WASTE LANDSCAPE

I can't lie...as a freelance art director for the music industry, this makes me feel a certain way. HOWEVER, the dazzling creation that was formed by collaborators Elise Morin and Clémence Eliard can't really be denied. They used 65,000 discarded CDs to create this landscape on the floor of an art space (and aptly, a former funeral home) in Paris. They named it Waste Landscape.

If you happen to live or be traveling in Paris, the piece will be up until 9/10/11, and then will tour other locations. 

Check out this video too.

Photos courtesy of Yannick Fradin, Martin Eliard and Marc Sirvin

MASSIMALS SCHMASHIMALS

"Massimals are 1:1 design objects that serve as prototypes to examine how physical form can engage the public realm. These constructs are mass abstractions of animal forms fabricated in systematic fashion from one material. The suggestive forms and their specific arrangement imply docile behavior similar to animals in a petting zoo augmenting the way visitors approach and engage built form."
— Design Office Takebayashi Scroggin 

Translation: "This is a polar bear made of plastic zip-ties. And it's pretty amazing."

All photos courtesy of http://dots-ky.com/index.php

THE (NOT SO) SECRET GARDEN...

...that's just as magical and enchanting.

About a month ago, my parents came to visit me in my new city. The week was filled with non-stop sight-seeing. Golden Gate Bridge, check. Chinatown, check. The Cliff House, Lombard Street, Union Square, checkcheckcheck. Towards the end of their stay, we stumbled upon the Japanese Tea Garden, right next to the de Young Museum in Golden Gate Park, and were SOOO pleasantly surprised. It's quite the oasis, and it quickly shot up to the top of my running list of my favorite parts of the city. Serene pools of water...some areas hidden under a canopy of trees...other areas completely bathed in sunlight...narrow passageways....beautifully intricate gold and red pagodas...

Built it 1894, it's the oldest public Japanese Tea Garden in the US. Aaandd, it's FREE if you go before 10am on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. If you haven't been, it's certainly a sight to see.

See more here!

(All photos courtesy of http://deyoung.famsf.org/)

OLMEC: COLOSSAL MASTERWORKS
OF ANCIENT MEXICO @ DE YOUNG

This past Saturday, I was able to take a trip to the de Young Museum (which deserves a post of its own by the way. The building itself is beautiful!) to see the Olmec show. The Olmec civilization was the oldest of the Americas, dating back to about 1500–400 BC and was situated in and around modern-day Veracruz and Tabasco, Mexico.

Out of stone boulders, they carved enormous heads (like the one above) that weigh up to a whopping 24 tons (48,000 lbs!) The heads that are included in the show are in pristine shape....every curve of the eyelids, lips and cheeks is simply breathtaking. To counter this, there are other sculptures/masks not more than an inch tall, with the most detailed features. There's one carved out of jade that I unfortunately wasn't allowed to take a photo of...but is embedded in my memory. Gorgeous!

Read more about the show here.

  Image courtesy of Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (photo by Marion Brenner)

Image courtesy of Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (photo by Marion Brenner)

Photo courtesy of The Architect's Newspaper Blog

 

Block cutting instructions. Original Thom Faulders image appears on dwell.com.

THOM FAULDERS / BAMscape

I don't know what it is, but I've been somewhat obsessed with orange lately. So naturally, I had to crack a smile when I came across this.

Faulders Studio, headed by architect Thom Faulders created this group of undulating orange waves to fit in with the new vision for Berkeley Art Museum/Pacific Film Archive's central atrium gallery. Its purpose is to serve as a space to convene for lounging, watching live performances and film screenings. And it doesn't just look playful and light. The sculptures are 93% air, made of rigid foam structural substrate and laminated with painted plywood.

The result is a sea of orange happiness. Like Tang!

By Jeremy Fish

By Jeremy Fish

By Jeremy Fish

CALIFORNIA LOVE

Alright, alright.

It has been a SUPER long time since my last post, but I have good reason. I swear.

I have relocated to the SF Bay area (Oakland, specifically....which I'm quickly learning is not, in fact, one and the same as San Francisco proper. But I love it anyway.) I've always loved this place, and figured there's no time like the present to try my hand at actually LIVING here. So, here I am. Live and direct from California!

There's art and creativity abound, as I discovered on my way to a hair appointment yesterday. I stumbled upon this collection of street art at the corner of Haight and Laguna. Bunnies, skulls and koi. What a warm welcome, SF!

If only.

From German collective Inges Idee (which translates to "Inge's Idea"). See more of their work here.

GHETTI GOT ME

So, my friend posted this on his studio's blog yesterday, and I HAD to share. It's the most incredible thing. Possibly ever.

Connecticut-based, Brazil-born and bred Dalton Ghetti carves these delicate little masterpieces out of pencils. And he does it all WITHOUT a magnifying glass.

He started carving them about 25 years ago, but was experimenting with pieces of wood, stone, soap, candles and broom handles before he discovered his material of choice. 

Crazy! Makes me remember this.

See the original post here (thanks E!).

BEETLE + JUICE...

Simultaneously cute and unsettling!

BEETLE CUP: Designed and produced by Idee Liu, crafted by Ching-Tian Cai. See more of Idee Liu's work here.

RABBIT CUP: Designed by Hsiao-Ying Lin, crafted by Jun-Ching Tang

This black clay cup is a representation of a well-known Chinese tale of a rabbit on the moon, which is celebrated every year with the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival in Taiwan. See more photos here.

These two pieces were on view as part of the Taiwanese sector of Dwell on Design's "Asia Now" June show in LA.

ZIMOUN

A friend shared this video with me today....and now I'm having trouble concentrating on anything else!

There are certain rhythmic sounds that I love (the click-clack of shoes hitting the platform floor at the 53rd street E train station, the sound of rain hitting a window pane during a storm...). Swiss artist Zimoun seems similarly taken with certain sounds, and has created "sound sculptures" that he compiled into a short video.

Beautifully shot against white and black backgrounds, the machines that the Swiss artist built create the most lovely orchestra.

Check out the video above...you won't be able to avert your eyes. Or ears.

And see more of his work here.

Mural by Elmac

Mural (detail) by Shepard Fairey

Mural (detail) by Os Gêmeos

Mural, by Os Gêmeos

Street art, artist unknown

Street art (detail), artist unknown

Street art (detail), artist unknown

Street art (detail), Retna

Painted cans, Greg Mike

Street art, artist unknown

SIDEWALK FINDINGS:

MIAMI, DESIGN

DISTRICT EDITION

A few weeks ago, I was lucky enough to trade in a few days of NYC's heat wave for Miami's perpetual one. While I was down there, my friends took me on a mini-tour of the Design District, an area that I've never stepped foot in.

I have to admit that I've been pretty ignorant of the flourishing art scene in Miami. My friend, Naja's visit to Art Basel last winter peaked my interest. So, when I got an opportunity to saunter the streets of the Design District, I jumped on it.

The above images are simply just a TASTE of all of the visual stimulation literally around EVERY corner. Beyond the scattering of galleries, there's lots of street art and graffiti. Some organized and commissioned, some not. I love it. The entire area is like a blank canvas that the public is invited to decorate. Well...not sure if it's quite legal, but that's beside the point.

See more here, but I suggest just taking a trip there. Art + guava empanadas + sun = :D