November 2010 Archives

RECESS Chicken Cooperative - week 6

11.23.2010
It's been a full month since I last posted about the lovely ladies in the RECESS chicken co-op. The weather has chilled, the days have grown shorter, and the hens have truly settled in for the winter months. I'm happy to say it's been a really great month.

a chicken a the feed trough

To quickly recap; we had a bit of trouble with a dog in the first week. A few of the hens were injured, and there were serious concerns that our flock of 13 birds would become 12. Our flock is now holding strong at 14. The injured hens have miraculously recovered and we added a small black rooster. For $5, the little guy was worth his weight in gold. Making up in attitude what he lacks in stature, he has given the hens added confidence that I believe has led to a rise in production.

Considering the cool weather, relocation, and rocky beginning I couldn't be happier with our present results. Egg production has been steadily climbing, with our group averaging 8-10 eggs per day as of this week. We've been feeding the birds a diet of layer pellets, supplemented by occasional treats and table scraps.

Continue reading RECESS Chicken Cooperative - week 6.

BATFE: Stealing my art, violating speech and wasting your money

11.18.2010
Today, officers from the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives in Los Angeles walked into Mark Moore Gallery and confiscated one of my recent pieces; "Improvised Shotgun: White."

art seized by the BATFE
The officers also requested the current location and bills of lading of recently shipped work of a similar nature. I assume they plan to seize these works as well. The receipt for the initial seizure is shown below.

BATFE seizes Improvised Shotgun:White, 11/18/10As of this posting, I have not received any official complaint, cease & desist, nor notice of any kind from the BATFE. Likewise, they've made no requests pending on other pieces in my growing body of RECESS work.

I assume that the actions of the BATFE are a misguided attempt to develop evidence against me for alleged crimes they believe I have committed.

As I have made clear on this blog, other internet sites, and through my demonstrated exhibition record and career - I am an conceptual artist. My highly public and often controversial works have at time created both challenging and meaningful public discourse. This is the nature of my purpose.

The seizure of my works is a seizure of my voice, and a terrible injustice. I believe the actions of the BATFE today are a violation of my first amendment rights, and an act of overt theft. I am saddened and deeply disgusted that in the midst of this terrible recession, Federal tax dollars are being spent to stifle my rights, seize my work, and question my patriotism.

Everything you can learn about me is here. It is in the combined effort of my labor and the illustration of my ideas. My works are my words, my passions, and my livelihood. Draw your own conclusions and pass this along if you refuse to believe in an America where questioning culture is a crime.


*Update* as of 1/27/11 the BAFTE has taken no formal action against me, nor have they returned my sculptures.

Whereas I personally feel this investigation is a shameful waste of federal funds, an obvious positive outcome is evidenced in the number of blog and forum posts spawned by this initial posting. I've said my piece on the issue, and I am glad to see others doing the same. Questioning, researching and debating the laws we are forced to live by is, in my opinion, the very essence of a democratic state.

WTTNSHTFK is this?

11. 3.2010
WTTNSHTF KitDo you have a magic tool box to help you weather the apocalypse? What about your nearest neighbor? Are they ready for TEOTWAWKI?

I am not an expert survivalist, I am a student as much as I am a practitioner. My ideas and skills benefit from the collective experience and shared knowledge of my predecessors and I am grateful for their generosity.

One of the next steps in the evolution of this project is the creation and dissemination of "WTTNSHTFK's" or Welcome-to-the-Neighborhood-SHTF-Kits.

The idea is simple: I plan to design a simple and inexpensive preparedness kit and distribute one to each of the houses on my block. The items contained in the kit would aid the neighbor(s) in a short-term crisis, and help the neighborhood band together and endure a long-haul crisis. In a perfect world, the neighbor might bury the kit in the garage and never think about it again. If a crisis arose...the distributed kits would be ready, and my most local community would be stronger as a result. The action of gifting this resource and knowledge may also lead some neighbors to explore self-reliance and preparedness independently.

Ideally each kit would be $25-50, and the shelf life is indefinite. Items in this kit may be intended for combination with common household items, or they may be rare items that will quickly become scarce following a societal collapse.

Here is a short list of items I am considering for the WTTNSHTFK:

  • a solar or kinetic flashlight
  • inexpensive water filtration device
  • signal mirror
  • flint
  • waterproof matches
  • a propane tank valve adapter
  • a neighborhood resource map
  • a single 2 way radio tuned to a neighborhood band with extra batteries
  • seeds for climate appropriate vegetables
  • a slingshot

For the first time since I launched RECESS, I am asking for your direct comments*. Please consider posting your suggestions for the WTTNSHTFK. What would you include in the kit? What's a reasonable financial investment to make (per kit or total)? How would break the ice with your neighbors?

Comments will remain open on this post indefinitely.
*Please post respectfully. I will delete bigotry, irrelevant remarks, and anything meant to bring harms to others.
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