a modernistic memory | finding ghosts in familiar places | in love with a ghost | introspection
“A Modernistic Memory” is a new conceptual series based on the connectivity of memory attachments as they relate to places of significance in my past.
“Finding Ghosts In Familiar Places” is an experimental video art piece and re-captured video still remixes that explores the fluid ambiguities and the interwoven hints of nostalgia within the memories of the artist’s past. The film, through its visual and aural construct creates a symbiotic digital awareness that embraces both a conscious mindset of past experiences and the emotional embodiment of the heart found in those experiences. “Finding Ghosts In Familiar Places” is by all accounts a journey of personal recollection and interpersonal intimacy for the artist.
INTROSPECTION.
a modernistic memory | finding ghosts in familiar places | a fading failing memory | creativity
“A Modernistic Memory” is a new conceptual series based on the connectivity of memory attachments as they relate to places of significance in my past.
“Finding Ghosts In Familiar Places” is an experimental video art piece and re-captured video still remixes that explores the fluid ambiguities and the interwoven hints of nostalgia within the memories of the artist’s past. The film, through its visual and aural construct creates a symbiotic digital awareness that embraces both a conscious mindset of past experiences and the emotional embodiment of the heart found in those experiences. “Finding Ghosts In Familiar Places” is by all accounts a journey of personal recollection and interpersonal intimacy for the artist.
CREATIVITY.
your world beginning | catalogs, maps, and memories – final day
your world beginning | catalogs, maps, and memories – final day.
into abstraction | form and memories
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Into Abstraction | Form and Memories, the artist Walter Smith continues his exploration of field recordings translated into abstract constructs.
into abstraction | form and void
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The exploration of abstract forms and memory attachments.
into abstraction | all the days are long | a we’ve come so far remix | a place of subtle nuance
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In life it seems, at times, that all the days are long. Caught in-between work, play, dreams, and aspirations. Those days can take the form of too many hours worked, too many hours away from home and loved ones, or too many memories and missed opportunities–taxing, struggling, pushing forward day after day. Sometimes we get a moment of reprieve; a day at the beach, a solitary place in time and space, the joining together of friends, family, and loved ones, or a beautiful hike on the summit of a mountain. Subtle nuances all converging in daily life, testing our resolve, our purpose, or giving pleasure and peace to our efforts.
into abstraction | nuances – extended video remix | an abstract thought becomes reality
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Nuances, the extended video remix is a further working towards the abstract in form and complexity. Each element of the video is explored through various micro-tonal nuances via add-on effects. Through this process, I am gaining insight into the various visual options I have via the software and how to implement them to create a visual cohesive construct. The variations seem infinite indeed. Again I am using both my own film and stock film together. Musically I am continuing the theme of electronic ambience, through the use of sound samples, field recordings and piano phases. As I explore the makings of sound for my films, I will be utilizing various sound effects and recording techniques in the process. Slowly things will evolve, as the learning curve for both the visual and aural elements are investigated, manipulated and constructed.
your world beginning | there’s never a dream i need to be
an empty room
a distant memory;
everybody has somebody
to leave behind …
there’s never a dream i need to be
your world beginning | there’s never a dream i need to follow
a darkness
ahead; and a winter’s cold night …
there’s never a dream i need to follow,
motivational speakers
coaching seminars
life plans and aspirations
girlfriends or promises …
there’s never a dream i need to be
your world beginning | every artistic moment has its place – day 4
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As we move forward in our creative process, we sometimes travel back on the unending edge of everything, endure a storm or two, exist in solitude, and find that every artistic moment has its place.
N E W D I G I T A L S C A P E S | V A R I A T I O N S – A link to my latest published art book
V A R I A T I O N S
http://blur.by/1pwpNN2
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2013 was a very good year for creativity and artistic exploration: I created a series of video art pieces, that I feel stretched the potential of my imagination. That exploration also enabled me to learn a variety of technical skills in editing within the creative aspect of visual and musical composition. Check out my “Experiment: Data Complex” series. Most notably, my latter sub-series “The World” (4 videos). But I digress, the purpose of this post is to introduce my latest published book entitled:
N E W D I G I T A L S C A P E S | V A R I A T I O N S
In 2013, my photographic and digital artwork could overall, be found, in the “Variations” series. A remix of imagery that explored ambiguity, memories, dreams, and emotional constructs. The book is a total of 140 pages and features over 100 images in a large portrait format. The link above will forward you to my bookstore @ Blurb publishing. There you will be able to access a 37 page preview.
And last but not least, I would like to thank all my fellow bloggers, whose support in 2013 has been a great inspiration.
variations | when, without moving we travel to a new vision
on the road
to Silence
> at last
quiet stillness
‘I think, therefore I am’, is far from the truth revealed in Silence (our thoughts are not who we are). As I move forward, stillness surrounds me. The ever-present moment awakens through the noise of distractions, attachments, thoughts. Creativity begins to make its presence known. The true vision that laid hidden … emerges.
There are moments, when traveling without moving; my mind turns inward. Often the idea for a new piece comes to me in the stillness of repetitive motion e.g. when driving home from work late at night or during the day riding my bike for hours. Both experiences are brought to a new level when simultaneously interwoven with ambient music of some kind: Inventive and emotional. Ethereal and far-reaching. Both movement and sound collapse the night and day into the black hole of my ever-expanding need for creativity. With each movement forward, with each night and day, like a sought out mystery, it mysteriously reveals itself. In Silence, I become one with my creative Truth.
Music for Backgrounds: Bvdub from the cd Resistance Is Beautiful and the track Nothing Like You. Perfect for that ride, drive or creative spark.
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variations | the things we dream when all is forgiven
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the late night
turned into day
> dream
you say …
when all is forgiven
variations | only the decades of our youth were left behind
it was a wonderful era
the years in decades;
things to dream
> and now
the dreams to leave behind
variations, rewind and remixes | postcards and influences 02
Some moments with Highwire Gallery, the Philadelphia Artist Cooperative, John Cage in performance, Digital Voice, fellow artist and friend Paul Curci, and my solo digital exhibition “Sometimes In the Waking the Reality is More Pressing than the Dream.” at Villanova University Art Gallery. The years 1987 through 2001.
Below are links to the original posts that I am using for these variations, rewind and remixes.
In the Reflective Mirror / Various Artistic Influences 03: why ask questions about art
variations | you can’t hide your dreams in familiar places
when a dream becomes
a familiar place
we find solace in its awakening
variations | art matters
Over the past few months I have been creating digital artwork within a series called “Variations”. It developed out of a soul-searching experience I had with an exhibit I saw by Abstract Expressionist Mark Rothko on display late last year at the Columbia Museum of Art in Columbia, South Carolina. Memories, dreams, aspirations, magic and loss have all found their way in different forms of expression throughout the series.
One of the developing constructs of the work is how do I relate to the thoughts that exist within the framework of my daily life? I think all of us, artists and non-artists alike, struggle with this and many other questions. One of the questions that has emerged for me is … does art matter? Has it changed anything of any significance in my life? Yes and no. Yes, I long to create. I am pleased with every waking moment that I find the impulse to create. For there has been many days, weeks, months, and even years when the drive to produce art could not be found. It is undoubtably a beautiful thing to shape your craft into self-expression. But to what end? Is there really any escaping the reality of lost things; loved ones who have passed away, beautiful times gone by, aspirations fallen short, collapsed dreams? What weighs more? Art or life? For me, in truth, I create art to either “escape” or find “answers”. No, art does not always save. No real answers here. And maybe that is the point. Perhaps the only meaning to life or purpose for living is to be blessed with the breath of a new day. Then take your pen, or brush, or camera, or whatever serves as your way of expression and try to find that which will give you peace. Even if it is, only for a moment.
experiment: data complex 3 | nostalgia | video art
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The day on the beach brought back memories of beautiful times gone by: She the choreographer and dancer, and he the artist and filmmaker. Together they drifted back to the beginning of their artistic dreams. Fused with the technology of the post-modern world and the collective mindset of a creative construct, they forged ahead into the unknown: History has a way of repeating itself. What is old is new. The same as it ever was. Forever and a day.
experiment: data complex | video art
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“Experiment: Data Complex” the latest video in my “Experiment” series examines our relationships with science, math, society, art and music within the constructs of a Futuristic theme. How do they manifest in our daily lives and what is the critique of their influence? Again for me, it is an exploration of various elements i.e. abstract art, technology and sound. The visual and audio elements of Data Complex are purposely composed in short intervals of sampled imagery and sound; building upon itself as the video progresses. Similar to the process of my digital art compositions, I like to use elements (bits and pieces, 0’s and 1’s) that I previously created to establish a continuous rhythm of structure. Hence the density of sound and the layering of imagery throughout the piece. And as I have stated before, the audio composition and editing is strongly influenced by music styles such as IDM, Ambient, Trance, Neo-Classical, and Glitch. Everything is always in an experimental and exploratory mode. Hope you enjoy the video. Let me know what you think.
n e w d i g i t a l s c a p e s 