Robert Spahr
Since 2001
Works in Ny, New York United States of America

PORTFOLIO (4)
BIO
I make visual art from the digital leftovers produced by the main stream media as well as the digital leftovers we create as individuals left behind on social networking sites, and scattered across the web. I write automated computer programs that collect these digital leftovers by scraping them from the web, and remixing them into a digital collage, sometimes these digital leftovers become an image, a video, or text-based poetry. I call this work 'Cruft', which is a computer hacker term defined as an unpleasant substance; excess; superfluous junk; and redundant or superseded computer code.

International: Generative Art International Conference, Lucca, Italy 2012; Generative Art International Conference, Rome, Italy 2011; iV2011, Digital Art Gallery, an Int'l Conference on Information Visualization, London, England 2011; Nictoglobe Online Magazine: Friction Research Issue #4 (Reclaim the Mind), Amsterdam, The Netherlands 2011; Generative Art International Conference, Milan, Italy 2010; DRHA 2010 Conference: Digital Resources for the Humanities and Arts, London, England, 2010; Generative Art International Conference, Milan, Italy 2009; Computer Art Congress 2008, CAC.2, Mexico City and Toluca City, Mexico, 2008; Media Exchange 2, VT Art Salon, as part of the ACIA, Taipei, Taiwan 2008; Generative Art Conference, Milan, Italy 2007; Online Gallery D-ART 2006, London, England and the CGIV 2006, Sydney, Australia; Trampoline Event #19, Nottingham, United Kingdom; Hz Journal, Stockholm, Sweden; 6th International Salon of Digital Art, Havana, Cuba.

National: Interrupt II Festival and Conference - Brown University, Providence RI; From Atoms to Bits: Traces From Inside Plato's Cave, Peer reviewed essay accepted for publication. INPA1, International Photography Annual 1, exhibition-in-print, Manifest Creative Research Gallery and Drawing Center, Cincinnati, OH; 10 Years + Counting (10YAC), an online exhibit to mark the 10 year anniversary of our nation at war, September 2011; SOS ART, Creative Expressions for Peace and Justice, 2011; "Urban Interventions", at the College of Design, Architecture, Art, and Planning, University of Cincinnati; "ubuntu.kuqala" an online digital media/art/video exhibition curated by Dale Hudson & Sharon Lin Tay, Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival, Ithaca College; "Adding Insult to Imagery? Artistic Responses to Censorship and Media" at Indiana University of Pennsylvania which then traveled to Central Missouri State University; recent edition of the refereed on-line journal DrainMag.com; Solo show 'CRUFT' at Manifest Gallery; festival and symposium "2006 Perform.Media" hosted by Indiana University in Bloomington.

I was the co-founder and artistic director of the critically acclaimed theatre company, Expanded Arts, where I produced and/or directed over 300 productions, including the "Free Shakespeare in the Park(ing) Lot" series presented on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. The successful off-broadway "Shakespeare's R&J" was first produced by Expanded Arts and is now the longest running Romeo & Juliet in the history of Broadway.

My past technical work includes over 10 years of web development and design experience, at various companies in New York City, including About.com, Global Education Network, and the branding firm of Siegel+Gale.

I am currently an Assistant Professor of New Media in the Cinema and Photography Department at Southern Illinois University Carbondale. Past teaching experience includes the University of the Arts, Hartford Art School, State University of New York, Purchase College and Dowling College. I have been a visiting artist at the Art Academy of Cincinnati, and Xavier University.
Discussions (22) Opportunities (0) Events (0) Jobs (0)
DISCUSSION

Re: Where did everyone go?


Well I just completed a project of images of American war dead, the
more you look, the more the images degrade.

http://www.robertspahr.com/work/elegy/

On Wed, 4 Apr 2007 07:23:25 -0700
Erika Lincoln <fur_princess@yahoo.ca> wrote:

> The last couple of months of rhizome have left me wondering what is
> happening out there. Right now there are 1665 online where are the
> posts that reflect this, hopefully, diverse and engaged bunch of
> peeps. Where are the posts about the woefully inadequate nature of
> new media art? Is everyone hanging out at a second life gallery
> opening? Google Sprachenwerkzeugubersetzungen verletzten mein Gehirn.
> What is one to do? + -> post: list@rhizome.org -> questions:
> info@rhizome.org -> subscribe/unsubscribe:
> http://rhizome.org/preferences/subscribe.rhiz -> give:
> http://rhizome.org/support + Subscribers to Rhizome are subject to
> the terms set out in the Membership Agreement available online at
> http://rhizome.org/info/29.php
>

--
Robert Spahr
http://www.robertspahr.com

"In a time of deceit telling the truth
is a revolutionary act." -- Orwell

"Art is the lie that tells the truth." -- Picasso

DISCUSSION

Re: Re: RHIZOME_RARE: A few words concerning open-source and art


Pall,

In my own recent work, the process is more akin to printmaking. Much the way a person might work on a woodcut and then print a proof, look at the image, and then go back and work on the woodcut some more, I do something similar when I write scripts. I write them, and then stop to generate an image, then go back and tweak the script. I then repeat this process until I am satisfied with the image. My scripts are then automated and continue to run over time without my intervention. So to me the medium of my work is either the digital image or possibly an inkjet print. But the process consists of the code. The same way I might be casting a sculpture in concrete, the process might contain clay and plaster molds, and that might be of interest to other artists, but the medium of the sculpture is still concrete.

But I do agree with you, that if more artist shared their code, it would contribute to our overall understanding of each others processes. Most of the time we are looking at the final medium, and not the materials of the art making process.

Just my 2 cents...

-- Robert

On Sat, 08 Oct 2005 21:29:15 -0400
Pall Thayer <p_thay@alcor.concordia.ca> wrote:

> Hi Antoine,
> Thanks for your response and pointing out your text. But I don't
> agree with you and I think the main difference in our points of view
> is that you seem to be comparing code to a creative environment
> ("...if I were a painter, I would not show my studio...") whereas I
> am calling it the medium. I think it's very curious that you should
> say that you would not show your paint but you would show your
> paintings. Paintings are paint therefore, when you show your
> paintings, you show your paint. Code-based art is quite unique in
> this aspect. We manipulate code the way a painter manipulates paint
> but when a painter does it, you can see how the medium is
> manipulated. In the case of code-based art you don't see how the
> artist has manipulated the medium (the code) you only see the product
> of the manipulation. I'm not trying to say that we should *require*
> artists to show their code, that would be silly. But I think that if
> more artists would do it, the field itself would benefit from it in
> several ways.
>
> Pall
>
>
> On 7.10.2005, at 06:06, Antoine Schmitt wrote:
>
> > :::::::::4/10/05::::18:42 -0700::::Pall Thayer:::::::::
> >
> >> http://pallit.lhi.is/palli/ArtOpS.pdf
> >>
> >
> > Dear Pall,
> > we've had the occasion to have some interesting discussions about
> > software art in the past. Your text is the occasion for me to
> > continue by answering with another text that I had written for my
> > contribution to the CODeDOC II exhibition at Ars in 2003, where the
> > rule of the exhibition was that the code was displayed alongside
> > the artwork itself. This time, I do no agree with your position : I
> > don't think that artists-programmers _should_ show their code (note
> > that I'm not saying that they shouldn't either...), and I'm giving
> > arguments, and making parallels with other artistic mediums like
> > cinema :
> >
> > http://www.aec.at/de/festival2003/programm/codedoc/schmitt/
> > comments.html
> >
> > Best thoughts,
> > --
> >
> > ++ as
> >
> > +
> > -> post: list@rhizome.org
> > -> questions: info@rhizome.org
> > -> subscribe/unsubscribe: http://rhizome.org/preferences/
> > subscribe.rhiz
> > -> give: http://rhizome.org/support
> > +
> > Subscribers to Rhizome are subject to the terms set out in the
> > Membership Agreement available online at http://rhizome.org/info/
> > 29.php
> >
> >
>
>
>
> --
> Pall Thayer
> p_thay@alcor.concordia.ca
> http://www.this.is/pallit
>
>
>
>
> +
> -> post: list@rhizome.org
> -> questions: info@rhizome.org
> -> subscribe/unsubscribe: http://rhizome.org/preferences/subscribe.rhiz
> -> give: http://rhizome.org/support
> +
> Subscribers to Rhizome are subject to the terms set out in the
> Membership Agreement available online at http://rhizome.org/info/29.php
>

--
--

Robert Spahr
http://www.robertspahr.com

On the heath Lear asks Gloucester: "How do you see the world?"
And Gloucester, who is blind, answers: "I see it feelingly.

DISCUSSION

Re: Inkscape - Draw Freely


I use Inkscape. It is a great little drawing program.

And if you use Inkscape, The Gimp and Scribus, you might find you no longer
need Illustrator, Photoshop, or Quark.

:-)

-- Rob

On Wed July 27 2005 08:27 am, Jason Van Anden wrote:
> This sounds really great.
> Has anyone out there used it?
>
> Jason Van Anden
>
> Eduardo Navas wrote:
> > ------ Forwarded Message
> > From: Jon Phillips <jon@rejon.org>
> > Date: Tue, 26 Jul 2005 21:49:12 -0700 (PDT)
> > To: Eduardo Navas <eduardo@navasse.net>
> > Subject: Inkscape Announces 0.42 Release :: http://www.inkscape.org ::
> > Draw
> > Freely.
> >
> > July 26, 2005 - The Inkscape community today announced the release of
> > Inkscape 0.42, a cross-platform Open Source Scalable Vector Graphics
> > (SVG)
> > drawing tool.
> >
> > Inkscape 0.42 is the most feature-filled release to date, with an
> > exceptional number of major and minor new features, usability
> > improvements,
> > and bug fixes. While some of the new features simply fill
> > long-standing
> > functionality gaps, others are truly revolutionary. Inkscape 0.42 is
> > one
> > step closer to full SVG compliance. This release adds:
> >
> > * Flowed Text: Text objects that automatically re-flow to any shape
> > (and
> > not just a rectangle).
> > * Text Selection: One can now select part of a text and apply any
> > style
> > to the selection, just like in a word processing application.
> > * Gradient Tool: A completely redesigned and much easier to use
> > on-canvas
> > gradient interface with handles displayed directly in the drawing.
> > * Effects: These are now usable from within Inkscape on all
> > platforms.
> > This version ships with a collection of effects including path
> > interpolation, randomization, and various fractal algorithms.
> > * Color Swatches: This standard facility of most graphics software is
> > now
> > a part of Inkscape.
> > * Colored Clones: Clones may now be painted differently from their
> > original.
> > * Tile Tracing: The Tile Clones dialog can trace an existing image
> > with
> > tiling, producing a multitude of exciting effects.
> > * Grid Arrange, Baseline Align, Unclumping: There are new, powerful
> > ways
> > to arrange objects.
> > * Better PS/EPS Export: PostScript level 3 gradient support, better
> > text
> > handling, and a command line option for batch export are in this
> > release.
> > * Command Line SVG Analysis: Inkscape may now be used from the
> > command
> > line to query coordinates and dimensions of objects in an SVG file.
> > * Better SVG/CSS Compliance: Notably, internal CSS stylesheets are
> > now
> > supported (read-only).
> > * Mac OS X Support: In addition to Linux and Windows, Inkscape 0.42
> > is
> > now available as a fully self-contained dmg package for Mac OS X.
> >
> > There are also dozens of smaller features and usability enhancements
> > (especially in the Fill & Stroke dialog, Node tool, and drawing
> > tools). In
> > this version the development community closed 404 bugs, some quite
> > serious,
> > and 165 feature requests. Overall, the Inkscape developers are very
> > excited
> > about this release and heartily recommend upgrading.
> >
> > Thanks to Google's Summer of Code, there are four new student
> > developers
> > adding new functionality to Inkscape this summer. Michael Wybrow is
> > adding
> > connectors for automatic diagramming. David Yip is picking up the
> > development of Inkboard (http://inkboard.sf.net/) to integrate
> > networked
> > collaborative editing of documents to Inkscape. Matthew Squires is
> > adding
> > DXF Import and Export. Greg Steffensen is working with the Open Clip
> > Art
> > Library to make a common graphical interface from the Library to
> > Inkscape.
> > Thanks to the $20,000 worth of funding for these developments from
> > Google,
> > the Inkscape developers are aiming to accelerate the development cycle
> > for
> > the next few releases in order to promote these projects.
> >
> > Download Linux, Windows, and Mac OS X packages:
> >
> > http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group\_id'438
> >
> > For many more details, see the complete Release Notes for 0.42:
> >
> > http://inkscape.org/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?ReleaseNotes042
> >
> > Community submitted screenshots:
> >
> > http://www.inkscape.org/screenshots/
> >
> >
> > About Inkscape
> >
> > Inkscape is an open source drawing tool that uses the World Wide Web
> > Consortium's (W3C) scalable vector graphics format (SVG). Some
> > supported
> > SVG features include basic shapes, paths, text, markers, clones, alpha
> > blending, transforms, gradients, and grouping. In addition, Inkscape
> > supports Creative Commons' metadata, node-editing, layers, complex
> > path
> > operations, text-on-path, text-in-shape, and SVG XML editing. It also
> > imports several formats like EPS, PostScript, JPEG, PNG, BMP, and TIFF
> > and
> > exports PNG as well as multiple vector-based formats.
> >
> > Inkscape's main motivation is to provide the Open Source community
> > with a
> > fully W3C compliant XML, SVG, and CSS2 drawing tool. Additional work
> > includes conversion of the codebase from C/Gtk to C++/Gtkmm,
> > emphasizing a
> > lightweight core with powerful features added through an extension
> > mechanism, and the establishment of a friendly, open,
> > community-oriented
> > development process.
> >
> >
> >
> > ------ End of Forwarded Message
>
> +
> -> post: list@rhizome.org
> -> questions: info@rhizome.org
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> -> give: http://rhizome.org/support
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> +
> Subscribers to Rhizome are subject to the terms set out in the
> Membership Agreement available online at http://rhizome.org/info/29.php

--
--

Robert Spahr
http://www.robertspahr.com

Frogs will immediately leap out of a pot of boiling water,
but when placed in cool water, and boiled slowly, they
will sit there and get boiled alive, not noticing the slow
change in temperature until it is too late.

DISCUSSION

Re: Re: Mac Tech question


Apple states anyone using OS X 10.2 or above would not need to optimize a
disk.

http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum%668

Here is an interesting bit of text from this page:

"For these reasons, there is little benefit to defragmenting.
Note:Mac OS X systems use hundreds of thousands of small files, many of which
are rarely accessed. Optimizing them can be a major effort for very little
practical gain. There is also a chance that one of the files placed in the
"hot band" for rapid reads during system startup might be moved during
defragmentation, which would decrease performance."

-- Rob

On Mon July 18 2005 11:57 am, TJ ODonnell wrote:
> actually- there is a performance hit if you do not de-fragment your drive
> under system X-- IF you are using the drive for video. I have to defrag my
> drive once a month (I do loads of vid each day).
>
> I HIGHLY recommend you use Tech tool-- it has saved my life twice this
> year-- and is excellent in finding and repairing hidden defaults in drives
> over 500gig.
>
> Well worth the investment.
> +
> -> post: list@rhizome.org
> -> questions: info@rhizome.org
> -> subscribe/unsubscribe: http://rhizome.org/preferences/subscribe.rhiz
> -> give: http://rhizome.org/support
> -> visit: on Fridays the Rhizome.org web site is open to non-members
> +
> Subscribers to Rhizome are subject to the terms set out in the
> Membership Agreement available online at http://rhizome.org/info/29.php

--
--

Robert Spahr
http://www.robertspahr.com

"As nightfall does not come all at once, neither does oppression.
In both instances, there is a twilight when everything remains
seemingly unchanged. And it is in such twilight that we all must
be most aware of change in the air - however slight - lest we
become unwitting victims of the darkness."
-- Justice William O. Douglas

DISCUSSION

Re: hush


http://www.robertspahr.com/london/

On Sat July 9 2005 11:37 am, Rob Myers wrote:
> On 9 Jul 2005, at 05:23, Jim Andrews wrote:
> > O London
>
> For London's (and increasingly the world's) response see:
>
> http://www.werenotafraid.com/
>
> http://www.livejournal.com/users/tyrell/154027.html
>
> And my personal favourite:
>
> http://moblog.co.uk/blogs/89/moblog_888b7e5f9f657.jpg
>
> - Rob.
> +
> -> post: list@rhizome.org
> -> questions: info@rhizome.org
> -> subscribe/unsubscribe: http://rhizome.org/preferences/subscribe.rhiz
> -> give: http://rhizome.org/support
> -> visit: on Fridays the Rhizome.org web site is open to non-members
> +
> Subscribers to Rhizome are subject to the terms set out in the
> Membership Agreement available online at http://rhizome.org/info/29.php

--
--

Robert Spahr
http://www.robertspahr.com

"Sometimes I wonder whether the world is being run by smart people
who are putting us on or by imbeciles who really mean it."
- Mark Twain