No Edward Tufte, But Not Bad

I worked really hard on the graphics above and, while I feel like they're fairly clear, and visually somewhat interesting, they're still lacking punch.  In thinking about what that could be, I could have layered in more information (what?), which in turn would have allowed me to layer line weights (how?), which would have both allowed for and necessitated a closer reading of the graphs.  As they are, they're interesting and maybe a little funny, and hopefully I'll do the next ones better.

Gentle Reader: any suggestions?

Working Speed

I would like to increase mine.

The last project for studio was a video.  We filmed, filmed, filmed; got into the editing software a little bit so we could put together a draft or two; filmed, filmed, filmed, filmed some more; and then the last evening sat down to the video and audio editing.  I'm pretty happy with the final product; but since we really only took one solid thwack at editing, I wish we'd stopped iterating a couple of days before (okay, I REALLY wish this, but process is not entirely under your control when working in groups), or rather, gone through fewer iterations during the creation process and more during the editing process.

roadrunner chick. obviously.

This is true across the board.  This happened with every project last year, and now this.  I'd like to just stop earlier, but I never have material that I'm happy with until the balls-to-the-wall end; so I'd like to work faster and start editing sooner so that I have a final product that is more carefully crafted than that to which I've accustomed myself.  I have a few colleagues who are very good at this.  I'm not quite sure how to emulate them, but I will be trying.

P.S. Posted this and then realized someone might want to see the abovementioned movie.  Here, in all its world debut glory, is "Corpus Ex Machina".

Studio smiley face

I probably should have posted this before the mind dump, although in retrospect this is probably even more appropriate.  I wanted to take a moment to register a new approach to the coming year of studio; namely, studio smiley face.  When I was updating my calendar for the coming academic semester and adding in my courses, I filled in the studio block and the mere mention of the word and time slot made my chest heavy, my heart race, my breath erratic.  But - I love architecture!  I love what I'm learning!  I don't want the phenomenon of studio, which has in the past baffled and frustrated me beyond measure, to be this sysiphean effort.

With that in mind, I started crafting an attitude towards studio that more closely approximates my natural inclinations.  I am excited; I am looking forward to the chance to challenge myself and lead myself into uncharted, maybe even scary, waters, remembering that we learn little from our successes and everything from our failures; I am remembering to be grateful for these next two years when my only responsibilities are to explore and learn.

With this kind of foundation, how could the "studio" entry be just that?  So, it isn't.  It is now "Studio! :)"; or, in everyday parlance, studio smiley face.

In closing is an image I ran across a few weeks ago that really seems to drive my feeling towards the studio beast home.

Post-studio mind dump

artists to know:
Robert Wilson and his VOOM portraits (Brad Pitt)
Jenny Holzer and her textual installations

Yves Klein and his over-the-top use of an eponymous blue
Matthew Barney and his...I have no idea how to describe them.

"Reasons For Knocking At An Empty House" - it's a book title, also simply an elegant thought.

definition of disable:
1. To deprive of legal right, qualification, or capacity;
2. To make incapable or ineffective; especially: to deprive of physical, moral, or intellectual strength.

etymology of video:
From Latin video "I see", first person singular present indicative of videre "to see".

interestingly, infrastructure and nymphostructure sound very similar.