Monday’s opening saw some press for Union Square in Motion. Here are some links, starting with those who visited the installation or contacted us directly NY1 did a two-minute story on it, “New Artwork Best Seen In Transit Through Union Square Station“ Arts for Transit’s Director, Sandra Bloodworth, mentioned Union Square in Motion in an in-depth interview in Urban Omnibus, “Arts for Transit: A Conversation with Sandra Bloodworth“ The Village[…] Keep reading →

Writing on my North Korea trip has been waiting while I finished my series on my Model. Now it will have to wait a few days more. Today’s opening of Union Square in Motion got big, particularly after the MTA’s press release and Parsons the New School for Design’s post. Here is an initial video of a few children and parents seeing the display during installation. You have to come[…] Keep reading →

Here is a video of the Union Square in Motion public art piece most of the way through installation. I haven’t gotten a couple of the monitors working yet, but you can see the basic display. Umut Ozover created the video, as well as helping create the art. As always, video and still images don’t convey the medium like seeing it in person. So if you’re in New York City,[…] Keep reading →

Here are a map and picture showing how to find Union Square in Motion, New York City’s most amazing new public art work. If you need better directions, contact me and I’ll help. It’s convenient to the 4,5,6,N,R,Q, and L trains, not far from the B,D,F, and M trains. Look for the subway entrance in front of Walgreens or Food Emporium, take the escalator or stairs down, and you can’t[…] Keep reading →

The display looks amazing. It only took most of a year and fifteen hours today to put it up — part of the joy of making art. That and it’s much bigger, brighter, and in a higher traffic area than the Bryant Park display. People seem to love it already. (Directions to see Union Square in Motion, video of the display during installation) I have too many people to thank,[…] Keep reading →

Why do we create and invent? Many people enjoy creating, but can’t express why — what they get out of it or what motivates them. The masters often express these things best — mastery often requires understanding your motivations. A quote by Man Ray has stuck with me for years after first hearing it on an American Masters documentary on him. I believe it expresses a, or perhaps the, fundamental[…] Keep reading →

In the midst of my series on Communication Skills Exercises, yesterday I worked with the brilliant, talented, and accomplished Nina Paley — free culture advocate, creator of Sita Sings the Blues, cartoonist of the insightful, funny, and subversive Mimi and Eunice, and friendly neighbor. We animated the Freedombox logos John Emerson and I worked on. She also does things like post blog entries titled “I am awesome,” suggesting an obvious[…] Keep reading →

Has anyone ever told you you were thinking about things too much? Was it an annoying thing for them to say, perhaps dismissive? When someone says that to me I usually point out how I like to play with ideas. Ideas to me are like blocks for a kid — I like to put them together in different ways to see what they look like together, I build structures with[…] Keep reading →