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Jeff Werner

I'm a designer in Vancouver, Canada. I work at the Beaty Biodiversity Museum, am a director of the 221A Artist Run Centre, and a member of Fieldwork design collective. I'm an Emily Carr and University of Victoria graduate and have worked in the Philippines, Indonesia and the Netherlands. I'm a cycling advocate and race on the Garneau Evolution team.

film Daily Activities, April 15, 2006 3:32 PM 8 comments

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I am going to write down ideas/things to do in real time here, as they come to me:

Video: two people, interesting-looking, hand and body gestures, actions, obvious performing in front of camera. Slow mo for contemplative effect. Influences: new Cat Power video, Tokyo Olympiad, Aaron's man in the bush video, Stan B. masterpiece man climbing mountain.

Are there certain human activities, generally mundane, but when observed such as in film, that are very interesting, contemplative, and reveal a lot about a character. I just thought of Egoyan's film Krapp's Last Tape.

What are the connotations of spandex clothing? Cyclists, 80s, fat people on the beach, personal trainers, Richard Simmons? Downhill skiers? Athletics / fashion / technology?

Pros and cons behind the concept of mandatory uniforms among institutions. What does it mean if I wear the same clothes everyday during second year?

Elaborate on my philosophy: Put yourself in situations you can't get of. Needs new wording, further thinking.

Graham mentions he does a lot of thinking lately. All sorts of thinking, and I don't think it's just about girls and being lonely or what to do with your life like most of us do. Do you know any thinkers?

Explore more of the Noise and Drone music genres. Influences: sunn0))), Brian Eno.

Explore more analog audio/video methods.

What are the creative possibilites of the resume/cv? Search examples.

Transportation: what interests me about it? Video of transportation methods. Influences: Charles and Ray Eames film Tops, Jon's Tunnels video.

Truly better to have loved and lost? Statistical diagrams, infographics. Weigh evidence. Tongue-in-cheek. Influences: personal experience, Tufte, Ross's bathroom water graphic installation.

The border between cinicism, pastiche, cliches, sarcasm and geniune care, attention, love. Straddling this border.

Photo project: pics of each new place I couch surf to. Dylan's idea. I think.

Examples of what I currently (as of five minutes ago) call gorgeous automation. ex. Transit GPS announcing stops.

Adolescent graffiti by middle class males: pros and cons of tagging. Cheap and immature attempt at attention and self worth via the easy act of spray paint, plain old vandalism, or valid expression and sense of place?

8 comments on Live Preview

1. Dylan | April 15, 2006 10:15 PM

"Adolescent graffiti by middle class males: pros and cons of tagging. Cheap and immature attempt at attention and self worth via the easy act of spray paint, plain old vandalism"

Should be straight up hooliganism if you ask me.

2. Jeff Werner | April 15, 2006 10:20 PM

Hooliganology: the study, science and theory of hooliganism.

3. ellen lee | April 16, 2006 12:18 PM

dude jeff werner, suspenders next year, set uniform among design students sounds a lot like me to be functional and practical.

4. Dave | April 16, 2006 12:32 PM

Ahh... As much as I hate the quote, 'nothing in life is black or white' and this surley includes graffiti or tagging. I suspect it is not the message being painted that is important at all. Instead, I would bet money what draws people to do tagging is the act of doing an activity as a group.

5. Adam L | April 16, 2006 8:20 PM

"I suspect it is not the message being painted that is important at all. Instead, I would bet money what draws people to do tagging is the act of doing an activity as a group."

Sometimes graffiti is all about your name. Other times, it is 100% message. Then again, is all depends on your view of 'graffiti', if it encompases stencils and stickers and all that. And grafitti is mostly done solo.

6. adam | April 17, 2006 3:16 AM

Yes. We have already seen suspenders at work: They are brilliant, and belong in the official uniform.

7. Dylan | April 17, 2006 7:07 PM

"I suspect it is not the message being painted that is important at all. Instead, I would bet money what draws people to do tagging is the act of doing an activity as a group."

It depends how hard you're looking for a message. And sometimes the message is simply the reclaimation of space.
As for the group thing, depending on the situation, I'd say that most people write solo, or in smaller groups to avoid, you know, suspicion

8. Andreas | April 24, 2006 3:37 PM

Sunn0))) is music for the 21st century. They are awesome.

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