Banker's Blues
In response to the present financial crisis, and particularly their own bank, HBOS’s ‘profligate ways’, Document Records released in 2009 a fine compilation entitled ‘Banker’s Blues’. Here are the lyrics to the first track ‘Money Cravin’ Folks’ by Blind Alfred Reed. It was recorded only weeks after the Wall Street Crash, which signaled the beginning of the Great Depression.
Alfred Reed (centre)
Money Cravin’ Folks
Let me tell you ’bout the money cravin' folks
What I’m telling you is facts instead of jokes
They’re the ones that stands the best
Treated better than all the rest
That’s the hardcore crazy money cravin’ folks
Oh a lawyer sure your pocketbook will snatch
He will promise you great things to get your cash
He will make you think he’s wise
When he’s paid you’ll be surprised
Oh a lawyer sure your pocketbook will snatch
Oh a merchant makes you think he’ll treat you right
But the way he planned that scheme it is a sight
He will treat you mighty nice
When he’s through you’ve paid him twice
Oh a merchant makes you think he’ll treat you right
Oh some preachers don’t exactly plumb the line
They will plan some way to get your money and mine
Oh they’ll pray just like a saint
Their good wives use powder and paint
Oh some preachers don’t exactly plumb the line
Oh a doctor tell you that your blood is high
But he’ll tell you he can cure you by and by
He will put you right in bed
In a little while you’re dead
He has got your dough you’ve said your last goodbye
Oh a landlord makes you think he's good as Paul
He will tell you that he won’t be hard at all
But just fail to pay your rent
Out in the street at once you're sent
Though some day ole saint will come and get them all
Blind Alfred Reed, recorded NYC 4 December 1929 (transcribed by Celia Goto).
on Apr 24, 2011 Posted by: johngoto in AR Gilt City
Game On
Matthew - here are some of the tests I shot yesterday
Zap effect works and is dramatic, too dramatic possibly?
Your idea of help/clear buttons, is it possible? If all the figures were in B&W 'help' would induce colour, and 'clear' replace with a puff of smoke.
Not sure what this intermittent blue square is, no problem with it though...
After you adjusted the altitude the figures, though lower they still float. Would be nice to have the option, but floating does introduce a mythological dimension.
Soviet photography revisited.
Nice spatial/perspectival relationship between the two figures.
The slightly random and unstable placement of figures in the 'real' environment is part of the Layar process, but I couldn't have done better in Photoshop than this one!
Better or worse?
Here is the changing Layar interface graphic over the past 12 months. On the left the one we originally encountered. Middle image was shot yesterday - not so elegant as larger parts of the image are blocked out, and anyway the old symbols were intriguing. Right image from the new series shot yesterday - the difference is the addition of new 'take me there' bar which further adds to cumulative signage. Text over image!
on Apr 20, 2011 Posted by: johngoto in AR Gilt City
Cutting Red Tape
Paul Krugman argues in ‘The Return of Depression Economics and the Crisis of 2008’, that the financial collapse was due less to the repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act, which allowed commercial banks to get into investment banking and thereby take on more risk, than by institutions in the shadow banking system that were never regulated in the first place.
He cites this picture as a telling statement of the George W. Bush administration’s anti-regulatory stance. Made in 2003, it shows representatives of the agencies charged with overseeing banks, taking shears and a chainsaw to a stack of regulations.
on Apr 18, 2011 Posted by: johngoto in AR Gilt City
Street Cleaning
On of the goals with this project was to create something a little more interactive than past projects. The images below show the first steps towards that goal.
When you encounter characters on the streets you can prod them on the phone.
The character will then visually change. Normally I wouldn't arbitrarily manipulate someone's artistic works, but I think that John and I know each other well enough that there wouldn't be any offence taken in this proof-of concept.
There's a bit of complexity behind the scenes to allow each person to manipulate their own set of characters. Now, what to do with it.
on Apr 15, 2011 Posted by: matthewleach in AR Gilt City