Tiib is a visual art space in the Pelgulinn area of Tallinn, co-coordinated by Ptarmigan.
Liminal Images is a monthly 'film' / video night that looks at the transformative movements in film culture in the 20th century, specifically in the realm of experimental cinema. Each month, we screen selections from a time before the moving image was all-pervasive (ie: nothing from the YouTube era, and only early, experimental video work). The selections range from classics of early 20th century surrealism to 1960’s agit-prop, structuralist and material cinema, and other such (anti-) classics.
Svamp is a regularly-scheduled workshop for music improvisation in Helsinki, Finland. It does not involve money, careers or obligations -- only interpersonal and sound relationships. Svamp sessions may range from collective improvisation to directed exercises or game-playing.
Ptarmigan is a project space in Tallinn, Estoniaand a mobile curatorial platform in Helsinki, Finland. Ptarmigan provides a space for participatory cultural projects and adventurous and challenging scenarios, in the form of workshops, art/sound/performance events, discussions, classes and unusual social interactions.
CD-R and cassette label for limited production of art-edition releases. Includes releases by John W. Fail (solo and with Ben Reynolds), Oakwhistle, Minn Minn Lights, The Good Anna, Nonhorse, Matt McDowell. Distribution throughout US and Europe.
Solo and group recordings and performances including groups Bat Tarbet (Helsinki/Glasgow) [video 1, video 2], Lied Music (Glasgow), Intro to Pterodactyl (Providence, RI), Land (Pittsburgh, PA). Solo projects as John W. Fail, Oakwhistle, Handshake Garden, The 15,000 Day Boat Trip. Many brief collaborations and workshops. For recordings and performance history, see 'outputs' section. An overview (2007).
Ownership and operation of independent label focusing on avant-garde and experimental music. Releases include CDs and LPs by Car Commercials, Burning Star Core, Eyes and Arms of Smoke, Scatter, Arco Flute Foundation, Earth Trumpet, Need New Body. Curation, production and marketing of releases.
Helsinki franchise of international open education model: "THE PUBLIC SCHOOL is a school with no curriculum. At the moment, it operates as follows: first, classes are proposed by the public (I want to learn this or I want to teach this); then, people have the opportunity to sign up for the classes (I also want to learn that); finally, when enough people have expressed interest, the school finds a teacher and offers the class to those who signed up." -- TPS site
Various and scattered involvements - production and organising, creative work, various participations. Affiliated with Pixelache. Workshop faciliator: Space is the Place, Kuvataideakatemia Helsinki (2012). Personal projects: A Tribute to Augie Leonard Sr. installation (2003); Mnemelish DVDr label; curation of Garrioch Arms performance space; various concert booking and promotions 1999-present. Also see 'Various musical projects' and output.
'Everything is Tentative and Possible' (essay) Mount Analogue, 2011Account of my experiences with Ptarmigan from the beginning until the opening of the Tallinn space.
Lost Lake (Vinyl LP sound recording) Shadazz, March 2011Second collaborative LP with Vernon and Burns, released as Vernon and Burns meet Lied Music.
3-day reading group on the topic of 'rhythm'
5-day workshop with Giles Bailey on performative practice, curation and miscellany
The 15,000 Day Boat Trip (Vinyl LP sound recording) 8mm Records, December 2009ECDL '08: Proceedings of the 12th European conference on Research and Advanced Technology for Digital Libraries [link]
Pores in the Porch and Puddles Beneath (CD) Soopa label [Porto, Portugal], January 2007Collaborative CD with Spiral Joy Band
Oakwhistle tour (performances) , October - December 2006European tour including festivals in the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway; additional dates in Sweden, France, Italy, Poland, Germany.
Other Green Worlds (Master's dissertation) University of Glasgow, September, 2006subtitled: Accident and articulation in Samuel R. Delany’s Dhalgren, Andrei Tarkovsky’s Stalker, and Peter Greenaway’s The Falls" [pdf]
In India: audiotourism.2004 (Art booklet with CD-R) Sharks and Pfennigs, May 2006Field recordings of India, recorded and compiled with photo essay.
Lied Music UK tour (performances) , March 2006Live dates in Newcastle, Edinburgh, Manchester, Sheffield, Leeds, London, and Brighton.
Lied Music vs. Boy-Band Tax Returns (LP) Ultra Eczema [Antwerp, Belgium], March 2006Collaborative LP with Boy Band Tax Returns.
The Icewhistle (CD-R) Sharks and Pfennigs, March 2006solo disc of israj improvisations
[pdf]
The Frozen Musics 1999-2005 (4xC-10) Dronedisco, July 2005compilation of 8 projects: Land, Intro to Pterodactyl, Scandalous Falls, Come Cry, Fail/O'Keefe, Handshake Garden, God's Horn, Fail/McDowell
Helsinki and Tallinn
Toom-Kooli 13 / Tallinn / 10130 / Estonia
Chief Cultural Strategist
Co-founder and Chief Cultural Strategist of Ptarmigan (see website and 'Projects', above) which functions as my primary artistic practice/platform. Creative development, organisation, management, everything (but with others).
(self-employed)
Various locations / Tallinn , Helsinki / (and elsewhere)
Organisation and production of creative projects. Organisation of Ptarmigan project space, artist-in-residency programme, creative development. Workshop facilitation and instruction; sound recording and performance; freelance writing. Website development involving database creation, customized design and functionality, content management.
Projects and affiliations:
- Ptarmigan [see 'Projects' above; + development and maintenance of website]
- Slothrop's [see 'Projects' above; + development of software]
- Pixelache [expert board member + webmaster]
- Tiib [see 'Projects' above; + development of website]
- Triple Canopy [web development team]
- East of Borneo [back-end and front-end development (Ruby on Rails)]
- Version [development]
- Your Art Here (Downtown Brooklyn Partnership) [development]
- Volcanic Tongue [migration from static to database-driven site, development, support]
- Qctqpus [site development and art]
Humanities Advanced Technology and Information Institute
11 University Gardens / University of Glasgow / Glasgow / G12 8QH / UK
HATII Systems Programmer
Development of arts-based systems for academic and research purposes. Participation in digital preservation programming and research. Workpackage leader on Preservation Planning workpackage of Planets Project. Contributions to 3D-COFORM project. System administration, infrastructure and maintenance. Database development, expansion and support.
Sample output:
- NICE Paintings [development, design, administration]
- DMP Online [development, administration]
141 St. James Road / Glasgow / G4 0LT / UK
Data Architect
System administration and software development (perl, PHP, C) with maintenance for national clients. Administration, support and troubleshooting of software (primarily Debian Linux, PostgreSQL platforms). Design and implementation of internal infrastructure including CRM customisation, Wiki/documentation, apache/Plesk webserver, custom inventory management, backups, and environment standardisation with puppet/OpenLDAP.
140 E. Main St / Lexington , KY / 40508 / USA
Information Technology Technician
Responsibilities include troubleshooting, support, and office maintenance. Administration of Linux and Windows 2000 servers, and support of Windows XP and 2000 desktops. Active Directory administration, Microsoft Exchange mail server, IIS webserver, and library databases including cataloguing software and computer management.
Program in Epidemiology
WPIC / 3811 O'Hara St / Pittsburgh , PA / 15260 / USA
System Programmer/Analyst II
UNIX system administration and custom database/application development. Responsible for security and protection of confidential medical study data, operation and maintenance of all computer systems and administration of PostgreSQL databases. Also provided hardware upgrades and troubleshooting for PCs.
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Master of Literature , English Literature: Modernities (with distinction)
Bachelor of Science , Information Science