Epinard, le 16 Ventôse 217

guess.

it ain't my damn fault

I was walking to school a few days ago
and absent-mindedly listening in on the conversation a girl was having on her cell phone in front of me.
we were walking through the parking lot, through a tunnel, a wooden arch, past a fountain, and through a big open square (you may now have guessed where we were) and the sound of her voice reverberated beautifully off of all of these things, as she was having the most terrible conversation.

I wanted to save it forever, because it was the perfect moment.
so I recorded it.

listen.


it ain't my damn fault

no new calls

I just thought I'd update the SMN post, and inform the world that none of the mystery note recipients have called.
I had two calls last night from a blocked number
but no one left a message.

Socialist Mystery Note

There is a myth amongst proponents of a free-market system, and I’m sure you’ve heard it. Like anything else, it makes perfect sense until you actually analyze it.

The myth is that Socialism could never work because it just goes against human nature.

Human beings, it is claimed, are naturally selfish, competitive and aggressive. Thus, a classless society based on cooperation and equality can't be built. Humans aren’t meant to share, and thus could never flourish in a system in which they have to help each other.
Right?

The answer, of course, is (supposed to be) a free-market society, where the market makes all men equal, if not in their bank account, at least in their potential.

The argument (used especially in extreme free-market systems like Libertarianism) is that under a system in which cooperation isn’t required, people are much more likely to help each other, with people like Ayn Rand famously saying that human “selfishness would never allow for a neighbor to go hungry – we are proud in our selfishness, and charitable.”

I decided to put this theory to test, and solve the Capitalism / Socialism quandary once and for all.

In a free-market system, will people really help their neighbors?
or, can we not depend on our neighbors (who are, in most cases, either practically, or literally strangers) for charity and help?

let’s find out.
I posted the following notes on my real neighbors’ cars, with my real telephone number attached, seeking advice in the following fucked-up situations.

1. Hello – I think I'm constipated, and haven't shit in weeks. Any ideas?
2. Hello, We're neighbors. I need your help. My girlfriend is paralyzed, and I don’t love her anymore (because she can’t have sex). Is there any good way to leave her?
3. Hello, I’m your neighbor, and I need help. My toilet is backed up, and there is shit all over the floor of my bathroom. I can’t clean it because I got into a car accident and broke both legs. Could you help me?
4. Hello, I’m your neighbor and I need help convincing my girlfriend (who is a virgin) to do it with me. Please help me. Any advice?
5. I think I'm the last real person on earth. If you're real, please call.
6. My hair is falling out. I think it’s because I haven’t washed it in a few years. I broke my shoulders, and (like John McCain) can’t reach over my head. Could you come over and wash my hair?
7. Hello, we’re neighbors, and I need your help. I haven’t seen any of the SAW movies, because they’re too scary, but I really want to. I need someone to watch them with me, so I don’t get too scared.

If anyone calls me, I promise I'll post it on here.

here are the notes;

#5



#1



#4

FMTM

Last night, I went to see From Monument to Masses at the BOTH.

I've decided to take a shitty camera-phone picture every night for the rest of my life.

I won't post them all on here
(only the really shitty ones)

Here's last night

Rafter Mugshot

Look how fucking tough Rafter looks here.
It doesn't show, but his heart is as soft as this
No one is nicer






Love,
Richard

Portland II Squares

This is an older one
just to hold you over for now.
(I'm not a machine)

love
Richard




of note;
I found my dear friend Ryan Hoyt's name (R Hoyt) mystically painted on a bench in Portland.
I'd like the responsible party to fess up.

Sergio Mugshot

it was so fucking cold outside when I took this
and poor Sergio was so patient.

all of this is true

PCP Saturday

Hi
PCP is this Saturday!
Not the drug, assholes
P.C.P. is for Polaroids, Coffee & Pigment.
(mathematically, it's Polaroids + (Coffee,Pigment)
Corine had her magic polaroids masterfully blown up and printed
and this is part II (that's "2") of the coffee & pigment series


DJ Kedd Cook is going to be there, and, if you don't know, he'll mess your brain.





Agrile

R. St.Ofle

summer sucks -- not

C.St.Ofle

Aldo Moro (for sale)

I did this painting of Aldo Moro because I thought it was such an interesting story (read it here).

The painting is $130, and was done on 4'x4' masonite board.
let me know if you want a bigger image.

love,
Richard

Yuri

I made this
I didn't take a polaroid of this person in 1957
I just wasn't there.

Richard
p.s.
I love you forever
p.s.s.
my cool as shit mom took my to meet this person when I was 8 years old.
I was obsessed with astronauts, and we had pancakes together.
I'm not kidding.
He asked me what I liked about outer space, and I didn't know what to say, so I told him that I liked it, because I imagined you could play music as loud as you wanted to.
we both laughed.

Siobhan Mugshot

Siobhan is my dear dear dear friend.
we went to school in Placerville together.
getting though a strange situation with someone makes you family.
Placerville is a strange situation.
the new Animal Collective album is incredible.

guess (Argile)

(St.Ofle Argile, le 12 Nivôse 217)

Who is Angela (guess portrait)

Hi.
Happy New Year to you all (unless you're Chinese but happy new year to you when it comes too).
it's just a number
not a good reason to make a resolution


who is this?
(yeah, her name is Angela)

my friends (blurry love)

in 2005 I was in an art show with these people
I didn't know many of them then, and the ones I knew, I didn't know very well.
I've since become great friends with all of them, and can trace our relationship back to a specific point in time.
I love that.

These photos are from the flier for that show.
(I fucked with the images, of course)




samantha pollak

Me

mike rafter

olivia coelho

liz donner

jyoti alexander

jairus tonel

graciela guardado

adrienne yan

Fumier

what a good week
what a good weekend
I saw so many friends, and I feel so good about being human
things feel warm, friends


who is this?

(St.Ofle Fumier le 8 Nivôse 217)

love,
Richard

strange images of Lincoln

Birthday Boy (Guess Portrait)

It's his birthday today
Most of my friends hate him
but that's no reason not to guess

(click to make bigger)

(St.Ofle Truffe, le 28 Frimaire 217)

I Chuck Closed myself

Chuck Close is a masterfully majestic monster of mayhem who, if size really did matter, would have a huge one.
He's a photorealist.
or he was
now he's more like a photoabstractionist.



me (I did it)





Chuck Close (he did it)

Vanity Fair/Alfred Hitchcock

Earlier this year, Vanity Fair did a series reenacting 11 Alfred Hitchcock films with movie stars from this century (people like Charlize Theron, Seth Rogan, Jody Foster, Marion Cotillard & Naomi Watts to name a few).
Films like Vertigo, Psycho, North By Northwest, Rear Window, & To Catch a Thief!
(Rope is totally missing, but let's not criticize)
Read the article here
wow
wow

(click to make these bigger -- it's worth it!)















also
I did some digging and found the originals.
totally interesting in context.















Love,
Richard