~ Happy Holidays ~

Inspiration of the Day ~ Jan Kaláb's Mesmerizing Work

Ooohh as soon as I saw this I knew this was going to be my inspiration of the day, it's just fabulous!
"You may know Czech artist Jan Kaláb, aka “POINT” (used for his sculptures), aka “Cakes” (used for his traditional graffiti), and the founder of street art crew the “DSK”. He is credited as one of the first artists to bring urban art into Eastern European countries after the borders opened up in the early 90s. Kaláb’s work has seen an evolution since his abstract graffiti writing, where in recent years, he has translated his street art style onto canvas and hand-painted geometric sculptures. He refers to his sculptures as “3D Graffiti”, infinite spheres that break the two-dimensional surface of his paintings. Exhibited together, his paintings and sculptures illustrate an abstract world of forms and the relationship between those forms. Kaláb is currently showing a new series of eight paintings and a sculpture in his solo exhibition, “TENSION” at BC Gallery in Berlin, Germany. Here, the planet Earth is presented as a sphere itself, which has been constantly shifting and changing its surface since the beginning of time. The exhibit is an extension of the artist’s overall narrative about the relationship between this naturally occurring tension and that which occurs in our daily lives." Source: Hi-Fructose Magazine.

This Wild Idea & Oh Oh Oh The Holidays Are Coming!

It's almost Christmas time and I thought to use this occasion and post a photo of one of my favorite photographers of the moment who works under the name This Wild Idea (cool title I must say). This guy creates the most amazing visuals. His number one subject in all his pictures is his fabulous dog Maddie, so sweet. He's won a National Geographic award. He writes on his page: " Hi I'm Theron Humphrey. I was born and raised in coastal North Carolina; it’s the sort of place with sandy soil you can’t forget. Growing up I spent a lot of time on my Granddad’s farm. I’ll always remember sitting in his den listening to stories and there always being one too many logs on the fire.In between then and now I went to school in Savannah, GA. Became good friends with my sister. You know, adult friends. Told my Mom I love her. Found deeper roots in Idaho. Traversed all 50 states + met my best friend Maddie the Coonhound. These days I like to think my photography exists somewhere between that country living and city ideals. Images with roots and connections but excited about big lights and tall buildings." Here's his website and here's his facebook page, you will not regret taking a look, I promise!

So Lovely : Rosa's Miniature Landscapes

Oh I love this! For those who have been reading my blog for a while now know I am crazy about miniature art/objects/animals. Rosa de Jong is a Dutch artist and her creations are receiving a lot of praise lately, looking at her work you will soon understand why, it's gorgeous! "[encapsulated within long vertical glass volumes, the miniature landscapes built by amsterdam-based designer rosa de jong form tiny scenes for the viewer to investigate and imagine. handcrafted from an eclectic mix of materials such as paper, cardboard, tree branches and moss, the small scenarios depict surreal architectural environments and structural impossibilities. a stack of buildings teeters on the edge of a tiny mound of earth that seemingly hovers in mid-air; an urban-style structure is contained within a transparent tube; a miniature paper water tower rises above a suspended patch of greenery. take a look at the series of tiny worlds titled ‘micro matter’ below and see more of de jong intricate process here. " Source: http://www.designboom.com/art/rosa-de-jong-miniature-architectural-micro-matter-12-17-2015/

How A Dutch Museum Turns Against Selfies and Welcomes You to Draw What You See

The Rijksmuseum (Amsterdam) is not 'into selfies' anymore instead they came up with this great idea: drawing tours (teekentours - that's the way they spelled it on their page). They've invited artists to lead the tours and give you tips and tricks while being guided through the museum. Their slogan: ' People who want to draw are Always welcome in the Rijksmuseum'. Interested? The tours are available every Saturday during the Christmas holidays. You can get more info --> here.

Skateboard Decks & Haroshi's Amazing Art

Haroshi

This guy's work is really something. He's worked with Nike (as you can see when looking at the picture) and Vans. And since I am kind of crazy myself now about wood and wood carving this is an inspirational example. "Born in 1978, Haroshi is a self-taught Japanese artist, currently based in Tokyo. He creates full-scale, three-dimensional, ...wooden sculptures with used skateboard decks. As a passionate skater from his early teens to present, Haroshi possesses a thorough knowledge of the anatomy of a skateboard and all of its parts including the deck, trucks and wheels. He often scavenges, collecting broken skateboards to recycle the parts and use in his work. With no formal art training, Haroshi has adapted the determined perseverance and DIY ethos of skate culture, into creating works of art. Haroshi’s relationship with his artwork is the same with his skateboards—they are his life, his vehicle for communication and expression." You can see more of what he makes here.

The New Kind of Grafitti - Portable Projection!

Haha, this is fun. "WalkPro3D is a wireless, fully portable projector that allows users to shoot animated images anywhere, onto virtually anything. Video artist and expert projectionist Shaun O’Connor has turned his innovations in wearable tech into a visual performance business and a promotional branding vehicle for hire. With his company, PRICKIMAGE, he specializes in uniquely immersive visuals, body and video mapping, and interactive installations.
A month ago, O’Connor released a video premiering the third tier in the evolution of his handheld HD video projection project, WALKABOUT Projection, It breaks from traditional projection and its stagnant confines, allowing artists and performers to manipulate their visual content and improvise with its display...."More here: http://thecreatorsproject.vice.com/blog/portable-projector-controlled-with-hand-gestures?utm_source=tcpfbus

The Love for Wood, Carving & Animals

I love, love, love wood, always have and always will. I've brought a big chunck of wood with me today coming back from work, so I am guessing it will not be long before I start carving myself...and if only I would have talent like this! Discovered the artist on social media. Animal Carve is the name of this project, also love the logo! I've asked my friend Tiennie from Taiwan to translate some of the text I found on this artist's page (one of the links I found originates from Taiwan). I'll add more details as soon as I receive it. In the meantime, have a look at gorgeous wood carving pictures.
Added info: well looks like the artist's pages do not give a lot of information. Tiennie wrote that Animal Carve is listed as a studio, no specific names, located in Zhongli, North Taiwan.

Girls & their Dogs - Hellen van Meene Photography

Oh today was the last day to visit photographer Hellen van Meene's exhibition in the Fotomuseum (photomuseum) Den Haag (The Hague) and I just had to go! I love her photographs, they are almost always a little mysterious. Love the girls with dogs photos (major doglover over here). "For the last 20 years, Hellen van Meene (b. 1972) has ranked among the world’s top photographers. Her highly distinctive style and timeless, intimate images of young girls on the brink of adulthood have attracted international acclaim. Solo shows and group exhibitions have won her admirers in places as far away as Japan, Korea and the US. The Hague Museum of Photography now presents the first ever major retrospective of her entire oeuvre. Hellen van Meene career took off in a big way immediately after her graduation from the Rietveld Academie (Amsterdam) in 1996. Following various group exhibitions and a solo show at the Paul Andriesse gallery in Amsterdam, her international breakthrough came with a solo exhibition at the Photographers’ Gallery in London. Since then, her work has been acquired by major museums in the Netherlands and around the world. Collections in which it can now be found include those of the Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, Victoria & Albert Museum (London) and MoMA (New York).
Although Van Meene has continued to develop and her choice of subject has widened over the past twenty years, her work has always displayed the same consistent and distinctive personal style. Whatever the nature of her photographs - whether autonomous art works, images commissioned by the New York Times or Tank Magazine, portraits of young girls in Tokyo or Los Angeles, or portraits of dogs – each of them is always and unmistakeably ‘a Hellen van Meene’."

What I saw in Barcelona!

Belated greetings from Barcelona, just came back. Here one of the shots I took at Güell Park! I'll be back in this beautiful city in a couple of months!

Calligraphy Art by Pokras Lampas

Yeah, I know, I wrote about him before....some artists/works just stick with you...and that's ok! ;-)..totally love his work....and look at this gorgeous piece of art! "Today was the vernissage of my solo exhibition in 8Feat Gallery, Seoul. Modern calligraphy artwork on double layered rice paper, black ink with the gold powder. Artist: Pokras Lampas / Modern Calligraphy artist." Also love the clothes he's wearing in this picture..but that's just a sidenote.
Source: instagram.com/pokraslampas

Danish, Danish, Danish, Danish - Marine Life Re-Imagined by Steffen Dam

You can't go around the Danes anymore these days. The Dutch really appreciate Danish design, it's surfacing in our lifestyle retail branche, one of the Danish popular designstores keeps opening up shops here in Holland. I've talked about Danish design before - I love the culture and the language (learning Danish and Swedish is on my list). Here's another gorgeous example of lovely danish design/art: "As a child, Danish artist Steffen Dam loved poring over his grandparents’ collection of scientific books and cabinets of insects. This fascination of how we catalogue and understand the natural world followed through to his artistic glass career, where Dam creates highly detailed “Cabinets of Curiosities” that mimic oceanic specimens suspended in glass jars and plates. The pieces are usually displayed inside light boxes to better illuminate every minute detail from the fragile tentacles of a jellyfish to a flourish of bubbles that seem to dance around many of his specimens."

Barcelona-based Designer Designs Japanese Inspired Playhouses

I'll be travelling to Barcelona in a few weeks to visit my dear American friend Cody and to get to know the city.... so perhaps moi was lured into this subject because of  "Barcelona-based designer, David Lamolla of SmartPlayhouse" who designed a collection of minimalist playhouses inspired by Japanese architecture. Makes you want to be a kid again right? Gorgeous!
Read more at http://designyoutrust.com/2015/10/these-playhouses-are-inspired-by-japanese-architecture/#6KGlbhdQQQz3uhfz.99

Sunday Inspiration of the Day ~ Jakarta artist Romo Jack AKA Ponypork

ROMO JACK

This stunning visual here is what caught my eye, saw it on Urban Contest's page. Couldn't find a lot about this artist, but his Instagram account will give you a feast of colours and intruiging visuals. The process of 'making' is important in this work as you can see by the artist's hands, arms while working on the piece. Love the tattoos, haha!

Loving Utrecht! ~ Back in Time - 1986!

Wrote about this today on my FB channel...I'm most active on FB I must say. Who doesn't love Utrecht...right? This is one of graphic artist Dick Bruna's designs for promotional city marketing material back in 1986.  Centraal Museum published this today. "Geweldig affiche van Dick Bruna: Utrecht, stad naar mijn hart. Bruna maakte de poster in 1986 als bijdrage voor de promotie van Utrecht. Het affiche is te zien in het museum.Meer informatie over het atelier van Dick Bruna in het Centraal Museum: http://bit.ly/atelier-dickbruna.."

Weeeeekend! & The Lovely Ceramics by Lili Scratchy

Saw this on the Jealous Curator page. Ceramics by Lily Scratchy...it's cute right? The page didn't mention a lot about the artist...and there wasn't anything really written about her online that I could find, but here's her Flickr site with lots of fabulous creative projects.

Gender Neutral Marketing Campaigns & Diesel

Wrote about this new gender neutral trend in September, here's Retail brand Diesel and how they give a twist to this approach. Read the slogan: "GENDER NEUTRALITY TODAY REPRESENTS
A GESTURE OF LIBERALISM AND CREATIVITY”...So just what makes the latest expression of gender neutrality any different from Katherine Hepburn in a smoking jacket and the many other fads that have come before? Well, this is a trend that extends far beyond clothes (and even accessories). Recent developments include the opening of a gender-neutral toy kingdom in Harrods, the creation of a new personal pronoun by the Swedes, and the opportunity to run into a senior member of state in the White House unisex. For parents-to-be, yellow is the only colour to paint a nursery this autumn. Why? Perhaps because gender feels like an increasingly lazy, over simplified and, let’s face it, artificial way of identifying yourself. And that’s not to get started on the negative effect of society that puts people in boxes and asks them to stay in them. Gender neutrality today represents a gesture of liberalism and creativity. Because when Personal Expression is King, the loo you use is by the bye – it’s the kind of individual you are that counts." More here: http://store.diesel.com/magazine/en/stories/gender-neutral-4/?ecmp=FW15_Main-Core_SNS_Facebook-organic_image_unisex_global_apparel

For the Love of All Things Miniature - A French Museum & 100 Hyperrealistic Miniature Film Sets

'Let's GO!', wrote one of my girlfriends when I showed her a piece on a museum in France : "Housed in a 16th century building in the historic center of Lyon, France is the Musée Miniature et Cinéma, a 5-story museum containing over 100 miniature film sets. The tiny scenes were produced by world-renowned miniaturists and contain the highest form of Hyperrealism in order to trick the audience’s eye into believing each set was indeed life-size.
The handcrafted models contain all the minuscule features that would be found in the film’s actual scene, from fake mold inhabiting peeling walls to scratches seen behind tiny bedposts. The props in the museum’s scenes are also placed with incredible accuracy, disheveled books in libraries propped against each other at just the right angle, and miniature Charles Eames chairs that would even fool the designer. Accurate within these scenes is also their relationship to outside light, windows accentuating or distilling the light to position the set in the right time of day, geographic location or season.“The subtle lighting arrangement, the painstaking replication of old textures, the use of the same original materials, all contribute to the creation of a moving poetry that resonates with each new miniature panorama,” explains the museum’s website." I would LOVE to GO Christine ;-)! See more here: http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2015/10/miniature-film-set-museum/

The Power of Social Media: The Case of Reebok and Female Fighting

I was just talking about female fighter and UFC champ Ronda Rousey with a friend yesterday and how I love to watch female fighting matches. Ronda gained a lot of attention the last few months and here is how Reebok commercialized this. Reebok gained most support through Instagram, Facebook's algorithm changes creates a miniscule reach for many brands: "This month, Reebok announced a new social campaign. The athletic-wear company asked fans to send messages of support for UFC champ Ronda Rousey to @Reebok with #MoreThanTape, that will be printed on handwraps to be given to her before her next fight.And the campaign, created by Venables Bell & Partners, has already gotten millions of impressions. The Instagram post announcing the campaign was Reebok’s top post in the past quarter, with almost 14,000 likes.It’s a far cry from a few years ago, when Reebok’s biggest problem was a hodgepodge of social media channels from different country and market managers. There were almost 600 social media accounts for Reebok, many of them fan-created, with no control by the brand. And there was no concerted effort to take advantage of social media’s relationship-building potential." Here's how they channeled their campaign through Instagram: "Instead, Reebok has focused heavily on Instagram. It has 530,000 Instagram likes on its main @Reebok channel. The brand joins many other social brands that have found serious uptake on Instagram, thanks to hard-core users who are there for the photos. Blakesley divided Reebok’s Instagram community into three channels: “classic,” “women’s” and “brand community.” His favorite right now is women’s, which focuses on in-the-moment lifestyle imagery and tie-ins with specific sports events such as Crossfit championships, Spartan Races or the UFC." More here: http://digiday.com/brands/reebok-got-8000-percent-growth-social-media-18-months/

Pop Pop Pop: Transform that Building!

Inspired by Pop-Up children'sbook, artist Daniel González turns milanese courtyard into an animated, architectural pop-up book... "within milan’s marsèlleria permanent exhibition space, daniel gonzález has transformed the courtyard’s internal architecture into an animated cardboard environment, where a a play of unexpected geometries, textures and motifs surprise visitors encompassed inside. the argentinian artist has built ‘pop-up building milan’ using hand-cut cardboard, tape, zip ties, wood, glue, nylon wires and electric engines, turning the 250 square meter façade into a monumental intervention derived from the interactivity and spirit of children’s pop-up books....in the making of the ephemeral architecture project, gonzález has adopted techniques such as japanese kirigami (a variation of origami that includes cutting of paper, rather than solely folding it) to form folded lines that extrude from the two-dimensional space of the cardboard sheet. these sculptural paper cuts create abstract interpretations of renowned local landmarks like the pirelli skyscraper, lambrate quarter industries and the torre velasca, as well as escher’s paradoxes and impossible buildings’ projects." Nice right? More here: http://www.designboom.com/art/daniel-gonzalez-marselleria-milan-cardboard-pop-up-building-10-05-2015/

The Floating Trend : New York's Mobile Food Forest

Floating and mobile cities, gardens, hotels...it's all hot topic. Now New York came up with this: "
New York City was once identified as much by tall ships as tall buildings — Walt Whitman celebrated it in his “Manhatta” (1860) as “The beautiful city, the city of hurried and sparkling waters! / the city of spires and masts!” Today it is a city that mostly looks inward, away from the shores, despite the public space opportunities of its harbor and rivers. Artist Mary Mattingly is interested in encouraging more public interaction with the waterways in her new project “Swale.” Planned to launch in spring of next year, it is an “itinerant food forest” floating on an island of repurposed shipping containers.“It’s important for this project to function in public space,” Mattingly told Hyperallergic. “Public space in New York is very limited, so in this case we are working towards creating more access to a public space that has limited accessibility.”"...This part is interesting: "The shipping containers intended to form the vessel are from the Port of New York and New Jersey, so reuse is built into the structure as well as its function. By promoting thought on independent food sources, Mattingly hopes visitors can consider “experimental zones that can be both interdependent and autonomous.” And if it were permanent, she suggests that the waterway-fed vegetation grown perennially could support any number of small-scale industries from medicinal plants to mushrooms." More here: http://hyperallergic.com/239367/mobile-food-forest-to-float-the-nyc-waterways-in-spring-2016/

Lovely Surreal Graphics By Taiwan Designer Sydney Sie

Sydney Sie

Wow, love these graphics, pretty original! "Pretty much every kid loves playing with cardboard boxes. Taiwanese photographer and graphic designer Sydney Sie never stopped playing with them. Her series “Unexpectable Boxes” captures the essence of our childhood pretending in surprising and surreal photographs. In bold candy colors, her images reveal her subjects’ faces, fingers and feet peeking out of holes in artificial spaces built by Sie. It’s an optical illusion achieved by a very simple technique of colored papers and boards colored like boxes, which a model then stretches into. In her artist statement, Sie explains the significance of her boxes: “This hole is the only clue from inner and outside, where we see the world from ellipse to square… The mystery is when we want to get more but instead, they are getting far and far away. We follow the path to hide under hiding. Desire is not the end of story but also the necessary to struggle before having it....” More here: http://hifructose.com/2015/09/24/sydney-sies-surprising-and-surreal-unexpectable-boxes/

I Spy With My Little Eye - The PetBot Makes Selfies of Your Pets!

It's weeeeeekend ....so finally we're around our beloved pets ALL day the coming few days. I love having my dog Farah around me all day. But for when we start on Monday: here's something cute you could think about: treating yourself with a pet selfie. "Pet owners often wonder what their furry friends do when they’re unsupervised all day. It’s even the subject of a new animated film. That question takes on a special urgency in close urban quarters. Is my dog barking so loudly that the downstairs neighbors can hear? Does my cat start clawing at the couch when it gets spooked by a noise outside?
What if you could know exactly what your pet is doing while you’re at the office or grabbing drinks with a friend?That’s the idea behind PetBot, a cube-like device that allows you to check up on your pet while you’re on the go. Equipped with a camera and facial recognition software, PetBot detects whenever your animal moseys in front of the lens. This prompts it to emit a few sounds to grab your pet’s attention and encourage it to move towards the camera. Once your pet is close enough, PetBot is able to capture a brief video, and even dispense a treat." Sweet, right? More here: http://www.citylab.com/navigator/2015/09/how-to-spy-on-your-pet-at-home/407077/?utm_source=SFFB

How the Brits Go Dutch : They Call it Mini-Holland

Ha, read this this morning. I already knew the Brits have always been interested in our (Dutch) way of city planning and more specifically our bike lanes. There's a new term: Mini-Holland....LOVE it! "
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then the Dutch should be pretty pleased with recent plans underway in London.Right now, the city is remodeling three new zones it’s calling “Mini-Hollands”—cycle- and pedestrian-friendly neighborhoods that it hopes will act as flagships for the transformation of the rest of London. Introducing properly segregated cycle lanes, more pedestrian areas, and traffic-calming measures in ways that reflect long established Dutch practices, these zones secured up to £100 million ($155 million) in funding from Transport for London last year. This summer and fall, the first parts of the zones are being officially launched.
The plans are part of a brightening picture across London. It seems that when it comes to cyclist and pedestrian safety, the city is finally getting itself together.
Various plans across the new zones show the Mini-Holland process in action. New bike lanes are laid out with some segregation from cars. In the best places, this means a separating curb, though some may have to make do with a line of bollards. Key junctions get carefully arranged so cyclists no longer have to turn into busy traffic or tackle blind corners." More here: http://www.citylab.com/cityfixer/2015/09/london-is-calling-its-new-pedestrian-and-bike-friendly-zones-mini-hollands/406702/?utm_source=SFFB

The Big Secret of Artists!

Love comics. Saw this one in
Hyperallergic. So cute!

 

Inspiration of the Day : Yayoi Kusama’s Cosmic “In Infinity”

I love the Danes..thanks to all those awesome Danish detectives I learned a little bit of Danish myself. It actually sounds a lot like Dutch and German, Sam arbeit for instance means 'working together'...if I am correct.....and this picture here is my inspiration of the day. "“In Infinity” at Denmark’s Louisiana Museum of Modern Art is the first comprehensive retrospective exhibition in Scandinavia of the work of pioneering Japanese-born artist Yayoi Kusama whose distinct visual vocabulary of psychedelic, colourful, riotously spreading patterns has earned her a position as one of the most innovative and unique artists working today.“In Infinity” is a chronological showcase of 86-year-old Kusama’s entire six decade-long career that unfolds over a series of thematic sectors focusing on key moments of radical innovation in her work. One of the overarching themes is Kusama’s fascination with infinity, which “in her work is a spiritual idea, a cosmological space, and a psychological abyss,” according to the Louisiana." I'm a big fan of Kusama myself and I just love how she blends concepts and creates these most appealing pieces of installation/decor art.
- See more at: http://ende.blouinartinfo.com/news/story/1237358/yayoi-kusamas-cosmic-in-infinity-retrospective-in-denmark#sthash.hXJpQpn8.Un1HYNyX.dpuf

Artist of the Month : Grems from France!

Been following Grems for a couple of years now, always totally amazed by his skills. His 'real-life' name is Michaël Eveneo and he gives himself the titels: Directeur artistique, illustrateur and street art and he has done projects with big brands like Nike, but has also gained a lot of attention in the music industry as a album cover creator as well as concert wall illustrations. I love this photo right here. More info on his page: http://www.gremsindustry.com/

Quilled Paper Design from Istanbul

Love the designs! "Istanbul-based artist Sena Runa first explored the craft of paper quilling three years ago while looking for a hobby to fill her spare time. Runa quickly discovered a talent for color and composition when working with paper and it wasn’t long before she began selling pieces online. Her distinct quilling style developed so rapidly she was soon able to quit her job in HR to pursue the craft as a full-time endeavor earlier this year. You can see more of her work on Facebook. (via My Modern Met, All Things Paper)". More here: http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2015/09/colorful-quilled-paper-designs-by-sena-runa/

Bikes, Art and Marketing - The Minneapolis Institute of Arts

These look fantastic and what a great idea! "To celebrate their 100th birthday, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts (MIA) teamed up with Handsome Cycles to create three different bicycles customized to look like famous paintings from the MIA. Bike #1 was inspired by Hans Ledwinka’s Tatra’s 1948  T-87 four door sedan. Taking cues from the car’s smooth, curvy lines and striking front lights, the bike as a front hub dynamo powered classic front light, honey saddle, and matching cognac-colored bar tape. Bike #2 features delicate brush strokes and the colors of the golden fields in France. Inspired by Claude Monet’s Grainstack, Sun in the Mist painting, this bike is all about maintaining a delicacy that’s found in Monet’s art. The frame of the bike is simple to exemplify the rural and natural feel. Graphic shapes and bold colors characterize Bike #3 (featured photo), which gives nod to the 1969 Frank Stella, Tahkt-i-Sulayman, Variation II. To capture the essence of the painting, this bike’s motto is “What you see is what you get.” Everything is out on display and nothing is hidden. Simple yet bright, it’s the most playful of all the bikes." I've selected my favorite bike over here, bike #3! Want to see more: http://design-milk.com/art-meets-transport-stylish-bikes-inspired-works-art/

The New Kind of Art - with Textile!

Stitching...handcrafts...craftmanship....it's all back in the game when it comes to art. "I discovered UK-based Elizabeth Pawle’s creative stitchings on Instagram and was immediately hooked on her use of bright colors and unique textures. Using wool, cotton, silk and acrylic stitched in abstract patterns onto natural hessian, she creates a kind of anti-sampler. I love how every time you look at one of them, you discover something new." Cute, right? More here: http://design-milk.com/textile-art-by-elizabeth-pawle/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook

Sailing Ships in the Air!

Awww, it is beautiful right? "These Sailing Ships are colorful, whimsical, and fully flyable. Aerodynamic without remote controls or engines and constructed entirely without commercial factory parts or labor, these designs soar. Emily Fischer founded Brooklyn-based Haptic Lab to counter the rapid digitization of our lives and celebrate the real, physical world we live in. Her handcrafted kites are built together with Fair Trade artisans in Bali out of bamboo. They are inspired by traditional ships, sailing through air instead of water. Though they look delicate, bamboo has greater tensile strength than steel, and can shrug off crashes on beaches or grass. They are easy to assemble, you can learn how in this video. Emily spent years researching kite history and traditions. Kite-making was her hobby while she worked as an architect for four years. After spending three months traveling through Asia meeting kite artisans and learning from them (how to balance a design, what materials to use, how to tie specific knots), she assembled her kite-making team. Her designs are inspired by the golden age of kite-flying that occurred around the turn of the nineteenth century. She shares: “There was a sort of ‘space-race’ as inventors, engineers, and governments competed to create the first manned flight. I wanted to create kites that captured that spirit. The only ones I’d ever flown were cheap plastic pieces that fell apart in an afternoon, and I was determined to make something beautiful that would last for years." More here: http://news.gestalten.com/news/haptic-lab-kites

The Latest Pop Up Trend: Mobile Skateparks in Rotterdam

Love this one: "When I was growing up, skateparks were always depicted on screen as the ultimate backdrop of cool, be it in Larry Clarke’s iconic film Kids through to the Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater video-game franchise. Unfortunately, for a lot of people, skateparks aren’t representative of much more that that – a hangout for local kids and scenesters. Perhaps this is why the Netherlands fail to view skateboarding as a legitimate sport, and in hand, the municipality of Rotterdam has failed to provide a decent skatepark for the healthy skating scene in the city. Martijn Hartwig and Dario Goldbach, the guys behind Jira Jira, decided they’d had enough fruitless meetings with the council to try and rectify the issue, and decided to opt for a bit of D.I.Y. The project, which had its maiden voyage in the form of a guerrilla skate session on the 7th of July, also tied in as their final work required to graduate from the graphic design department of the Willem de Kooning Academy." More here: http://popupcity.net/rotterdam-collective-creates-modular-mobile-skatepark/

Broken Dreams - An Artist's Vision on Detroit's Decay by Sandra Osip

Strong and beautiful right? Loved it as soon as I saw it. "In a dark series of sculptures titled Broken Dreams, Brooklyn-based artist Sandra Osip captures the decline and decay of suburban Detroit. The works are inspired by Osip’s memories of the city: the streets she roamed as a child, the corner stores she visited, and the neighbourhood—now destroyed—that surrounded her former high school. She sculpts the skeletal husks of houses that are burnt down, collapsed, and decaying, evacuated of all life and purpose. In more abstract renderings, Osip has created “junk heaps” of urban ruin, crushed-up buildings that represent entire neighbourhoods left to the cruel forces of time and neglect." More here: http://beautifuldecay.com/2015/08/20/sandra-osip-sculpts-ruined-piled-houses-inspired-detroits-decay/

Where Can You Find the Most Awesome Basketball Court? PARIS!

"Ill-Studio has collaborated with French fashion brand Pigalle to create a multicoloured basketball court between a row of buildings in the 9th arrondissement of Paris...Named after its location, the court is situated on Rue Duperré and was first renovated by Pigalle founder Stephane Ashpool and Nike in 2009. Last year, the two Paris-based studios came together to update the court and create a backdrop for the Pigalle Basketball Spring Summer 2015 presentation. The Pigalle label was founded in June 2009 and the brand launched its second line, Pigalle Basketball, in 2014.

Ill-Studio took inspiration from a 1930s artwork called Sportsmen by Russian artist Kasimir Malevich – a boldly coloured oil painting that depicts four figures stood side by side." It looks amazing and kind of like walking into a painting right? More here: http://www.dezeen.com/2015/08/12/pigalle-duperre-ill-studio-paris-basketball-court-multicoloured-installation/

The New Marketing Movement : Moving Away From Gender & Gender Bias

This is slowly becoming a trend. This piece is on US retailer Target's new marketing strategy : "Late last week Target announced it will phase out some gender-based signs in its stores, specifically in the toy and bedding aisles. Giving shoppers a more gender-neutral experience seems to be the brand's response to complaints it received on social media earlier this summer. Now Target's decision to retool its in-store experience is making headlines, but could it kick-start a trend with other major retailers? According to Target's announcement, it will remove references to gender in toy and bedding sections over the next few months. It'll also stop using pink, blue, yellow and green paper to denote shelves with items targeted to boys or girls. The brand listened to feedback from consumers and "decided that this was the right time to make a couple of adjustments in our stores," according to a spokeswoman." More here: http://www.adweek.com/news/advertising-branding/could-targets-move-away-gender-based-signs-kick-start-trend-166315 

Mr. Printables' Summer Fun!

These are cute! "If you’re a parent who loves modern design, Mr. Printables should be saved at the top of your bookmark list. Their nav bar includes drop downs for learning, activities, parties, stationary, and lots more. More importantly, everything has a modern, graphic look. Perfect for developing your mini modern design lover…
These fun graphic ice cream printables (above) are easy for you and your kids to download, print and build. They’re great for playtime or party decor, or just for rainy days…"
More here: http://design-milk.com/sweet-graphic-design-mr-printables/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook

~ Goodmorning ! ~

The New 'Thing' - Public Eco Art

Spain is a lot trendier than we often think...a lot of inspiring new creative ideas come from Spain, the Spanish love festivals. Citykids will love this idea: "the fallas festival takes place annually in the city of valencia, spain. for a few days each year, the city transforms into a frantic amalgamation of parties, fireworks, tourists, and of course, viewing sculptures. on the night of march 19th, the last night of the city-wide celebration, each sculpture or installation is burned in a special ceremony. spanish studio nituniyo — standing for neither you nor I — was commissioned by the falla castielfabib to create a work for this year’s event. for the few days the festival is on, main public areas such as monuments are essentially shut down with fences. doing so prevents any damage that could be caused by the huge increase of pedestrians, but it creates a disconnect between the visitors and venue." Source: http://www.designboom.com/art/nituniyo-somnis-de-pes-cardboard-elephant-sculpture-installation-08-08-2015/

Lithuanian Artist Makes Amazing Hand Cut City Maps

"Lithuanian artist Virgilijus Trakimavicius creates marvellous hand-cut paper crafts that are based on actual city maps: “Most of my current works involve hand-cut paper sheets. On these sheets, which are based on actual cities, I try to discover the fragments of an angel, the blossoming of a tree, the memories of my past travels, a likeable street, and everything involving the city that I have visited or intend to visit in the future” explains Trakimavicius in his artist’s statement." Nice huh? More here: http://www.boredpanda.com/lithuanian-artist-makes-incredibly-intricate-hand-cut-paper-art-that-will-make-your-jaw-drop/

Artist Carl Cashman & Boxheads

Haha - I Love these images!  I think they are titled 'Boxheads'. I wrote about artist Carl Cashman before (read here) and his show in Norway, now a gallery here in Amsterdam is showing his work. I'm a fan ;-)! The gallery  and the exhibition: "“Intersubjective” is a joint show by Begoña Toledo a.k.a Boxhead and Matthew Knight together with a long array of guest artists. Inspired by this year’s Pride theme: “Share”, the vibrantly colourful artworks in this exhibition have been collectively created with a universal consciousness perspective, focused on the concept of the collective mind and the importance of sharing in shaping our ideas and relations."
http://www.gogallery.nl/en/gaypride-exhibition-intersubjective-july-25/

Favorite: The Penguin Logo Design

Oh this is one of my most favorite logo designs - my favorite logo designs are always animals. I also love Stabilo's swan. Here's a little bit on the story of the Penguin logo and its history: "When the first ten Penguin books were finally released, to the British public they looked starkly original; to a German bibliophile of the nineteen-thirties on the other hand, the Penguin books might have looked like nothing more than a rip-off of a pre-existing German book series. Albatross had been producing English-language paperback books in Hamburg since 1932: they were the first to mass-produce paperbacks and the first to colour-code by genre. Albatross books also featured sans-serif typographic covers with a prominent logo in the form of a bird – the comparisons with Penguin are obvious. The similarities show that Allen Lane knew a good thing – and an opportunity – when he saw it however, and as Albatross books weren’t allowed to be distributed in the U.S.A. or the British Empire, in the pre-globalised world of the thirties there was no reason not to copy this remarkably modern German format..." More here: https://www.grafik.net/category/logoform/penguin-s-classics#

When it Comes to the Dutch : Urban Campsites are Hot!

In my post of July 1st I wrote about these urban camping sites popping up in city parks. This one is cool too: "during summer 2015, the centrumeiland of ijburg in amsterdam hosts ‘urban campsite‘, a public exhibition and art-sleep experience made up out of fourteen innovative and creative habitats. a diverse group of designers, architects and artists have been invited to build mobile objects that function as bedrooms, ready for guest stay by local residents and tourists alike. bookable on airbnb, the imaginative collection of tents include a seed-shaped shelter made from recyclable materials, a flat tepee with a trampoline for a roof, and a modern white loft with spherical portholes that allow for outdoor viewing. common and recreation areas offer community interaction and cooking within the micro-society, while the industrial ‘tribal toilet tower’ by joep van proposes an alternative to regular bathrooms." Nice example of how creative ideas can be combined. More here: http://www.designboom.com/art/urban-campsite-amsterdam-art-tents-07-27-2015/

Goodmorning!

Strong visual huh? Absolutely L-O-V-E it!
Via:https://www.facebook.com/178307052232577/photos/a.665145643548713.1073741826.178307052232577/933670270029581/?type=1&theater

Koanne Ko : Illustrator of the Month

Koanne Ko

Here my favorite piece by illustrator Koanne Ko (Hong Kong based). "A professional member and executive committee of the Hong Kong Society of Illustrators. Koanne specializes in drawing portraits. With her pencil drawing series “The Animal Tamers”, she was awarded the “Award of Excellence” in the category of unpublished illustration in the 3rd Greater China illustration award.  She has recently completed her first educational children’s picture book “The Creative Nut”.Koanne’s illustrations were collected in the APPortfolio, a design book that published some excellent works by Asian designers, for two consecutive years. Besides appearance in Hong Kong, Koanne’s works have been exhibited in the United States, Canada, Japan and Taiwan. Her clients include Versace, Shu uemura, Holiday Inn, Dah Sing Life Assurance.." Website: http://www.koanneko.com

City Shaping Design - Stuttgart's Vision on Architecture

This is a beautiful example of how you can present new architecture and design. Stuttgart is very Lucky! with this design I say.  Year of completion: 2015. "The 2014-2015 version of the annual research pavilion from the Institute for Computational Design (ICD) and the Institute of Building Structures and Structural Design (ITKE) at the University of Stuttgart, in Germany, derives its biomimetic design from the self-constructed habitat of the "diving bell" water spider. The resulting temporary structure designed by a team of ICD/ITKE faculty and students gets its shape from carbon-fiber bundles extruded by a robotic armature to support a translucent ETFE membrane." See more gorgeous pictures and graphics here: http://www.architectmagazine.com/project-gallery/icd-itke-2014-2015-research-pavilion_o

Design Shifters: The Darkroom & Rhonda Drakeford

Woohoa! Awesome! Fell in love with the design and compositions as soon as I saw this! Published by my favorite magazine Grafik:  "London-based retail brand Darkroom has long inspired us with its punchy mix of African print, geometric shapes and Memphis-inspired playfulness. We caught up with co-founder and graphic designer Rhonda Drakeford to discover Darkroom’s next chapter. Grafik first got to know Rhonda Drakeford in the early 2000s, when she was one half of award-winning graphic design partnership Multistorey. At the time, the Central Saint Martins graduate spending was her spare time indulging her passion for interiors by developing textiles and soft furnishings. Since then, Rhonda has spread her creative wings and launched critically acclaimed concept store Darkroom with Lulu Roper-Caldbeck in London’s Lamb’s Conduit Street. The shop is admired not only for its trend-setting selection of homewares and accessories – much of which Rhonda designs – but also its striking, geometry-inspired interior. We caught up with this determined talent to discuss the path that lead her to pioneer one of the most exciting retail brands in London." More here: https://www.grafik.net/category/feature/shape-shifter

Redesigning Cities : How Detroit is Changing

I love to see how cities change, recover, reshape...here's an amazing example of how they are redesigning Detroit, in this case: a parking lot. Cities and parking, it seems to be my theme these last few days ;-)."If you ever needed evidence that the best architectural solutions for a city can be provided by local firms, you needn’t look much further than Detroit, where Neumann/Smith Architects boasts nearly half a century of experience working throughout Michigan’s Motor City. The Southfield-based firm scooped the 2015 A+Award, Popular Choice, for the Parking Structures category with the Z, a multistory garage that challenges the conventions associated with this traditionally utilitarian building typology. The parking lot was designed to accompany 33,000 square feet of new retail space aimed at revitalizing the area. The main aim for the architects was to lift the project out of the ordinary confines of its genre and produce something bolder and more dynamic than is typically expected from such a functional structure. “The client challenged us to think outside of the box. They wanted something that was unique, that was bold,” explains Neumann/Smith’s Design Director Scott Bonney. “You think about a parking garage; it’s normally a relatively mundane piece of architecture. They wanted it to be something spectacular.”  More here: http://architizer.com/blog/neumann-smith-architects-z-garage/media/1191889/

Mini-Park(ing) - Redesigning Parking Spaces in Washington DC

Gensler

Love it! "Mini parking-space sized parks—otherwise known as "parklets"—are popping up in major cities across the United States. Today, a new yellow parklet opens in Washington, D.C., and will remain in place for five months.The local office of architecture firm Gensler was approached by the Golden Triangle Business Improvement District (BID), to create what the designers call a "seasonal parklet"—meaning it will be open to the public until October.  Gensler held a competition within the firm to decide upon a design. The winner of the competition was "parKIT,” created by technical designers Claire Kang, Assoc. AIA, and Laura Carey, Assoc. AIA. "parKIT," which officially opens today, spans two parking spaces in front of Gensler's office on 2020 K Street NW, a busy area for both traffic and pedestrians. D.C. residents have participated in the internationally recognized Park(ing) Day event, an annual event when citizens transform city parking spaces into small parks. Though it is not permanent, this parklet will not be a one-day event either." Nice right? More here: http://www.architectmagazine.com/design/gensler-designs-bright-yellow-parklet-for-dc_o

How the Dutch Deal with Polluted Shipyards : Make it Urban, Make it Hipster!

This one is nice! "Just two years ago, De Ceuvel was a polluted shipyard in North Amsterdam. Then, a group of alternative city-makers took over and turned this brownfield into a creative and sustainable working landscape. Our friends from Pop-Up City took a closer look at this urban project.

Hidden behind small car-repair shops and shifty barns in North Amsterdam, it’s not particularly easy to find this new hotspot. Not only does the journey include a ferry ride to the other side of the river IJ, but you’ll likely have some trouble finding the tiny street that gives access to De Ceuvel.

Despite being hardly visible, De Ceuvel is hot: It breathes this relaxed urban beach vibe and is a work in progress that young creative urbanites have taken a liking to. But De Ceuvel is more than campfires, craft beers, and funky tunes — it’s one of the most prominent showcases of bottom-up city-making and urban development. Shaped by a hands-on approach, the space and the projects that have been springing up there are a reflection of the creative entrepreneurs who have built this green and peaceful oasis from scratch." Looks good right? Read more here: http://smart-magazine.com/space/de-ceuvel-amsterdam-urban-project/

Cube Houses | Architecture & Rotterdam

Piet Blom

Yes, yes I know, we Dutch all know about the cube houses in Rotterdam - but I cannot but help to show this gorgeous photo and the story behind this remarkable Dutch piece of architecture. I'm a big fan/lover of this type of design. The Danes will love it too. I'll be visiting the city of Rotterdam this week. "One of the icons of Rotterdam are the cubic houses. 40 conventional houses were tilted 45 degrees to become the first cube-shaped houses in Holland. The cubes are prominently located in the center of Rotterdam. Piet Blom designed the cube houses in 1984. His design represents a tree and all houses together make up a wood. Blom’s concept was to design a kind of village within a main city, a safe haven in which anything could happen. Have you ever seen the cubic houses? " Via ArtsHolland : https://www.facebook.com/ArtsHolland/info?tab=page_info