the NCAMCT

The NCAMCT is a mock standardized test meant to illustrate the downsides of multiple choice testing, by limiting creativity by discouraging negative capability, and the tedium of multiple choice answers.

You can download the powerpoint as a PDF for your ow printable copy, although you won't be able to bind it properly without changing the order of the pages.

Beyond Binary

Beyond Binary: Genderqueer and Sexually Fluid Speculative Fiction is an anthology of speculative fiction which explores sexual fluidity. The anthology was edited by Brit Mandelo, a student at UofL who just finished her undergrad and is continuing on with her masters here at the university. She had a book release party on campus, where she sold copies of Beyond Binary and her recently published thesis We Wuz Pushed, on Joanna Russ.

The release included the editor, Brit, reading the introduction and explaining a bit of the process of putting the anthology together, and her reasons for doing so. After her introduction, she opened the floor for questions. After the Q and A, Brit sold copies of her books and signed them. I have read the first few stories of the anthology and have enjoyed all of them. They are rich and diverse, representing more than (so much more than) the simply hetero-normative romance and sex we see in mainstream media. Speculative fiction is a great way to represent, and introduce, these 'counter-culture' ideas of relationships and sex, because it allows for infinite possibilities and complete immersion.

Jane Mai

janemai.tumblr.com
artists website

Jane Mai is a Pratt Institute graduate living in Brooklyn, NY. She creates her own comics, zines, and t-shirts as a freelance illustrator. Her work is often humorous, in a cynical and sarcastic kind of way, made more so by the childlike and simple style of her drawings. Jane Mai's comics are journalistic and personal, depicting scenes from her own life which read like diary entries. She also runs an 'advice blog' on tumblr, where people ask questions about anything and she gives hypothetical and often humorous advice.

I like Jane Mai's work because she has effectively taken her life and turned it into art. Her work is about her life, in a very direct way. She's painfully honest, at times addressing subjects that could be considered 'taboo' by society at large, without any apologies. She confronts issues of sex and gender as they appear in her life. When I look at her work, and see her doing something so honest and seeing people respond to that I find it comforting. Perhaps I could be that honest with my work one day.

Mathilde Roussel

http://www.mathilderoussel.com/

"The natural world, ingested as food becomes a component of human being. Through these anthropomorphic and organic sculptures made of soil and wheat grass seeds, I strive to show that food, it’s origin, it’s transport, has an impact on us beyond it’s taste. The power inside it affects every organ of our body. Observing nature and being aware of what and how we eat makes us more sensitive to food cycles in the world - of abundance, of famine - and allows us to be physically, intellectually and spiritually connected to a global reality."


Mathilde Roussel is a French artist, who works sculpturally. For each of her projects, she also creates drawings as a part of her process which could be considered works of art in themselves. This particular piece is a series of anthropomorphic shapes made out of soil and wheat grass seeds, a commentary on our relation to the environment.

Chip Kidd gives a TED talk on how book covers can tell a story. He does this by telling stories about his book covers. I clicked on this video because of Katie's presentation, and was not disappointed in Kidd's presentation. He is entertaining to listen to, and has great insights into design and the relationship between form and content. His story telling is fun to listen to, and informative.

Musicircus

I attended the Musicircus even this past Saturday, an exhibition of whimsical student work, the highlight of which was the experimental musicians playing in the back room. I am a big fan of John Cage, Fluxus, and have a growing interest in New and Experimental Music although it's not entirely within my field of study. I enjoyed the show, although the pieces weren't particularly curated around a theme most of them did capture a sense of whimsy, temporality or silliness which matches Cage's style of indeterminacy and chance, often emphasized by the addition of an element such as time.

The music was interesting to hear, but I thought the presentation of the musicians and their playing could have been better. The room with the musicians featured a random visualization, which was interesting to watch, but I felt detracted from the musical performance. If the visualization had been somehow generated based off the music as it was played, I would feel slightly differently. Regardless of the visualization, which on its own would not have bothered me, the musicians sat facing the screen and not the audience. I could not see their instruments well, or what they were doing to produce the sounds they were making. I would have liked to see them facing each in a circle, or facing the audience. Small critiques for an otherwise great show, glad to see Cage's work getting more attention from visual artists.

Richard Tuttle

I saw Richard Tuttle's water color drawings while visiting the Speed Art museum this weekend. I went with a friend to see the impressionist exhibit, but on the way out we found a room of minimalist and postminimalist work, including Frank Stella, Sol LeWitt, and Richard Tuttle. I had never heard of Tuttle, but his drawings drew me in immediately. He does multiple series with this process, using notebook paper and small amounts of watercolor applied randomly, and displays them as a group.

The work is about the choice of materials, the notebook paper which is typically avoided as a surface for fine art, and the non representational and chance application of the watercolor, almost imitating a spilled drink. The pieces have an accidental and effortless feel, while being entirely intentional on the part of the artist.