N / S / E / W

Rafael Lozano-Hemmer is a Mexican born artist who graduated from Concordia University, Montreal, Canada with a B.Sc in Physical Chemistry. He is an electronic artist who develops mainly large scale interactive installations in public spaces. Lozano-Hemmer uses robotics, Internet and mobile phone links, sound and sensors to create his pieces.

His instillation 'Homographies' is an interactive installation that uses 144 robotic light fixtures that are controlled by 7 computerised surveillance systems. The piece works on the premise that the vanishing point is not architectural, it's connective.

This means the piece is determined by who is in the space at any given time and as a result of this changes accordingly. The fluorescent lights rotate as people walk under them, this creates patterns of light that are 'paths' or 'corridors'

www.lozano-hemmer.com/eproyecto.html

Sèvis Lwa

Rubitone Genius

Pantone colors + Rubik's Cube= Rubitone
From the mind of Industrial Designer Ignacio Pilotto

Why hasn't someone started production of these yet? I know at least 3 graphic designers who would be in design 'wantsies' heaven if presented with one. Genius

http://www.ignaciopilotto.wordpress.com/2008/10/26/rubitone-concept/

Those Who Forget History Are Doomed To Repeat It

I'm not sure if I'm alone in this way of thinking but ever since childhood I've found it difficult to connect old footage (eg: 1920's onwards) with reality. I don't know why but it's almost as if the crackly black and white images didn't seem real to me as it wasn't how i saw the world (black and white as opposed to colour ).

I found footage from the Romano Archives that was actually filmed in colour. Vincent Romanos research has unearthed an abundance of colour film that shows what events looked like to those who were there. The archive presents mainly World War 2 recently declassified and other previously unavailable material. Some of it such as the footage and actual sound of Eva Braun and Hilter is eerie and is considered rare. I've featured a tiny sample of the archives below. Worth a look

Eva Braun private color amateur footage from Summer 1939 filmed at the Berghof, near Berchtesgaden. Original captured soundtrack with the voices of Hitler, Goebbels, Speer, Eva and Gretl Braun, Bruckne(Eva's bodyguard) and others.



A battered young German woman in despair. Filmed on a country road after the passage of the Red Army.



Amateur Kodachrome film (fragment) filmed in New York. Greenwich Village Art Fair, Spring 1944



Summer 1939. German Art Festival in Munchen with Adolf Hitler, Albert Speer, Rudolf Hess, Himmler and others.



To see more:
www.webalice.it/romanoarchives
www.youtube.com/user/UnknownWW2InColor

Dear Santa

I want one of these as badly as i wanted a Mr Frosty when i was a kid. Which was a whole lot. And Mr Claus didn't quite get his shit together with the ice crushing snowman so i live in hope that he may locate one of these sold out beauties for me.



She's the gesiha from the Tokyoplastic drum machine animation

http://www.tokyoplastic.com/dm.html

If anyone knows where i can get my paws on a Tokyo Plastic Octopus Geisha email me

LumaFlower

Somerset artist/lighting designer Bruce Munro has created a beautiful piece of work called 'Field of Light'. It has gone on display recently at the Eden Project in Cornwall, U.K and will remain there until Spring 2009. The Eden Project mounts regular exhibitions by internationally renowned artists. The idea has been in Munro's mind for quite some time and a scaled-down version was exhibited as part of an exhibition at the V&A in 2004.

It took Monroe and five assistants three days to install the piece. They planted 6,000 acrylic stems, through which 24,000 meters of fibre optic cables run. The stems themselves are topped with a clear glass sphere. There are 11 external projectors; the stems themselves hold no electric power at all.

The installation covers an area of 60 x 20 meters. It is best viewed after dark to enjoy the full effect as the piece slowly changes colour; ebbing from blue to pink, yellow, green and white. According to the BBC the piece will be switched on sporadically in the evening; and when required for viewing in order to avoid excessive used of energy.

Munro was inspired to make this piece during a trip through the Australian red desert 15 years ago. Driving along the Stewart Highway he would stop every night at roadside campsites, which are often in stark contrast to the barren desert that surrounds them. He was fascinated by the way the red desert was barren until it rained and then change rapidly as dormant seeds would explode into bloom.


For more info on both Munro and the Eden Project :

www.brucemunro.co.uk

www.edenproject.com

Pfnaaaaar

Currently on Repeat: The Asteroids Galaxy Tour (and not just because i may have a tiny girly crush on singer Mette Lindberg. Much)

www.theasteroidsgalaxytour.com
www.myspace.com/theasteroidsgalaxytour

Your Face or Mine?

Interesting blog that I've only just discovered: Your Face



Your Face features illustrations done by Damien Weighill. Weighill who describes himself as a freelance illustrator, attended Northumbria University where he excelled at colouring without going over the lines :P He has a number of blogs.Tongue wedged firmly in cheek-me likes.

Send him a photograph of yourself, ask nicely and he'll illustrate your mug and feature it on his site!

www.yourfaceblog.blogspot.com

www.damienweighill.com

I'll Be Your Mirror

For many, many years i have found myself fascinated with the lives and works of certain women. Over time i have admired Maria Callas, Marianne Faithfull, Nuala O'Faolain, Björk, Tori Amos, Renee Vivien, Joan Of Arc, Grainne Mhaol and Ani Difranco

The first woman photographer whose photos touched a chord with me was Nan Goldin. I discovered her work in the college library on a wet and dreary December morning as i was busy mitching from a lecture. I dug out 'Nan Goldin: Ten Years After' and found myself mesmerized.

Goldin portrays subjects that are inseparable from her life: Places, Objects and People-especially her close friends (many are now dead from drug abuse and AIDs). Her work includes images of drug use, violence, relationships and many of her own deeply personal moments such as the photograph below. She took it a few weeks after being battered to prevent herself from forgetting the damage caused by her boyfriend's violence. Goldin has never shied away from the harsh realities of life especially when dealing with drug addicts and emotionally damaged individuals. When pieced together her photographs document her life and act as an autobiography.




She has said "I take blurred pictures, because I take pictures no matter what the light is. If I want to take a picture, I do not care if there is light or no light. If I want to take a picture, I take it no matter what. Sometimes I use very low shutter speed and they come out blurred." What i really like about her work is that she presents her subjects with empathy and candour, and not in a voyeuristic fashion. With an intimate feel, we get to glimpse the family/tribe that is not bound by blood but by experiences and love.

For more info:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nan_Goldin
Matthew Marks Gallery

One of those days

Sometimes i wonder if some people get out of bed in the morning intent on trying to make others upset??

"As far as we can discern, the sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light of meaning in the darkness of mere being"

Carl Jung 'Memories, Dreams, Reflections'

Picture Via Clig

Grower

I wasn't particularly enamoured with Ladyhawke when her first single was released, but after hearing 'My Delirium' i relented and think both the song and the video are brilliant. Her voice reminds me of Kim Wilde for some reason.

For Info: www.ladyhawkemusic.com
www.myspace.com/ladyhawkerock

Creator

One of my favourite painters will be exhibiting some of his work at Art Ireland this weekend. Taras Loboda was born in Ivano-Frankovsk, Ukraine but currently lives and works in Prague. He is the son of Ukrainian artist L.L Loboda. He stated painting at an early age and attended state art college.In 1979 he spent a year studying with the artist Zareckij.




It was at the last Art Ireland event that i discovered his stuff and then spent the following weeks sulking because I couldn't afford to buy any of it.




His paintings of women stopped me dead in my tracks (they reminded me of the famous National Geographic picture of the Girl with Green Eyes), one in particular called 'Maya'. The use of color pops against dark backgrounds and his work has a luminosity that's hard to describe; pictures don't do them justice- you need to stand in front of them to appreciate them fully. He works with three main subjects: Women's portraiture, Classical still life and Landscapes.




The ninth annual Art Ireland fair will take place in the Main Hall RDS, Dublin from the 14th to the 16th November 2008. For opening times, full exhibitor list and more info check out the website below.

More info to be found:

www.artireland.ie
www.tarasloboda.cz

Survivor

Many thanks to Wendy B for bringing my attention to a situation that i was previously unaware of. The photos you see are of the Nielson family who live in Arizona. Stephanie Nielson is better known to some of the blog world as NieNie. She has been blogging since 2005 and has built up an avid readership. Her posts act as a home life diary for a stay at home mother with four children. Following her thoughts on motherhood and family life; and peppered with candid pictures, a sense of love and unity radiates off the page (her kids are adorable!).



Christian Nielson (29) and Stephanie ( 27) were injured when a private plane crashed in August. Both suffered severe burns but Stephanie sustained 80% burns over her body . The third person on the plane, flight instructor Doug Kinneard, died the following day from his injuries. Christian has left hospital and is slowly recovering but Stephanie is still in the Arizona Burn Unit, Third-degree burns took almost all the skin from her back, chest, face, arms and lower legs. She has been kept heavily sedated and has gone through 19 surgeries to graft skin onto the burns


It's likely she will be in the burn center for another few months and then many, many months in rehabilitation. There will be more surgeries over the next few years. They've raised more than $150,000 so far to help with medical costs, which will most likely stretch into the millions. Click on the blue button below to donate to Stephanie. Every cent counts and will go towards helping her recovery.

For more information : Nie Recovery
http://www.nieniedialogues.blogspot.com/

Group Family Photographs by Wendy Whitacre

Flow

I've never found office stationery exciting and didn't count on this being quite so mesmerising... I wonder how long it took them to set it all up? Brought to you by the inquisitive minds over at Eepybird

The Devil In Ms Jones

After having the privilege of seeing Ms Grace Jones live at the electric picnic, i am now completely besotted with her. She and visionary director Chris Cunningham (he possessed of rich, twisted imagination and extraordinary talent) have collaborated on a piece for Dazed and Confused magazine.


Cunningham was inspired be an earlier piece of his called Rubber Johnny (Warning:Disturbing Content) and he digitally morphed Jones to reveal a much darker side to her. Grace Jones has never been one to shy away from experimenting with her image. Expressing a fearless attitude when it came to the piece “It’s not fashion, it’s an anti-fashion shoot," she told Tim Noakes "He’s shooting me like art"



Cunningham revelled in the piece "For me, Grace has the strongest iconography of any artist in music. She’s definitely the most inspiring person I’ve worked with so far"



The Dazed & Confused November art special is on sale October 9, 2008

For more Info:

Dazed & Confused Editorial
Grace Jones
Chris Cunningham

Dare to Hope

Congratulations America. "A new dawn, A new day...."

Photo via Papermag

Heart

I wandered into Laser Video at the weekend, determined to have an evening alone with a DVD, decent takeaway and roaring fire. After 20 minutes of looking around i spotted the cover for Four Eyed Monsters; and after a quick scan of the blurb on the back decided that it deserved a watch. I didn't anticipate just how much it would affect me.

Arin Crumley and Susan Buice have created an amazing piece of work that i urge you to seek out. It quite literally is a labour of love. Four Eyed Monsters documents Buice and Crumley's real life relationship which grew from meeting on Myspace. Before meeting for the first time they decided to do things a little differently. For the first 3 or 4 months they didn't speak a word to each other and communicated solely through writing, art or video.

Four Eyed Monsters follows the birth and growth of their relationship. To really see the full picture you need to watch the episodes and the film itself. I admire their bravery for putting themselves and their relationship out there, for believing in their art and for taking an independent stance. F.E.M became the first ever film uploaded in it's entirety to YouTube in 2007. They have used their website, YouTube and Myspace to promote the film. Many people have been affected by it in the same way i have been and as a result a type of grassroots movement has sprung up around it.


I don't want to give anymore away but I've featured the 1st episode below for you to get a taste of it.

More Info:

http://www.foureyedmonsters.com/
Arin Crumley
Susan Buice