ELECTRICITY!

Join us for the next in our series of Member events, Elemental Interactions: Electricity!

In 2008 we launched a new Member program, a series of quarterly events bringing together artists, scientists, social historians and others in our community to present demos, talks and performances in an informal, conversational setting.

Expounding upon our wildly successful Elemental Interactions series, we take our discussion of 'The Elements' even further. This year we dig deeper, broadening our definition of elements to include radical, new forms of media and exciting forces of nature that inspire and inform the work of artists in our community.

We’re happy to announce that our next event in our Elemental Interactions series, ‘Electricity’, will be held at the most appropriate location: PG&E’s Pacific Energy Center!

We hope you’ll join us for another stimulating evening of demonstrations, lectures and performances by artists, scientists and social historians.

Come hear about how electricity in its many forms has inspired our community!

Thursday, July 23, 2009
Doors open at 5:30 pm
Mixer hour 6:00 - 7:00 pm
Presentations begin promptly at 7:00 pm, ending at 9:00 pm

Pacific Energy Center
851 Howard StreetSan Francisco, CA 94103
(click here for directions)
Members attend free, with a suggested donation of $10 for non-members.

To become a member, visit: blackrockarts.in-merch.com

More on our exciting guests:

Joe Olivier is the founder and principal of Facilatech, an engineering firm that specializes in energy conservation for large facilities. In joining the BRAF board, he is continuing his parents' tradition of actively supporting the arts. Joe attended his first Burning Man in 2000, and has been one of the builders of the Man since 2002. He credits Burning Man with giving him the impetus to start Facilatech so that he would have the ability to take time off of work to volunteer for the organization. Joe holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Tulane University.

Filmmaker, new BRAF Advisory Board Member, Chris Paine is an environmentalist who moved to LA inexplicably sometime in the late 1980s.
Chris' film Who Killed the Electric Car? premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in 2006. The film screened around the world with Sony to become one of more successful documentaries of recent years.
Previously, Chris served as executive producer on "Faster" with Ewan McGregor about motorcycling's fastest race, and "No Maps For These Territories" about cyberpunk author, William Gibson. Chris produced for the MTV series BUZZ and assisted writer/producer Michael Tolkin on the feature film, The Player. 10 minuntes of fame moments include The Daily Show, The Green and Fox and Friends.

In a prior life, Chris founded Internet Outfitters, one of the early players in web 1.0. The firm went public as AppNet in 1999. In 1989 his firm, Mondo-tronics, provided materials for the Mars Pathfinder mission.

This year Chris launched a green event home (http://marrakeshhouse.com/) and is in the midst of filming (http://revengeoftheelectriccar.com/).

Chris supports the Rainforest Action Network, IMPRO Theater, Black Rock Arts Foundation, the Wildlife Learning Center and Plug-In America. Chris studied film with Jon Else, acting with Sanford Meisner, and international relations at Colgate University and NYU.
Topic: How many lightbulbs does it take to plug in an electric car?


Artist and Musician, TradeMark G.

TradeMark Gunderson has a long history with music and electricity. Since 1986, his band The Evolution Control Committee has steadily gained a worldwide reputation as one of the most influential and leading mash-up bands by assembling samples and sounds into cut-and-paste masterpieces. They've also got a reputation for incredible live shows, featuring electronic music inventions like the one he'll be showcasing here at Elemental Interactions. The VidiMasher 3000 is a rear-projected, infra-red, fake touch screen -- hacked from Nintendo Wii controllers. It might just be the ultimate mashup music instrument.
TradeMark Gunderson is a musician and artist, best known as founder of the band The Evolution Control Committee in 1986. Besides dodging legal threats from CBS, he is also a culture jammer, hardware and software designer, and manager of Burning Man's BMIR 94.5 FM radio station.

Thereminist, Robert Silverman

Robert Silverman has been an Electronic Musician for over 25 years. He studied classical piano for eight years as a teen, switching to electric keyboards, synthesizers, electric guitar, and finally Theremin as the year progressed. Mr. Silverman has been a member of numerous obscure music groups and collectives over the years, and has recently performed with such National acts as the Mermen. Currently, Mr. Silverman plays Theremin (an electronic instrument where music is made by moving one's hands in the air) at many Bay Area Movie Theatres and Performance Spaces, featuring Ultra Lounge and Exotica music favorites.

PEC Director, Robert A. Marcial

Robert's career in energy efficiency began in 1991 and includes serving as Sr. Program Engineer, and now Director, at the PEC, a building science researcher at U.C. Berkeley, and a lecturer and professor at various colleges and universities focusing on topics related to energy efficiency and integrated building design. Robert has a B.A. Architecture and a Master of Architecture from U.C. Berkeley.

Also at the event:

• Advisory Board Member, Loren Carpenter's Tesla Roadster, Electric Car #187 on display


• Art by Alan Rory, PHD, almostscientific.com