Crowdsourcing: Sounds and Images of US..

Artist Statement Project 5
Sounds and Images of US- crowdsourcing project.
Each state has a number of landmarks, events, and places that only a few know about. These hidden gems that only a few or locals know about are some of the most unique landmarks, events, and places I have seen in my travels. What if there was a way to share these things with others? It would be very difficult for someone to visit each state to find these hidden gems. Also, the time needed to find them could take years. By using crowdsourcing, an artist is able to have visuals and sounds from all over the US sent to them. With this information, a display unlike any can be created. Many crowdsourcing projects only ask for visuals. Audio from places can be just as effective as visuals. The sound of water at Niagara Falls can produce a stronger emotional resonance then just looking at an image. Also, by incorporating sound in art, like this, can change the prospective some people have about sound art. By using crowdsourcing, a project like this is possible and can benefit many. People submitting can network with others or could become so interested in an event that they want to go see it for themselves.
There are so many wonderful things in the US that it is impossible to see them all. This can help many see a slice of what they never would have thought was out there. 

Call For Submissions!!
Sounds and Images of US
Deadline: June 1, 2013

Sounds and Images of US is a crowdsourcing collaborative display showcasing places in the US. Each state has a number of historic landmarks that everyone is aware of. The Liberty Bell in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, The Statue of Liberty in New York City, and the Hoover Dam in Las Vegas, Nevada, are landmarks that most everyone is aware of. These places are in most US history textbooks, but what about smaller landmarks that have somehow mist their place in the history textbooks or tourist brochures? Sounds and Images of US is going to change that.

Do you know of landmarks, events, or other unique something that you feel others should know about? If you do, submit to Sounds and Images of US.

Sounds and Images of US is a display will be made up of sounds and visuals of landmarks, events, or other unique things from all 50 states in the US. Each state will have its own section to showcase the diverse personality of the state. Both sound and visuals can be submitted.

Visuals can be both still images and video taken from any camera. Examples of visual submissions are a local festival, local landmark, or something you feel others should know about. Sounds can be recorded using any recording devices. Examples of sound submissions can be sounds of your favorite park, a local hang out or animals of the state. Be creative!!

After the deadline for submissions, all sounds and visuals will be combined into a video display. Each state will have their own display. The display will take place at Enigma Art Gallery in Reno, NV from October to December 2013. The display will also be available to view online at Enigma Art Gallery.com

For questions, please contract Tim Chatwood at TC@enigmagallery.com

See video example below.


Project 5 from Timmy Chatwood on Vimeo.

Crowdsourcing: Collected Visions Project.

Collected Visions Project:
Approximately 3,000 images collected from over 300 people are in a searchable archive of family snapshots. More than 250 photo essays exploring how photographs shape our memories are posted in the CV Gallery, the CV Museum, and Positive Visions. Please contribute stories and photographs or create essays inspired by images in our archive. Launched in 1996, Collected Visions was conceived and is updated by Lorie Novak.

Images and Story submitted by Tim Chatwood.

Ted Chatwood: US Navy WWII

(Third in from the left)

Landing Ship, Tank (LST) 687
LST 687 Info
LST 687 Info

Photo Essay

Ted Chatwood is my grandfather from my father’s side. I never got to know Grandpa Chatwood because he passed away when I was very young. What I know of him is from the stories told by my father, newspaper articles from when he was a detective in the Peoria, Illinois Police Department, and old photographs. The photographs above are from his time in the Navy during WWII.

It is not uncommon for our grandparents to have served in the military during WWII, but Ted Chatwood’s story is very different. He came from a very poor family with many children. His family was still trying to escape the pain the Great Depression had caused them. With the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the US was pushed into a war they had been trying to avoid. Every able body man was called up to fight. Ted Chatwood saw this as his way out and to give his family one less mouth to feed. At the age of fourteen, he lied about his age and enlisted into the US Navy.

The photograph of the sailor’s sitting around the table are Ted Chatwood and his crew. Little is known about when or where the photograph was taken. It is was most likely taken in 1942 after he completed training and was heading to the Pacific Fleet. The restaurant matches that of the time period and could be anywhere in the US.

The photograph of the ship is the LST (Landing Ship, Tank) he was assigned to. This ship was part of many invasions of Japanese held islands. Many of the invasions were major turning points in the war. You can see the damage inflicted on the ship during it’s duties.

I wish I would have gotten to know Grandpa Chatwood. I would have loved to hear his stories first hand. He did not keep a journal or other records. I asked myself, when I was fourteen, if I could I have left my family to go fight in a war? Could you? This is a question I cannot find an answer for still to this day.

Photo Essay- Photo taken from site.

 

 Working Dog

One of my favorite things to do when I’m home in Carson City, Nevada is visit my dad’s house where our dog Bailey lives. Bailey was named after my grandmother’s favorite drink, Bailey’s Irish Cream. Bailey is a golden retriever we got as a puppy in 2004. It is the first dog I have ever had. He is a very playful dog, even being as old as he is today. One of the main reasons I would go to my dad’s house is to work on projects or his website. As I would sit in the computer room tying to finish something, Bailey would sit next to me trying to get my attention. He would brush up against my leg or try to get me to pet him. There were many times I would try to work on something sitting on the couch and all Bailey would do is sit in my lap, making it impossible to work. Eventually, I would give in and pet him or take him outside to play ball. You would think I would have been upset having to stop what I was doing to play with him, but I always went back to work not minding at all.  When I moved to Reno, Nevada, just thirty minutes away, I would see Bailey less and less. I grew to miss him and his company. Even when no one else was home, I never felt alone. The connection I feel when being around Bailey is one I have never been able to recreate. He was always able to me not stress over the task at hand. What I thought was a distraction was making me walk away from a problem and clear my head. I now find myself stressing over tasks that were very easy with Bailey there.

Never underestimate the power of a pet.

Participative Systems Reading Questions.

1. What are some of the problems that can come from having an interactive art display or crowdsourcing?
A person could take things to far or contribute things to a crowdsourcing that is not up to pair. It is important to set standers of what can be submitted. As an audience in an interactive art display, that you hold yourself to a standard. If you are going to submit something to a crowdsourcing project, you make sure that it meets the standers outline.

What is open source in art?
Open source can be an artist using an open source software or program. Most open source software’s or programs are free for users or artist help to better the program. This use of open source can help artists produce art that they other wise could not.

Crowdsourcing: The art of a crowd reading questions.

1. What are some of the benefits of crowdsourcing?
Some of the benefits of crowdsourcing are that people at have little to no art experience can participate in a larger project. This can help someone gain experience for their own projects. Others can support a project that is too large for one person to accomplish on their own. A projected can be supported from around the world. People involved with a crowdsourcing project can like the work of another member so much that they will want to work with them again. The possibilities for networking with crowdsourcing and crowdsourcing projects are endless.

2. What are some of the problems that can come from crowdsourcing?
When you give up control of something, you have to set strong guidelines of what you want or what is acceptable. This is someone that if you are going to start a crowdsourcing project you should think about. As said in the reading, “Like any tool, it is only as smart as the person using it.” “Without a strong structure, the results can be chaotic, mediocre, or trivial”(Grover).

BBC The Alchemists of Sound

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When you get into your car, the first thing many people do is turn on the radio to their favorite station. The radio waves today are filled with a variety of options from county, pop, and talk radio. Radio is seen by most people as a way to fill the time or keep them preoccupied when driving. The television has become today’s main source of entertainment. Few would think of tuning in at a specific day and time to hear their favorite radio program like they would their favorite television show.  During the 1940’s and 1950’s radio was the main source of entertainment. Like today popular sitcoms, people all over would dial in at a scheduled day and time for their favorite programs. To keep the shows exciting, sound effects were added along with the dialogue to help the listener better understand the story. Today, getting sound effects is very easy. Many music computer programs come with thousand of options or sound effect CDs are easy to find. This was not the case during the 1950’s. The sound effects had to be made from scratch.  The team at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop were pioneers in sound effects creation. Using a variety of techniques and technology, the team created sound effects that some said sounded too realistic. Dr. Louis Niebur Department head of UNR Department of Music is author of Special Sound: The Creation and Legacy of the BBC Radiophonic Workshop. The book covers the history of the workshop and some of the tech used.

Sound of all kinds is present in our daily lives. A car driving past, water running from a faucet or the click of Bic Lighters are all sounds people hear every day. These sounds happen in most movies or television shows. Without these little details, the impact of the scene could be lost. To create these diverse sounds, it is up to sound engineer to record them. Just like the BBC Radiophonic Workshop during the 1950’s a verity of techniques and equipment is used. The next time you watch your favorite television show, listen for background sound. Would the story or scene be missing something without them? The answer is most likely yes.

BBC Sound from Timmy Chatwood on Vimeo.

Project 4 from Timmy Chatwood on Vimeo.

Reading Questions:

1. How has video art changed video technology?

2. Has new user friendly programs opened the doors for more people to do video art?