Category: artists

SoiSong Origami

soisong_octagonal_oragami_cd1SoiSong is the new music outlet for Peter Christopherson, formerly of Coil (which he founded with the now-deceased John Balance).

Brainwashed has an interview from 2008 where “Sleazy” discusses his decision to collaborate on music again, this time with Ivan Pavlov.

Maybe the most exciting thing about SoiSong is the design of their xAj3z album release. 

The die cut octagonal CD (it will only play in horizontal trays, not vertical computer-slot-players) is encased in an oragami-like, biodegradable case, on which is printed imagery and artwork.

Very attractive, and probably worth the € 22 as an objet d’art.

Their landing page for their website is not badly designed, either. (If you’re going for cryptic minimalist, which they are!)

Dis-Patch-Work

dispatch1More on LEGOs: Jan Vormann is a German artist who “patches” holes and decay in buildings with Lego bricks!

This makes for wonderfully interesting juxtapositions of the brightly colored plastic rectangles with the old, graying, non-uniform stones and cement of old structures.

Jan has created this artwork — which, in true German-language style, he calls “dispatchwork” — to several cities, including Tel Aviv, Israel, Bocchignano, Italy and Berlin, Germany.

The work has a very different feel in each of the locales, and all are intriguing.

dispatch2In Berlin, most of the patchwork was done on bullet holes and destruction left-over from World War II. In Italy, near Rome, I imagine the decay was simply from age. In Israel, the artist was specifically invited to “repair” some old walls by the curators of Darom Gallery in Tel Aviv.

It would be fun to revisit the sites in 50 years and see the relative effects of time on the newer plastic vs. the old stone.

UPDATE: Where could we do this in Philly?

[Via Wired and Twittter]

Vascular

Warp Designs Vases
Really unique flower vases from Warp Designs NYC.

Thinking “outside the vase” for sure.

Designed by Kimberly Manne, the owner, and hand-crafted in Brooklyn.

Perfect for modern interiors, be they wood, glass or metal.

[Via]

Roots

root_promoAn interesting new liquor is about to hit the market.

In fact it was at the Headhouse Farmers’ Market that I ran into the promotional table for it.

It is Root, an 80-proof liqueur based on Root Tea. From the promotional card:

Root Tea goes back to the 1700’s, when settlers picked it up from Native Americans. Over generations, Root Tea grew in potency, particularly in Pennsylvania, where the ingredients grow in abundance. During the Temperance Movement at the close of the 19th century, a Philadelphia pharmacist removed the alcohol and rechristened it (ironically) Root Beer for hard-drinking coal miners and steelworkers.

RootI didn’t realize previously that Root Beer had its roots in Philadelphia, so to speak. Charles Hires, that pharmacist,  first sold commercial root beer to the public in 1876 at the Philadelphia Centennial Exhibition.

Brought to you by Art in the Age, an offshoot of Gyro ad agency, with great designs featuring gorgeous illustrations by Reverend Michael Alan.

Should be available in PA State stores this summer. Interested to try it!

Ten Commandments

Dieter Rams Photograph by Abisag Tüllmann“Weniger, aber besser.” 

If I had gone to school for design, no doubt I  would have come across this famous quote from Dieter Rams, one of the most influential industrial designers of modern society. Alas,  it has taken me this long to discover his wonderfully succinct description of what is also my own design philosphy: “Less, but better.”

Dieter Rams, as head of design at Braun from the early 60’s into the 90’s, created many of the iconic products of that era, including the record player, radio, calculator and juicer designs we are all completely familiar with today.

Johnathan Ive, designer at Apple, is a big Dieter Rams fan, and it has been pointed out that many of Apple’s products, from their computers to iPods, draw from and are very similar to Rams’ Braun objects. The calculator in the iPhone is almost a replica of the his famous Braun calculator. Continue reading Ten Commandments

Micro Sculpter

Yellow Brick RoadWillard Wigan is an incredible artist from the UK who creates tiny sculptures, usually literally in the eye of a needle or on the head of a pin. The sculptures, which range in subject from pop culture characters to historical objects, are almost invisible to the human eye.

SimpsonsKing TutWigan uses human, rabbit, fly and other hairs as his sculpting tools, creating brushes of different sizes. His website says that to create his miniature works, he “enters a meditative state in which his heartbeat is slowed, allowing him to reduce hand tremors and sculpt between pulse beats.” He says he does not enjoy the work itself, but enjoys the products when he is done.

Because of this, and the length of time each piece takes, originals are extremely rare, and are sold in a special glass viewing cube that includes a microscope. The works also tour on exhibition, under large insurance policies.

Visit his website to see more  www.willard-wigan.com. (Via)