Category Archives: Art

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Maison Martin Margiela at H&M

Avant Garde Fashion, Trompe l'oeil design, Martin Margiela candy wrapper clutch, fishnet leggings, keyring necklace, belt jacket, H&MAvant Garde Fashion, Trompe l'oeil design, Martin Margiela candy wrapper clutch, fishnet leggings, keyring necklace, belt jacket, H&MAvant Garde Fashion, Trompe l'oeil design, Martin Margiela candy wrapper clutch, fishnet leggings, keyring necklace, belt jacket, H&M

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We don’t usually post about fashion, but Maison Martin Margiela is more than just fashion; it’s avant garde fashion that blurs lines between fashion, art, and design. Plus, Em has been a big fan for years and is the one who alerted me to the collaboration with H&M — which goes on sale tomorrow, November 15th — as well as introducing me to Margiela’s existence and work.

From H&M’s site:
Maison Martin Margiela is a French fashion house which has always followed its own path, often outside the conventional fashion framework.
Constantly questioning the norms of fashion and presenting its pieces through the technique of deconstruction and transformation, the collections reinvent volumes, modify shapes, change the original use and movement of garments and derail classic notions of fashion.

In addition, Margiela himself has maintained a very low profile throughout his career. He’s a bit of an enigma, never having had his picture taken publicly and remaining backstage after his runway shows. It has also been stated that Martin Margiela left the company in 2009 with no replacement appointed, but the company has continued and is now doing a Re-edition of previous seasons’ products for H&M.

Most of the designs are full of wit along with edginess. Many of them use trompe l’oeil effects; the strapless bra body suit and the fishnet leggings are prime examples of these, as are the plexiglass heeled shoes and boots that seem to float in mid air.

The Candy Wrapper Clutch is definitely goofy fun, as are the jacket made of belts and the Keyring Necklace. All the pieces in the collection are not your everyday clothes and accessories, and especially not typical of H&M’s, even in their prices, but it should be interesting to see what happens. All I know is that Em will be there at 8am on Thursday, with or without her sister.

Photos: H&M; Refinery 29; and Sandra’s Closet
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Cao Hui: Gutsy Sculpture

Cao Hui Gutsy sculpture, Resin sculpture with human/animal innards oozing out at seamsCao Hui Gutsy sculpture, Resin sculpture with human/animal innards oozing out at seams

I can’t really say that I ‘like’ these sculptures by Chinese artist Cao Hui, but they certainly are hard to ignore and impressively executed. Cao Hui, based in Beijing, is known for his shockingly realistic sculptures of half-flayed animals. More recently he has applied this technique to the unexpected: furniture and objects. These resin and fiber sculptures, that surprisingly ooze entrails at their seams, are all part of Cao Hui’s interest in realisim, deception, and the artist’s power of control. The belief that the interior and exterior of everything possess a perfect logic is now humorously questioned by the artist. Definitely not for the squeamish.

Photos: Lin&Lin Gallery and Barefoot.

via White Rabbit Gallery

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Gonçalo Mabunda: Armed Chairs

Sculptures and chairs made with repurposed weapons by Mozambique artist Goncalo MabundaSculptures and chairs made with repurposed weapons by Mozambique artist Goncalo MabundaSculptures and chairs made with repurposed weapons by Mozambique artist Goncalo Mabunda

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Mozambique-born artist Gonçalo Mabunda creates sculptures, furniture and masks using objects with strong political connotations.  In his thrones, the artist works with deactivated arms recovered at the end of the 16-year civil war in his country in 1992. AK47s, pistols, rocket launchers and other objects of destruction are combined in his works both in protest to the violence as well as a positive reflection on the transformative power of art and the resilience of African society.

Photos courtesy of Perimeter Art & Design and Jack Bell Gallery.

via Joburg Art Fair

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Johanna Unzueta: Felt Industrial Sculptures

Soft sculptures made with felt of industrial objects such as pipes, faucets, hinges, and tools by Johanna Unzueta, Chilean artistSoft sculptures made with felt of industrial objects such as pipes, faucets, hinges, and tools by Johanna Unzueta, Chilean artistSoft sculptures made with felt of industrial objects such as pipes, faucets, hinges, and tools by Johanna Unzueta, Chilean artistSoft sculptures made with felt of industrial objects such as pipes, faucets, hinges, and tools by Johanna Unzueta, Chilean artist

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Chilean artist Johanna Unzueta, now living and working in New York, uses felt as a sculptural material to build structures and objects that bring attention to the history of labor. Increasingly interested in site-specific installations that engage with the space,Unzueta has been  constructing pipes that go in and out of corners, or ladders that lead to an imaginary attic. It would be fun to have that oversized felt hinge as an area rug.

Unzueta will be having a show at NYC’s Vogt Gallery this January 2013.

Photos artdaily; vogt gallery; virtualia; and la nube loca.
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NYC Culture on the Cheap: Weekend 11/9

Free & Cheap things to do in New York City 11/9 to 11/11, art, film, theater, architecture, dance, comedy, food plus ways to support Hurricane Sandy Relief Efforts this weekend.

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This weekend we suggest freely supporting, in a not-so-cheap way, any of the numerous Hurricane Sandy relief efforts throughout the city. You can donate your time, money, or supplies, but we challenge you to be proactive and for every fun thing you do this weekend, do at least another charitable or supportive one for all those struggling in the aftermath of the storm. In some cases you can be supportive WHILE having fun. I’ve included links to some of these events along with regular entertainment ones. Come on NYC!

1. Food – EAT OUT!! Yes, it doesn’t have to be expensive, but support the many restaurants south of 39th Street and those in Brooklyn that lost almost a week’s business plus all their perishables. Take your pick, but do it! All weekend.

2. Volunteer/Donate – There are an impressive amount of places to drop off donations, or volunteer your time sorting supplies. Check out WNYC’s list; SandySucks; OccupySandy; Caaav in Chinatown and Rockaway Relief. If volunteering, from personal experience, I recommend calling first (if a number is provided) to find out which shifts are low on volunteers. If making donations, stick to what is requested: right now blankets, batteries, flash lights, and groceries are high on most lists. All weekend.

3. Volunteer – Nighttime shift volunteers are needed at the Park Slope Armory Shelter. Food Prep and social support for a mostly senior population from 2 nursing homes in Rockaway. All weekend.

4. Art/Benefit – Ed Osborn (previously here) Albedo Prospect. Closing Reception & Fundraiser at Bitforms. Fri 11/9 at 6pm. FREE

5. Theater – Wild With Happy at the Public Theater. All weekend and through 11/18. Tkts $25 with code STORM.

6. Art –Clintel Steed Aerial Views Sandy Relief Project Fri 11/9 from 6 to 9pm at 379 Broome and Sat 11/10 11am to 7pm.

7. Film – DOC NYC New York Documentary Festival at IFC and SVA. All weekend and through 11/15. $9 to $16.50.

8. Sweep/Beach – Rockaway Project Operation Sand Sweep: Sat 11/10 from 10am to 1pm. If you’ve enjoyed the beach now it’s time to give back! Some ride shares here.

Alternatively: Sign up to help Coney Island.

9. Art/Graphic Design – Brooklyn Comics and Graphics Festival. Sat 11/10.  12 to 7pm. FREE

10. Donate – Two Boots in Park Slope is taking donations. See list of supplies needed and who to make checks out to. All weekend.

11. Music – Jazz & Colors in Central Park. 30 Bands. 30 Locations. Sat 11/10. 12 to 4pm. FREE

Also in Music: Brooklyn Electronic Music Festival. Fri 11/9 & Sat 11/10. $35 for an all day pass.

12. Food – Help Chinatown recover by eating at your favorite Chinatown restaurant. If they haven’t been washed away, I recommend the delicious Green Sandwiches (mustard greens on sesame roll) at a stand under the Manhattan Bridge: 75 East Broadway. $1.50! Also at Waloy Bakery. All weekend.

Alternatively in Food – East Village Meat Market will be sampling cooked/smoked meats on Sat 11/10 as part of Meat Week NYC. FREE.

13. Performance/Comedy – Rob Delaney at Skirball Center part of New York Comedy Festival. Sat 11/10 at 7:30. $35

14. Art/Drinks/Performance – Recess at MoMA PopRally.Eleven emerging artists “intervene” in MoMA’s Painting and Sculpture Galleries with objects and performances created specifically for this night. Sat 11/10 8pm to 11pm $13 in advance $16 at door 21+

15. Interactive Performance/Fun – Halloween TOO. “Killers” Haunted event — come in costume to the 107 Suffolk St. location and stay for a Halloween party. Fri 11/9 and Sat 11/10. 10pm $20.

16. Music/Drink/Food/Benefit –Fuck. Off. Sandy. Benefit for NY Cares with Heliotropes and three more bands. Sun 11/11. 3 to 7pm. 21+ $10.

17. Food –Peck Slip Pickle Festival at the New Amsterdam Market with a fundraiser for NYC residents and small businesses affected by the storm. Sun 11/11.  11am to 5pm. FREE.

18. Host/B&B – Offer any extra space/room/bed to a Sandy victim. Over 100,000 people are still stranded by Hurricane Sandy. Airbnb has partnered with the City of New York to connect those in need with people who are able to provide free housing.

Check back for possible updates throughout the weekend!

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Paul Caporn: Reconstruction Works

Contemporary Australian Art, Soft Sculptures of construction trucks, cherry picker, dump truck, tractors by paul CapornContemporary Australian Art, Soft Sculptures of construction trucks, cherry picker, dump truck, tractors by paul CapornContemporary Australian Art, Soft Sculptures of construction trucks, cherry picker, dump truck, tractors by paul Caporn

Soft sculptures of construction vehicles, contemporary Australian art, sculpture, Paul CapornClick to enlarge

Australian artist Paul Caporn (previously here) works in several mediums, but his large-scale Reconstruction Works are soft sculptures of construction vehicles some made with with polyethylene and others, more recently, with EVA foam, the rubber used to make the interlocking mats found in playgrounds. I’m sure the irony of having these construction apparati, usually associated with strength and structure, fall limp does not escape many.

Caporn’s recent show at Turner Galleries was titled Paul Caporn Works; a clever play on words.

Photos courtesy of Turner Galleries; Eva Fernandez; and Art Gallery of Western Australia
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Persona: Type Work Desk

Typographic furniture, Desk with typography legs by Liviu Availoiei, cool furniture design, Typographic objectTypographic furniture, Desk with typography legs by Liviu Availoiei, cool furniture design, Typographic objectTypographic furniture, Desk with typography legs by Liviu Availoiei, cool furniture design, Typographic object

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Listen up all you type lovers! How does a desk with your favorite letters of the alphabet, or maybe your initials, as its legs grab you? Romanian graphic designer Liviu Avasiloiei, now living in Washington D.C., has a design in the works making it a reality. So smart and clever! Even the lamp has been integrated into the design. I think Ikea needs to get in touch with Avasiloiei ASAP…

via behance

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Jose Dávila: Buildings You Must See…

Contemporary Mexican art, photography, collage. Architecture cut out from photographs. Jose DavilaContemporary Mexican art, photography, collage. Architecture cut out from photographs. Jose DavilaMexican art, photography, collage. Architecture cut out from photographs. Jose Davila

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Mexican artist Jose Dávila, based in Guadalajara, works in a range of mediums including photography, sculpture, and installation. The work explores his interest in the relationship between “place and fiction, space and temporality under architecture.” His series of photographs/collages (is it collage if you’re cutting out from an image rather than adding to it?) Buildings You Must See Before You Die are prime examples of these themes. These silhouettes of famous, recognizable architectural icons take over the photo, many cases, in unrealistic proportion to their surroundings, emphasizing their grandeur.

The rest of Dávila’s work, from his light sculptures made with neon tubes paired with bricks and concrete, to his installations, really appeal to me and you might want to check them out as well on his website.

via studio magazine

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Yuri Malodkovets: New Hermitage

The New Hermitage, photographs of marble busts smothered/wrapped in polyethylene, contemporary Russian art and photographyThe New Hermitage, photographs of marble busts smothered/wrapped in polyethylene, contemporary Russian art and photographyThe New Hermitage, photographs of marble busts smothered/wrapped in polyethylene, contemporary Russian art and photography

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Yuri Maldkovets is a Russian photographer based in St. Petersburg. He has photographed more than 120 catalogs and albums for the State Hermitage Museum, with access to its art. In his exhibit titled New Hermitage, Malodkovets hung large black and white photographs of classic 19th century Italian marble statues wrapped in polyethylene for storage. The plastic wrap acts as a graceful veil, sculptural in its own right. The statues seem to grimace at having the plastic on them, as if trying to escape. And the series of busts smothered in the same material are a little disturbing but add an interesting quality as well.

via art in russia

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Clet Abraham: Signage Sticker Street Art

European Street Art, pictorial stickers on street signs, graffiti, humor, Clet Abraham, contemporary art, funEuropean Street Art, pictorial stickers on street signs, graffiti, humor, Clet Abraham, contemporary art, funEuropean Street Art, pictorial stickers on street signs, graffiti, humor, Clet Abraham, contemporary art, fun

Street art in Europe, Traffic signs altered with stickers to make humorous images, Clet Abraham, GraffitiClick to enlarge

French street artist Clet Abraham, now living and working in Florence, humorously alters traffic signs throughout major cities in Europe by strategically pasting removable stickers on them. But it’s not all just to crack a smile on the faces of those who pass by.  Clet is commenting on society’s standardization and the constricting effect that rules have on us, limiting individual expression and thought. It’s no coincidence that many of his images reference religion.

If you like Clet Abraham’s work, you might also enjoy Dan Witz’s Do Not Enter Project and Roman Tyc’s Semafory.

Photos courtesy of the artist; Paul nine-o; nijule; edoardo80; walls of milano; surreyblonde; metella merlo; kriebel; and lartefact.

via studio magazine

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Shelley Miller: Sand Sculpture Handbags

handbags, purses, pocketbooks made from sand on the beach by Shelley Miller

handbags, purses, pocketbooks sand sculptures on beach by Shelley Miller

Handbags, purses, pocketbooks made out of sand on the beach by Shelley Miller, summer collection

Sure, you’ve seen plenty of sand castles, but what about sand handbags? Shelley Miller (previously here) created a series of sand sculptures of designer bags, purses, and clutches during a residency in Brazil a few years back. Much in the way that her Icing Graffiti works disappear in less time than it took to make them, so too these accurate pocketbook replicas that wash away with the tide.

From Miller’s website:
The mirage-like nature of these objects, physical in form, yet never fully tangible, is a reference to the desirable objects one sees flipping through a fashion magazine while laying on the beach.

The photo documentation of these temporal sculptures were then used to produce the “Summer Collection” booklet, a mock fashion catalogue that returns these objects to their fashion industry inspiration.

If it were up to me, next year Miller would be one of the artists invited to participate in the Creative Time Sand Sculpture Competition in Rockaway.

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Katherine Bernhardt: Swatch Watch Paintings

large acrylic painting of Swatch watches by Katherine Bernhardt. Fun contemporary art.

large acrylic painting of Swatch watches by Katherine Bernhardt. Fun contemporary art.

large acrylic painting of Swatch watches by Katherine Bernhardt. Fun contemporary art.Katherine Bernhardt, originally from Missouri but now based in Brooklyn, paints large expressionistic portraits of women from glossy magazines as well as easily recognizable consumer objects. She has worked on store installations and magazine covers using this same style of acrylic paintings. I particularly like her paintings of Swatches.

Photos: Carbon Gallery; artnet; and Galeria Marta Cevera

via Carbon Gallery

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Shelley Miller: Cake Icing Graffiti

Icing Graffiti, Street Art, Icing tags, Throw-Up, Nuit Blanche Toronto, Shelley Miller, Cake Icing artIcing Graffiti, Street Art, Icing tags, Throw-Up, Nuit Blanche Toronto, Shelley Miller, Cake Icing artIcing Graffiti, Street Art, Icing tags, Throw-Up, Nuit Blanche Toronto, Shelley Miller, Cake Icing artIcing Graffiti, Street Art, Icing tags, Throw-Up, Nuit Blanche Toronto, Shelley Miller, Cake Icing art

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The other night I attended a talk at the New Museum about the future of Nuit Blanche in NYC. One of the panelists was an organizer of the Nuit Blanche in Toronto and she spoke about an artist included in this year’s event that instantly intrigued me: Shelley Miller a street artist who creates her work with cake icing and presented an interactive piece titled Throw-Up.

Shelley Miller is a Montreal-based artist whose installations, sculptures and public works have been exhibited across Canada as well as India and Brazil. Much of her work is created using sugar and cake icing. Her murals and street art tags made with these cake-decorating techniques reference history and other cultures. Some examples are her murals depicting the history of sugar, linking the port of Montreal into the global network of sugar’s history and the slave trade that supported this industry. Miller’s graffiti tags, also made with icing, at closer look recall the decorative scrolls of arabesques and calligraphy from ancient mosques, temples and pottery spanning the history of decorative arts.

The ephemeral aspect of this work adds another interesting dimension when it begins to melt, causing a dripping effect. All around impressively done!

Photos courtesy of the artist.
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James Turrell at the Guggenheim

James Turrell, Retrospective at the Guggenheim summer 2013, light installations, skyscapes, cool artJames Turrell, Retrospective at the Guggenheim summer 2013, light installations, skyscapes, cool artJames Turrell, Retrospective at the Guggenheim summer 2013, light installations, skyscapes, cool art

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UPDATE: See the post-visit post on this exhibit here.

Yes, it’s true! It seems like such a natural fit…Guggenheim rotunda… James Turrell skyspaces and skyscapes… but somehow it hasn’t happened until now. Well, not really now, but next summer: June 2013.

This is James Turrell’s (previously here, here, and here…yes, I’m a fan) first exhibition in a New York museum, though he’s had exhibits at galleries such as Pace, in addition to the long-term and ongoing site-specific installation at PS1 titled Meeting, and the very cool installation in 505 Fifth Avenue’s lobby. The top two renderings above give a pretty good idea of how the museum’s central void will look filled with Turrell’s signature style mood- and color-changing light in this new work. Other works from throughout the artist’s career will be displayed in the museum’s Annex Level galleries.

It should be noted that the bottom photo is not from the Turrell renderings, but rather a photo of the exterior taken years ago when the museum had their Dan Flavin exhibit. One can only assume that there will be a similar glowing effect (likely with a different color palette) from Turrell’s skyspace.

James Turrell will run from June 21–September 25, 2013.

Top two renderings courtesy James Turrell and the Guggenheim Museum. Third photo: Bridget´s Bardo, 2009, Kunstmuseum, Wolfsburg, Germany.Bottom photo of the Dan Flavin exhibit by David Heald © Guggenheim Foundation

via GalleristNY and Guggenheim Museum’s facebook

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NYC Culture on the Cheap: HalloWeekend

Free and Cheap things to do in NYC 10/26, 10/27 & 10/28, Halloween Weekend events, Free & Cheap Art, Music, Dance, Film, Food, Theater, Performance, Food & General Fun in NYC

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This weekend! Free and cheap things to do 10/26 to 10/28 in NYC. Cultural events in art, architecture, music, film, dance, theater, design, food and general fun. This week’s listings include a smattering of spooky Halloween-related events.

1. Design/Architecture/Talks – Designers & Books Fair 2012 is a live New York City event at the intersection where design, architecture, and books meet. All weekend at FIT. Tickets range from $25 to $50. See schedule.

2. Architecture – The brand spankin’ new FDR Four Freedoms Park is now open to the public (see post). All weekend. 9am to 5pm. FREE

3. Art/Technology/Science – ReGeneration: an exhibition that explores the connection of cultural vitality to immigration, urbanization and sustainability through art, technology & science. All weekend (starting Sat 10/27 through 1/13). $11 Adult $8 Kids & Students. FREE Fridays, 2-5 pm; Sundays, 10-11 am

4. Architecture/Art – Past Futures, Present, Futures presents 101 unrealized proposals for New York City. 2nd Part of the exhibit (Present Futures) opens Fri 10/26 with reenactments. 7pm. Through 11/4. FREE

5. Film/Discussion – Encore screening of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night. Fri 10/26, 7pm. $25.

6. Theater – How to Break at Here Theater. All weekend. Check schedule for times. $10 in advance. $18 less than 24-prior. Students with ID FREE.

Alternatively: Tim Burton Burlesque, Fri 10/26, 9pm to midnight at Bar Matchless. $5 in costume; $7 if not.

7. Film –Holy Motors at Walter Reade & Film Forum. All weekend. $13.

Alternatively: Scary Movies at Walter Reade Theater Fri 10/26 and Sun 10/28. See schedule. $13

8. Film – Friars Club Comedy Film Festival. Fri 10/26 & Sat 10/27. See schedule for films & times. $10.

9. Art/Architecture – The blps Project (see post). Spot pill-shaped stickers on and around the High Line—from smokestacks to the Standard Hotel—on surfaces that usually go unnoticed. Kind of like an Easter egg hunt without the chocolate. In conjunction with the Richard Artschwager! retrospective at the Whitney. All weekend. FREE

Alternatively — Leo Villareal’s Buckyball light installation in Madison Square Park (see post). All weekend. FREE

10. Walking Tour – Haunted Tours of NYC. All weekend. Nightly at 8pm. $20 Adults $15 Kids. 90-minute tour.

Alternatively — Walking tour of Green-Wood Cemetery: Celebrate the fall season with tales of murder, mayhem, spirits and ghosts on our annual autumn tours led by Green-Wood’s historian Jeff Richman. Includes a visit to the Catacombs, usually closed to the public. Sat 10/27 & Sun 10/28 at 1pm. $20

11. Comedy – Jos Houben: The Art of Laughter. Renowned actor from Théâtre Complicité and longtime collaborator of Peter Brook presents a hilarious comedy about comedy. Sat 10/27 at 7pm. $20 with Code FIAF20.

12. Music –  Justin Townes Earle with Low Anthem and Joe Pug at Pace. Fri 10/26 & Sat 10/27. At 7:30pm. $5 for Students. $25 and up everyone else.

13. Readings/Fun – Utilities Included: A Night of Brooklyn Writers. Six local writers kick out the jams for Halloween weekend Brooklyn-style. Sat 10/27 7pm at the Pine Box Rock Shop in Bushwick. FREE

14. Art – One of our favorites! John Baldessari Double Play at Marian Goodman. Fri 10/26 & Sat 10/27 through 11/21. FREE.

15. Tour – A Very Spooky Boat Tour of Newtown Creek. Sat 10/27 from 4:30 to 6:30pm $20 Leaves from South Street Seaport.

Alternatively – Halloween Dead Celebrity Ball: Costume Ball aboard the Jewel Yacht. Fri 10/26 at 8pm.

16. Food/Fun – 11th Annual Pickle Day will celebrate the rich history of pickle vendors of the Lower East Side and this time they are bringing back the pushcarts! Sun 10/28 on Orchard Street. 12 to 5pm. FREE

17. Food – Landhaus Farm to Sandwich Grand Opening Party at the Woods. Sun 10/28, 2 to 6pm. FREE with RSVP

18. Readings/Comedy – Bare! True Stories of Sex, Desire & Romance with John Flynn, Amy Sohn & many more. Brings together storytellers, comedians, sex educators and others to share true tales from their own experiences of sex, desire and romance. At the Bell House. 8pm $10

Art/Fun/Interactive – Bird on a Wire: a projected interactive display created for a pair of storefront windows at the corner Mercer St. and Washington Pl. By calling a number a passerby can set birds perched on telephone wires into motion. Cool! All weekend through 10/29. Opening Fri 10/26 at 8pm. FREE

AND Coming up this week – The Gay Death Halloween Variety Show, Tues, 10/20 at 8pm at The People’s Improv Theater with Scott Schachter and his Fun, Fab Weirdo Friends for a Macabre filled Sinful Night of Devilish Comedy: Nick Cobb; Skinny Bitch Jesus Meeting and more. $5

Check back for updates and take a look at our previous Culture on the Cheap posts for ongoing suggestions. Have fun!

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Limited Area: Robert Schlaug

Manipulated photographs by German photographer Robert Schlaug. Beautiful and cool contemporary photography.Manipulated photographs by German photographer Robert Schlaug. Beautiful and cool contemporary photography.Manipulated photographs by German photographer Robert Schlaug. Beautiful and cool contemporary photography.

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I love all of these photographs from German photographer Robert Schlaug’s series Limited Area. Using digital manipulation, he drags pixels of color across (or, more often, up and down) to the edges, creating walls and cliff-like effects. Schlaug says he is interested in “Raising awareness in times of total sensory overload” as well as “Isolation or in distinct contrast to the surroundings—suddenly developed a unique form of language and suprisingly gets an aesthetic quality. The banal becomes the particular.”

via but does it float via this isnt happiness

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Umbrellas vs. Flash Mob

Pink Umbrellas for Cancer Awareness in Bulgaria; Coppafeel's Boob Flash Mob in London, Cancer Awareness Month EventsPink Umbrellas for Cancer Awareness in Bulgaria; Coppafeel's Boob Flash Mob in London, Cancer Awareness Month EventsPink Umbrellas for Cancer Awareness in Bulgaria; Coppafeel's Boob Flash Mob in London, Cancer Awareness Month Events

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October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and it seems that people have moved on from simply sporting a pink ribbon on their jacket lapel. Two, very different, creative approaches to raising awareness took place this past week, among many others I suspect. One, though bright pink and hard to miss, was a little more subdued and consisted of an installation created with 400 pink umbrellas forming a canopy over the street (much like an Ingo Maurer installation) in Sofia, Bulgaria. The other, a bit more of an in-your-face and slightly controversial approach, was a “bouncing boobie” flashmob in central London supporting the breast cancer charity Coppafeel!. From the mouths of Coppafeel!: “The whole point of Coppafeel! is that we go about awareness in different and engaging ways – we like causing a bit of a stir.” And cause a stir they did.

Photos: Reuters; Снимка © Булфото; Coppafeel!; National Pictures; Rex Features; Habermonitor.

via voa and onenews

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High Trestle Trail Bridge: RDG

RDG Dahlquist Art Studio in Des Moines, Iowa, David Dahlquist, Cool Bridge, Interesting architecture and engineeringRDG Dahlquist Art Studio in Des Moines, Iowa, David Dahlquist, Cool Bridge, Interesting architecture and engineeringHigh Trestle Trail Bridge, Boone County, Iowa. RDG Dahlquist Art Studio in Des Moines, Iowa, David Dahlquist

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Completed last year, the High Trestle Trail Bridge in Boone County, Iowa was designed by public artist David B. Dahlquist of RDG Dahlquist Art Studio in response to a “call for artist” competition issued by the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation. Purely sculptural, as opposed to functional or a structural part of the bridge, the final design has a blooming quality, or maybe camera-shutter-like effect, head on. Surprisingly, from the side, one can appreciate how spaced out the individual steel archways actually are. It’s interesting to see the lit-up nighttime version which has such a different, more futuristic look. Either way, I’d say it’s a very successful and striking design.

If you like this bridge you might also enjoy the Twist Bridge.

Photos: Kevin Eberle; Jason Mrachina; Phil Roeder; and RDG