The Hand and the Hammer: Art as a tool for social change
A look at how marginalized communities can use art to catalyze positive change
About Me
I think critically and choose my words carefully. There is too much beauty in this world - and too much nonsense – to do otherwise.
Featured Articles
Lost Ruminations of a Master-Forger by Andrew Bell
Han van Meegeren was a Dutch painter who became notorious for his near-authentic forgeries of the Old Masters and Renaissance-style oil paintings. In the midst of a failing art career, he resorted to crafting forgeries, and many of his most profitable fakes were sold off as original Vermeers.
What Do AI and Big Data Mean for Artists and Brands?
As we move another decade deeper into the 21st Century, our exponential advances into artificial intelligence, algorithmic predictivity, and machine learning continue to intensify and build momentum. The line between biological space and digital space is becoming increasingly blurry, as are the ethical conversations surrounding topics like data privacy and the hacking of the human genome.
Many artists now are thriving in this blurred landscape of technological proliferation. They’re mixing medi
Many artists now are thriving in this blurred landscape of technological proliferation. They’re mixing medi
Bond Truluv: Synthesizing AR and Graffiti
Bond Truluv is a graffiti artist based out of Leipzig, Germany. His vibrant, futuristic, tech-infused, geometrical explosions of color blur the lines between digital and physical space, and can range from giant murals that span the facades of multi-story buildings, to more subtle writing hiding in obscure abandoned lots, to portraited pieces fit for galleries.
Although he cut his teeth as a traditional graffiti artist, Bond Truluv has recently entered the realm of augmented reality, developing
Although he cut his teeth as a traditional graffiti artist, Bond Truluv has recently entered the realm of augmented reality, developing
What’s Wrong With Education?
Sit at your desk, silent and solitary. Memorize this list of dates. Do hours of homework each night…or else! This is the educational model many of us — and our parents, and their parents — grew up with. But evidence has been mounting for years that there are better ways to educate our children — and ourselves — and it is becoming increasingly apparent that we are experiencing a paradigm shift when it comes to education, a shift that’s been turned into high-gear throughout this pandemic, and one
The Clean Ad Dilemma
If at some point in the last twenty years you walked through the streets of Leeds or Brighton, or gone by Waterloo Station or Kings Cross, or passed under the overpasses in Sydney, or strolled down sidewalks in Shanghai, then you may have come across some curiously subtle artwork stenciled into the concrete. If you then walked by one of those same spots a month or two later, you may have noticed that it had disappeared without a trace. This is the transient, intriguing beauty of reverse graffiti
What’s Wrong With Tech?
Written for SOUR Studio as part of their What's Wrong With series
What’s Wrong With Art?
Written for SOUR Studio as part of their What's Wrong With series
How food waste in India starves poor farmers
India is the world’s leading producer of grains and dairy and the world’s second-leading producer of vegetables, yet it’s home to a quarter of all the hungry people in the world. Why? Why is a country that is producing so much food also starving? And why are most of those starving people in the rural regions producing the food in the first place?
To answer these questions, we’re going to have to look at a few different, intertwining factors. But first, let’s do a little thought experiment and t
To answer these questions, we’re going to have to look at a few different, intertwining factors. But first, let’s do a little thought experiment and t
4 Hidden Gems in Istanbul
Istanbul is a city with a lot to offer. The history, art, nightlife and kebabs seem endless…and in certain places, so do the crowds. Even someone who has grown up in a city can come away with a nearly profound sense of claustrophobia after visiting. So take some time off from bumping shoulders in the Grand Bazaar and waiting in line at the Hagia Sofia, and check out these lesser-known-but-still-awesome spots.
Housing and Zoning Analysis
Explore my weekly writing for SOUR Studio on zoning and housing issues
NEWS: Zoning Laws Restrict Development in Phoenix as Housing Costs Soar
The city of Phoenix is the third-fastest growing metro in the country, with a 16% population increase between 2010 and 2019 according to the most recent census data. This rapid growth has created a sharp rise in housing prices, with single family homes selling for an average of $450,000 as of July, 2021, compared to $300,000 one year ago – a nearly 30% increase, which is the highest in the country, beating out Seattle and San Francisco. (census.gov, 2021, Bloomberg.com, 2021)
But new developmen
But new developmen
NEWS: California’s Senate Bill 9 Moves One Step Further
The California state legislature has recently advanced a bill, SB 9, which would allow all single-family lots across the state to be expanded to include up to four units on a single lot. The move comes with the state’s housing crisis in full swing, and many see it as one of the only options to remedy an overburdened urban housing situation rife with shortages and inadequate affordable housing.
The move comes on the coattails of similar bills passed in Oregon, Washington, and Minnesota in recent
The move comes on the coattails of similar bills passed in Oregon, Washington, and Minnesota in recent
NYC’s Tenant Protection Plan
New York City’s Tenant Protection Plan (TPP) was first introduced in 2008 as a means to curb exploitative practices by landlords with regard to ongoing construction on a building still occupied by multiple tenants.
There were subsequent legislative bills enacted in 2017 and 2019 which further cemented the TPP. Local Law 161 in 2017 saw the creation of the Office of Tenant Advocates at the Department of Buildings (DOB). The OTA handles all comments, questions, or complaints related to constructi
There were subsequent legislative bills enacted in 2017 and 2019 which further cemented the TPP. Local Law 161 in 2017 saw the creation of the Office of Tenant Advocates at the Department of Buildings (DOB). The OTA handles all comments, questions, or complaints related to constructi
Single Room Occupancy
Single-room occupancy housing (SROs) in New York City typically consists of single room dwellings without a bathroom, kitchen, or shower. These facilities exist in a separate part of a housing complex. SROs can be found in buildings with less than 30 total housing units, like apartment hotels and lodging houses. (apartmentlawinsider.com, 2021)
They could be found all over the city until about 50 or 60 years ago, when laws were passed which strictly regulated any new construction or alterations
They could be found all over the city until about 50 or 60 years ago, when laws were passed which strictly regulated any new construction or alterations
NYC’s Local Law 97
Local Law 97 was enacted in April 2019 as a way to lower carbon emissions from buildings larger than 25,000 square feet. Passed as part of the Climate Mobilization Act, the law requires NYC’s largest buildings to meet more stringent energy efficiency and emissions standards by 2024. These standards will again be tightened in 2030, with the ultimate goal being to reduce CO2 emissions produced by the city’s largest buildings by 80% by 2050. (nyc.gov, 2021)
In addition to buildings larger than 25,
In addition to buildings larger than 25,
NEWS: New York Decouples Tax Breaks from Opportunity Zones
New York state’s recent $212 billion budget was recently passed by lawmakers, which includes a provision that will walk back the tax benefits to real estate investors developing properties in opportunity zones. The Opportunity Zone initiative was part of the federal 2017 tax overhaul, which gave incentives for developers to invest in lower income areas around the country.
However, the initiative has drawn significant criticism since its inception, which we’ve outlined previously. New York’s pla
However, the initiative has drawn significant criticism since its inception, which we’ve outlined previously. New York’s pla
News: Sacramento Zoning Law Change Paves Way For Hyperlocal Zoning Reform
Sacramento city council passed a reform bill in January which changes zoning laws to allow up to four homes on lots which had previously permitted just one. The move comes amid rising housing prices nationwide, and it is seen as a viable option for creating more affordable housing in cities where it is desperately needed. (The Sacremento Bee, 2021)
The zoning change will permit single-family homes to be converted into duplexes, triplexes and quadplexes, and also allows for accessory dwelling un
The zoning change will permit single-family homes to be converted into duplexes, triplexes and quadplexes, and also allows for accessory dwelling un
The Food Retail Expansion to Support Health Program (FRESH)
The Food Retail Expansion to Support Health Program, or FRESH, was created in 2008 after a citywide study called Going to Market identified acute and chronic health problems stemming from a lack of availability of nutritious foods in many underserved, poor neighborhoods in NYC. (Going to Market, 2008)
The program offers multiple zoning incentives and tax benefits to mixed-use developments in residential, commercial, and light manufacturing districts that include a FRESH grocery store as part of
The program offers multiple zoning incentives and tax benefits to mixed-use developments in residential, commercial, and light manufacturing districts that include a FRESH grocery store as part of