Wolves Lane

6 minutes

I was invited by Matt Plummer-Fernandez to be guest lecturer on the current Computational Art MA course at Camberwell College of Arts.

The students have just finished up a module on world building and have now moved on to their final work of the year – a site specific work/installation/performance. The theme is Solarpunk.

I already posted about this on my tumblr but I’m going to repeat myself for the main blog crowd. On Tuesday, we took the students to Wolves Lane Centre in Wood Green to meet Elki – the Cactus Man of London.

He is one of the most inspiring people I’ve ever met. Channeling ancestral knowledge though ritual and music, Elki has become one of the foremost cacti growers in the UK. The cactus house is laid out like a body, with a womb, a heart and stepping stones representing the cardinal directions and the elements. He also explained how he ‘translocates’ (my word) Mexico City into London though the use of ritual materials.

In his adopted greenhouse in Wolves Land he is attempting to create the UK’s first edible Cacti farm. His life and back story is just amazing. Some of which is covered in the short documentary above.

The whole community at Wolves Lane centre is incredible. Other greenhouses are occupied by groups like Edible London who are tackling food poverty and revitalising grey urban areas by turning them into green accessible growing spaces.

The place is a GEM, in the heart of north London. The students I think, had their minds blown. (Some of them inspired enough to enquire about volunteering)

Whilst I was there I also met two permaculture market gardeners from California, we had long chats about the ins and outs of regenerative design patterns and how they translate from Mediterranean LA to the UK and Northern Europe.

We’re going back to the venue in less than 4 weeks to see the work the students make. Updates To Come.


In other news, I’m going on holiday next week. 🏖️

So this week has been dedicated to getting ahead (podcast for next week is already scheduled), and crossing off outstanding commitments on the list of things to do before I leave.

We’re going to some all inclusive resort in Crete. My plans consist of eating huge buffet meals, drinking lots of brightly coloured cocktails, swimming, and reading at least a book a day by the pool. I may go visit Knossos, but as I’ve already indicated my schedule is already pretty full.

When I get back life will no doubt fall back into the usual weekly work rhythms, but It also marks the beginning of a huge writing project. I’m trying to figure out how I’m going to find an extra hour a day to take myself off to the local coffeeshop and work.

Once I figure out my daily cadence or tempo I’m going to self impose some aggressive deadlines.

Speak to you all next week!

Photo 365

137/365

Permanently Moved

Metaverse as Medium

Why I think the metaverse is important, MUDs, the web as 30 year long distraction, and why worlding worlds means shaping reality.

The Ministry Of My Own Labour

  • Camberwell stuff
  • Daily writing rhythm work
  • Calls about a short sharp project that needs managing
  • Calls about making a very silly short form TV show
  • Convos with the movingcastles.world team about mecanics
  • ADMIN 🙁

Dipping the Stacks

Pop Culture Has Become an Oligopoly – by Adam Mastroianni

A cartel of superstars has conquered culture. How did it happen, and what should we do about it?

If you are going to read one thing from the links list this week read this! it provides some hard data about Cultural Fracking.

Viral SXSW Tweets Spark Convo On The Economics Of Touring

Why Are Musicians Expected To Be Miserable On Tour Just To Break Even?

Infinite Images and the latent camera — Herndon Dryhurst Studio

Spawning, a 21st century corollary to the 20th century process of sampling. If sampling afforded artists the ability to manipulate the artwork of others to collage together something new, spawning affords artists the ability to create entirely new artworks in the style of other people from AI systems trained on their work or likeness.

An Awfully Big Blog Adventure: A Cautionary Tale by Paul May

A few weeks later when I was summoned to the headteacher’s office. Mark’s parents had written a letter of complaint, not to the headteacher, not to the school governors, but to the County Education Officer himself. And what was the problem? The problem was knickers. Knickers were referred to in the book (Machine Gunners), not once, but several times and Mark had already been taking what his parents felt was an unhealthy interest in such matters, before a teacher, who should have known better, had recommended this appalling book to him.

Funnily enough they made no mention of the fact that on the very first page we learn that the girl from the greengrocer’s shop has been blown to pieces in an air raid. 

How knitters got knotted in a purity spiral – UnHerd

So when someone comes calling from “realityland” with a list of questions, the mere fact of having their viewpoint interrogated represents an existential threat to the sacred viewpoint. They circle the wagons.

Reading

I’m still reading The Chip: How Two Americans Invented the Microchip and Launched a Revolution.

I’ve just finished The Lantern Men by Elly Griffiths. It was really good. English folklore wrapped around a murder mystery/police procedural.

After being on the ‘to read’ pile since his appearance on Interdependence last year, I’ve finally started reading Daemon by Daniel Suarez. I’m only 10-ish % of the way though and holy hell its amazing.

I am taking a *heap* of books on holiday with me. I wonder how many I’ll read 🤔

Music

thejaymo.net Spotify Playlist

I still need to write about Ethel Cains new album. It’s probably the only thing I’ll be listening to by the pool.

LIVE A LITTLE – Sam Gendel & Antonia Cytrynowicz

I read this and had to listen to it!

Sam Gendel and Antonia Cytrynowicz didn’t set out to make a record – it just happened. LIVE A LITTLE, a collection of songs resulting from one late summer afternoon in Gendel’s Los Angeles home, is less an album and more a moment. The ten tracks here were recorded mostly in one sitting, fully improvised, in the order in which they appear. It was the first and last time the songs have been played – a snapshot of an idea, an artifact of inspiration, at once both a beginning and an end.

At the time of recording, Cytrynowicz was only eleven years old. The younger sister of Gendel’s significant other and creative partner Marcella, Cytrynowicz is an artist in her own way. She has no formal musical training, but is the product of a creative family and is someone who makes art the way many kids do – in the purest way, simply because they are moved to.

What unfolds on this album is a dreamy mix of weird and wonky electronic bleeps and bloops, and improvised wind instrumentation. Vocals float though through it all. They feel like channeled previously unheard and unknown Jazz standards. Wonderful album. Refreshing.

Remember Kids:

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