As someone reminded me last week, I have a Facebook page. I don't know why I have a Facebook page, it must have seemed relevant at some point, and I'm sure it would still be relevant if it weren't for the too-many other social networking sites I use. I'm not even sure which ones I have anymore, so I try to take inventory from time to time. OK, so the mysterious unused Facebook account tops the list, along with Linkedin for professional contacts. Linkedin works for me, and I've used it with success on more than one occasion when looking for a past colleague or needed some work done. I have a page on Model Mayhem and OMP. Let's not forget the requisite del.icio.us account, a myYahoo page, a Google account, several dozen forums I neither read nor post to. I have accounts at Bloglines, Digg, Technorati, and I'm sure plenty other blog lists, none of which have done shit for this blog. I have support accounts at too darn many vendor support sites, and email accounts I've long lost track of.

So when is enough enough? I don't have the energy to track it all, or the time to generate networks everywhere everyone else is. I can't help but wonder what happened to the open Web. All these systems, these networking tools, portals, lists, and other things, are all closed systems; I need an account on their servers, and have no view outside them. Information, network contacts, it all gets siloed in each application, and often the list is recreated over and over in separate places. My email contact list, for instance, serves as the starting point for Facebook, which creates those contacts again in the context of a social network. That same email list starts a Linkedin account, and so on and so forth until I have the same list of contacts repeated many times, each with a certain percentage of unique entries. Contacts I've picked up along the way in any one of the social places online.

The associated messaging systems of these sites do little to foster communication. They foster confusion since they, too, are closed systems. To see messages on MM for instance I have to go to the site. I don't get them in a central place, they are not RSS enabled (which would solve a whole host of problems) and are, thus, islands of information. Most sites work this way, it is not just this one, and they are kind enough send me an email when I have a new message, tag or comment, but few actually include the message, tag or comment, or a way to message, tag, or comment back without having to find a browser, log in, and do so in a most time consuming way.

These sites have found their limitations. They are certainly OK for sharing playlists and poking friends during class, but in a professional capacity, managing contacts and networks across sites is exhausting. Without a way to manage and aggregate information remotely (there's that RSS again), they become strained, and while I could use just one site, I doubt contacts and colleagues like receiving invitations to yet another social network any more than I do. The choice of site should be a personal one, but the information should be open, available to anyone with or without an account to be truly usable. Without the openness, Web 2.0 is really nothing more than Bubble 2.0 waiting to burst.

Technorati tags: social networking, networking, facebook, technorati, web 2.0 contacts, tracking

Del.icio.us tags: social networking, networking, facebook, technorati, web 2.0 contacts, tracking

I've had comments turned off while dealing with a spam problem. I believe the problem is solved, however, new commenters will have to be approved. Hopefully I can remove this restriction eventually, but until then, sorry for the inconvenience. Don't let it stop you from commenting though!

It will be talked about all winter, and with some truth, that Charlie Manuel should have left well enough alone in the fourth inning of yesterday's game. I can't say I disagree, but neither am I the Phillies manager. For those who missed it, with a fragile 3-2 lead, starting pitcher Kyle Kendrick loaded the bases with 2 out and Manuel brought the hook in favor of Kyle Lohse, whose low inside fast ball missed and wound up in the right field seats for a spirit breaking grand slam. Let's face it, even if Manuel hadn't gone to the struggling bull pen too early in the game, the Rockies so far are the better team. The Phillies bats can't solve Colorado pitching, and Philly pitching isn't up to the task. But it's hard to get too broken up. After all, there are only 8 teams still playing baseball this year and the Phillies are one of them. Not for long maybe, but getting this far is still something to be proud of. For some honest, well thought analysis, Beer Leaguer, as always, has a great discussion and commentary.

OK, enough nonsense. Baseball season is over and it's time to get back to business writing about art. When I first started this blog it was to write about my art, and document a move to a new home and studio. With that pretty much done, there seemed less to say about my work, but enough to say about art all around us, and while I continue to write about what I do, and occasionally post new images of current projects, more and more I notice the art of everyday things.

Last week I bought an accessory for my iPhone, and once again experienced the beauty of Apple products. Is it art? I believe so because I believe one of the defining factors of art is the thought behind the piece, whether it be a bluetooth headset, a beautiful painting, or a great athletic performance. Nothing artistic happens spontaneously, it requires extensive thought and preparation, and where Apple is concerned, the beauty encompasses everything including the packaging and even disclosures. Joel Spolsky writes about Apple's design prowess and aptly sums up what makes Apple Apple.

Beyond everyday devices, the phones and jackets and shoes, there are examples of art in everything both useful and aesthetic. The things that are art are the things that are extensions of their creators. A beautiful building is art if it contains the heart and soul of an architect, which, as I sit here looking out over the skyscrape of downtown Portland, describes few buildings indeed. And while we can use a standard formula or process, things like the golden ratio et al to create items of accurate proportion or scale, they are merely superficial without the volume of thought and skill of an artist's mind and hand.

Does that mean everything beautiful is art? No. Of course not. Art is an inherent, undefinable quality of an object which can only be described like pornography. I can't explain it, but I know it when I see it. Or hear it, for that matter, for there is plenty of music that qualifies as art. But let's leave the definitions to others and simply open our eyes, which is what this blog has become about. The art of everything, all things around us, all activities and sounds, have the potential to present us with art, however common.

Think about it next time you watch some dull program on PBS or Discovery, or wherever they show them, when they show film of an ancient civilization and fawn over the daily objects unearthed from their buried villages. These are pots, and plates, and utensils, everyday household goods that are now invaluable, not so much because they are art, but because there are so few of them they wind up in art museums as examples of culture itself. Do things today have the potential to hold such value? Wait 5,000 years and see. If they do, I'd rather enjoy it now, before it's distilled into an unrecycled and empty Talking Rain bottle behind the glass of some future civilizations cultural museum.

In the meantime, let's explore the art of everything together. Let the unusual, and overlooked art of our world be documented and recognized in and of it's time, before they become relics or commonly obsolete. And, by the way, the last several months worth of drawings are finally being scanned....for anyone who may have wondered what happened to the art on this site.

Web design is a simple process. Over the years the concept of a web page has been pretty well defined. It looks a certain way, based on one of a few basic forms. Nothing ever really begins from scratch. Seth Godin points this out in a recent post. I disagree with the idea of "good enough" in anything, the work should reflect the best you have to give, but Godin's point is well taken that web design is not a start-from-scratch process. Godin is also right asserting that developers not be invited to the table unless the design is complete. I've built more websites than I can count, and have yet to encounter a desgin that is "unbuildable." The argument is often made that developers must be involved in the design process to ensure a buildable design, but I don't see it. A developer who knows his craft can build anything, it's just a matter of how long and how much. Web development is no different from any other art form. The practiced hand builds the effective site, and we can't hedge our bet by meddling in the design process.

I don't get out to art galleries as often as I should, but when I do, there are a few I make sure to always visit. Portland sports a vast number of galleries, and not just in the Pearl. Recently, the east side has seen the growth of galleries and offers First Friday as an answer to First Thursday, the established art walk of the Pearl and Old Town districts. And we all know of the hemp fuelled revelry on Alberta on Last Thursdays. It can a be too much to see, but I do have my favorites, and here are six of them.

1. The Lawrence Gallery - Portland's premier art gallery and my personal favorite. The work here is always first class, and the variety offers something for everyone. Make a point to visit and check out the paintings by Jennifer Gray.
2. The Attic Gallery - Don't let the website fool you. It may look like it was designed in 1997, and probably was, but the Attic Gallery is huge and fun. Their new digs on NW 10th make a great place to view art...really big art, which I remember from my last few visits. Plus the staff is surprisingly friendly.
3. Laura Russo Gallery - Consistent quality and a beautiful space make this gallery worth many return visits. As with all galleries on this list, they have wonderful people working there, and their openings are intimate events that put you in the company of some of the finest artists in Portland.
4. Quality Pictures - The new kid on the block, QP specializes in photography, an art form sadly neglected in Portland. While the space is small, the quality of work shown more than makes up for it.
5. Newspace - Newspace isn't a gallery per se, they offer a wide range of activities for photography, such as studio rental, classes, darkroom, etc; but they also have a gallery where photographers can share their work. If you have an interest in what the locals are shooting, stop by and check it out.
6. Working Artist Studio - Also not just a gallery, WAS could only exist in Portland. Established as a place where artists can find studio space, and classes on art business, they occassionaly have member shows at their location and other spaces around town.

Technorati tags: portland, art, gallery, galleries, artist, arts, photography, artists

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The Oregon symphony hasn't been noted of late for groundbreaking or original performances. Their uninspiring programs have lost the luster of years past with stiff performances seeming more like high school music class. Despite the plummet toward irrelevance, however, they can still, on occasion, offer an evening of fine entertainment. Norman Leyden's performance, on occasion of his 90th birthday, at the Arlene Schnitzer concert hall last night was the best offering the Oregon Symphony has had since, well, Norman's retirement performance several years ago, and the sold out crowd seemed to agree, clapping wildly throughout and even spontaneously bursting into a verse of "Happy Birthday" late in the show.

Hearing Norman's big band is always a treat. I've heard him conduct the Oregon Symphony Pops, and perform with Pink Martini, but he always seems at his best in front of a big band. It's also one of the few occasions on which you can hear the classics of the big band era performed as they were intended. Leyden's history as an arranger, and his 300 plus arrangements make him an authority on the big band sound, and he is always true to the style of a time when stockings had seems, men wore hats, and movie stars smoked on screen. Most interesting is how the old arrangements lack the clutter heard in even the best of their modern counterparts. It's not to say the traditional is better, just different...and disappearing.

Norman Leyden is 90 years old, and we have cause to celebrate. Where he once occupied a regular place in the Symphony's season, his appearances are now rare and special. This obviously wasn't lost on the audience, many of whom appeared to be Norman's contemporaries. Outside prior to the show, while waiting for my party to arrive, I was struck by how intent many were to be there. Many in attendance had obvious difficulty getting around, requiring walkers and assistants, and moving with great effort, but they weren't going to be left out. In spite of the struggle, once inside, the music brought out inspiring youth in everyone. At the end of the show, balloons were dropped from the ceiling as a birthday cake was brought onstage, and before long, the crowd was throwing the balloons around like a beach ball at a Van Halen concert. The energy was both unexpected and exhilarating, and Leyden and the band responded in kind.

The band stand was decorated white, and the band all wore white for a very clean presentation. From the opening note of Tommy Dorsey's Hawaiian War Chant they hit the ground running to a welcoming standing ovation. The expected classics were all included. Pennsylvania 6-5000 and American Patrol, 2 Glenn Miller classics, featured dancing by Dance West from Beaverton. Leyden himself lifted the microphone to sing Chattanooga Choo Choo and the highlight of the evening came with a jumping performance of In the Mood featuring scorching solos by Dick Saunders and Paul Mazzio. The band tore through the song with enthusiasm to a point where they sounded on the verge of chaos, but never out of control, as Saunders and Mazzio traded licks on sax and trumpet.

Some intimate moments of the night came in the voice of Renee Cleland and songs such as September in the Rain, and Music Maestro, Please. Cleland's daughter Aubrey took the stage for what I thought was a less well known song, 6 Lessons from Madame LaZonga, but the cheers and snickers in the audience told me otherwise. Young Cleland performed with a maturity beyond her 14 years, returning later to perform an uplifting version of A-Tisket A Tasket. Other vocals were provided by Leyden regular Rod Lucich, and Hailey Niswanger joined the band on saxophone for several numbers.

By the time it was over the audience was well satisfied and the band well played. For all the musical excitement, though, Leyden himself seemed to almost revel in the evening, especially when bantering with the audience. Hopefully, the Oregon Symphony will take notice. This was the kind of evening Portland audiences expect, whether comprised of casual popular music such as performed by the Leyden band, or a thoughtful interpretation of an interesting classical program. It also doesn't go unnoticed that this was the first time in a long while I saw the Schnitz sold out for a Symphony sponsored event. In case your listening, Symphony, give us more quality like we saw last night, and bring Norman Leyden back for at least one performance each season. Maybe then you won't seem so irrelevant.

I wanted to use comic books as props.  I have thousands of them stuffed in the attic (yes I've read them all) and they do nothing but take up storage space.  It was nice to get them down and try to create a story with stories.  It took a week to organize them and put them back in the attic, but I'll use them again.

The World Series will come and go, and I doubt I'll notice much of it. One thing I'm glad to see, though, is that we won't have to see that offensive Cleveland logo anymore this year. Think about it. Is there anyone who really thinks, in 2007, that this:

is a repectful or appropriate logo for anything?