Tannic Teeth

As much as there is a massive power imbalance in the world, it is the tropical zones that are bolstering the round the clock function of the developed world. Our much beloved drug, caffeine, diligently serves society as an alertness crutch from students on late night literary rampages to pilots berthing a 370 ton highly explosive aluminum tube with wings. Without caffeine most of the developed world and fast ‘developing’ nations would swagger in pace. Caffeine the principle psychoactive compound in coffee (also guarana and tea), needless to say you are well acquainted with; is responsible for temporarily staving off drowsiness and increasing alertness.

Coffee the world’s beverage of choice for administering it, is almost exclusively grown in tropical and sub-tropical zones mostly in countries still developing. Coffee is second only to oil in the world’s most traded commodity, but most coffee growers receive about 1 cent per cup (when sold though multinational coffee brands). For a farm product that is very labour intensive to grow and harvest, coffee farmers are kept under poverty line by financially punitive conditions offered from their crop. Many less scrupulous multi-national companies pay in advance for growers’ crop, under the guise of what appears a modest sum. Growers are only to be trapped into a cycle debt year in year out, heaven forbid their crop doesn’t fail- such is the nature of agriculture.

Fair tradecoffee instigated by Oxfam serves to repay a ‘fair’ sum for coffee grown by producers. Hence when it came time for the annual Fair trade fortnight (and fair trade art exhibition) I was compelled to make make coffee cups bearing the 1 cent piece embedded in it, as a visual reminder to coffee drinkers just how much is handed back. Most of them sold, save 4, which still reside at the Oxfam shop on Hay St, Perth. They are on sale now and are half the price they were during the exhibition (half proceeds of the sale go to Fair Trade Collective), and the other half, covers the cost of production.

It was time again to brave the elements, don on your cold weather gear and grapple with artistic expression on the side of Perth buildings. V.30 saw the introduction of alphabet board inspired by fridge magnets and cool 3D modeling over cars and bikes kodus to Daniel. Just like fridge magnets you only have the 26 letters of which to play with, so you have to be a little creative. Aside from that again, we had curious onlookers this time mainly cleaners disposing garbage a few more random people and an overzelous security gurad. It’s kind of cool meeting new people projecting having only linked up in the virtual world of facebook or blogosphere.

All in all the night carried a sub polar chill (thanks to a strong easterly), so crowds kept to huddled circles jittering to keep warm. Those energetic enough provided the artistic inspiration, a few cool displays from randoms and well familiar faces. A pity, the site’s lighting was a little too dark so most photos are blurred, but some on tripods fared well. I could have used my newest lens addition (Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8 L USM) if only it wasn’t 1 day late. Till next projections, we’ll have to wait. A big thanks to Jerrem for facilitaing this event once again.

Imagine you’re walking along the street in the city and you see someone ‘spray painting’ a car or building. An legitimate response would be “Criminal”, “Derro Kids” or even, “Vagabond youth causing wanton destruction”. But how about if it was virtual?

A relatively new outlet for artists to vent their creative talent (and non-damagingly on property) is street projections. This requires –you guessed it- projector, some digital interface (usually a laptop, tablet PC or palmtop) and a power source. Include in there eager crowds of onlookers wanting to give their ‘2 cents’ worth of contribution and you have a recipe for an exciting night. Jerrem , being the instigator of this new tangent, acquired the necessary equipment and we hit the streets of Mt Lawley one balmy autumn night. Prospect of imminent downpour from the burgeoning cumulonimbus east and west kept us on our toes; ready to dash for cover to save few thousand dollars worth of camera/ projection equipment.

The artist canvas is the table pc software designed for drawing. You use a stylus like a brush and choose from a virtual paint board. You can mix, smear, splodge, dab or any other highly technical paint action. You can project pretty much on anything but obviously white flat surfaces work best. Curious passes by are encouraged to paint what they like; in a hope to encourage expression of that particular individual (within reason obviously). The hope for this is to foster interaction between strangers, creating a sense of community; grandiosely in the end, to a better society.

What lies ahead in street projecting you may ask?

With the advent of Wii remote (Bluetooth infrared sensor enabled camera/ controller), you are able to, whilst using it as either a camera sensor, or controller, ‘virtually’ control the street projection. Now a whole box of goodies has come into the equation. Infrared enabled devices like pens, mock-spray cans, ‘IR bouncy balls’ and paint rollers etc… You could spray paint a car, or buildings legally, ‘tag it up’ and not have any trace of it after the projector is silenced. Jerrem is fast developing this new interface, with sometimes the help and sometimes hindrance of me. But all in all, it’s for creative freedom and fuller expression for us and for passersby.