Good question, world. I got this one!

We call ourselves The Wolfgang, or Wolfgang and Sons, or Wolfgang Family Band, depending on the work at hand. None of us remember how we came upon the name, but it has since come to represent our solidarity: we are stronger together. We are a small publisher in Arizona, and we make things. The things we make include, but are not limited to games, and music, and visual communication. In fact, they are not limited at all.

We make the things we want to make. We make these things because we want to make them. Although it is small, this is our revolution: our bid for change. By making the things we want, by making things under DIY ethics and lo-fi aesthetics, by releasing things under open source licenses, on our own terms, we lead by example. We are fostering change.

We seek to contribute to the democratization of media content. We want a state of affairs in which content means more than cash. We help make this happen by releasing quality content for free.

We seek to combat institutionally enforced hierarchies that prevent artists from making an honest living and economically marginalized individuals from having access to fine art. We do this by releasing quality content for free.

Here, you will find that content. You will find games, and music, and things. You'll find finished projects and works in progress. It's a bit disorganized, but you'll survive. Consider it candid. There are hidden treasures here.

The plan is simple. If enough of us circumvent the standards and practices which have led to a system in which notoriety is more powerful than hard work, the system will run out of steam. That hierarchy needs us, after all. It needs us to photograph our meals and accidentally click on ads. But we don't have to play by the rules. Things have changed, and we all have the agency to make our own game (we actually do make our own games).

Our footprint is small, but salient. But, on an internet with greater amount of content than our collective consumptive capacity, maybe that's okay. We're not going to think about it. We're going to make things and give them to you.

xoxo (CW) Alex

Andrew's job was not to gather, it was to find.

North and South, East and West, Andrew was the seeker in a great game of hide and seek. He did not carry nectar and honeycomb back to the hive like the strong ants in the line. Andrew was to find the food, not carry it. And as such, he was not privy to the glory of those who brought back great bounty for the hive, and for Mother. Andrew could never work the line anyway. He was small and weak.

But there was one day each year that little Andrew so dearly looked forward too. Just after the first snowmelt, but before the march of the rabbits. On this day, and only this day, there came a flood of a delicacy quite different than any other. Full and sugary, but light as a feather, they seemed to be everywhere at once; and the Great Giants of the North would do anything but eat them.

Like a rain of chalk, candy hearts poured from the heavens; inscribed with the wisdom of the elders. "Be Mine." What could that mean?

It didn't matter. On this day, even little Andrew could bring in a haul big enough for the history books. Mother will be so pleased.



xoxo (CW) Alex

It's Photography Week here at Wolfgang and Sons!

Woah, dang.

So we're featuring guest artists all week, both local and national, who have chosen to contribute a little fuel to the Wolfgang creative bonfire (patent pending?). And I'll do a little something something as well in the form of another harvest which I collected this chilly winter evening under a crisp, golden downtown sunset. I've been meaning for some time to do a downtown harvest, but these days have been awfully short; and I keep running out of light. This afternoon, I had my heart set on getting down there come rain or sleet or meatballs; and, as I drove, watching the sun tuck itself subtly beneath the tall buildings in the distance, the traffic just cracked right open and let me on through.

And that never happens. I'm not saying that there was divine intervention specifically for me or anything. It was probably meant for the dude in the red Camry I was tailgating the whole time. He looked super pious. Anyway, I made it before sundown and captured a few lovely textures for your viewing and digital artmaking delight, which I'll be happy to share at this time:

Second Harvest

So, as I'm wandering the beautiful downtown grottos and backalleys, I can feel this car getting close. And, to be fair, I was crossing a little slow-like. The windows are down, and I can hear the conversation of the couple inside. I am going to just give the direct quote, because it's the best direct quote ever:

"Heh, check out Greengaard over there clocking in at one mile an hour. Woah, dang, that really is Greengaard! What's up, Greengaard?"

It was Tucc, and her darling husband, Sapp. Yeah, yeah, it's a small world and whatnot; but the moral of the story is that "Greengaard" is now an adjective for a slow person in a crosswalk. Use it sparingly.

xoxo (CW) Alex

Well, we did it, guys! The Fine Art: 5c event was a big success and we raised over eleven hundred bucks for Child's Play! There were a lot of nickels.

Thank you, thank you, and thank you, from the bottom of my heart. Turns out, regular people are stronger together and we are allowed to do extraordinary things. Same bat time and channel next year? Let's.

My thank you to you is a little Xmas card from little Andy Ant. Perhaps his trip to the birch forest can be the first of many 6x8 voyages for Andrew. The caption for this one reads:

"Andrew wasn't sure what a Douglas Fir looked like, but he was sure this was the one."



Mother will be so pleased.

xoxo (CW) Alex

We are the Wolfgang and we believe that people should eat art. No. Well, sort of. We believe that art is like food: you should be allowed to have it, even if you ain't rich (Bread and Puppet 1987). So we're throwing a benefit concert for Child's Play: a charity that delivers toys and games to kids in children's hospitals. We're going to put music in your ears and art in your hands. That's happening. You see, we realized we have the power to reverse economically enforced barriers fortified by the institutionalized characterizations of so-called "high art." How? By selling fine art for five cents. You heard that correctly. Fine. Art. Five. Cents.

Deets: It's gonna be at Tucson's historic Rialto Theatre on December 22nd (2013). In the evening.

Update: I has posters! In delightful green (common), blue (uncommon), and red (rare) flavours! Just in: I now have posters in glorious polychrome! Or, you can print out the Neapolitan Collection and have them all!

Call to artists!!
So here's where we need you. We are doing a special edition print run of collectible stamps for the event. They'll be 2.5x3.5, in hard cases. They will be on sale for 5c a piece at the event (2 for ten bucks). And of course, all proceeds go to charity. Patrons who purchase a stamp (I'm sure everyone will buy at least one at those rock bottom prices) will not get to pick their poison. They get 'em at random. So if there's one they want, they'll have to either donate more to charity, or trade. Yeah, I know. It's really cool. Now, your part. If you think that being involved with this rad cheap art initiative is up your alley, send me a line drawing, black on white, 6x8. I don't need an original, just email me a scan. All submissions will be put into the stamp template and included in the print run. So, famous artists out there? Do me a favor and increase access to your fine art, with little effort, while helping an amazing cause. I finished mine, it looks like this:



The sandcastle represents, for me, the ultimate expression of non-institutionalized art. You build a sandcastle to build it, not for the glory. Then the ocean kills it.

Ah, yes, rock and roll. Well, we aren't about to go it alone, so we've asked In Search of a Word, Creating the Scene, Ocean Void, Bean Street Collective, and Eastern Shore to melt your face in the interim. It's an easy commit: walk through the door and you will be making a salient impact. Do be a dear and stop by.

xoxo (CW) Alex

References

Bread and Puppet. What Is Cheap Art? Glover, VT.: Bread & Puppet, 1987.