For last week’s project I decided to keep things simple and complete a photography project.

Last week I decided to photography a series of shadows as I found them out in the community. I have displayed them below in a black and white collection, removing anything (colours and other objects) that would take away from the main subject, the shadows.

Far too often we walk around and completely ignore the unique and interesting patterns, shapes and images that light creates and I wanted to take a moment to capture this overlooked beauty and put it on display.

NOTE: I took far more pictures of shadows than the fifteen I have put on display here but I chose to limit my choices to the ones that I think illustrate a certain point.

The inspiration for the time capsule project came from when I was in Grade Three.

I remember that my elementary school put together a time capsule to commemorate an addition being added to our school.

They put the time capsule behind a brick in the front of the building to be opened at a later date although I can’t remember what year it was suppose to be.

From that day I always wanted to construct my own time capsule but never bothered because I never know what to include in one that would be of any importance or interest in the future.

I remember that the time capsule created for my elementary school included a number of bureaucratic things: a photo of the school, a school news letter etc. and also included some art created by the son of the principal, but it didn’t include anything (to my recollection) from the general student body.

With that said I always felt somewhat jaded and wanted to create one on my own.

So although my time capsule contains a number of things from myself I made sure to ask the community if they had anything to contribute as I didn’t want anyone to feel left out.

Last week’s project, the Community Time Capsule didn’t go how I had hoped it would but I couldn’t expect much more.

In the beginning I thought it would be a cool idea to create a time capsule but I thought I would try to get the community involved, but I must admit I didn’t try too hard.

I didn’t press to hard for people to contribute things and for those who said they would I didn’t go after them to collect.

My motivation for wanting to put together a time capsule was one thing but my reasoning for trying to get the community involved was simply an afterthought.

In the future I would make it a much bigger and more involved project over a longer person of time and I would actually push the participation of other individuals.

With that said, I don’t regret this project one bit. With the things that I put together in the time capsule I smile and think what someone might think of in the future when they dig it up, either 20 years from now or just 2 short years from now. Being able to preserve and pass on part of today for tomorrow is something that brings excitement to me as a person.

NOTE: I think for now I am done trying to actively engage the public through these projects with the exception of one project in June, “Photo Circus” that I am really looking forward to. I think for now I am just going to focus on my personal development with these projects to help gain a better perspective of things.

With that said, there are a number of future projects that I am hoping to engage the public with (including PARK(ing) Day) but for now that purpose will be on hiatus for my week to week projects.

The project I chose to complete for last week was to put together a time capsule and bury it. However, rather than completing this on my own and providing items that reflect a biased opinion on society in 2010 I decided to ask the community if there was anything that they would like to contribute.

I figured that by having members of the community contribute to the time capsule it might be a better representation of society (in London) today.

I had hoped to get more contributions from the community but that didn’t happen.

With that said, I am waiting a week to bury the time capsule as I am still finding a vessel to keep it all in and I still need to find an appropriate space to bury it.

So if you still have something you would like to contribute please CONTACT ME.

Thus far the time capsule contains the following items:

GamesDay Podcast Pin

To represent an up and coming podcast and to provide memories and documentation of the best and worst of video games out there.

-       submitted by the GamesDay Podcast

London Free Press

The Saturday May 23^rd, 2010 edition. No time capsule would be complete without it.

Escape from America

This CD is the music of a local band and was given to me for free. I though it would be great to include some local culture so I have decided to pass on the CD (if it will still be able to be played in the future).

- thanks to reel

Kyle

I carried this 99 cent toy around with me for a month and had a great time, now its time for him to time travel.

- adventures of kyle

GMTEX 304

A toy camera that I found and two rolls of film. Currently film is on its way out (perhaps now vintage) and I am unsure if film will be able to be developed in the future but I decided to include this for the creative people of the future.

Pictures of London

I’ve included a few pictures of people, places and things from around London that I don’t think will be around in 20 years and hopefully the images can serve as a reminder.

CAPTURED

I’ve included a copy of the 2^nd photobook I created that contains many pictures representing London.

Letter to my Future Self

One of the letters I wrote during Week #1 that would be appropriate for my future self to read.

100 Ways to Improve London

I’ve included this list with a note to check off what things have been addressed. I want to know how much progress has been made in London over time.

The Lot & Who Framed Roger Rabbit

After seeing mostly bad movies this year and being concerned about the quality of film in the future I decided I included these movies as examples of something that the community created (The Lot) and my favourite movie (Who Framed Roger Rabbit). Both represent what can be accomplished when people turn their creativity into action.

A Letter

Explains what the time capsule is all about.

Seeds

They say the best time to plan a tree was 20 years ago, perhaps if I include seeds in this time capsule then if nothing else something might grow.

ReForest London Pin

Remember that comment about planting trees/20 years, well ReForest London is making that happen.

- submitted by ReForest London

Contact Info

Perhaps I will have the same email address and phone number in the future and someone can look me up.

Books

I wanted to include some books to represent different things.

First, the Hardy Boys as I am sure in the future most people won’t be reading quality fiction and they might want to experience some of the best works from the past (I’ve never actually read the Hardy Boys myself, I am just making assumptions here).

Second, a book about finance as I have an assumption that money problems will not go away and people can use all the help they can get.

Pig

Kyle needs some company

- submitted by kvdezigns

Wow! Wasn’t last week’s project an interesting one. When I started it I did so out of the desperation to find a project to complete and I thought it would be this boring and bland project, but as I worked on it suddenly it became something totally different.

If I were to remove the title of the project and any mention of the words washer, washing machine or dryer I am pretty sure that people would definitely get the wrong idea about the entire story, and that WAS NOT my intention at all, things just seemed to work out that way.

As I was writing it the fact that it became some what of a ‘dirty’ story (in some respects) became very entertaining to myself, not because I enjoy dirty stories or ever wanted to write one, but because such a simple thing was transformed.

Everything I wrote in the story is true, well except for the names, I lied, I don’t have names for the washing machines, but it made for a little more of an interesting story.

Chances are I might do something like this in the future as I think it is interesting when in-animate objects are visualized/conceptualized with something human qualities.

For this week’s project I wanted to create a Time Capsule that captures a snapshot of life in 2010.

Although I could create a time capsule that reflects my perspective on 2010 that would be a very biased perspective and certainly it wouldn’t be the most informed one. Because of this I have decided to see if there are any people that would like to contribute to a Community Time Capsule so that it may better reflect society (with a London, Ontario perspective) in 2010.

I can only assume that there are members of the community that would want to include any of the following in a time capsule for future generations.

Items that might be included include (but are not limited to):

• Movies
• Music
• Newspapers
• Poetry
• Books
• Other forms of Writing
• Photographs
• Collectables
• Memorabilia
• Toys
• Comic Books
• Anything you can think of

I am making an open call to members of the community to contribute items to this Community Time Capsule.  Anything can be included within a couple of restrictions: it should be respectful and not violate any of the Rights and Freedoms that every Canadian is entitled to, and it should be relatively small in size as the time capsule can only be so big.

In addition to items for the time capsule I/we also need some form of vessel to store the items in. Currently I do not have anything in my possession but am thinking that some form of metal box would be the most appropriate (preferably with a place for a lock). If anyone has a metal vessel of adequate size that they would like to donate I would be more than happy to accept it OR if someone would like to donate sheets of metal so one can be constructed perhaps we can find someone to make the box for us.

If you have something you would like to donate please either let me know in the comments below or contact me directly and we can arrange for me to pick it up.

I think this would be a great way to secure a snapshot of 2010 society in one place for future generations.

So, do you have something you would like to contribute?

Fort this week’s project I have decided to write about my relationship with my washing machine.

Not too much more to it, that’s pretty much it.

Note: Upon writing this I realized that it is full of sexual innuendos, bad puns and comments that probably shouldn’t be there. With that said, I did no write it with such intentions, things just came out the way they did.

I wouldn’t say that the relationship I have with my washing machine is special, unique or different than most people’s relationship with their washing machine, but it is a relationship nonetheless and the story should be told.

The relationship I have with Betty, Rosanne, Victoria & Sue is one that has been going on for all most three years now. Yes, there are four of them and yes, I named them all. Now with that out of the way let me continue.

I met the Four Ladies, as I like to call them, almost three years ago. We ended up meeting not because I was seeking them out or because they were seeking me out, rather we met because of circumstance. The four of them were part of a package deal. I got locked into this deal that found me paying so much a month so I could use and abuse them as much as I like, the only catch being that I had to pay them an insignificant amount of money each time I wanted to take them for a spin. Come to think of it, over the few years I’ve been spinning them around the overhead monthly rate has gone up (thanks to The Man) and their per use rate has gone up as well, but the actual service and my general satisfaction have remained unchanged, actually it’s gone down hill.

That’s inflation for you.

But back to us meeting. The package deal I went with I chose because it just seemed like a better deal; four ladies instead of one and along with them I got four other ones that could blow hot air like I had never felt before, so needless to say it “felt” like the best deal.

In the beginning I didn’t use the Four Ladies much as I didn’t see the point of it and couldn’t afford paying a little bit additional on top of a monthly fee. Although at the time it was only $1.25 a spin I just didn’t see how the service they provided me was worth it.

I spent more of my time with the one I had for the majority of my life, probably for at least 10 years, if not longer. I just couldn’t give her up, she knew how I liked it and could get it done quick. Sure, her name was Bertha for a for a reason, as from time to time she would throw fits like something fierce, but she got the job done. Eventually though I had to leave Bertha, she was old, could no longer keep up and I needed to move on to something that could give me what I needed when I needed it. I don’t often think of Bertha but when I do I wonder if she’s sitting in a back alley somewhere, burnt out, washed out/up and fried, and hoping her last days were not those filled with pulling cheap tricks at the local bar.¹

But that was then, this is now. I realized that with Bertha gone I would need to start paying for the service that I got for free for so very long, but that’s what happens in our modern economy.

So when I started seeing the Four Ladies on a regular basis our relationship was very different than it is now.

At first we would sit and talk while they were spinning away and it always seemed like I was their #1 priority. I might have not been using all of them at once, or someone else might have been taking them for a spin, but it always seemed as if I had their full attention.

I was so obsessed with them that I never felt like I should leave them, and boy, was I right.

One day when I left to attend to something else, someone, I don’t know who, but I can only assume it was that body builder down the hall from me, took my stuff out of the Four Ladies and just shoved his in. They didn’t like this too much as apparently he has far too much stuff and it just wouldn’t fit, but he shoved it in any ways.²

Boy was I pissed, when I saw how abused the Four Ladies had been, leaking all over the floor, shaking and trembling I know I had to do something.

So what did I do? I took this guy’s junk out of the Four Ladies, took a pair of scissors and snipped it up.

That was the end of that. No one ever messed with the Four Ladies and me again.

But after that incident something changed and the Four Ladies were never the same.

No longer were they quiet when they worked on my stuff and they always seemed on edge, like something had unbalanced inside of them.

They started stealing from me; both my money and my stuff and I could no longer rely on them. Things were coming out both stiff and covered with white stuff, both of which were not an issue in the beginning.

I didn’t know what to do. I no longer had no alternative place to go and I longed for the reliability and affordability that Bertha once offered. I was running out of options.

That brings us to today.

No longer do I spend time along with the Four Ladies, I just can’t do it. I’ve cut off as many ties as I could as I still need their services, I always will, I am hooked on it just like I’m hooked on the white powder stuff that the liquid stuff that everyone loves so very much,

Now I pay them, do my thing and then leave right away, no longer do I stick around for the entire cycle. I come back just in time to see and hear the Four Ladies finish and then move on.

Now our relationship is nothing more than a business transaction, one that differs greatly from what it once was, back in the beginning, built on trust, time well spent together, and most of all companionship, not our relationship is based on business and nothing more.

Our entire relationship thus far has been like a simple math equation, one with a negative slope that is headed no-where but down.³ I am sure with time I will be able to replace the Four Ladies with younger, quieter, small and more efficient/affordable models, but until then I am stuck in this spin cycle of a relationship.

1. This is where I had wanted to have a clip to the Washer & Dryer races that take place at Moe’s in an episode of The Simpsons, but for the life of me I couldn’t find a clip of this. [↩]
2. This just got dirty. [↩]
3. Don’t ask me why I included this odd school based math problem. [↩]

The inspiration for last week’s project and most likely projects I will attempt in the future comes from Keri Smith and her website www.kerismith.com. I stumbled upon Keri’s work not to long ago and immediately got immersed in it.

There is something about Keri’s work that is creative, original, inspirational and engaging that I can’t ignore. Some of the projects that she completes are so simple it is hard to believe that they are so engaging.

Looking at the work that Keri has displayed online I get the feeling that many of her projects are hand crafted and art like, something that is very different from the type of projects that I have been completing which have a more structured and mechanical appearance to them. Perhaps this is a good contrast?

With this past project I guess I was trying to transform one of Keri’s projects into something of my own my providing a “mass” element to them, however, with environmental issues that were out of my control last week, that just didn’t happen.

Book: The Guerilla Art Kit

One thing I want to note is the book that Keri Smith has put together. This book is something that I think might have the opportunity to spark some interest in me and I would like to read it sometime, however, due to my current unemployed situation I do not have the funds to purchase it, so for now I will just read Keri’s blog over at www.kerismith.com.

Last week’s project was one in which I had hope to extend the civil engagement that I experienced both in Week #6 and Week #16. I had hoped to once engage with the community.

Although this project was not one of my own ideas (more on that later in the week) I had hoped that by putting my own twist on it I would make it my own.

I had wanted to head out and install 5 signs per day for 5 days (25 signs in total) but this proved to be a greater task than it probably should have been.

The windy weather coupled with the need to install these signs with nothing more than various types of tape made completing this project in the scale I had hoped a little bit difficult.

Because of the wind I hardly put out as many posters as I wanted to and as a results in some ways I feel as I failed myself even though I know there was no way I could control the role that the weather would play.

One thing I am happy about is the fact that the signs I did put up were used on a number of occasions (I observed them) and that many of the signs remain even today.

I think that knowing that some people are taking the time to slow down, stop and take a look at their surrounding is important for a city to grow and for a city to be appreciated.

I believe it is only when we beginning to better understand and appreciate the world around us, the city we live within, that we can start to think about and act on change.

For last week’s project I wanted to do something to help me get back into the spirit of community projects.

After the rather weak showing from my “Community Cameras” project I wanted to still help Londoners to see the City from a perspective that they might not normally take.

With that said I decided to make some “Look Here” posters and place them throughout the downtown core. Although I had no intentions of putting out as many as I did for Week #6’s project, I chose some strategic location where to place my signs.

These signs were placed to look at people, places and things that people might not normally stop and look at. I hoped to get them to slow down and actually pay attention to their surroundings.

The posters I displayed were of 5 different types.

And here are some photos of the locations of a few of the signs.