Carrcasses:
Carrcasses will obviously continue, and probably for the rest of my life. I’m in a steady state era for these kind of creations, with the length consistently between 45 and 70 minutes for almost all of ’em. Carrcasses are still the axis of my creativity, even though I don’t devote the time to them that I use to, especially during the early to mid-2000’s. At some point I’m looking to notch it up again with the possibilities of computer editing on both the audio and video sides. Recent clues about how this might come about could be here…*
https://bakerbloch.wordpress.com/2014/12/01/map-sinking-feeling-02/
In 2014 I created only 1 carrcass (C-11), after making 4 in 2013 (C-7.5, C-8, C-9, C-10), a banner year along with even higher peaks in 2006 and 2007. I haven’t even taped the last one — rectification soon.
Collages:
Obviously these will continue as well, and have become the creative focus above and beyond carrcasses (although I still see the latter as the fundamental note). I’ve created over 100 collages in the past 2 years, matching the total for the 9 years before that, which includes the Art 10×10. Although these are already born digital, I seem to be edging more into hard core animation, starting with the recent “Story Room” animation involving the first 6 collages of the Falmouth series. This series overall was quite the surprise — who knew that I would create a 61 piece effort that fast? Not me (until it was over). Another development has been the 2, 3, and 4 part pieces, or diptychs, triptychs, and tetraptychs. These complement the natural 2-4 part animations I first developed in the Art 10×10. How far down the animation road I’ll travel and away from the stand alone pieces I don’t know yet.
So more collages than ever created in 2014: over 70 adding in September’s Sam Parr series of 10 to the 61 from the earlier Falmouth series. It appears I’m in a flow.
Preservation:
As collages are born digitally, I’m not as concerned about preservation issues for them. Audiovisual synchs are still created using old fashion analog techniques. I have a rough table of all the “tiles”, which includes info about cue points and involved media, but more is needed in this area. More digital copies of analog creations need to be created. A 2015 resolution.
Sunklands:
This year I’ve also gathered together my collage series, along with the interpretations I share with others on my blog, in a new website using a freshly coined domain name, sunklands.com. Also here are descriptions and slurl links to virtual towns where the artwork is displayed (example: Collagesity, Noru and now Minoa). Another interesting category developed on the Sunklands site is the idea of hybrid works straddling defined areas, like “6 Weeks of Shining” from this year, or “Baker Bloch in England” from 2010. Carrcasses have a place in sunklands.com too, and I plan to create an abbreviated “Table” listing tiles from The Rainbow Sphere to SID’s 1st Oz at least. Hidden behind this will be the larger, full table of tiles (Rainbow Sphere to present, Carrcass-11 most recently). I’ve fitted Paradox I and its larger, fictional followup Paradox II (latter still in progress) into Sunklands as well.
Blog:
Apart from the Sunklands site, I’m still working daily on my personal blog, Frank and Herman, Einstein!, since 2012 (supplanting my original one, the Baker Blinker Blog from 2008-2012). Hybrids spring from this, along with collage interpretations and descriptions and working file stuff. Toward the end of this year map synch material has been developed more, resulting in yet another kind of collage (7-part “Map Stuff” from Nov. and early Dec.). This is my bread and butter.
Local Hiking/Myth Making:
The title of the Frank and Herman, Einstein! blog refers to the 2 large, contiguous parks I live near, and which I assumed at the time of its birth in August 2008 would be a lifetime focus above and beyond, for example, Second Life or other pursuits. But this year I decided that Blue Mountain will in all likelihood probably *not* be the place we spend our retirement years in the main. Instead that burden will fall on Ashville. As part of this big shift, I’ve decided to rename the latter Middletown to indicate its more central role. The recently uncovered Ashville Circle built around Cherry Avenue and parallel Linden Creek will turn into the Middletown Circle — a further mystification device, then.
But in saying this I’ve also decided to see Blue Mountain for its great plus: the proximity to these parks and the outdoors overall and to take full advantage of this while remaining here for probably the next 6-10 years. Another 2015 resolution, then — to be happy in the place I’m at more than in 2014. But the die has been cast for the future nonetheless, seemingly.
Second Life:
Yes, my involvement in this virtual, fake world has continued. 🙂 Big story was the development of Noru’s Collagesity in July and Aug and Sep after a battle between Noru and Rubi for town ownership in June. Then at the end of November, Noru land was given up in favor of same sized area at se corner of fabled Rubi Woods, very near where VWX Town existed toward the end of 2013. Just at the end of the year, I consolidated my land holdings in Minoa next the woods better, and it looks like my presence there will continued into 2015 a bit. Centerpieces remain the Power Tower and Falmouth galleries, along with the new Sam Parr State College building holding its namesake series. Falmouth gallery (an old castle) developed in Philudoria during Feb-April.
So the big news for SL in 2014 is the development of 2 new galleries holding the 2 newest collage series (Falmouth and Sam Parr), and also a new town to put them in: Collagesity, replacing 2013’s VWX Town as a virtual center.
Work work:
Most likely 6 or at tops 7 years to slave away before retirement. Must get a solid foundation for dealing with present and future issues. It’s not going to be an easy ride, but I’m certain the challenge will reap benefits. Better than working as a restaurant manager or the like. I’m very lucky to possess the position I do, and the support group I have.
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* Note1: In looking up riddle/ again just now, saw that Riddle’s Store lies in sw corner of small part of Loudon County, Tennessee separate from rest of county. Corr. to this, also this morning I rearranged my Minoa virtual holdings but accidentally left a 128 sq meter parcel separate from the rest in the process, representing 1/68th of my land. Is this simultaneous synchronicity? Does it represent me as separate from the rest of my team? A riddle for certain.
Further, Riddles Store is coupled with Curry or Currys Store in Alabama, making a direct overlap between old and new. These are probably only 2 Riddles Store pop places.
7-6-5 trees
100 = 1 mile
This split off part of Loudon County, TN lies directly west of the Ashville Circle concocted just before, and newly deemed, in this post, the Middletown Circle. Seems to reinforce the middle aspect (!). I also think back to the larger but still similar quite Forest Home Circle in Alabama discovered to be on the same latitude as Baker’s Creek, Miss. in 2013, and also in a neighboring state to the west.
Sunklands 