Float On It

We're Off to visting the UK Be back In Two Weeks

2007-01-15T05:46:00.001-05:00

We're Off to visting the UK Be back In Two Weeks!

Videos of 11 Spring St:::Three days for graffiti

2006-12-20T16:25:00.001-05:00

Tonight @ The Bridge

2006-12-16T12:32:00.000-05:00

Ravezooka

2006-12-15T12:44:00.000-05:00

"The Ravezooka is a musical weapon that shoots powerful "hardcore" sounds based on your target's distance from the instrument.

Squeezing the trigger handle initiates sound and a beam of light. As the user moves the Ravezooka around, the frequency range being played changes based on the distance of the person or object in front of the instrument. The closer the target, the lower the frequency range. The light emitted from the LED gives a visual clue as to what person or object is being targeted. Sliding the trigger handle back and forth modifies the distortion effect of the sound. The closer the handle is drawn towards the user, the greater the distortion. Volume is controlled by turning the potentiometer knob on the side of the Ravezooka.

The sound of the Ravezooka is generated by MIDI data collected from the sensors and is played through a guitar or bass amplifier from the computer. The sound resembles an analog synthesizer manipulating sine wave frequencies with the aggressiveness of a machine gun.

Inside the Ravezooka.

Developed by Lesley Flanigan and Benedetta Piantella Simeonidis.

Check out the final version of project at the ITP Winter Show, on December 17 and 18, 721 Broadway at Waverly Place 4th Floor South Elevators, New York."

::VIA

Wooster on Spring - The First Images Inside

2006-12-15T12:13:00.000-05:00

"Damn, it's like a temporary MOMA in here. It's what MOMA should be, but unfortunately never will be. One of these days guys like Doze Green and others in this room will be in places like the MOMA. But until then, they're in here. I've never seen, or experienced, anything like this in my life " - Cycle

Later Doze Green added...
"Nothing like this has happened in New York since PS1 opened back in the day. The energy of Haring and Basquait, you can feel it in these walls. This is truly something special that probably won't happen again in a long, long time."

"If you've ever spent anytime in New York's NoLita neighborhood, you may have noticed a giant deserted-looking building on the corner of Elizabeth and Spring. The building stands out because it's covered in ever-changing street art—from good old fashioned graffiti to paper paste-ups and milk crate-based sculptures. For almost 20 years it has been a place for writers to make their mark, as the unoccupied building was left virtually untouched by buffers or paint. When the news got out earlier this year that the building was sold, it seemed like the end of an era. Instead, in a unique turn of events, it has become an opportunity for something new. Recognizing 11 Spring Street’s place in the community, the new developers of the building contacted the Wooster Collective. Together they are celebrating the building and its history by having more than 45 street and graffiti artists paint directly onto the 30,000 square-feet of interior walls space and the exterior walls—no art can be taken away. Artists, who have made the leap from the street to the galleries like Daze, Swoon, Doze Green, BAST, Che Jen (pictured above left, click either image for more detail), FAILE are doing their thing, as well as lesser-known artists like, Diego, Elisita Balbontin and Borf. Also, the Wooster Collective invited old school writers like Lady Pink, John Fekner, MUCK and Cycle to give them their props. After Sunday the walls will be covered in sheet rock, preserving the pieces underneath like a time capsule, and the art on the exterior walls power washed. See more installation images here." - Wendy Dembo (CoolHunting)

Wooster on Spring
11 Spring Street New York, NY 10013 map
15-17 December 2006, 11am–5pm
On 17 December 2006 at 3pm there will be a panel discussion with many of the artists attending.

A Collaboration By Judith Supine (New York( and Rekal (venice, Italy)

Bo and Microbo (Milan)

Left: WK (New York/Paris) and Shepard Fairey (Los Angeles)

Left: Skewville (New York) Right: Elboe-Toe (Brooklyn)

Scope Miami 2006

2006-12-15T12:09:00.000-05:00

"Now in its third year, Scope is one of the more established of the many art fairs held last week in Miami, but still feels like the alternative to the alternative—a looser, more kinetic little sister to both Nada and Basel counterparts. Having graduated from their old digs in the Thompson Hotel, Scope now has a tent of its own. But, walking through it is not unlike walking through a labyrinth of galleries, all spilling over with artworks that are only rivaled by the multitudes of gallerists and collectors. What follows are the artists that stood our from the crowd, from Joachim Schulz' deceptively minimalist photos of theater curtains to Ian Wright's meta-pop art.

Long-Bin Chen
Using a universally near-obsolete publication as her medium, Taiwan-born artist Long-Bin Chen sculpts phonebooks into Buddha heads and other busts. (Pictured right, click for detail.) Many of the works Chen exhibited at Scope (with Frederieke Taylor, her NYC gallery), appeared to use books corresponding to the specific country of the Buddha head she chose to make.

Omar Chacon
New York-based painter Omar Chacon layers acrylics to create mesmerizing canvasses with a high-gloss finish. (Pictured above left, click for detail.) His technique of applying dried paint drips yields dense multi-colored fields thae take on sculptural dimension. When Chacon limits his pallette, he often chooses the colors of a national flag and fills the piece with concentric oval shapes.

Edgar Cobián
Guadalajara artist Edgar Cobián cuts delicate valleys and fissures into stacks of white paper creating topographical maps of imaginary geographies. (Pictured above right, click for detail.) His line drawings of skulls and more austere sculptures are worth checking out as well.

Daniel Jackson
Far more stunning in person, Daniel Jackson's radiating line prints have the kind of precision only attainable by a computer. (Pictured above left, click for detail.) He uses an inkjet printer and computer programs to "draw" the images in a series, each slightly different but based on the same code.

Ryan Carr Johnson
The amorphous Lava lamp—like shapes of Ryan Carr Johnson's paintings are the result of layering and sanding latex house paint on wood. (Pictured above right.) Sometimes including upwards of 75 layers, the Washington D.C.-based artist's work mixes an industrial aesthetic with psychedelic imagery.

Joachim Schulz
On first glance, Joachim Schulz' panaromic photos look like blurry impressionist pastels. (Pictured above left, click for detail.) From a series called "lichtspiele" (literally, light-plays), they are in fact images of theater curtains lit in candy-colored hues from different angles. At times the patterns the lights throw on the folds of the curtain look like a graphic equalizer. Touching on theater and performance, the project also addresses the process of taking photography itself.

Ian Wright
Playing on Chuck Close's dot-based works, Ian Wright makes similarly large-scale portraits but uses the 1" pin as his medium. Here Wright pays homage to the master (pictured above right, click for detail), but other works feature appropriate pop icons like Hendrix, Dylan and Warhol, who also fit the form."

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Books Are Made For Art

2006-12-14T13:43:00.000-05:00

"It is amazing what mediums are used these days by artists to create pieces of art. Su Blackwell has created these stunning sculptures by cutting out pieces from books and using the cut outs to create a masterpiece. This is what Su Blackwell has to say about her book cut sculptures;

These works can be seen as metaphors for language. Like language, that is ephemeral and powerful. While I’m dealing with dark subject matter, such as loss, loneliness and fragility, I am dealing with it in a light manner."

You can view all the book cut sculptures at Su Blackwell’s website.

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ALAVs 2.0.

2006-12-14T13:40:00.000-05:00

"Seoul is awfully far away but if you've got the chance to be in Korea, check out Fabrica. I've been waiting for you, curated by Andy Cameron, Silvia Marini and Ann Poochareon at the Triad New Media Gallery until December 17.

Still in Seoul, but at the Art Center Nabi until December 30, Connected, an exhibition curated by Suhjung Hur. Ann wrote a fun report of the show (where she and Mark Argo are showing Footprints). She seems to have fallen in love with ALAV 2.0 and i can't blame her.

These Autonomous Light Air Vessels communicate the concept of connectivity among people, objects, and the environment. Visitors can use their phones to influence the behavior of the ALAVs by starting conversations and building closer relationships with them.

2.0 builds upon the first ALAVs version and introduces a new, larger flock with more complex behaviors and interactions.

The Interactive Voice Recognition (IVR) system allows mobile phone users to engage in a conversation with the blimps, affecting both their own and the blimps' behavior. People can carry on a dialogue with either the entire group or an individual.

The ALAVs have the following predefined behaviors: flocking, feeding, bread crumbs, sour milk, hide, scatter, courtship, guardian, bump, call back and the "happiness factor."

The "happiness factor" of the flock is set by indirect interactions. Each participant (whether they decide to be a friend or a foe) will effect the overall evolving group behavior referred to as the "happiness factor."

The "happiness factor" adjusts accordingly to people's participation. On one of the spectrum, if the 'happiness factor' is "friendly," the group is closer to the ground, more chatty, and with consistent light activity. At the other end, if the 'happiness factor' reaches "foe," the group altitude rises overhead, they become quieter and blink their lights frequently."

A project by Jed Berk, Julian Bleecker and Nikhil Mitter.

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10 years of anti-surveillance theater

2006-12-14T13:34:00.000-05:00

"Silence is disappearing
Privacy is disappearing
Just because you can"t hear us, doesn't mean we are not screaming
Surveillance Camera Players 1996–2006 Voices of Silence"

—Voices of Silence

Today marks the 10th anniversary of the surveillance camera players, and, to mark the occasion, the scp published a 10-year report and did a brief performance during today's surveillance camera outdoor walking tour.

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Thermo Hemp ( veganic way of insulating ? )

2006-12-14T13:30:00.000-05:00

"85% of Thermo-Hemp is composed of natural hemp fibres from domestic cultivation. Approximately 5% is composed of the natural material soda, which provides a high level of fire resistance."

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ReGeneration Gallery Art Auction and Benefit

2006-12-14T13:28:00.000-05:00

"A benefit to help homeless teens, Virgin Mobile's Regeneration is auctioning works tonight by several artists, including Barry McGee (pictured above, far right), Rich Jacobs, Caroline Hwang and Jordin Isip, with 100% of the net proceeds going to the non-profits StandUp For Kids and YouthNoise. If you're in the NYC area, you can buy tickets and go to the party for the silent auction or bid online by following the instructions here."

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How To Make a Pinhole Camera

2006-12-12T13:42:00.000-05:00

Build your own camera with just a can and some tape!
at Fecal Face.

The Pixelated Christmas Tree

2006-12-12T13:33:00.000-05:00

"We have all seen all sorts of variations of the traditional Christmas tree: they sell the Charlie Brown mono ball tree, the plastic glittering white stuff, the automated dancing one and such. All pretty ugly.

But this tree, not loosing leafs around and not in need t be watered, printed on a giant poster to hang on the wall, to decorate (or dissacrate) as you like, that on top of this is also pixelated, well, just makes me almost like Christmas again.

Sold and produced by French extravagance design shop Atypyk, it’s mockery proof (in case your friends are taking it against you because yes, you do love Christmas paraphenalia), because it is just too cool."

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UNKL Brand Going Big - HazMaPo And TinPo

2006-12-12T13:29:00.000-05:00

"UNKL Brand have blown up some of their very cool mini designer toys in to awesome 12″ and 6″ figures. First up are the the 12″ HazMaPo figures which look absolutely stunning. The Kamo HazMaPo above is a collaboration with Kow Yokoyama and below is the “Peligro” model which goes back to UNKL’s roots and features hazardous signs and warning labels wrapped all over the toy. The clean lines and visual effect of these toys is breathtaking and I can not wait to see these in person. Both 12″ HazMaPos will be available in Feb 2007."

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Wooster On Spring Project - The Final Week

2006-12-12T13:12:00.000-05:00

This weekend the Wooster Collective is wrapping up their amazing project on 11 Spring Street. Here's a update from them and we hope to see you there!

"As we head into the final week of preparations for this weekend's Wooster on Spring exhibition, here's a quick update...

1. The Wooster on Spring event on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday will be "B.Y.O.B.B" -- Bring Your Own Boom Box. All of the sonic tags (live DJ's and music) during the three days is being curated and produced by Soundlab. Using a wireless transmitter, all of the audio will be transmitted such that anyone with a boom box will be able to receive it. We're counting on all of you to be our contantly evolving and roving speaker system as you attend the event. The event will start with no speakers and then build over the three days as more people come in. (More on this from Soundlab later in the week)

2. We've received a few emails asking us if we were planning on having a live webcam broadcasting the event live on the internet from 11 Spring so that people around the world can participate. We think that this is a terrific idea, but have no idea how to set this up by Friday. The building has a DSL line but no wireless access. If you live in New York, have access to the webcam and wireless modem, and want to install it in the space before Thursday night, let us know at woostercollective@gmail.com because we'd love to have it, we just don't know how to do it ourselves.

3. If you're a member of the press and are planning on covering the event and project, drop us a note at woostercollective@gmail.com so we can make any and all necessary arrangements. At this point we're not planning on putting out any type of formal press release or event flyer as things will be changing and added right up to the last minute.

4. We've received lots of emails from people who will be flying in from all over the world to check out the exhibition and meet the artists. If you're coming in from somewhere else, let us know as we may get people together for a beer or something who have flown in from far places.

5. There are a ton of amazing restaurants and shops in the neighborhood where 11 Spring is located in Soho. A few of places that have been especially gracious to us over the last few weeks, that we encourage you to check out while you are in the area, as the food is great are: Barmarche across the street from the building, Bread, a block or so away on Spring, and Cafe Gitane, around the corner on Mott. All are fantastic.

Again here are the days and times for the three day event on 11 Spring:

Friday, December 15th: From 11am to 5pm
Saturday, December 16th: From 11am to 5pm
Sunday, December 17th: From 11am to 5pm

After these three days the building will be closed to the public.
And finally, some quick snaps from yesterday"

The amazing Lady Pink.

A freehand piece by Elboe-Toe on the outside of the building

MUCK begins her wall

A group of geezers

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COCOSOCOASOCO::installation by Reico Yamaguchi

2006-12-12T12:59:00.000-05:00

"The Japanese artist didn't work on his own but with Reico Yamaguchi as part of Perfektron (apparently he was a bit sick of navigating in a male-dominated techno-world.)

The installation is called COCOSOCOASOCO. Coco is "here", Soco is "there" and Asoco is "further place."

The giant tea cup, spoon, apple and mini buildings invite the visitor to play with their mental and spatial perception. The objects are painted in grayscale and have a distorted optical relationship between one another, created by different scales to emphasize the linear perspective. Walking through the white space of the gallery filled with these simple and odd 3D shapes was a bit surreal.

There is no visible technological process in COCOSOCOASOCO, but the objects are drawn and designed on the computer, to be reproduced with precision on a planar surface and then built in 3-D. Ryota Kuwakubo and Reico Yamaguchi want to surpass the disillusionment gravitating in technology nowadays.

On a table at the entrance of the gallery are cubes of different sizes, each of them contained a small world in soapy water. Same play on perspective but this time the shapes are flat and black. The difference of grey shades is created by the slight opacity of the liquid.

The gallery is also selling little souvenirs such as the Bitman devices Kuwakubo made with the Maywa Denki. Apparently, they stopped producing them, i immediately got my hands on one.

COCOSOCOASOCO runs until January 27 at the Galerie Lucy Mackintosh, Lausanne (Switzerland). "

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WoodWood, Berlin

2006-12-12T12:57:00.000-05:00

"Despite the recent influx of mega-stores, Berlin's indie shopping scene is still flourishing and continuing to attract an innovative international crowd of artists, designers, and other visionaries hoping to preserve Berlin's progressive rep. The newest addition to the city's prosperous center is none other than WoodWood, a Copenhagen export with an eponymous sportswear line, a selection of electric T-shirts and sneakers and a sampling of international designers who fit the store's as well the city's hip factor. WoodWood selects the most colorful and at times outrageous pieces for men and women by Nike, Commes des Garçons, Cheap Monday, Maharishi, Camilla Staerk, and Yazbukey—the kind of stuff that gives a playful context to the quirky collection of toys and elaborate mobiles that punctuate the space."

WoodWood
Rochstrasse 4
10178 Berlin
tel. +(49) 30 280 99 039

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Cocoa Vino

2006-12-12T12:55:00.000-05:00

"Made with regional, sustainable and organic ingredients using ecologically sound wind power and packaged in recycled materials, Cocoa Vino's "eco-forward" business practices are as sound as their products are exquisitely decadent. The Fig Caramels are a blend of organic fig and buttery caramel with a dark chocolate shell. One box contains 12 caramels in three flavors: Madeira Wine, organic Orange with Anesone liqueur and farm-fresh apple with Calvados for $35. The extremely rich Drunken Figs are filled with vintage port and covered organic dark chocolate. Packaged in a reuseable tin, the drunken figs are $22 for four or $50 for ten."

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12/16/06::Art/Tape Swap::Potluck Dinner::Concert @The Bridge

2006-12-11T22:50:00.001-05:00

Dec. 16th 06
@The Bridge
7:00pm
Free
Pot Luck Dinner
Art/Tape Swap

Nude Black Glass
White Boy Reggae
Pat Clifford
Pome
And More..

184 Mechanics St.
Southbridge, MA
01550

Contact us for more info.
float.on.it@gmail.com

Three Gift-Worthy T-Shirts

2006-12-11T19:27:00.000-05:00

"Everyone has a T-shirt wearer on their gift list. These picks combine eye-catching original design with high-quality cotton shirts for tees a step above vintage reproductions and wink-wink-nudge-nudge one-liners.

This mesmerizing Dots Tee (pictured left) is made by Brooklyn based T-shirt designers Rise and Fall. The cotton T-shirts are hand-printed and custom-dyed making each one unique. Available for $38 from Urban Outfitters.

The Elio-Tree T (pictured center) has a asymmetrical screen-printed design inspired by traditional Japanese graphics. The 100% cotton T-shirt is available in women's small, medium and large online for £23 from More T Vicar.

Momimomi, one of our favorite tee companies that aims to treat the t-shirt "as a billboard for the body, not the other way around" is offering a new monthly T-shirt subscriptions service that they're calling Tea Party. Subscribers will receive a original custom-dyed silkscreened t-shirt in the mail once a month. Subcriptions are available for 3 months ($120), 6 months ($210) or 12 months ($360)."

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Mouse Skull Necklace

2006-12-11T19:14:00.000-05:00

"Skulls might be last year's thing but to me they transcend fad, and I know I'm not alone. This little mouse skull is made of oxidized silver and cast from a found original. Crafted in Brooklyn by Andrea Gentl and India d'Arthenay of Thorn, it comes on a 22" chain."

$218 from Active Endeavors,

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Three Ephemeral Gifts

2006-12-08T12:00:00.000-05:00

"Sometimes the best gifts aren't made to last. Everyone appreciates a useful consumable gift that won't add more clutter to their lives. This Soap Rock has the beautiful color and shape of a geological specimen without the permanence. Made from all natural ingredients, extracts and minerals the hand hewn soap rock is available in Amethyst, Turquoise, Aquamarine, Aqua Geode, Watermelon Tourmaline and Lapis Lazuli styles for $12 each online from Auto.

The delicate floral design of Joseph Schmidt's Chocolate Bowl may look like fine tableware but it's actually completely consumable. Made from dark chocolate with a hand-painted white chocolate interior, the Chocolate Bowl is great example of Joseph Schmidt's artistic innovations in the medium. Available exclusively from Dean and Deluca for $45.

What better way to say "Peace on Earth" than with this Hand Signal Candle? Also available in other hand signals, such as "rock horns" and a much less polite gesture ("bird"), the candles are $16 Urban Outfitters."

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Detroit's Object Orange Project::Wooster Collective On NPR

2006-12-08T11:45:00.000-05:00

"Earlier this week, I participated in a radio segment about Detroit's Object Orange project by giving a short interview to NPR (America's National Public Radio). The segment ran yesterday on the show Day to Day and you can listen to it here

As you will hear (and are likely to expect), we're huge fans of the Object Orange project and expect to see artists and activists doing similar interventions in other cities around the world.

GOOD Magazine recently did a short documentary on Object Orange as well. You can watch it below..." - Marc (Wooster Collective)

"In our first issue we profiled a group of artists in Detroit who started painting dilapidated buildings "Tiggerific Orange" to bring attention to urban decay. We love these guys! Read more at www.goodmagazine.com. Video directed by Bristol Baughan, Shot by Jeff Becker and music by Tom Van Buskirk and Ian Walsh courtesy of PigFactory USA." - GOOD Magazine

Three Gifts To Help Organize Gadgets

2006-12-06T12:21:00.000-05:00

"LaCie's new Huby USB and FireWire Hub hooks up your computer with plenty of ports for your cup warmer, ultrasound and Availabot, chargers, drives, cameras, music players and other gear, and keeps them all at arm's length on the 8 flexible arms. It also comes with a fan to keep you (and your gear) cool. Designed by Ora-Ito (aka Ita Morabito), it adds a bit of style to the clutter.

The Multipot (below left) is a light that doubles as a storage bin for all of your chargers. The cables that connect to your devices fit neatly through a cut out in the top of the pot, keeping all of the clutter hidden away, with just a single cord to plug into the wall. Designed by Dante Donegani and Giovanni Lauda for Rotaliana, the Multipot helps solve the problem of where to put—and charge—all of your devices. Available for $179 in multiple colors from Design Within Reach—the silver version has the added bonus of reflecting back it's surroundings making it "invisible." Visit the Multipot site for more details and vendors outside of the U.S.

Harry (above right) keeps your gear organized by gently grabbing it with its flexible coated wire hooks. Mount it next to your door and you'll never forget your kit on the way out. Available for $30 from Formila."

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Cotton to Canvas::Oddica

2006-12-06T11:46:00.000-05:00

"Last night was gallery hopping night, and landed at ThinkSpace in SilverLake for most of the night hanging out with Olga Nunes + Sarah Coleman (of FABULIST fame! You know you read it, its too fab not to) ~ for Oddica's big two day show "Cotton to Canvas" ~ brilliant concept, see if you can follow this logic - Oddica has artists create limited edition shirts, then gives the shirts to OTHER oddica artists to design traditional pieces inspired by the shirts - and who knows maybe some of these new pieces will make it full circle and become shirts too! MANY pictures of my favorites below~ and some randoms to give you a feel for the ambiance."

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Wooden Food Toys

2006-12-05T21:25:00.000-05:00

"German toymakers Haba and Erzi offer the most extensive collections of wooden kitchen play toys. From great basic sets like the gift basket by Haba which includes an assortment of fruits and vegetables, bread, dairy and chocolate ($19 from Moolka) to more obscure items like Sugar Cubes ($6), Noodles ($4) and Canned Pineapple Rings ($28), Haba's intricate details are irresistible. The Cheese Roll Cutting set from Erzi ($15) is a child-sized cutting board, knife, cheese and roll with halves that velcro together to make that satisfying real-life sound when "cut."

American toy makers Melissa and Doug also make a variety of wooden kitchen play toys. I love the generic commercial innocence of the packaging design on this Deluxe Wooden Play Food Set (pictured below left ) available for $20 at Amazon. For children with more international tastes, the Wooden Sushi Set ($20 from Genius Jones) is a wooden bento box comes complete with chopsticks, wasabi, ginger and soy sauce."

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Santa’s Ghetto With A Bit Of Banksy

2006-12-05T20:54:00.000-05:00

"Banksy has a art exhibition, Santa’s Ghetto, going on in London this month featuring a whole load of other artists such Jamie Hewlett, Eine, Space Invaders and others. The exhibition is being called a squat art concept store and it is at 15 Oxford Street, London (Next to Tottenham Court Road Tube Station) and is going on until 23rd December. I should be going down this week so i will being a full show report soon. In the mean time you will just have to admire the Jacko piece above created by Banksy."

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Waris Tears Pins

2006-12-05T20:51:00.000-05:00

"Jewelry designer and sometime actor Waris teamed up with French label A.P.C to create these Waris Tear Pins. Part of a new line he designed for the brand inspired by "love and heartbreak" and Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Freebird," the all-silver pins make understated accessories and are an unconventional gift. They come two to a set for $77 from A.P.C.'s site."

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CO2 Eating Hummer Concept Won!

2006-12-05T20:29:00.000-05:00

"In his remarks accepting the top award, Frank Saucedo, director of GM Advanced Design Studio in California, said, “We thought Hummer was the perfect brand to tackle this design challenge.” His studio threw out the idea of creating a vehicle that would be “less bad” for the environment, instead presenting a “blue sky” scheme in which the car would be a boon to the environment. “We developed a car that would give back — this is a ‘net gain’ vehicle,” Saucedo said of the concept. "
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Pet Hypothesis Jewelry

2006-12-05T20:26:00.000-05:00

"Handmade from repurposed billboard vinyl, the debut line of Pet Hypothesis jewelry follows in the tradition of Freitag and other creative re-users by reinventing industrial materials as accessories. Designer Chelsa Robinson (also formerly ReadyMade's product manager) layers sterling silver chains over bits of colored vinyl that she sews with contrasting thread. We chose to feature Geopanic for its confetti-like abstraction of CMYK colors with red stitching, but you can see all her designs here. All pairs cost $75 and, true to the cause, $5 from every sale goes to the environmental organization, Conservation International."

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Extinct Breeds:: photo collection of long horses by Hardy Burmeier

2006-12-02T06:01:00.000-05:00

"If you flip through old photos, you might be lucky enough to run into this now-extinct "long horse". It was strong, handsome and could carry up to four people at one time but, because of overwork, the horses tended to die young and, to put it bluntly, the population was eventually used to death."

A substantial collection of long horse photos, curated by Hardy Burmeier, is now on display.

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Matt Burden::Profiles Series

2006-12-02T05:41:00.000-05:00

"Matt Burden is an illustrator/designer/artist living in the UK. Mixing together more traditional drawing methods with photography and scanned objects his work comes in many forms, all essentially conjoined by an appetite for the dark and the absurd."

Visit his website.

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Art Hotels

2006-12-02T04:55:00.000-05:00

CoolHunting just recently posted some great Art Hotels to stay at in Seattle, San Francisco, Australia.

"One-upping the generic prints that often hang inoffensively in hotel rooms and lobbies, more and more hotels add work by big name contemporary artists to their lists of amenities. These three destinations feature art by less flashy names, which makes them a good place to discover new artists and the presentation—graffiti-style murals that cover the walls of a room and doors with photographic overlays—makes for an experience that's more immersive than an average hotel, or museum for that matter." - Ami Kealoha

Read On.

Show us your feet::Footprints a project by Ann Poochareon and Mark Argo

2006-11-29T11:30:00.000-05:00

"Footprints, a project by Ann Poochareon and Mark Argo, is a camera phone based installation that consists of multiple screens displaying images of different pairs of feet embedded in the floor.

The images are self point-of-view portraits of one's own feet at a particular location, a photographic angle that symbolizes one's own presence in a place: "I was here". The audience are asked to participate by uploading their top-down feet images from their camera phone via MMS, email, the website, or wireless connection at the installation site. The images rotate around the grid to show as many images as there are in the system.

Over time the installation reveals a social portrait of those who have interacted with the installation, displaying a diverse range of feet sizes and shoes, and in turn tell a unique story of the people, time and place.

Feet were chosen because they are a symbol of being mobile (so much for those who suspected that only fetishism motivated the project.) A self point-of-view portrait of one's own feet indicates authorship and the ability to document one self at any time, any place -- an ability afforded by the camera phone. Shoes, as fashion, are an indication of class, culture, and generations. The participatory aspect of the installation reveals a portrait of a community, visually representing the connection amongst ourselves made possible by the digital devices.

"Our installation was originally proposed to be a cellphone file-upload type thing (like other CommPose installations where people send images over bluetooth connection)," explains Ann Poochareon, "but most of the Korean phones don't come with bluetooth (the telco wants people to use their network to share files instead) so we had to set up an email where people can send images to. And because of that, we've made it so people can send via email and upload from the website in addition to being able to upload while at the installation."

As the grand prize winning project of the Mobile Asia Competition, Footprints will be installed in the Art Center Nabi in Seoul for Connected, an exhibition curated by Suhjung Hur. Runs from December 7th - 22nd, 2006."

::VIA

The History of BRIDGEPORT (trailer):: New Graffiti Documentary

2006-11-29T11:03:00.000-05:00

"Following Hip Hop Culture in Bridgeport, Ct.The place Biggie Smalls called Baby New York. Pros crew, Dead Fucking Last and many more...coming soon"

Ari Leinonon's Floating Prefab Sauna

2006-11-29T10:54:00.000-05:00

"Architect Ari Leinonon designed this houseboat-sauna for his parents, and since it is Europe and the prefab companies are a little more sophisticated than in North America, it got snapped up by Swedish prefabber Modern Living, which makes a whole range of interesting modern prefabs. (In North America, the Michelle Kaufmanns and Leo Marmols have to build their own factories because the existing prefab manufacturers won't touch them) The SeaSauna comes in three sizes, starting at 200 square feet for $30K to $45K. For those who insist, that is between $150 and $225 per square foot not including shipping and on-site assembly. It is made of native fir and has a wood-burning stove holding 90 pounds of granite. The architect was inspired by Eliel Saarinen' design for a sauna at Hvittrask from the early 20th Century."

::VIA

Win A Gorillaz Vinyl Toy::Urban Retro

2006-11-28T22:20:00.000-05:00

'A few days left to enter the VTF x UrbanRetro Contest and win yourself a Gorillaz Figure. In case you missed out on this below are the full details for the competition.

Competition: Create a banner for Urban Retro Lifestyle

The only restrictions are as follows:

1. Must be 800 x 158 pixels
2. Must contain the UrbanRetro logo and the title Urban Retro Lifestyle
3. Must be Christmas themed

Please download the logo from here (http://www.urbanretro.co.uk/vinyltoyforum/largeurlogo.jpg) or the psd file from here (http://www.urbanretro.co.uk/vinyltoyforum/largeurlogo.psd).

There is no limit to the actual way it is designed. ie. it can be an illustration or it can be a photo based collage, etc.

There will be 2 winners and the banners will be rotated on urbanretrolifestyle.com

Each winner will receive a Gorillaz figure! View Here

There will also be a link up on www.urbanretrolifestyle.com to all the winners websites.

Entries must be received by November 30th and the winner will be informed by the December 1st. The banners will be up until News Years day.

Please post your banner up at Vinyl Toy Forum for everyone to see AND make sure to email it to info@urbanretrolifestyle.com

Good Luck to every one that enters."

::VIA

New BUD Variants:: Atomic and Flame

2006-11-28T22:15:00.000-05:00

"Ferg and Vanbeater have exciting things planned for Jamungo's BUD minifigs. Here's a look at unpainted versions of two new BUD variants -- Atomic and Flame. The Flame is pretty sweet -- note the smaller inner shape. Both new variants will make their debut as part of the BUD of the Month Club (details to follow) can't wait to see what's next from Jamungo."

::VIA

Andrew Schoultz Interview

2006-11-28T22:05:00.000-05:00

Yesterday Jesse Pollock of FecalFace.com posted an interview with artist Andrew Schoultz.
"With his work covering walls on streets and alleyways around San Francisco, Andrew Schoultz has been painting murals for the past several years like it was going out of style. He painted so many in fact, that I was surprised to learn that some of my favorites were painted by him years ago. Andrew has also created art and painted murals all across the country and at times outside of the US. Sometimes working alone, sometimes collaborating with other heavy hitters of the mural and art world, his early work was written about in a SF Weekly piece by Sam Chennault that is well worth the read.
That is Andrew Schoultz part one. Part two involves the ever growing number of gallery shows that have included his work. His intricate lines and imagery have won him an audience all over the country, all of whom have written gushing reviews of his work. Hopefully you get the point... I'm more than pleased to bring Andrew Shoultz to Fecal Face for some questions about OCD, blood, and the 'mural art scene'." -Jesse Pollock
You can read more of the interview here.

Transubstantiator:: By Nicholas Stedman

2006-11-28T22:00:00.000-05:00

"Transubstantiator, by Nicholas Stedman (whom you might remember as the guy that engineerd the crawling blanket), is another art piece that makes use of the very simple science phenomenon of "grocery" electricity. Transubstantiation is a a doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church, it describes the changing of the elements of the bread and wine, when they are consecrated in the Communion, into the body and blood of Christ.

In the installation, a chalice of wine acts as a battery, providing power to a circuit that reads through a passage from the Bible. The passage is commonly used during Communion to bless wine. The wine is eventually depleted of energy and must be replenished.

Video.

Stedman is one of the presenters at the upcoming Dorkbot Toronto, on December 2 and 3."

::VIA

Illustration By Andy Coucil

2006-11-28T21:44:00.000-05:00

"I really enjoy seeing original styles of illustration and Andy Council definitely has an unique style. I love his superb collection of Bristol Dinosaur illustrations which contain incredibly detailed dinosaurs made up of buildings, roads and cars. This may sound confusing but one look at the illustrations and you will know what I mean. Visit Andy Council’s Website to see more fantastic illustrations."

::VIA

Click on images below to see detailed images

4Wall Production Lines

2006-11-28T21:16:00.000-05:00

"Londoner Sam Stubbings never really set out to give artists a helping hand, but he came away frustrated after seeing an exhibition by art collective Black Convoy last year, so he decided to set up 4Wall.

Sam seems to work a bit like an art agent with online and real-world gallery spaces, allowing people who want to pay up to tap into the talent the sometimes-sprawling collectives contain. That could mean commercial interests wanting help with a campaign or punters like you and me wanting something pretty to hang up. Oh, and live painting on something they call "The Wall" (see the mural above) is also a speciality.

Next week sees the start of Production Lines, an umbrella term for 4Wall's biggest, multi-faceted show to date. At the Fashion & Textile Museum in Bermondsey, South London, expect to see artists like D-Fuse and Daisy De Villeneuve creating new work, live before your eyes. There'll also be a chance to own a picture by people like artist Tracey Emin or London Mayor Ken Livingstone during the Bargain Bin Art Fair. Also, as a reaction to big beer brands muscling in on the art world, there's something they're calling Beer Futures...

Intrigued? Production Lines runs through 10 December 2006."

Fashion & Textile Museum
83 Bermondsey Street
London SE1 3XF
United Kingdom

::VIA

LoopWing Wind Turbine From Japan

2006-11-28T21:13:00.000-05:00

"This is the "LoopWing" wind turbine. It is soon to be unveiled in Japan's Eco-Products 2006 Exhibition. The E1500 model turbine is aimed at homeowners, and it sports a unique wing design that operates with low vibration, and at wind speeds as low as 1.6 m/sec. The efficiency specs on the turbine are vague — "43% power performance at optimum wind speeds" is all published."

::VIA

Blek Le Rat Goes Big in London

2006-11-25T03:47:00.000-05:00

"The photo above is of a massive 6m x 8m poster done by Blek of a homeless beggar as a reminder to the people of London that there will be thousands of homeless people in the city this coming Christmas. It went up this week on the outside of the Leonard Street Gallery. The poster and other works by Blek Le Rat are on view at the Gallery until December 6th 2006."

::VIA

Meat chess board

2006-11-25T03:36:00.000-05:00

"In Cutting Board, two butchers play chess out of a board made with steaks sliced into squares, re-organizing the natural in order to create the synthetic.

The steak is cut into 2" by 2" pieces, with 64 pieces cut total, half of them kissed by a frying pan and hence enhanced in color. The meat is then arranged on a 16" x 16" platform of clear acrylic and placed on top of a podium. On either side of the sculpture are LCD panels hung from the ceiling. Each panel plays a 20-minute loop of a butcher contemplating his next move. Video.

A work by Jiacong Yan.

More flesh art: Zhang Huan's meat bodysuit in My New York 4 performance (image on the left); The Animatronic Flesh Shoe, stitched together with pieces of latex rubber cast out of moulds made from the artist (Adam Brandej)'s own skin to comment on issues of sweatshop labour and content ownership. The shoe's toe and heel raise and lower as it occasionally vibrates/pulsates, and twitches on the floor as if it were still alive.
Victoria Reynolds's meat art series; Jana Sterback's Meat armchair and dress.

Previous posts: Sascha reports from Wetware Hackers Day 1; what might the Meat of Tomorrow be like?: the Meat Helmet; collection of canned meat; Kuniko Maeda's Table Manners; Communication Grill Chang-tei; Bioart - Taxonomy of an Etymological Monster; Victimless leather jacket."

::VIA

Gift Wraps:: For The Holidays

2006-11-25T03:27:00.000-05:00

"Giving gifts is almost as much about the presentation as it is about the gift inside. As the holiday shopping rush escalates, wrapping paper is a detail that's crucial not to overlook. These five gift wraps leave the creativity to someone else and look great alone without any fussy ribbons or decoration.

(w)rapping paper

Though not quite in production yet, Si Hill Design has been getting a lot of praise for his clever (w)rapping paper that features the instantly recognizable lyrics to popular rap songs. The pun of the gift wrap itself is as funny as it is to read the familiar words in print. The UK-based designer's prototypes include the old school, Sugar Hill Gang's "Rapper's Delight" (pictured left, click for detail), NWA's classic "Straight Outta Compton," the embarrassment of Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby" and House of Pain's "Jump Around," all in different two-hue colorways.

eBoy Christmas Gift Wrap
Featuring a snow scape populated with the pixel characters that the Berlin design collective eBoy's known for, this eBoy Christmas Gift Wrap paper (pictured left, click for detail) pares down the holiday to the element of snow. It's available, along with other eBoy patterns and equally unique graphics by other designers, from Nineteen Seventy Three for £1.80 per sheet.

Dude Wrap
Whimsy Press has a selection of Dude Wrap, like the ironic name might imply, is the perfect antidote to saccharine Santas and snowmen. The Paper Invaders set (pictured above left) features vintage video game graphics, the Sticks and Stones set is adorned with skulls and crossbones and the Bugz set has creepy bugs with the words "I love to squish bugs." Each sheet costs $4.50 and is available online.

Paporganics Holiday Hemp Wrap
Printed with 100% vegetable ink on hemp blend (10% hemp/flax, 90% recycled post-consumer fiber processed chlorine-free) paper Paporganics wrapping paper adds eco-chic to traditional (yet un-cheesy) patterns. Available in four nondenominational designs, our favorites are the Peace Doves print (pictured below left) and Pointsettias. $5 will get you two 24"x36" Sheets.

Happy Fucking Whatever
Crass is it may be, Happy Fucking Whatever (pictured below right) wrap adds a little humor—not to mention practicality—to holiday excess. Four 26"x 19" sheets cost $7."

::VIA

Bret Simons Ultimate Paper Toy

2006-11-23T22:31:00.000-05:00

"Bret Simons has managed to create a copy of his face entirely out of paper. He has even included a PDF so you can create his face yourself. This has got to be the most ambitious and coolest paper craft toy (well I am not sure what else to call it) I have ever come across. See how he got to the final stage at the Bret Simons Paper Clone project page."

::VIA

Camera Hacking::MakeZine Podcast

2006-11-23T16:33:00.000-05:00

Recently on the MakeZine Weekend Projects: Podcast showed how to make a camera out of old camera parts. The one they decided to show us was designed to have 35mm film in a wide format camera body. You can find the plans and video on The MakeZine site.

Happy T-Day

2006-11-23T14:39:00.000-05:00

Old engravings of animals are charmingly strange

2006-11-23T02:32:00.000-05:00

"Bibliodyssey has an excellent gallery of 18th century engravings from 'Die Saugthiere in Abbildungen' at Ecole Nationale Vétérinaire de Lyon (named as 'Histoire naturelle des quadrupèdes'."

"The absurd rendering of many of the animals comes about because the engravers/artists working on the project did not actually see the animals. They had to rely on descriptions and their imagination and, as was the fashion of the time, the animals were placed in contrived settings and often given human facial qualities, which only serves to heighten the sense of bizarre. And thankful we are too."

Check Out more prints here.

::VIA

Pixel art animation created using post-its

2006-11-23T02:26:00.000-05:00

New Banksy How He Did It Videos

2006-11-23T02:08:00.000-05:00

Banksy has recently posted some videos of how he pulls off his amazing pieces. We posted earlier this year his work at Disneyland now you can check out how he did it here.
View more of his documentaries at his site.

Mortified: Real Words. Real People. Real Pathetic.

2006-11-23T01:51:00.000-05:00

"Mortified: Real Words. Real People. Real Pathetic. is a collection of hilarious real-life letters, journal excerpts, poems, lyrics, and locker notes detailing the excruciatingly embarrassing pitfalls of youth. With all the voyeuristic thrills of reading your sister's diary without the consequences, Mortified is hard to put down. First performed as a live stage show, Mortified has been selling out seats across the country since 2002. Editor David Nadelberg and various contributors will be reading from their personal relics and signing books live in New York, Boston, Chicago, Pasadena and San Francisco during November and December 2006."

Available on Amazon.

::VIA

Minale Maeda::Table Manners Collection

2006-11-23T01:37:00.000-05:00

"Minale Maeda's "Table Manners Collection" is a clever exploration of the intersection of formal dining and fast food. Toasted directly onto a grilled sandwich, the porcelain pattern lends the refinement of fine china to eating on-the-go. Other works by Mario Minale and Kuniko Maeda, the duo behind this Rotterdam-based design studio, include t-shirts printed with a tablecloth pattern—for those of us who would rather eat topless than on a undressed table—and delicately embroidered paper napkins."
::VIA

Convenient Truths::TreeHugger Video Contest

2006-11-22T00:38:00.000-05:00

TreeHugger is putting on a video contest called "Convenient Truths".
The contest is in the response to Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth", A documentary on the state of the on going climate change. In there own words:

"An Inconvenient Truth made it clear that we need to make changes.

TreeHugger.com and Seventh Generation, Inc. propose a solution. . .
Convenient Truths: a citizen-created video contest, collecting inspiring and pragmatic short videos that provide actionable answers towards stemming climate change.

Winners will be selected by a panel of climate change experts and you, our web viewers. Go to www.truths.treehugger.com to learn more.

Convenient Truths is a carbon-neutral contest endorsed by former Vice-President Al Gore."

"I applaud Treehugger's efforts to support An Inconvenient Truth with their "Convenient Truths" video contest. It's a great way to spread the word and bring the issue into our daily lives."
- Al Gore

Check out the contest site for more info.
Also check out the advert of the contest.

::VIA

Warhol soup cans on sale

2006-11-22T00:35:00.000-05:00

"Barney's New York department store is selling limited edition "Andy Warhol" cans of Campbell's condensed tomato soup. The cans are available in four colorways based on Warhol's famous screenprints and cost $12/each. According to the Barney's catalog, the imagery is "Printed on special quality paper and with Andy's signature (reproduced)." (In 2004, Campbell sold a similar limited edition four pack of soup cans wrapped in Warhol labels.)" Check out here.

::VIA

Aurora Robson

2006-11-22T00:22:00.000-05:00

"Made from discarded plastic bottles, Brooklyn-based artist Aurora Robson's bulbous hanging sculptures look something like mutant sea creatures. She says her work stems from her interest in enantiodromia—the Jungian theory that the superabundance of any force inevitably produces its opposite—as it applies to psychology, nature and art," in this case referencing the beings that populate her nightmares. Her next exhibition will be at the Pulse Art Fair Miami with Richard Levy Gallery from 7-10 December 2006."

::VIA

Mitsuoka Motors in Japan sells neat car kits

2006-11-21T15:49:00.000-05:00

" To support your dream to make up your original car by yourself. Not only people who love cars but also like mechanical things must have dreamed at least once. This model makes your dream come true.

[The K4] is composed of more than 500 parts and takes approximately 40 hours to assemble. The Kit-Car measures just under 2.5 meters (eight feet) long and can run at up to 50 kilometers (31 miles) an hour. The expected cost of each of this vehicle is US $6,460." (Spluch)

Link

::VIA

Nike Playstation 3 Airmax

2006-11-21T15:47:00.000-05:00

"For the second time, Nike has brought a sneaker to commemorate a Sony Playstation console (the first pair were Playstation Air Force Ones). Like the One Time Only pack, these are a hybrid of Air Max 90s on a 360 sole, and come complete with a 3M reflective hologram Swoosh. Only 24 pairs have been made to mark the launch of the PS3."

::VIA

Quiet Revolution::Wind Turbine

2006-11-20T01:33:00.000-05:00

"Quiet Revolution Ltd has revolutionized the windmill with their new QuietRevolution wind turbine, the QR5. Not only is it one of the most visually appealing wind turbines available on the market, its small scale allows it to fit seamlessly into an urban environment, providing a renewable energy resource in places where space constraints previously made it impossible to hook up green power systems. The genius of the QuietRevolution’s QR5 is its VAWT design, aka Vertical Axis Wind Turbine. The VAWT enables the QR5 to gather power from the winds near around buildings that are constantly changing directions. It is also quieter than your typical wind turbine because the tip speed is slower, due to the triple-helix design, which in turn allows it to be situated closer to buildings and on towers. Exactly how big is the QuietRevolution Turbine you ask? Currently in production, the QR5 is 5m high and 3.1m in diameter. Two more sizes are currently being developed, the OR2.5 (2.5m x 2.5m) and the QR12 (12m x 6m). The QR5 is currently priced at £25,000, which includes the purchase of the wind turbine, integrated control electronics, peak power tracking, auto shutdown and generator. Depending on placement and wind speeds, the QR5 will pay for itself within 15 years or less."
::VIA

World’s biggest moving machine

2006-11-20T01:29:00.000-05:00

"The world’s biggest moving machine is Bagger 288, a giant trencher or bucket excavator. It is 300 meters long and weighs 45,500 tons! Link"
::VIA

Stone Bathtub

2006-11-20T01:25:00.000-05:00

"Stone Forest in Santa Fe, New Mexico, makes some awesome bathtubs from natural boulders: Link"
::VIA

Wooster on Spring Project

2006-11-18T21:03:00.000-05:00

The past two weeks the Wooster Collective has been posting their latest project, "Wooster on Spring Project". For a six week period they have invited all of the artists that they've posted in the past five years to come and leave their mark on 11 Spring Street. Some time in the second week of December they are planning on having some type of wrap up event. We're planning on making it down the so we hope we see you there.

Their most recent post was this video made by artist Rene Gagnon. It's just a sneak peak of this astounding project.

Hybrid Solar Powered Super Phone::By NTT DoCoMo

2006-11-16T15:18:00.000-05:00

"Japanese celphone juggernaut Docomo is prototyping this "hybrid mobile phone with solar panels." It looks small enough for Derek Zoolander, and as British gadget mag T3 says, "Powered solely by the beating rays of our closest star, it means you’ll never run out of natter-juice, and puts an end to travel chargers and emergency batteries."

::VIA

Wireless cup-and-string communicator::; By Duncan Wilson

2006-11-16T13:29:00.000-05:00

"Tug the cord to activate, squeeze to talk and hold to the mouth and ear...

The form and function of the Cup Communicator refer to the ‘two-cans and string' children's toy and the physical factors involved with that device. This typology and its associations remind us of the magic and playful intrigue of our first communication devices that has been lost by the desire for more efficient forms of telecommunication." - Duncan Wilson

Check them out here.

Manufactured Landscapes::The Movie

2006-11-16T12:39:00.000-05:00

"MANUFACTURED LANDSCAPES" is a feature length documentary on the world and work of renowned artist Edward Burtynsky. Burtynsky makes large-scale photographs of ‘manufactured landscapes’ – quarries, recycling yards, factories, mines, dams. He photographs civilization’s materials and debris, but in a way people describe as “stunning” or “beautiful,” and so raises all kinds of questions about ethics and aesthetics without trying to easily answer them.

The film follows Burtynsky to China as he travels the country photographing the evidence and effects of that country’s massive industrial revolution. Sites such as the Three Gorges Dam, which is bigger by 50% than any other dam in the world and displaced over a million people, factory floors over a kilometre long, and the breathtaking scale of Shanghai’s urban renewal are subjects for his lens and our motion picture camera.

Shot in Super-16mm film, Manufactured Landscapes extends the narrative streams of Burtynsky’s photographs, allowing us to meditate on our profound impact on the planet and witness both the epicentres of industrial endeavour and the dumping grounds of its waste. What makes the photographs so powerful is his refusal in them to be didactic. We are all implicated here, they tell us: there are no easy answers. The film continues this approach of presenting complexity, without trying to reach simplistic judgements or reductive resolutions. In the process, it tries to shift our consciousness about the world and the way we live in it." - mongrel media

2006, Canada, 90 mins.
Check out the Manufactured Landscapes site and the trailer here.

New Cool Hunting Video::Cut & Paste

2006-11-15T14:48:00.000-05:00

"A little more than a year ago, CH sponsored Cut & Paste, the first design competition to square designers against each other in a live tournament-style battle. From the initial sold-out event in NYC, Cut & Paste has grown into a nationwide tour with stops in four cities featuring local designers and judges in each spot. For episode 55, CH joined the party that kicked-off their national series at a Brooklyn warehouse-turned-club to document eight of the best young New York designers duking it out on stage. The video captures the three high-energy rounds, a lively 1200-person audience and an unexpected turn. You'll have to watch to find out which of CH's crew stepped in last-minute to replace a judge who was sick." Check the video here.

New Tado Website Now Online

2006-11-15T14:45:00.000-05:00

"The new Tado website is now up for all fans to visit and to adore the great talents of Mike and Katie. Tado are responsible for some very cool art as well as a lot of great vinyl toy designs. However they also have their own line of vinyl toys coming out soon called Ryoko and the SissyFists (pictured above). Head over to the Tado website now and enjoy yourself."

::VIA

Che Trooper bust:: UrbanMedium Sculptural

2006-11-15T14:01:00.000-05:00

"UrbanMedium has released a limited edition bust version of their clever "Che Trooper" graphic -- the perfect sculptural mashup."
Check it out here.

::VIA

Super Mario wedding cake

2006-11-15T13:48:00.000-05:00

"This has got to be the coolest wedding cake I have ever seen, in fact it is probably the coolest cake of any kind. The detail on this stunning and its just looks so irresistibly tasty. There have been lots of cakes made based on video games but none of them compare to this Mario inspired wedding cake. Enjoy the pictures and try not to drool over your keyboard. You can see more pictures here." ::VIA

Thunderpants::

2006-11-15T13:37:00.000-05:00

"They won’t go up your bum!" claims the New Zealand comfy-yet-cute underwear company Thunderpants. Started in 1995 by a couple of girls who were—in their own words—"frustrated by an undie market which either had us squirming all day in wee lace numbers or flopping about in sexless granny bloomers," they designed what they term their "ideal undie." These colorful, well-cut knickers, made from a blend of 92% cotton and 8% lycra, are printed with original wood block graphics. We love the whimsical patterns featuring rodeo cowboys, workman's tools and artichokes, to name a few. (See more here.) Available in children's and men's sizes as well, all styles pictured are hipsters (click for detail), which start at NZ$25 from Thunderpants."

::VIA

Peau Ethique Organic Undies

2006-11-15T13:32:00.000-05:00

"Want to feel more comfortable prancing around in your undies? The French company C.A.BIO produces super cute organic lingerie, underwear, PJs and socks for men, women and children under the brand “Peau Ethique”.

Most of the design work takes place in the French town Saint-Chamond and raw materials for the garments come from Turkey. Cotton is spun, knit and dyed according to the Öeko Tex Standard 100 which prohibits (among other things) the use of heavy metals, known carcinogens, formaldehyde and soda chlorite in the manufacturing process. In addition the company is committed to building long-term relationships with manufacturers and adheres to fair trade labor practices, guaranteeing good working conditions with decent wages, no child labor, and the promotion of handicapped people and women coming from underprivileged areas." ::VIA

Floppy Disk Handbag

2006-11-13T10:06:00.000-05:00

"This is a totally unique black vinyl handbag with six real 3.5” high-density 1.44MB diskettes on each side (12 x 1.44 MB = 17.28 MB total). Two snap pockets, one with a zippered change pocket, and two elastic pockets are on the walls of the main compartment. A removable, magnetic latch holds the top edges together. It can fit keys, a cellphone, an iPod Mini, a wallet, and a few paperbacks. And make you look totally sweet!

The magnetic latch that holds the top together is removable. So, if you want a super-skinny purse you can just take out the bottom liner and the latch and just use the magnetic clasps on the interior instead of using the latch. It's nice to have options in a purse!

Here's what the hangtag says:

CARRY YOUR STUFF IN GEEK-CHIC STYLE WITH A PURSE MADE FROM TWELVE (12) GENUINE 1.44 MB COMPUTER DISKETTES. ALLOCATE INTERIOR POCKETS TO MANAGE INTERNAL FRAGMENTATION. TOTAL AVAILABLE MEMORY: 17.28 MB."

Check It out here.

::VIA

Wearable Instrument Shirt:: A New Break Through for Air Guitarists

2006-11-13T09:49:00.000-05:00

"Scientists at the CSIRO's Textile and Fibre Technology division in Australia have woven electronic sensors into a T-shirt (the WIS - the Wearable Instrument Shirt) so that it can be played liked a real guitar.

Movements by the wearer's arms are mapped and beamed by radio to a computer which interprets them and turns them into musical notes.

"The left arm chooses a note and the right arm plays it," said Richard Helmer, at CSIRO. The arrangement can be reversed for left-handed musicians. "You can play with yours hands above your head," added Dr Helmer. "You can turn around and jump. Whatever you like."

Video of the shirt + tambourine and guiro versions of the shirt."

::VIA

Chernobyl Legacy::Magnum Photo Essay By Paul Fusco

2006-11-12T22:43:00.000-05:00

Recently we were pointed into the direction of this photo essay by Paul Fusco. A native of near by Leominster, Massachusetts, Fusco brings us a compelling visual account of the after effects of the Chernobyl disaster. You can view the essay here.

You might also want to take a look at his book that this flash movie derived from, "Chernobyl Legacy".

"Chernobyl Legacy" is a haunting document of the lives that were ruined, in particular those of the unborn and young children, most of who have severe genetic disorders and a host of lethal cancers. The book has essays by Adi Roche, founder of the Chernobyl Children's Project; Michael Douglas, United Nations Messenger for Peace, and United Nations Secretary General Kofi Anan." - Magnum Photos

::via Venancio Borges

Flexlight:: Innovative LED Lighting

2006-11-12T22:29:00.000-05:00

"Jos Kranen was showing his LED Flexilight designed for Feek Furniture. "...an ultra-flat-ready-to-use solution, so you can define your own routes of electricity through your house, using a decorative system to lay out your own 'underground map' of electricity."." ::VIA

Valley:: New retail space in New York City's Lower East Side

2006-11-11T09:31:00.000-05:00

"Valley, a new retail space in New York City's Lower East Side, aims to create a living room-style atmosphere by creating a one-stop shopping experience, incorporating apparel, a nail and waxing salon and a cafe. The artistically-inspired space will host seasonal art installations and events in attempt to bring clients, friends and community together. Conceived by sisters Julia, 33, and Nina Werman, 30, a former social worker and a member of the Lower East Side Community Board, respectively, “Valley will draw in women from all over as the boutique works to unite some of the rarest treats in fashion, beauty, art and food as well as create a one-of-a-kind space for social culture.”

The Werman sisters' desire to celebrate the artistry of manicures led them to collaborate with Patty Yankee Williams, winner of Nails Magazine's Nail Technician of the Year for 2005/2006. Williams is Valley's Nail Tech Director and has helped them to create a high-end nail salon with manicures that are "like a facial for your nails." Working without acrylics, the nail salon offers airbrushing, jewels, decoupage of real flowers and marble dipsets (nails are actually marbelized by dipping them) to create amazing works of art for your fingertips. Williams herself will also work as a guest nail artist every other Saturday.

The boutique features a well-curated mix of casual-yet-chic clothing from avant-garde fashion designers, as well as popular favorites such as Grey Ant, known for heralding the high-waisted revolution, Ladies of the Canyon's candy-colored jerseys, Deener Denim's updated classics and Carolina K's Bolivian-influenced dresses (pictured left). Jewelry options include the sneaker chain by Lady Leisure (pictured right), inspired by sneakers thrown over telephone wires, which instead of a clasp, secures by a tie of the chain."
::VIA

Cocoa Locoa Bespoke Chocolate Service

2006-11-11T09:28:00.000-05:00

"Cocoa Locoa is the creation of Karalee LaRochelle, who, like several other people who've inspired us by their midlife career shifts, knew there was a better way to make a living. After years in business consulting and marketing she earned a degree in Pastry at the New York Culinary Institute. Stints at Eleven Madison Park, Fauchon and Veré Chocolate followed.

In addition to her excellent line of hand made artisan chocolates and confections made with local and organic ingredients—the Salted Honey Caramels, made with Fireweed honey, are beyond—Karalee offers a Bespoke Chocolate Service. First she meets with you to understand the kinds of flavors and style of chocolates you like. She then creates a range of chocolates using your preferences, which you sample at your very own tasting (four costs $250, 8 costs $450).

Once you select the creations that best suit you, they can be further customized by adding a unique screened design and custom packaging. Minimum order is 50 pieces per flavor at $1.50 a piece (50¢ less than a non-custom chocolate). Still don't know what to get the person who has everything?

And what better to serve with your Bespoke Chocolate than Bespoke Vodka?

Experience Cocoa Locoa at the NY Chocolate Show today through 12 November 2006, or at the Cocoa Locoa site."

::VIA

Toothpick sculptures

2006-11-10T12:35:00.000-05:00

"Steven J Backman is a dedicated, talented, and evidently very patient toothpick artist who makes impressive and elaborate toothpick sculptures." Link
::VIA

The JimX Wallet

2006-11-10T12:28:00.000-05:00

"Mike O’Neill, designer behind the super-successful “not a wallet” Jimi wallet just launched his next product, the JimiX. A wallet for people who hate wallets, but love cash. It holds cards like the normal Jimi wallet, but also has a nice external clip for cashola. Of course, it’s still made from recycled plastic, locally in the US and 1% of sales revenue goes 1% for The Planet." ::VIA

Reset Design Tattoo

2006-11-10T12:24:00.000-05:00

"A collective of international designers have been brought together to illustrate new functional and aesthetic approaches to body art in the Reset Design Tattoo Collection.

The collection is part the French design site's first curated exhibition, Eden ADN, which will be part of the St. Etienne Design Biennale November 22 through December 3 in Paris.

Some of the images offer a political message on racism and sexism, others speak to societal notions of beauty, while a few are clever pop culture commentaries. Pure fodder for hipster ironic tattoos."

::VIA

Videos we're digging

2006-11-10T12:06:00.000-05:00

Rose - La Liste

HERMAN DÜNE - Just Like Thom's Thumb Blues / Your na

Despercepções::: New Project By Linus Oura

2006-11-09T08:59:00.000-05:00

"Linus Oura, a graphic designer from São Paulo, Brazil, created an urban installation project called "Despercepções" ("Misperceptions") as his graduation project from college.

The project is a criticism to the citizens of Sao Paulo "about their careless of the urban vegetation in the cities and the benefits it can offer to them by creating elements of nature composed by urban elements, like street lamps, antennas, garbage cans and more."

You can see the whole process of the project here.

::VIA

Do Not Fall In Love:: Subway mod

2006-11-09T08:36:00.000-05:00

"Spotted by ToyRobot on the door of an North bound "R" train (Brooklyn to Manhattan)"

::VIA

Paper Jet-Poet

2006-11-09T08:08:00.000-05:00

Fly On The Wall is a terrific
collective of young creative filmmakers in Cape Town South Africa.
Recently they did a couple of short narratives with the help of Warren
Lewis ofwetpaint / circuslabs . They were so go that MTV ended up
buying them a week later. You can see more of the films on their
website site here.

::VIA

Byron Bay fashion label:: Bird ::eco-friendly collection of women's wear

2006-11-09T08:01:00.000-05:00

"Byron Bay fashion label, Bird, is the creation of designer Rachel Bending whose "work pioneering sustainability in design started with Slingfings, a brand widely recognised for its environmental consciousness." Bending, who originally hails from the UK, studied textile design at the renowned Glasgow School of Art in the early 90's and then spent several years working as an event director for Saatchi & Saatchi in London before immigrating to Australia in 2001. Based around three different fabrics each season, all of which are designed at her studio and hand-printed using water based dyes, Bird is a beautiful, eco-friendly collection of women's wear." ::VIA

iRebel Preview

2006-11-09T07:57:00.000-05:00

"With Polartec high-tech fabric and iPod integration, Westcomb's new iRebel jackets and hoodies are perfect for active people, whether on the slopes or on the subway. Coming out January 2007, the iRebel features an interior iPod pocket, which connects to integrated soft switch controls on the sleeve. The Polartec Wind Pro Fabric makes the iRebel four times more wind resistant than traditional fleece and the water-repellant surface sheds water and snow—yet since the coating on the fabric is not a laminate, it remains breathable. The iRebel's slim profile makes them perfect for layering and zippered pockets, long sleeves with cut-out thumb holes and—unlike some of the other wearable technology outerwear we've come across—Westcomb women's sizes actually cut to fit a woman's smaller frame are all welcome details."

The iRebel Jacket ($225) and the iRebel Hoody ($235) and will be available in various colors at Boulder Mountaineering and Back Country.

::VIA

Happy Birthday Flowbots

2006-11-09T07:52:00.000-05:00

"Artist, tattooist and designer of one of the CH x Timbuk2 Artist Bags, Joseph Ari Aloi (aka JK5) celebrates the birthday of his Flowbots next Friday, 17 November 2006, at ToyTokyo's Showroom NYC. In addition to revealing the introductory series of three-inch vinyl toys, produced in collaboration with Kidrobot, new paintings, drawings and sculpture created by JK5 exclusively for this event will be on display. JK5 says of the Flowbots—nine distinct characters with two secret additional colorways—“Each one is a symbol, an archetype, an art form and one is my best friend.”

Happy Birthday Flowbots
Opening Friday, 17 November 2006, 7-10pm
Through 22 November 2006
The Showroom NYC
117 Second Avenue, 2nd Floor
New York, NY 10003 map
tel. 01 212 673 5424

::VIA

Off The Rails::A short film by Darcy Prendergast

2006-11-07T02:44:00.000-05:00

A short film by Darcy Prendergast about all the crazy people you can meet on public transportation.
Check his site out here.

Orange balls to throw at bad people in Japan

2006-11-07T01:46:00.000-05:00

"In convenience stores in Japan, the cashiers keep a supply of clear balls filled with a foul smelling orange liquid. What are they for? As the shop owner explains in this video, "if a robber comes in, please hit them." You can read more here. ::VIA

Super-Bastard Box Art

2006-11-07T01:39:00.000-05:00

"Undoboy, a talented NYC-based designer, sent us an email recently warning us he's unleashed his latest work: Super-Bastard Box Art Characters. 16 4-inch characters come in a box. The sturdy cardboard dolls have a character painted on each of their four sides and feature different pop-culture icons. The detachable heads and legs can be mixed and matched for added fun.

Born Chean Wei Law and raised in Malaysia, Undoboy is rapidly making his presence felt with his off-the-wall creations that blend his artistic talent and wacky sense of humor. Super-Bastard Box Art is available for purchase online at Karmaloop." ::VIA

Momo Tags The Width of Manhattan

2006-11-05T03:33:00.000-05:00

"Every artist has a vision. For Momo (who's been absolutely killing it lately in New York), the vision was to tag the entire width of Manhattan. Click here to watch the video of how he did it." ::VIA

Wrappers Pinstripe iPod and MacBook Sleeves

2006-11-05T03:24:00.000-05:00

"Wrappers just launched their Pinstripe collection, which like their other covers do not have any logos or labels and come with a personalized tag. They are cushioned and lined in microfibre to keep your gear scratch free." ::VIA

68 and 100 LED Waterproof Flashlights Introduced

2006-11-05T02:57:00.000-05:00

"Fresh from China, comes this ruggedized, waterproof flashlight. It has 68 LEDs that are powered by four AAA batteries. If you need even more LEDs, they have a 100 LED version available. The light is obviously bright, but one reviewer says it's not as focused or as bright as Luxeon type flashlights with reflectors. The price is hard to beat though: $12.99. Right now it the only place to get this flashlight is via eBay and FifthUnit." ::VIA

Bike Lamps:: by Treeline Designs

2006-11-05T00:38:00.000-05:00

"So you’re a keen biker, but sometimes maybe too keen. The consequence of getting some big air might be unfortunate damage to your two wheeled wonder. But it’s been such a pal through thick and thin, what a shame to say “good bye.” Maybe you don’t need to. Check out Treeline. They can convert reused bike parts into table and stand lamps. Forks might become stems, and cassettes, chain rings, and disc brake rotors, etc find themselves reincarnated as bases. The stock models seen here range in price from $140 to $200 USD, but customising is also possible." Check Treeline here. ::VIA

Chocolate sushi

2006-11-05T00:32:00.000-05:00

"Suedy's Koo-ki Sushi is really kooky. I mean, really. If you're expecting some savory maguro or ebi, get ready for a surprise, because this sushi is actually made out of chocolate. As a novel specialty item, Koo-ki Sushi sure gets your attention. The craftsmanship is exquisite, with faithful attention to detail. Each confection really looks like sushi, but tastes very different (I'm sure.) The site allows you to shop online, and even ship to your desired destination, ensuring that even if you don't live near a Koo-ki sushi store you can still savor and give the gift of choco-sushi to your friends and family. You'll be sure to astound (or confound) them with your efforts. Even the included wasabi (green tea flavored) and soy sauce (chocolate) is a sugary treat."

::VIA

Drawing In Space:::A new way to make furniture at Front Design

2006-11-02T17:52:00.000-05:00

"Is it possible to let the first sketch become the object, to design directly in space?

The four members of FRONT make it possible to materialise hand made sketches through using a unique method where they combine two highly developed techniques.
Invisible pen strokes in the air recorded with Motion Capture become digital 3D-files. Through Rapid Prototyping, the files are materialised into real pieces of furniture." - frontfilm(youtube)
For more information.

Lastplak's Big Wall in Rotterdam::

2006-11-02T17:30:00.000-05:00

"From P.Bloem in Rotterdam comes word that the Lastplak and various of their friends recently finished a massive wall 120 meters long and 6 meters high in the Netherlands. It took over a week to finish." ::VIA

I Am Plastic

2006-11-02T17:26:00.000-05:00

"Creepy yet cute, artist-designed and utterly collectible, the designer toy phenomenon is an accurate barometer of currents in pop culture over the last several years. Kidrobot, the most familiar name in the movement, has literally wrote the book on the subject with this month's release of I Am Plastic, a new hardcover that visually traces the nearly decade-old niche culture. Divided into sections by geographical origin, the book celebrates the Warholian spirit driving these kinds of objects with artist interviews and an informative intro by Kidrobot founder Paul Budnitz. But the real treat is page after page of photos of the toys themselves. From the sinister-looking, haute couture line commissioned by Barney's to Frank Kozik's renowned smoking bunny, the anthology is jam-packed with the abundance of inspiration in the bizarrely wonderful world of vinyl toys. Pick it up from Amazon." - Ami Kealoha
::VIA

Art at the Supermarket

2006-11-02T17:20:00.000-05:00

"Here is a recycled bag for use at the supermarket that could become a collector’s item. Sainsbury’s has teamed up with three quite famous English artists to create reusable shopping bags that are almost stylish enough to wear to that art opening tonight. Commissioned by Arts Council England, Michael Craig-Martin, Anya Gallaccio and Paul Morrison have designed these colourful and sturdy bags that will brighten up shopping and get people to think about art and the environment. They want shoppers to make the link between the desire to reuse something because it is attractive, and the act of recycling. Michael Craig-Martin’s is pictured—a combination of pop art and retro style. Anya Gallaccio’s has vibrant photos of vegetables in a string bag and Paul Morrison’s is black and white, suggesting a woodland scene. The bags cost 50 pence ($1) and the proceeds go to charity. Flying off the shelves..." ::VIA