October 9, 2007
Concrete Crickets Are Amongst Us
Michael Dory is expanding the definition of graffiti, with his non-visual sonic street art (presented last month at Conflux). His inconspicuous concrete crickets (pictured) recently got some NPR and Boing Boing love, and his own site explains:
Graffiti is one of the most powerful and most personal displays in the urban experience, and can be used to make statements, tag territory, spread messages — urban markup language in practice. However, the output is nearly always visual in nature, making this experience one-dimensional. Furthermore, rarely does the work have a brain of its own, and is usually incapable of reacting to anybody observing it.So there you have it...batteries, hacked mp3 players, wires, speakers and garbage create a little bit of magic on the streets (and almost reminds us of a less-intelligent Number 5). There are more photos of the crickets around the city here, we wonder how many of these will be reported as "suspicious" to the NYPD.Concrete Crickets was created to address this deficit, creating small devices that will be aware of passers-by as well as other units of their kind. Each unit consists of a sound generator, amp, speaker and sensory system, and is housed in camouflage appropriate to the streets of the city — soda cans, cigarette packs, and the like.
Check out a video here...have you heard anything chirping lately? This has us thinking that maybe the maple syrup smell was just olfactory graffiti!
Photos via doryexmachina's flickr.
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litterbug.
"Graffiti" is applied in art history to works of art produced by scratching a design into a surface. ...Graffiti and sgraffito are from the Italian word graffiato ("scratched"). In ancient times, graffiti was carved on walls with a sharp object, although sometimes chalk or coal were used. The Greek infinitive γράφειν - graphein - means "to write."
the cricket thing is non risk performance art... Great idea, but not even illegal, its art school stuff
"Graffiti" is applied in art history to works of art produced by scratching a design into a surface. ...Graffiti and sgraffito are from the Italian word graffiato ("scratched"). In ancient times, graffiti was carved on walls with a sharp object, although sometimes chalk or coal were used. The Greek infinitive γράφειν - graphein - means "to write."
the cricket thing is non risk performance art... Great idea, but not even illegal, its art school stuff
definitley not a new thing!
many years ago someone set up a sound system (or soem such) under a grating in the middle of times square that played back the ambient noise of the place or something like that. it was supposed to raise awareness of the musicality of city sounds (noise to some i guess) if one just would be more appreciative of it. really do not recall more than this and could be wrong about a thing or two.
well it's OBVIOUSLY not graffiti otherwise jake dobkin would have posted it.
Geez. Is every guest commenter on this website just a bunch of sour grapes looking to s**t on everything they read?
I think this is a great idea and just what art's goal should be. Someone took and existing idea and an accepted perception of something and is seeking to expand on it. Maybe if everyone thought like this people wouldn't spend so much time tearing apart other people's ideas and contribute something original to society.
That's not graf. Art school students concerned with the finer nuances of 'concept' and 'design' are incapable of making true graf.
Learn to write or go home.
Graffiti is one of the most powerful and most personal displays in the urban experience, and can be used to make statements, tag territory, spread messages — sounds akin to urinating in public
GRAFFITI IS NOT ART. IT IS DEAD. DOG'S MARK THEIR TERRITORY TOO. STOP VANDALISING THE RESULTS OF THOSE WHO WORK HARD.
More anti-graf spew using the idea that all artists are spoiled brats and students, etc. Yawn. Don't read these articles then.
dear number 10, donald judd said art need only be interesting. if any graffiti artist new this, as well as you, they would stop making graffiti. because it is not interesting. scribbling one's name above a toilet seat or on a sign, or in a bathroom in secret, is not art, never has been art, and is far from interesting. its done..dead. over with. maybe graf artists would be better to read a little bit of art history, and educate themselves in technique, and become mature, then make an decent contribution to art. and yes most art school kids are spoiled. but i'm an art school kid, and im not. i work 24+ and go to school and show my work in a gallery...