interesting stuff

when sea levels attack

 

I love the simplicity of this infographic by David McCandless. The visual design has a clean light quality that is a pleasure to take in. The gradient blues draw the eye downward towards the black cityscape silhouettes. They are easily recognizable as they trace the iconic buildings of each major world city. If only the message of the graphic was not so sinister.

For as my eye dives down into the depths of the page, I start to notice the text that defines the imagery, and frankly, it doesn’t make sense at first. I see a correlation between years and sea level, that the depths of the blue bands are marked and measured with time. As my eye begins a slow climb up the cityscapes, my mind makes connections to memories of the places I’ve been, stories I’ve read, desires I wish to fulfill. And I see that slowly, these cities are drowning. I see that in 300 years, San Francisco, the city that I tread each day, will be underwater, forever lost like Atlantis. I see that in 600 years, “New Orleans is sinking, and I don’t want to swim.” The irony is that I suddenly have an impulse to book a plane, to travel, to see these wonderful places that will one day be swimming due to an expanding ocean heated by global warming. But than I realize: this desire will only add to the problem of carbon overload that is heating the earth.

And that is what I love about this infographic. McCandless has organized the data to the extent that I don’t have to make the basic correlations myself. The data landscape he has designed connects sea levels, time, geography and consequence. He takes my mind to the next level, and allows me to come to a more enlightened and informed perspective on global warming. What is left out is the answer, and I must decide how I will use this new-found knowledge in a responsible and informed way. As he says in his TED talk: “Let the data change your mindset, then maybe your behavior.”

mary13 interesting stuff, thoughts 0

research interview pitfalls

Our group had two pilot interviews this weekend, and we split the team into two groups to handle the task. I am interested to hear how the other group’s interview went. I was pretty pleased with the one I participated in, but after watching the videos on interviewing, as well as reading a couple of chapters in Learning From Strangers, I wonder if I could have done a better job with my questioning. I will have to watch the video and see what I could improve. The major pitfalls that stand out to me in all of the material are the inability to develop a solid, safe interviewer/participant relationship and not enabling the participant to share their thoughts and feelings.

I am pretty sure we followed the methods outlined in Market Research Interviewing Techniques: Asking Why. One method, the socratic method, is to ask open-ended questions that start with where, what, when and how. Leading with a why question can result in rationalized responses that justify certain behaviors, instead of true feelings and emotions. The second interviewing method described in the video is to take a genuine interest in the participant, to be an avid and interested listener. In this method, the interviewer can adapt their style to suit the participant (ie. be more inquisitive with a quieter person), as long as the participant still feels heard and safe. I feel that we definitely were successful in setting up a great conversational exchange, however I wonder if I may have asked why a few too many times. Reviewing the videos will be telling!

Learning From Strangers reiterates the importance of setting up a solid, safe relationship with the participant, which they describe as the research partnership. The interviewer has many techniques at hand to probe for more information, such as asking the participant about specific incidents, asking the participant about other people who were involved, or asking what the participant was thinking when something happened. I found the section about phrasing a question particularly interesting. If you ask a question in the present tense, you will get a more generalized answer (ie. Where do you go to shop? – the big box store vs. Where did you buy X the last time? – the supermarket down the street). Getting specific will bring out the details, and I think will show more genuine interest in the subject. I have a feeling I could have asked more specific questions in the interview, as I did feel the research partnership was pretty open and trusting. That said, the participant did do most of the talking, and shared a great deal of information with us, so I think overall, we did quite well.

mary13 interesting stuff, thoughts 0

training for a half marathon

I have surprised myself this year, and have decided to run the Whistler Half Marathon. I have been running sporadically over the last few months, and have realized I actually like it. Surprising. I have also realized that I need a goal to keep on a fitness regime. Not surprising. Last year, it was climbing, which I still do regularly. Making learning to climb a goal made climbing a habit, and I am hoping that if I do the same with training for a long run, it will also become a regular part of my life.

I knew I would need some help with this, so I went to my phone to find an app for training. Personal Running Trainer is a pretty good investment. 5$ for the half marathon training schedule, which is pretty reasonable. This phone costs me a fair amount of $$ each month, so I want to maximize its usefulness. Overall , it’s a good app, with time-based running challenges, so I don’t have to worry about measuring out a running route, and voice-over instructions by Coach Justin that give me tips while I run. I’m lucky, as I live near English Bay, so my running track is ready, waiting and easily accessible. I can also load in my music, and it’s pretty funny when Justin starts speaking over Hungry Like the Wolf. :) Here’s my running track list so far (no judging!). It plays the music randomly, so it’s keeps me surprised.

Dancing Queen, ABBA
Ambling App, Yeasayer
Girls and Boys, Blur
I Feel Love, Donna Summer
Girls on Film, Duran Duran
Hungry Like The Wolf, Duran Duran
I Ran, Flock of Seagulls
Our Lips Are Sealed, GoGos
Strict Machine, Goldfrapp
Looking For You, Kirk Franklin
The Fame, Lady Gaga
LoveGame, Lady Gaga
Seventeen, Ladytron
The Man with the Red Face, Laurent Garnier
Losing My Edge, LCD Soundsystem
Disco Infiltrator, LCD Soundsystem
Blue Monday, New Order

I hope I can keep up with my training and run the half marathon. I realize I have to take each session one at a time, and really try to do my best. I know this sounds like a cliche, but it’s not about being The Best, it’s about being My Best. Powerful to realize, and makes things a little less daunting. Happy running!

mary13 interesting stuff, thoughts 0

into the vaults of history

I was just updating my Linked In profile with some past education, specifically my diploma from the publishing program at Langara College. I found the article I wrote for our term project, Pacific Rim Magazine, which was distributed throughout the Westcoast in the Globe and Mail. Thought It would be nice to republish it here.

speaking in stones

Thousands of years old and wrapped in mystery, Neolithic jades speak a silent story of art, history, process and politics.
by Kathleen Moynahan

“One can surmise a variety of things about these pieces, there is all kinds of speculation, but there is really no way of knowing what these pieces really mean.” Dr. James Caswell, professor of Fine Arts at UBC and curator of the current Chinese art exhibition at the Museum of Anthropology, is discussing only one of the many mysterious aspects of Neolithic jade artefacts. Thousands of years old, these jades remain a curiosity. How were they made, what do they mean and who were these highly skilled artists? Today, the existence of jades in private and public collections is often surrounded by controversy regarding authenticity, methods of collection and rights of ownership. Nevertheless, Neolithic jades remain truly beautiful-they speak a silent story of art, history, process and politics.

The reverence for yu (jade) was born over 9,000 years ago in the Neolithic cultures of China. The mineral nephrite, more commonly known as jade, is a plentiful stone that was found, as it is today, as boulders in the beds of the Liao and the Yangzte rivers. Nephrite consists of interlocking fibrous crystals of either tremolite or actinolite, which give the stone its strength. Predominantly dark green in colour with white marbling, nephrite can also have inclusions of iron ore which present themselves as rusty orange veins. With time and exposure to the elements, the exterior of the stone turns a reddish brown that can be carved away to reveal dark green insides.

Entombed in gravesites for centuries, even the purest nephrite was destined to discolouration. The mottled rusty brown surfaces were once a bright yellow green, but years of nestling in the cradle of the earth, subject to heat and moisture, has changed these stones from fresh young sculptures to old grandfatherly icons.

Gyula Mayer, a private jade collector, speaks about Neolithic jade with an appreciation born from an interest in modern art and sculpture. He has been studying and collecting Neolithic heirloom jades for over 30 years and admires the highly advanced technical skills of the ancient artists.

Neolithic jade was not actually carved, but rubbed. Mayer adds that “They used some abrasives to remove excess material from the product, and of course it was very time consuming.” Creating the incised lines and buttery smooth surfaces of some of these works would have taken years. To cut a slab, a rope had to be used to slowly slice a stone in two. Bamboo tubes were also used to drill holes through both sides of the jade, as evidenced by ridges that are often found on the interiors of tubes. In terms of technical construction, Neolithic pieces are a feat of endurance and skill. Even today, with the use of electric grinders and diamond drills, jade is a strong material that takes time and patience to shape.

From recently excavated burial sites, it is apparent that only a few people had the wealth of jade objects. One excavation from the Liangzhu culture revealed a tomb that was literally lined with jade. Who were these ancient people? Did they trade their riches to acquire these pieces? Were they leaders who were given jades out of respect or were they feudal masters who demanded that these pieces be created? These are the questions asked by Dr. Caswell, who is currently on sabbatical to study the most recently excavated tomb from the Liangzhu era.

Valued for its beauty and prized for its strength, jade was used for many types of objects. The three most common pieces found in Neolithic tombs are the bi disc, the cong tube and animal figurines. The cong, or ts’ung tube, is a cylindrical carving with a square cross-section, often showing fine incised carvings. The bi, or pi disc, is a flat disc with a round or square perforation in the middle. Most often it does not have incised carvings.

Some experts write that the bi disc represents the sun, or “the round heaven” (t’ien-yuan), and in turn, the cong is meant to represent “the square earth” (ti-fang). These representations and symbols are the language of the Liangzhu, but unfortunately their meaning is largely lost to us. In one tomb, up to 30 cong tubes were found placed around a body with the larger ends pointing toward the head. Two pieces were placed on the chest and abdomen, and as many as 24 pi discs were found underneath the body. It is obvious from the excavations that these pieces were used to protect and accompany the body in transit to the afterworld.

Translucent and lustrous, jade has been described as the flesh of the earth. Some strains of archaeological discourse have constructed a complex mysticism around these jade objects. Many commentaries emphasize the mystical properties of the stone. For example, scholars write that the demonic masks on the ts’ung tubes could be the iconography of a trinity: heavenly deity, ancestral spirits and sacred animals. Each entity is linked to the life force, the earth, and to each other. Therefore, any of the three entities could transform into the other as they wished. The ancient concept of kan-ying-empathy between things of like kinds-suggests that the Neolithic cultures may have believed that the jade insignias paralleled the qualities of the objects they were carved to mimic. The Chinese word for “ritual” actually translates as “to serve the gods with jade” which implies that, even in Neolithic times, jade pieces were considered a medium of communication between humans and supernatural beings, between heaven and man.

Both Mayer and Caswell raise questions regarding authenticity and the impact that the pieces have had on the cultural history of China. During the cultural revolution, the Chinese government had little interest in the significance of jade. The government believed that veneration of these objects reflected a traditionalist faith that challenged the political thought of the time. Mayer remembers a time when many Neolithic pieces were destroyed because of such beliefs. As a result, many of these cultural treasures were smuggled out of China, and are now in the hands of private collectors around the world. However, the question remains: who should have ownership of these pieces? Comparative analysis must be used to determine the authenticity of particular pieces. Because there are so many artefacts circulating in private and public collections, it will be some time before a definitive method for authentication can be applied to all collections.

Who were these highly skilled artists? Can we imagine the spaces in which long hours were passed shaping the stones? As an artist, I am curious about the methods of production and the social atmosphere in which these works were constructed. How were these techniques learned and shared among the masters? Were they families who passed insignias and symbols from ancestor to descendant and strove to perfect aspects of technique? Did they have workshops, like we do today, where experts come to teach many willing to learn? Did women and men work side by side to create these masterpieces, or was this artistic practice segregated along gender lines?

On the cusp of this debate is the differentiation between artefact and art object. I look at these pieces from a Modernist perspective, with appreciation of formal and technical innovation, quality of aesthetic power and expression of intense feeling through abstract form. The bold shapes and abstract representations of Neolithic art objects prompt appreciation for a perfectly formed circle, a flawlessly smooth surface and colours that reach my psyche on an indescribable level.

My Western eyes have been trained to see art this way, yet I am hesitant. This perspective has traditionally ignored social and historical issues around art and art making, not to mention the problems inherent in trying to understand an ancient culture through the filter of modern experience. But, through this dangerous distance, I wonder if these are feelings that I, as an artist, share with these ancient masters.

Pacific Rim Magazine and the author gratefully acknowledge the assistance received in the preparation of this article. Special thanks to Gyula Mayer for sharing his in-depth knowledge of Neolithic jades and cultures, to the Museum of Anthropology for providing the photographs for this article, and particularly to Mr. Victor Shaw, collector of Chinese antiquities, Dr. James Caswell, professor of Chinese art at UBC, and Jennifer Webb, Director of Communications at the MOA. The jades of Shaw’s collection featured in this article are currently on exhibition at the MOA, and it is possible that the entire jade collection will be sent to the Museum, to be exhibited at a later date.

mary13 interesting stuff, thoughts, writing 0

how i approach web typography

One of my students asked me if I could give him some pointers on how to improve his web typography. Beyond looking at great examples and learning through looking, I do have an approach to setting up the page that is worth posting here.

Of course, essential to this process is having near-to-complete content, as well as a solid grid framework from which to hang your layout. Both are developed through an understanding of the technology for which you are designing, as well as the business objectives and messages you want to communicate. This process is also preceded by your brand and visual exploration, and your moodboard has been set. After all this is down, here’s a few steps you can take to get your typography together.

  1. Before anything, I turn off my image and navigation layers. Good typography stands on its own.
  2. Make sure all the text blocks follow the grid, and have a nice amount (15-20px) spacing around them.
  3. Change all the text to the same font face, same size (min 13px) and same colour. Ensure line heights are 130-140%.
  4. Identify all the headings that should be styled the same, and then change them to a larger size, different colour, bold and/or all caps.
  5. Identify all the sub-headings that should be styled the same and change them to something different as well.
  6. Look for special areas (ie. blog entry signatures, tables, captions, block quotes, any other special data) and then determine if it should be given special treatment (colour, size, make it an icon, etc).
  7. Step back, assess, revise as needed. Rinse and repeat.
  8. Add horizontal or vertical lines, or any other graphical devices as needed for definition.
  9. Turn on the image and navigation layers and assess, revise as needed.

Good luck with your typography!

mary13 interesting stuff, thoughts 0

vitrine

is not a medicine nor an object found in la salle de bain. I found the word in the latest issue of Décor, a lovely yet expensive interior design magazine. If you know me, you know I cannot resist the lure of the glossy pages, and I love to lose myself in the colours and textures.

I hadn’t heard this word before, which is simply a display case with glass panels. It can easily be made of wood or metal, but the key is the glass panes that allow us to see inside. I have a beautiful vitrine from Bali, made of teak, with glass panels set into scalloped wooden frames. Possibly your grandmother had a tall traditional one that held her fine linen table cloths in the drawers below and Royal Albert figurines on the shelves above. What you see above, is a traditional 19th century vitrine, masterpiece by Francois Linke. Ooh la la!

mary13 interesting stuff, thoughts 0

amuse-bouche

I am in Edmonton, staying at a budget hotel, and my Libra sensibilities were so offended by the room that I Had. To . Get. Out. So off I went a wandering, and it crossed my mind that just around the corner I could find a little happiness. And there was the Wildflower Restaurant (excuse their flash website, they don’t know any better, they are restauranteurs).

A lovely room, with soft beats, and a varied menu that would do the trick. So I ordered the Napa Savignon Blanc, beef carpaccio and crab cakes, and enjoyed some quiet in the nice light. To my surprise, along came an amuse-bouche. Something with avocado and crispy bits and cream, it was delightful, unexpected, artful and whet my appetite for something more.

I love the idea of an amuse-bouche.

So I did a little exploration, and of course the Wiki had something:

“The amuse-bouche is the best way for a great chef to express his big ideas in small bites.” ~ Jean-Georges Vongerichten

The amuse-bouche is something unexpected, free, and a showcase of the chef’s talents, a brief insight into his way of cooking. So an amuse-bouche for design? How can you express yourself in a concentrated, unexpected way. I know I will be thinking about this!

mary13 interesting stuff, thoughts 0

mementos

Sort out my photos and keepsakes. I have a giant pile of “mementos” that I just can’t live without, and haven’t looked at in years.

I went through my keepsakes the other evening, and I was surprised at some of the things I have been toting around with me all these years. A cassette tape of Roxette? Well, there were a couple other tapes too, but really, we can look at those on the internet if we want to remember. I don’t even have a means to play them anymore. Can we really be sentimental about technology if it’s useless?

But there were tons of photos, and what fun to look at them. Trips to NYC, Montreal, weddings in FSJ, they were all delightful to look at and remember good times. Which prompts me to believe that I am very poor at documenting my life these days, I MUST get more active with my camera. And also make sure I keep these new digital memories in a format that I will always be able to enjoy. It’s wonderful to be digital, lighter, but we lose something in virtual reality, the sheer bulk of experience that is represented in tangible forms. But does that just leave us more space to enjoy the present and the tangible presence of other living beings?

It does feel good to know what I have, and to choose again what to bring with me. No more dusty boxes in my closet!

mary13 interesting stuff, thoughts 0

40 before 40

I am turning 40 this year, October 13, and I want to accomplish a few things before that day arrives. I have seen other people do this, so here is my list that I’d like to accomplish. I have grouped them into similars, as I think some will influence others and I want to see the general trends of my interests. A lot of these things don’t sound very glamorous, but they are things I have been meaning to do, and wouldn’t it be great to get them done?

And just to be clear, this is NOT a bucket list. Cause if life ends at 40, then I’m staying 39. Forever.

  1. Design a tattoo for Jenn and Natalie. They have requested a sugar skull, so we will see what I come up with.
  2. Make a glass mobile for my window. I bought these cool hand blown glass beads this weekend, and I just need to find a piece of drift wood to tie them too. DONE!
  3. Make a mosaic out of my shell collection. Yeah, this has been sitting around for a while, get it done! DONE
  4. Listen to a new band every week. I am already a few weeks ahead on this one, after the music fest last weekend.   In progress. DONE
  5. Use up my movie tickets. If you are like me, you bought a fistful 3 years ago, and you still haven’t used them. DONE
  6. Sort out my photos and keepsakes. I have a giant pile of “mementos” that I just can’t live without, and haven’t looked at in years. DONE!
  7. Get a portrait taken of myself and send it to my loved ones. You know, commemorate the occasion. Lucky peeps!
  8. Redesign my blog. Because this design has got to go. DONE
  9. Get my portfolio online again. Market myself. Get prepared.
  10. Volunteer at a soup kitchen. Which I have never done, and I am sure is a Good Thing. This can’t all be about me, people.
  11. Talk to one stranger every day. “Because you might just make someone’s day” sold me on this idea.  In progress.
  12. Do the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup in September. Another Good Thing, and I love the ocean, so why not? **cleaned up the river bank in Boston Bar
  13. Skip a meal once a week to understand hunger. Which maybe we should all do. Ever said the phrase “I’m starving?” Yeah, you’re not.
  14. Buy ‘that’ purse. I have my eye on one…  Getting a bootiful jacket instead. DONE
  15. Buy a lovely couch for my apartment. It will be nice to have a place to sit sometime soon.  DONE!
  16. Get rid of all those clothes I will not ever wear again. Bad fashion choices abound. And my closet is very small. DONE!
  17. Burn all my CD’s and get rid of the ones I no longer want. Already started this process, and it’s fun to listen to all my music again.  In progress. DONE
  18. Take cooking lessons (maybe indian or thai). Yummeh! Anyone want to come over for dinner?
  19. Make a chocolate soufflee. Cause we may have dessert too!
  20. Take a mixology class. And some drinks. Perhaps lots of drinks. DONE!
  21. Loose ‘that last 10 pounds’. After the dinner party. DONE!
  22. Read “The Hatha Yoga Pradipika”. A seminal book that has been sitting on my shelf for a few years now. There are hints and mysteries to explore in those pages.
  23. Master a handstand. That’s right, bitch, a handstand. Better get practicing! **I learned to climb and belay instead. I think this is a worthy trade.
  24. Hike a local mountain. And I don’t mean the Grind.  **Hiked the mountain in Boston Bar
  25. Yoga a minimum 3x a week (‘cept for moontime). Because it makes me shiny and happy.
  26. Eat vegan for two weeks. After the dinner party!
  27. Read a book on massage. Cause I like touching people, and I heard I am good at it.
  28. Take a dancing lesson, like bhangra! More joy, more bliss.
  29. Write a thesis proposal. I have some thoughts that I’d like to explore, and I am feeling school may be the direction for me. DONE
  30. Research Masters programs. Started this. Will publish findings soon. DONE
  31. Learn a new word every week. Fugue was this week.
  32. Read “Design is the Problem”. Cause I haven’t and I should.
  33. Read “About Face”. Same goes.
  34. Read “The Design of Everyday Things”. I know, shame on me, this is seminal.
  35. Read “The Art of War”. On my shelf for years, and possibly could come in handy.
  36. Make a plan for Europe travel in the next year. I’m thinking Barcelona… **Ireland. Yeah!
  37. Go to New York City for my birthday. I went on my 29th, and it was so wonderful. I love that city! **Moved to SF! DONE!
  38. Walk the Highline. Only in NYC would there be an abandoned rail line that grows fields of flowers. A must see.
  39. Go to the Statue of Liberty. Cause I haven’t, and why not? She’s beautiful and French.
  40. Go to Carnegie Hall to see Cyro Baptista. Who is a master, and he’s playing on my birthday, and I’ve never been to Carnegie Hall. Triple win!

Yeah, this is a lot to accomplish in the next couple of months, and I am not even sure it’s possible. But I’m going to have fun checking off my list, and I will share as much as I can. Wish me luck!

mary13 interesting stuff, thoughts 2