Dream Machine

Brion Gysin is responsible for creating a super psychedelic, kind of freaky instrument called the "Dream Machine". It's a tube with holes punched into it and a lightbulb inside, spun around quickly at a certain speed. If you are to sit in front of it (or stand, lie down, do whatever, it doesn't matter) with your eyes closed in front of it, the mathematical patterns and light frequencies would alter your vision and you'll effectively get a high. Only sensory, though, you won't actually feel any different. Maybe. I've never tried it.



It seems pretty scary, though, I wouldn't try it. One of the reasons I don't do drugs is because I'm scared of my brain. Like Salvador Dali said, "I don't do drugs, I am drugs."

The drug in question probably wasn't "Ibuprophen", too.

This was created in the era of when drug usage was less than optional and was more than common in creating less than usual art, most of the time. So, this was pretty much a renewable resource, so long as a power outlet was at hand. It was also legal! And it didn't set off any smoke alarms! Imagine that! It was a hit among rebellious teens, rebellious adults, and rebellious kids (i.e. artists). Its effects were sub-par, making only complex colors and patterns, as opposed to the possibility of entering the realm of Tapirs with chainsaws for eyelashes, accessible via other things considerably more costly. But the ease of usage and legality of it made it inspiring.

Anywho, I also like to think that I'm darn-close to my potential of creativity, already. People say hallucinogens "open your mind", which I'm pretty sure is accurate, with letting your imagination getting rerouted directly to your nervous system, and being able to taste colors and smell emotions, or something. However, I like to think that my mind is pretty free flowing as it is, and I'd like to create a lifestyle that's independent of the need of outside, chemical influences when it comes to my creativity and emotions (Dr Pepper excluded).

Also don't wanna end up like this.


Team Fortress 2 is always applicable. Even when it comes to hallucinogens.

Grid Art Project

We are learning about how the introduction of the screen created incidental disassembling of images and videos, as pixels are not as defined as the real world. Pixels cause the loss of detail. So, to reproduce this idea, I decided to reproduce an image of my hand holding a $20 bill.

Then I used a little Photoshop-magic to pixelate it into a grid of solid squares of color. After the picture was edited and ready for construction, my father delivered to me several keyboards (for the computer, like, typing) and I popped the keys off of several of them with a screwdriver.

Then I cut out cardboard and glued all the keys to it, then painted them one-by-one

Stanford iAddress

Steve Jobs once gave a speech to a graduating class at Stanford College, and in that address, he gave his life story, essentially, and revealed his inspirations for his aspirations. He spoke on being fired from his own company, company failures, and overcoming pancreatic cancer (eerily enough). He talked about how he had many challenges in building his empire, and talked a bit about his reasons for leaving college, and how that gave him room to be successful. That was interesting, considering he was talking to load of graduates.

He encouraged the group to keep experimenting and doing things that others advise against, if their hearts were in the right place. He spoke about how the company Apple was made up of artists, historians, poets and writers at first, and greatly commended studies in aesthetics and humanities. He believe, as do I, that people with a more cultural exposure make the products. I, too, endorse artsiness.

I'm a fan of Microsoft, to be honest. Apple stuff bugs me a bit too much, but still, I think Steve Jobs was exceptional in what he and his company made.

War of the Hypochondriacs

In 1938, October 30th, the night before Halloween, Orson Welles made a radio performance to the nation. He began to read-off an adaptation of H.G. Wells' "War of the Worlds", mentioning that it was fiction at the start, but it was read as if it were a news broadcast, from the perspective of a reporter in the midst of a Martian invasion. It was a very convincing and involving radio show, here it is, if you have an hour-ish to spare.



In fact, it was so convincing, that people flipped out. They ran amok, most of the radio-owning population was convinced that the staged radio performance was an actual announcement, and fearful that martians were taking over humanity. Suicides spiked and marbles were lost (metaphorically, and maybe literally).

It may seem kind of silly to imagine this, as people are going nuts over a little piece of show. But, like I mentioned in the "Great Train Robbery", this was the first time anyone had seen of heard anything like this, and so, madness ensued.