Occupy Art

The point of this post is not to debate the merits of the still-running Occupy Wall St. (and other places) protests, but rather to note some connections spurred by communication around the topic. Politics aside, I noticed something last week that I found kind of amazing.

 

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As I commented at the original story by Marketplace, I heard this example of shared communication on the radio (streaming, via my phone), read it online, linked to it on Facebook and Twitter, and am now blogging about it.

I think it's extraordinary — that this one guy has a thought, it gets adopted by someone in this protest, it's a highly relevant thought, and now it's broadcast and rebroadcast via many different channels. Will anything come of it? Who knows; my point is that we are part of communication magic, and it's worth reflecting upon.

True, there are maddening issues spurring on the protests, and many of them are complex... adding to the maddening. And along those lines, I think this sign captures the thought that originally inspired its content, while also making a statement on the complexity and associated frustration around the issues — while also illustrating the evolution of mass media communication, given the new breadth an individual's thoughts can achieve through technology... right to this very moment on this blog you're reading now.

There's something artful in the expression.

It makes me wonder if we're indeed in a revolution, at least in terms of communication, what with having the ability to reach and influence in so many ubiquitous, yet simple ways. We walk around with computers in our pockets and can connect with someone on the other side of the globe with ease. Or, maybe I'm just noticing the traceable pathways of the communication. Still, it's interesting to observe and document. I'm no protester, but I'm intrigued. As Marketplace host Kai Ryssdal noted, it's all very... "woah." And so, I was inspired to do some documenting via Instagram...

I photographed this sign made by a protestor in my city over the weekend:

Turns out I was subliminally giving props to Rage Against the Machine.
Which, oddly, is kinda appropriate:

And in fact, I support long-haired freaky people,
and I actually thought I was paying tribute to Tesla...

So hey, there's some art — or at least the convergence of national and local events, mass media, music, and visual design. I think that's remarkable, and I hope something can come of it, even if only reflection or informed entertainment.

Update, 10/26: not so sure I meant this kind of entertainment, from the people who brought you Puck and Snooki. Oh, well. For the story on how all this started in the first place, see the original author's follow-up.

Have you had any transcendental communication moments? Do you think we're in a revolution? Do you remember Tesla? Tell us in the comments...

Getting Social, and a Bit About Instagram

So I've been making the effort lately to get more active in the social media space (hence this blog) for my own education and entertainment. Way back when (you know, like 2003), I was one of the first to rock a MySpace account with customized HTML. Remember having to plop some code in your "About me" field? Ha, you hacker.

The most-tapped area of my phone.

Anyway, most of my social activity lately has been via the amazing Instagram photo-sharing app for the iPhone (and maybe one day other platforms). Plenty has already been written about this, so I won't go into detail for now, but just let me say that it takes smart phones to an entirely new level and is one of the most fun things to do with a phone camera. Having had a career as a graphic artist, and having always been driven to be creative — and now with the bit of social media Instagram integrates, I am continually satisfied and excited about this app. It's like Twitter for visual thinkers, and social media for visual-creative types.

Back in the day I tried the still-excellent DeviantArt (DA) briefly, but after early photo manipulation experiments, lost interest. Instagram takes care of that almost completely with its built-in filters — and now apps like Photoforge2, Juxtaposer, and especially Noir (think dodge/burn/B&W made super-easy) let me do with my thumb in five minutes what would have otherwise taken hours in PhotoShop — and to the same net effect. This part is key. The most fun element of DA for me was the community interaction/comments, and it's still there in Instagram, super-fast, and in the same spirit... while my creation tools are always in my pocket, ready wherever I'm at. There are a couple of DA browsing apps I might explore for inspiration, and I still recommend the site for all the same reasons (they have a solid mobile version), but I'm not going to be losing interest in Instagram anytime soon. Come say hi sometime; I'll be over there as rsmithing.

Cats, flowers, architecture all figure prominently in my Instagram feed. Viewable here at Statigram.

What do you think is the most interesting aspect of Instagram? Where do you think it will be a year from now? Have you found yourself recently inspired or newly fascinated by/addicted to mobile photography? Tell us your experiences in the comments!