Thursday, October 25, 2007

"The Crypto-Zoetropical Pursuit"


























VERSION 1
A strongly built collection of data clearly convinced the crowd of several highly functional theories; the sounds of trees, the wretched and tragic rock-stardom of the Son of Sasqwatch, the plethora of digital glitch phenomena, and the important continued pursuit of crypto-zoetropics. Disbelief was not merely suspended, for most, but thoroughly discarded. Don Haugen unveiled the audio emitted by the trees, and in Oregon that's a lot of sound. The unheard became clearly audible. A fresh sample was captured and released in our presence, we know what we heard. The Son of Sasqwatch made an appearance and never has LumpWest beens so moved, entranced and touched. The photos prove he was there though they are now being contested concerning their authenticity. Those who were there know what we saw. Metaphortean Professor at large, Carl Diehl, presented all stages of the evening's data presentation and screened the collection of samples culled from around the globe, each from deep within the digital realm. Lastly, Ryan Dunn equisitely articulated bent circuitry. He revealed to us a world of sounds only he can mine from the soldered connections and wires of previously thought "dead" and discarded electronics. His moment was poetic, gutteral and raised many questions about his discipline and his reasearch, but none remotely doubtful.

VERSION2
LumpWest was tired as he greeted the guest artists, questioning the value of such a small, fringe little venue. The artists were smart, committed and sincere, and this started to change LumpWest's hesitation about the project space. Then there was the show. It was as pure and right as any project space has ever experienced. The live audio was intense and a joy to see performed. Son of Sasqwatch was, to put it simply, brilliant. Whomever gets to work with this Mr. Jason Jones is certainly lucky. This kid is gifted as a maker, and we knew that, but the furry transformation of the Son of Saqwatch was seriously tight, and those feet! -but when it came to the performance, well shit....it was fabulous. I was hypnotized and frightened, all the while feeling an intense sympathy for the character. For everybody who rolls their eyes when you mention performance, this was the moment to see an act of theater/mocumentary/dance/fable that would change your opinion. Without the guidance and fortitude of one of the hardest working artists I know, I suppose none of it would have gotten off the ground. Carl Diehl gets it. He knows good work has to be shown and heard and has curated and befriended some other smart artists like himself to carry out his crazy and lovable science of the mad, fabled and electronic. My sincerest gratitude to all the participating artists, LumpWest is proud. A big furry thank you to all who sat through the freezing willamette valley cold too. People came, that means the underground still has a heat beat.








Tuesday, October 09, 2007

The Crypto-Zoetropical Pursuit 10.20.07.8pm






The Crypto-Zoetropical Pursuit:
and other adventures into the technocultural unknown!

Saturday October 20th @ LumpWest, Eugene (Harris/24th), 8pm

Cryptozoology, the study of hidden, unknown or mystery animals, is a field known for its inquiries into creatures like the Bigfoot and Loch Ness Monster. This marginal pursuit constitutes a challenge to established scientific authority by presenting alternative theories and new taxonomic models. Conceptually similar, experimental media art is marked by a belief that hidden forms of knowledge exist outside of high-tech systems, routine procedures and traditional methodologies.

Supposing there are Bigfeet in our midst, what sort of hidden, unknown and mystery animations exist? The artists included in the “Crypto-Zoetropical Pursuit” screening explore previously imperceptible animals and animations, from computer glitches to the outer limits of image interpolation, circuit-bent videogames to surprising spectacles.
Artists include: LoVid (NYC), Gijs Gieskes (Netherlands), Gretchen Hogue (Portland), Jesse England (Springfield), Eric Ostrowski (Seattle), noteNdo (Baltimore), Daniel Heila (Eugene) and Carl Diehl (Portland).

Plus! Held in conjunction with the 40th anniversary of the infamous Bigfoot filmstrip - recorded on October 20th, 1967 by Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin-- this showcase celebrates with Eugene’'D5s Jason Jones fantastic “Son of Sasquatch” performance. Additionaladventures into the unknown will manifest in the live electronic compositions of Ryan Dunn (Portland) and Don Haugen (Eugene).

Saturday October 20th @ LumpWest, Eugene (Harris/24th), 8pm
For more information contact: carl.diehl@gmail.com
and/or visit: www.electronicelsewhere.com