alexxkay: (Default)
Tim's Vermeer is a movie which every SCAdian I know should see, even though it has, ostensibly, nothing to do with the SCA. But it *does* have to do with that great SCAdian pastime, Experimental Archeology, the practice of trying to understand what people did in the past by trying to do what they did, and seeing what happened.

The film is directed by Teller, and produced and narrated by Penn Jillette, but it is not at all focusing on either of them. Rather, it focuses on a wacky inventor friend of theirs named Tim Jenison. Tim invented a lot of important computer/video technology, so now has money and leisure time available to spend on more abstruse projects. Such as figuring out how to paint something as good as Johannes Vermeer, using 17th century optical technology, despite not having any training as a painter (or any of the dozen other professions he needs in order to reproduce the 17th-century room he then wants to paint).

Spoiler alert: he succeeds. Tim makes a startlingly convincing case that Vermeer essentially invented a form of photography using paint and optics. Which is not to take away any of Vermeer’s credit in artistic composition or craftsmanship. One of the points that the film makes is that our modern antipathy between Art and Technology is very much a modern thing, and not a divide that existed much in the past.

Along the way there are many interesting discoveries, and discussions about the nature of Art. Highly Recommended.
alexxkay: (Default)
... but I definitely overdid it yesterday. Am sore, tired, and feel slightly ill. Taking a day or two off. The electricians won't be getting to the third floor for a while anyways, and I have already cleared routes to the places they will be working on first.

I should note, in case anyone reading this cares, that a box of History turned up. That is, stuff culled from the Carolingian Archives that I had good intentions of getting to the East Kingdom Historian, but never actually did. It's going out on the curb Tuesday night, unless someone feels minded to claim it before then.
alexxkay: (Default)
... but I definitely overdid it yesterday. Am sore, tired, and feel slightly ill. Taking a day or two off. The electricians won't be getting to the third floor for a while anyways, and I have already cleared routes to the places they will be working on first.

I should note, in case anyone reading this cares, that a box of History turned up. That is, stuff culled from the Carolingian Archives that I had good intentions of getting to the East Kingdom Historian, but never actually did. It's going out on the curb Tuesday night, unless someone feels minded to claim it before then.
alexxkay: (Default)
In the kitchen t'other day, [livejournal.com profile] herooftheage and I were talking about SCA theater. He was trying to convince me to direct another show, and I seriously considered the matter. Part of the reason I *haven't* done anything since The Knight of the Burning Pestle is that if I'm going to spend months deeply involved with a show, I really want it to be something I can get behind 100% -- and Sturgeon's Law applies as much to Med/Ren theater as it does to any other field. Heck, I think part of the reason that Shakespeare gets thought of so highly is that only about 80% of his stuff was crud.

Tom brought up Henry V, and I allowed as how that was one of The Good Ones, as is Hamlet. But there didn't seem to be any burning *need* for me to do either of those. There are very good movie versions of each readily available, and those shows are each still popular enough that you can see one on stage in the Boston area every few years. I would certainly bring my own interpretations to any production I did, but I'm not (at the moment) convinced that my vision for either play is sufficiently unique and interesting to be worth the effort.

One of the reasons I did Pestle was because it *wasn't* readily available for viewing. If I wanted to see it, I pretty much had to do it myself, so I did. Sturgeon's Law has a flipside; 10% of everything *isn't* crud, and that is as true of the lesser-known works as it is of the famous ones. I feel that if I'm going to go to the bother of putting on a big production, it should bring something new and different to the table. At the moment, there isn't anything I'm aware of that is calling out to be done, and which hasn't been. But my awareness is very limited, so why not ask for input?

What (SCA-appropriate) play have you always wanted to see performed, but haven't been able to yet? What is it that you love about it? I make no promises, but if you can get me excited enough, I might help make it happen. And, of course, if you can't convince me, maybe that means that *you* should go out and do it yourself :)
alexxkay: (Default)
In the kitchen t'other day, [livejournal.com profile] herooftheage and I were talking about SCA theater. He was trying to convince me to direct another show, and I seriously considered the matter. Part of the reason I *haven't* done anything since The Knight of the Burning Pestle is that if I'm going to spend months deeply involved with a show, I really want it to be something I can get behind 100% -- and Sturgeon's Law applies as much to Med/Ren theater as it does to any other field. Heck, I think part of the reason that Shakespeare gets thought of so highly is that only about 80% of his stuff was crud.

Tom brought up Henry V, and I allowed as how that was one of The Good Ones, as is Hamlet. But there didn't seem to be any burning *need* for me to do either of those. There are very good movie versions of each readily available, and those shows are each still popular enough that you can see one on stage in the Boston area every few years. I would certainly bring my own interpretations to any production I did, but I'm not (at the moment) convinced that my vision for either play is sufficiently unique and interesting to be worth the effort.

One of the reasons I did Pestle was because it *wasn't* readily available for viewing. If I wanted to see it, I pretty much had to do it myself, so I did. Sturgeon's Law has a flipside; 10% of everything *isn't* crud, and that is as true of the lesser-known works as it is of the famous ones. I feel that if I'm going to go to the bother of putting on a big production, it should bring something new and different to the table. At the moment, there isn't anything I'm aware of that is calling out to be done, and which hasn't been. But my awareness is very limited, so why not ask for input?

What (SCA-appropriate) play have you always wanted to see performed, but haven't been able to yet? What is it that you love about it? I make no promises, but if you can get me excited enough, I might help make it happen. And, of course, if you can't convince me, maybe that means that *you* should go out and do it yourself :)
alexxkay: (Default)
Saturday was fun, albeit quite exhausting.

Read more... )
alexxkay: (Default)
Saturday was fun, albeit quite exhausting.

Read more... )

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Alexx Kay

February 2025

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