Saturday, November 7, 2009
Cloud Chamber Exhibit at the Exploratorium
My new favorite exhibit.
...A chamber is filled with supersaturated, supercooled alcohol, so it is just at the point of condensation. When high speed charged particles ('cosmic rays') interact with the chamber, the paths they trace become ionized and act as condensation nuclei for the alcohol, creating momentarily visible "cloud" trails. It's a bit like watching shooting stars. Cosmic rays are subatomic particles that are so small they penetrate through buildings, rock and people. They reach Earth at about one particle per square centimeter every minute. Ninety percent are protons (mostly helium, but also some heavier elements), and a small percentage are electrons. They can originate from our sun, supernovas across the galaxy, the big bang, or other cosmic events.
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
"Craft"? Part 2
More from the ACC conference.
Above: Artist Kathryn Pannepacker's collaborative weaving installation, in progress.
Lydia Matthews on New Models of Marketplace.
Lydia, like Richard Sennet, was another presenter drawing craft into a larger economic and environmental context. Verbatim: "Economic crisis obliges us to imagine a new social and economic structure." The questions she focused on were,
How might craft's scope of involvement and impact be expanded?
How can the concept of capital be re-defined, to give makers a new perspective on their work's effect in the world?
From Tony Fry's book Design Futuring, Lydia outlined five types of capital for makers to consider:
1. financial ($ the obvious)
2. social (human relationships, reciprocity)
3. cultural (knowledge, skill sets, education)
4. ecological (resources)
5. physical (infrastructure, tools)
She went on to give several examples of makers taking these other forms of capital into their process. Here are links to some of these:
Bamboo Bike Studio teaches bamboo-bike building classes in New York, then uses the money to establish sustainable bamboo-bike factories in Ghana and Kenya.
Ethical Metalsmiths is an organization of metalsmiths raising awareness about mining issues and pushing for reform.
EnergyXchange is a craft center in North Carolina where methane from a landfill powers glass blowers, a pottery kiln, and supplies radiant heat for artist studios and a greenhouse.
Lydia Matthews on New Models of Marketplace.
Lydia, like Richard Sennet, was another presenter drawing craft into a larger economic and environmental context. Verbatim: "Economic crisis obliges us to imagine a new social and economic structure." The questions she focused on were,
How might craft's scope of involvement and impact be expanded?
How can the concept of capital be re-defined, to give makers a new perspective on their work's effect in the world?
From Tony Fry's book Design Futuring, Lydia outlined five types of capital for makers to consider:
1. financial ($ the obvious)
2. social (human relationships, reciprocity)
3. cultural (knowledge, skill sets, education)
4. ecological (resources)
5. physical (infrastructure, tools)
She went on to give several examples of makers taking these other forms of capital into their process. Here are links to some of these:
Bamboo Bike Studio teaches bamboo-bike building classes in New York, then uses the money to establish sustainable bamboo-bike factories in Ghana and Kenya.
Ethical Metalsmiths is an organization of metalsmiths raising awareness about mining issues and pushing for reform.
EnergyXchange is a craft center in North Carolina where methane from a landfill powers glass blowers, a pottery kiln, and supplies radiant heat for artist studios and a greenhouse.
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