A Quiet Moment Amongst Friends

Blood, Sweat, and Teeth

Doodles, pencil on paper, 8 1/2" x 11", 2009

Carl W tipped me off to the great comic doodles of Minnesota artist and musician, Jenn G. Each of her R. Crumb-esque characters is rendered on college-ruled paper while she's killing time at her job. You can find these doodles and many more on her blog Blood, Sweat, and Teeth.  

A Quiet Moment Amongst Friends is first and foremost a repository for doodles. If you are a friend, or a friend of a friend, and you have doodles, send your art here: aquietmoment@gmail.com (The word 'friend' is applied liberally.)

California Got Fat: A Century of Growth

Flash animation, geography, black and white, 2008

Jake C, a geography grad student, created this flash animation for a cartography class last fall. The animated map displays the population growth of California counties in twenty year intervals from 1900 to 2000. This map won first prize in the annual competition of the Bay Area Automated Mapping Association (BAAMA). 

Click here to view a larger version. 

Jake's project inspired my drawing of a grizzled, anthropomorphic California slowly crawling across the desert while dragging a painfully stuffed belly. The bulging gut mainly represents Los Angeles, which, as you can see on the map, exploded from 11,000 people in 1880 to 2 million in 1950.

Drawing, pencil and colored pencil on paper, 5" x 8", 2009

If you come to this blog on a regular basis you are going to learn a thing or two.  

UPDATE: The drawing bears a slight resemblance to this photo of California's governor. 

People Are Cold-Blooded, Dude

Found note, typography, tattoo art, 2009, [Mature Content]

On Sunday afternoon, while driving back to San Francisco from a brunch in Petaluma, California, I found this torn and crumpled note at the top of a garbage can at a Shell gas station. In the note, two gentlemen discuss the design options for a "Fuck The World" tattoo. 

The note uses heavy text message slang, so I've taken the liberty to translate some of the words and add appropriate punctuation: 

Person 1: Because F.T.W. -- FUCK THE WORLD. It's a fucked up world. People are cold-blooded, dude, which makes the world fucked up. 

Person 2: Dude, you know what? Get it in cursive like the Faith tattoo. Get it in black and red, or get it in all black, but get it in cursive. That would look bad-ass.

Person 1: Lots of laughs, dude! You already know me because that's how I want to get it!

I also wanted to see what this tattoo would look like using their design specifications, so I created a mock-up using cursive and all black. Here is the tattoo in the popular Zapfino font: 

I also searched for real-life examples of this tattoo and was surprised to learn that it isn't uncommon. Did you know that Tupac Shakur had a "Fuck the World" across his back? So do these two guys:

   

And taken to an insanely literal extreme, here is a tattoo that you shouldn't look at while at work. [Warning: Lewd]

Update: Here is a safe image to counteract the profanity. 

Peter Foucault: Rise of the Machines

Art show, drawings, video, art robotics, 2008-2009

My friend Peter Foucault is displaying his recent drawings at a solo show, Attraction/Repulsion, at SFMOMA's Caffe Museo. His work will be up through May 12th. If you are in downtown San Francisco anytime in the next month, you should drop in to SFMOMA's cafe for a cup of coffee and check this out.

 
 

Peter uses automated processes to create the initial framework for his drawings. He then finishes each piece by hand. Most of these drawings were started by attaching ink pens to specially-designed robots that respond to the sound of the audience. At many of his exhibitions, the floor layout resembles a factory where robots plug away at their tasks while the finished drawings steadily go up on the walls throughout the run of the show.

I created a short film in response to the art and artistic process behind Attraction/Repulsion. I focused on the movements of Peter's robot (sans pen) and contrast it with close-ups from his finished pieces. I took the footage for this film while Peter was setting up for his solo show, External Influences, at the Richmond Art Center in October of 2008.

In previous shows, Peter has conscripted a lovable robotic dog with sharpie legs to assist with drawings.

 

In the late 1990s, Peter, Nico C and I worked as valets and doormen at the Mayflower Park Hotel in Seattle. We were amazingly good at it, but we've each moved on to do other things.

J. Ludwig Riedesel: The Greatest Beard of All Time

Found photos, photoshop, animated GIF, 1821-2009

Ladies and Gentleman, please give a round of applause to your 2009 Great-Great-Great Grandfather Greatest Beard of All Time: 

J. Ludwig "The Diesel" Riedesel

This thing was mighty close, with Tichenor and Riedesel separated by no more than a single vote for most of the last three days. In the final two hours, the Ludwig Lunatics came out of the woodwork to put their guy on top for good.

  

Final Score 
Captain Tichenor -- 6 votes
"The Diesel" Riedesel -- 9 votes

Here's the final bracket. As you can see, Riedesel's beard was blowing up. He set this tournament on fire! 

Tichenor put up a good fight, as did all of the other bearded warriors, but in 2009, nothing was going to slow The Diesel down. J. Ludwig smoked us all!

I also just now realized that I had access to two additional Riedesel photos that would have made him that much stronger. This man is a beard legend.

  

Thanks to everyone who voted. Your refusal to sit idly by and watch this play out at the whim of strangers made for a healthy competition. As the present day kin of Jasper Bridge and William Tichenor, I respect and certify the results of this election, and tip my hat to the winner. 

I'd also like to say a few words to the genealogists of the future who will be discovering this contest as they seek out information on the internet about their relatives: Participating in a beard contest is one of the more honorable things that the ghosts of centuries-old relatives can do. All of these bearded gentlemen are winners. Make sure to include the results of this contest in the historical record. Thank you.

Update: What's next? I've gotten some great suggestions for other contests, including eyebrows, dad mustaches, grandma mustaches and/or hairstyles. These may have to wait. I need a respite from anything hair-related for a while. It's starting to gross me out. 

Update 2: All you late-comers can relive all the action here.

Mandatory Mustache: A New York Mets-inspired Arts, Culture, and Men's Fashion Journal

Blog, photoshop, mixed media, 2009

Nick L, a friend and contributor to this site, has his own web log dedicated to exploring the cultural trends surrounding the New York Mets:

http://mandatorymustache.blogspot.com/

On a semi-regular basis, you can expect to find uplifting YouTube videos, the best in Mets memorabilia, and some classy looking Photoshop work, like this: 

    

Mandatory Mustache: It's a Home Run!

The Championship Match in Ancient Beardage

Photographs, beards, sports entertainment, 1810-2009

The results are in from the Final Four and it wasn't even close:

#1 vs #6
J. Ludwig Riedesel -- 6 votes
Jasper Bridge -- 2 votes

Riedesel held court and continues an impressive tournament run. Compared to Tichenor, Riedesel's been up against some tough lower-seeded competition. Don't be decieved by the lower vote totals, The Diesel might have swept this round had it not been for John and Anna U shamelessly voting for their dear kin, gentleman Jasper.

#2 vs #6
Captain William Tichenor -- 7 votes
James Higgins -- 1 vote

Captain Tichenor mopped the floor with ol' James Higgins. Higgins only recieved one vote which came from Ryan A, who fell hard for the Irishman's charm. The dominance of Tichenor in this round was stated best by Kent C:  "[Tichenor's] eyes seem to just be searching the horizon for bearded men to take down a notch, while Higgins looks as though he just sighted Tichenor's ship bearing down on him with all sails set, and is wishing he hadn't drank that second cup of potsum!"

So folks, this brings us right back to where this contest started three weeks ago: Tichenor challenging Riedesel for the hairy crown.

CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

#1 J. Ludwig Riedesel vs #2 Captain William Tichenor

   

By now you know a great deal about these men. At this stage of the contest, there isn't much more I can say; you'll have to go with your gut. I will say that I started this contest as an elaborate way to prove to Seth L that my great-great-great grandfather is cooler than his great-great-great grandfather and I'm confident that the voter's will make the correct decision.

Voting will close at midnight PST on Monday, April 13th. The voting criteria is the same as previous rounds. You can learn more about the competition and the previous rounds in the Beards archive. 

The winning great-great-great grandfather's spirit will get to hold the title of Greatest Beard of All Time for a period of one year or until this contest is held again.

Update: Tuesday 11:48 am PST, The voting closed last night at midnight. This is a close one. The votes are being counted and recounted and a winner should be announced later today. Stay tuned!

49 Easter Bunnies and 41 Easter Eggs

Drawing, pencil and colored pencil on paper, 2009

I made this drawing to celebrate Easter, the sixth greatest holiday of the year. The drawing depicts an enormous family of bunnies preparing to hide colored eggs. With this piece, I posit that there are actually multiple Easter Bunnies working together rather than just one. It is highly unlikely that one Easter Bunny could hide so many eggs on one night without a lot of assistance. Why couldn't there be thousands of Easter Bunnies?

You'll notice that there are exactly 49 Easter Bunnies and 41 Easter eggs. There are likely multiple reasons for this, but the most obvious is the fact that if you multiply 49 by 41, you get 2009, which is the current year. 2009 is also the age of Jesus, give or take 10 years. If there are any numerologists out there, I'm curious to learn more about the meaning of the numbers 49 and 41 as they apply to Easter.

Update: This drawing may have subconsciously been influenced by the Art Garfunkel music video in Watership Down.

Update 2: This post can be enjoyed by the whole family.

Final Four in the Great-Great Grandfathers With Beards World Championship

Found photographs, black and white, 1810s-1930s

Many thanks to everyone who voted in the first round. The final results are in:

#1 vs #8

J. Ludwig Riedesel -- 11 votes

Benjamin J. Coleman -- 2 votes

No big surprises here. The Diesel came in to this tournament as a heavy favorite and he took care of business against Coleman, a starry-eyed novice who relied on a gimmick to get into the contest. Beating a 2009 Berkeley, California beard is a cakewalk compared to the centuries old, wiry-haired cocoon that he’ll have to fight his way out of to advance to the finals. Watch out, Diesel, everyone is gunning for you!

#2 vs #7

Captain William Tichenor -- 12 votes

Cole Younger -- 1 vote

This was a blowout of epic proportions. Cole Younger had his ass handed to him by William Tichenor, captain of the high seas. Younger was clearly hurt by the fact that he wasn’t a great grandfather. I also underestimated the degree to which the voters would turn against a beat-up outlaw with a sleazy looking goatee.

#3 vs #6

Pesach Wolf Cotlarsky -- 6 votes

Jasper Bridge -- 7 votes

This was a heart-breaker that came down to one vote! Both of these great-great grandfathers could have won this contest and it’s a shame that one of them has to be eliminated. The voters had an agonizing choice to make between very different styles of beard and personality. As a descendant of Jasper Bridge, I would like to offer my immense gratitude to Mr. Cotlarsky and his kin for a battle well fought. I also want to acknowledge the support Cotlarsky received from his home crowd.

#4 vs #5

Sigmund Freud -- 5 votes

James Higgins -- 8 votes

Like Pesach vs Jasper, this was a nail-biter. Kevin R’s stories about Higgins’ interesting family life may have played a role in opening up a lead that Freud couldn’t surmount in the final day. Freud also may have been hurt by the fact that his name conjured up uncomfortable mental pictures of penis envy, the Oedipus complex, and vagina dentata. Hopefully Morit will be able to track down a photo of Rabbi Arje’s snowy white, Rip Van-Winkle beard for next year’s competition.

So here we are: The cousins and uncles have been eliminated and we are back to a good old fashioned grandpa contest. I'm pleased to present your FINAL FOUR:

#1 J. Ludwig Riedesel vs #6 Jasper Bridge

On paper, these two are very evenly matched: Both have long, unkempt tentacles pouring down onto their mid-chest; both are of a similar age with sun spots and wrinkles that reflect a life spent outdoors performing manual labor; and both complement their beards with smart hair styles (Ludwig with the poofy, up-curled sides and Jasper with the Bob’s Big Boy flip). Riedesel has a slight upper-hand here because he is a great-great-great grandfather to Bridge’s great great. This is going to be a fun match.

#2 Captain William Tichenor vs #5 James Higgins

Tichenor and Higgins are also surprisingly well matched. Both men are sporting bushy goatees and stern expressions. While Ludwig versus Bridge is a battle between two soft, kindly gentlemen, Tichenor versus Higgins will likely be won by intimidation and intensity.

[Some additional fun facts about Captain Tichenor: He was supposedly roommates with Abraham Lincoln in college. His ship was named the “Sea Gull”. He founded the town of Port Orford, Oregon. In order to establish camp at Port Orford, he battled a Native American tribe. There is a lot of debate about how that transpired. Here’s the family-friendly State of Oregon version.]

At this phase of the competition, any additional biographical information about the competitors is welcome.

PLEASE CAST YOUR VOTE FOR THE FINAL FOUR BY 12PM PST, THURSDAY, APRIL 9

If you are arriving to the contest late, you can catch up by going here, here, and here.

The voting criteria is the same as the previous round. Please vote by Thursday at midnight. I was forced to toss out my mother's votes in the previous round because she was 12 hours late. This is serious business.

The Neverending Story

Video collage, found footage, color, 1 min, 2009

To kill some time while the votes were being cast in the beard contest, I slapped together a video about Falkor, the luckdragon in the Neverending Story.