The only CD I ever checked out of a library that I never returned was “My Life in the Bush of Ghosts”, the David Byrne/Brian Eno collaboration. (After many overdue notices arriving in the mail, I went down to the library, told them I’d lost the item, and paid for it. they now have another copy in their stacks). I loved MLITBOG for a lot of reasons, the layered sounds, the samples, the beats, the moods that it created. At the time, I was already familiar with David Byrne’s solo work as well as his work with The Talking Heads, but I had only heard about Eno. Since then, I’ve come to love Eno and his work with a variety of other musicians, including his production work with Devo, Talking Heads, Jane Sieberry (now Issa, who, like Reznor, gives her music away for free) and especially James and the “Laid” and “Wah-Wah” albums. Eno, the “non-musician”, is most known for his prolific catalogue of ambient music, including the fantastic “Music for Airports”, as well as being an amazing record producer and contributor to such movies as David Lynch’s “Dune”.

Eno has always been fascinated by technology and how to twist and bend it for his own purposes. He’s experimented with generative music, music that composes itself, and has branched out into visual art as well, creating a computer game that generates a possible 77 million paintings, chosen by Eno himself. He is currently working on the soundtrack for the multi-player game Spore, “that allows a player to control the evolution of a species from its beginnings as a multi cellular organism, through development as a sapient and social land-walking creature, to levels of interstellar exploration as a spacefaring culture.” [Wikipedia].

I’m here to make the case that Trent Reznor is the new Brian Eno.

Reznor got his start in Cleveland creating what would become Pretty Hate Machine by himself after-hours at the Right Track Studio where he worked as an assistant engineer and janitor. He became proficient at manipulating sounds and bending technology to his own purposes as well, just as Eno learned to do. He’s produced many record albums, including a handful for Marilyn Manson, as well as the phenomenal “Natural Born Killers” soundtrack and the “Lost Highway” soundtrack. His subtle contribution to Tori Amos’ “Past the Mission” on her “Under the Pink” album showed how quiet he could be when he needed to be. It was also the first time I can remember hearing him sing quietly while someone else took the spotlight.

Reznor’s original music from id Software’s video game “Quake” was long one of my favorite ambient pieces of music to load into iTunes when I needed to get some work done and didn’t want to be disturbed. He expanded his fascination with technology and its possibilities with the release of “Year Zero” and its companion alternate reality websites/reality game and subsequent user-submitted art in 2007.

Eno once predicted that music would one day become user-modifiable constructs, and imagined a day when future generations would look at past generations in wonder, asking in wonder, “you mean you listened to the same music over and over?”. Reznor took that idea and ran with it, releasing “The Hand that Feeds” from his dismal “With Teeth” 2005 release as a multi-track Garage Band download that fans could get for free and remix as they pleased. His newest release “Ghosts I-IV”, was released in a variety of formats, including a free torrent seeded by NIN itself. “Ghosts” was released as with a Creative Commons license (no copyright), and Reznor announced yesterday that the tracks can be used to participate in a NIN sponsored film festival on You Tube.

Talk about user generated content.

The album itself is supurb. I’d love to hear Eno’s thoughts on it. Those of you who haven’t hear it, go grab it at NIN’s official site and give it a listen for yourself. Grab the torrent if you’re familiar with the technology.

“Ghosts” ranges from smooth and quiet piano to the heavy muddy guitar and keyboard laden layers we’ve come to expect from Reznor. I’m looking forward to what people come up with, and might even make a contribution myself if I can find some time along with everything else I have going on.

NIN Ghosts Film Festival on YouTube

..

Please plan to attend the Holiday Bazaar this weekend at the Ceretana Studios, Featuring AFFORDABLE artwork by local Missoula artists.

WHEN: Friday December 7 5PM-8PM
Saturday December 8 11AM-5PM
Sunday December 9 11AM - 5PM

WHERE: Ceretana Studios on Missoula’s North Side
801 Sherwood Avenue, Missoula, MT 59801

I’ve got some original paintings, greeting cards, prints and some original collage available for sale. Have a look at some examples below. More at the gallery (don’t want to spoil ALL of the fun, aye?) Hope to see you there!

call Marc Moss with questions: 406.203.4683

Matted and framed print to be raffled off. Raffle tickets only $1!

Matted and framed print

Matted and Framed Print

Matted and Framed Print

ORIGINAL acrylic on black sketch board

Matted and Framed

ORIGINAL collage

Matted and Framed

The Agents had a constant presence. The seemed to be everywhere at once. They reminded us of an ambiguous “constant threat”, and spoke in urgent tones, always careful to be painfully polite, thanking us for our cooperation as they herded us from one space to the next.

“Why do the questions never change? Why are you asking yourself the same questions? What is your purpose? Where do you want to end up? Why do you think you are different than them? Why is it always about you?

“Am I different?”

Two women and a man stand imposingly over another man, who is seated. The seated man holds his head in his hands and is having a monologue with himself, asking questions about himself, his purpose. The questions are influenced by the barking interrogation of the three standing above him, one holding a harsh light over him. The seated man is dressed as a young professional, while the three who relentlessly question him, interrupting each other, creating confusion, creating a heightened sense of anxiety in the man. The evening built up to this point quickly, as Agents dressed in black, wearing dark sunglasses and earbuds ominously in place walked hurriedly and confidently throughout the gallery space, snapping instructions at guests, informing us that we must “clear the area” and “move along” but without telling us why. And no one asked why. Some of us knew what was transpiring that night at the Missoula Art Museum, others did not, but the feeling of fear and intimidation was very real. The interrogation lasted only a few minutes before the crowd was dispersed and the Agents cleared the gallery space again. They reconvened in the lobby of the gallery. One began reciting the First Amendment very loudly, while others whistled Yankee Doodle Dandy over top of his commanding voice. It all felt very Brave New World or 1984.

Immediately after all of the heaviness and orchestrated confusion, the sunglasses came off, the red clown noses appeared, and the gathered were invited into a performance of Peace, Joy and Celebration. A strip of cloth descended from the ceiling, and the crowd was invited to “grab on”, as we were led, by members of the OFA, into the performance space. The performance space was warm and welcoming, featuring a backdrop created by Jonathan Marquis and Adelaide Every, The Fabric of Our Lives, an abstract quilt of assembled fabric gathered from the Missoula community.

Pennies on the Ground - song and improvised structure by Catlin Hill

“no window open, no lamp lit, no light switch, no ladder up no rug down, no pans laughin, no kettles cryin, no pennies on the ground”

Heidi Junkersfield opened the performance by teaching us how to sing these words together, binding us as an impromptu micro-community within the larger community of Missoula for the evening’s performance. We sang these lines together in almost a chant before Jill Beauchesne performed a poem accompanied by Hill on violin and Nathan Zavalney on guitar while Anya Cloud played off of Beauchense’ words in a beautiful interpretive dance. The piece, Red Hawk on the Power Line, used familiar geographic imagery from Missoula’s North Side neighborhood to convey a sense of place and loneliness in the individual mind. I think. Sometimes I don’t “get” poetry, but I like the feel of it anyway.

Dakini Mind - conceived by Junkersfield and Penelope Baquero

“You are not balanced enough!” One woman shouts at the other. They are two halves of the individual self, battling it out for us to see. One, recites a litany of intentions that hold no weight because they are not backed up with action. Intentions of change, of becoming a better person, of wanting to be good in the struggle of daily life. It’s a familiar internal struggle that many of us have, and can lead to depression or redemption. We are eternally at odds with ourselves, and the two women in the spotlight shine a harsh light on our internal struggles by acting it out for us. But there are glimpses of harmony within this dissonance, as they danced together, embracing each other tenderly, before violently pushing each other away. The piece was an “exploration of three feminine mystical beings — Kali, Pachamama and Dakini” that included enough humor to allow the viewer to acknowledge seeing himself within the piece and encourage him to keep up the fight, to not give up. Dakini Mind finishes with Junkersfield running in place, talking out loud, trying to convince herself that she has it together, that she is strong. And then Baquero delivers the punchline: “I’m strong and I’m not even running.”

The Manual - collaborative piece created by the male members of OFA
“Man” as commodity. If the Male had a user manual, what would it look like? And who would use it? Men themselves, so they could better learn how to be men, but also the women in their lives, so that they could better understand this odd creature, “Man”. The Manual explores this idea by presenting four specimens of males: The Magician, The Lover, The Warrior, and The Politician (the Trickster?). Each is led to believe he can be a Real Man if he follows a certain set of guidelines, and each man in turn follows these guidelines and is ultimately undone by them.

The Magician is introduced to us, and is a cocky, confident young man. He is shown, by our colorful host, Mark Morante, the true path to manhood is Rock and Roll, and is deluded by the images projected onto the screen that this is his True Destiny. As the lights come up, and the images fade, he discovers a guitar in his hands. He begins to play it, writes a quick song, and the loud music kicks in. He Rawks Out. He keeps Rawking Out, until he is revealed to be a sham by a playful clown who shows him that the microphone into which he is “singing” is unplugged. The Lover, then, is brainwashed into believing that in order to be a Man he must regal the women with his tenderness, virility and charm. He chooses a woman at random from the crowd and begins to dance with her to Prince’s “Purple Rain”, but is ultimately distracted by the appearance of a mirror, which he takes, dropping the woman, dancing with his own reflection. The Warrior then comes to the stage and watches propaganda on the screen which convinces him that to be a Real Man, he must Make The Ultimate Sacrifice and become a Soldier. The clowns return, this time somberly, carrying his dead body from the stage. Finally, The Politician arrives, eager, hopeful and self-assured. After he is shown images on the screen of “great leaders”, he stands up and begins schmoozing and pumping the hands of his devoted, but, then, sadly, begins accepting graft from the Clown Lobbyists and he too is led from the stage.

So what is the answer? How can one be a True Man?

Peace.

The screen flickers images of peaceful protests, anti-war messages as a beautiful cover of John Lennon’s Imagine plays. (Anyone who was there know who sang this?) All of the OFA are now on the stage dancing together, with recognizable elements from Tai Chi and yoga infused into the dance.

The OpenField Artists is an Interdisciplinary art collective which uses dance, theater, spoken word, music, video and visual art to explore themes such as Myth, Cultural Identity, and Consumption. Through experimentation, improvisation and the presentation of original works, they create experiences that involve the public in a variety of ways.

OFA:
Heidi Junkersfeld
Jonathan Marquis
Naga Nataka
Abbey Stevens
Nathan Zavalney
Catlin Hill
Thaddeus Haas
Jason Gutzmer
Penelope Baquero
Adelade Every
Anya Cloud
Mark Morante
Jill Beauchesne

Home Resource pulled off another great SponCon this year. I arrived at around 10AM to deliver some remaining pieces of art for the silent auction. Then, they put me to work. I got started immediately, drawing twenty-eight 10′ x 10′ boxes on the closed-off street. The squares would become workspace for the teams who were competing to create the found art sculptures. As the morning wore on, the boxes became more and more approximate. I never realized how long it takes to draw 28 10′ square boxes. I worked as quickly as I could, for the competition was to begin at noon.

After I finished drawing the boxes, I dissapeared for a bit to run some errands. I made it back in time to see the opening chaos after Matt Heisel announced the rules and participants ran rampant through the yard, gathering supplies. I wandered the yard, providing help to the Home Resource volunteers as needed, but also watching participants figure out how to communicate with each other as they built their masterpieces.

It was incredible, really. So many people, all with different visions of how the final project should look once completed, and all dependent upon materials that they found in the yard. One of the challenges that they faced was letting go of their expectations, and allowing the art to reveal itself. The process was the important part, not the finished product. Or so they had to believe in order to continue working.

But the finished product was also important. There was to be a judging of the completed works by an independent panel, with awards for “most wearable” art, “most functional” art, and other categories. And, of course, there would be a live auction at the end.

The teams were pretty diverse, ranging from friends to co-workers, to families. It was great watching people work together in a spirit of co-operation and fun. Smiles abound as the hot sun pounded down on everyone and some of the pieces began to take shape. What interested me most, thought, was watching families with young children work together. Fathers patiently showing their sons how to drive a screw into a piece of wood. Mothers showing their daughters how to detail a piece of plastic that might need painting. A young boy listening to his dad ask, as they waited in line to have some wood cut by a volunteer, “Now, you’re sure you measured this correctly? Remember, measure twice, cut once.” This day was, for many families, something that they would always remember.

Besides the actual spontaneous construction, there was plenty for folks to do to keep themselves entertained. There was a silent auction of work that had been previously created by a variety of artists. The proceeds from work that these artists donated would be given to Home Resource. Some artists chose to give 100% of the proceeds, others chose to give 50%. Either way, if the work sold, everyone won.

Children (and some adults) were having fun painting doors in a tent to the side of the stage were a variety of musicians played all afternoon. Other kids, mostly younger kids, were busy painting un-glazed tiles to be included in a large window that would later be auctioned off as well. And then there was the “community growth sculpture”, to which anyone throughout the day could add to as they wanted.

There were some amazing finished pieces at the end, and even a couple of bidding wars during the auction. When night fell and the beer flowed, we were all tired but happy that we had been a part of something so empowering and creative, as well as beneficial to an organization that is doing so much to give back to the community and keep building materials out of the landfill.

Hope to see you next year.

View all of Marc’s photos of SponCon 2007 here.

Each year, Home Resource puts together a killer fundraising event called Spontaneous Construction. Last year, one of my pieces raised quite a controversy in the silent auction. The picture of me manning the machine gun built by the boys whose father complained about one of my pieces made it onto the poster and onto and the website, how fun.

This year, they’re doing it again, and it promises to be a huge event, including music by The Flying Rickshaws, beer from Big Sky Brewing Company, a silent artwork auction, and of course, the actual spontaneous construction itself. Home Resource is located at 825 W. Kent Avenue in Missoula. Click here for directions.

For those of you who don’t know about Home Resource and their mission, they are a non-profit organization that collects and sells re-usable building materials to reduce waste, build healthier communities and promote a more vibrant sustainable community. The spontaneous construction is a block of five hours wherein teams of up to five people can run amok in a specified area of the Home Resource yard, collecting materials with which to build a sculpture that will later be auctioned off, the proceeds benefiting Home Resource. It’s a lot of fun, and can be a team-building experience for participants. Last year’s was a blast, and I have some photos to prove it.

Other planned events include:

* Paint a door: we provide the door, the paint, the brushes, you provide the vision!
* Community Growth Sculpture: take five minutes or an hour to add your element to one wild, community-created, found-object sculpture
* Caster Car Creation: build a caster car (pinewood derby-sized,) then enter it in the races and bet on the fastest and furthest traveling contraptions
* Kid’s creation station: fun projects for all ages

I’ve donated two pieces to the silent auction, one a spatter piece I did using recycled wood that I got at Home Resource for the frame over which I stretched recycled canvas and used donated housepaint I acquired from Home Resource. The other is a collage that I framed using wood found at Home Resource as well.

Minimum bids begin at $75, which is amazing. 50% of the proceeds from the sale of my work will be donated to Home Resource. Please plan to attend the event, bid on the art, and maybe even participate in some of the events. Click the links below for full information.

• Schedule of Events
• Tickets
• Registration forms for being a part of SponCon’s construction teams
• Directions to Home Resource

SPONTANEOUS CONSTRUCTION 2007 - AUGUST 25TH @ HOME RESOURCE

I’ve got 2 pieces in the show, but only 1 with a photo right now. I’ll update soon with more details and a photo of the piece in question.

ADAPTIVE ACTION SPORTS PUNK ROCK BENEFIT SHOW

Adaptive Action Sports (AAS) is a non-profit dedicated to athletes with permanent physical disabilities and a diligent supporter of “action” sports. Through grants and private donation, AAS raises the bar to create the most outstanding adaptive snowboard events in the world. This is your opportunity to raise the bar a little higher and make a donation to the adaptive shredder.

The Punk Rock Benefit Show is a fund-raiser to help send our adaptive athletes to the world’s premiere snowboard/ski/skateboard camp in the known universe, Windells Camp of Mt. Hood, OR. Once there, our riders will improve their skills with knowledge passed down from today’s top pros in the industry. Please come and rock out at the Badlander or make a donation to AAS at our website www.adaptiveactionsports.org

• Adaptive Action Sports Punk Rock Benefit Show — at The Badlander, July 25, 9pm, $5 cover
• Bands Playing: Jacktop Town, Heiress Pilton, Joey Butta and the Fuctones
• Also, a raffle and a silent auction of artists including Marc Moss and friends original Skate/Peg-leg Sculpture Click here to see the flier

Head over to the Photoset for full-sized images and more details.

Adaptive Action Sports (AAS) is a non-profit dedicated to athletes with permanent physical disabilities and a diligent supporter of “action” sports. Through grants and private donation, AAS raises the bar to create the most outstanding adaptive snowboard events in the world. This is your opportunity to raise the bar a little higher and make a donation to the adaptive shredder.

The Punk Rock Benefit Show is a fund-raiser to help send our adaptive athletes to the world’s premiere snowboard/ski/skateboard camp in the known universe, Windells Camp of Mt. Hood, OR. Once there, our riders will improve their skills with knowledge passed down from today’s top pros in the industry. Please come and rock out at the Badlander or make a donation to AAS at our website www.adaptiveactionsports.org.

• Adaptive Action Sports Punk Rock Benefit Show — at The Badlander, July 25, 9pm, $5 cover
• Bands Playing: Jacktop Town, Heiress Pilton, Joey Butta and the Fuctones
• Also, a raffle and a silent auction of artists including Marc Moss and friends original Skate/Peg-leg Sculpture

Last week I wrote about appropriating Missoula’s public spaces for a renegade art show in the alley. As I was still setting up the show, a young mother walked into the alley with her two young sons. I stopped setting up and grabbed a roll of newsprint that I had and tore off a generous sized piece. I duct taped it to the ground and set out two pint glasses of colored Sharpies.

“Are you guys artists?” I asked , inviting them to draw on the paper as I continued setting up. I wanted to keep their mother in the alley so that she could see all of the work, and also so that her presence might attract other people into the alley to look at the art.

The kids colored away busily as I finished setting up. Their mother looked at all of the art, and she was the one who said, “I’m so glad you’re doing this!” Over the course of the evening, many other kids would attack the Sharpies and fill the newsprint with their own spontaneous art. And when I say that they attacked the Sharpies, I’m serious. I’ve never seen such dented Sharpies as I did after those kids used them.



But it wasn’t just the kids that were busy coloring away. I caught at least three adults over the course of the evening gripping the colorful markers and losing themselves for a few minutes.

One of the problems with art and the art industry is that for the consumer, art is often very expensive. That all changes for one day only, this Saturday, when The Ceretana Gallery hosts a Cheap Art Salon.

The Ceretana Gallery, located at 801 Sherwood Ave in Missoula, [click for map], will host a Cheap Art Salon Saturday, June 16, from 12 Noon until 8PM. Artwork from numerous artists will be on display and for sale. All artwork will cost $50 or less.

So after you’re finished at The Farmers Market and the People’s Market, swing by the Ceretana and pick yourself up some great art at deep discount prices.