::CARLSON {!} COLLECTIVE::

Check out my new work? Maybe Later.

2011-09-15T12:17:00.000-07:00

Cotton Jones.

2009-09-22T13:32:00.000-07:00

A cool night blue cloud blanket was spitting rain, micro bursts of wind, low hovering touchable white submarine like clouds: a night foreshadowing fall in WY. I was traveling south to Jackson from Yellowstone paralleled by landing airline traffic. Rumors of Cotton Jones playing in town persuaded me to stop at at the local hootenanny outside of town. I grabbed some chicken and a whiskey-coffee to stay warm, sat and listened to some sitar, and a Barbados-Jimmy-Buffet-type who played a small saxophone.

I had discovered Cotton Jones a few months prior and have been enjoying them since. Their mysterious sound combined with my failure dig into their background gave way to an imagined group of super hipster Northern California city kids trying to re-imagine themselves as a back country-folk like tribe. So when a group of rather plain looking kids, some clad in plaid, with scruffy beards got up and were introduced as being from Maryland I was pleasantly intrigued.

The story was enriched as we moved from the hootenanny to a small house in town, sat around in front of a football game and talked about their mountainous hometown, Cumberland, in northern Maryland. Whitney, the lovely female side of the band, gave me some of her whiskey and graced us with stories of finding vintage organs in Maryland thrift stores, organs that she currently records with. The band set up in the front yard and they began what became a extremely personal show, a unique show for a group of young artists and writers living in Jackson who get no interesting music coming through.

In trying to thank them, for such an unreal night, Michael, the lead singer guitarist and writer expressed the mutual uniqueness of the night to me. They were thrilled to be part of a large tour, but to take a few nights off and explore a part of the country they've never been to without the pressure of an organized show was a refreshing perspective for them, along their travels. He told me playing on someone's front lawn was a nice change from setting up at night at a club or festival and leaving in the morning without meeting the people that actually live in that town.

They continued to play into the night and inevitably the tourists that dictate much of our lives here in Jackson complained from a nearby motel. The cops came warned us to quite down. So the Cotton Jones collective of traveling musicians unplugged and sang quietly in the night.

We soon moved into the living room and piled on the floor and squeezed cozy on the couches like a large family on Christmas morning and listened as they played an amazing version of Dylan's Girl from the North Country as well as some acoustic versions of their originals.

I picked up this little handmade EP packaging that night. It was handcrafted by one of their artist friends in Maryland. It was well crafted but had all the perfect little imperfections that make this kind of art a one of a kind memento never to be produced the same way again.

The end of "Gone the Bells". Sorry for the terrible video, I took these after many a beer with my digital camera. The audio however, is worth hearing.

"Girl from the North Country"

Instigations: Inspirational glimpses into other peoples lives.

2009-08-28T14:22:00.000-07:00

I often, like most who wonder and explore the never ending world of the web, find some expressions of other people's lives captured in one form or another, that are especially provocative and inspirational. I am going to start to share a few that really take me far away and trigger a reaction of ideas and dreams related to my life. This one is called "Fresh Start" and I found it via some photography blogs via www.fecalface.com. In the future I will be better at saving the artists name. If you know it feel free to contact me / correct me. enjoy.

T-shirts and Shades

2009-05-23T13:32:00.000-07:00

...been printing some more shirts due to a bit of demand, how pleasant. Also I have a show at Shades Cafe in Jackson, WY this June. If you find yourself in this funny little town I call home, come by this little gem of a coffee shop and peep my art.

The Art Lab Sessions

2009-05-02T21:45:00.000-07:00

Not only do we explore the visual, we indulge in the audio as well. Rachel Kunkle Hartz sings to us often.

Javo stops by and rips it up with some classic Mariachi tunes

2009-03-08T19:09:00.000-07:00

PLANET PRESS

2009-02-25T22:07:00.000-08:00

A glimpse into the new beginning at The Lab. courtesy of Planet Jackson Hole. Thanks again to Mr. Sweets for the visibility.

TRAVELING CIRCUS / THANKS LYNDSAY

2009-02-15T23:28:00.000-08:00

A thousand thanks to Lyndsay McCandless at Lyndsay McCandless Contemporary for letting us do this in her gallery:

LMC Obama Print Session from Tristan Greszko on Vimeo.

Before finding our new home, we have been existing in limbo, floating out in the ether, functioning primarily as a curatorial force and a traveling circus. Lyndsay was gracious enough to let us set up our mobile lab at her place for while and participate in events like this:

LMC - Art It Forward (round 1) from another being creative on Vimeo.

Such a great event. Come out to Lyndsay's in March for the next First Friday.

AND WE'RE BACK...

2009-02-15T21:54:00.000-08:00

Great news: The Teton Artlab will be moving to the Center for the Arts starting today, into the 1300 sq. ft. Borshell studio on the 3rd floor. Our first priority will be creating an artist in residency program in this studio. This program will provide local artists with affordable, private studio and storage space, as well as numerous exhibition opportunities and career assistance. This is a competitive, merit based opportunity and will be filled on a first come, first served basis. More information will soon be available on our website. In the meantime, contact info@tetonartlab.com with questions or to request an application.

Note: We will be joined on the 3rd floor by another new resident and non-profit supporter of the arts, The Center of Wonder. We're excited to be working side by side with them and their art ambassador, Bland Hoke, Jr. (ReBloged from tetonartlab.blogspot.com)

And what do I have to say? I can't wait to get back to the office and start creating again, lots of new projects on the brain, cross country photography collaborations? custom type solar plate movable type printing? exquisite corpses?
More 'bamas?

Our new space will mainly function as a factory and we will continue to guest curate in town and show as a collective. Get after me with ideas if your juices are flowing and you want in.

...AND ARTIFACTS ARRIVE

2009-01-04T10:39:00.000-08:00

I am continually blessed with a cross continent snail mail exchange of ideas. Yesterday artifacts arrived in this odd little vehicle, giving glimpse of far away minds.

Ryan Fitzgerald, a comrade and Peace Corps Volunteer in Ecuador has, in addition to his community teaching and farming endeavors, been writing extensively. He has passed on to me many words which I have posted here. This is a little handmade book he crafted out of local ephemera. It is filled with more writing and I couldn't be more excited to get through it. Stay tuned for it's public posting.

One of many coca leaves from the Ecua-Colombo boarder, gifted from a farmer, meant for tea.

As I mentioned in an earlier posting, I am continually curious about the world's reaction to our current state and new president. These clippings from an Ecuadorian newspaper came in the bundle. The above clipping is a shamen's display of our former presidential candidates on a beach in Peru. Apparently 9 out of 11 Apus-Inka curanderos "faith healers" predicted Obama to win. Thanks for the faith guys.

This one was particularly interesting to me as a fan of this French Romantic Painting. "The Raft of the Medusa" by Géricault was a politically motivated painting in it's time clearly critiquing the French Monarchy. Here Bush is passing off to Obama, our country, symbolized by the raft of survivors from the French shipwrecked naval frigate the Méduse.
A thousand thanks, Kurtz.

SWEET(S) PRESS

2008-12-13T15:45:00.001-08:00

Planet Jackson Hole did a cover article discussing the fate of the Teton Art Lab.

Henry Sweets wrote both of these articles. Henry has always taken an interest in what we are doing and often stops by to have a brew, sit on our colorful love seat and talk art. He sat down with me after the show to ask me a bit about my work, and wrote this article. Thanks Henry.

With Lab gone, there truly will be a void in our community. The Teton Art Lab instigated real valuable discourse between artists and the community. Travis, Lisa and Tristan created a space that immediately broke down the typical problems of access to space and closed door exclusiveness that so many galleries suffer from. So many galleries seem so disconnected, stark and lonely, in contrast The Lab seemed to be always full of life. It was great to have so many interesting people stopping by at odd hours of the night to chat and to have viewers and buyers come in and see us always at work and end up learning directly from the artists about process. Anyway, I could go on about the lab and I will. Stay tuned for a comprehensive photo essay.

2008-12-02T23:31:00.000-08:00

Yup, we have been getting a visit from the FedEx man everyday now at the Teton Art Lab. Work on paper is arriving at our door, sent from folks all over the country. Come on by the Lab this Friday and check out The Wall Paper Show. There will be literally hundreds of pieces of art covering the walls. There will be a wide spectrum of work complete with some unruly and edgy juxtapositions. (Pages from the Hip Hop Bible featuring the cast of NWA, next to nude beauties, next to furry beasts with pasties, treasure maps and double wide ziggurats!)

P.S we are some poor bastards so we 'aint doing a keg this time, maybe some boxed wine! Perhaps you oughta' bring your jugs of gin and juice. Brown-Bag-Beings: Get up! ...

Should be wild.

This Victory Belongs to You.

2008-11-11T21:10:00.000-08:00

BOOM.WE DID IT! Yes, I realize that I am being less than careful by blanketing my audience with the use of the word "we." There is a possibility that one or two of you reading this voted for Mr. McCain. If you did, keep reading, this is not merely an exclusive party for preaching to the still-silly-drunk-off-a-wonderful-victory-choir.
But if you are the choir, feel free to keep singing, its truly unique seeing this country so lively and proud. Right? Stay up!

Anyway, yes, obviously this blog is not for breaking news. You know that Obama has won and will become our 44th President. It has just taken me a while to gather my thoughts regarding our victory and actually start to write.

I feel it's important it to reflect while its still fresh, I may be thankful for this perspective down the road. I think it is also worth it for everyone, but especially those abroad to document, observe and write about the world's continued reaction. Wasn't it so inspiring to watch the world just pop with excitement?

This guy in Kenya made a sweet hat out of Obama newspaper clippings. Nice work.

This is got to be a good sign. I am continually curious about the attitude of those around the globe. So to those abroad, I urge you to collect newspapers and document graffiti, write and record words from our friends everywhere from jungles of Ecuador to our misunderstood comrades in the Middle East. This moment is too huge not to observe and capture for future reflection. Remember, we are creating the primary documents.

It was pretty special for me, in retrospect, to have finally voted for a candidate for whom I believe in and for whom has won. That being said, I have only been able to vote twice now. (I was too young to vote against Bush in 2000 but old enough to have the desire). It was pretty special to have participated in this campaign, donating a few bucks here and there, calling voters during some volunteer events and in general learning more about Obama early enough to be ready to cast my vote for him in the primaries. (contests which seemed tougher that the general election eh?)

Anyway, here is the meat of this writing. This win has enormous potential to effect the world in positive ways. For so many reasons I think we will be able to start setting a good example for the world and actually start communicating with other nations. I have complete faith in Mr. Obama but I use the word "potential" in describing our positive effect on the world for purposes of instigation, instigation for the continuation of this grassroots movement. Right now we need to find a pride in our country that is not surface, purely celebratory and complacent, a pride that goes beyond Obama's potential. I say this in critique of myself and of many of my friends when we took on the attitude a few months a go; "if McCain wins I'm getting out of this country" or the general "We're fucked" attitude during the Bush administration.

We need to remember to push positive energy into our nation in our own specific ways, no matter who we voted for. We must remain active in our political process, writing to our senators about the issues we care deeply for and engage in dialog and debate. We need to work in every way we can to be citizen diplomats abroad and engaged activists and visionaries at home. In general we need continue to push our democracy to its true potential no matter who our president is.

For the Thinking Rascals

2008-10-30T12:58:00.000-07:00

I just met up with my good friend Alex Reeves in Vermont last month. He told me about his new issue of Take the Handle, and I offered to make him some custom type. Take the Handle is an online multimedia publication featuring a young group of killer creative, sharp artists and writers who truly reflect the zeitgeist. The issues feature video cooking shows, mixtapes and a diverse range of delicious writing. Check out my custom letters on the inside page but more importantly peep your creative comrades doing right throughout the issue.

Darfur Day of Action: Carry the Olympic Torch to Darfur

2008-04-02T15:34:00.000-07:00

The Official Torch Relay for the Beijing Games will start in Athens Greece in late March. It will then make its way to London and Paris and arrive in San Francisco, its only U.S. stop, on April 9, 2008.

The Save Darfur Coalition and the San Francisco Bay Area Darfur Coalition invite activists from around the U.S. to join us in San Francisco to help highlight the role that China must play to end the genocide in Darfur.

What: Darfur Day of Action: Carry the Olympic Torch to Darfur
A major visibility event to target to pressure China on Darfur

When: April 9th, 2008, 1:00 p.m.

Where: San Francisco, California.

More at www.savedarfur.org

Welcome to the dialogue: Design and Social Change

2007-04-10T18:44:00.000-07:00

Hello,

My name is Benjamin Carlson. I am a designer in the Bay Area
exploring a designer's role in creating social change. I started this
blog to create a public conversation around this issue. I am inviting
creative people of all sorts to join in the conversation as well
as people working in areas of social change, ie community members,
nonprofits, mentors etc. ( I use the term designer to include people
who create with intention and for the purpose of communicating
to others.)

I am currently working on a website that will be a resource to connect
those with creative, artistic and design skills to those working for
social change. It's called Visible exchange and this is the idea:

I believe design can be used effectively as a creative problem-solving
tool in collaboration with other disciplines. I intend to show
the possibility for designer to maximize their function as strategists
working in areas of social change. I believe this can be achieved
by better connecting designers with beneficial organizations and
their communities.

Through collaboration and discourse Visible exchange will provide
greater visibility for those creating and those in need. I believe visual
communication can empower people and this type of cooperation
can generate great momentum. On the future site you will find a
community of people who believe in this cooperative strategy, and
examples of their work to show for it.

For now I wanted open a dialog up to the community. Feel free
to post your current projects, your involvement in social change,
and ideas you may have regarding this topic. I will soon post my current
work and ideas regarding the genocide in Darfur, Sudan.

Peace,
Benjamin Carlson