There's been a lot of people thinking about this concept for a while but now they're a reality thanks to the fine people at Klipsh. The system seems pretty cool except that it's only 2 speakers, for now, and they're very expensive at $599. Of course it's worth it if they sound as good or better than other home speakers.
I haven't been out to West Philly in a while to see all of these but I got to check a couple over the summer. This is a great project by Steve "ESPO" Powers. It's amazing to see him getting paid to do this since he used to do things like this back in the day anyway...along with bombing the subway tunnels and walls throughout the city. He's a pretty intense and was/is a really cool dude...I met him a couple times and he even drew some things in a sketch book for me and gave me some old rare can of green (that I still have). I doubt he remembers that. Anyway, I'm looking forward to seeing these in person once the weather gets a little warmer and I can go for a bike ride out there. Some of them are best seen from the "el" though since they're meant to add some color to the dull brown view of the roofs.
If you're not in able to see them, definitely check out the website-> A Love Letter For You
I love seeing people really elevating the art form of graffiti. This is from Libson, Portugal. I have no idea whose work this is. Please let me know if you do so I can give proper credit.
If you haven't already watched it a couple of times, watch The Story Of Stuff before watching this. (or at least after watching this) I'm not taking a side on this issue yet because I don't know enough yet but this is a good introduction. All you designers out there, and just socially responsible citizens, need to get educated on these issues so you really know what 'sustainability' really means and what the issues really are that affect our everyday lives and our futures.
To watch the movie, just click on the image above or click > HERE <
Just a couple of months ago I posted THESE amazing flat speakers coming out of Taiwan. And now I see these that were actually published even earlier. I think the ones from Taiwan will actually sound better though but still these are amazing!
A groundbreaking new loudspeaker, less than 0.25mm thick, has been developed by University of Warwick engineers, it's flat, flexible, could be hung on a wall like a picture, and its particular method of sound generation could make public announcements in places like passenger terminals clearer, crisper, and easier to hear.
Lightweight and inexpensive to manufacture, the speakers are slim and flexible: they could be concealed inside ceiling tiles or car interiors, or printed with a design and hung on the wall like a picture.
This is a nice little piece by Daniel Franke called "One Minute Sound Sculpture". The idea of a sculpture made from sound is really intriguing to me and something I hope to explore in the near future. This guy's take on it is pretty cool and he's really good at tracking an animation and placing it in a live environment.
French artist Vincent Ganivet makes beautiful and sculptures using mostly common building materials. The appear simple until you actually realize the work involved in making a free standing arcs and circles from cinder blocks. Have you ever thought about making a big trail using cinder blocks instead of dominoes? Yeah, we all have. But he actually does it! His non-building material pieces are also interesting and worth taking a look at.
Sure, you've heard of CAD but now we have RAD(Robot Aided Drawing). Jen Hui Liao has designed and built the Self Portrait Machine to assist the sitter with drawing themselves. The machine "takes a picture of the sitter and draws it but with the model's help. The wrists of the individual are tied to the machine and it is his or her hands that are guided to draw the lines that will eventually form the portrait." Ok, so you may be asking, "So, what's the point?!" This may help explain:
The project aims to explore the cooperation process of human & machine. The designer explains: I found some the relationship between human and machine are amazing and could be horrible (like this one that shows how we human invent machines then put human inside to it to manufacture goods), The final object - A machine is a miniature of what I understand through the process of research, and the aim of the machine is to let people have a chance to feel the condensed process of how we generate our self identity from external point of view as from the society, which is a big machine we all in.
Really dope motion graphics by Belgian artist Gwen Vanhee exploring new ways to interpret music. Finding new and innovative ways to translate sound to visuals and vice versa always fascinates me. The graphics by themselves are great but the context and execution really brings them to a higher level. I highly recommend checking out some of his other work on Vimeo and Flickr.
One of the best things I've seen crossing boundaries between music and design is RFID Radio concept by someone by the name of D.A.R.Y.L. His idea is that these paper radios with RFID chips will be programmed only to play a certain station. You would need to subscribe to the station via iTunes and have a special speaker also with an RFID tag. I guess the radio would have a passive tag and the desktop speaker would have an active tag? Honestly, RFID is probably NOT the best technology for this product but it's still a great concept and is along the lines of Yuri Suzuki's Graffiti Radio concept which is also brilliant.
Check out more of D.A.R.Y.L.'s creations at Real Tomato
(I usually wouldn't post my own designs like this but...this relates to music and people have really loved this design since May. So, why not.?)
Designed by Matt Braun (aka The Record Player). Laser cut & engraved business cards that work come with a 45 insert. Shown in here is the version on black mat board. They also come in other colors variations. If you're interested in working with him on similar concepts for your record label or for your self, contact him. Check out some of his other work on-
Just as the title suggests these speakers are made of porcelain ceramic and handmade by the designer, Joey Roth. I like the concept of using ceramics for speaker design but I'm curious about how they sound. Also, the speakers themselves are nice but there's a disconnect in choices of form and material for the other components that make up this system. The boxy brushed aluminum interface and 2 part plywood stands are unresolved and are more of a distraction than a compliment to the speakers. Why can't the speakers be made to stand on their own and why do they need their own interface? Just focus on the speakers Joey!
The first time I saw a picture of something by Paul Henry Ramirez I really didn't pay attention to it and just glanced over it as if it were just some other contemporary graphic design that I've seen thousands of times before. I think the piece was "Chunk 5". The second time, however, his work immediately caught my eye. Sometimes we just need to be in a certain frame of mind to really appreciate something. When I did a little investigating to see more of his work I was hooked!
The thing is, his work is so simple it could be easily glanced over. When you take more than a second to really see the life in his pieces. The bold colors, simple forms, balance and contrast all work in harmony to create depth and movement. In many of his works, shapes seem to assume the role of machinery and the composition is presented as one frame, frozen in time, of the workings of a larger machine and you wonder, "how this machine is working and why?" In his installations, Paul Henry Ramirez gets to show us how his canvases work with a larger machine and each piece works with the others to create a cohesive stystem that seems to be part of the architectural space.
I need to apologize to you for not posting any of this guy's work sooner! I swore that I did but when I was looking for the back links I realized I did not :( Yuri Suzuki has done some of my favorite installation works that I've seen maybe ever. He is a very multi-disciplined creator but what I'm most interested in is his "sound art" pieces. He really pushes the limits of new uses for vinyl records and turntables in art and finds new and interesting ways to reinterpret how we interact with sound and the connection between music and the tangible medium. In addition to being a great artist, he's also an electronic music producer and an industrial designer. Go to his website and do some searches for him to learn more.
His most recent exhibit is going on now in Luxembourg and is part of a show titled "Coalition Of Amateurs". For this show, Yuri set up a full music production system which recorded music from 3 bands direct to master disk and then they pressed their own vinyl all in the same day!! I haven't been able to find out details yet on how exactly he did it but it appears that he made is own CNC cutter to make the masters on a standard Technics 1200 turntable.
Of all of Yuri's work I've seen thus far, the pieces created for his well-noted "The Physical Value Of Sound" exhibit last year at Clear Gallery in Tokyo. This show included a turntable with 5 tonearms, jewelry with sound etched onto it to be played on a turntable, a piece called "Sound Chaser" that used pieces of records as train tracks for a miniature train engine with a cartridge and speaker in it and a piece simply called "Digital and Analog" which is just a regular CD on one side and the top has grooves etched in to play sound (I REALLY love that one). Some others I really love are his "Jellyfish Theramin","Finger Player" and his "Graffiti Radio" project.
WOW! This is essentially an interface that requires only a computer, a webcam, a printer and a lot of ideas. The D-Touch sequencer and drum machine are available for FREE (both Mac and PC versions). Just watch the video and definately go to their site. Simply amazing.
Nice animation, I think made with Processing, just simply using graceful strokes of color and quotes from famous designers and artists. This guy has a really impressive portfolio of motion graphics that you should check out.
Interesting piece by German studio Muscle Beaver. I guess with a name like that you need to be dope...really, dope! Which they happen to be. Really good quality work on all fronts and a good range of styles.
This year's pavilion at the Serpentine Gallery is one of the best pieces of architecture constructed this year. Designed by the team SANAA, this structure is meant to reflect on the natural environment of the park both figuratively and literally. The amoeba-like form seems to naturally flow as if it were water or a cloud. It's a shame this will only be here for a short time. Since the Serpentine started it's annual pavilions in 2000 it has hosted some of the most important contemporary architects today including: Zaha Hadid, Daniel Liebeskind, Frank Gehry and Toyo Ito. Click on those links to learn more or do a search on Google or Bing.
The pavilion at PS-1 this year by MOS architects is awesome! It's actually palm fibre but it looks like hair from a wooly mammouth to me. Actually, I was disappointed when I learned that it is not synthetic fur. Yeah, I know this is technically more 'sustainable' but this is more about making something cool on a smallish budget. I still like last year's installation by Ball-Nogues Studio better, but this is really good.
I think this guy is a modern incarnation of Hieronymus Bosch. Seriously, this guys stuff is just weird, fun, witty, deep and layerd with meaning and interpretation. Lou Beach's work is no secret though and new pieces are published on a consistent basis the same as they have been for over 30 years. Beach's illustrations have scattered the print media landscape to the point where they are in our subconscious. In fact some of his works have become staples of pop culture. On any given month you may see his work in Wired, Time, The New York Times or even the cover art of some band. When you see Lou Beach's work you suddenly start to realize just how unoriginal a lot of this new 'hipster' art is. Heads of animals fused with people, bright colors and weird collage is old news. His commercial work is really good but his personal stuff is where the truly bizarre happens. Seriously though go back and look at Bosch's epic tryptich "The Garden Of Earthly Delights" and tell me you don't see the resemblance.
Go to LouBeach.com and play with his monkey! (it will make sense when you go to the site)
I'm really feeling this project. I've seen similar methods of using optical illusion to transform architectural space and have wanted to explore that stuff myself. This is just one of the best landscaping solutions I've ever seen for a tight space. Great work by Faulders Studio from Berkley, CA.
I love this stuff...I've posted a fair amount of graffiti-based projects (click here) and this is one of the better ones I've seen in a while. I like the simplicity of it and that it speaks to the temporary nature of graffiti. Unlike traditional graff that can been seen and exist with out photography but is sustained by photography, Halo requires photography to capture the moment making the act of graffiti an interactive experience.
Halo is one of many projects by French designer Aïssa Logerot go to his site for more info and other projects which really don't add up compared to this one. AissaLogerot.com
I see & study a lot of design that's out there and sure, a lot of it is shiny, cool, smooth, expensive and often useless. Then every once in a while comes along a product that just makes sense and you want to punch yourself because you didn't think of it or do it first. This is one of those brilliant designs.
Check it out...this is AMAZING! Kids these days are so smart. What will they think of next?! Read all Aviary's new product, Crane! Aviary makes some very impressive tools but this is the best one.
These guys make some really great short films, music videos and commercials. DO NOT miss watching their latest work titled "Synesthesia". Check out their work at Terri Timely.
Amazing project!!! I hope to work on some things like this in the not too distant future. (plug: stay tuned for the release of my sound/art/design project nearing completion of phase1 in the next couple of months.) The concept of creating visuals based on tracking movement through a defined space is something I really wanted to explore but just didn't have the budget for. This shows what is possible when using very sophisticated technologies in highly creative ways. Also thanks to companies like Toyota for realizing the importance of art/design and spending tons of money on this. Say what you will about the corporate 'machine' but the fact is that machine helps a lot of ideas to become manifested. What a creatively diverse team too!
This building is NOT in The United Arab Emirates' city of Dubai as you may expect for some outlandish piece of architecture like this. It's actually in Huainan, Anhui providence, China and serves as the local urban planning exhibition hall for the developing region. This reminds me of the work of Claes Oldenburg, especially the building he and Frank Gehry collaborated on.
The newly built Parish Church of Santa Monica by Vicens & Ramos architects is amazing!!! Beautiful building all around. If I'm ever in Santa Monica I will definitely be going here. The exterior of the building is made of steel that was meant to rust which gives it the orange color. A metal exterior for a church is an interesting concept..plus it will probably prevent people from using their phone in church! Read about the building and process >HERE<
