BRIAN ENO OBLIQUE STRATEGIES APP IPHONE SOFTWARE

The number and content of the cards vary according to the edition. With public interest in the cards undiminished, in 2001 Eno once again produced a new set of Oblique Strategies cards. Eno's decision to revisit the cards and his collaboration with Norton in revising them is described in detail in his 1996 book A Year with Swollen Appendices.

BRIAN ENO OBLIQUE STRATEGIES APP IPHONE SOFTWARE

Sixteen years later software pioneer Peter Norton convinced Eno to let him create a fourth edition as Christmas gifts for his friends (not for sale, although they occasionally come up at auction). The set went through three limited edition printings before Schmidt suddenly died in early 1980, after which the card decks became rather rare and expensive. There was a significant overlap between the two projects, and so, in late 1974, Schmidt and Eno combined them into a single pack of cards and offered them for general sale. Eno, who had known Schmidt since the late 1960s, had been pursuing a similar project himself, which he had handwritten onto a number of bamboo cards and given the name 'Oblique Strategies' in 1974. In 1970, Peter Schmidt created 'The Thoughts Behind the Thoughts', a box containing 55 sentences letterpress printed onto disused prints that accumulated in his studio, which is still in Eno's possession. Each card offers a challenging constraint intended to help artists (particularly musicians) break creative blocks by encouraging lateral thinking. Physically, it takes the form of a deck of 7x printed cards in a black box. And if you like the iphone app enough to want more, you can still buy the 5th edition for a reasonable price at Brian EnoвЂ™s Official Store.Oblique Strategies (subtitled Over One Hundred Worthwhile Dilemmas) is a card-based method for promoting creativity jointly created by musician/artist Brian Eno and multimedia artist Peter Schmidt, first published in 1975.

Anyone not lucky enough to have a copy of the first four editions - and thatвЂ™s most of us - can happily enjoy the creative stimulation provided by the strategies. Oblique Strategies is a good virtual version of an existing tangible product. IвЂ™d love to see something like that built into the app - perhaps with the ability to email strategies to a friend as well. IвЂ™d also like to be able to get strategies from all 5 versions at the same time rather than having to choose just one.ДЄlso the original Oblique Strategies came with 4-5 blank cards so that the owner could add their own strategy thereby making the set more personal. It would be nice to be able to swipe or shake to move onto the next card. *Access the options through the information icon to switch between editions.ДЄs happy as I am to have the Oblique Strategies available to take with me everywhere I go, there are few things IвЂ™d like to see in future updates. 1) Tap to turn the card over and reveal the text. The Oblique Strategy app is also simple to use. The App features a black screen with author credits and plain black text on a white screen for the Strategy. The iPhone version of Oblique Strategies maintains the simplicity of the original cards, which were white with black text for the guiding text and black with white text on the back. Phrases include things like вЂњIs it really a mistake?вЂќ вЂњWhat would your closest friend do?вЂќ and вЂњMake whatвЂ™s perfect more human.вЂќ Depending on the user, the Strategies can be seen as a guide for living or fun motivational distraction. The Strategies are equal parts I-Ching, Inspirational Quotes and Yoda with a splash of Magic 8 Ball. First, through applets and java script programs online and now, thanks to the folks at Far Out Labs, through an Oblique Strategy app for the iPhone and iPod Touch. So creative technophiles have found ways to share the cards meaning in other ways. The original editions are notoriously difficult (and expensive) to get your hands on. The purpose of the quotes is to promote creativity - especially in situations of вЂњworthwhile dilemma.вЂќ Meaning if you feel creatively stuck in the sound studio or in front of a blank canvas, whip out a card and put the strategy to use. In-the-know musicians and creative types have been singing the praises of Oblique Strategies since the original deck came out in the 1975 when Brian Eno and Peter Schmidt first collaborated on the unique set of inspiring, philosophical quotes with an initial edition of just 500 sets of business card sized notes.

Brian eno oblique strategies app iphone