This is an open call to all Austin/Texan artists and writers. I’m currently at Bard’s MFA program and am surprisingly (or perhaps not?) surrounded, even drowned, by either NY or LA artists. While I love the cultural, critical, and creative exchange that takes place, I feel that smaller art communities are underrepresented, that many voices are not being heard, that my love, Austin, needs a brighter light than what I shine.
So, I’m putting together a zine. On July 29th, end of the summer presentations will take place at the Bard College Exhibition Center. Bardians will have gallery space to present their work. At the exhibition, I’d like to offer the proposed zine to students, faculty, and guests.
This will be a DIY affair: photocopied and stapled. I’m terribly busy working on my own collection of poems but I would really like to do this. As a writer in the program, I have free access to photocopiers, so I’d like to acquire as much material as possible.
I’m accepting all pictures, drawings, poems, short stories, and photos of paintings, sculptures, and installations as long as they’re within good taste, at least semi-translatable to black and white, and relevant to the developing tone of the zine.
Please send .doc documents and nice jpegs or links to nice jpegs to mrchristopherperez@yahoo.com
Include your name and any other relevant information.
Thanks,
Christopher Pérez
Oh, and depending on access to media and my time constraints, I might make a CD-R sampler as well.
Photo & Interview by Stephanie Bonham (more photos)
What is Vidkidz?
Vidkidz is a name for the video adventures explored by Zak Loyd and Melanie Clemmons. The name comes from our lord and leader Kidvid of the Burger King Kids Club. Typically, Vidkidz uses two laptops and two projectors but Science is our friend, so we like to experiment with technology. Our images are curated from life, the brain, internet, the future, collective consciousness, 8-bit memories, MS paint, VHS tape, found object scans, and other mysterious sources.
Could you describe some of the themes found in your work?
Vidkidz motifs evolve naturally but can be defined in the color-spilled realm of psychoactive rainbow melt, optical illusion voyages, digital analog sex and procreation, indigenous spiritualism in the service of creating light portals to complement sonic happenings. Our goal is to produce an experience beyond synesthesia.
Where do you come from?
Zak was born in the dust field deserts of west Texas, developed in the grey suburbs of the metroplex, reached 4th level in the acid dipped heart and capital of Texas, braved the ice caverns of Brooklyn and has, once again, returned to the bliss and oneness of Austin. Melanie crawled out of the Gulf of Mexico to grow in Victoria, Texas before wandering north to Austin. She, too, survived the NorthEastern Icelands, and is happy see the sky again in Austin.
So you moved to Brooklyn but now you’re back in Austin – what’s up with that?
Brooklyn was a world of darkness which was good for projections but bad for inspiration. In the shadows we met many interesting spirits and shared a plethora of knowledge before returning South.
How did the two of you start working together?
Vidkidz saw its beginning in the late zeros as a subset of the Eyeplug collective. Eyeplug originally consisted of Chris Reed, Michael Carrol, Lori Celluloid, and Zak Loyd. However, during a massive rainbow party projection exploit, Eyeplug learned of the video magic Melanie could produce and inducted her into the collective.
What’s in the future for Vidkidz?
Beyond today we want to continue playing and experimenting with ideas. Some of those ideas are a video show, video mapping, analog synthesizers, interactive projections, playful interfaces, and internet browser magic.
