Quayola

THIS IS SO AWESUM.

Quayola is a visual artist who experiments with video, photography, design and live performance mediums and I find some of his works to be stunning. An emphasis on some mind. A good example is his project 'Partitura', a video of which you can see above.

Partitura is a custom software to generate realtime graphics aimed at visualising sound. The term “Partitura” (score) implies a connection with music, and this metaphor is the main focus of the project. Partitura aims to create a new system for translating sound into visual forms.

I do find this to be incredible, and something I want immediately. We have all experienced the crappy visualisers of audio on our media players and I for one can see no correlation of what is projected visually in relation to whatever I play. It doesn't actually transform the audio, there is no visual actualisation. What is cool is Quayola has seemed to have created something that does generate the audio into something visual.

I always imagine a film that is imbued by music, I always feel music has a story to tell. Sometimes the film isn't always a narrative, sometimes it is just shapes and colour and abstract form, a good example of this is Electric Wizard's 2010 record 'Black Masses' which in my head is a giant black ball of sludge.

I like this a lot, I would buy the 'Partitura' software if I could. I've already watched that video three times.

Hit up Quayola's website to read up on his works, they are very interesting: here

Eadweard Muybridge: Landscape Photography

(click each image to enlarge)

Eadweard Muybridge wrote his name in to the history books for the invention of the Zoopraxiscope, a device which is essentially the first movie projector: "The zoopraxiscope projected images from rotating glass disks in rapid succession to give the impression of motion." Muybridge had helped move photographic technology into film.

As you can see above, Eadweard Muybridge not only dabbled with the creation of film, he was also a most excellent landscape photographer, with my favourite of his subjects being the gorgeous natural beauty of Yosemite Valley in Calfornia.

Photographing Yosemite Valley didn't come without its problems, especially given as it was the late 19th century, here's a short explanation of what Muybridge had to keep in mind:

"Finding the right light and view was the challenging beginning to an equally demanding process of outdoor collodion wet-plate photography. This was the most progressive technique available, invented in 1851. Before taking shots, Muybridge's dark-tent needed to be pitched and his camera equipment and chemicals unpacked and prepared. Then wet plates were sensitised in the tent whilst exposures were made outside; to be developed immediately afterwards."

It is astounding hearing of the process it took to even take one photograph, and the fact after Muybridge's first expedition in Yosemite they came back with 260 images ready to be sold! Phew!

Eadweard Muybridge has a very able website which has all the possible information you could need on his work, including the Zoopraxiscope and Landscape work, aaaand you can access it: here