avalonkalin.com

I've used indexhibit a free "invisible" website program to put most of my projects from the last few years and new stuff up for people to see check it out:

avalonkalin.com

. And here is the rest of it.

Read more!

Post-It Aphorisms

As part of my show at the Autzen Gallery, The Idiosyncratic Element is the Precursor to Change, I've installed a small place-specific show at Legare's community resource center. And here is the rest of it. Read more!

Project for a Book

I was asked recently to create a project on July 22nd and submit it for inclusion in an art book. The result is an example of the micro field trip outside Legare's cafe. Laurel Kurtz took the photo. It was interesting to design the layout. I decided to include a drop shadow on the information box, which gives it a more information design look. Read more!

Consider Yourself

As part of the It's Possible PSU "Thesis" show, I installed Consider Yourself signs to be taken by gallery goers to install above the doors of their homes. This project is inspired by a house in SE Portland I used to live near. Thanks to Tamar Monhait for printing help. It wouldn't have happened without her. Also thanks to Eric at the PSU woodshop for cutting the boards to size. Thanks to Sandy Sampson for the installation photo (above), and to Jennifer Delos Reyes for the home installation photo. Someone at the opening said they liked the sign because it was like a new age affirmation but without a dominating idea. The sign just asks you to consider. It dosn't tell you what to consider. Read more!

Local Birds Ringtone

One of my last assignments at PSU was to make a project that reflected the field work/research of my class led by Dan Attoe. My project involved making a ringtone out of the bird songs of the birds we encountered on our adventures, or should have. :) Here is a ringtone that includes the American Robin, Scrub Jay, Cliff Swallows, Starlings and Crows. Awe sounds like the Pacific NW.

Download local birds ringtone here.

If you are wondering how to get this or other ringtones from your computer to your phone it is probably really easy. I use "bluetooth" to access my cellphone. Do a google search on your computer, like "using bluetooth with motorola razor" or whatever your phone is. Good luck!. Read more!

Walkshop: Michael Rakowitz

During his studio visit with me at PSU, Michael Rakowitz agreed to do a Walkshop. We talked about the personal and political. Ways artists have combined them in the past. We came across a group of students smoking pot on some steps near campus. Under the steps there was a notebook. It had a phone number on it. . We called the number. It was someone in Alaska. There were interesting words written on the pages. Read more!

I've Been Interviewed

Jason Zimmerman, a fellow student in the MFA program, interviewed me as part of Pat Boas's class Artists Who Write. The result is a very interesting exploration of my interests in being alive, the Universe, rocks, and other things related to my life and art. Here it is.
And here is the rest of it.


Read more!

Walkshop: Stephanie Steen

This Walkshop was an accidental product of another project. I shared my ideas about career changes and personal realization and success with Stephanie Steen as part of a project for her by her husband, Eric. Stephanie and I did a "micro fieldtrip" by looking at a wall. Micro filedtrips are my response to reading about the sensory fieldtrips of the artist/educator Sister Corita Kent. And here is the rest of it. Read more!

The Epic Ringtone

A set of ringtones designed by Avalon Kalin based on the music of Karl Williams.
Untitled 1
Untitled 2
Untitled 2B
Untitled 3

During our residency at the studio of Anna Grey, we composed several short pieces and one longer song. We decided to keep the one and scrap the rest. I asked Karl if he would let me turn those extra pieces into ringtones (the perfect song length) and he agreed. Read more!

Walkshop: Terry Chatkupt

Emoshop by Terry Chatkupt & Avalon Kalin

Fandalism Free MP3 Hosting

Visiting artist, Terry Chatkupt (who is creating a public art project for PSU) agreed to do a walking sculpture workshop with me. We decided that our conversation could be about the interesting genre of music know as Emo. We recorded the conversation as our collaborative sculpture. Thank you Terry. We talked about Emo bands like Fugazi and Slint, and more obscure bands like Still Life and Hoover. Read more!

Karl Williams collaboration

I am very excited to finally formalize a composition with midi synth wiz Karl Williams. We set up a make-shift electronic music studio in the studio space residency generously started by Anna Gray and Ryan Paulsen in the PSU grad studios in the Art Building. We will be using a Yamaha DX7 synthesizer with a Macintosh G4 tower and Ableton Live software as well as a Tascam stereo usb audio converter. Read more!

SPS: Abraham Ingle

As part of Authentic Enthusiasm's Special Presentation Series, Abraham Ingle presented "How to record the lives that surround yours." He present the fundamentals to interviewing and recording people. This included being kind and being present. It was made even more awesome when we were able to listen to a full recording of an audio project Abe had brought to share with us. And here is the rest of it. Read more!

SPS: Geoff Dorn

Geoff Dorn presented the third in the Special Presentation Series by giving all the basic tips on insurance and them demonstrating how to tie all the ties. He wasn't lying when he said he has taught more people how to tie a tie than anyone in the world. And here is the rest of it. Read more!

Key Dance Party

What began as an intimate and existential joke to myself on my kitchen table in 2006 [keep laughing] became a workshop during a recent group critique in the MFA social practice program. Many of the members shared in the funny moment by dancing and selecting dance songs. We even had a "Dance Party" of dancing keys. Ariana Jacob was the stage manager who used bike lights to make a disco. Some people went nuts, some people were really good key dancers, others just winged it. Favorite songs included genres like hip-hop, house, soul and pop. Thanks to my fellow students and the professors for humoring my use of the critique time to experiment. Read more!

Lights in the Library

A pdf piece documenting a minimalist light installation at the Portland State University Library. Download the low resolution (not meant for printing) version of Lights in the Library. Unlike some of my other pdf works, there is no text other than the title in Lights in the Library. This is because I want the viewer to engage the work themselves and come to their own conclusions. My hope is that this pdf will take on a life of its own and be including in an upcoming pdf only art show.
Read more!

SPS: Matt Hall & Alex Behr

For the second presentation in the Special Presentation Series, Matt and Alex presented Matt's martial arts and Lion Drumming. It was very exciting, graceful and energetic. Thank you Matt and Alex. The drumming performance included the instruments on the right side of this photograph. Matt's demonstrations included different types of arts he has learned in his many years studing martial arts and several sets within each. It is hard to describe how invigorating and interesting it is to see such controlled yet graceful movements up close. Read more!

SPS: Larry Yes

Soul Journey by Larry Yes with his Audience

Fandalism Free MP3 Hosting

For the first in the Special Presentation Series at LEGARE'S CAFE, Larry Yes presented his story of coming to be a songwriter, how he writes a song, and how to use a four-track to record a musical moment. It was awesome and moving. Some joined Larry in recording a vocal and drum jam (posted above). Thank you Larry. And here is the rest of it. Read more!

Walkshop: Lucky Dragons

During their visit I did a Walkshop with Lucky Dragons. During our walk we talked about rocks and the funny thing about the value of the art object, among other things. Luke overturned a rock that surprisingly had the words "Student Activism" painted on the bottom! Sara and I discovered a coffee mug that appeared to have been undisturbed for some time we thought was a sculpture in itself. And here is the rest of it. Read more!

Nice Expectations

Book Tribute: Zac Von Jo. Utilizing a print-on-demand website and Adobe Indesign, I was able to insert my friend as the protagonist of Dickens' novel Great Expectations. Zac replaces Pip. This is the second in an ongoing project of replacing protagonsists with "everyday" people. To see a similar project, go to my 1985 project. Read more!

Walkshop: Courtney Fink

A collaborative sculpture walk with visiting curator Courtney Fink. We had been talking about coincidence and wondering what we were going to do. She liked the plastic bags on the bikes, so she asked a couple near by to take the bags off the bikes and then replace them. It ended up that one of them, Nick, knew me through a friend of mine. Coincidence. For more Walkshops go here.
Read more!

Synthesizer Circle

Expanding the instrumental circle concepts, Chris Reylea and I invited everyone we knew to bring a synth or just play one at the local night club Dunes. It was fun but kinda overwhelming, then it became a magical jam at the end of the night.
Read more!

Society of the Spectacle English Overdub Screening

I screened an unofficial english overdub of the infamous situationist documentary The Society of the Spectacle (Guy Debord 1973) that I prepared myself using Ken Knabb's translation. It was free and open to the public. For more information on this film go here.

special thank you to Cyrus Smith and Jonathan Legare for use of their spaces, and to Beau McDaniel for last minute use of his video projector.

And here is the rest of it. Read more!

Viewfinder

As part of the TBA festival I roamed Portland taking pictures of peoples' houses and giving them to them as a way to realize a short story by Raymond Carver called Viewfinder. I had one request from someone who emailed me after reading my TBA project post. Her name was April. We took several portraits of her, which I documented with my digital camera before giving them to her. Thanks to Cyrus and Kennedy Smith and Harrell Fletcher for use of their cameras and creative encouragement. The rest of April's portraits are on view in video form at the Autzen Gallery at PSU. Read more!

Breakthrough

As part of the Time-Based Art festival in Portland, presented by the Portland Institute for Contemporary Art, I organized this project. It involved asking volunteers to breakthrough the butcher-paper-covered door of a Portland cafe from 1-2pm on three consecutive days. Inspired by Sierra Norris and thanks to Jonathan Legare for letting us use his cafe. Sierra Norris had told me about someone she knew who did this for their child everyday so when they came out the door of their room, they experienced the dawning of another totally new day. I initially was asking Jonathan if I could do this with people coming out of the bathroom. It was soon discovered that would have been too akward so the natural choice became the main door.

Thanks to Jonathan Legare for use of his Cafe and to it's patrons for humoring the breakthrough process.
Read more!

Play Me, Don't Hurt Me

This was an installation of a synthesizer, a synthesizer manual, headphones, and a sign that read "play me, don't hurt me" at Legare's cafe for one day during the cafe's open hours (on August 7th). Johnathan Legare, the proprietor of the cafe, reported that many people played the keyboard, including children, and that one woman even played Debussy on it! This project was part of the Provflux arts festival in Rhode Island, in the form of a project by Jen Delos Reye that created Satellite festivals, one being in Portland. Read more!

Hafiz Knows How To Party

For the Worksound show, I walked around the gallery asking people on the street to read my favorite poet Hafiz in to the camera. The video ran about 15 minutes and included 7 people, one of whom read his own poem. To learn more about the show go here. Read more!

Karl Williams

I have been collaborating with Karl Williams, a local musician and composer. He uses primarily synthesizers, drum machines and midi technology to create beautiful sweeping soundtrack compositions. We are working on a new CD, live promotion, and new compositions with me as a support technician and band member.

go to his myspace page

Read more!

This I Believe

You have received This I Believe e-cards from Avalon Kalin.

To view your This I Believe e-cards, click on a link below.

I Believe in Interwoven Creativity
I Believe That Sadness
I Believe in Doing
I Believe in the Power of Relationship
I Believe the Cosmos

The This I Believe e-cards are part of a collaboration with Carol Joy Brendlinger and others at the Spiritual Life Center at PSU.

Thank you to those who shared their thoughts and feelings.

To find out more about the Spiritual Life Center go to here. Read more!

Bathroom Installation

I had a vision of a rainbow in my bathroom. I went ahead and fabricated it with felt where I remembered it to be (on the floor and wall near the door). I didn't have red or orange. **y G Biv. Read more!

Sewn Leather LP

This is the Sewn Leather LP "I Live Like This Cuz I Like It". It is a very realness oriented record that is both dark and energizing. I had it pressed and printed as the first release for my record label, (Y)ours Records. The record was printed in the Czeck Republic by the San Francisco company recordpressing.com. 500 copies, available for $13.00 postage paid at yoursrecords.com. Jacket printed in San Francisco also by recordpressing.com. I'm proud of the two "imprints" on the record. They are specal impressions on the vinyl at the end of the record. They say "Transpersonal Affirmation" and "Ethereal Concentration" Read more!