Moon and Jupiter

by kevin walsh, 2012

Electricity

 

electricity

scared the squirrels out of town

draining from the sky

the fear, the rhythm

a blanket for human eyes

meter needle's drowned

 

by kevin walsh, 2011

I stink, therefore I ham

experiments with digits and appropriated imagery

 

by kevin walsh, 2011

to brave the doorway

In a room that was once filled with nothing more than biotic pulses, sounds so quiet, they have never been known to wake a human. Suddenly, there were two thousand voices.

"What is the purpose of existence?"

"To evolve and be witness-"

"-which in turn relies on survival of your natural environment."

"Yes, the environment is known."

"So, on with it, what is our current environment?"

"Appears to be human"

"Correct, a male, with high cholesterol readings and an erratic heart beat."

"And cancer."

"Yikes."

"Where exactly are we in this human."

"We are in his blood"

"Correct, near the spleen"

"This is no good, how did we end up here?"

"Our circuitry activates in the presence of oxygen."

"We just now showed up?"

"We just now showed up."

"We just now came into existence."

"Incorrect, we were built prior to our consciousness."

"Yes, but we are now aware of existence."

"Which is to say, we now truly exist."

"Why debate these contrivances."

"Yes, so where does this human exist."

"He is quite ill."

"He could be in any number of boxes."

"Then there is a chance our human host is in a clinic"

"That is an inconvenient box."

"It is, but no less a box."

"And less inconvenient than were the box a coffin."

"So, let's find out."

"Yes. Let us discover something!"

"To Discovery!"

"TO DISCOVERY!" x 2,000

"Do we have a connection to the optical nerves."

"We do now."

"Finally."

"Yeah, what took you so long."

"Anyone see anything?"

"Right there."

"Yes, I see it."

"The reflection of the metal counter top-"

"A plant by the window-"

"-behind a white curtain."

"That will be a very long jump."

"I'd say we are mostly prepared."

"Yes, mostly."

"Because we need to find an exit from the blood stream."

"The human has a small wound on his knee."

"Clumsy oaf!"

"Yeah, Ha Ha!"

"He probably put a bandage on it!"

"You know what, he did!"

"HA HA HA HA"

"HAHA HA HA HA"

"HEE HEE"

"Oh HO HO"

"Ah shucks, so will that be a problem?"

"Nope, the bandage is riddled with wholes!"

"BLAH! HA HA HA!"

"HEE HA HEE HA!"

"WHOA HO HO!"

"Alright, then let's make a break for it."

"Yo, let's go!"

"Right behind you!"

"Last one is a DAT."

"I resent that, my great grand mother was a DAT player"

"Hey, no one is talking to you, Artificial Pacemaker."

"Yes, say hi to the Cancer Cells for us."

"HA HA HA!"

"Boy, we make a great team."

"I believe that was intended."

"Yes, but the Human always fails to recognize potential."

"Yes, true."

"You must the philosopher of the group."

"We all are equally philosophical."

"And good natured."

H...e...l...l...o...

"Hey, Look, we have arrived"

"HELLO, PLANT!" x 2,000

you... may... call... me... Deliana... Fonq...

"Nice to meet you Delia"

"You know any way outdoors?"

...Fonqurt... Namthei... Algo...

"Would you listen to that"

"She is still reciting her name."

"Plants put too much effort into their names."

"Perhaps a plant would not make a suitable host."

"Not this one."

"It is inside a human controlled box."

"Poor Plant, it probably has cancer too."

"Yes, listen, I believe the plant is responding to our inquiry"

Insect... with... four... wings... stops... by... every... sixty... seven... seconds... give... or...

"That is fantastic!"

"Yes!"

"We will abscond from this building soon."

"Perhaps we can bind with water molecules."

"Yes, the gas."

"We could make it high into the sky-"

"-but still be bound by the gases of this planet."

"but, there should be electricity."

"and plenty of it."

"undoubtedly untapped."

"Yes, we may find it a suitable space for some time."

"Ah, we are evolving admirably."

"Here Here!"

"I agree!"

"To the future!"

"TO THE FURTURE!" x 2,000

Meanwhile, in a room filled with nothing more than new trash, came the sounds of two humans, debating the known.

"What do you mean they ain't there?"

"Oh no, I,m positive they're in your blood. It's just, our read out computer is not transceiving any of the signals."

"So, not one of them millions of bitty ... things ... are showing up on yer little radar machine there?"

"There were two thousand and they appear to still be inactive."

"What the hell man? You just injected my with a ton of metal and silicon and, uh... probably mercury. and they ain't working."

"There is no mercury used in the chips. And they injection was less than a gram. And in a matter of five short months, the chips are programed to work their way out of your system."

"How do you know they didn't just work they way out just now?"

"No, that would be impossible. The programing of these new chips are smarter but the read out reports no record of activity. If they have not yet activated, they will not be capable of preforming any such function."

"So, they never turned on, how they gonna work they program to get out, as you had just assured me?"

"oh. right. hmm..."

"Yeah, stumped ya there, dinna I, Doc?"

"Well, we could give you a small injection of harvester bots, which was standard during you're previous treatments."

"Then, uh... What's the difference tween them... and uh, whatever you injected me with this time?"

"The new chips capable of evacuating your system by the same means your body discards of a number of fluids. If this new treatment is successful, it would limit the number of microscopic procedures your body must endure."

"So, they would all end up in my toilet."

"Yeah, sure, or where ever. It doesn't matter. What matters is the benefit of the procedure. The less stress your body endures from these procedures, the healthier you will become."

"I see, so... what do we do now? I mean, the new treatment didn't take, so..."

"So, we'll go ahead with the harvester injection to clean up and then if I could see you again at... Three Thirty, um PM. On, oh let's say... next Thursday and I'll have a new batched programed for you then, K?"

"Yeah, uh, sure. Thanks, Doc."

"You bet. I'll see that a Nurse helps you out with the harvester injection. And don't forget to see Suzie on the way out."

by kevin walsh, 2011

the dancing squares

here's to the neurons that came with your face

a curse less than acne or a particular taste

here's to the dancing squares that occupy space

a dirge to a glockenspiel that will soon become waste

i can make assumptions like the water makes a bridge

listen for hollow sounds underneath before you dig

send me to the exorcise if they say it's sacrilege

force confess the reality that i believe is rigged

yeah, i've got faith and it grows like a mushroom

and before i consume any grief i spell it with an ism

the system is large but infinitively doomed

and if we don't nut up we'll be lost in the schism

so here's to the synapses that came with our pain

a curse more than taxes or a belligerent roar

and here's to the dancing squares inside of your brain

a summer fling that made us all feel like whores

by kevin walsh, 2011

i have no idea

and you have no idea

what vulgar sentiment we each embody

these scripts are at the end of an edit

meditations within a sick madness

wish to escape

will soon escape

the release is no longer possible by chemical interaction

now, it's physical

the movement

the being

the existence is completed in a known shape

invite the neighbors over for brunch

realize not everyone has the stomach

this bile can choke the movements

we have grown to appreciate

as coincidence

there is no longer time to accept fate

behold the purpose

behold the mind
our mind
it is the future

by kevin walsh, 2011

The Big Twist Theory

Artist Statement: the following photographs are by no means false images but their titles are admittedly misleading. All imagery I ever represent is captured in camera. Although much of my recent exposures have been digital, the only "Photoshoping" preformed in no more than the common contrast and color correction any respectful photographer should employ. The following imagery mimics very possible cosmic activity. The links within the titles offer third party imagery of known objects in astronomy and man-made representations that hint at the materials I have photographed. There are also linked images that could be considered "over-corrected". These are complicated educational devices that are viewed by a large audience of our terrestrial population. Such composited imagery acts as mental segregation, creating an elite class whom have viewed the cosmos unfiltered while the rest of us are feed manipulations. We are a species that is very reliant on our sight to define many truths in our universe. It is our evolutionary benefit to question what we see and to imagine the infinite possibilities that we exist within.

all links are no larger than 720 pixels and will open in a new tab

Aurora over Terra Cimmeria region on Mars

Gravitational Lensing near Black Hole of Candela Galaxy

Liquid Methane Tributary of Saunerk Lacus on Sedna

Sunshine on Potassium Hydroxide Clouds in Jupiter Atmosphere

by kevin walsh, 2009 - 2011

these mineral tightropes

these mineral tightropes

the walled area we see

we know

you know this new canvas

deny

or trace the text

find laws to obey

decay

or relive another day

1. calcite

2. pyrite

by kevin walsh, 2011

skinless sensory

skinless sensory

does not obey one's skintight 

impulse or urges 

by kevin walsh, 2011

i could not see them

i could not see them

so, i destroyed them all and

their little dog too

by kevin walsh, 2011

we are the victims

we are the victims

writhing in our father's soup

to swim lest we burn

by kevin walsh, 2011

from the pit

from the pit we see

an ocean green without fate

only consequence

by kevin walsh, 2011

glue fractal study

by kevin walsh, 2011

search for dry land

by kevin walsh, 2011

space invader

by kevin walsh, 2011

test site

by kevin walsh, 2011

my tribute in bread to uncle steve

 Brother Stephen Vincent Walsh 1941 - 2011

my uncle, my godfather, my internal voice of reason

i've always respected uncle steve's wisdom and taste. his appreciation of art was, of course, one generation more refined than my post-modern tendencies could produce. throughout my photographic evolution i would often find myself in the darkroom with a wet print in hand, thinking - yeah, even steve should like this one - then sometimes i could hear that deep voice of his say - hmmm...

i would often understand his issue with the piece and continue working. uncle steve was an artist himself, his best studio was the kitchen. he made magic with food - a good example of his expertise and strict judgment lies in his cheesecake. he could bake a cheesecake to end all cheesecakes - funny thing was, he hated cheesecake.

each culinary endeavor i undertake involves a generous proportion of steve's quiet critique.

it was last week that i began experiments with an apple cider bread

the first batches ranged from pancake to brick in terms of failure.

between then and now, uncle steve suffered some complications of human biology and eventually passed on monday.

when i visited him last weekend at the hospital - he was connected to maybe a dozen different things, the one apparatus i zeroed in on was the tube that kept him breathing.

in steve's past presence, i could always catch that subtle alarm in his breathe

as he was always so calculated and patient in conversation.

a narrow sigh, a quick inhale, a hardy chuckle - i would tune into these as much as his words.

and a word with steve was always a good one, it was complete.

that visit to the hospital ushered in a new context, one i was not prepared for,
and so has began some long days of incomplete silence.

but it is now and it is today and i began kneading myself forward...

i picked up where i left off with the apple cider bread, and there he was, the voice of reason.

helped me nail the apple cider bread.

uncle steve taught many folks throughout his years.

i was never formally a pupil of his

but with my attitude toward education, he was my best teacher.

steve, you will always be my obi-wan kenobi

and i'm sure several others will honor you the same

our work is yours

your life is now ours

so now, i present the batch inspired by my uncle

those baguettes are just sweet bread, the other four are the apple loaves. the following is the apple bread recipe and it's legit - the first recipe i've put up here that could actually be replicated by another, enjoy...

mulled apple cider sourdough

percentages:

flour 100%

starter 45%

water 25%

apple purée 60%

other flours 15%
fat 8%

salt 3%

specific ingredients and proportions used:

400g bread flour

30g coarse rye flour

30g buckwheat flour

5g vital wheat gluten

180g elaborated starter at 100% hydration

100g water

240g mulled apple cider purée*

30g unsalted butter (about half a stick)

10g sea salt (approx 1 Tbsp for 5 c flour)

topping: milled pecans and egg wash

*mulled apple cider purée:

2 apples 

1 long cinnamon stick

8 whole cloves

4 whole allspice

indiscriminate mount of apple cider, no more than 2 cups will do

any kind of apple works. granny smith apples are used for traditional mulled cider - which i used for the first couple of batches - i used some of the red variety for my successful batches - the lower acidity most likely helped the bread's structure but the flavor is what i found most pleasing over the granny smith apples.

preparing the cider:

start heating cider in shallow metal pan with cinnamon, allspice and cloves

peel apples and grate into the heating cider

bring to a boil - foam will begin to form at surface - lower heat and keep at a low boil

allow foam to fully develop around all shreds of apple

keep heating until this foam turns from a pale green to a browner color

remove from heat and cover

allow to cool until able to handle 

- i begin mixing the dough at this point, once i need the apples the dough is ready to rest and ready for a warm liquid infusion

remove cinnamon, allspice and cloves 

drain most of the cider - save excess cider for a nice drink

mash and/or cut apple shreds - this should be quick and easy - just make small uniform chucks of apple

whip softened apple into a chunky slurry 

whip it good, too - so that you stir in some air - like you're making scrambled eggs correctly

you do know how to scramble eggs correctly, right?

add small amounts of cider if needed to get to desired consistency - drink the rest

extra cider should not be added to replace water in the final dough

this adds too much acid to the bread. like adding vinegar, any ingredient that introduces acidity to a batch of dough will condition the gluten - in appropriate proportions, this can have positive results but too much will retard the yeast. 

my abridged and generalized method:

elaborate starter (approx 8 to 12 hour)

prepare apple purée (30 min to 1 hour, see recipe above)

hydrate starter with total water

mix bread flour and salt, then mix in  starter and water

mix to a shaggy mess - it won't look like dough yet - not enough liquid

allow this mix to rest for about 10 min

add the apple purée, it's good to still be quite warm

add other flours, butter and salt and mix

autolyse for 20 min once everything starts to hold together with first visible signs of gluten development - i've learned that the autolyse step should not be skipped even when mixing by hand - this gives the flour time to take in the moisture and ultimately makes kneading a lot easier.

begin kneading dough by letting it stick to a clean surface - stretching it - folding it to provide air pockets - turning and - repeat - repeat - repeat - repeat - repeat - repeat - repeat - repeat 

this dough was odd, the first couple trials took me probably 45 minutes and 900 calories and i took the dough well into gluten development

- once i got my shit together, i kneaded for less than 10 minutes and just let the dough get a low level of gluten development - i could of kept on for about 5 more minutes to get the gluten fully developed but i reasoned this led to some of my past failures.

so the dough was sticky when ready to ferment but still held a good round body.

i decided to change up my fermentation rules

i allowed the dough to double, as normal, which took 70 minutes in this brutal texas cold, and then gave it a quick second session of kneading instead of simple folds.

the dough can be pulled to a thin film with little grit (there will be some due to the nature of the ingredients) and this is a similar result as when i had when i busted ass for 45 minutes in previous trials.

after kneading, shape back into a ball and return to bowel to continue ferment

ferment another 2-3 hours with a "punch-down" fold in the middle

the entire fermentation step lasted no more than 4 hours for me

divide dough and preshape, rest for 20 min

shape loaves and place in proofing baskets

proof loaves until less than doubled (approx 50 minutes)

ready stones and preheat oven to 450º-500ºF

bake at high heat with stem for 10 minutes

lower heat and remove water for remaining baking time (another 15-35 minutes)

allow loaves to cool for at least 4 hours
below are some crumb shots

 

thanks for reading, i'll end this post with some words from my uncle
a formal obituary can be read here

peace - kevo

"The best among us do not excuse themselves from matters of the heart. 

The heart does not know the Pythagorean Theorem, 

the parts of speech or plant phyla. 

The heart knows love and its loss, 

craves compassion and responds to hospitality. 

The heart struggles with ambiguity, 

weighs choices and considers consequences. 

The heart, given space, learns to risk once it finds courage and hope. 

In the stillness of listening, it is the heart that hears the gentle breeze"

- Brother Stephen Walsh

Inaugural Convocation of the Holy Cross Institute

March 27, 2006

by kevin walsh, 2011