Internet Archive Salon at Gray Area Foundation For The Arts (03/03/10)

The Internet Archive is building an Internet library offering permanent access for researchers, historians, scholars, people with disabilities, and the general public to historical collections that exist in digital format. The Internet Archive includes texts, audio, moving images, and software as well as archived web pages. Much of this store of human knowledge is available for creative reuse. The Internet Archive Salon hosted by Gray Area Foundation For The Arts will discuss the resources available at the Internet Archive, how artists and creative people can access and contribute to the Archive, and our Open Library and BookServer projects.

The Internet Archive contains more than 100,000 hours of television, 200,000 moving images, 400,000 audio recordings, 1,800,000 books and 150,000,000,000 web pages (through the Wayback Machine). In addition to providing access to these materials the Archive can be a resource for storage and bandwidth for appropriate publicly-accessible projects (for example the Electric Sheep distributed computing artwork and Creative Commons licensed feature film Sita Sings The Blues). The Open Library aims to have comprehensive information about every book ever published. It is wiki-editable and provides a data API that can be used to retrieve information about books and authors. The BookServer initiative aims to create an open ecosystem for vending and lending digital books.

We hope that you will join us in our mission of Universal Access To All Knowledge. Perhaps your project can help others access the resources of the Internet Archive and even help build it.

When – Wednesday, March 3, 2010, 7:00pm – 10:00pm
Where – Gray Area Foundation for the Arts @ 55 Taylor Street, San Francisco, CA 94102 (Map)
Please RSVP to RSVP@gaffta.org

Petabox Storage Cluster

Electric Sheep by user brood

com#333 with Pole – LIVE, Barbara Preisinger, Nikola Baytala, Jason Short

Saturday February 20, 2010
COM# – Capacity is strictly limited
Advanced tickets – $20, Door -$25 if any are left!

Tickets: http://cmpnd333.info

It’s been quite some time since we’ve hosted an event of our own, and you can be certain we’ve chosen just the right reason to rise from our slumber. Yes indeed, it is a rare occasion that Stefan Betke aka Pole visits SF, we heard cries for months from those who missed his last performance here. Seriously, you do not want to miss this opportunity!

Our friends at The Bunker in NYC on his work:
“Stefan Betke aka Pole is one of the most important and well known electronic music producers to emerge in the past decade. His first three albums (“1″, “2″, & “3″), released from 1998 to 2000
and packaged in solid blue, red, and yellow sleeves, are absolute stone-cold classics. Betke reissued these three sadly out-of-print albums as a box set on his own ~scape imprint (titled “1 2 3″) in 2008, so they are once again available to the unfortunate souls who missed his timeless music the first time around. More recently, Pole released the “Steingarten” album on 2007, further developing his sound. He also did A&R for the critically acclaimed “Round Black Ghosts” compilations on ~scape, two collection of tracks that blur the line between dubstep and techno. We’ve caught Pole’s newest live set a few times in Europe, and he’s taken things in a much more dancefloor direction while maintaining the Pole sound design and creativity we all love.”

Joining Pole on the journey from Berlin to SF (via Unsound at The Bunker NYC) is the ~Scape label co-founder Barbara Preisinger. Since 1996, Barbara’s musical preferences as dj have changed and developed continuously from all kinds of experimental electronic music, via Hip Hop and Dub influenced tunes to House and Techno and beyond. But her passion is to play for the dancefloor, mixing kicking house and deep techno – often incorporating the music of scape related artists and label friends such as John Tejada, Stephen Beaupré, Portable, Safety Scissors, Daniel Bell, Dimbiman aka DJ Zip. All the while remaining open towards interesting and outstanding tunes that makes you move. She has been doing exactly that at many a prestigious location around the globe in recent years, including WMF in Berlin, Robert Johnson in Frankfurt, Batofar in Paris, Culture Box in Copenhagen and festivals as Sonar, Benicassim, DMF, Groove Parade Spain, to mention but a few. Since 2008 Barbara has hosted the party series DEEPERSTILL together with Daniel Bell in Berlin. In Autumn 2009 she started the 12inch vinyl label SLICES OF LIFE.

And of course the night would not feel complete without the heart & feet warming contributions of two of our favorite SF DJs: Nikola Baytala & Jason Short!

Further details, including directions and set times will be announced day of. email: cmpnd333@gmail.com

com#333 is a new name for a longstanding, ever-rotating collective of people working to present extra-ordinary, family-style experimental, hybrid, and electronic music events & spectacles in our legendary immersive space in San Francisco.

Tonight: MediaARTS 2010: Algo-rhythms of heart / break / beats

Come see Gray Area’s own Stephanie Sherriff as well as Aaron Koblin, longtime RML friend Scott Pagano, and many others perform tonight at the 9th St Independent Film Center.

MediaARTS 2010: “Algo-rhythms of heart / break / beats.” An exhibition of the intersection of emerging technology, performance, and the moving image attempting to compute what it means to love and to lose.

Curated by Tanya Vlach.

Interactive Installations in front lobby of Ninth St starting @ 7pm Suryummy (Emmett Feldman). Ocul8r (John Morgan Steinberg, Jonathan Ben Ari), Aaron Koblin Featuring performances & screenings starting @ 8pm David Molina of Ghosts and Strings (live music). w/ visuals by Anna Geyer, Scott Pagano. Stephanie Sherriff. J9 fembot (Janine Trinidad), Kcinsu (Matthew Usnick), EyeTanya Ninth Street Independent Film Center has launched a new series MediaARTS, inviting artists from other disciplines to present their work in relationship to the medium of film or video. Friday, February 12th 7pm artist’s reception, 8pm performances TICKETS $10 – 20 sliding scale.

http://mediaarts2010.eventbrite.com/ (All proceeds go to artists!) 145 Ninth Street (@ Mission) http://ninthstreet.org/ http://colibrita.org/ http://twitter.com/MediaARTS2010

Gray Area Foundation “Transpose” Opening

Creative Coding: An Introduction to Processing at Gray Area Foundation

Color Mapper – A project by Instructor Scott Murray.

Back by popular demand, Gray Area Foundation for the Arts introduces our third Creative Coding workshop, scheduled as part of Gray Area’s educational programming for February 2010.

Creative Coding: An Introduction to Processing is an introductory-level, project-based workshop that explores the creative potential behind Processing, a free and revolutionary programming environment that enables users to create interactive, dynamic, computer-based tools, projects, and art. Over four evenings, participants will explore creative programming in a project-based, collaborative learning environment. Instructor Scott Murray will cover Processing-specific syntax, as well general programming concepts. Creative Coding is intended for absolute beginners. No prior programming experience is necessary, although students with prior programming experience are still welcome to attend.

“Processing is an open source programming language and environment for people who want to program images, animation, and interactions. It is used by students, artists, designers, researchers, and hobbyists for learning, prototyping, and production. It is created to teach fundamentals of computer programming within a visual context and to serve as a software sketchbook and professional production tool.” — processing.org

Classes will be held from 6PM – 9PM:
Tuesday — February 23rd
Thursday — February 25th
Tuesday — March 2nd
Thursday — March 4th

Registered students are expected to arrive on time, with Processing installed on a laptop computer. Processing is compatible with Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X machines. Arrangements can be made for students unable to supply their own computer by contacting ss@gaffta.org. Classes are $240 for non-members, and $220 for members.

Prototype Show Timelapse

A timelapse video of the Gray Area Foundation for the Arts resident artists’ “Prototype” exhibition, featuring the works by: Alphonzo Solorzano, Miles Stemper, Daniel Massey, Gabriel Dunne, and Ryan Alexander.

More SoftStep and Batt-O-Meter at NAMM 2010

Another interview with me by Ronan’s Recording Show at NAMM 2010, featuring KMI’s two “Best in Show” product winner’s, the SoftStep and Batt-O-Meter.

LoveTech 1 Year Anniversary

This Saturday I will be MCing the Educational PlayShops at the LoveTech 1 Year anniversary party. Come out and see the performers of the evening talk about their setups and aesthetics.

Saturday, January 30th
9pm-2am
at Il Pirata 2007 16th St (@ Utah St)
$8, 21+

Moldover, Rich DDT & Jean Rintoul present:

Showcasing LIVE Electronic Musicianship

Collaborative Music Technology Party & Interactive Multimedia Art Salon.

LoveTech
1 Year Anniversary Epictacular!!!
Saturday, January 30th
9pm-2am
at Il Pirata 2007 16th St (@ Utah St)

Moldover
Unleashing a tsunami of live controllerism on his New MOJO

Preshish Moments
Seismic button smasher, Splinter builder and sound reactive Light Suit rocker of bassy synths, shattering beats, and enlivened rhymes

Nonagon + CSTNG SHDWS
The Monome master returns with live vocals, electric violin & superbly synchronized visuals

Colfax
Virtuosic sound sorcerer stirring electronics expressively alive

Tim Thompson + Michael Broxton
Bliptastic improvised robot synth-jazz percolating into generative visuals

All Night Educational PlayShops! by Barry Threw
From all our performers and special guests! Including:
Komega: Mind Melting Menagerie of Kustom Kreations: Kromatron, Komegatone, the Breadman
http://kromatron.blogspot.com

Moldover: Premier of The MOJO – The Sexiest Controller in the Entire Multiverse
http://youtu.be/HlBZpaLHRws

Preshish Moments: Sound Reactive LED Light Suit
http://www.preshishmoments.com

Interactive Art Salon by Jean Rintoul:
PERSISTANCE OF VISION POI – Jean Rintoul
BRAIN MACHINE – trippy glasses (Mitch Altman’s kit from Noisebridge!) – Jean Rintoul

All night VJ Mashup:
Sign Up Here and Bring Your Laptop!

Digital Jam Lounge (Drum Circle of THE FUTURE) by Rich DDT:
Bring your laptop, synth, or any electronic instrument, plug in and play!
A collaborative jamming space perfect for teaching one another new music hardware and software
Sign Up Here and Bring Your Instruments!

Featured Multimedia Artists
MICHAEL BROXTON – PhosphorEssence – Triptastic Visualizations Piloted with Joysticks

TIM THOMPSON – NoSuch Clips – Launchpad/Mimo/Keyboard Interface

CSTNG SHDWS – Jaw Dropping Live Visualist Duo – Previous collaborations include Boys Noize, The Toxic Avenger, Jack Beats, Flying Lotus, and Aesop Rock

Plus special top-secret surprises that will leave you utterly amazed and brimming with inspiration!

The SoftStep Foot Controller

Here is a preview of the SoftStep, Keith McMillen Instruments’ new foot controller. Unlike other foot-controllers that are bulky switches, the SoftStep weights under a pound and has five degrees of continuous control on each pad. Left/Right, Up/Down, Pressure, Clockwise and Counterclockwise rotation are all available and mappable to any MIDI or OSC destination with our included software.

Gray Area Residence Artists Exhibition, Prototype

The action continues at the Gray Area Foundation for the Arts this weekend, with our first resident artists show, Prototype. It opens this Saturday from 6PM until Midnight. So far I’ve seen grass, paint, projectors and a laser cutter involved in the setup for this one, be sure not to miss it.

PROTOTYPE
Opening January 9th
6PM-Midnite

The Gray Area studios have operated as a laboratory for its five artists in residence, fostering the creation of projects that overlap technology and traditional media. Using this collaborative workspace, the artists have created multi-disciplinary works that include immersive environments, digitally fabricated sculpture, kinetic paintings, audiovisual software/hardware, and other mixed media experiments. PROTOTYPE will be a dynamic group exhibition featuring a collection of individual and collaborative works created by our very first class of Resident Artists.

Alphonzo Solorzano
Born in San Francisco, Alphonzo Solorzano began to explore creatively as far back as he can recall. Drawing has always been first nature. Early influences would include his older brother’s comic collection, animation, vintage cinema posters. He received his BFA in 2004 from San Francisco State University with an emphasis in painting and printmaking. Working simultaneously in both disciplines as well as a commercial printer, would help to form a mixed media approach to his work. Alphonzo Solorzano currently resides in San Francisco where he continues to work diligently on his art. He has exhibited in various museums, galleries, and alternative art spaces on the west coast, Midwest and over seas.

Gabriel Dunne
Gabriel Dunne’s work spans fine art to design and technology in the mediums of installation, architecture, industrial design, and audio/visual programming. His pursuits insight the exploration of life, music and sound, structure, and systems in the natural world. His projects have been shown internationally at conferences and exhibitions around the world. He is a San Francisco native, and holds a B.A. in Design | Media Arts from UCLA.

Ryan Alexander
Ryan Alexander experiments with generative techniques in animation and design. He spends his time hacking software for live visuals, and exploring what’s possible with all the crazy tools humanity has at its disposal.

Miles Stemper
Classically trained as a painter, Miles Stemper’s work is a way of connecting his interests in digital media, technology, optics and the physical pleasure of painting. His work uses gestural mark-making, geometry and digital reinterpretation as a way of understanding the relevance of painting in an increasingly digitized world. Raised in Seattle, Miles received a BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design, has worked in Germany and has exhibited work on both coasts.

Daniel Massey
Daniel Massey (b. 1982, Mexico) is an artist, designer, and programmer based out of San Francisco, CA. Daniel’s recent work seeks to instigate new modes of collaboration, creation, and transformation by approaching technology as inherently malleable. His projects take on varied forms, from immersive installations and web-based work, to live visuals and sound. Daniel earned his MFA in Digital Arts & New Media from the University of California, Santa Cruz.GG