Art Birds

I picked up the book 'Survival of the Beautiful: Art, Science and Evolution' by David Rothenberg today at the lovely Ben McNally bookshop on Bay in Toronto.  In reading it on the long train ride back, I have learned that there is a little bird called the Bowerbird, that makes assemblage art in order to attract a mate.  What the best part is, each type of bowerbird makes a unique shape, and prefers different colours and materials for decoration.  What a wonderful thing to learn on a rainy Monday.

Why I like bright colours

I think I have found a good theory to explain my two year obsession for an almost fluorescent lemon yellow:

"when faced with a new situation, we tend to attach ourselves to the objects, to the flavour of the most recent past. We look at the present through a rear view mirror. We march backwards into the future"
- Marshall McLuhan, The Medium is the Massage

So cool

Continuum is so cool I backed it on kickstarter....

Fragility

So... I did a couple of things I'm not so proud of today - but as is life sometimes (sigh). One of the things I found along my travels was the most AMAZING surprise piece of artwork outside of the MACM. I was talking to my mom on my mobile as I was doing some Christmas shopping, and I stepped outside and heard a funny crunch, not the crunch of snow, but one of great fragility. I looked down at my feet - and that little crunch was that of beautiful regular white eggs... but not silly old regular eggs - eggs filled with the most glorious gold glitter. I stood there for a little bit afraid to move, but mostly in awe of this wonderful interactive piece. I went back later that day and played with the glitter a bit - it was such an absolute surprise... A delight - I only wish I knew more about it. I have looked on the internet to no avail... I might have to even call the museum and find out - oh how much wonderment it brought me, and gave me a tiny bit of hope for beauty and surprise that might be possible for me (maybe just maybe). If I find a picture I will definitely post it, but you will have to imagine it - on a frigid day in winter - hundreds of little eggs, some whole and some cracked, with gold glitter all about, and is now still on my snowboots - a little memory from a bit of magic on a strange day in December.

UPDATE: I spoke with the people at MACM - and the piece was made by some students from UQAM, but they don't have anymore information than that - it was fantastic, and I wish I had a picture to share.

Andere my love

So I've not been doing my posting very religiously... but those who know me know I'm not very religious.

So another segment of my Friends & Neigbours... This one is about the dearest Andere Monjo. This week a stunning music video she directed for Catalan Folk-Rock Songwriter Bikimel came out. It is a stunning piece of work which is so telling of Andere's sensitivity to light and composition.

Take a look at more of Andere's work on her website here...

I just died....

ewwwwwwww.... but I still want one. How macabre, and awesome! I wonder if done in any other colour if they would look like alien blood. They are by Keetra Dean Dixon, and are part of her series called "The Great Slumber"... these might be making an appearance in my house sometime soon, though possibly in alien blood colours... electric blue anyone?

A new blog, and a place I want to go...

My darling friend Chloe made me aware of this lovely blog - Pruned... and in their posts I found this... International Garden Festival at Jardins de Métis/Reford Gardens. I want to go! The drive is so very long, but oh how lovely....

My new favourite store...

so... I happened to be in Paris last week (I think that was last week, I'm losing track I think I've been in 4 countries in the past week, and my sense of place and time are a bit off). Anyhow, back to what I was actually writing about... Clothes. I found a new favourite store in the whole wide world - Loft design by, the clothes are simple and beautifully made, and most importantly - flattering. So now I just need to find a way to get to Paris on a regular basis to go shopping (that's feasible right?).

If only all websites...

I was looking for some inspiration this morning for designing my website and came across this by Tin Huynh. its his portfolio website, and its absolutely gorgeous. I think it might make all the other websites I see look incredibly boring, like a standard business card... Do check it out and look at all the lovely little details that make it so very awesome!

Why I don't do fashion anymore

because if I can't have the stuff from here - there is just no point. WOW. I am totally smitten with Complex Geometries... I even love their name. I see a fashion crush coming on.

Autumn story

Firekites - AUTUMN STORY - chalk animation from Lucinda Schreiber on Vimeo.

Just wanted to share this. I have always found hand made animation absolutely magical. Thanks Design*Sponge!

My Friends and Neighbours

I've decided to start a little ongoing bit on all my lovely friends - because #1 - I love them, and #2 - they are awesome, and #3 they are amazing designers. Probably list my motives in the opposite order, but I can't help by adoring them first and foremost.

Today its Berit Greinke! Her work is all about textiles and sound - and you can check out her blog on the subject here. In her most recent project, SHhH, she looks at how one can 'playback' a textile. I helped her record some sounds yesterday, so hopefully she will release the tracks soon. Check out her website for updates. She also has completed an amazing project called monoline - I hadn't seen it before today, but entirely wish I had done a bit more poking around before now.

The Arts Catalyst

So I found The Arts Catalyst the other day. Art + Science = Awesome is what I say! There seem to be more people like me out there. They have lots of great events and calls for submissions, so if its up your alley, give it a look!

Awesome

I saw the work of Nick Cave on The New York Times' website yesterday. It says he's a sculptor - but it doesn't quite seem as if it is sculpture to me - but who wants to be a textile/fashion artist I guess. Anyhow, he has an exhibit on at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. His work is not just about the aesthetics of the piece but also how it works for a dance performance, and they all have sound implications... as the series is called 'soundsuits'. Anyhow, I'm doing a poor job of attempting to explain it... Check out his work here.

Data Visualisation

I've been working my way through several books about visualising data... And then coolhunting finds this. AMAZING.

It is the work of Andreas Nicholas Fischer, whose sculptures are based on scientific data vizualisation. He works with many mediums so do check out his webite.

Leaving a trail of crumbs

I want one!!! First I would need a bike though. How utterly intriguing to leave a beautiful trail of your path, could turn out to be a bit creepy - dependant on the colour someone could follow you. I also wonder about the sustainability of random chalk paths on the road/sidewak/bike path. And the blue and greens? Do they contain heavy metal colourants? And as truly a useless but fun gadget is it just adding to the mountains of stuff meant to 'green the world'? So many questions. Created by Studio Gelardi - you can check out more information here. Via coolhunting.

This Crochet is cool

Just cool. With instructions and everything. Via miss Em at Cochonet Rouge. Now I just need to try it!!!

I clicked on an advert

and I found this!!! StyleShake. Its this amazing site where you can design your own dress, and then they sew it for you (in your size), and send it to you in the post! AMAZING! I absolutely love it! I just need to go there and get swatches now so decisions on fabrics can be made for my very first order!

Maybe?

Maybe the "New Scientist" isn't a scientist, maybe its a designer? I can always dream... Scientists are always getting into art and design - so now its my turn to be in a different realm. This is the work of Peter Wasilewski, a scientist with NASA, in a series called Frizions.

Eco-Pretty!

I was over at Whip-up today - I haven't be over there in AGES, and I forgot how much I love it.  Now I want to make these... Maybe I should make some for my sister for Christmas... I'm thinking they would be gorgeous painted as well.  The instructions can be found here - from esprit cabane...