~ AguaSonic Acoustics ~

Bryant Austin: An Artist Working Intimately With Whales To Save Them

* Thursday, May 29, 2008
* 7 p.m. Refreshments, 7:30 p.m. Program
* Lecture Hall, Monterey Boatworks, Hopkins Marine Station,
Pacific Grove (Across from American Tin Cannery Outlet Stores)
* Speaker: Bryant Austin, Artist and Conservationist


Bryant Austin is a fine art photographer who produces life-size photographs of whales to fulfill his vision of inspiring change within countries who continue to hunt or harm these creatures.

While the scale of his envisioned works is impressive, reaching up to 15 feet in height and 90 feet in length, it is the subtle and varied expressions in the eye of the whale and the emotions they evoke in us that he explores in-depth. He collaborates with experienced whale biologists and invests entire seasons with specific whale populations. He seeks out genuine connections with his subjects, and then, at a mere body's length from the whale, he begins the process of composing a series of photographs along the whale's body, ultimately producing a full-size composite.

An exhibition of Bryant's work is now on display at the La Mirada facility of the Monterey Museum of Art through May 18, 2008. The next scheduled stop for his exhibit is the International Whaling Commission's (IWC) Annual Meeting in Santiago, Chile. There he will share insights into his joint collaboration with the World Society for the Protection of Animals where together they are working to inspire unexplored thoughts, emotions and ultimately change from the IWC delegates and attendees.

At the May presentation for our Chapter we will receive an exclusive preview of the audio/visual installation Bryant will bring to the IWC Annual Meeting. Please join us to celebrate Bryant's work and his mission to save the whales.

See ya' there,

Mark
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Surfers for Cetaceans, joined by an international crew of waveriders, celebrities, musicians and artists, plan to present the Visual Petition at the International Whaling Commission (IWC) conference in Santiago-Chile June 2008. The group will also be followed closely by two separate film crews, documenting our story for worldwide distribution. To muster a groundswell of support in Chile, S4C will undertake an intensive tour of the coastline, visiting towns to meet with other surfers, Indigenous people, university groups, authorities, and the wider community to share knowledge on whale and marine conservation. There will also be a number of creative cultural events as well as discussions on local environmental issues. The tour will be carried out in the spirit of unity and understanding, in the hope that the sharing of environmental and cultural values will generate publicity and movement towards peaceful protest and celebration at the IWC on behalf of the whales and dolphins. Surfers for Cetaceans invites you to become part of this effort, by letting other people know about the tour, or even joining the tour itself... Our mission is to put an end to the killing of marine mammals and the degradation of our oceans.

You Are Invited...

Please join us April 4, 2008 at the historic Oakland Museum of California -
1000 Oak Street at 10th, Oakland, one block from Lake Merritt BART -
for an evening of unexpected delights.

EarthDance is not your average film festival. Its short films (30 seconds to 30 minutes each) are a fun, funny, and provocative lot. Compiled into 90 minute blocks, our juried compilation of comedies, documentaries, animations, and adventures invite you to laugh and think about your relationship to the natural world.

We are proud that our unique films help individuals to feel connected to and inspired by a growing community of people who are actively engaged with the planet; from business people making green from going green, to artists, designers, and architects inspired by the natural world, to extreme athletes and comedians sweating and poking fun at green.

7 p.m. Wine, Cheese, & Chocolate Reception
7:30 p.m. 90 minutes of weird and wonderful environmental films
9:30 p.m. 90 minutes of more weird and wonderful environmental films

Whoever said you had to sacrifice entertainment for ecology? Or sexiness for sustainability? EarthDance: Helping You See Green.

See ya' there,

Mark
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David Rothenberg traveled from Hawaii to Russia to Canada to make music together with belugas, killers, and the greatest of all animal musicians, the humpbacks. Here are live interspecies jams unlike anything you’ve ever heard. Studio pieces complement these with killer beluga beats, thrumming sperm whale clicks, subsonic fin whale beats and Rothenberg’s own rich bass clarinet tones, plus the contributions of the great ECM violinists Nils Økland and Michelle Makarski. There’s even a never-before recorded legendary Pete Seeger song, “The World’s Last Whale.” This is a record that will change the way you listen to the sea, and lead you to appreciate beautiful and little-known sounds that come from the world’s watery depths.

David Rothenberg is an improvising composer and philosopher with numerous recordings, performances, and books to his credit. His 1995 record, On the Cliffs of the Heart, with percussionist Glen Velez and banjo player Graeme Boone, was released by New Tone Records. Jazziz named it one of the top ten releases of 1995. A few years earlier John Cage praised this trio’s “sense of virtuosity traveling all over the world.” Rothenberg has performed with Scanner, Marilyn Crispell, Evan Parker, Adam Rudolph, Ray Phiri, and Jan Bang. His previous book and CD, Why Birds Sing, has been published in the USA, England, Australia, Italy, Germany, Spain, Korea, China, and Taiwan, and sold thousands of copies as both book and music CD. It was even turned into a BBC television special last year with appearances by Laurie Anderson, Jarvis Cocker, Beth Orton, and Damon Albarn.

The new CD is even more far-reaching and ear-expanding. Think you know what a whale sounds like? Think again.

Released in anticipation of Rothenberg’s new book, Thousand Mile Song: Whale Music in a Sea of Sound (Basic Books), which will be out on May 1st. See the web site for details.


“David Rothenberg,” says Paul Winter, “is one of the rare musicians who is devoted to exploring the voices of the natural world. I would hope his work might encourage others to follow suit.”


“Whale Music reminds me of these lines from Rumi: ‘The singing art is like a cresting wave, whose graceful movements come from a pearl somewhere on the ocean floor.’ Rothenberg’s sounds reveal a fine and subtle music that crosses the boundary between land and sea.” —Jon Hassell

available now at CDbaby and also on iTunes

March 2 to August 8

The Gallery of the Common Experience presents the art exhibit Water: The Common Experience. The exhibit will feature artwork from artists from several states and several countries, as well as selected student artwork. It will be on display through the end of Summer II at Honors Coffee Forum, Lampasas 407, the Gallery of Common Experience.

Artists' reception Thursday, March 6, 3:00-5:00 p.m.

Mitte Honors Program
Texas State University - San Marcos
601 University Drive
San Marcos, Texas 78666
(512) 245.2266

Hello,

I would have to say I am getting used to seeing some wonderful movies at the San Francisco Ocean Film Festival. The staff there does a fantastic job of putting together three beautiful days of ocean-related presentations. But I was not expecting a movie like Saving Luna.

Even people who do not know anything about whales probably remember hearing a story or two a few years back about a young Orca that got lost on the north end of Vancouver Island. I study whales and their songs every day, and of course I heard about him, too.

However, the occasional article, a headline or two can not begin to let you know what this whale was about. All I can say is thank you Michael Parfit and Suzanne Chisholm, for documenting this incredible story. Even on film, you just can not quite believe what this whale did in the few years he was with us.

And yet, there it is... big as day.

Check their web site for upcoming festivals-- or wait until it makes its general release later this year. Either way, you have to see this movie.

Mark
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February 16th through April 11 (event web site)

Location: Expressions Gallery, 2035 Ashby Avenue, Berkeley, California 94703

Highlight: February, 16 2008: Reception 6 - 8:30 p.m.

Notes: Sonic mandalas from the sounds of birds, whales and dolphins will be among the works exhibited at the Lines, Patterns and Textures show at Expressions Gallery, from February 16th through April 11th, 2008. Join us for the opening night reception from 6pm until 8:30pm.

Contact: 510.644.4930, expressionsgallery@msn.com

If you like, you can download the flyer.

I hope to see you there,

Mark
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