Thought I would start off this week’s webfinds by introducing the latest member of FLUX., Beatrix! Named after Ms. Beatrix Potter, who is on my short list of “if you could have lunch with anyone living or dead..”
My ASUS netbook has treated me kindly over the past year or so, but Beatrix:
- Has a backlit keyboard so I can clack away at night and further ruin my eyes
- Made out of aluminum/has a magnetic charger so hopefully my 4 legged won’t break it
- Full keyboard and room to rest my palms making it easier to write
- Gets down on the first night
Serious learning curve moving from a PC, but I am a quick study.
Lots of videos came my way this week, but tumblr limits me to one video post/day. So please be sure to dig deeper into some of the below links!
Inside the head of The Sartorialist creator, Scott Schuman
I am sure you are familiar with the street fashion blog The Satorialist, but did you know about the site’s creator, Scott Schuman? I don’t know why I envisioned its founder to be someone in the vein of Anna Wintour, but Scott seems really down to earth, passionate, and dedicated to his craft. I have a new found respect for the site and its mission to act as a digital park bench, opening you up to a whole world of fashion and design and not just the people who pass you by on the street.
I also love Scott’s commentary around the 3:15 mark regarding how his lack of previous knowledge in photography ended up being asset as it gave him something to refine.
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At Auction:Dennis Hopper’s Art Collection
Did you know Dennis Hopper was a SERIOUS art collector? The actor’s collection of 300 works of fine art and memorabilia is up for auction this week at Christie’s.
Interesting note, he shot bullet holes through the above Warhol of Mao:
“The shooting involving “Mao” occurred in the early 1970s at Hopper’s Los Angeles home, said Alex Hitz, a family friend and a trustee of the estate.
‘One night in the shadows, Dennis, out of the corner of his eyes, saw the Mao, and he was so spooked by it that he got up and shot at it twice, putting two bullet holes in it,’ Hitz told the Associated Press in a telephone interview from Los Angeles. ‘Andy saw it, loved it and annotated those holes,’ labeling them ‘warning shot’ and ‘bullet hole.’”
Learn more about the auction and Dennis’ collection here.
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DC Comics Inspired Jewelry and Covetous Creatures
Been loving this new line of DC Comics inspired jewelry from Noir that have been circulating the internet. You better believe I have been trying to justify the purchase of catwoman claws.
And on the local front, Boston Blogger Holly of Covetous Creatures drooled over the same collection and did a great little write-up. Her site merges stunning fashion finds with her day to day happenings in a seamless way.
I always feel like the most effective blogs are the ones where you get a feel for the author without it being esoteric and exclusive. Holly has definitely got this down, I love seeing personal style shining through in a city most often associated with lobster pants and North Face.
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Fire With Fire
“The Downtown Eastside is the oldest neighbourhood in Vancouver; it is also the most run-down. This historic area is infamous for being plagued by social problems due to poverty. Before falling prey to serious urban decay, it has known brighter days, and was even the city’s business hub until the 1980s. Derelict for over twenty years, in more recent ones, it has started to be sought after again. The Downtown Eastside is undergoing a major mutation —witness the newly renovated buildings and the constructions sites that now dot the area.
The coming of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games is accelerating the Downtown Eastside’s transformation by heightening real estate speculation and gentrification; new condo towers and big box stores are appearing. The revamping of the neighbourhood seems more responsive to the expectations of people who are better-off. Tensions between real estate developers and members of the community are palpable, with fears of a form of implicit “social cleansing”.
It is striking that the history of the Downtown Eastside began in destruction and disappearance. In 1886, soon after the city was incorporated, the Great Vancouver Fire swept down on the neighbourhood and razed almost all of it to the ground. The video installation Fire with Fire recalls this troubled period of Vancouver’s history. It also alludes to the neighbourhood’s present conditions by reminding us that many lives have been consumed there, worn down by years of homelessness, drug use, street prostitution, and violence.”
Check out the full video here.
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Buzzsaw Creations
In 2011 I have vowed to be “handier” around the house, and one skill I have always been envious of is woodworking. Just thought it was amazing what this guy can do with a bandsaw in such a short amount of time. Because I value my phalanges, I won’t even attempt.
Check out all the cheesy music, public access typeface, buzzsaw creation magic here.
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Topologies
“If you’re a fan of contemporary video art and Baroque painting, rejoice! These two interests have come together in the work of Quayola, a London-based artist responsible for the video excerpted above. In his own words: “Quayola creates worlds where real substance, such as natural or architectural matter, constantly mutates into ephemeral objects.” The real substance we’re looking at is the work of Baroque artist Tiepolo as it has been transformed by custom software into a faceted, throbbing mass.”
[via the fox is black]
The video of the transformations is really engaging and soothing, be sure to see it all come to life here.
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Mona Lisa Landscape Uncovered
I have been plugged into this post-DanBrown resurgence of interest in unlocking secrets of the Mona Lisa after researchers recently discovered tiny letters painted into the Mona Lisa’s eyes. Now, scholars are believed to have uncovered the location of the where the portrait was painted.
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3D paintings on Panes of Glass
“Using multiple layers of tinted glass, Chinese artist Xia Xiaowan, transforms flat artwork into 3D sculptures of distorted figures, storms, and dandelion-like explosions. Viewers are treated to different shifting perspectives of his “spatial paintings” depending on where they stand in the art space. On each pane of glass, Xiaowan draws an individal image using colored pencil and only when they are combined on their floor racks do the images create the whole hologram like effect.”
[via visual news]
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Where They Create
“My name is Paul Barbera. I am an interior based photographer – As I travel for assignments, I look up artists & creatives. This is a visual document of their creative environments.”
See where other artists create here.
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Wintry Tilt/Shit
Last minute addition sent to me by my friend Daniel over at Alfonso Alrura. I am always a sucker for tilt/shift videos and this one of Whistler gets me in the snowy spirit.. I am attempting to overshadow my dread of this impending “blizzard” and the salty-leather-destroying walks to and from work associated with it.
Watch the full video and think happy thoughts here.♥
