Taxonomical musings

In the ‘Object as Subject’ exhibition held at the Stephen Lawrence Gallery, Greenwich University, myself and two other artists showed work which explores the use of the ‘found object’ in their respective practices. My work was selected by the gallery curator David Waterworth. The work exhibited by me, two multi-media pieces and two films, continues my (practice as research) investigation into using everyday objects as starting points for creating work in a variety of mediums including: sculpture, films, installations and multiples. In this work I address a range of subject matters – philosophical, social and cultural. The history of the use of found object in art began in early 20th century European art when Marcel Duchamp and Pablo Picasso independently introduced everyday objects into their practice. My work continues this research.

ExtSym: a program to aid space-group determination from powder diffraction data

Once unit-cell dimensions have been determined from a powder diffraction data set and therefore the crystal system is known (e.g. orthorhombic), the method presented by Markvardsen, David, Johnson & Shankland [Acta Cryst. (2001), A57, 47-54] can be used to generate a table ranking the extinction symbols of the given crystal system according to probability. Markvardsen et al. tested a computer program (ExtSym) implementing the method against Pawley refinement outputs generated using the TF12LS program [David, Ibberson & Matthewman (1992). Report RAL-92-032. Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Chilton, Didcot, Oxon, UK]. Here, it is shown that ExtSym can be used successfully with many well known powder diffraction analysis packages, namely DASH [David, Shankland, van de Streek, Pidcock, Motherwell & Cole (2006). J. Appl. Cryst. 39, 910-915], FullProf [Rodriguez-Carvajal (1993). Physica B, 192, 55-69], GSAS [Larson & Von Dreele (1994). Report LAUR 86-748. Los Alamos National Laboratory, New Mexico, USA], PRODD [Wright (2004). Z. Kristallogr. 219, 1-11] and TOPAS [Coelho (2003). Bruker AXS GmbH, Karlsruhe, Germany]. In addition, a precise description of the optimal input for ExtSym is given to enable other software packages to interface with ExtSym and to allow the improvement/modification of existing interfacing scripts. ExtSym takes as input the powder data in the form of integrated intensities and error estimates for these intensities. The output returned by ExtSym is demonstrated to be strongly dependent on the accuracy of these error estimates and the reason for this is explained. ExtSym is tested against a wide range of data sets, confirming the algorithm to be very successful at ranking the published extinction symbol as the most likely. (C) 2008 International Union of Crystallography Printed in Singapore - all rights reserved.

'Public Sculpture (The Social)' 2010

Commisssioned by Frieze Art for the Frieze Sculpture Park The project presents the image of a sculpture as a sculpture, installed in the form of a large scale digital print on vinyl stretched over a 14 x 28ft (4.2 x 8.4m) stretcher supported by a scaffolding structure. The image itself depicts a futuristic public sculpture, an ‘impossible’ artwork, referencing Ballard’s descriptions in his book ‘Vermillion Sands’. The work also draws upon examples of rococo ornamentation and the compositional conventions of ‘images of sculpture’ (in art magazines, catalogues, publicity photos) including examples sited in Regents park in previous years. Technical details: The image is printed on vinyl, stretched over a 14 x 28ft (4.2 x 8.4m) wooden stretcher and fixed to a deep buttressed scaffold 8m long by 6.23 deep with IBC water tanks on the back edge as kentledge (4 x I tonne IVC water containers - 1 per bay). The structure is constructed from clean silver Layher system scaffold and wrapped by a dense black mesh netting.

Cloud statistics and cloud radiative effect for a low-mountain site

In 2007, the Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Mobile Facility (AMF) was operated for a nine-month period in the Murg Valley, Black Forest, Germany, in support of the Convective and Orographically-induced Precipitation Study (COPS). The synergy of AMF and COPS partner instrumentation was exploited to derive a set of high-quality thermodynamic and cloud property profiles with 30 s resolution. In total, clouds were present 72% of the time, with multi-layer mixed phase (28.4%) and single-layer water clouds (11.3%) occurring most frequently. A comparison with the Cloudnet sites Chilbolton and Lindenberg for the same time period revealed that the Murg Valley exhibits lower liquid water paths (LWPs; median = 37.5 g m−2) compared to the two sites located in flat terrain. In order to evaluate the derived thermodynamic and cloud property profiles, a radiative closure study was performed with independent surface radiation measurements. In clear sky, average differences between calculated and observed surface fluxes are less than 2% and 4% for the short wave and long wave part, respectively. In cloudy situations, differences between simulated and observed fluxes, particularly in the short wave part, are much larger, but most of these can be related to broken cloud situations. The daytime cloud radiative effect (CRE), i.e. the difference of cloudy and clear-sky net fluxes, has been analysed for the whole nine-month period. For overcast, single-layer water clouds, sensitivity studies revealed that the CRE uncertainty is likewise determined by uncertainties in liquid water content and effective radius. For low LWP clouds, CRE uncertainty is dominated by LWP uncertainty; therefore refined retrievals, such as using infrared and/or higher microwave frequencies, are needed.

xero, kline & coma

xero, kline & coma is an artist run project space at 258 Hackney Road, London. It’s program, curated by Pil and Galia Kollectiv, focuses primarily on solo exhibitions by internationally established as well as emerging artists. Work by recent graduates King Conny Wobble and David Steans is being shown alongside projects like the Museum of American Art – Berlin, previously included in the Venice and Istanbul Biennales, Jeffrey Vallance, whose recent solo exhibition was at the Warhol Museum, and Plastique Fantastique, whose work has been shown at Tate Britain and the Pratt Manhatten Gallery, New York, with the aim of raising the profile of lesser known artists and allowing others to experiment with work that more institutional contexts don’t always permit. Some of the themes this program has explored have included fictional identities, a-chronological art histories and the mediation of ritual in time-based media. A commitment to critically engaged art is also central to the ethos of the space, and future shows include an exploration of unionism in art by Sophie Carapetian. As well as displaying new work, the gallery hosts events, talks and screenings. Most recently these have included meetings of the Political Currency of Art research group, a discussion and film screening dealing with the theme of ‘hostile objects’ led by Evan Calder Williams and Marina Vishmidt, a book launch for New Lines of Alliance, New Spaces of Liberty by Antonio Negri and Felix Guattari and an event dedicated to the theatre work of Slovenian art collective NSK, featuring a screening of unreleased documentation and a discussion about the future of total performance.

The story of Temple Bar: creating Dublin's cultural quarter

The paper conceptualises and explores the links between cities, commerce, urbanism and cultural planning by drawing on Temple Bar in Dublin as an example of how, by linking these concepts to practice in real concrete situations urban life or urban culture can be created and/or revitalised. Temple Bar is Dublin's emerging cultural quarter, an experiment in urban revitalisation which is deliberately focused on culture and urbanism as ways of rediscovering the good city. It has attracted considerable interest from across Europe, and has secured EC funding to kick-start the process of renewal. The author was appointed by the Irish Government to prepare the area management and development strategy for Temple Bar in 1990. Wary of the dangers of property led regeneration, of the destructive impacts of sudden or cataclysmic change, the agencies in Temple Bar have deliberately adopted a strategic management approach to the area. This is referred to as 'urban stewardship', a process of looking after and respecting a place, and helping it to help itself. The paper explores whether there is a 'culture of cities' and whether it is possible to recreate an urban culture. Following Raymond Williams, an anthropological definition of culture is employed, "... a particular way of life, which expresses certain meaning and values not only in art and learning but also in institutional and ordinary behaviour". Rather than being simply an add-on to the serious concerns of economic development and the built environment, culture has both helped shape, and continues to develop in, the streets, spaces and buildings of the city.

NATO, Britain, France and the FRG: Nuclear Strategies and Forces for Europe, 1949-2000

This is vol. I of my two-volume study of the nuclear strategies/strategy preferences of NATO collectively, and individually of Britain, France, and West Germany in the Cold War. It shows that NATO strategy was a fragile compromise, and that these three countries, all within range of Soviet medium/intermediate range nuclear missiles and thus with less geostrategic difference than in previous military threat contexts, had wildly divergent strategies/preferences which cannot be explained merely by geography. It raises the question of what made them so different, addressed in Volume II "Nuclear Mentalities" (q.v.)

No Haus Like Bau

The project consists of a live performance taking the 2005 IKEA riot as the starting point for a speculative history of a fictional future, culminating in a choreographed re-enactment of the original event. It is accompanied by a film series explores the possibility of collective action emerging from the capitalist relations inherent in the consumer riot. The performance, staged at the Berlin Biennale, continues this research into re-enactment and post-1989 politics, using a stage set made of flatpack furniture. Using the aesthetics of Modernism and the avant garde, the project transposes early twentieth century utopian ideology to a present day setting where mass uprisings are motivated by cheap commodities. By re-evaluating biomechanics and Bauhaus theatre theory, these explorations of consumerism and revolution propose that the mechanized movement developed in conjunction with industrial labour survives as a historical re-enactment in the wake of manufacturing work in the west. In the absence of a visual language apt to the contemporary, No Haus Like Bau uses re-enactment as a retrogarde tactic. Its purpose on the one hand is to invoke trajectories for alternate futures that never materialized at an originary moment. On the other hand, the clash of past forms with present content serves to accentuate the historical changes that have thrown into question these forms. Rather than reflecting the present, the projection of the past into a fictional future aims to destabilize the dominant narrative that suggests the current configuration of art, politics and human nature has always been this way. The project has been widely exhibited internationally and supported by Film London and Arts Council England. A theoretical essay on re-enactment as a strategy for performance has been published in Art Papers and in Memory [MIT]. The project also formed the basis of a solo exhibition at Te Tuhi Art Centre, Auckland.

Extracting planetary waves from geomagnetic time series using Empirical Mode Decomposition

Empirical Mode Decomposition is presented as an alternative to traditional analysis methods to decompose geomagnetic time series into spectral components. Important comments on the algorithm and its variations will be given. Using this technique, planetary wave modes of 5-, 10-, and 16-day mean periods can be extracted from magnetic field components of three different stations in Germany. In a second step, the amplitude modulation functions of these wave modes can be shown to contain significant contribution from solar cycle variation through correlation with smoothed sunspot numbers. Additionally, the data indicate connections with geomagnetic jerk occurrences, supported by a second set of data providing reconstructed near-Earth magnetic field for 150 years. Usually attributed to internal dynamo processes within the Earth's outer core, the question of who is impacting whom will be briefly discussed here.

Flexural properties, microleakage, and degree of conversion of a resin polymerized with conventional light and argon laser

Objective: To evaluate the flexural strength, microleakage, and degree of conversion of a microhybrid resin polymerized with argon laser and halogen lamp. Method and Materials: For both flexural test and degree of conversion analysis, 5 bar samples of composite resin were prepared and polymerized according to ISO 4049. The halogen light-curing unit was used with 500 MW/cm(2) for 20 seconds and the argon laser with 250 mW for 10 and 20 seconds. Samples were stored in distilled water in a dark environment at 37 degrees C for 24 hours. The flexural property was quantified by a 3-point loading test. For the microleakage evaluation, 60 bovine incisors were used to prepare standardized Class 5 cavities, which were restored and polished. Specimens were stored in distilled water for 24 hours at 37 degrees C and thermocycled 500 times (6 degrees C to 60 degrees C). Specimens were then immersed in art aqueous solution of basic fuchsin for 24 hours. Longitudinal sections of each restoration were obtained and examined with a stereomicroscope for qualitative evaluation of microleakage. Fourier transform (FT)-Raman RFS 100/S spectrometer (Bruker) was used to analyze the degree of conversion. Results: ANOVA showed no statistically significant differences of flexural strength between the photoactivation types evaluated in the flexural study. Microleakage data were statistically analyzed by Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests. Enamel margins resulted in a statistically lower degree of leakage than dentin margins. No statistically significant difference was found among the 3 types of photocuring studied. ANOVA also showed no statistically significant difference in the degree of conversion among the studied groups. Conclusion: According to the methodology used in this research, the argon laser is a possible alternative for photocuring, providing the same quality of polymerization as the halogen lamp. None of the photocured units tested in this study completely eliminated microleakage.

Materials Collection Creation and Administration: A New Role for Libraries (White Paper)

The Problem/Opportunity: To define, identify, and guide design-based materials collections in academic settings and foster community among those with existing collections and/or those considering creating and supporting one. Contents and topics: What is a materials collection? Why have a materials collection? Acquisition strategies Organizational approaches Programming possibilities Symposium summary Resources

As imagens do povo e o espaço vazio da arte/educação: (um estudo sobre Antonio Poteiro)

Este trabalho - As imagens do povo e o espaço vazio da arte - educação - é o desenvolvimento de uma reflexãos sobre a arte, suas condições de produção e o seu conteudo, na busca de subsídio para o desenvolvimento da educação art��stica no contexto da Educação Formal. Esta refleção se fundamenta no pressuposto de que a arte não ê um momento separado da praxis humana, mas que se constitui num objeto de apropriação do real, que ao expressá-lo cria uma realidade humano-social e a ela se integra, estabelecendo uma rede de interações. A metodologia empregada para as verificações concernentes aos pressupostos teóricos, situa-se no que se convencionou denominar "estudo de caso". Analisa-se a produção do artista plástico, Antônio Poteiro, ceramista e pintor, de origem popular, procurando nela instâncias de crítica e renovação social. Do ponto de vista da apresentação, este estudo se constitui de quatro partes. Na primeira parte, introdutória, sao abordados aspectos teóricos da arte em sua relação com a realidade social. Enfatiza-se o problema da fruição nas artes figurativas.A segunda é dedicada à vida do artista. Faz-se transcrição da história de vida, segue-se um comentário evidenciando aspectos da capacidade criadora do artista. A terceira é dedicada a sua obra, pintura e escultura. Procede-se o deciframento de um conjunto de obras, a partir de um tema recorrente. Numa fase final, reunem-se as questões concernentes a produção do artista, para que venham contribuir para a educação, supondo-se que a arte ocupe nos processos educacionais, um espaço que leve ao desenvolvimento da sensibilidade humana.

Os mecanismos de governança do saneamento básico no Brasil : um estudo de direito administrativo sob a perspectiva da economia dos custos de transação

O serviço público de saneamento básico tem relevância amplamente reconhecida. Apesar disso, ainda são verificados no Brasil elevados índices de déficit ou de atendimento precário, com situações distintas nas diversas regiões do país. Nesse sentido, o objetivo desta dissertação é (i) apresentar, a partir da perspectiva interdisciplinar da Economia dos Custos de Transação, uma compreensão do serviço público de saneamento básico no Brasil, atualmente regulamentado pela Lei nº 11.445/2007, (ii) avaliar a eficiência do modo de governança majoritariamente utilizado e, (iii) eventualmente, propor desenhos alternativos para a organização da prestação que sejam economicamente superiores em temos de redução de custos de transação para a realização de investimentos necessários ao cumprimento dos objetivos fundamentais definidos no art. 2º, da Lei nº 11.445/2007. A pesquisa adotou como estratégia metodológica a utilização de uma abordagem interdisciplinar de direito, economia e organizações, nos termos da análise econômica da nova economia institucional. A partir o estudo do ambiente institucional básico, com apoio no referencial teórico, observou-se que o mecanismo de governança predominantemente utilizado no serviço público de saneamento básico no Brasil, isto é, delegações a Companhias Estaduais de Saneamento por meio de contratos de longo-prazo (contratos de programa), não favorece a realização de investimentos em ativos específicos (infraestrutura) necessários à prestação e cumprimentos de metas da política. Foi também constatado que existem alternativas de governança viáveis ao desenho predominante, embora a utilização de formas alternativas provavelmente não possua execução viável pelo simples transplante de normas, isto é, pela via formal. A modificação da forma de governança predominante no saneamento básico no Brasil, com a superação do baixo desempenho verificado (low-level equilíbrium), não é possível de ser realizada sem custos. Nesse sentido, é necessário superar os custos para o rompimento do path dependence provocado pelo hold up realizado pelas Companhias Estaduais de Saneamento Básico sobre os titulares do serviço público (municípios), bem como os custos para o rompimento do path dependence no direito administrativo brasileiro, o qual restringe o desenvolvimento de uma teoria jurídica da regulação apta a viabilizar a construção de uma governança regulatória adequada à redução dos custos de transação, de modo a tornar viáveis investimentos em ativos de infraestruturas com elevado grau de especificidade.

"Não compre, plante"? A tipificação penal das situações de cultivo de Canábis pelo Tribunal de Justiça de São Paulo

A Lei nº 11.343 de 23 de agosto de 2006 (Lei de Drogas) instituiu o Sistema Nacional de Políticas Públicas sobre Drogas e criou as diretrizes para a política de drogas brasileira. Dentre o conjunto de medidas trazidas pela lei em seu dispositivo criminal está a criação de um tipo penal específico de cultivo de plantas para produção de drogas para consumo pessoal (art. 28, §1º). O plantio para consumo recebe o mesmo tratamento jurídico-penal que o porte para consumo (art. 28), sendo previstas sanções alternativas à privação de liberdade. O §2º do art. 28 da Lei de Drogas estabelece os critérios que as autoridades competentes do sistema de justiça criminal deverão considerar na tipificação penal das situações de cultivo. Este trabalho se debruça sobre a tipificação penal de situações de cultivo de canábis em acórdãos do Tribunal de Justiça de São Paulo. A problemática de pesquisa aqui desenvolvida discute especificamente quais são os argumentos e como eles são apresentados nas decisões para justificar a determinação de que uma situação de cultivo é para fins de tráfico ou de consumo pessoal. O trabalho busca identificar como os critérios do §2º do art. 28 da Lei de Drogas são apresentados na fundamentação de decisões judiciais em que se discute na esfera criminal se uma situação de cultivo é para “consumo pessoal” ou “destinada a terceiros”. Uma pergunta central norteia a pesquisa realizada: quais os elementos e de que forma eles são utilizados nas decisões analisadas para tipificação do plantio para consumo pessoal (art. 28, §1º, da Lei de Drogas) e do plantio destinado a fornecer drogas a terceiros (art. 33, §1º, II)? Para enfrentar a problemática de pesquisa utilizamos a ferramenta de busca de acórdãos disponibilizada no sítio eletrônico do Tribunal de Justiça de São Paulo. Foram analisados 135 acórdãos do TJSP que enfrentam diretamente a controvérsia relativa à tipificação penal de situações de cultivo de canábis. Os acórdãos foram proferidos entre os anos de 1998 e 2014 e foram selecionados segundo os critérios especificados no capítulo metodológico da dissertação. Os resultados quantitativos da pesquisa dizem respeito às informações gerais dos processos, elementos de prova mencionados nos acórdãos, características das situações de cultivo e fundamentação da tipificação penal. A discussão qualitativa sobre os resultados da pesquisa é promovida em quatro frentes: (i) interpretação e valoração da quantidade de drogas; (ii) antecedentes criminais, circunstâncias da prisão e do agente; (iii) materiais de venda e outros elementos relevantes na tipificação penal; e (iv) características do conjunto probatório. As questões discutidas nestas frentes circunscrevem o problema de pesquisa e é a partir delas que é feita a análise apresentada neste trabalho. Esperamos conseguir contribuir para melhor compreensão (i) da determinação da finalidade do cultivo e (ii) das implicações jurídicas que decorrem da opção legislativa pela não utilização de critérios quantitativos na definição dos crimes de tráfico de drogas e plantio para consumo.