New Dose and Now Artist

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damali ayo

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Dec 19, 2007, 2:37:02 PM12/19/07

Hello all-

Things have been very busy as the year draws to a close!

This is (i think) the second to last email i'll be sending you before the end of the year. Thanks for putting up with the steady stream of information from me.

Two new arrivals:

1) New Dose of Reality

There's a new Dose of Reality Episode ready for your viewing on the "video" page of http://damaliayo.com. There's a new splash page for the site, so when you see the picture of me with the boxing gloves, just click on it and you'll get into the site. You can also go to the "lecture" page and listen to a clip of me doing my thing.

2) New Now Artist

Last week I introduced you to Eric Gottesman, a fully funded Now Artist. Now he says hello in his own words and describes his cooperative project for you. I can't think of a better project to have on our minds as we go into the "season of giving." Take a read and be inspired. We'll get the first participatory steps to you in about a week or so. Eric is an inspiration to me and many others. I'm sure you'll find the same.

Salam 2.0 by Eric Gottesman and Now Art network members

Starting in 1999, I began making photographs and videos with Salamawit Alemu, a young Ethiopian woman who was eight years old when I first met her. Her life story was one of constant change and it touched me deeply. I taught her to use a camera and asked her to make photographs about her life. I wanted to learn to see from her perspective. We have taught each other a lot over the last eight years, as we continue to make images together.

I have tried to bridge the distance between me as an artist and Salam as my subject. Now, I would like to try to bring another perspective into this process: yours. damali and I have started a conversation about what might happen if we invited you, the Now Art network, into the process of creating images and text to try to impact someone else.

I am going to send you an electronic version of a book that I have designed. It will contain the work that Salam and I have produced together. I will invite you to read it and then to respond to our work with your own work, to send images and text that interprets Salam's experience through your perspectives. I will then edit those perspectives into a book, along with the work that Salam and I have produced to create something that is (hopefully) greater than the sum of its parts.

In the past, according to traditional Ethiopian culture, one could ask a priest to make a parchment scroll with text and images to ward away illness or to heal existing ailments. In the present, young Ethiopians like Salam have Facebook accounts and blogs. This participatory book will be an experiment in a long and evolving history in Ethiopian culture of using text and image to connect the imagemaker, the subject and the audience.

The resulting work- creted by you and Eric and Salam will be sold as a fundraiser for Salam herself to help her change her current circumstances and create the life she deserves.

Happy end of the year and all December holidays.

During Kwanzaa, and as a preview to the Iowa Caucuses I'll be releasing the next episode of Dose of Reality, which is my endorsement of Barack Obama for President. Some of you have responded to my choice with questions and we will discuss all of those on my blog following the video endorsement.

Thanks!

damali

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