Acrylic and Aluminum Laser Cuts & Drift V2 ready for review, plus notes on AJAX problems + solutions

One of the best things ever is receiving a bunch of laser cut material in the mail. That means, today wound down with one of these best things. We’ve ordered through Ponoko in the past and we’re continually surprised with how an Illustrator drawing can turn into a physical object so easily. Yes, above that is laser cut aluminum.

Sharp edges! Remember these mock-ups we did a few weeks ago? Well, these are a lot bigger! The aluminum is also really scratched. Hadn’t realized it would be like that, but also not a big deal for our purposes. I guess there wasn’t any kind of protective sheeting like the acrylic, I’m sure that has something to do with it.

And we also cut mirrored acrylic — so mirrory under that protective sheet! Really excited to peel the entire thing.

The acrylic was also etched from behind.

I can’t give away the entire thing in full scale just yet … but soon. And of course, this all comes just in time for a cold snap here in Windsor.

Also, I’ve been putting in some time to try and get Drift v2 up and running. See that new icon…?

And now, a new loading screen too. But, of course, that’s not all. This update fixes some major stability issues and adds sharing functions for Twitter (so you can tweet each step in your Drift) and email export (so you can get your Drift ready to repost on your blog of choice!). These extra functions are made possible through the fantastic set of plugins for Phonegap / Cordova.

Here’s something worth noting, in case someone as confused as I was stumbles across this page as they’re struggling to make their Phonegap / Cordova + Javascript + HTML app work. I’m not sure why this broke, or if in fact it was a combination of other webkit changes in iOS 6, but something was definitely causing Drift to cache queries and returned data. This created a mess for trying to do just about anything in the app.

While I was working to try to get the Twitter and Email composer plugins working, I realized this caching issue may have been happening on a far more frequent basis than I had imagined. So, after some digging (and unfortunately I’ve lost track of exactly where I found it), but it seemed like the jQuery ajax function was caching the ajax call. So, below, please note the cache : false settings. As per the jQuery manual, this forces requested pages not to be cached by the browser. Setting cache to false also appends a query string parameter, “_=[TIMESTAMP]”, to the URL.

And, just for the record, I updated all ajax calls in Drift (which is basically the entire core functionality, with these ajax calls connecting with a bunch of php scripts and classes), as below:

$.ajax({
type: 'GET',
url: '',
cache : false,
data: data,
beforeSend:function(){
},

The good news is that after four days of trying to pick up where I left off with Drift earlier in the summer and another update to iOS and Xcode, here’s the payoff…

Screen Shot 2012-12-11 at 8.22.14 PM

I also had to revoke certificates, as the updates to Xcode and my own screw-ups along the way of starting a new Xcode project and initially renaming the app (adding a -v2 to the end of the bundle name), but finally, it comes together.

Screen Shot 2012-12-11 at 8.22.31 PM

Drift being uploaded for review…

Screen Shot 2012-12-11 at 8.24.38 PM

And now, we wait!

Also, I’m very excited to get back to CIVIC SPACE, it’s been a busy five days. Monday night we wrapped up with the last All Tomorrow’s Problems for the year … and here’s the gist of what we came up with:

IMG_3165

Anyone check out Skills for Good(s) with Arturo tonight?!

Tech Update: Drift & Window Install + Twitter

Paul writes with great news that the Max patch he’s been working on for our window installation project can now capture audio, upload it to a server and tweet a notification. We’re meeting on Wednesday to discuss the next steps and to plan workshops for the winter!

Also, with Twitter, I spent a bus and train ride working on an overdue update for Drift. It’s now integrated with Twitter and you’ll be able to export your Drift through email. Hoping to release this soon.

Skills For Good(s): The Tortilla Workshop

How to make traditional style corn tortillas with Arturo Herrera

December 11th, 2012 at 7pm at Civic Space 

Windsor based artist, Arturo Herrera will show us how to make traditional corn tortillas from scratch with fresh ingredients on a skillet. Herrera finds inspiration in corn tortillas and it is one of his favourites foods from his childhood upbringingin Honduras. He not only eats the corn tortillas,but also uses them as canvases in his own artistic practice.

This will be the last Skills for Good(s) before the Holidays, so come out and join us for a festive cooking extravaganza!

Class Barter Item: An item that is related to Canada or being Canadian.

Monday in the Studio: Rubber, Plaques, T-shirts

Mondays always seem to be the best studio days. Maybe it’s because the weight of the week hasn’t set in, or that the last Thursday is just far enough away that we’re motivated to try to get more work done. Whatever it is, yesterday was a particularly good example of getting things done at CIVIC SPACE.

On the table, we’re starting work on a plaque project we’ve had on the back burner for quite a while, and we’re also beginning prep work for a t-shirt project we’re planning for the new year. As part of the plaque project, we’re going to be casting a laser cut template in plaster, but first making a rubber mould. Above, Hiba and Laura open up the containers of rubber mould mixture that Hiba had left over from a project last year. The paste was still good, but the clear liquid is now a solid, so Sculpture Supply Canada, here we come.

With the prospects of making a frame in which to make the rubber mould, we went back to the laser cut acrylic. We’ll be transferring the letters and shapes from the laser cut onto a flat surface, then cover that with the rubber mixture, and then making plaster casts from that. Above, Hiba surveys the work to be done.

The plan will be to remove each letter from the template and then super glue them to a plate of glass.

At first, Hiba worked with the original sticky substrate as a base for the glass and a template to align the letters.

The stacks of letters. The burnt-brown surface is basically the paper / tape used to protect the acrylic.

Meanwhile, we also got a heat press for this t-shirt project, so Laura set out to test it.

The t-shirt vinyl cut pretty well and the initial transfer test went well.

Another test and we quickly realized we would have to cut everything in reverse.

So, back to the cutter. We still need to tweak the offset to avoid those curved kinds of corners.

So, with the vinyl cut in reverse, we take on a t-shirt test.

Laura clamps down the press.

And we realize we’ve somewhat over-cooked the shirt. The substrate for the vinyl comes off, but the shirt is left with a big light-coloured square from the press.

After remembering that we had to actually apply the letters not in reverse in order to get the mould the way we wanted, Hiba had to remove a handful of letters, glue them back together and then start over again.

This time, we printed out the original laser cut template and taped it to the back of the plate of glass.

Now, it’s a better template and will make a really good mould. Because of the rubber mix, we wanted to get as flat a surface as possible for the letters to affix to, which will avoid any weird casting problems with the plaster down the road.

All looks good, just that R in the second row that broke apart before we even started. However, we’re continually impressed with how detailed the laser cutter was.

Throughout the rest of the afternoon, Laura did more tests of temperatures and times until we got to a point where we ran out of new spots on the shirt and we think, the ultimate combination for 100% cotton shirts. We’re picking up some more test shirts, so we’ll be able to verify later this week. Heading back in today to do some more work on the plaque, picking up on some work from the posters we started last week, and maybe even some more work on Drift

Panel Discussion: What is our Urban Imaginary?

On Thursday, Justin heads up the 401 for WHAT IS OUR URBAN IMAGINARY?

Thursday | December 6 | 7 – 9pm at the Kitchener-Waterloo Art Gallery

Join the conversation as we consider how building design, urban spaces, and creative interventions in the city shape our collective experiences and imagination. Guest panelists include artist Justin Langlois, co-founder and research director of Broken City Lab; architect and independent curator Scott Sorli, who teaches at the University of Waterloo and is co-founder of Toronto’s street window gallery convenience; and writer Steven Logan, a member of The Visible City Project that seeks to understand the different roles that artists play in imagining and helping to design 21st century cities. The discussion is moderated by KW|AG Executive Director Shirley Madill, an active proponent of art as a key strategy for urban renewal.

The panel features:

Shirley Madill: moderator, executive director of the Kitchener- Waterloo Art Gallery

Scott Sorli: architect, curator and co-founder of Toronto’s street window gallery convenience

Steven Logan: academic, urban researcher and member of The Visible City Project

Justin Langlois: artist, co-founder and research director of Broken City Lab

Zine Night End-Of-The-Year Party with RIOT GRRRL Tuesdays!

Zine Nights will be slowing down for  holidays with a very awesome end-of-the-year wrap up party in collaboration with Riot GRRL Tuesdays, a monthly feminist collective hosted by 99.1 fm’s  Milk and Vodka.

Our next and last zine night will be held on Tuesday, December 18th, at Phog Lounge. Beginning at around 9pm, we’ll begin working together on a publication where we’ll ask contributors “What is your feminist new year’s resolution?”

Come and take part in our last publication of the year and celebrate with some new friends, beer and perhaps poutine!

Zine Nights will begin again regularly on Wednesday January 9th, 2013 !!

 

Today we declare our loss

Today we declare our loss.

December 1 is a Day without Art, an international day of observance which focuses attention on the proufound impact AIDS has had on artists and the world arts community.

Since 1990, each year an increasing number of galleries, theatres, artist groups and individuals have participated in a vast array of commemorative events.

December 1: “International Day Without Art”

Annually, members of the arts and cultural community and various social service agencies meet to discuss activities/strategies undertaken to acknowledge this international day of mourning and action in response to the AIDS crisis. Windsor Day Without Art Collective activities include symbolic exhibition closings and the shrouding of public artwork, the distribution of pins and flyers, vigils and guerrilla performances commemorating the lives of artists and cultural workers lost to AIDS in North America.

Windsor Day Without Art Collective 2012 members include: AIDS Committee of Windsor, Artcite Inc., Arts Council Windsor & Region, Art Gallery of Windsor, Book Room New and Used Books, Broken City Lab, Common Ground Art Gallery, Leyla’s Art Studio, Literary Arts Windsor, Media City, Metropolitan Community Church of Windsor, Nobel Peace Project, one ten park : a working space, Rampike Magazine, U of W English Department, U of W Music Student Society, U of W School of Creative Arts and Innovation, U of W School of Dramatic Arts, U of W SODA / School of Dramatic Arts Student Society, U of W Visual Arts Student Society, Virginianne Atelier, Windsor Artists for Social Justice, Windsor Community Museum, Windsor Endowment for the Arts, Windsor Feminist Theatre, Windsor Pride, Windsor Symphony Orchestra .

Please join us in celebrating the lives of our beloved friends and colleagues at a joint World AIDS Day / Day Without Art
Candlelight Vigil at 6:30 pm on December 1 at the Art Gallery of Windsor, 401 riverside Drive West, Windsor, Ontario.

All are welcome! Free admission – refreshments available.

In recognition of Day Without Art, we have implemented a greyscale filter for all images on our site.

Fail to Meet Expectations: Vinyl on Paint Posters

We’ve been talking about picking up on some of the ideas we put together for the OPEN panel discussion from earlier in the month, and it seemed like posters were a natural fit. Given the text statements that we made to address the an idea of economies and creative practice that served as the backdrop for our talk (rather than the normal set of images), we wanted to find a place for them beyond that PDF file.

So, Monday seemed like a great day to start playing. We’ve been doing so much paper work lately, this is long overdue.

Hiba mixed some colours and started make some base colours.

We decided from the start to cut some vinyl (rather than screen printing or stenciling at this point), so we experimented with some colour.

But, it wasn’t long before the black stood out. Hiba was using a metal scraper to spread the acrylic paint on these smaller 9×12 sheets. We want to make these larger posters soon.

Also, decided to play with some other vinyl … haven’t pulled out that gold for a while.

Detail of texture of the paint.

We printed out those slides and started sorting through.

We decided to go with just one, as we were planning to cut a couple different fonts and colours and wanted to be able to compare the results.

Good ol’ Cutting Master.

We went with Interstate and Garamond — all caps and small caps.

Hiba weeds the first cut of shiny black.

Interstate looked promising at first.

Hiba applying the vinyl to the paper.

The paint dried, but was just a bit tacky, which helped get the vinyl to stick.

Detail, applying the vinyl, you can see the text through the masking.

Pulling it up, the gloss black looks deep.

Nice and clear, but didn’t stand up to the serif font.

T.

Side by side, we’re pretty convinced with the Garamond on the right.

Less surface area of the font face makes it a little less visible though.

Garamond.

Interstate.

Then gold, just to get some contrast into the test.

The gold is a cheaper vinyl, but a lot easier to weed.

Fixing it up, as it didn’t stick to the paint as well.

Side by side, the gold is most legible, but looks too much like a poster. Not sure what to do with the black on black yet. Thursday will be more time to play. Maybe we can get some larger paper by then … lots more to experiment with, but even looking at these photos now, I’m still pretty convinced of the black gloss serif. Maybe more play time with the texture of the paint.

I came back later on in the evening and saw the rest of the work Hiba did with matte black before she left for the day.

Definitely harder to read, but the thicker black paint and the matte vinyl really work up on the wall. Experiments on Thursday.

More soon.

1W3KND RESIDENCY: Irene Chin & Megan Marin

Coming in on Mondays after a 1W3KND residency is pretty much the best way to start the week. Above, a beautiful little booklet created by Irene Chin and Megan Marin.

It looks at a number of projects that at a range of tactics and actions: Echo, Rhythm, and volume.

Can’t wait to see where this comes together as the residencies go on — maybe we should get a PDF up here in the meantime?

Come & Visit Windsor: Emerging Artist Residency at UWindsor’s School of Visual Arts

From our friends at the University of Windsor…

The University of Windsor’s School for Arts and Creative Innovation offers a one-month Emerging Artist Research Residency. This program is an opportunity for emerging artists to cultivate new ideas through research and production, access the school’s resources and facilities, and exploration of arts and culture in the border region of Windsor/ Detroit.

Resources available include; Sculpture Studio and equipment, Multi media, Woodshop, and much more. Each resident artist will present their work in the form of a public lecture for the Artist-In-Residence Speaker Series at the University of Windsor.

Application Deadline: January 15, 2013 (post marked).

2013 residency program dates: May 1- 31.

Submission Materials and Guidelines:

– C.V.
– Artist Statement (1 page max)
– Residency Intent (1 page max)
– 10 Images on CD, Mac compatible (768 x 1024 dpi)
– Image list

Residency program fee is $350. All applications will be considered. Individual application feedback will not be provided. Please note that the residency program does not include accommodation, although the Program Coordinator can assist with information.

Please send all application materials to:

Residency Program Coordinator
School for Arts and Creative Innovation
University of Windsor
401 Sunset Ave
Windsor ON, N9B 3P4

For more information please contact: lucy@uwindsor.ca