The Dada Press 'In Utah'

Thanks to 'In Utah' and William Hampton for the Dada Press plug in this weeks issue. The short documentary below features Interviews with the 337 Project Director, Adam Price, and Artists Dan Steinhilber & Maggie Michael.

The 337 Art Truck from Dada Factory on Vimeo.

Produced by The Dada Factory © 2009

For more information visit the 337 project, and purchase Afterimage: The Art of 337 directly from the Dada Factory (free bicycle delivery to downtown SLC).

The Deep: Available Online

In 2007 I made The Deep for a University of Utah Film production class. Later that year I was astonished to learn that it had been accepted into the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. 

The Deep from Dada Factory on Vimeo.

The Idea: The aesthetic was my main motivating force. I had the image of a dark and decaying underground world seen with muted tones. I was attracted to the idea of man as machine. I let these ideas roll around my head for several years before I attempted to write the story. 

The Process: After an exhaustive pre-production phase, I sent the script to the local actor David Spencer. I knew of David long before started to write, and he was always in my mind as playing the main part. I also pitched the idea to Allison Baar, a local installation artist. I knew her aesthetic mirrored perfectly my idea for the film, and she immediately agreed to Art Direct.

The Mandate Press: Located in the Captain Captain studios the Mandate Press was a local business that operated using antique printing presses. I saw the space during a gallery stroll, and knew that this would be my first location for the film. With the help of Davey Davis and Caleb Canon we set about transforming the space into a decayed warehouse. The morning was spent set dressing, the afternoon filming. The impeccable Set Design by Allison set the perfect tone for the film. An exploding lamp was the only casualty of the day.

The Maryland Apartments: The Maryland Apartments have the oldest working elevator in Salt Lake, and a cobwebed and crumbling basement. I approached the manager, a photography teacher at the University of Utah, and persuaded him to let us shoot for an evening in the building. The dust ridden corridors were a perfect environment for the film. A slight electrical shock while I was setting up a light was the only injury.

The Dada Factory: It was the spring Davey and I started the Dada Factory and I took the opportunity to decorate my room as a set for the film (it is much the same today). Allison and I spent several weeks, painting, staining, grinding and smashing the room so that it would fit the feel of the film. The filming went smoothly, no injuries despite filming from high wobbly ladders and filing cabinets.

The Sundance Film Festival: It was a great experience to be up in Park City as a film maker, the energy and excitement is contagious. I subjected to the exposure of press, and forced to introduce my film in front of audiences of truly amazing film makers. It was a wonderful experience (and I got a free copy of photoshop:)

Recently: After the screening in Jan 2008 the film was available for a year on iTunes, Xbox Live, and Netflix. After that ended this spring I felt it was time to release it for free online. Also, on March 13th The Deep will screen at Kingsbury Hall for the Collage of Fine Arts 60th Anniversary Gala.

- Alex Haworth

The Illusion of Geometry : Makena Walsh

OCTOBER 13 AD: Back in the days when Myspace was cool, I linked to Makena's music page through a friend. There was just one track up October 13 AD (beat by Vividend). 

It was a rap track that consciously set itself apart from the tried and tried mainstream hiphop style. I listened to it everyday for about a week. MP3

MR WALSH: It wasn't too long before I met Makena in person. I was surprised to learn he was graduating with an honors degree in english Lit, not your average white-boy rapper, eh? But it makes sense, because he's writer, who just happens to rap (his lyrics are closer to Beckett than Biggie Smalls). 

His talent lies in his command of the english language. I have to admit I keep a dictionary on hand when I start to read anything Makena has written (I suggest you do to). But you have to remember that this is a good thing. In this town we are often coddled by the mediocre. Finding something that stretches you mentally can feel more like work than play, but the eventual knowledge gained satisfies more than the momentarily stupefying dose of a piece of anesthetic writing (at least for me).

THE ILLUSION OF GEOMETRY: When you graduate from school you have to do something great, everybody knows that. The Illusion of Geometry is Makena's novel. It is the scrutiny of a strange society seen through the anthropological lens. Reading it is like looking at an optical illusion. The images fix quickly in your mind, only to warp and contort with the assimilation of new information. Any type of mental grip you think you have is quickly rendered incompatible, and so you are constantly forced to make new mental pictures. 

The piece uses words to their full advantage, and even sometimes against themselves. In no other medium would you be able to dance so quickly between abstract ideas and disparate images. It's occasionally frustrating, occasionally hilarious.

I persuaded Makena to let me post the first chapter online. Click below to view the PDF. Copywrite is held by Makena Walsh, but feel free to distribute to pass it on to your friends and family.

PDF

Respond in the comment section, or email Mak directly at makena.walsh@gmail.com

The Dada Press is Alive!

The Dada Press will be under construction for the first 2 weeks of January 2009.

If you wish to contact us, email: dadapress@gmail.com

- the Dada Factory