Stop The Press | Artist on Art

Apr

28

4/27/10 Guest Chris(Topher) Maraffi

The Artists on Art guest for April 27, 2010 was Topher Maraffi. He is the last in our series of Digital Arts and New Media pending graduates exhibiting at the new Digital Arts Research Center that is having its grand opening (ribbon-cutting ceremony) Thursday April 29, 2010 at 3:15. Since March, I’ve interviewed Kathleen Kralowec, Jessica Hayden and Chris Molla, and last week, Nick Lally.

Topher will perform at this event directly after (between 3:45 and 4:15pm) Chancellor Blumenthal and Dean of the Arts Yager speak at the UCSC Digital Arts & New Media MFA research.

The name of his overall performance is Mimesis & Mocap with two performances, the Avatar Dance and Magic Mirror Game (inspired by the Marx Brothers Mirror Scene). These performance are a cross-disciplinary study in creating believable real-time interaction between human performers and 3D characters within a theatrical environment. His two performances, and The Magic Mirror Game, envision future methods of re-creating classic dance and pantomime movements with a digital double. There will be at three more performances that he will do during the show DANM MFA 2010 Exhibition Everything is Possible (running April 30th-May 9th with the reception on May 7th at 5:30pm).

Here’s a list of his performances:

DANM Building Dedication, Thursday April 29th @ 3:45pm
Saturday May 1st @ 2:00pm
Tuesday May 4th @ 3:45pm
Show Reception Friday, May 7th @ 7:00pm

Additional evening and matinee times may be announced for the 8th & 9th. Check back on his website for details.

Topher came to the KZSC studio a few months ago (March 2, 2010) for only part of the Artists on Art show. I wanted him to come on the show to talk about the DANM and Theater Arts co-production Stop the Press, an audience-interactive production about the demise of print and the rise of digital media. I had already booked with the Queer Queen of Comedy Poppy Champlin when I heard about this successful and acclaimed. One person that has their finger on the pulse of Santa Cruz and has for decades said it was one of the best student productions in years.

I wanted him back for a full show and better explanation of his studies and work as a performance artist, technical animator, educator (dance SWANGO and 3d animation along with other subjects) and author. Prior to joining the DANM program in Fall of 2008, he taught on the topic of 3D character creation and wrote three books on the subject such as MEL Scripting a Character Rig in Maya.

We started the show with a quick download of all the upcoming exhibitors in Everything is Possible. The Artists are: Karl Baumann, Lyès Belhocine, Drew Detweiler, Christoph Girard, Nik Hanselmann, Jessica Faith Hayden, Antoine A. Jaoude, Kathleen M. Kralowec, Nick Lally, Chris(Topher) Maraffi, Kyle McKinley, Christopher Molla, Elizabeth Travelslight, and Alex Walter.

If you missed the live broadcast, you can listen to our show in entirety by clicking on the triangle below.

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This is a TwitVid we did right before the show on Tuesday of Topher dancing.

I’m hoping he’ll be back on the show sometime in the future. In the fall 2010, Topher will start as a PhD student in the UCSC Computer Science program. He plans to continue in collaboration with Theater Arts and to develop expressive and improvisational real-time synthespians.

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Apr

07

Jess Hayden & Chris Molla Guests for 4/6/10

Artist Interviews

Graduating Digital Arts and New Media artists, Jessica Hayden and Chris Molla were the guests on Artists on Art for April 6, 2010 to talk about their upcoming installation entitled “SET” or “Seemingly External Things” a narrative/documentary/fiction theatrical interactive piece about growing up in Nevada in the 50s during nuclear testing, “a mobile theatrical installation in which visitors may play to trigger audio, video and live performance events that reveal a story. The project questions the roles that the spectator and the environment play in generating narrative meaning.” The piece will be in a 1951 Silver Streak that will be parked out in front of the DARC otherwise known as the NEW Digital Arts Research Center on West Campus.

We talked about Chris and Jess’ backgrounds leading up to going back to school to get their MFAs. Chris is a musical composer, teacher and former member of Camper Van Beethoven. Jess is a theatrical performer/writer/interactive object creator. They are both amazing artists doing wonderful collaborative participatory new media art. We got to hear some of the sound art that you’ll hear playing around in their Silver Streak. We talked about the seeds of the piece; Jess’ science fiction short story about a girl coupled, the desert sounds, their road-trip to Nevada, and trying to harness technology.

That’s the beauty of their art. It is meant to be touched and investigated while learning and experiencing through the participation. I can hardly wait to see their shiny informative piece. I asked them about their future. They said they’re taking it on the road, a traveling art installation. I think it’s brilliant that their MFA piece can be their home and car.

“SET” is a part of the larger DANM 2010 MFA Exhibition, Things that are Possible, showcasing digital art with social impact at the DARC. There are 14 graduate students taking part in this exhibition that runs April 30th to May 9th with a free reception on Friday May 7 from 5:30-7:30PM. For details visit danm.ucsc.edu.

If you missed the live broadcast, you can listen to our show in entirety by clicking on the triangle below.

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Here’s a twitvid we did right after the show.

This is a trailer for Chris and Jess’ recent collaborative theatrical ensemble “Stop the Presses“. At 1 minute 20 seconds, you’ll see Jess’ “Gypsy Fortune” piece that was performed in March 2010. This piece came out of the Performative Technologies group research.

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Mar

03

3/2/10 Artists on Art Poppy Champlin and Topher Maraffi

Artist Interviews

Queer Queen of Comedy Poppy Champlin

This radio show on KZSC was a little different than usual by featuring two guests, Poppy Champlin who’s bringing the Queer Queens of Qomedy to Santa Cruz, and Topher Maraffi talking about the experimental theater production, “Stop the Press”.

The show began with Poppy Champlin speaking about her show “Queer Queens of Qomedy” at the Rio Theater happening March 6, 2010. She is bringing this “make you laugh so hard you’ll crack a rib or at least be crying” show for everyone not just gays and lesbians.

We talked about her co-Queens (feisty Latin Diva of Comedy”, Sandra Valls, and multi-talented “secret love child of Steve Martin and Better Midler”, Roxanna Ward). We spoke of Poppy’s beginnings as a comedian in Rhode Island and moving to the big times by becoming a member of the famed Second City Comedy Troupe. We also talked about her upcoming Showtime Comedy Special “the LOL Comedy Festival”.

For tickets, you can go the Rio Theater or to tickets.com.

Next, Topher Maraffi and I spoke about the experimental performance, “Stop the Press!”. This is a collaborative production of the DANM Performative Technologies Group (Topher, Jessica Hayden, Chris Molla, Kathleen Kralowec) and select faculty from the UCSC Theater Arts Department. Jim Bierman helped with writing, The performance was directed by Kimberly Jannarone. David Cuthbert worked with the group as well.

The performances take us into two worlds. the golden age of newspapers and the triumph of the digital age. Where else are you going to see Topher in a spandex mocap suit dancing with his realtime 3D digital double, or go through Leland’s electrifying video tunnel to the future, or enjoy Kathleen’s amazing dancing animations, or interact with Jessica’s cool fortune telling devices, or immerse yourself in Chris’ timeless soundscapes? Just a few more hints on what you will see: animatronic Ray Kurzweil, embodied Bill Joy, The Carousel of Progress, and a gigantic realtime 3D eyeball controlled by a joystick. The actors directed by Kimberly Jannerone are excellent, the set is mesmerizing, the costumes are sexy android steampunk, there is tons of digital media, and the story is thought provoking.

Not to be missed or you’ll be really sad upcoming shows are: Mar 4, 5, & 6, Thurs-Sat at 7pm & 9pm, and March 7th, Sunday matinee at 3pm. UCSC students with ID get one free ticket! General Admission $14. Other students and seniors $11.

Tickets for “Stop the Press!” can be bought at the UCSC Ticket office (call 459-2150) or online at SantaCruzTickets.com.

Listen to the different guests on the show in entirety by clicking on one of the triangles below. The top triangle is Poppy Champlin’s interview the second triangle Topher Maraffi.