1stfans: a socially networked museum membership

1stfans Twitter Art Feed Artist for July 2009: Ranjit Bhatnagar's "Exquisite Sonnet"

Will Cary on June 24, 2009

Judging by the number of re-tweets Nick's "Poor SpumoniNick's Almanack" project received, I think it's safe to say that 1stfans enjoy Twitter Art Feed projects that mix language and wit with a little interactivity. This month, we ramp up the interactivity to create the first ever work of art by 1stfans themselves. Ranjit Bhatnagar, whose personal website has been around since 1993 (!!), submitted a proposal for the Twitter Art Feed that demonstrated his great understanding of how twitter works and what creative possibilities lie within the daily interactions on this platform.



Screenshot of the original "Exquisite Sonnet" project in 1992, a collaboratively-produced sonnet.

Ranjit's proposition is actually an updated version of a project he did a long time ago (at least in internet years), and Shelley and I are convinced it's going to work really well with the 1stfans crowd we have on twitter right now. Here's Ranjit's proposal:

Long ago in the dark ages of the internet I conducted a version of the surrealists' language games. In the "Exquisite Sonnet Project" (1992) I had participants write a sonnet, one line each; each person only knowing the preceding line and the rhyme they had to match. I edited the entries slightly for meter and posted the results of each sonnet as it was completed I'll do a similar project for the 1stfans feed, constructing a group sonnet over the course of the month. 1stfans members can submit candidate lines for the sonnet by posting to @1stfans, and every two days I'll choose a line and re-tweet it.  Submissions which follow the meter and rhyme constraints of the sonnet form will have the best chance of being chosen, and I might edit them slightly to fit.  People who want to talk about the project should use the hashtag #exquisitesonnet. I'll also make a web application which creates random sonnets from all the submissions that at least come close to fitting the sonnet rules (launching mid-July).



In the 1992 "Exquisite Sonnet" project, the entire process was done over email. This time around, the sonnet will be composed entirely via Twitter. 

If the concepts don't seem straightforward, they will soon after the tweeting begins. You'll get the hang of it, and Ranjit (@ranjit) and I (@willcary) will be able to help out with any questions that may arise throughout the month. What's exciting is that at the end of the month, we'll end up with a 1stfans-produced sonnet that everyone can enjoy. If you want to be part of this project and are not a 1stfan Member, you can join here.

go to the original blog post...

close

1stfans Twitter Art Feed Artist for June 2009: Nick Fortunato

Will Cary on May 28, 2009

Nick Fortunato is the second artist selected via the open call for the 1stfans Twitter Art Feed. Similar to An Xiao's work with Morse Code, Nick's proposal for the feed explores the delivery of news and evolution of communication through the ages. As you'll see, Nick came up with a great concept that will be a welcome addition to the feed:

The title of my project is "Poor SpumoniNick's Almanack." SpumoniNick is my Twitter handle and the Almanack I'm referring to is Benjamin Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanack.



This project is an attempt to draw parallels between Twitter, a modern day social networking tool and Benjamin Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanack, perhaps the original social networking publication. 275 years after publication of Franklin's Almanack the form still holds, only the delivery method has changed—a singular voice, communicating to the masses. Then, Franklin's masses were Colonial America, today it's the world.



My goal is to "skin" the Twitter feed with content directly pulled from the original Almanacks. I believe that there is very little difference between the common observations people post today on Twitter and those aphorisms and proverbs found in Franklin's texts. I will not modernize the language, keeping it in the older English as a way to reinforce the mashing of times from then to now.



The experience for the viewer will be one where my posts, in a voice from the past, are sprinkled in with their friends modern up to the minute updates.

Images:  Poor Richard’s Almanac - 1758 - Franklin, Benjamin (author) - Philadelphia - Library of Congress

go to the original blog post...

close

1stfans Twitter Art Feed Artist for May 2009: Tracey Moffatt

Will Cary on April 27, 2009

Did you know that we have 1stfans residing in 17 countries around the world?  Outside of the United States, we have the most 1stfan representation in Australia, so we couldn't be more thrilled to announce that Australian-born Tracey Moffatt is joining us in May for the 1stfans Twitter Art Feed.  Tracey has several works in the Brooklyn Museum collection—you may have seen Tracey's Lip as part of the exhibition Burning Down the House: Building a Feminist Art Collection or Love, which had been on view during Global Feminisms.

Since video is something that we see people posting frequently to Twitter, we thought it would be cool to get an artist that works with video to take over the feed for a month to post some clips. Tracey agreed, and rather than posting deep, brooding avant garde art films (that people on Twitter probably wouldn't have time to watch), Tracey has decided to post her favorite YouTube clips with a bit of commentary about each. Some clips will be funny and familiar while others more obscure, but all will say a lot about Tracey, so we hope our 1stfans will have a fun time watching and getting to know her through them.

In keeping with the interactive vein, I'll re-tweet some of the 1stfans @replies with their own related video clips on the feed (look for the "WC" at the end of the tweet so you know it's me posting and not Tracey). We've seen a preview and this is going to be pretty wacky and fun!

go to the original blog post...

close