androidmediocrity

[androidmediocrity]

“Don’t be a modern stranger”

Despite what the average person thinks, you are not a perfectly rational being. Not some eyes desire only the passage of time and warm air. You have desires and irrational wants.

Irrational desires.

Some times you want to strangle the person next you. To end a life for no particular reason. Sometimes you want to throw yourself in front of a moving car as it passes. No reason whatsoever.

But no matter what you feel, you don’t act. You just let the brief desire pass you by. The winds of time blow it from your memory. You move on, still believing the myth of your impeccable mind.

But you aren’t the stranger. The stranger doesn’t sit still. She doesn’t let reason control her desires. When the moment comes, she doesn’t let the irrational want pass her by. A child, is unwatched one moment, and gone the next. The parents never see their child again and the stranger disappears in the night.

Don’t be a modern stranger.

[androidmediocrity]

"Out is in. In is also in. These antique horse clock collection is in. This LG smart TV is in. That pair on green jeans on the stair banister is in. Those pink lawn flamingoes are in. All the outdoor furniture is in. Bring it all inside there is a hurricane!"

"A hurricane in Arkansas?"

"A hurricane of interior design, my sweet prince!"

[androidmediocrity]

A came across an OC character sheet, it looked good. Its fields were sharp and angular. Clearly the work of an artist for other artists. Not only that the personality stats were relevant to the fandom and I found it quite through in the regard. However my great concern is the existence of the personality stats in the first place. Sure, you could view “humor” “emotionality” and “extroversion” as quantifiable units, but it misses something. I see these individual stats, but they do not come together to form a cohesive person. Its like seeing the ingredients to a recipe but not the final dish. I��m sure the chef know what he’s cooking with what he has, but I sure don’t. Whenever I create a character sheet, I have recently found bubbles and checklists restrictive. Once I start thinking of a character in abstract sense, assign adjectives to chip away at the platonic stone. Only then do I see a person, a majesty cut from words.

[androidmediocrity]

Had these commisioned by a friend for a super-hero inspired D&D game. The game was okay, but the art is beautiful.

[androidmediocrity]

The Herle, or the court Satan, was a common feature of French and English kingdoms from the 11th century onward. Dressed in garish clothing with names lost to time, the Court Satan served a vital role in their court. Known for their humor and wit, the Herle generally served to deliver insight or question the decisions of their respective ruler. Herles were open to actively challenge their king. This unique role situated them as defendants in royal trials, often appealing for lighter sentences for the accused. As the time passed and the role evolved, the relationship between the Herle and their monarch was mythologized. A Herle was not only to challenge their ruler, but to be their complete opposite. If a king was reserved and contemplative, their Herle was to be obscene and loud. Alfonzo the Chaste of England was defined by his loyalty to his first queen, never remarrying or engaging in an affair following her death at the age of 23. His Satan, Cambion VI, on the other hand had a combined total of 58 wives and more than a hundred children by extramarital affairs. However not all dynamics found themselves so truculent. Consider Catherine the Mad of France, known for her fiery temper and enthusiasm for conquest. Her Herlesse, Asmodea, served as a calming force and was to pacify the Queen during her notorious tantrums. The Herle was a distinguished role, although not always appreciated. The demonic influence at times garnered scrutiny from church authorities. Some dioceses outright forbade Christians from playing the role of Court Satan. The Herles were known for their diverse backgrounds. Some were well-educated nobles, others were siblings of the monarch themselves. In rare occasions Herles were chosen from the peasants, these individuals were either chosen due to renown or adopted due to physical deformities. The Herle was unique role in Medieval courts, serving as an opposing voice, a beacon of justice, a force of counterculture, or even a friend to their Rulers.

[androidmediocrity]

This is peak YouTube. 90% of the videos will be forgotten. Brief glimpses of a life not lived by you. I’ll never know the small animator who recorded this. But after watching this, I have an idea.

[androidmediocrity]

Oration from a Nihilist

“When most men look at a wall they see only a plain flat surface. It is the equivalent of looking at the moon and seeing a platter of chalk-white china. They do not see the imperfections marked by their eyes. The strokes, the scratches, the archipelago of ridges and divots. The years of wear and tear brought by human hand are but masked by the visage of the plane. This extends to society as whole. Man sees society as the wall, most men see it an immaculate foundation unyielding to years of turmoil. But a few enlightened see the truth; the cracks that spread all across it. The canyons of poverty and injustice spiderweb all the way to its foundation. Most men see only what they want to see, that the wall remains there until they open their eyes again. An altar to the god that is stability. They see the cracks every day getting deeper. Yet they don’t see or refuse to say because they would be admitted that their sacred structure, their pattern of day-to-day labor, is nothing more than a lie. A lie so ethereal, fragile that seeing a crack will bring it all down. Crumbling down to the ocean of anarchy, unstructured and unaccounted action where there is solid ground. There is only the whirling a crash of danger and panic that strikes the hearts of men. There is no god to pray to, only the devil that is man itself. A wall this decrepit reflects only on its maker: man. If man had built a wall flawed, what use if there to enlighten others of the flaws. If man was erred enough to stack bricks so haphazardly, how can any other attempt to do any better. Any other deviation built from the ground up is even more so flawed than the original, for it has not had the curse of longevity to test its mettle. Our only proper action is to make none. We have no tools that we have made to build  that have not been used to chip away. Only God can make one so immutable, and we have found him dead as a door nail. Our only choice is to look at the flaws and jeer. What a fool man was that he thought could make anything that could last. What a fool the apes were that built a stick pile that will just be eaten by termites. How pitiful. If only there was a God that could find pity, he would howl with laughter instead.”

[androidmediocrity]

After many thankless hours on a program I know nothing about, I made this wretched thing. In a world where comic books are a growing medium, the anthology book, Cringe Compilations, rules supreme. Every issue is jam-packed with just misery. Like every good episode of The Office, it is physically painful to read. The cringe is so much, regular readers throw it out by page 20. May God have mercy on your cringeworthy soul.

[androidmediocrity]

I disagree with some of these interpretations. I feels as though these ideas are great connections, but to the wrong aspects. Doom to me is stagnant decay, a rotting old city, Brutalist architecture and how watching Fight Club makes you feel. Life to me is the inverse, lustrous optimistic progress, innovation and the good vibes of a nature documentary. Under this framework, the idea that traditional male-female relationships falls into Doom, its literally a binary. Whereas the progressive ideas of gender would fall into innovative Life. The struggle of those who identify as queer to be accepted is more associated with Rage, the aspect of crawling through the dirt to overcome hardship. Just my interpretations.

I know a theorist that assigns gender as a concept to space! It kinda makes sense given the link between time and tradition, and space being tied to self expression (admittedly not as much as heart is), and also the whole "not truely showing the whole deck right away" thing that space has. But I personally could see it tied to pretty much all of the aspects in this way.

Oh I gotta disagree, I think! I feel Space is less tied to Gender, and more to Traditional Motherhood, in the same way as Time can be seen as Toxic Masculinity, through the lens of the bias in the Muse-Lord Classes that Calliope and Caliborn embody, the Jade castes, etc. Less of a direct tie to the conceptual Aspect, and more how it’s seen in-canon due to the influence of Caliborn on the setting. That said, it’s not a HARD disagreement or me totally dismissing the idea, I find it interesting, but I think there’s Aspects that may tie to Gender as a concept better.

There’s Void, which usually deals with societal constructs, and Light, with the inherent truth, which could tie to the idea of Traditional Gender Structures vs True Gender Presentation and such? Alternatively, Hope and Rage’s duality could also work- Also particularly showcased in the Clown-Horse duality of gender presented by Psycholonials in a way? Strong detachment from it vs strong attachment? Though that may ALSO tie to Breath/Blood just by wording choice. Ultimately, there’s Heart, the Aspect literally embodying Identity, and Mind, of choice, iteration and individual presentation. And since I’ve said every other Aspect, I may as well throw my two cents that Doom and Life could tie to... Life, as Privilege and influence, perhaps cisheteronormativity, while Doom could be seen as the struggle of the queer community and pushing back to be accepted within the status quo?

Gender is a very big thing that doesn’t quite fall perfectly in one Aspect! There’s bits of it spread across the whole Aspect Spectrum.

[androidmediocrity]

The Incal and its influences in Homestuck

There is no doubt that the writer of Homestuck, Hussie, took influences from a wide variety of works. Every influence from Tolkien to Jung. However if there’s one work that deserves its credit is Jodorowsky’s The Incal.

Here are a few examples from The Incal and their parallels in Homestuck:

Solune and the Dream selves

The Golden Planet and the Golden Moon of Prospit

Protoqueen’s Cone(births an entire species) and the Mother Grub(could not find image)

Last but least, The Final Form of the Incal and the Genesis Frog

It’s clear to see that Hussie is making a reference to The Incal throughout Homestuck. As a work I find it saddening that in the many years of Homstuck’s existence, there does not appear to be an prior connection between the two works. I hope that by making these connection, does the referential depth of the artist show through.

[androidmediocrity]

"You're thinking too much. Do the rational thing and act on your first emotional response."

[androidmediocrity]

Every day I like to browse through critique and criticisms made by others on the internet. These can take a wide variety of subjects, from centuries-old literature, to contemporary films. But one this that every single one of the plebeian critics had something to say about the state of modern art. I mean just look at it. Multi-color smears of paint on a wall. Boring plastic cubes in position. At least these attempt to look the part. Some artist don't even bother painting the canvas. Leaving it completely blanks. Some modern art doesn't even resemble anything close to art. A popular urban legend says that a whole exhibit was accidentally thrown out by a janitor, he thought it was trash. So that begs the question, what happened to art?

In the beginning man has created some form of art, one way or another. People have found cave paintings in France that go back thousands of years. People would decorate their tools and furniture. At this time, art as we call it today, more specifically fine art, did not exist. Art then was ornamental in nature, used to decorate the things around man to make more aesthetically appealing. When churches where built they were special occasions, Cathedrals even more so. To decorate these monuments skilled craftsmen were employed to decorate it. Statues and glorious murals were used. When the Sistine Chapel had empty wall space, the church hired Michelangelo to cover it up with art.

Sometimes when I am bored I look at concept art for major motion pictures. These sketches often look better than what I see in the film, but that beside the point. When browsing I hop from one professional to another until I dip into the waters of amateurs. I find the art mixed, especially with certain communities. Different art styles, differing levels of detail, levels of skill even. But one thing I see time and time again among the amateurs is the commissions box. For a price you can have this artist draw what ever within their own personal domains. I found this quite strange the first few times I saw this. Why would an artist, on this level, charge for art? I mean you are not a professional, you are free to do as you please. Make all the beautiful art you want. And yet they ask for payment.

It was around this time I came to a revelation. All this information about art reached a conclusion. I believe that there are three principles of art. There are: beauty, expression, and value. Beauty is the most broad of all of the principles, it defines the objective beauty to be found within it. The adherence to natural rules and higher platonic ideals. Expression is the most personal value. It encompasses the story and person behind here piece of art. A man has a hard life, he is pushed down by society and he has an individuality within himself. Everyday it expresses the individuality through sculptures made of silver foil and rubbish. This is his soul expressed through the medium, this is expression. Value is the most important principle, because it deals with society. They say every man has a price, and so does art. That painting on the wall there, was bought somewhere. The very rug beneath my feat bought elsewhere. It was with this last principle that it all came together.

Have you ever seen the movie Wall street? Well I have so I'll cut to the chase. In a scene in the movie the main character is at his rich boss's house. This man is very well off and has decided to use a lot of that wealth it what he considers to be important pieces of art. An art collector. At one point in conversation with another character the main character makes a joke about the painting was bad and boring to look at. Only to be informed that it sold for millions at an auction. A seemingly boring piece of art was in fact extremely valuable. This value was not apparent because the beauty of a piece did not convey it.

Now I want you to look at the rug beneath you, really look at it. Look at that abstract floral pattern. Would you say it's beautiful? I mean it's not an ugly rug for sure, but it would seen out of place in an art gallery. I mean maybe besides an contemporary, but besides an 18th century still life of a plate of waffles. It pales in comparison. This form of art is merely decoration: buy it at Ikea. But lets say you had a bit of wealth, a beach house in Miami and a Penthouse in New York. Would you put an Ikea rug down when your dinner bill is in the tens of thousands before you hit dessert? No! you'd hire an abstract artist who specializes in twisting metal wire into vague human shapes and have it above you fireplace. You'd go to an auction and spend millions of a yellow square on a canvas. Fine art is about the money and tastes. The only art found on the high end is loaded with vague symbolism and even vaguer beauty. Sounds dreadful does it? I thought so too. When I heard about the film Hello Vincent, a film created through painting. I realized that there is still talents out there. If you want there to be beautiful art out there, buy it. There are tons of classical painters in any given place, talented people. Patronize them!

[androidmediocrity]

How was he able to walk straight with balls that big?

[androidmediocrity]

I remember seeing a collage of an artists OCs and and the first thing that came to mind was this variant cover of the menagerie of silver-age transformations that batman had

The meta-textual resemblance is uncanny.

[androidmediocrity]

I find the literary character of the romantic interesting. They don't have to be a harlequin of culture but a solitary recluse. A hermit seeking their own goal and purpose. So what if society deems them mad, it only got in the way. The Dr. Moreau and Captain Ahab are great examples of the romantic hero. They are the true protagonist of the plot. Their goals do not align with that of society, they leave or are rejected by society. The main character is nothing more than an observer who fails to understand them and will only be swept up in their ambition. Ultimately i feel the greatest irony is that romantic is doomed by his goal. Be it Captain Ahab drowned by the whale, or Dr. Moreau mauled by the animals.

[androidmediocrity]

“I didn't just cut corners, I sanded the square of production into a circular saw-blade of cost-cutting efficiency”

[androidmediocrity]

A poem by me #2

A brisk day including the night and several other vague descriptions of things that have not happened and passed very long ago. 

The smell of pollen hovers

Fresh cut grass screams in agony

You walk past death into new life

Take a step into the cold water

Take a sip of its cleanness

clean of doubt and worry

Soak in the smell of salt

Uncoil your filaments of absorption

Dissolve until you no more

There are only the cool waves

Baked with pale moonlight

Through cloudy opaqueness

Illuminating unseen depth,

Never has and never will be you

Only the lake, and the lake is all