Tag Archives: notebooks

Signs of Times Past

These were made in Chicago or Emeryville or Columbus or Oakland. Generally filling up the time I had before I went to work. Generally small and simple and underpowered by ideas. Largely made for no exact reason, surely with some hope that something might surprise (myself). Generally an expression in no particular direction.  – t

BrianI was making signs like this, and I still like them, because I know I was very disappointed, but I am not sure if it was Brian Wilson, or some other more tangible Brian. I know I meant it.

All the Good ThingsI was doing these ice cream pictures a bit, I remember specifically on a visit to Calif. eating a lot of ice cream on this project. Good idea.

From the Curious George thing.There were a lot of variations on this curious george thing, but it started reminding me of someone else’s stuff (that Brian?) and I quit it.

To remember I did thatA 2×3 inch reminder.

The Commandment
I did a few of these on tie dye shirts from the thrift store – the California dead head commandment to enjoy, a flag of sorts

smoothe blotchI was trying to make really shit looking textures that I knew would hold lint and dust. And then smooth circles, as the subject.

Time of the Signs
Another time sign.  These are labor, by the hour – It must have included time for spacing out, or I didn’t report my hours accurately.

Signs of the time One of the GuyThe Guy – This meaning won’t fix for me, so i still like it.

MomAnother 1990s time waster before going to work. That was my mom’s hair in 1974

Least work possibleI was trying to find the smallest scraps to make things on, with sharpie and such. Fastest, cheapest, worst.

Injured hand photosI was doing a lot of these pictures in my last year at SAIC. I should have scars from it.

Idle Culture WorkerI am not even sure I made this. I definitely might have.

Hooray celebration thing Hooray celebration thingThe hooray thing; something to do.

Hang upGood thrift store style item. I remember a His and Hers two car garage door in Indiana that always impressed me.

Francy's ButtFrancy and the fisherman, printed on the iris printer and artsy rag paper at the digital pond.

Calvin KleinThe Calvin Klein thing was pretty extensive and these are about the only 2 things I can look at from it and not feel sick. I would like to forget it all completely. My parents, me.

An Artist's NameA woman had said I had an artist’s name, which really grossed me out.

 

 

Winwin Loselose

Obviously trying to make this as gross as possible

deleuze-guattariA fan painting, and I think I made up their middle names but maybe not.

EnjoymentAlways with the enjoy/enjoyment thing. Maybe it was Zizek, but I never got closer to it by writing it.

Trash
I threw out a full trashcan of cassettes. It was over.

Asking
Direct solicitation

Nothing
This is not old, not old at all

excavating tiny notebooks for tiny ideas

Notebook_from_Rwanda1 Notebook_from_Rwanda2 Notebook_from_Rwanda3 Notebook_from_Rwanda4 Notebook_from_Rwanda5 Notebook_from_Rwanda6 Notebook_from_Rwanda7 Notebook_from_Rwanda8 Notebook_from_Rwanda9

In retrospect, boredom has always had its benefits, boredom at work, boredom in high school, boredom on saturday night, boredom in meetings, boredom in mom’s car, boredom in my car, boredom listening to bored people talk about things even they find boring. Boredom goes well with fear, fear of eye contact in particular, fear of anyone looking and seeing i’m afraid, or bored. At least fear can be exciting. Like you I filled the margins of books with my doodles, or expanded into making entire notebooks of word doodles, with really no substantive notes on whatever I was supposed to be paying attention to. Sometimes I run across these shrunken notebooks and my attempts to be amusing. This notebook was from an event in rwanda, which should be exciting, perhaps. But boredom has a way of making itself at home anywhere. And after all, Rwanda is just somebody else’s backyard, as common to them as your own dumpy surroundings. Eh?