Posted by libby on June 20th, 2008 in Uncategorized ·
…or, Adventures in Breadmaking
Since I moved to high-speed Seattle a little over two weeks ago, ironically, I’ve buried myself in the acquisition and creation of the low-tech. Sometimes the things that work the best to provide nutrition and amelioration, both physical and emotional, aren’t powered by fancy-pants futuristic transhumanism. I’ve built a vermicomposter (images to come) to help manage my vegetable refuse and my lack of garbage disposal, found pure joy in growing herbs and carnivorous plants, and today, I baked bread. Sure, it’s cheap enough to grab a loaf at the market, but god knows who and what touched it before it reaches my table, and oh my lord, it’s FUN to fill the house with the delicious stink of fresh loaves. It’s a shame that many people won’t eat bread because of dieting/health issues–it is total comfort food for me.
I spent a few hours making vegan pita bread using a simple recipe garnered from The Anarchist’s Cookbook, a new leftist (and tasty) food blog. I chose this specific recipe because it didn’t call for many ingredients, and seemed to be a gentle start for someone who’s previously eschewed hand-baking leavened breads.
I didn’t find too many problems with the directions, though you’ll want to read through them all the way before you get started, otherwise you may find yourself accidentally missing a step. I finished some of my pitas with garlic salt and some with lemon thyme for flavor goodness, but let me know if you try topping them with anything else of mention.
It took some serious self-control to take photos before eating! Yum!
Posted by libby on June 19th, 2008 in Uncategorized ·
Please welcome the newest members of the ExoCab household:
Wee carnivorous babies (omg!!) and some sweet basil, garnered from the Fremont Indoor Sun Shoppe. The meat eaters are a red dragon venus flytrap and a Sarracenia hybrid pitcher plant. I transplanted all of the plants into larger containers (the carnis require special soil and distilled water) and have been spoiling them rotten.
The gentleman who urged me to adopt them remarked that carni plants are better than video games and that I’d soon be obsessed. He was totally correct. The flytrap’s grown another lobe even since I shot this photo, and the pitcher plant is having a heyday with the fruit flies that live on the basil. I keep walking across the room to poke at the things and am pathetically, gleefully entertained.
Some people are crazy cat ladies. I suppose I am a crazy plant lady. But mock me and I’ll feed you to the flytrap, one morsel at a time. 
Posted by libby on June 13th, 2008 in Photography and Projects ·
Here we are, live from Seattle! I made the 3,000 mile trip from Indiana in one piece despite the treacherous weather that swept across the United States last week. It’s taken me the better part of eight days to unpack my boxes and settle into my new apartment, and I’ve been busy looking for full-time work and starting new projects simultaneously. Up next in the queue will be an indoor vermicomposter, experiments in bread-making (i.e. science), and likely some long-forgotten sewing work. Stay tuned. There will be pictures.
I’ve also reposted some prints and listed another five pairs of beetle elytra and anodized titanium earrings on Etsy. Check out the listings for more details. I love working with shiny jingly bug bits–they appeal to my inner morbid magpie in a way no other material can.
Thanks!
Posted by libby on June 4th, 2008 in Uncategorized ·
Today, I leave Bloomington/Indianapolis, Indiana to relocate to Seattle, Washington. I might be offline for a few days whilst I’m getting interwubs set up in my new apartment, but never fear: more updates to come as soon as I finish the biggest and most tedious project on which I’ve recently worked. 3,000 mile migration is serious business.
I am still looking for creative employment in the Seattle area. Check out my portfolio in the right-hand sidebar if you know of any job leads or would like to hire me, or email me at exoskeletoncabaret at gmail dot com.
Posted by libby on May 25th, 2008 in Events and Photography ·
On Flickr, I have a new batch of photos from my California adventures–these are from textile artist Molly Mitchell’s Interlaced, which I blogged about last month.
Along with several friends, I helped Molly put together the costumes and rigging for the performance at California College of the Arts. The outfits are made from long ribbons of white rubber, and connect a pair of bellydancers (the breathtaking Ariellah and Predslava) at various body points through carabiners and 150+ metal eyehooks sunk into the gallery walls. Each of the hooks had to be plotted and inserted into the walls by hand, and every aspect of both costumes had to be carefully cemented and checked, and then the garments untangled and hung. Needless to say, the team put in an ungodly amount of physical work getting the performance ready. Thankfully I didn’t have to conceptualize anything–Molly did all the hard labor there!
Even after spending four days in the gallery, working long hours on the filthy concrete floor, the space felt oddly magical when the dancers entered to perform. The audience, once babbling and sipping free wine outside, hushed in awe and clustered around the perimeter of the gallery. No one spoke above a respectful whisper during the 95 minutes Predslava and Ariellah moved together.
One performer’s movements encouraged or prevented the other’s, dictated by the tautness of every rubber strap. Each dancer wore a Bluetooth headset connected to my laptop, so they could work with a playlist of music, but the audience only heard the slap of rubber and eerie echoes from the slightly disturbing student film being played on a loop next door.
Molly’s friend took video of the performance from the back corner of the gallery. I will post a clip when it’s placed online, though as professional as it was, I doubt it will adequately capture the awesomeness of this event. As I mentioned before, I am exceedingly proud of Molly and her work with Interlaced, and am looking forward to her next project, though I’ve made her promise to take a break before trying to do this again.
In case you missed the link, check the Flickr gallery here.
Visit her Livejournal for more information about the work of Molly Mitchell and some pre-show shots.
Posted by libby on May 23rd, 2008 in Events and Photography ·
Three weeks later, in between packing everything I own in cardboard and bubble wrap, I’ve managed to get the finest of my Maker Faire photos uploaded to the web. Some of these appeared two weeks ago on a MAKE blog post, but many are new. Please have a look.
I really can’t adequately explain the experience I had at the event — I think so far the best I’ve come up with is “internet family reunion” and “like Burning Man, minus the illegal drugs and naked people”. It is so inspiring to see such an epic quantity of passionate people displaying the projects and objects over which they’ve slaved. I’m totally brimming with new ideas now.
Abney Park also performed a gig Saturday night of the event, and I shot them again, both on stage and posed on the Neverwas Haul, which I’ve decided to commandeer and go toddling about…or at least covet excessively, because everyone needs a steampunk mansion on wheels.
Many thanks, and see the whole Flickr set here.
Posted by libby on May 15th, 2008 in In The Press ·
Freshly returned to the Midwest/blogosphere from my voyages to San Mateo, San Francisco, and Seattle, I received word today of the Boston Phoenix’s article on steampunk makers. I interviewed with the journalist responsible for the story a month ago, and she included coverage of many of the talented and vibrant makers I met in person at the MAKE Magazine Maker Faire ten days ago.
Check out the article here! I’ll be posting photos from the Maker Faire and additional West Coast adventures later this week.
Posted by libby on April 30th, 2008 in Events and In The Press ·
–or– Good Lord, My Life Is Crazy
This week has quite possibly been the wildest one I’ve had in a while. A few days ago, I was asked to participate in The Heather Gold Show live from the Maker Faire. It will be streamed live from the main stage on this Saturday, May 3 at 4:00pm PDT (watch online at heathergold.com).
The issue we’ll be addressing (for which I’m vaguely responsible) is:
How can you be authentic to yourself and part of a (sub)culture?
Through the lens of Steampunk, a meta-subculture that is currently at its tipping point of growth, we explore the inevitable question a subculture faces as it grows from disparate DIY roots. Who and what belongs? Can it transform permaculture?
Conversating with Heather will be computer and car modifier Jake von Slatt, Abney Park singer Captain Robert, yours truly (on behalf of Steampunk Magazine), and the live/web audience. Expect hijinks.
Item Number Two of OMG Insanity is that I learned yesterday that my photography of Seattle artist Molly Porkshanks Friedrich will be featured in the New York Times in a week or so as part of her interview. I’m not yet certain which image will be featured but it will be one from this set, which we shot last fall. I will post more details when the article is published.
Call this my 4.23 seconds of fame. Um, squee.
Posted by libby on April 28th, 2008 in Events ·
I am incredibly honored to announce:
MOLLY MITCHELL - INTERLACED
Molly says:
“…To think beyond the formal overlap between the disciplines to how they impact the body, a dress and a building are both constructed to facilitate certain forms of movement while restricting others – they shape how we think and move. Our sense of ourselves as bodies in space is mediated by fashion and architecture throughout the course of our lives – and the way we interface with the world and with each other directly reflects the advances in both disciplines.
The invisible, felt relationships between bodies and the culturally constructed environment that sometimes restrains them, sometimes frees them and sometimes does both at once is my area of interest in this work. …Interlaced will involve two dancers who are linked to each other through the architecture of the Nave by white rubber strapping that runs through their costumes. The simultaneously stretchy and resistant nature of the rubber restricts certain avenues of movement while enabling others; the piece is about reciprocal movement, a striving to connect over distance and direct vs. indirect contact.”
I couldn’t have put it better myself. This is my best gal’s MFA show for California College of the Arts in San Francisco. I will be in attendance, and if you’re in the area, please come too. I’m very proud of her and all that she dreams up.
Posted by libby on April 24th, 2008 in Events ·
I just returned from the Left Coast, only to travel back again next week for the Bay Area Maker Faire!
For those of you who are out of the loop; “Maker Faire is a two-day, family-friendly event that celebrates the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) mindset. It’s for creative, resourceful people of all ages and backgrounds who like to tinker and love to make things.” Make Magazine, the event’s sponsor, has allotted a number of my friends and I a Contraptors Lounge , a space where a variety of steampunk makers will congregate to share projects, spread the brass gospel, and encourage ideas amongst old pals and new friends alike. Along with our gang, there will be all manner of tinkerers, hackers, artisans, performers, creatives, and mad scientists demonstrating their projects. Projected number of attendees might top 50,000!
Appearing with me in the Lounge will be Datamancer, The Legion Fantastique, Magpie Ratt of Steampunk Magazine, Molly ‘Porkshanks’ Friedrich, Meredith Scheff, and my good buddy Jake von Slatt. Abney Park will be headlining the evening’s festivities, which will no doubt involve many shiny surprises.
Maker Faire will be in San Mateo, California, on the weekend of May 3rd and 4th. If you’re in the area, please stop by our booth to chat and get your photo taken!