23.12.2011 be coffee, my friends.

Empty your mind. Be formless, shapeless... like coffee. If you put coffee into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put coffee into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now, coffee can flow or it can crash. Be coffee my friend.

NO disrespect to legend and guru Bruce Lee here, or his infamous Be Water speech which, according to a Wikipedia detail, was text that he had written for himself for the (two-season-only) tv series Longstreet.

ONLY wishes for a laughter and love-filled holiday. Remember: "Precious and few are the moments we two can share." - Walter Nims, 1972

Kindest regards,

The Sustainable Love Corporation

13.12.2011 avatar addiction

Otaku alert: I was researching some support on the importance of avatars in the online experience and got caught up on www.faceyourmanga.com. Since I'm not a smoker, it has replaced iPad Tetris as my latest clear-the-brain-game. Hence, I'm building a mangatar army out of my facebook friends, and using one of their status postings for their comment bubble. The site still has a beta tag on it (although according to my facebook photos, I used it back in August of 2010 as well) so you might encounter a site crash and lose your work now and then. (I've made 14 mangatars and the page crashed 4 or 5 times.) But overall, that site is set up for some mega fun and easy sharing or buying of your pic.

Alas, if you're interested...here's some of the support I found:

"Sure, you could choose not to upload an image, but why would you? Then you’d be a faceless user that no one remembers or identifies with – making gaining traction in the network much more difficult." - 2008, Stephen Spencer, SEO Expert, Author, Professional Speaker

Here's the link to a study that shows people prefer same gender, human-esque avatars by Kristine Nowak and Christian Rauh for the Department of Communication Science at Connecticut University: The Influence of the Avatar on Online Perceptions of Anthropormorphism, Androgyny, Credibility, Homophily, and Attraction It was published in the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication.

Another study, this one found in the Journal of Interactive Advertising by Seung-A Annie Jin and Justin Bolebruch of Boston College, examines "the effects of different characteristics manifested by a company's spokes-avatar...an avatar conveys a stable virtual identity, such that consumers come to recognize their own personal virtual identity, as well as the identities of companies or brands, through the use of and interaction with avatars."

And a persuasive review for a book I can't wait to get my hands on by John Gieger in the Los Angeles Times for 'Infinite Reality' by social psychologist Jim Blascovich and Jeremy Bailenson, founding director of Stanford University's Virtual Human Interaction Lab. (Check the projects tab at the VHIL). From the review: Psychological experiments are finding that people actually change after "wearing" avatars: they become more confident because their avatars, or digital selves, are taller, or slimmer, or younger, or more attractive, or able-bodied. It is not just simple role-plaing: People are actually evolving, in a sense becoming somewhat different people."

happy hyper-linking,

Helen

notes on notes on notes

Notes From the Belgrade Underground is the second in a series of location specific, multidisciplinary “scene-sampler” exhibitions curated by Sustainable Love Corp. Featured artists present photography, film, illustration, fashion, music and performance that provides a glimpse into the cultural climate of post Milosovic Belgrade ushered in by Otpor, an underground youth organization that combined pop culture and politics to mobilize thousands of people across Serbia, and championed by the organizers of Dis-Patch.

We’ll be screening 3 documentary films including Gold Along The Banks, by Nikola Zecevic, and

(On the Quest for)

Beograd Underground by Muriel Buzarra, Natasa Sarkic, and Carlos Lopez S and hosting Q+A panels with the filmmakers and guest panelists including Gordan Paunovic, CSR Manager at B92 radio, and Uros Radenkovic, Program Manager European Center for Culture and Debate "GRAD". The gallery space will feature installations and works from selected artists that appear in both films: visual and media collective SuperSizeShe, tattoo artist and illustrator Super Timor, and Fashion designers PullMyDaisy are confirmed to participate.

These exhibitions connect the influence of the social, economic, and political structures of “place” with the art that results from rebelling against those structures. The first “Notes From…” exhibition took place at Kunstraum Ampersand in Cologne, Germany and featured the industrial DIY powerhouse of Cleveland, Ohio. Works included contributions from comix artist Derf Backderf, poster artist Derek Hess, punk rock photo documentarian Steve Wainstead, and original works of concrete poet da levy.

As most people just don’t get the chance to travel much outside of their own “scene” or for that matter the 2D limitations of the world wide web, exhibitions like “Notes From…” that physically bring one place to another are both relevant and necessary for societal structures to evolve and meet the needs of the communities they are meant to serve.

We are confirming dates and locations for Notes From The Belgrade Underground. Aiming again for mid-June/July in Cologne, September in Berlin, and October for Los Angeles and Paris. Check in at the facebook page Notes From The Belgrade Underground for updates (including live music program.)

If you’d like more details and/or would like to receive sponsorship info, send a mail to helen@sustainablelovecorp.com or aleks@sustainablelovecorp.com

provocative partners

For several years now, SLC has been collaborating with Design Provocation, the "brand" behind Irakli Kiziria. Idea swapping, project support, debating whether we should or shouldn't buy an island. The recent mention in Forbes magazine of the Louis Vuittondom has prompted me to post this interview I got out of Irakli at the end of June this year, when he was explaining to me the importance of this design provocation:

"To explain how I came up with the idea of making “luxury” condoms, I'm sure it was inspired by a combination of casual conversations about branding in general, about making sex sexier, or funnier (and funny is always sexy) and definitely about corporate social responsibility. Then suddenly it was in my mind. It took a little time to research the right design path and in the end, a produceable concept was ready to share.

I definitely think more about concepts rather than products. An interesting product will develop naturally from a challenging idea or construct, rarely is it the other way around. And it is usually clear to me when a designer creates something without a concept. It may have a theme, but not really a concept.

Interesting design, for me is a complex challenge with social, economical, even political dimensions. Its aim is to somehow manifest unspoken societal desires. This kind of design may be found anywhere and often, even its invisibility is what can make it so good. Making a One-way Product for the luxury industry has of course socio-economical implications. It's a contradiction that challenges ideas of consumption. This contradiction is another reason why I liked the idea from the beginning.

It was not my intention to actually produce these condoms, and I didn’t really try very hard to get in touch with LV. I sent an email as a courtesy and "for the record", but I hadn't really counted on hearing from them. The most important achievement of this project is, that it went viral and many people around the world believe that these condoms do exist. If you read comments on different blogs, websites (there are several websites, who posted this work) you will see how people react, see their desire and needs to really feel the brand! Some are writing that the price is 68$, some of them are discussing about the imitations. lol. I've gotten lots of e-mails and phone-calls from around the world, from people asking me if they can order them. I think there is enough evidence to answer the question if there’s a need for Louis Vuitton Condoms.

Every day I’m getting more feedback from magazines, blogs, HIV-foundations and other designers. Maybe Marc Jacobs will ultimately decide that it’s a good idea for the brand to produce them. And whether society needs luxury products or not, isn't really the question here. It's what society is actually doing with luxury products, and if LV is donating part of their profits for the HIV-research, they're doing a lot more than most."

www.designprovocation.com

Project copy: "Knowing that the LVMH group supports various foundations and scientific teams engaged in research related to public health issues, I developed an idea for a product to further benefit amFAR with a launch to coincide with World Aids Day.
Here’s the stimulating part…Where most designers stop at the packaging, the Louis Vuitton logo is actually molded into the latex of this product for a ribbing effect. No inks or dyes to compromize the latex.
Can you feel it?"

heiße preße

Kölner Rundschau article on the exhibition and Kunstraum Ampersand. Falko Bürschinger and Helen Schneider pictured. Here, the text in German:

Die Punkrockszene Clevelands der 80er Jahre ist alles andere als tot. Ausgerechnet in einem kleinen Kellerloch am Rande des Belgischen Viertels ist das subkulturelle Lebensgefühl zwischen staubigen Polstersesseln, Sperrmüll, leeren Bierkisten und gelbem Absperrband wieder auferstanden.

150 Schwarz-Weiß-Fotografien von Steve Wainstead wer den nacheinander auf grobe Styroporplatten projiziert, während im Hintergrund punkige Klänge seiner populären Radio Show „Wainstead All Night“ die Uhr zurückdrehen. Die Installation im Keller der großzügigen Galerieräume ist Teil der aktuellen Ausstellung „Notes from the Cleveland Underground“, die zur zeit im Kunstraum Ampersand zu sehen ist.

Seit März haben sich sechs junge Galeristen zusammengeschlossen, um im Sechs Wochen Rhythmus die Arbeiten junger, noch unbekannter Künstjavascript:void(0)ler aus der Umgebung zu präsentieren. Ob Malerei oder Zeichnung, Fotografie, Skulptur oder Installation spielt dabei keine Rolle, lediglich ein Aspekt müsse stimmen: „Qualität ist das entscheidende Merkmal für die Auswahl“, betont Galeristin Katja Richter.

Für die dritte Ausstellung im neuen Kunstraum an der Venloer Straße hat Kuratorin Helen Schneider aus Cleveland die Arbeiten von Künstlern der dortigen Punkrock und Hardrockszene seit 1960 zusammengestellt. Nicht nur in einer Dauerausstellung der
begehrte Sammlerstücke sind die Drucke des international bedeutenden Posterkünstlers Derek Hess, der Plakate und Flyer für alternative Rockbands kreierte. Mit Feder und Acryl fertigt er surreale Szenemotive von beeindrucken der zeichnerischer Präzision. Die Grenzen zwischen Renaissance, Barock, Gothic und Punk verwischt Arabella Profffer in ihren kleinformatigen Ölgemälden. Darauf tragen aristokratische Punk-Ladies Tattoos zu barocken Gewän- dern oder pinkfarbene Haare zur königlichen Halskrause.

Trotz der vielschichtigen aktuellen Ausstellung möchten sich die jungen Galeristen nicht auf die Underground Szene festlegen. Dass sie trotz des bisher „erheblichen Besuccherauf kommens“ arbeiten müssen, Sammler zu gewinnen, ist ihnen bewusst. Große Verkäufe seien nicht von Anfang an das Ziel. Jetzt gehe es erst einmal darum, sich in der Kölner Galerien landschaft zu positionieren.

Bis 30 .Juli, Do. bis So. 12-19 Uhr, Venloer Straße 24, www.kunstraum-ampersand.de

cleveland + cologne = magical sound

CONCERT: PAUL MAROTTA LEADS AN NRW ENSEMBLE OF TERRY RILEY'S IN C
Ensemble is: Fellow Styrenes member UK Rattay, Thomas Karstens, Harald Sack Ziegler, Rodrigo López Klingenfuss, Der Präsident, Sven Rossenbach, Paul Wallfisch, Harald Bernhard, Marc Matter, Ulla Grümmer and Christoph Clöser.
Plus a performance by DRUMS OFF CHAOS with POPNONAME
Musical Support by Marc Lansley
30. Juli. 2011
HALLE DEUTZ AIR, AUENWEG 173 GEB. 6C 51063 Köln.

The extent to which the Clevo Underground of the 1970’s shaped (punk) rock history is almost immeasurable. Bands like Pere Ubu, Rocket From The Tombs, Electric Eels, Mirrors, The Styrenes et al, liberated themselves from clichéd genre constraints and caused a Creative Big bang that isinternationally recognized—not only by the music elite. A creative energy was released from this working class city, which could be heard in the years that followed and resounds yet still.

Having spent time in both Mirrors and Electric Eels, Guitarist/keyboardist/bassist/vocalist Paul Marotta was a significant part of that scene. But by the end of 1975, those bands, along with Rocket from the Tombs, had broken up. As they were disintegrating, Marotta, was putting together the project variously known as the Styrene Money Band, the George Money Band, the Poli Styrene Jass Band and finally just the Styrenes. And he has kept the Styrenes going. With occasional periods of inactivity and constantly changing personnel, he led The Styrenes on a US tour in 2010 to celebrate the bands’ 35th anniversary.

As the band members were recruited more or less from the same gang of musicians, the Styrenes could be called the deviants among the deviants. Even by Cleveland standards, they were a bit ‘off’, a bit too weird, ROIR called them “kind of like Syd Barret backed by Pavement.” It was Marotta who was continually pushing the proverbial envelope: reinterpreting Terry Riley’s„In C“, and inviting Pagans singer Mike Hudson to perform on some of the band’s narrative pieces, in which spoken word and instrumental music are layered into hyp- notic, virtually cinematic experiences. (That collaboration began by mail „Paul sending Mike his depressing music and Mike sending Paul his depressing lyrics.“)

As the climax to the 6 week exhibition run at Kunstraum Ampersand (Venloer Strasse 24), NFTCU has invited Paul Marotta to lead a group of 15-20 musicians living in Germany and surrounds in a performance of„In C“ at Halle Deutz Air (Fritz- Schramma Halle). Having recorded the Terry Riley work with The Styrenes on Enja records in 2002, Marotta explains that the recording was made in a similar fashion to Riley‘s first Lp recording,„We played the piece all the way through, switched a few instruments around, and then we all played it again on separate tracks. That made 14 instruments. Three more guitar and keyboard overdubs and we had recorded a 20-piece rock band.“

Original Styrenes member UK Rattay will join the ensemble, and the program will be complemented by a performance by Drums of Chaos (A project by local legend Jaki Liebezeit of Can with Popnoname aka Jens-Uwe Beyer, and additional musical support by Cologne DJ/Producer Marc Lansley. As a finnissage event for the Exhibition at Kunstraum Ampersand, the concert is currently scheduled for July 30th at Halle Deutz Air. AUENWEG 173 GEB. 6C 51063 Köln, Germany

PRESS CONTACT: HELEN SCHNEIDER
+49 (0) 171 219 0038 mobile
helen@sustainablelovecorp.com
Facebook: Notes From The Cleveland Underground

europareising

It's exciting to be working on the project management side of this year's c/o pop festival taking place this June 22-26th. Specifically, the Sustainable Love Corporation is working on Europareise -- the international networking platform within the c/o pop festival and the C’n’B – Creativity & Business Convention. Europareise is primarily aimed at festivals and institutions from all over the world, and this year will focus on the presentation of several international festival networks such as Festival Le Regroupement / Canada, De Concert, abrafin/ Brasil, Le Reseau / France, and more. All with the goal of intensifyng network exhange and promoting new alliances and business opportunities.

If you're in or planning a trip to Cologne, please join us!

june 18th through july 30th

Final poster art by Derf. Location secured: Kunstraum Ampersand Venloer Strasse 24 in Köln. We're grateful to all the fine folks sending additional flyers, posters, tee's, cd's, etc... from Cleveland! And as this show gets ready to hang, we are already collecting material from Beograd, Serbia for NOTES FROM THE BELGRADE UNDERGROUND coming next year!

Präsentiert von The Sustainable Love Corporation, "NOTES FROM THE CLEVELAND UNDERGROUND“ ist ein interdisziplinärer Szene-Sampler, eine Initiative zum sub-kulturellen Artenschutz und bildet die gesamte Vielfalt der DIY-Subkultur ab: Bildende Kunst, Fotografie, Film, Literatur, Posters, Zines, die typographische Poesie der „concrete poetry“ sowie Klänge aus Clevelands künstlerischem und musikalischen Untergrund.

Beteiligte Künstler sind u.a.: Derf Backderf, Derek Hess, Arabella Proffer, Dott Schneider, Steve Wainstead, John G, Jake Kelly. Des Weiteren gibt es eine Ausstellung mit Arbeiten des „concrete poet“ da levy, die von der Michael Schwartz Special Collections Library an der Cleveland State University ermöglicht wurde. U.a. werden die Dokumentarfilme „if i scratch, if i write“, von Kon Petrochuk und „Clevelands‘ Screaming“ von Brad Warner gezeigt.

Solltet Ihr Rückfragen haben oder weitere Informationen benötigen, könnt Ihr uns gerne kontaktieren:

Helen Schneider, Kuratorin: helen@sustainabelovecorp.com

Aleks Ivkovic, Event Production and Sponsoring: aleks@sustainablelovecorp.com

time out for eulogies

Jack Lalanne died yesterday at 96. He told the SF Chronicle in an interview, "Other people work at dying, I work at living!"

The video above was made around 2005, when I got my first video camera and was teaching myself the basics of final cut pro. I brought the camera along everywhere: to corporate events I had worked on, a commercial for Volvo that I produced, some concerts and weddings I went to, etc...

The Jack Lalanne footage is from a trade fair for people 50+ that I attended with my mom in Cleveland, Ohio. Mr Lalanne was a truly dynamic speaker and offers an inspirational opening to the video with the quotable, "Forget about what you used to do, think about what you're doing right now and do the best you can!" I loved hearing it over and over as I worked on the video and chose to close it with him addressing the audience..."Living is tough. It's hard. Dying is the easiest thing in the world!" and "The good old days are RIGHT THIS SECOND!"

Thank you Jack for our moment, and giving me some words to live by. You are an honorary spokesman for The Sustainable Love Corporation!

Link to New York Times article on Jack Lalanne... HERE.

nftcu facebook? affirmative.

Carl of Offbeats at Floyd's Apartment. Photo by Steve Wainstead

Yup. Notes From The Cleveland Underground headquarters got it together and is present now on facebook. That social media hole is now filled, and though we will continue to update this blog with announcements and progress, you can turn to facebook for steady links and tidbits - even posting your own Cleveland related treats and trivia! Check out the photo albums of the contributing artists to see samples of their work - like the above photo by Steve Wainstead.

From 1983 to 1988, Wainstead avidly photographed the underground music scene in Cleveland, taking over 8,000 shots. Also a local (university) radio hero, with dedication and passion for punk rock music, one fan writes, "I remember listening to college radio as a young teenager but the person who was the most important for bringing great local punk rock to the air was Steve Wainstead. He was the man, the God for me and I am sure many other young punks in Cleveland. His distinct voice and on the air style is a true classic and something that no one should never ever forget. He is the quintessential radio personality for WCSB."

Notes From The Cleveland Underground has over 150 original Wainstead prints and contact sheets which will be scanned for a projection installation. Visitors will be surrounded by photographs of Cleveland bands, bands playing in Cleveland, and Cleveland scenesters while listening to recordings of his now infamous Wainstead All Night radio show.

Steve writes, "A Pentax K-1000 and a Pentax ME Super with autowinder were all I used... plus a Vivitar zoom, a Tokina zoom, and a Sunpak flash... oh, and a Tokina 17mm lens as well (ultra-wide-angle)." ;)

Facebook much?