FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 15, 2004
Turbulence Commission: "SMS-Tokyo, Series 11 & 12" by David Crawford
http://turbulence.org/works/sms

Series 11 and 12 complete David Crawfords "Stop Motion Studies-Tokyo"
project for Turbulence. "SMS-Tokyo" is a series of five experimental
documentaries that chronicle Crawfords interaction with subway
passengers in Tokyo, Japan during late October, 2003. "SMS-Tokyo" is a
2003 commission of New Radio and Performing Arts, Inc. for its
Turbulence web site. It was made possible with a grant from the LEF
Foundation.

The SMS project (series 1-12) creates an international character study
based on the aspects of identity that emerge. The body language of the
subjects becomes the basic syntax for a series of web-based animations
exploring movement, gesture, and algorithmic montage. The entire project
may be seen at http://stopmotionstudies.net

SMS extends Crawfords long-standing interest in narrative and, in
particular, looks at the subway as a stage upon which social dynamics
and individual behavior are increasingly mediated by digital technology.
As one of the most vibrant and egalitarian networks in our cities,
subways bring people from a wide range of social and cultural
backgrounds into close contact with each other. This process plays a
significant role in shaping both the character of a city as well as our
individual identities.

BIOGRAPHY

David Crawford was born in Riverside, California in 1970. He studied
film, video, and new media at the Massachusetts College of Art and
received a BFA in 1997. In 1999, his "Here and Now" project was
commissioned by New Radio and Performing Arts, Inc. with funds from the
National Endowment for the Arts. In 2000, Crawford's "Light of Speed"
project was a finalist for the SFMOMA Webby Prize for Excellence in
Online Art. In 2003, his "Stop Motion Studies" project received an
Artport Gate Page Commission from the Whitney Museum of American Art,
and an Award of Distinction in the Net Vision category at the Prix Ars
Electronica.

For more information about Turbulence please visit http://turbulence.org