Here are some quotes I gleaned recently from Story, the book on screenwriting. You should probably know that at one point in time I was nurturing a desire to become a legendary playwright. Currently that desire is buried really deep. Or perhaps died a death by neglect.

But the awesome thing about this book is that it's relevant to so many areas of our story-saturated society. The second quote is my paraphrase.


"The avant-garde exists to oppose the popular and commercial, until it too becomes popular and commercial, then it turns to attack itself."

HOWEVER

"The young are taught that Hollywood and art are antithetical. The novice, therefore, wanting to be recognized as an artist, falls into the trap of [creating art] not for what it is, but for what it's not. He avoids [convention] to avoid the taint of commercialism. As a result, pretentiousness poisons his work."

AND ONE MORE

"Classical design is not a Western view of life... The Archplot (I think synonymous with Classical) is neither ancient nor modern, Western nor Eastern; it is human."

- Robert McKee, Story

An amusing BBC picture story. Read and interpret the candidates' non-verbal cues. Here.

I have taken up a new pastime: stenciling. From what I hear this hobby is usually a precursor to vandalism and graffiti art. However, you can rest assured I'm no Banksy. I've made less than 10 trial designs so far and they're all on paper. But one has got to start somewhere.

Coming next:

A Newbie's Meditations on Stenciling: Why Stencil?

Link to the gallery.

Pain

A successful stencil is incredibly gratifying. I cherish the end result because of the labor I took to get there. There is intense pain in the stenciling process. It grieves me every time I cut a bridge that I wasn't supposed to cut. My fingers burn a raw pink even while cutting out simple designs.

Invasion

So why do stencilers go through with it? The goal of stenciling back when it was first created: near-perfect reproduction in the least time possible. That statement does not make sense any more. What design can't be produced by an artist using digital software? Both traditional artists and new artists are limited by the same thing: their own imagination and skill. All that they dream of they can create. Time-wise, it's fast - lighting fast. In terms of duplication, it's digital! - how much more perfect can one get?

Let me submit to you that unless a new variable is introduced (to the bolded statement above), stenciling would be obsolete. But as we all know, stenciling is alive and well. And that new variable is Setting (place, context, location, etc.).

Why Stencil?

I can understand why guerrilla graffiti artists (vandals) do what they do. Like any form of communication, the goal of stenciling is its message. Guerrillas intend to send a message that otherwise cannot be be sent (due to regulation, financial limits, etc..). For example, one cannot sit and paint on the marble walls of Taj Mahal because it would take too long. It's also illegal. In the same way, one cannot purchase a flashy billboard on the lap of the Abe Lincoln sculpture at Lincoln Memorial, no matter how awesome the design is.

But for the guerrilla, Setting is the new variable that gives his art purpose. It is the fuel that feeds its existence.

Currently listening to Jason on the LifeConnection podcast.

Soon you'll find me grabbling in DV shooting and editing; work has provided me with a DV camera. I'm so glad I found this helpful site.

Got my signed copy of Vintage Jesus this weekend. Someone get me a needle and thread because I'm expecting many torn muscles from crude Driscoll-ian humor. By the way, be careful whilst handling the awesome cover - it could give you an amazing plastic-cut.

Here are some samples of the book.
Wait for the part about "Missouri as heaven."