<![CDATA[Michael Féaux Art and Design

<![CDATA[Michael Féaux Art and Design - Blog]]>Fri, 25 May 2012 11:24:26 -0800Weebly<![CDATA[Enough]]>Wed, 28 Mar 2012 22:41:07 -0800http://www.michaelfeaux.co.uk/3/post/2012/03/enough.htmlOK, time for a moratorium on the use of this woman in contemporary art.

]]><![CDATA[In Prog]]>Mon, 26 Mar 2012 06:35:59 -0800http://www.michaelfeaux.co.uk/3/post/2012/03/in-prog.htmlThe mess below is a work in progress and- if I can get it all done without starting a fire- will eventually be a step-sequenced filter pedal. It's got a great sound, and owes a lot to the schematics of the man from Beavis Electronics (who seems to have forgotten to pay the subscription for his domain name this month, hence the lack of a link)

The white tube is a vactrol, which is a nifty little component consisting of a Light Dependent Resistor staring right at a red LED. I love the concept of it: it's so simple.

]]><![CDATA[New Exhibition]]>Mon, 05 Mar 2012 20:27:07 -0800http://www.michaelfeaux.co.uk/3/post/2012/03/new-exhibition.htmlThe Intermedia department of Budapest's College of Fine Art (MKE) asked me to submit a self-portrait for their vitrine exhibition Excellent Intermedia Workers, or Kiváló Intermédia Munkások, to give it its sexier title. This week was the exhibition's opening night.

I worked at the MKE in 2007 with some great tutors and friendly Hungarian colleagues, as well as good crowd of international students. It was great to be asked to contribute, and to have my work in such close proximity to the Russian Embassy.

]]><![CDATA[Data Mash]]>Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:12:16 -0800http://www.michaelfeaux.co.uk/3/post/2012/01/data-mash.html

I've been working on some new images for some screenprints next week, and using some fairly well-known but cool techniques for adding some randomness to digital images. It involves converting the picture into a raw format which can then be opened as a sound and subjected to the usual effects that you might use if you were making music, such as echo or, in the case of the image above, reversing sections. The raw file is then saved and opened again as an image. There are so many possible outcomes, it's quite bewildering. You can do

]]><![CDATA[Wrong Art]]>Fri, 20 Jan 2012 08:47:48 -0800http://www.michaelfeaux.co.uk/3/post/2012/01/wrong-art.html

I saw this in a doctor's waiting room. Very unsavoury. What is he doing?

"Oh, it's lovely! Really wonderful, thank you!... It's great, but... I think you've not quite got her forehead exactly right. I mean, I do like it.."

]]><![CDATA[Name that tune!]]>Tue, 17 Jan 2012 01:17:15 -0800http://www.michaelfeaux.co.uk/3/post/2012/01/name-that-tune.htmlI did this silly cartoon for a mate a few years ago. See if you can guess the name of the song.

]]><![CDATA[Dogs and their many hats.]]>Fri, 06 Jan 2012 04:36:36 -0800http://www.michaelfeaux.co.uk/3/post/2012/01/dogs-and-their-many-hats.htmlI got a puppies calendar from a friend for Christmas, and I decided to customise it a bit. So, here's Mr. January.

]]><![CDATA[New Movie]]>Mon, 19 Dec 2011 04:33:39 -0800http://www.michaelfeaux.co.uk/3/post/2011/12/new-movie.html

]]><![CDATA[Twang! a Cigar Box Guitar.]]>Thu, 01 Dec 2011 23:53:05 -0800http://www.michaelfeaux.co.uk/3/post/2011/12/twang-a-cigar-box-guitar.htmlThis week I've been hard at work building a cigar box guitar. I'm a lucky chap to be able to waste so much time on such things. It plays well, has quite a nice tone and holds its tuning.

There's loads of good advice on building them online, especially at cigarboxguitars.com. I got the idea from Make magazine initially, and then found out that- of course- there's a load of people making them, from the most basic up to the Stratocaster-with-a-cigar-box-stuck-to-it level. My fave builder is Chickenbone John.
I was worried about fretting it for fear I'd get the intonation wrong, but I think I'm going to go for it, because I want the sustain that frets give. I had a load of friendly help from the guys at Deimel guitars in Schöneberg, who have made axes for no less than Sonic Youth.
I've got lots of instruments already, but building a simple guitar was a wonderful thing: It's all your creation, from the look to the sound, and you feel that you have to work with what you've made. You can have the limitless capabilities of Max/MSP, but there is also power in having a limited palette.

]]><![CDATA[Gibbon and Toucan]]>Sat, 26 Nov 2011 06:35:02 -0800http://www.michaelfeaux.co.uk/3/post/2011/11/gibbon-and-toucan.htmlJust finished a commission for my Sister in Law's 30th Birthday.

And here's how it got there.

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