David Metcalfe
Inspired many years ago by undergraduate explorations with Dr. William Hirstein, which combined psychological, neurobiological and philosophic approaches to consciousness, and additional work with Dr. Joann Scurlock on the historical, cultural and practical understanding of witchcraft and folk magic, I focus on the outer realms of cognition and the human experience.
My current independent work revolves around anomalous and transpersonal experiences as they are codified, cultivated and encultured through narrative, art, corporate governance and popular culture. As an artist my interest includes how encounters with liminal events, events that cross the line between imaginal and material reality, affect the creative process and aid in the development of personal narratives.
Various electronic publications have featured my illustration, animation and collage, including Planetshifter.com Magazine, The Absurdist Monthly Review, Down and Dirty Word, Richard Stiennon’s IT security blog ThreatChaos, Reality Sandwich, Modern Mythology.net, Foolish People, and my own electronic effort, The Eyeless Owl. A year long digital art project hosted by The Eyeless Owl, culminating in a collaborative animation with the poet Zac Odinn, motion graphics designer Terry Hahin, and Chicago musician Sean Mills, was featured at select venues in downtown Chicago during the Spring and Fall of 2010.
I also contribute articles and reviews to Modern Mythology, Evolutionary Landscapes, Reality Sandwich, Alarm Magazine, The Revealer, and co-host an online study group, The Art of Transformations, for the International Alchemy Guild. My essay Of Dice & Divinity appears in the upcoming anthology Immanence of Myth from Weaponized Press and Mythos Media.
With XNet Information Systems I helped get the first TEDxNaperville event off the ground to shed light on the active innovation going on in Chicago’s western suburbs. In collaboration with Planetshifter.com Magazine, I co-developed the initial launch of the Open Myth Source initiative to foster conversation and collaboration with academics, business leaders, philosophers, artists, musicians, and the community at large, reactivating the traditions of myth and storytelling to develop sustainable philosophies for the 21st century.
On the spookier end of things, I’ve managed successful business intelligence projects analyzing the adoption of advanced technology within education, healthcare service and small to mid-sized businesses; including analysis of the cultural, psychological and social changes that occur during these adoption cycles.
As a media theorist, cultural historian and artist I enjoy delving into all aspects (past, present and future) of the world we’ve been given to explore.
Email: davidbmetcalfe at gmail dot com
LinkedIn: David Metcalfe
Twitter: @davidbmetcalfe
