EclectEcon

Some Photos from Neville's Island

The Play, "Neville's Island" ended yesterday. It will be nice to have a rest now. I expect the other three who were in the play (and had bigger, more active roles than I) as well as the wonderful crew will also welcome the rest..... and feel a bit at loose ends.

There are some photos that the spectacularly good photographer, Ross Davidson, took of our dress rehearsal two weeks ago here. Here are a couple:

When I think back to how we were performing the show then and how we did it yesterday... Wow, we sure came a long way quickly!

Onward: several mystery dinner theatre shows coming up, including one with a rather large role I haven't played before (a knock-off of Peter Falk's Colombo!).

Why I Drink Coffee from a Glass Mug

I drink coffee at home from a glass cup/mug simply for the aesthetic appeal of the layers and the colour blends:

This mugful was made in our Tassimo using Cadbury hot chocolate, Cadbury steamed milk, and Maestro Lorenzo Crema, in that order.

And of course before I drink it, I stir it; and I use a straw.

Brilliant Marketing Ploy for Art Galleries

The Dulwich Picture Gallery made it known that they had replaced one of their Masters' paintings with a replica ordered from China for $120US. The result:

For nearly three months, visitors to London's Dulwich Picture Gallery have pored over 270 paintings in its permanent collection, including works by Rembrandt, Rubens and Gainsborough, knowing that there was one $120 (109-euro) fake in their midst.

Around 3,000 people voted for their pick of the replica, but only 300 correctly identified it as French artist Jean-Honore Fragonard's 18th century portrait "Young Woman".  ...

The experiment was the brainchild of American artist Doug Fishbone, who wanted to "throw down the gauntlet" to museum-goers and make them look more closely at the great works.

This marketing technique is wonderful. It tells people up front what is going on. It doesn't involve having someone surreptitiously hang a fake and then proudly announce that nobody noticed it. That kind of power-play, I-know-something-you-don't-know would really irritate people. This strategy, however, says "We've done something; it will be difficult to spot and not even all the experts will correctly identify it. Can you?"

I also like the idea that we can get superb reproductions of masters' works so inexpensively.

Great idea.

 

 

Related articles

'Fake painting' revealed at Dulwich Picture Gallery

Can YOU spot the fake? Art gallery replaces Old Master with £70 version made in China to see if anyone can tell the difference

The Arch of Anonymous Losers

Over a decade ago, my older son (aka David Ricardo Palmer) and I constructed this arch. It was displayed that spring at both the Bright's Grove and the Blyth art galleries.

Our artists' statement is a reflection of the existentialism inherent in the Myth of Sisyphus.

L' Arc des Perdants Anonymes

(The Arch of the Anonymous Losers):

A Celebration of the Existential Quest

by

John Palmer and Matthew Palmer

Like many triumphal arches, this sculpture is a celebration. In this work, we celebrate the process of continued search and quest despite not reaching a specific goal or prize.

Constructed entirely of losing cups from the 2004 Tim Hortons "Roll Up the Rim to Win" contest, our work is rooted in the ontological search for meaning. People who search for meaning in life are often frustrated, feeling lost when they are unable to arrive at some clear and definitive sense of purpose. The existential answer lies in the joy and value of the search activity itself.

We see the experience of playing the Tim Horton lottery as a reflection of this search. People buy cups of coffee hoping to win a big prize. They lose. They go back for more. And the process makes people smile. This simple, day-to-day process is a symbolic representation of the joie de vivre that is evinced in the human experiential quest for meaning.

L' Arc des Perdants Anonymes is constructed with nearly 3000 used, losing cups from the Tim Hortons 2004 contest. The artists used approximately 10 pounds of glue sticks to construct the sections of the structure. These sections are held together in places with 3M hook and loop material. The artists gratefully acknowledge the assistance of their families and persons at their respective workplaces for their assistance.

For more photos and information, see this.

Easter Snow Stomp Art

What does one do when it snows on Easter? SNOW STOMP ART!!

Here is the final product:

And here are some photos Ms Eclectic took of the work in progress:

And once again, the final product:

Saskatchewan

When Ms Eclectic and I traveled to Saskatchewan a number of years ago, I was absolutely blown away by the beauty and the lovely openness of the province. Most of the areas we drove through had rolling hills, gorgeous valleys, and big sky awesomeness.

One weekend while I was teaching out there, I rented a car and drove to the SW region of the province and hiked in the coulees. Photos are here and here. The hikes there reminded me of the openness I had come to love in the foothills near Plateau Mountain in Alberta, in the Three Peaks district of the Yorkshire Dales, and along the Seven Sisters and South Downs in SE England.

The other day Ms Eclectic's cousin sent us this video about Saskatchewan. I'm not a fan of C&W music, and the video doesn't really emphasize the rolling hills and coulees the way I would, but I love the video anyway.

"It's Only the Beginning..."

Today is the last day to see my photo exhibit, "It's Only the Beginning..." at The Arts Project. The gallery will be open from noon until 7pm today.

  It's Only the Beginning....

 

The gallery is closed tomorrow, and we are taking the show down on Monday morning, after which our home will no longer have nude walls.

Today and Tomorrow -- Last Two Days to See "It's Only the Beginning..."

The exhibition of my photos at The Arts Project continues today and tomorrow. The gallery will be open from noon until about 7pm each day.

The Fibonacci Explosion

Meet the Artist -- tonight

My photo exhibition, "It's Only the Beginning..." is on now at The Arts Project (226 Dundas, Downtown London).

Tonight we are holding a Meet-the-Artist reception from 5-7pm. Here are a few more of the 81 photos that will be on display.

 

Lightning in a Jar

 

Kaleidoscope

 

University Fireworks

Related articles

It's Only the Beginning...

Busy Day

It's Only the Beginning...

Today I'll be transporting 80 photographs to The Arts Project to set up my exhibit, "It's Only the Beginning..." 

From their web page,

It’s Only the Beginning….
An Exhibition of Photography by John Palmer

February 24 – March 7
Opening Reception
Friday February 27, 5-7pm

After exhibiting and winning prizes for his photography throughout Southwestern Ontario, John Palmer didn’t exhibit his work for several years. With this exhibit, he returns with a large showing of his photography, filling the entire gallery of The ARTS Project.

His recent work involves considerable macro-work enlarged to show new perspectives. The feature piece for which the exhibit is named shows the transition from death to life as the seeds of a flower mature to create new lives just as the flower itself dies.

Artist’s Statement:

The theme of new beginnings runs through life. We think, we study, and we phenomenologize about our existence. We strive to look forward in learning as well as emotionally , as we continue to grow. It is seen in our careers and career changes, our families and other relationships, and as we die but leave a legacy for others who carry on.

Or, to put it differently, as all good economists would say,

• Sunk costs are sunk.
• Costs emerge because we must make choices, and
• All costs are future costs

Here is another of the photos I'll be exhibiting, but not quite like this:

"Pinocchio"

Busy Day

This afternoon I'm playing in a concert with Encore: The Concert Band [2pm, Central Secondary School] in which we're playing a number of really fun pieces.

This evening I'm doing a knock-off of Sean Connery for an event at The London Club.

Tomorrow I begin to hang my photo show at The Arts Project. I've been coasting up 'til now, but life will be hectic for the next three months.

"Tongue of the Dragon"

Blondie at the Castle

I first taught at what is now known as the Bader International Study Centre at Herstmonceux Castle in SE England nearly nine years ago. During that first year I was teaching there, several ducks hatched enormous broods of ducklings in the castle courtyard, including the initial set of thirteen ducklings. The ducklings were well-looked-after by their mother and were well-fed by many different members of the castle staff. Eleven of those ducklings survived the first few months.

One of those survivors was considerably lighter in colour than the others. Soon everyone took to calling her "Blondie".

Andy, who works on castle security, says she is still alive and doing well. He sent this photo with the note that this appears to be her new boyfriend/partner.

 

Pictures from the Past: Norman Rockwell

I was raised in a family that regularly subscribed to The Saturday Evening Post. As a result, I saw a lot of the covers of that magazine done by Norman Rockwell and became enamoured of many of them. Two in particular that I remember from my childhood/youth are these.

1. The girl with the black eye. This had been important for me, to realize so many things about life: girls are not necessarily weak (even in the 1950s!), some girls have spunk, some girls enjoy scraps, and can have fun being scrappy (reminds me of Ms Eclectic and others).

2.  The boy who inspects the physician's credentials before agreeing to receive a shot in his butt. I think I was a bit like this: challenging and questioning authority and jabbing those who had some socially accepted roles. It got me in trouble often, but this picture captured much of what was me back then.

For many more, see this site [via Leonard].

An Amazing Moonset This Morning

The moon is REALLY bright this morning. Full and setting in the west, with Jupiter off to the north of it and just a bit lower in the sky. It enthralls me all the time.

Fibonacci: The Beauty of Mathematics

Over 50 years ago, a learned person introduced me to the joys of Fibonacci sequences and geometric patterns. I didn't use the mathematics much after that, but I did come to appreciate the geometry and the art of Fibonacci patterns.

This one, using 3D-printed objects that are then spun, is simply wonderful [via Ralph]:

Long-time readers of Eclectecon or Facebook friends will recognize the pattern and my attachment to it. For many years my "cover photo" on Facebook was the photo shown below. It will also be one of the photos featured in my upcoming photo exhibition, "It's Only the Beginning" at The Arts Project in London, Ontario, Feb 24 - March 7.

This photograph is called "Fibonacci Explosion":

 

 

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My Latest Snow Stomp Art (after some melting)

Cat Circles/Hexas

John Edmark's 3D printed Fibonacci Zoetrope...

Artist Uses Algorithms to Carve Hyperdetailed Patterns into Plywood

My Latest, Biggest Snow Stomp Art

We received about 2-3 inches of snow last night, with very little wind. Also, the temperatures were only a few degrees below zero. It looked like a perfect day to go out to the lawn in front of our condo building and do my biggest ever creation of snow stomp art.

Before I began, I had in mind some random paisley patterns with psychedelic swirling in the background. This would be my first go at non-representational snow stomp art, and I was keen to see what would emerge. [For some of my earlier work, see this, this, this, this, and this, 

Things got off to a good start. Ms Eclectic took some photos of my early progress:

As you can see, I used snowshoes for this project. They added to the texture, something I was looking for (vs using snow boots, as I had generally used in previous creations). Snowshoes are more difficult to work with in many ways, but they add enough to make the workout worthwhile.

I doubt the paisley patterns would have looked the way I wanted if I had been in just my snowboots.

Here  you get a sense of the paisley patterns and swirling fill effect for which I was striving:

The side steps were grueling. A great workout!

Above and below you get a better sense of what I hoped to create.

Putting some final touches in before breaking for lunch:

When we returned from lunch, the wind had picked up seriously. I was nearly in tears as I strove to complete the project before the wind destroyed it all. Here are some photos, but it is clear the project just didn't make it. I was freakn devastated.

 

 

Oh well, there will be more snow another day...

It's Only the Beginning...

The Arts Project will be hosting a solo exhibition of my photographic art February 23 - March 7, 2015. It is a HUGE exhibition gallery, and I have been given access to the entire space.

I have tentatively titled the exhibition, "It's Only the Beginning..." after the title piece that I'll be showing:

The "slightly pretentious" artist's statement:

The theme of new beginnings runs through life. We think, we study, and we phenomenologize about our existence and our relationships.  We strive to look forward in learning as well as emotionally, as we continue to grow. It is seen in our careers and career changes, our families and other relationships, and as we die but leave a legacy for others who carry on. It's only a beginning...

Or, to put it differently, as all good economists would say,

• Sunk costs are sunk.
• Costs emerge because we must make choices, and
• All costs are future costs.

Dangerous Email from Photocanvas.co.uk

I just received the following email at my UWO email address. Fortunately their mail server flagged it. It's ingenious.

Shipping status: Transaction confirmation: 71872499590

 

Agatha Staebell <[email protected]>
to jpalmer

Morning,

Your order #71872499590 will be shipped on 10.12.2014.
Date: December 08, 2014. 01:55pm
Price: £186.65
Transaction number: 0B6939A3F078A5

Please find the detailed information on your purchase in the attached file order2014-12-08_71872499590.zip

Kind regards,
Sales Department

I was perplexed. I have, indeed, ordered some canvas prints recently but certainly not from this outfit and not from anyone in the UK and not using my UWO email address for confirmation. Also the confirmation number does not match the confirmation numbers on my orders. And, no surprise, there is no website for photocanvas.co.uk.

So this email looks like a massive attempt to infect some computers of people who have ordered canvas prints recently (which may be more likely this time of year).

53 Years Later?

My classmates from Carleton College, Northfield MN, are planning a 50th reunion for this coming June. In preparation, they have put together a page of bios and photos.

I don't remember this photo, but apparently it was taken during our first week on campus in the fall of 1961.

On Aging

The money quote from this amusing YouTube video:

With viagra and a hip replacement, I could be a porn star.

Yeah, sure.

Though I did play one once:

Regina SK is like Lincoln NB

When I lived in Regina, Saskatchewan, one of the things that struck me was how much it was like Lincoln, Nebraska, in one important aspect: fan and city-wide enthusiam for the local football team. Both cities are quite far from any other city that offers one of the four major-league professional sports (MLB, NFL, NBA, and NHL) and football in both cities attracts fans from the entire state/province.

My first few game days in Regina, over four years ago, reminded me very much of what it was like driving through Lincoln, NB, on game day: People were dressed in team colours, and it wasn't just some of the fans going to the game. It was ALL of the fans going to the game and many who weren't. In Lincoln, there is a sea of red and white on game day; in Regina, it is a sea a green.

And this map from the NYTimes confirms my impression about Lincoln. The people in Nebraska (and Alabama as well, it turns out) reallylike NCAA football [the map is fascinating. It's worth a look]. That same devotion/fanaticism/support is what I see on game days in Regina, too.

Revisiting the Shrine

Amazing, but the plaque put up in my honour last year at The University of Regina is still there!

Vlad's Recommendation

Putin highly recommends that people take economics courses from Professor Palmer so they will avoid making all the economics mistakes he and his cronies have made in Russia:

More Photos from Death of a Salesman

Taken during a dress rehearsal by Ross Davidson:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Charley in Death of a Salesman

Charley in Death of a Salesman

Here is a photo of me as Charley in Death of a Salesman. The photo is by Ross Davidson taken during Monday's dress rehearsal.

The preview is tonight. We have our official opening tomorrow. Friends who saw the rehearsal last night were VERY moved by the performances.

Procunier Hall, The Palace Theatre.

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Sunk Costs and "The Death of a Salesman"

Death of a Salesman

Wine Connoisseur

For some reason I didn't bother to pronounce the name of this wine to myself until I got it home and put it in the fridge. I'm glad I bought it now, even though I haven't opened it yet and have no idea what it tastes like.

I'm sure my Facebook friend, Michael Snell (aka The Wine Commonsewer) will want this for his wine cellar, even though he seems to have a VERY strong preference for reds.

 

Other wines I like because of the names:

• Screw Kappa Napa
• Cat's Pee on a Gooseberry Bush

 

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Chateauneuf-du-Pape Partial Taste Test Results

Let's Hear It for Plonk! and, btw, welcome to the PLO

La Rioja Alta 904 Gran Reserva 2001

Chateauneuf-du-Pape

Mirror Cylindrical Art

These are absolutely amazing drawings, utilizing the extreme convexity of a cyclindrical mirror.

Here's a "standard" piece... a picture of a tree:

Here's a more complex one, in that without the cylinder it looks like a seascape, but in the cylinder it looks like a portrait:

And I love this one. A weird, intriguing sculpture that shows a hand to match the foot and hand in the background.

Take Me Out to the Ballgame with Sierpinski

While the mathjocks among you might recognize this structure as a (fractal) Sierpinski Tetrahedron, note that it was constructed with baseball bats and softballs [ht JH]:

JH adds, "the photo comes from a book in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Insitute of Mathematics  at the Royal Society, copyright Gwen Fisher."[cf this site]

It seems appropriate to post this now, as I prepare to head off to Labatt Memorial Park in London to watch game 7 of the IBL semi-finals, between the London Majors and the Kitchener Panthers.

Update: The London Majors won the game and now move on to the finals for the league championship.

Baseball Necktie

My mother sent me this necktie back in the days when I was doing baseball play-by-play:

One out, nobody on. 5 to 4 and bottom of the 5th.

Yes, I brought the tie with me to Rogers Centre Hotel, from which Ms Eclectic and I will be watching the Trono Blue Jays play the Orioles tonight and tomorrow night.

The Name Wall

There is an old yellow soft-brick wall a few blocks from where we live on which people have scratched their names.

Beats the heck out of spray-paint tagging.