REPIXX Show at Sam's

Chris Smith says:

"REPIXX has a new phase as of today. It's now found a home in the store windows of the old Sam's (Sam the Record Man) on Barrington St. here in Halifax. Pretty fitting hanging an art show based on music in an old record store I think!"

So you can still see the show if you missed it at Argyle Fine Art. And you can still buy the super cool show catalogue from Argyle Fine art. I have one and you can't have it, so i suggest you get your own while you still can!

Repixx Show Press

http://thechronicleherald.ca/ArtsLife/1091809.html

http://live.haligonia.ca/sound-bites-full-episode-list/640-chris-smith-photographer.html

http://www.thecoast.ca/Articles-i-2008-11-13-152793.113118_Photo_finish.html

http://www.metronews.ca/halifax/entertainment/article/140789

http://thingsofdesire.ca/2008/11/06/repixx/

Uncle Baby Blog

Attention Uncle Baby fans: Uncle Baby now has his very own blog:
http://unclebabyblog.blogspot.com/

Uncle Baby episode 2: The Nature

Repixx

I have created a new pixel art piece that is being featured in a show called REPIXX. Here are the details:

Celebrate the Photography of Chris Smith through the Eyes of 15 Artists in this innovative show of artistic collaboration and creativity

REPIXX

Opening Friday, November 14^th, 7pm-9pm- Argyle Fine Art

All Welcome! Artists in attendance. Music provided by DJ Double A

(HALIFAX)- Argyle Fine Art is very excited to present our upcoming show REPIXX - on display from November 12-November 24^th. Award winning music photographer Chr!s Sm!th decided to create an opportunity to collaborate with other visual artists in the group show REPIXX opening this weekend in Pictou County (Nov 6-9) as part of Nova Scotia Music Week and then coming to Argyle Fine Art next FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 14^th, 7-9pm….so mark your calendars because this is one show you don’t want to miss! REPIXX will feature the work of 15 visual artists who have created original works of art inspired by Sm!th’s photography of Canadian and international musicians. Each visual artist was supplied with a photo and the simple mandate to “create”! Come see the results as these fantastic new pieces are displayed alongside the photos that inspired them.

Participating artists are: Gordon MacDonald, Steven Rhude, Teresa Bergen, Mike Holmes, Trevor Van den Eijnden, Kevin Lewis, Sara Caracristi, Lisa Brawn, Ed Beals, Brian Porter, Mark MacAulay, Sydney Smith, Marcel Kerkhoff, Blythe Church and James Walker.

Bringing artists together was the name of the game for photographer Chr!s Sm!th when coming up with the idea for REPIXX. “I want people to understand that this is not my show but OUR show. The artists involved have poured their creative energy into this and I can’t wait to see it all together!” says Sm!th. The title for the show came out of talking about the show from the perspective of a re-mix of sorts..but playing on the name of Nicki Sixx of Motley Crue-one of Sm!th’s personal favourite photographs in this collection. Other musicians that Chr!s Smith has photographed and included in the show are: Joel Plaskett, Wintersleep, The Novaks, Matt Mays, Gordie Johnson, Hey Rosetta!, The Divorcees, Old Man Luedecke, Matt Andersen, Zoobombs, The Superfantastics, Barley, Ross Neilsen and Squid.

”REPIXX was created to be a rock dropped into a pond. Yes, there will be a big splash, but the ripples afterwards will be where the action is once the exhibition closes,” states Sm!th . Adriana Afford, owner of Argyle Fine Art, shares his vision and believes that “When people work collaboratively with one another, there is no end to what can be accomplished.”

*The opening reception in Halifax on November 14^th will also celebrate the great successes of Photopolis…as the closing party for this wonderful festival of photography…so come out and celebrate one and all!

Musician photos include:
Joel Plaskett
Wintersleep
The Novaks
Matt Mays
Gordie Johnson
Hey Rosetta!
The Divorcees
Old Man Luedecke
Matt Andersen
Zoobombs
Motley Crue
Ross Neilsen
Squid
The Superfantastics
Barley

FEATURED ARTISTS:
Gordon MacDonald
Blythe Church
Kevin Lewis
Steven Rhude
Teresa Bergen
Sara Caracristi
Trevor Van den Eijnden
Marcel Kerkhoff
Brian Porter
Sydney Smith
Mike Holmes
James Walker
Mark MacAulay
Ed Beals
Lisa Brawn


http://funkfactor.com/

http://www.argylefa.tk/

Prepaid Envelopes

While we were having our coffee this morning, and opening the mail, an idea came up: Can we use the prepaid envelopes that came with the junk mail to send letters to friends and family for free? The idea struck me as so obvious, that if it did work, there must be a flood of information on the web about it. Well, there isn't.

After looking around for a few minutes I found that "prepaid" envelopes are not all really prepaid. They are sort of "prepaid-in-waiting". The company that sent out the envelope is only charged for the postage if the envelope is used and scanned going back through the system. That's what all those little bars are for.

So, why not use them for your own mail by just putting on an address label over the address printed on the envelope? Well, apparently many of these envelopes are coded to a specific postal code, and if it is sent to some other postal code, the recipient could be on the hook for the postage. Makes sense.

Junk mail seems to really get people wound up. I found there are a lot of people out there who like to send these envelopes back filled with other junk mail they have received. They will send the Pizza Hut flier to the credit card company, the muffler shop offer to the magazine subscription department and so on. The reasoning being that the company who sent the envelope has to pay to get your junk back, which adds to their own recycling costs and wastes their time. Some people even claim they have attached the envelopes to larger packages with several pounds of junk (even bricks and bottles of water!), costing the company even more money. Do people really do things like that? Seems like a lot of trouble to me.

I'm not so sure sending anything back is such a great idea. As I understand it, a lot of junk mail is handled by third party companies who just deal with bulk mail outs. Might they not count any return as a hit? After all they want to have high hit rates to demonstrate how well their service works. Might that not trigger even more junk mail? At least they know you actually opened it.

The people who were advocating sending junk back were not saying that they didn't get junk mail anymore, in fact they all complained about getting more and more. So while loading up a credit card company's envelope with their own shredded junk mail may feel satisfying in the moment, I very much doubt it would be much of deterrent, even if it does get back to the offices of the company in question. And shipping your junk mail around through Canada Post is not really doing anything to help reduce waste or lower carbon emission.

No, it's not as exciting as sweet revenge, but perhaps a better alternative is to visit the Canada Post web site, where you can participate in the Canada Post "Consumer Choice Program", which is supposed to stop delivery of unaddressed ad mail to your home.

Here's a quote from the web site:
Through the Consumer Choice Program, you may opt out of receiving Unaddressed AdmailTM delivered by Canada Post. However, choosing this option may also discontinue your delivery of municipal notices and mailings, such as municipal calendars. It is important to note that this option does not discontinue the delivery of unaddressed advertising by parties other than Canada Post.

Not perfect, I guess. But it's a start.

Microwaves meet CD

Have you ever put a CD in a microwave oven? I used an old data CD (they do pile up don't they?), so there was no heavy printing on the back, just the thin foil layer. When I pushed "start" there was quite a display! Sparks flying and zapping sounds. In just a few seconds a pattern like an ancient, weathered mosaic had formed in the foil as it cracked and split. It may not be the smartest thing to do. I have no idea if it's bad for the oven. It also produces fumes that are likely not exactly good for you. I'll use this one as a coaster.