This piece was written by the editor of www.themutation.ie (the sister site of this blog)
When Ronan first mooted this idea for a column I was delighted – even more so to get the chance to throw in my tuppence worth. So here it is my ‘Things I Keep Going Back to…”
Before I begin I just want to clarify something. As someone who is constantly online and trawling blindly through the net getting constantly sidetracked into things I knew nothing about I have quite a lot of stuff collected. I’ve put some of it into the mutantspace stumbleupon account, vimeo and youtube channel and all of it into the mutantspace delicious account so if you’re interested and want to trawl through my detritus check them out…if you want your stuff included send it on to me at admin@mutantspace.ie
1. Improv Everywhere
I love this group. It was started by Charlie Todd in New York in 2001 and has consistently created and produced large scale scenes of chaos in all sorts of public places. They are definitely worth having a look at especially if you need a pick me up. You can find them at www.improveverywhere.com or search for them on youtube
2. Burning Man Festival
I always wanted to go to Burning man – well ever since the early 90’s. But it took almost 17 years to make it happen – lack of money or life always seemed to get in the way, you know how it is. Anyway, my wife and I finally make it in the summer of 2007 and it literally changed the direction of my life. One week changed everything, ridiculous I know (what I actually think happened was that the festival sharpened everything to a point of no return). When I got back from the States I redirected my energies, began researching into self reliance, gift economies, etc, etc and started working on the mutantspace.ie project. Within 9 months it was up and running. What it comes down to is that I wouldn’t be writing this and you wouldn’t be reading it if I hadn’t gone to a hot, arid, desert in Nevada. Yes, simply put it changed everything. To those of you who have never heard of the festival it’s an annual experiment in temporary community dedicated to radical self-expression and radical self-reliance. Every year in Nevada a temporary city is built, called Black Rock City (the 4th largest in the state), on a playa in the middle of nowhere – this is Burning Man, well sort of, kinda…. It’s impossible to describe – you’re better off checking out the site needless to say if you’re out and about the west coast of America in August and fancy having the time of your life then go, go, go. Check out their site at www.burningman.com
3. The Gift
Well, when I came back from Burning Man and decided to create mutantspace.ie I got really interested in the notion of co-operation, gift economies, alternative ways of producing, creative economies, self reliance, situationism and play. ‘The Gift’ by Lewis Hyde was one of the key books on my shelf that helped me along the way, helped clarify my thoughts and I’m always going back to it. Buy it. You can get it in most bookshops or here
4. Laughing Squid
I love Laughing Squid. Although its based in San Francisco I get its mailshot every evening some of which I bookmark for you all to read. So what is it? Well it’s is an independent web hosting company that’s primarily involved in promoting art, culture and technology and connecting the art community with the tech community by letting artists know what tools and resources are available to promote their work and in turn get the geeks out from behind their computer and experience more art. Their mailing list is worth signing up to. For more info go to www.laughingsquid.com
5. The Wooster Collective
Firstly, just let me say that I am not a graffiti artist nor do I pretend to know anything about it however I do love and appreciate it. What the Wooster Collective do is showcase and celebrate ephemeral art placed on streets in cities around the world. Go to www.woostercollective.com for more info
And there we have it…you got 5 things you keep going back to? Well let us know and we’ll stick them into our February issue
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Things I Keep Coming Back To #1
A series where different people in the creative world show a few websites, books etc that refills their creative well when it’s running dry or acts as a midwife to ideas. It is not a comprehensive critical analysis of the featured item
Ronan Leonard, the creator of this feature, will take the reins for the first edition of it.
A little bit about the writer: Ronan Leonard, makes and performs music under a few aliases, hosts his own gameshow Ringo: Music Bingo; runs open mikes, 3 separate DJ nights, operates a bandroom in the city; is a freelance journalist and makes jokebooks. He is neither famous nor critically acclaimed since 1999.
for more of him/me go to www.corksongs.com
1) Chandrasonic’s guitar tips
As someone who’s known as an acoustic guitar-strumming singer, surprisingly I draw very little inspiration from that field (or is that surprising, do people think about me as much as I expect?). The music of Asian Dub Foundation challenges me and excites me more than a million scrawny middle class white fella singing about their suburban problems and clichéd insight. [a proviso, Scottish men with acoustic guitars seem to transcend my previous statement of disinterest]. Chandrasonic here lays down his almost manifesto for using the guitar. http://www.asiandubfoundation.com/guitartips.html
2) Productivity 501
A shared resources site for many self employed or creative workers; where we flag articles, computer applications or just simple websites. Many are computer related ideas, as well as workspace management to general ways of processing information, ergo all or any things that help towards your own productivity.
3) Found Magazine
A fantastic site where people from all around the world send in found notes, pictures and personal items. The most trivial of human things grounds me when I am having an angst ridden, French Poet style, self-obsessed day. I hosted them on tour last year and will be doing something bigger with them in Ireland in late 2010 (or so is the plan). Join their mailing list if you like, you get a daily dose of simple humanity, for free. How bad. www.foundmagazine.com/
4) TuneSmith: Inside The Art Of Songwriting
As a songwriter, and much importantly a music fan, “The Art Of Songwriting” is my favouritest tome on the subject. Now I understand about a fifth of the book, but it is written by the guy who wrote MacArthur Park, which is the most ambitious pop song that was ever conceived, not to mention released; and his level of understanding of written and recorded music is massive. My music is very removed from his output but this is the musical equivalent of a contemporary artist still needing to know the fact Leonardo Da Vinci existed and what he did. I always find it baffling when people don’t know what they are being alternative to
www.amazon.com/TuneSmith-Inside-Songwriting-Jimmy-Webb/dp/0786884886
5) The Hideout
I think this must be the best Independent Venue (by that I mean non-government funded and not owned, wholly or in part, by a major corporate structure) in the world. But much more than it’s independence, I am constantly tickled by their imaginative and brave bookings and in-house events, thing like Block Parties; touring artists doing three-day residencies supporting a headline act every night: nights with titles like “Chicago Metaphysical Circus”, “Immediate Sound Series” and “Hideout Dance Party” etc. They seem to question convention just like I like to think I do. On that note, when people ask me where I get my ‘crazy ideas’ (I would know for having creative and outside the box ideas and solutions to problems), and I am amazed cos there’s plenty of people like me out there in the world; we’re not that renowned though.
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