An update

Hi everyone. The latest on the postcard:

01. The postcard will be printed. I am currently awaiting cost estimates on the printing which I should get hold of today. Ideally we will want the postcard printed by the Loncon xmas party (10 December). The copy for the postcard will be posted on the blog for everyone to comment on.

02. The postcard will solicit submissions for the June 2008 issue of Static which we are proposing as the 'catastrophe' issue. These submissions may be academic papers, but they may also be one-liners, new aphorisms or anecdotes. The copy requesting submissions will be slightly, um, mysterious...and will request that submissions be sent to catastrophe@londonconsortium.com. The URL of the catastrophe website will also be printed on the postcard.

03. A website providing more explicit information about the next issue of Static will be created. More than likely the URL will be something like www.londonconsortium.com/catastrophe.

04. The 'catastrophe' issue of static will comprise a selection of our own essays alongside interviews, excerpts, submitted papers, art-works etc. A document outlining our proposal will be submitted next week Tuesday after class (when we can all discuss it).

Decision Time

Okay everybody. I've gone through all the comments, and I've spoken to a few people in class.

The general consensus seems to be that we go for option 3 for the front of the postcard (potentially with the labels, in 'and another option' as a UV varnish that's only visible depending on the angle you look at the postcard).

For the back, most people seem to like the idea of different aphorisms on different postcards. How many aphorisms we go for will be determined by the printers. If this is not possible, are we going to go for option F as the back, or for something very plain and simple?

I have contacted a printing company and I'm currently awaiting a cost estimate on the postcard described above.

BUT: we need to decide if we really want to go ahead and print this postcard or if we want to do/print something else. My concern is: what will we do with the postcard? Will we distribute them around campus? Hand them to our friends and family? Insert them into an academic publication? What is their purpose? Are they promoting our class, or Birkbeck?

Perhaps we should create an issue of Static with Catastrophe as our theme. Then we can perhaps use the postcard to solicit submissions. The postcards could be placed at the Tate, AA, ICA, etc etc and could advertise the next issue as well as solicit submissions.

Please leave comment on these questions and suggestions. If at least half of the class comes to any agreement then I will proceed from there.

A Printing Option

If everyone likes the idea of the most recently posted option (where different points of intersection are labelled), but we prefer the simplicity of just the circle, then there may be a successful compromise. We could print the lines and the labels in a spot UV varnish. What this is is a kind of colourless ink that is only visible depending on how light falls on the postcard. Here are two images to show you kinds how it works.

And another option

Note: please consult earlier posts before reading this one.

In this option I've taken words from the aphorisms, added others, and linked them to different points of the catastrophe symbol to create a diagram of the catastrophe.

Alternatives (part 01)

Sorry, due to the (sometimes irritating) way blogging works you need to scroll down to see the earlier posts and then come back up to here.

Another option would be for us to print a variety of different cards, each with a different aphorism on the back. Here's a very Barbara Kruger example of how it could be done.

Front of Postcard Options

These are really just talking points. It's just a start. As you can see I tried an option with each circle in a different colour (where I've had to recreate the 'symbol/logo), and I've tried an option where the different aphorisms make up the circles. If we like the option with the different colours then we would obviously use something like design option 'E' for the back of the postcard - where each aphorism is linked to one of the circles by a colour.

Back of Postcard Options

Okay, here are a few different options for the back of the postcard. I wanted to develop things a lot more, and I will work on it tomorrow as well, but we might as well start talking...

For the most part I've tried to stick to a vaguely 'Loncon' style, but we can ditch that easily. In general we need to discuss:
1. Do we use the logos on the postcard?
2. What is the copy that drives recipients to email us or go to our website?
3. Is the copy working?
4. I feel like some of the options are trying too hard. That said, just the plain text feels like it puts too much emphasis on the individual aphorisms. What do you guys think?

PS click on the image to view a bigger size

catstrophe cocktails

Dates were mooted today. I'm out of town from 20th-22nd Nov incl, around after that.

status

Hey all,

Just an update on the card (and related material). I'll have stuff for everyone to look at on Wednesday. Then we can discuss changes, additions and final production.

caps etc

...I mean I like the random caps and no spaces...

postcard text

I like Alice's text games (below), and was thinking maybe something along those lines could form the text part of the flyer/postcard we're to produce. How is the registering of site and production of card going, Jonathan and everyone else?

Tom x

CATASTROPHE COCKTAILS

An aside: I chanced upon the name of a play by Mark Twain called A CHAMPAGNE COCKTAIL and a CATASTROPHE: Two Acting Charades in which there are three characters, namely, Cat, Ass and Trophy. This chimed with my recent word play. Using the same photos you can use an American accent to produce Cat-Ass-Trophy and a UK RP accent to produce Cat-Arse-Trophy.

Next:

To go with the Catastrophe Manifesto, I decided to create some Catastrophe Cocktails.

Scene: Harry’s Bar, post-disaster
Menu: Catastrophe Cocktails

The Divine
The heavenly option recommended for monotheists.
4 parts champagne: 1 part Tequila (Patron Platinum)
Stir and drink served with a fresh, perfectly-formed strawberry.

The Molotov
This is highly recommended for those with aspirations or the desire to act out or stage a coup.
1 part Absinthe: 1 part champagne; a teaspoon of sugar
Place a teaspoon over the glass and drizzle with Absinthe. Set fire to it and drop into the drink. Add champagne until the fire goes out.

Champagne can be replaced by Cava (Brut).

The Quake
The hair-of-the-dog option as it’s a great choice for anyone with the DTs (aka the shakes). It is also recommended for those who don’t have their feet on terra firma.
2 parts Vodka: 1 part lime juice: 1 part cranberry juice: a dash of sugar syrup
In a shaker, two-thirds filled with ice add the above. Shake well. Then strain into a chilled glass.

Greenfingers
Recommended for those with a desire to save the planet - it’s the alcohol-free option. Note: all ingredients are non-GM, organic, environmentally-aware and dolphin-friendly.
2 parts wheatgrass: 1 part Aloe Vera juice; 1 part apple juice
In a blender, blitz all the ingredients and decorate with a zest of orange.

Ashes and Diamonds
The premium choice for currency converters, number crunchers and bond traders; it’s the fiscal alternative. What’s more, every time you take a sip, you off-set your carbon foot print.
1 part Kahlua: 1 part Vodka: 0.5 dark Rum and a dash of Amarula cream
Mix the Kahlua, vodka and rum. Pour cream over the back of a spoon to create a thin, white layer.

You’ve read the books, taken the course, created a manifesto, now buy the T-shirt.

Pictures from today's session

The catastrophe is an aphorism...

thecatasTropHEisnotparadoxiCAlThecAtaSTROPHEisnotparadoxIcal
thecataStRopheisnotpAraDoxICAL

I was trying to think of how to keep the idea of inversion/otherness that the statement 'the catastrophe is none of the above' was intended to imply, hence the scrambling capitals. But perhaps just have said statement at the bottom of the text as we first thought.

Aphorisms:

1. The catastrophe is profane. [Or, thecataStropheisprofAnetheCatastROpheiSprofANetheCaTastrophe
isprofane]

2. The catastrophe is hysterical
[Or, thecatastRopheishystEricAthecatastropheishystericaLl

3. The catastrophe is democratic [Or, thecatastropheisDEmocraticthecataStroPheisdemocraticthecatastrOphe
isdemocraTIC]

4. The catastrophe is desired. [I give up for now]

5. The catastrophe is cancerous.

6. The catastrophe is a utopia.

7. The catastrophe is vacuous.

8. The catastrophe is benign.

9. The map of the catastrophe is blank.

10. The catastrophe is a liar.

11. The catastrophe is in hiding.

12. The catastrophe excludes you.

And some of the possible combinations:

The catastrophe is a hysterical fiction.

The catastrophe is a lying desire.

The catastrophe is an unknown known....

Paul Tibbets is dead.

More diagrams

Following on from Jonathan's great mindmap templates and Christien's example below, I thought I'd post the classic chart Alfred Barr produced in 1936 for the Museum of Modern Art in New York, on The Development of Abstract Art. The suggestion of derivation through the use of arrows is something that closely relates to our own discussions about causality, teleology and history. The rationality implied here is in contrast to the Great Bear (1992), Simon Patterson's rather more perplexing diagram of thinkers, writers and other stars.


(See http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/turnerprize/history/patterson.htm)

The Alfred Barr diagram is the subject of a close reading by Edward Tufte, emeritus professor at Yale University, where he taught courses in statistical evidence, information design, and interface design. In his analysis, there are also references to further visual representations of information, including to great examples by Charles Eames and a link to a clear and concise account of Richard Feynman's diagrams (at American Scientist Online).

Diagrammatic representations are explored in art, architecture, design and science and it is no surprise that the Bauhaus, aiming to bring together all those disciplines, published its 1922 curriculum as one.

(See http://faculty.arch.usyd.edu.au/kcdc/journal/vol7/papers/kvan/pg_sec4.html)

Mind Map 5 - Chernobyl

Mind Map 4 - The Coup

and in cube...

From The Journal of Peace Research comes...

Fig. 1. A situational cube representing the three
dimensions of threat, decision time, and awareness,
with illustrative situations...

A . Crisis Situation
High ThreaVShort Time!Surprise

B. Innovative Situation
High Threat/Extended Time/Surprise

C. Inertia Situation
Low Threamxtended Time/Surprise

D. Circumstantial Situation
Low ThreaVShort Time/Surprise

E. Reflexive Situation
High ThreaVShort Time/Anticipated

F. Deliberative Situation
High ThreaUExtended Time/Anticipated

G. Routinized Situation
Low ThreaWExtended Time/Anticipated

H. Administrative Situation
Low ThreaUShort Time/Anticipated

"For Hermann [C. Hermann, 1969, p. 409] one of the eight points in the crisis cube depicts a crisis situation. The crisis situation is described when there is a high threat, short decision time, and surprise. This allows for easy delineation of a crisis situation from a non-crisis situation. If one of the three characteristics of the Hermann definition is missing, a crisis situation does not exist. Hermann argues that the position defined as a crisis in his cube should be viewed as an ideal point[...] "

References:
Phillips, Warren, and Richard Rimkunas. 1978. The concept of crisis in international politics. Journal of Peace Research 15, (3): 259-272.

mind-maps (catastrophe roundup)

I just wanted to post a few examples of what we could do with our final mind-map tomorrow. They're just a few doodles: the first one is supposed to be a mushroom cloud, and the second one is 'little boy' (the bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima).

Seeing as we have been exploring the idea of modernity and catastrophe and science and fact and the indeterminate nature of the disaster it could be a challenge to create a kind of mathematical formula (a kind of Spinoza-esque formulation of the Catastrophe?) - that's the third doodle. Ignore the ridiculous content of this example.

And then I've combined the idea of an earthquake with a target of some kind for the last doodle. I did these in like 8 minutes, but we can obviously spend some time crafting whatever we finally come up with in class.

And: I'd still like to produce something tangible (like a product), or start a company that provides a service. Depending on what our diagram looks like we could try and get it made a mobile (cut out of perspex with vinyl stickers)?

Manifesto Destiny

ha ha, terrible pun, I know I know.

I've been reading a few manifestos to get a feel for the kind of document/diagram we could produce tomorrow, and I thought it might be helpful to post a few links to existing manifestos (even if we end up producing something completely different).

But before we start, here's an explanation of the manifesto from Tristan Tzara:

A manifesto is a communication made to the whole world, whose only pretension is to the discovery of an instant cure for political, astronomical, artistic, parliamentary, agronomical and literary syphilis. It may be pleasant, and good-natured, it's always right, it's strong, vigorous and logical. Apropos of logic, I consider myself very likeable.

Also from Mr Tzara (albeit as a criticism):

To launch a manifesto you have to want: A.B. & C., and fulminate against 1, 2, & 3

Here's the extensive Wikipedia entry on Art Manifestos (with links)
Here's one of Tristan Tzara's complete Dada Manifestos
This page has another of the Dada Manifestos (with creative typesetting)
Here's the very straightforward Stuckist Manifesto from 1999 (a lesson in numbered lists)
And here's a manifesto from the Consortium's own Lee Scrivner

With regards to diagrams, does anyone know the work of Mark Lombardi? It would be great to produce something with this kind of complexity and beauty (are catastrophes beautiful?)

Mark Lombardi World Finance Corporation and Associates, ca. 1970-84: Miami, Ajman, and Bogota-Caracas (Brigada 2506: Cuban Anti-Castro Bay of Pigs Veteran) (7th Version), 1999
Colored pencil and graphite on paper, 69-1/8 x 84 inches
Collection of Susan Swenson and Joe Amrhein,

Popper's flea

I feel like side-stepping the quest for truth, for the moment, and instead marvel at the miracle of fleas. Robert Hooke's entire Micrographia is online at the Project Gutenberg. I wonder whether the discussion tomorrow, in what will be our final session, can harness the irksome bite of the flea? As Cornelia Hesse-Honegger said, a tranquilised drosophila doesn't run away but spreads its relaxed gut about too much; it gets in the way. Far better to pitch your patience against it while it is scuttling about under the microscope.