Working with the Anonymous Gallery at NYC’s Collective Hardware, Spy also produced a retrospective of these ephemeral vessels, and the crew of over 30 artists and dreamers who labored to bring them into existence: the “Pankabestia” of the Swimming Cities.

“Pankabestia”- what the Italian villagers called us when we floated into town on our junk rafts. It translates to “punk beasts”, and by all accounts we were – magical, grubby, unruly creatures carrying out an enchanted mythical scene, looking like bits of broken dreams, drifting.

Swimming Cities of Serenissima

photo by Tod Seelie

Her story is a vivid travelogue of a journey through liminal space, arduous, emotional and transcendent.

Spy Emerson

photo by Tod Seelie

See Previously:

- Update on the Swimming Cities of Serenissima

- Speakeasy, A Fundraiser For The Swimming Cities of Serenissima

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Charlie Brooker - How To Report The News

via www.youtube.com on 2/1/10
Casey:
 
Yup, that's how you do it 8^)

San Francisco’s Answer to Westboro Baptist Church

via Laughing Squid by Ed Hunsinger on 1/29/10

I HAVE A SIGN-Westboro Baptist Protest of Twitter

photo by EDW Lynch

Westboro Baptist Church showed up to protest in front of Twitter’s San Francisco office on Thursday, but found themselves severely outnumbered by a crowd of absurdist pranksters, including guest blogger EDW Lynch above.

photo by Rubin Starset

WBC’s hate-promoting signs were answered by multiple signs of randomness, nonsensical yelling, and even a unicorn. A portable stereo blared Lady GaGa, while press and people passing by ignored the WBC signs and took pictures and videos of the more entertaining signs. I was also there and turned on the video camera while holding my sign.

Westboro had scheduled an appearance in front of the Golden Gate Theatre later that evening to protest Fiddler on the Roof. Fellow guest blogger, Burstein!, reports:

Unfortunately or fortunately depending on your perspective, Fred Phelps and his followers cancelled their appearance before Fiddler on the Roof. Apparently, they were all hated out from their big day and just had no more hate to spare. Nevertheless, even in their absence a small crowd gathered and gave rise to an elegantly dadaist protest in which accordions, random signs of love and hate, and rick rolls abounded. While many of those attending Fiddler were bemused and confused, the staff and crew apparently loved this counter-protest and the director, stage manager, and choreographer all came out to thank these ridiculous protesters.

rick rolling the westboro baptist church

photo by sandwichgirl

Here’s more coverage of the protest:

Reverend Fred Phelps’s Twitter Protest 1/28/2010

photos by LiveSoMa

photos by Sam

_MG_2843

photos by Chad Armstrong

See also: God Hates Twitter, Westboro Baptist Church Plans Protest At Twitter Headquarters

UPDATE: Here’s an absurd sign generator to help you prank the Westboro Baptist Church when they come to your town.

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Rangefinder | Sunset - 8 Jan 2010 - Flickr


View Large The Location I have been wanting to get out all week for a descent sunset but I was finding myself in the wrong place at the wrong time! Tonight at St Mary's Island it was a beauty and I would like to think I opened the shutter at just the right time, after this shot the colour and the light was drained from the sky and it was the end. EXIF: 26mm | ISO:200 | 112s @ f/10 | B&W 10 Stop Filter + Lee 0.6s GND Lens: Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 AF-S ED Camera: Nikon D700 Explore FP #1 Thanks for all the comments & support :-)

EVERYTHING LEADS OUT - 30 Dec 2009 - Flickr


Piers,pipes and posts all leading out to sea.A wonderfully equipped beach for the photographer with so many interesting subjects both in and out the water. LOCATION EXIF....F11....0.5 SECONDS....ISO 100....12MM....LEE 0.9H ND GRAD EXPLORE FP NO1 30-DEC-09

Improv Everywhere: Where’s Rob?

via Laughing Squid by Scott Beale on 11/30/09

The latest Improv Everywhere mission “Where’s Rob?” features Agent Lathan, who pretends to get lost at a New York Nicks game at Madison Square Garden and the fans do everything they can to help him find his seat. Here’s the full mission report.

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I’m on a Mac by Pantless Knights (Featuring PC-Pain), A Parody of I’m on a Boat

via Laughing Squid by RICK! on 12/28/09

The Pantsless Knights have created “I’m on a Mac”, a spoof of “I’m on a Boat”, the Lonely Island song that has been nominated for a Grammy.

Here’s the original music video for “I’m on a Boat”.

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Ricky Gervais Sings Elmo A Celebrity Lullaby on Sesame Street

via Laughing Squid by Scott Beale on 12/29/09

Ricky Gervais makes a special guest appearance on Sesame Street where he sings Elmo a Celebrity Lullaby.

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