S.R. Wild: Artist and Graphic Designer

Projects Galore

I have a bunch of projects in the works. I have a feeling I’m going to be spreading myself thinner than someone trying to butter six pieces of toast with a single serve patty of butter that was taken from the diner the morning before. But I can’t complain because I adore being busy.

I have a three month freelance gig that I really like—so much so that I actually show up early for work. I also have a few film related projects in the works that I’m tickled pink about and I’ll expand on them later.

I probably shouldn’t mention this, but I’m so fucking excited I can’t hold my tongue… er, fingers. As you may or may not know, Einstürzende Neubauten has new album coming out this fall. That’s good news in itself, but guess who’s doing the website for the album. Yeah, that’s right, yours truly. I’m excited and honored. I’ve told a few friends, associates, and strangers (only because I was wearing one of their t-shirts the other night and tons of people were commenting on it). Almost everyone was excited too and I got remarks like “What!?” and “Holy shit!”

In case you don’t know who I’m talking about, YouTube is here to help:

It’s all very surreal right now, going from unemployed lowlife to this. That’s the way it goes I guess. I moved to Vermont to art direct a magazine and before that I was cleaning toilets.

What About All Those Packages He Sends

Despite the fact that I walk by the post office at least three times a day, I’ve been slacking on sending out packages. Today I finally sent out a few. If your expecting something from me, it’ll be in your mail orifice soon. Tomorrow, I’m sending out the unexpected packages.

As always, there’s a Tom Waits song for everything:

New Stuff

Between applying for jobs and reading the subsequent rejection letters, I’ve managed to add a few things to this site. In the Junk Drawer there’s Found Type, Visitor Polaroids, Monitor Blunders, and Found Photos. I also rewrote the about page. There are probably a few other new things I’m forgetting, so have a look around. More stuff coming soon—Journals #3 and #4 I hope.

I’m sure I’ve mentioned it before, I have some work for sale at Studio STK. People seem to like them, like this fella:

Yo I have seen the future iod ART & Design and it looks a lot like SRWILD. I saw yr printz at STK. very nice too cheap but nice. —DUBYA David POWL

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I just bought a new portfolio, that’s smaller and easier to transport, and it needs to be filled.

I Am Analog

I haven’t reported much lately because I’ve been pursuing more analog endeavors that involve glue, paint, sounds, beeswax, and going outside. I’ll tell you more later. For now, here’s a teaser:

Finally, the Journals Section is Alive

I finally got off my fat ass and started putting my journals on here—actually, I had to be on my ass to do it. I kept putting it off because it involves scanning hundreds of pages and then editing the images. I have about a quarter of Journal #1: The Adirondack Journal scanned, edited, and uploaded to this site for your viewing pleasure. If I make that pot of coffee I’ve been thinking about for the past hour, I may have the entire thing up by morning. Journal #6, the one I’m currently working on, is on here too. I’ll be putting more pages from it on here as I finish them.

I hate using the words “journals” and “journaling” because they sound… well, sogay. It reminds of some teenage girl writing about how no one understands her or about some boy she fancies. I could use “scrapbooks” and “scrapbooking”. That isn’t any better. I picture some grey-haired woman pasting pictures of cats or dried leaves in a book that has the word “memories” written in yarn on the cover. Alas, I’ve never been able to come up with anything else. It’s irrelevant anyway. I’m not going to let semantics keep me from doing something.

I first started making journals after I purchased the book Ports of Entry: William S. Burroughs and the Arts and saw William S. Burroughs’ scrapbooks. I was quite familiar with his writing and recordings, but had seen little of his artwork and none of his amazing scrapbooks. Ports of Entry was the catalog for a Los Angeles County Museum of Art exhibit of Burroughs’ work (I’d cut off my pinky to see a show like that). I was surprised that he made such a vast amount of artwork. Another Burroughs idea I tried (to steal) was shotgun painting. I attached a few bags of paint to a piece of plywood and fired at it. A piece of shot ricocheted off the wood and nicked the top of my father’s head. That was the end of that. Not my father; he was fine.

Then there’s The 1000 Journals Project. It’s a really cool idea. Someguy (that’s his name) started it in San Francisco by leaving blank journals in public places. They had instructions that said to do something in the book, give it to someone else, and send it back to Someguy when it was full. Later on, he created a website where you could signup for journals. Only one journal has been returned since the project started in 2000. There’s a book out now and a film coming soon.

It was difficult to signup for one because he didn’t release them very often and a lot of people wanted them. After a week of obsessively visiting the website (I’m very persistent), I was lucky enough to signup for a journal. I received it a few weeks later, did my thing in it, gave it to a friend and my professor to do their respective things, and sent it on its way. I’m still in line for three other journals. It’s been five years. As optimistic as I am (being not at all), I don’t expect to receive them. But, I am a patient boy and I can wait.

Two years ago, during my usual nighttime book perusal at Borders, I found Altered Books, Collaborative Journals, and Other Adventures in Bookmaking and it had a chapter on The 1000 Journals Project. To my surprise, a couple of the journal pages I did were in the book. Last year, someone contacted me about interviewing me about my experience in the project and journaling in general. Sadly, it didn’t work out. However, both incidents titillated my ego (probably still do or I wouldn’t be telling you now).

Back from the Dead

My dearest readers,

I’m sure you’re dying to know where I’ve been. Well, I’ve been on my couch, in my bed, or in the bathroom. For more than a week I’ve been sick and this past weekend was the worst of it. Horrible things happened, but I’ll spare you from the details. Fortunately, I think… I hope… I pray I’m at the tail end of it. Today is the first time I’ve felt human in awhile.

I’m truly sorry I haven’t posted in awhile. Really, I mean it this time. I’ll make it up to you. I’ll wash your dishes for a week, make your bed every morning, or clean your toilet. OK, I’m lying. I wouldn’t do any of those things for you—I have a hard time doing that stuff for myself. However, I promise to start posting again. I’ll post so much that you’d have to quit your job to read it all.

Speaking of jobs, I no longer have one. I picked up my last paycheck, so I think I can safely talk about it now. The magazines I was art directing, Computer Games Magazine and MMO Games Magazine (formerly MASSIVE Magazine), ceased publishing. Technically my title was associate art director, but there wasn’t an art director. It was just a freelance designer and myself producing both magazines. Eventually, I was going to be promoted to art director. I’m kicking myself for not being more assertive. Whatever, titles are meaningless anyway.

Being bedridden and having only myself to talk to, I’ve had a lot of time to think about what I’m going to do. What I’m going to do is… I don’t know. I have a lot of ideas and a few things in the works, but no definite plan—other than to find a way to make money to survive of course. Part of me (my eyes, right hand, and the left part of my brain) wants to move somewhere else. I moved here three years ago to work at the magazine—at that time there was only one magazine to do—and now that it’s gone I have no reason to stay here. However, since the weather is finally getting better I think I’ll stay to enjoy the summer.

Stay tuned for more.

Welcome to srwild.com 13.2

Sorry for the lack of posts. I’ve been moving and tweaking this site, so I haven’t been able to post anything even if I had time.

The trailer that is srwild.com has moved to a new trailer park: DreamHost. I now have acres of land to fill with old cars, scrap metal, and other junk. Also, I can now host websites myself. Along with shoe polishing and back rubs, hosting is now on the long list of services I offer. If you are interested, please contact me. However, if you’d like to host a website yourself at DreamHost, you can get $23 off any plan by using the promotional code I created: SRWILD23. (Yes, I do receive a kickback if you mention me or use this code.)

While I was moving, I made it a lot easier to produce this site by installing Textpattern, a content management system. I’ve been using it for my blog since January to try it out. It’s free, so there isn’t any documentation or support. I figured it out by trial and error, reading websites, and luck. After a lot of late nights, coffee, swearing, hair pulling, and ass sweating, I finally got it working. I’m quite proud of myself. I find it difficult to explain exactly what it does. Basically, it controls everything, and so posting new work is just as easy as posting to a blog.

I still have quite a lot to do: fix bugs, tweak the design, and add more content. On the top of my list is posting my journals, which I’m not looking forward to because it involves scanning hundreds of pages. I also want to post my collections of printer blunders, computer Blunders, jarred objects, and other things to the Junk Drawer. I need more coffee.

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