Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Doug Michels: Visionary Architect of the Future

I am going to have to admit that I didn't have a clue who Doug Michels was until I found this YouTube video via Boing Boing. Among his varied ideas and accomplishments was a design firm Ant Farm.  Michels' mind resided firmly in the future.  Some of his designs and proposals were well ahead of their time.  It is clear that Michels had a profound effect on the entertainment media of his time and well into the future.

Wikipedia notes Ant Farm as: an avant-garde architecture, graphic arts, and environmental design practice, founded in San Francisco in 1968 with Chip Lord.  At its' heyday, Ant Farm was known for its' counter-cultural performances and media events,  but probably best remembered for their art installation Cadillac Ranch.

Below is the short film in question.  It is clear at the outset that Michels, who died in a climbing accident in 2003, was a brilliant futurist and satirist. 

The film is hosted by Tom Weinberg, founder of the video burn archive.

Watch the film and spend a moment with true creative genius.

 

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