September 5, 2011 by collabcubed - 0 comments

Ahmed Mater: Medicine and Art

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Ahmed Mater is a Saudi artist and M.D. who was born and raised in an Aseeri village which, unlike much of the rest of Saudi Arabia, retained its traditional architecture and culture. When his family moved to Abha, the regional capital and a modern Saudi city, he began to question the values of his traditional and conservative upbringing. The turmoil that he experienced “influenced and gave birth to new experiments” in his art.

From top to bottom: The Evolution of Man (silkscreened prints on lightboxes); Antenna series (neon tubes); Cowboy Code (plastic gun caps); Magnetism (UV Curved Virtu Print on White Aluminium)

Mater’s exhibit at the LACMA ends today and his next exhibit is at the British Museum in London starting at the end of January 2012 running through April. CORRECTION: Some of Ahmed Mater’s work was and will be included in the above exhibits, but these are not solo shows.

You can see more of his work on his site, blog, and flickr.

September 2, 2011 by collabcubed - 0 comments

Jan Henrik Hansen: Music Materialization

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Swiss artist and architect Jan Henrik Hansen has been transforming music into space with his unique digital technique for the past 12 years. It’s not completely clear to me what that exactly means, but the results are singular and impressive. Working with all types of materials ranging from metal to wood to plastic and glass, Hansen creates both spectacular sculptures as well as architectural collaborations that include structural façades, window screens, and interior sculptural walls. He even has a proposal for a Vertical Park based on the USA National Anthem for New York City.

Yes, so back to the music aspect: all these works and structures are based on individual pieces of music from Bach Fugues to Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean”.

From the artist’s site:
“…His music sculptures relate to their musical source on a subjective as well as on an objective level, dealing with the wide spectrum of music, from single sounds to whole arrangements.”

I would be interested to understand how the transformation from music to artwork takes place, but even without that understanding Jan Henrik Hansen’s work is amazing enough to stand on its own.

September 1, 2011 by collabcubed - 1 Comment

Miler Lagos

Colombian artist Miler Lagos works in several mediums including sculpture, installation and video. Much of his art is a metaphor for the fine balance between nature and culture especially in today’s state of diminishing resources.

For his upcoming show here in NYC, Lagos will create his installation piece Igloo, a 9-foot domed structure (see top photo) constructed of layers of reference books laid like bricks in a cylindrical shape. The igloo symbolizes the transfer of knowledge through generations at the same time serving as a shelter to protect from nature, despite its own fragility.

The second work from the top is Pie de Amigo (Foot of Friend) is an arc of stacked architecture books with one pencil placed in the leaves of each book that, if removed, would cause the whole piece to tumble.

Tree Ring Dating is a cross-section of a tree made from folded stock pages from newspapers, exploring the relationship between commodity and nature.

The last three pieces shown are: Silence Dogood; El Papel Aguanta Todo (The Paper Resists Everything) ; and Fragmentos del Tiempo (Fragments of Time)

Miler Lagos’ show Home opens September 8th at MagnanMetz Gallery in NYC.

August 31, 2011 by collabcubed - 0 comments

Punched Sofa

Here’s a very fun couch for the right room. The Punched Sofa designed by Serbian-born and Canadian-based designer Danilo Cvjetkovic, is an “interactive” sofa. The bendable plastic bars are covered with soft foam and colorful fabric (they remind me of those pool noodles) and get inserted into the punched holes of the fiberglass shell base functioning as the backrests. Different heights and angles are possible and adjustable by the user. Manufactured by Furnituredesignmarket.com in Norway.

via designspotter

August 31, 2011 by collabcubed - 1 Comment

Blurry Photo Pencil Drawings

I first saw Paul Chiappe’s amazing pencil drawings a few months back at VoltaNY and was reminded yesterday when I was looking through my iPhoto gallery for something else and spotted photos I had taken of his work that day.

At first glance, I thought I was looking at a wall of blurred old yearbook photos, which in itself held some interest, but when I realized that these were in fact pencil drawings, well, I was completely awestruck. I had such a hard time believing it that I kept asking the gallery representative if she was sure that they were all pencil drawings. Surely some were photoshopped images. Maybe she had misunderstood. Maybe I had misunderstood. No. These small-sized (the largest are postcard size), hyper-realistic portraits and group photos are all drawn by hand by artist Paul Chiappe of Edinburgh, Scotland. It would be impressive enough if these were in focus, but to be able to render the blurred aspect takes it to the next level.

You can see more of Chiappe’s incredible work on his site and at Madder139.

August 31, 2011 by collabcubed - 6 Comments

Casanueva Pharmacy (Farmacia)

Clavel Architects led by Manuel Clavel Rojo, took on the renovation of the Casanueva Pharmacy in Murcia, Spain. (See before and after photos second row from top.) One of the major challenges of the project was that it had to be completed in two months and the store remained open during the first month. Because of this, 95% of the project was prefabricated.

The amazing façade (who wouldn’t want a façade made of type? And one that lights up to boot!) not only spells out the store’s identity but serves as a shading mechanism from the hot afternoon sun. The façade and all the interior furnishings were prefabricated in a workshop, and the slat cladding was also a quick-to-build solution.

I think Duane Reade with all their constant renovations would do well to pick up a pointer or two from Clavel’s cool redesign.

August 30, 2011 by collabcubed - 0 comments

Roll & Mix

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Here’s a nice, as well as smart, design from Belgian designer Marcial Ahsayane. It’s a three-in-one piece: each half functions separately, one as a pestle for mixing or grinding, the other as a container for liquids such as oil, that can be mixed in. When screwed together, the whole functions as a rolling pin.

Clever, attractive, and functional!

via Behance

August 30, 2011 by collabcubed - 0 comments

David Kenworthy: Light Consumption

Australian artist David Kenworthy uses light and color to transform the most mundane urban commodities into jewel-like relics of childhood and playful consumption. His is a modern-day pop art: emphasizing the fleeting and shallow by playing with objects found in mass-market discount stores including toys, toy bins, and confections such as jelly beans and gummy bears. By illuminating these objects they radiate their own uniquely colored light with a stunning glow and vivid intensity. Kenworthy aims to recreate with his light sculptures the same instantly gratifying but ultimately transient feelings that come with their consumption.

You can find more images of David Kenworthy’s work here, here, and here.

August 29, 2011 by collabcubed - 0 comments

Tatsuo Miyajima: Counter Void in Tokyo

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At first glance the 3-meters-plus digital wall in Roppongi Hills, Tokyo, appears to be a clock but, upon further inspection, it becomes clear that the randomness of the numbers and the speed in which they change, has little to do with time. Artist Tatsuo Miyajima created this work titled Counter Void which, instead of time, according to the artist, shows the contrast of “Life” and “Death”.

The piece displays the numbers differently in the day vs. the nighttime. During the day, the background’s neon light is turned off and the digital counters are displayed in white neon light. At night, the numbers drop out black from the white neon lit background. In both cases the digital counters keep counting from 9 to 1 with each counter counting at a different speed.

I’m pretty sure I’d enjoy seeing this live.

Photos: Local Japan Times; Kico’s flickr; Lu Yee

August 29, 2011 by collabcubed - 0 comments

Rob Millard-Mendez: Masks

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I got a huge kick out of these masks when I came across them the other day. Originally from Lowell, Massachusetts, where there are many old mill buildings left over from the 1800s, artist Rob Millard-Mendez was fascinated by late-nineteenth century mechanical technology. His art consists mostly of interactive kinetic objects with a combination of mythological, scientific, and historical references as well as an American Folk Art feel. There is a dark humor to his work, blurring the line between the tragic and the laughable.

From the artist’s website:
…The toy-like quality of the pieces is set in ironic counterbalance with a certain amount of dark whimsy. The interactivity ties in with the idea of power. The things we do (and do not do) affect the world, often more deeply than we know. In these works I am trying to make the viewer think about who has the power to influence whom and in what ways...

From top to bottom: Tends to Lash Out (Wood, steel, measuring sticks, reclaimed ivory): Unfertility Mask and detail (Wood, paint, steel, condoms); Unable to See Over the Hegemony (Wood, steel, measuring sticks, reclaimed ivory); Alchemist Mask (Wood, steel, lead, gold leaf); Critical Mas(k); detail of Critical Mas(k) (Wood, measuring sticks); Phaeton Mask; Detail of Phaeton Mask (Wood, steel, tile, oven mitts, matches). All images courtesy of the artist.

Rob Millard-Mendez currently resides in Evansville, Indiana, and teaches at the University of Southern Indiana. You can see the rest of his equally whimsical work on his site.

August 29, 2011 by collabcubed - 0 comments

The Corey Balloon Vase

If you ever have trouble remembering to add water to your flower centerpiece, then the Corey Balloon Vase is definitely the vase for you. Cleverly designed by recent graduate of SCAD (Savannah College of Art and Design) Corey Green, using a regular latex balloon as the central body that when shriveled indicates a need for refreshing the water supply. The easy-to-assemble acrylic frames mimic a variety of more traditional vase silhouettes and serve as the holder for the balloons which come in an assortment of colors.

These made me chuckle when I saw them at the NYIGF a couple of weeks ago and now I found a place that sells them.

August 26, 2011 by collabcubed - 3 Comments

Graphis Packaging 3 & 4: Typography

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When I was in college, my library of choice on campus was the Fine Arts Library. I would lug my Calculus text books over there with full intention to study for my exam, but the temptation to peruse the newly discovered (for me) Graphis magazines and annuals was too huge to resist. So, you can imagine my excitement when, googling around for some typography-related material, I came across a beautiful flickr set of images from Graphis Packaging 3 and 4. It brought me right back to the Fine Arts Library and my not-so-great Calculus grade. SO much beautiful typography. I love it.

It’s interesting to note that Target introduced a new line of packaging within the last couple of years, Up & Up, that resembles the packaging in the bottom right image above, though not quite as nice.

You can see more images on crabstick’s flickr.

August 26, 2011 by collabcubed - 0 comments

Giant 3D Letters for Home or Garden

One of these would be fun to have in the middle of our living room. Or maybe two or three to spell something out.

Jimmy Fiction Esq. is the man behind these giant three-dimensional letters, which are also available in numbers or symbols. Maybe a huge ampersand would be the thing to get. All letters are made of welded steel and resin or powder coated. They are sturdy enough for all-weather outdoor use as well.

These monumental type sculptures are manufactured to order and priced on an individual basis but, just to give you an idea, the ones pictured start at £700. My favorite line on Jimmy Fiction’s site? “If you want to write your beloved’s entire double-barrelled name across your garden, then well done you, you romantic and stylish fellow… and yes we can probably do you a discount.”

via typetoken

August 25, 2011 by collabcubed - 0 comments

Bwindi Light Masks: Richi Ferrero

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Richi Ferrero created this outdoor installation as part of Luminale 2010, which showed in Frankfurt at the Archeological Museum, using authentic African masks, LED lights and an acoustic system.

Forty identical masks, from an area at the border between Congo and Uganda, as small stones are placed in random order, in the open area of the Archaeological Museum in Frankfurt. Daylight gives the essence of representation, a state of waiting. The ritual will come to life when the artificial light will change in the dark, the colours of the masks, giving life to a dance strongly supported by the bi-vocal sounds of Tuva singers.

via luminapolis

August 25, 2011 by collabcubed - 0 comments

BMW Guggenheim Lab (follow-up)

I finally made it over to the BMW Guggenheim Lab earlier tonight to see a screening of Garbage Dreams, a film about the Zaballeen (garbage people) living in the outskirts of Cairo. The film was very good, but what I was most excited about was the Lab itself.

For a description of what the BMW Guggenheim Lab is, and is setting out to do, you can see our previous post. What the BMW Guggenheim Lab felt like, was an oasis of tranquility off the bustling, hectic thoroughfare that is Houston Street, especially at rush hour. The minimalist structure (designed by Atelier Bow-Wow from Japan) is surprisingly cozy, and remarkably quiet considering its few steps from Houston Street and Second Ave. Only the occasional mufflerless motorcycle disrupted the film and/or speakers. Also surprising was how well the screen projected even in the daylight. And once the sun did go down, the Lab was warmly lit by spotlights.

It’s these sort of things that make NYC such a wonderful place. Free, interesting events in a lovely setting, open to everyone, with something for most everyone. There are lectures on architecture-related topics and sustainability. There are family-oriented events. There are screenings of films as well as guest speakers that range from authors to television directors to inventors and much more. The BMW Guggenheim Lab is open Wednesdays through Sundays until October 16th in NYC before moving on to Berlin. Check their site for the calendar of events. Oh, and there’s a café run by Roberta’s and bathrooms on the premises as well, so there’s really no excuse for not stopping by if you’re in New York.

Top photo: Paul Warchol from the BMW Guggenheim Lab site.

August 24, 2011 by collabcubed - 0 comments

The Kitchen Project

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I would imagine that cooking in the Kitchen Project – an actual kitchen in an apartment on West 67th St. in NYC — is a semi-surreal experience. With changing-color lighting, Cubist-feeling cabinets, and varying sound effects upon opening every door, this is not your mother’s (or father’s) kitchen. A collaborative project by artist Amy Yoes (commissioned by the client to create a kitchen that was a work of art and would give them the sense of living inside her video Rear-View Mirror) with Slade Architecture and Bronze Hill Inc.

The kitchen includes: LED lights that are programmed to cycle through the color spectrum at varying speeds; Stop-motion animations projected within the cabinetry; and cabinet doors and drawers that trigger amplified sounds when opened (see this short video to see it in action.)

Photos: Amy Yoes and Annie Schlechter for The World of Interiors

August 24, 2011 by collabcubed - 0 comments

Playtype Concept Store

This is one of the many reasons I think I’d really like Copenhagen. My impression from afar is that everything there is designy. I mean, a whole store dedicated to type? That’s a graphic designer’s dream come true.

Playtype is an online type foundry established by the Danish design firm e-Types. The Playtype concept store was launched in unison with the redesign of their site back in December. The store is a physical manifestation of the online shop and includes type-themed products such as t-shirts, posters, laptop covers, mugs and, of course, fonts which are loaded onto specially designed USB flash drives that resemble a credit card. The store features oversized type on the window and walls (love that!) as well as a neon sign with Playtype in large lit letters.

If you’re planning a visit to Copenhagen, it definitely looks worth checking out. But hurry because the store is scheduled to close at the end of 2011.

via Typojungle

August 23, 2011 by collabcubed - 0 comments

Chaz Maviyane-Davies

I don’t know how it’s possible, but this is the first I’ve heard of Chaz Maviyane-Davies. Thanks to an article I came across on AIGA’s website, I am no longer in the dark.

Originally from Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia), Chaz Maviyane-Davies knows what it’s like to grow up as a second-class citizen in a racist state. As soon as he was able, he left his country for Switzerland to study art and design. Going back and forth to Africa at different times in his life, Maviyane-Davies studied and worked in several countries including Japan, Malaysia and London. It was London in the 70s that he cites as responsible for “opening his eyes creatively.” “That’s when I started to identify graphic design as a nonpartisan discipline that could help to bring about change. It doesn’t only belong to capitalism or anybody. But you’ve got to be astute how you connect culturally with your audience.”

There are designers who have a gift for type and then there are those that have the gift of story-telling or message-relaying in one powerful image. In a very different style, James Victore comes to mind. Though Chaz Maviyane-Davies is clearly talented at both, he is a superstar at the latter. His are smart, sometimes disturbing, in-your-face and to-the-point images that deal with everything from social, environmental and health awareness, to politics and human rights. The type is almost superfluous.

See more here.

via AIGA