Ornithological History of the Cuckoo Bird
The cuculus canorus is a largely grayish brown European
bird that is considered a parasite as it is given to laying its eggs in the nests of
other birds which hatch them and rear the offspring. The young cuckoo
chick soon triples the size of its foster parent due to its
voracious appetite and often to the fact that it has literally pushed
its competitors out of the way.
The Cuckoo and Cuckoo Grafik
Although the cuckoo bird has developed somewhat of a bad reputation
in ornithology, mythology and folklore, Cuckoo Grafik has
adopted the bird as its monicker and mascot: for its voracious (art) appetite,
its strong work ethic, its competitive drive and most
of all, its unique voice. After all, the cuckoo bird is the harbinger
of spring and the usual occupant of the cuckoo clock, faithfully
calling out each hour.
The cuckoo bird also refers to Cuckoo Grafik's zany sense
of humour. Calling someone 'cuckoo' implies that they are deficient
in sense, silly or slightly crack-brained. When brainstorming and
designing creative solutions to problemsolving, Cuckoo Grafik's
philosophy is that a little sillyness and non-linear thinking can
go a long way.
Bio
Julie Lapalme is a new media artist based in Montreal. She holds a MA in Littératures francophones et résonances médiatiques from Concordia University and a BFA from NSCAD University. Julie participated in Fugues, a hypermedia adaptation of Piano (René Lapierre, Les Herbes rouges, 2001) and a critical reflexion on the text itself, with the Laboratoire de recherche NT2 (Nouvelles technologies nouvelles textualités) at UQAM. Her pitch for Tongue Rug : Tapis à langues won the Bell Fund prize (ex aequo) at the Forum des Nouvelles Écritures : Cyberpitch 2.0 of the Festival international du nouveau cinéma et des nouveaux médias. This project, structured around the traditional tongue rug found in Québec and in Sweden, is a virtual sladdakavring, acting both as archive and “writing machine”. Orphan Train – Trained Tales, a co-production with the Banff Centre for the Arts, circulated in various exhibitions and festivals in Eastern Canada as well as São Paulo (13º Videobrasil International Electronic Art Festival). Julie has also given workshops in several artist-run centres in Canada.
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