Exemplary Works by Various Artists
Titled “Title: Exemplary Works by Various Artists,” this art group (self described as “various artists’ agents for design, speculation and public nuisance”) placed in public spaces mock explanatory labels seen in art galleries thereby “claiming them from the property of the public realm and rebranding them as our own artworks.” I like how this adds [...]
Read More »High speed video of popcorn popping
I’m a proponent of anything in high speed videography, especially when it involves my favorite movie theater snack (after Raisinets of course). [Via]
Read More »Bad Things That Could Happen
Bad Things That Could Happen from This Is It on Vimeo.
I am mesmerized by This Is It‘s film BAD THINGS THAT COULD HAPPEN. The film details different scenarios in which, um, bad things could happen. The sets and costumes are all constructed by cardboard and acted out by actors playing flies, mice, teeth, and hammers among other things.
Read More »US colleges compete in Campus Conservation Nationals
Thought football was the main competition going on between colleges and universities this fall? Well, it will get the lion’s share of the attention… but we’re smack dab in the middle of another intercollegiate competitive event that could make a difference for the planet: the Campus Conservation Nationals.
Read More »Exploring the Neo-Grotesque
The Neo-Grotesque genre has been quietly brewing on the outskirts of the contemporary art scene over the last few decades – so quietly, in fact, that it was only recently given a name. “The term Neo-Grotesque was recently coined for the resurgence of artists working with subject matter traditionally deemed unattractive or repulsive, but representing them in a sympathetic manner in a highly formal technical style.” More than that, it’s a modern exploration of the intriguing dissonance between the grotesque and the sublime. Concentrated mostly in painting, though often photography as well (think Cindy Sherman’s horrifying prosthetics series), the Neo-Grotesque style is generally lush and figurative, driven by narrative or allegory. Of course, as with any art form, these rules are often broken, but the unifying thread remains in the movement’s overall sense of history, its devotion to realism and its delight in our reaction to it.
Read More »Vintage photos from past NYC Marathons
Browse online the New York Public Library’s collection of photos from past NYC Marathons, such as the above image which was taken on 1st Avenue between 76th and 77th Streets at the 1979 race. No iPods, no Foursquare check-ins, and no silly costumes. [Via]
Read More »Mom mistakes Neil Gaiman for Neil Patrick Harris. Cool conversation ensues.
I enjoyed this back and forth on Twitter recently between famous author Neil Gaiman and self described Midwestern mom of two April Roller who mistook him for the other great Neil: Neil Patrick Harris. This whole conversation acts as an antidote to YouTube comments.
Read More »Donny Miller For Blue Angel
I love LA-based artist Donny Miller‘s sense of humor. He created my most favorite art book ever, Beautiful People with Beautiful Feelings, and he also was responsible for a sick line of Vans shoes earlier in the year. Now he’s drinking.
Read More »Diller Scofidio + Renfro talk about their latest projects
Elizabeth Diller and Ricardo Scofidio (above) and the new Lincoln Center (below).
Right after the successful completion of the High Line and the redesign of Lincoln Center in NY, the architecture firm Diller Scofidio + Renfro is back on the horse with two new and equally ambitious projects on the other side of the country, the Berkley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive and Eli Broad’s new contemporary art museum in downtown LA. The Architect’s Newspaper was able to pin down Elizabeth Diller and Ricardo Scofidio long enough to talk about both these projects as well as the experience of working with Broad and what it means to be a ‘starchitect’ (spoiler alert: they don’t like that word).
Read More »A green Moore’s law? The Story of Electronics
Moore’s law, the idea that computing power should double every eighteen months, may be the ultimate sign of progress for a techie… and there’s no doubt that much good has come from our ability to process more amounts of information faster. But what’s the environmental cost of this progress? Annie Leonard deals with that question in the latest video from The Story of Stuff Project: “The Story of Electronics.”
Read More »Famous movie scenes recreated with LEGO
Alex Eylar uses LEGO bricks and meticulous set-ups to recreate stills of famous scenes from American cinema. For this iconic shot from THE SHINING, he writes: The Shining twins are one of the few things in this world that REALLY creep me out. I saw that scene on TV when I was little; it’s always [...]
Read More »A new vibe to save the ta-tas
Remember all that pink last month? October was National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. But that doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t keep supporting the cause now that it’s November. Evolved manufactured a new little powerful vibe that’s waterproof and multi-speed called Faith, and a portion of all sales go to the Save the Ta-Ta’s Foundation. [...]
Read More »How many different ways can Don Draper say “What?”
For those of you going through withdrawal now that Mad Men’s latest season has come to a close, here’s semi-related YouTube video someone put together of Don Draper uttering the word “what” in the first four seasons. Don Draper uses the word “what” as Van Gogh used color or Beethoven used sound. Here’s the man [...]
Read More »Rainwater harvesting: another step towards Army sustainability
As we’ve noted before, the US military has been at the forefront of sustainability efforts for some time now… from green building to renewable energy, all branches of the armed forces see effective resource management as a top priority for security and readiness.
Energy’s been the top focus here, but now a new project at the Army’s Schofield Barracks in Hawaii experiments with another critical resource: water. The Army’s building a rainwater harvesting system for the building designed not only to save water and energy, but also to demonstrate how installation readiness goals can be met by taking the local resource base into account.
Read More »Portraits of the Mind
While modern science has a lock on our understanding of most areas of the human body, the human brain continues to stump us. After all, it’s “the most elusive, mysterious and maddeningly complex organ in the body,” and there are a correspondingly large amount of texts written about it. But most of these are unapproachable to anyone not getting their PhD in neuroscience, so Carl Schoonover, who is getting his PhD in that very field, has come out with a book that makes things a bit clearer and bit more colorful. Think of Schoonover’s new release, Portraits of the Mind, as a picture book of sorts, only with pictures of the human brain. These images, heretofore seen only by scientists, range from medieval sketches to photomicrographs that reveal bizarre, often brightly colored landscapes of the brain and its many complexities. The book itself explores the variety of ways scientists study the brain, with essays from today’s leading neuroscientists and corresponding images, of course. “The result is a peek at the mind’s innermost workings, offering clues about what may lie ahead.” You don’t have to be a science genius to understand what’s fascinating about the glowing orange proteins that form the inner scaffolding of axons or the hot pink and neon blue cellular structures of a rat hippocampus; You don’t even have to know what a rat hippocampus is, though if you’re interested, Schoonover’s book answers all your rat hippocampus questions in full.
Read More »New b-boying dance style by Les Twins
This pair of French twins Laurent & Larry Bourgeois or the Les Twins are much, much better at dancing than you. They’ve apparently been causing a stir with their updated twist on b-boy dancing. Watch their astonishing performance above at the 2010 World of Dance. More on them here at Metafilter.
Read More »Naked News: Slutty Neanderthals, naked Gyllenhaal, and exhibitionist hotels
- A university researcher in the U.K. claims to have discovered that the Neanderthals were incredibly promiscuous. Apparently you can tell by the length of their fingers, who knew?
- Study shows that 1 in 10 sexually active teens has a same-sex partner.
Ellen scares her guests
Watch this hysterical video montage of all the various times that Ellen scared her guests on her show with costumed surprises. Richard Simmons’ response is particularly amazing. Speaking of scary, I think this costume was the scariest of them all this year.
Read More »Book lovers unite! It’s the NY Art Book Fair
Designed by Nieves If you’re one of the minions who’ve sworn an unholy alliance with the Kindle, if you’ve relegated your reading to the smooth, shiny surface of an iPad, read no further. But if you’re a member of the purer sect, those who relish the feel of a page between their thumb and forefinger, [...]
Read More »What the mid-term results mean for reproductive rights
Okay, so there were some bright spots in the mid-term election results from Tuesday. Like the resounding defeat of an anti-choice ballot initiative in Colorado, and the seeming triumph of Alaska’s write-in candidate Lisa how-the-hell-do-you-spell-her-last-name Murkowski, who ran against Sarah Palin’s man Joe Miller. But the rather bleak news is that the House of Representatives is now in the hands of politicians who play a little too fast and loose with reproductive rights for our liking.
Read More »Ted Sabarese Juxtaposition
I like this photo series “Creature Couture” by New York photographer Ted Sabarese where he juxtaposes female fashion models with artist (and also an Alvin Ailey-trained dancer) Nick Cave’s various “Soundsuits.” Over the last decade Mr. Cave has become known for making colorful, extravagant sculptures with this kind of double life: they can stand alone [...]
Read More »One year anniversary of Souza’s President Obama photo of the day
White House photographer Pete Souza has become a blogosphere (at least among the left side of it) favorite for his pictures of President Obama and his family, particularly his “Photo of the Day” (POD) that is featured and refreshed daily on the White House website. To mark its one year anniversary, Souza “chose the following [...]
Read More »Julien Berthier, master illusionist
French artist Julien Berthier is a master of the trompe l’oeil. While his work is conceptually complex, it’s the initial ‘gotcha’ moment that’s so well-executed you can’t help but want to know more. “Love love” (2007), for instance, looks like a sinking ship until you see the man aboard, reclining comfortably. Berthier constructed half of a boat weighted with a hefty mooring device that keeps it balanced precariously.
Read More »Green tech finds (11/4/10)
Lots of electric vehicle news this week, plus mushroom plastics and watching watersheds with your iPhone… this week’s green tech finds.
- Sun-powered transportation… in the Sunshine State: Sarasota-area beachside community Pelican Bay will be using solar-powered trams to move people around the development. (via Cleantechnica)
- GE making massive EV purchase: General Electric will not only make components for electric vehicles, but plans to become the largest single purchaser of them.
Florence comes to town
Like a screaming harpy accompanied by a harpist, British singer Florence Welch flew into NYC on Monday for the first of two shows here. I was eager to see this woman, whose brilliant opus of a record, Lungs, is one of the best, and hardest to classify debut albums ever. In it I hear, and call me crazy, Concrete Blonde, Kate Bush, Siouxsie Sioux, Cocteau Twins, and Sinead O’Connor. She yelps. And screams. And sings her heart out.
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