In celebration of Venice’s Biennale, artists Julius von Bismarck and Julian Charriere dyed the city’s pigeons in order to change their dirty bird perception into something of beauty. Yup, that’s the right. The birds were spray-painted with a specially formulated non-harmful dye. I’m still on the fence about the ethics of this project, but assuming no birds were harmed in its creation the results are definitely breathtaking. (via The Fox Is Black)
International Courage’s passport stamps turn up their noses at stiff and stodgy customs officers. These stamps are, in fact, very real. But not recommended for those who aren’t daring enough to risk getting a pat down (or more)! Afterwards you can tweet your story using the #internationalcourage hash tag for all to see.
Any chance you remember the HP/Project Runway Challenge I was a part of last summer? I hope so, because this year’s HP Designer Matchup Challenge is going to blow it out of the water. Why? (I’m glad you asked.) Because not only do I get to partner with one of my very favorite jewelry designers – Sarah Fox of Cursive Design – but I also get to involve YOU. That’s right, Sarah and I will be involving you in decisions from the direction of the jewelry piece she’ll be creating to reveal at New York Fashion Week (NYFW) right down to its name. Fun, right?
So, have you met Sarah? She began Cursive Design back in 2007 in her Chicago studio. All of her pieces are inspired by color, juxtaposition of materials, and moments found in nature. (Her North Dakota upbringing has a bit to do with that last part, I’d be willing to venture.) Sarah’s work is always unpredictable and balanced, and always growing by leaps and bounds. Earlier in the year Cursive even had a line at Anthropologie, each piece of which was made by hand just like everything Cursive sells. Quality is obviously key. Secret Bonus: It’s always been one of Sarah’s dreams to have her work at Fashion Week.
Over the next few weeks the two of us will be collaborating on the creation of a necklace that will be revealed during NYFW in September! We’ll be using the latest HP Touchsmart PC and Adobe Photoshop CS6 to sketch our options and move through the process, and of course you’ll get peeks here and there of where we’re at in the mix of things. The end result will be a necklace that Sarah creates from the drawings, and which will *hopefully* be available to you for purchase sometime in the near future.
Your involvement starts right here, right now. Sarah and I have compiled a list of adjectives as a jumping off point for our necklace-creating adventure, we just need some help narrowing it down. What sort of piece do you want it to be? Edgy, patterned, monochromatic? It’s all up to you! The survey will close Friday, August 17, 2012 at midnight CST.
Disclaimer: HP provided me with a TouchSmart PC and Adobe provided Photoshop CS6 for use. All content and opinions are mine.
Now here’s a Monday morning appropriate post, check out KEEP CALM AND TEAR IT DOWN by Rajeev Basu. Signage for the modern workplace that’s not exactly workplace appropriate (unless you work for yourself, then beyond hilarious). You can even print each one out full-size if your heart desires. (via Josh Spear)
Shades of Change was created by Marin Dearie (best last name ever, yes?) to highlight color changes that appear in nature, pop culture, and elsewhere. Each piece in the project is comprised of a simple black graphic, a spectrum of six shades of color, a title, and a fact that pulls it all together. Love it, Marin! (via Quipsologies)
Don’t even get me started on that logo, but the 2012 London Olympics kick off Friday and I couldn’t be more excited – I’m such a nerd. I guess it all started back in the Barcelona Games in 1992, when Kim Zmeskal and Shannon Miller (who I later took a college anthropology course with, FYI) faced off in gymnastics. I recorded it on VHS and rewatched the all-around competition over and over again. Like I didn’t know the end result. There’s just something so captivating about people who work so hard and are so incredibly driven towards something that gets me in the gut. Which is why I’ll be absolutely glued to the television for the next two weeks and go into a mild depression after the Closing Ceremony. Wait, is 32 too late to pick up a sport?
The Catcher in the Rye. Oliver Twist. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. What do these fictional books all have in common? They, along with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and Moby Dick, all feature meals that have been meticulously recreated and photographed by Dinah Fried for her Fictitious Dishes series. I’m completely drawn in by each overhead shot, so I hope Fried continues the series throughout further meals!
Oh man, I love a good bracket! Ted McCagg is working his way through the entire alphabet, attempting to (humorously) narrow things down to the determine the Best Word Ever.
