3L-PROJECT ARCHIVE

2011-11-05T12:45:00.002Z

As I was going to St Ives
I met a man with seven wives
Every wife had seven sacks
Every sack had seven cats
Every cat had seven kits
Kits, cats, sacks, wives
How many were going to St Ives?

Hello world

2011-06-26T02:01:00.001+01:00

Bump. Test etc.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

lines / the way

2010-08-05T12:58:00.002+01:00

flickr uploads

'Spam' (NOISE <> SIGNAL)

2010-07-29T20:35:00.003+01:00

‘Spam’ is part of a larger enquiry (titled NOISE < > SIGNAL) that borrows the term isomorphism from the field of mathematics: a translation or mapping of one form to another via a numeric equation or algorithm, resulting in structurally identical (though abstracted) outcomes, with no loss or gain of information. In this case, isomorphic mappings using unwanted texts are explored, with algorithms and equations taking place within a convergence of text and sound.

For ‘Spam’, a custom software applications sources, collates and translates spam emails into self-creating real-time acousmatic ‘textscapes’.

NOISE < > SIGNAL attempts to question the position of the designer within inter-media works, moving toward a role of designer as technician rather than creator, through the manufacturing of design templates and rules which produce the work within defined extents, rather than producing the work itself. In addition, they are attempts to give a creative voice to largely silent, invisible or static information, liberating it with an authorial role, making decisions about how, when, and what is created.

The works are not intended as aesthetic exercises, but the experiences of taking a text and sending it through a process to open it up and re-shape it — an isomorphism — seeking to challenge our connections with everyday information, translating the undesirable into something desirable, or vice versa.

Sample capture, 3’02

— php, applescript, PD, ableton live 8

2010-07-27T01:33:00.006+01:00

1. tides (isomorphism) – 4'06

2. collected (isomorphism) – 4'50

everything around – including what isn't seen

2010-04-05T22:57:00.002+01:00

dry

2010-03-30T21:54:00.001+01:00

THE QUEEN'S NOISE AND TOWN CRIER

2010-02-23T21:55:00.008Z

1.
Northampton Northampton,
The Queen's noise and town crier.
The council has modern Boroughs — steeds

Disturbance in red plush,
and that meeting

Waistcoat planning, houses,
received and caused,
from breaches and permissions

Also holding complaints,
built from the large numbers of drab gaiters,
most the one in about a castle,
of people and gilt-probabilities

An illegal mosque, still alive,
gathering at branded and granted barracks

The property reminds one,
even if a preach, a road,
at certain, somehow

Application has the building done for them,
times of the rings,
his was made

2.
Investigating row,
to new — where it was

Cowper illegally used,
to make the building,
in established verses

A mosque,
a way from the use of his bills
since the 5th — a Castle

The property of morality,
modern red

It has been — a person,
old-fashioned, brick shoe,
speaking on a town fool

Months for factories,
attracting behalf of also,
who is the story,
to stud the town

Pleasant red worshippers,
founded in by way are the white,
brick little enforcements

'hello world' (images of tweets)

2010-01-04T00:58:00.006Z

custom software gathers tweets containing the phrase 'hello world' and re-writes them as images.

sonic outcomes to come...

noise <> signal (useful / useless <> useful / useless)

3D template for web feed > graphical outcomes

2009-12-31T02:17:00.004Z

Left, forward

2009-12-12T23:05:00.000Z

EXCHANGE exhibition, the university of plymouth, nov '09 — jan '10

2009-12-01T00:37:00.014Z

(11/09 - 01/10) Prints from the on-going You Are Your Own Timekeeper enquiry are being exhibited at the University of Plymouth as part of 'EXCHANGE:', a research exchange on approaches and responses to 'landscape' between the University of Plymouth (LAND/SEA research group) and the University of Northampton.

The images document the former chelsea workshops in two states: emptiness (left, middle) and at a hiatus in its renovation by the al-iman society (right). A1 Single colour digital prints in archive inks were chosen over some new plan-copy prints that didn't reproduce consistently enough for the three to work as a sequence... I'm now building quite a collection of rolled A1 plan-copies from this work, that I hope will one day see the light of day.

Commentary: "YOU ARE YOUR OWN TIMEKEEPER considers the landscape of Northampton as a construct, exploring ‘place identity’ of the town through the interactions between a nineteenth-century boot and shoe factory and its inhabitants (or lack of). The activities and processes that have taken place, or are planned to take place within the space, are seen as intrinsic in etching and moulding the landscape of Northampton, with the inquiry placing the building at the meta-geographical centre of the town – a location of activity or non-activity metaphorically representing Northampton through three key phases in its use. First, as a place of industry (1896, as boot and shoe factory manufacturing within a worldwide market). Second, as a place of emptiness and degradation (approx 2000, as vacant production space following the movement of industry away from the factory and part-conversion into ‘luxury’ apartments). Third, and currently, as a place for immigrant populations; a community centre for the Al-Iman Society of Northamptonshire, a space for meeting and education currently in appeal against recent council rejection following opposition from local residents and far-right political groups.

The work is open-ended with no fixed outcome or date for completion: as well as an inquiry in itself, the building is treated as a test-bed – a space for developing methodologies and processes using text, images and sounds for describing and mapping places and spaces. The images displayed are works in progress exploring various methods of dissemination (photographic compositions; book; text), recording the building in it’s empty state alongside current renovation by members of the Al-Iman Society (October 2009), who wait in anticipation of council approval and public acceptance of their contribution to the town and its inhabitants."

Templates (in no particular order)

2009-10-19T21:32:00.001+01:00

a royal burgh (kirkcudbrightshire for plymouth)

2009-10-18T18:35:00.003+01:00

The problem is, people are scared of change

2009-10-11T14:34:00.003+01:00

The changes that the al-iman group have made to the building were good to see at last. I was shown around by Jafar who told me that there was still a lot to do but felt it was important to retain the past within the future when it comes to developing the building for it's new uses. What struck me was that the group were adding to the building rather than changing it. If anything they're restoring it back to it's 'former glory' with previously unseen 19thC features carefully cleaned and maintained. I will plan another visit on my own to document the changes in more detail, but Jafar was very welcoming of what I was doing, inviting me to meet others when more work was taking place. Whether their plans are accepted by the council, I don't know, but they've made their mark on the place, which for now is enough.

- Clicker closer maker finisher

- Activity room

- Storage

- Footwear

- Out

- This way

- Window

- Mats

Here - this weekend

2009-10-08T23:36:00.002+01:00

Drop needle. Here somewhere, back to square one:

No available nodes

2009-10-08T20:48:00.000+01:00

Sit and learn

2009-10-08T20:42:00.001+01:00

COMMUNITY CENTRE PLANS REJECTED

2009-06-14T20:29:00.006+01:00

"Plans to turn an old factory in Northampton into a Muslim community centre have been rejected by the body charged with overseeing the development of the town. The Al-Iman Society, which represents the town's East African community, had made the application to turn a former shoe factory on the corner of Cowper Street and Shakespeare Street, in The Mounts, into the centre. The application had previously been recommended for refusal and residents nearby had circulated a petition objecting to the plans. At a meeting of the West Northamptonshire Development Committee (WNDC) this week the application was turned down. John Weir, WNDC's Deputy Chairman and member of Northampton Area Planning Committee, said: "WNDC fully understands the need for new community centres but on this occasion the location is not suitable for the proposed use. The general noise and disruption from the proposed use would have an unacceptable impact on the surrounding area. "Secondly, Cowper Street and the surrounding roads do not have sufficient parking for current residents and therefore have no capacity for extra cars."Ahmed Ali, secretary of the Al-Iman Society, said the group respected the committee's decision but was disappointed, and will be having a meeting to decide its next step."

– from the northampton chronicle and echo, may 30

I missed this outcome and am disappointed (though not surprised) the chance to involve this group in the work may be lost. I'm hoping to arrange another visit to the factory asap to see what changes have been made. I now need to consider how this decision alters the direction of the work.

SPAM IMAGES

2009-06-14T18:23:00.002+01:00

YOU ARE YOUR OWN TIMEKEEPER / GOD MADE THE COUNTRY AND MAN MADE THE TOWN

2009-06-14T15:09:00.008+01:00

current inquiries shown as part of 'Empirical: new staff research' at The University of Northampton (11/6/09 – 3/7/09)

9 x A1 b&w laser prints

book

sound

second floor soundwalk (edit 2:15)

untitled (35:22)

production soundwalk (edit 5:25)

untitled (edit 14:57)

more images here

noise<>signal install

2009-06-14T11:05:00.010+01:00

current noise<>signal inquiries: spam emails as digital prints, videos and sound. shown as part of 'Empirical: new staff research' at The University of Northampton (11/6/09 — 3/7/09)

installation view

digital prints (30 x 90cm)

Monaco

2009-06-13T22:15:00.000+01:00

Monaco 7.5pt

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Font test

2009-06-13T22:13:00.001+01:00

Verdana 8pt
Verdana 9pt
Courier 8pt
Courier 9pt

INTO THE NOTHINGNESS OF SCORN AND NOISE (1 of 3)

2009-03-05T18:56:00.001Z

INTO THE NOTHINGNESS OF SCORN AND NOISE (1 of 3) from james smith on Vimeo.

2008-09-02T11:25:00.000+01:00

north

east

south

west

NOTHINGNESS OF (SCORN AND) NOISE

2008-08-21T11:42:00.020+01:00

studies for a soundwalk, northampton: text and verse as composition. more sound to follow.

stage / verse 1.1:

YOU ARE YOUR OWN TIMEKEEPER

2008-08-20T13:13:00.000+01:00

Produced as photographic documentation of the Chelsea Workshops. Available with CD of sound recordings taken at the factory. See this post for more information.

RECTO-VERSO

2008-06-18T16:00:00.001+01:00

"RECTO-VERSO is a recent outcome from an ongoing and open-ended enquiry into the use of appropriated sources as ingredients for the formation of new-media works. Potentially producing unique sounds indefinitely, in this work text and images are constantly collected from frequently updated internet news pages through a series of automated processes, and projected as abstracted sonic languages through (potentially) any number of channels."

featured at www.re-presentedgallery.org soon

CHELSEA WORKSHOPS

2008-04-20T09:59:00.007+01:00

view photos here

(written as part-submission to a call-for-entries, discussing the audio track Clicker Closer Maker Finisher)

This study is part of an open-ended enquiry into the representation of place as sound, in particular within Northampton. The work attempts to communicate a past and present view of a once dominant boot and shoe industry by evoking sonic images of a workforce that shaped the town in terms of its contributions to the UK (the armed forces, fashion, industry) and further afield. These sonic interpretations of people, objects, and spaces were projected into the main production area of a disused Northampton victorian boot and shoe factory, allowing the architecture of the building to shape and add to the sounds through reflection, reverberations etc, leading to a hybrid portrait of a past industry and a physical environment in which it occurred.

The boot and shoe industry (becoming the specialist industry of Northampton in the mid 17th Century) led to the construction of hundreds of homes in the town centre and employed two fifths of the towns men at the end of the 19th Century. The rise of the mechanical age within the industry at this time led to a steady decline in the workforce, with makers gradually moving to machine processes and outsourcing work to cut costs. The chosen site for this work was perhaps the most recent example of a move away from tradition and past practices, with the previous tenants now making footwear in a purpose-built, fully mechanised site outside of the town. This work attempts to capture the final moments of these factories at a point in time where all except a few are being converted into luxury, open-plan apartment blocks.

Digital translation of image and text to sound took place through various algorithmic processes, using open source and cutsom-build software to reduce visual and written information to a raw data that can be reformed as sound waves.

4 areas of the shoe-making production process (clicking, closing, making and finishing) were projected by separate loudspeakers, positioned accurately in areas of the factory where these processes took place. Despite the seemingly atonal quality of the sound, the track is a kind of spatial narrative, with hundreds of sonically different and abstracted artefacts of past workers and their actions being manipulated and moved around in space by the architecture of the building over the course of several hours, forming a temporal account of industry and place at the point of recording.

Study for Clicker Closer Maker Finisher:

door

2008-04-08T21:03:00.000+01:00

THINGS AT ARM'S REACH

2008-02-10T21:32:00.000Z

5,000 sticks

45,000 volts

5,000 LEDs

5,000 gigabytes

5,000 clips

TONY CONRAD AT THE FISHMARKET

2007-11-11T10:26:00.000Z

PRESENTATION AUGUST 2007

2007-08-05T17:21:00.000+01:00

SOUND WRITING

2007-05-13T15:07:00.000+01:00

.TXT TO AV

2007-05-07T16:25:00.000+01:00

DIG

2007-05-06T11:10:00.001+01:00

SOUND ALPHABET

2007-05-04T07:43:00.000+01:00

FISH MARKET FLICKR SET

2007-04-11T08:25:00.001+01:00

AUDIO CLIPS

2007-03-04T20:34:00.000Z

walking.mp3 : Walking through a disused victorian boot and shoe factory, projecting an audible history of manufacturing into the production space (edit)

CLICKER & CLOSER (today)

2007-02-24T13:18:00.000Z

CLICKER & CLOSER

2007-02-06T22:54:00.000Z

A CONVERSATION WITH PLACES (Northampton)

2007-01-24T22:18:00.000Z

projecting sonic images of places/non-places within places/non-places evoking discussion between spaces.

each place informs and communicates developing a sonic overview of areas and networks of places and people.

introducing contrasting places and non-places to one another leading to a folding of communities cultures network in real time.

many visits between places/speakers

4 largely unrelated locations, chosen for their position relative to change and (re)developement in northampton

1a) greyfriars bus station, mounts
2a) edward green shoe factoy, cowper street
1b) x
2b) x

NON-PLACES (edit)

2007-01-22T21:50:00.000Z

non-place / non-space is one that has no acknowledged identity. exist as temporary habitats. passages. necessities. transitional places

audio project documentation:
objects are taken from the non-places and made audible through a range of analogue and digital techniques, capturing the micro sonic details of content alongside the macro documentations of place.
- place becomes the instrument — taking sounds from found objects
- and the recording device — when re-recording from within the space
patterns of sound generated partly by place, partly by human intervention.
sounds re-assembelled using (x machine)

bus station
train station
underpasses
cafés
car parks

buses leave this stop for
we leave this stop for
we leave this space for
we leave these spaces for
we move through these spaces for
leave these spaces for
these spaces for
these spaces
spaces for
used spaces

we leave this non-place for
we leave these non-place for
we move through these non-place for
leave these non-place for
these non-place for
these non-place
non-place for
used non-place

MACHINE DESIGN (edit)

2007-01-22T21:43:00.000Z

a) designer as technician. machine programmer. removed from production and product. singular actions of machine design result in limitless outputs. not user-process driven, or systematic, empowerment of tools - a shift of roles.

WEB

2007-01-15T19:56:00.000Z

BONK

2007-01-09T20:06:00.000Z

more

of

ty

you

seven

en

er

five

im

help

POINT OF CENTRE GRID

2007-01-07T23:29:00.000Z

FIELD RECORDING MICROPHONE

2007-01-01T19:25:00.000Z

LEVEL CYCLA LAUNCH PROJECTIONS, 2006

2006-12-24T21:22:00.000Z

GRAFIK 2005/2006

2006-12-24T18:10:00.000Z

DATA MASSES: ROBBERY, BURGLARY, ASSUALT

2006-12-24T17:57:00.000Z

EASTERN DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION

2006-12-23T17:15:00.000Z

EDC live set at Matlock Bath — 09.12.2006

drums: roger bullen
laptop: james smith
laptop: paul wilson

view photos here

LIVE FEED TIME LAPSE

2006-12-23T16:32:00.000Z

SCREENS (20:30)

2006-12-23T16:26:00.000Z

MAPS

2006-12-23T16:23:00.000Z

WORKSHOP: PIRATE BOOKS

2006-12-23T16:18:00.000Z

C60

2006-12-23T15:37:00.000Z

NETWORK WRITINGS 1-8

2006-12-23T15:27:00.000Z

NETWORK WRITINGS

2006-12-23T15:22:00.000Z

NETWORK NAVIGATION

2006-12-23T15:19:00.000Z

NEWS SPACE

2006-12-23T15:17:00.000Z

NETWORK NODES

2006-12-23T15:04:00.000Z

NETWORK TYPOGRAPHY

2006-12-23T14:35:00.001Z