It’s now considered a masterpiece of the modern design world – perhaps even one of its most recognizable items – but in 1956 the Herman Miller Lounge Chair was “quite a departure.” Here it is featured for the first time on national television, making its debut on NBC’s “Home” show with Arlene Francis. There to introduce the chair are none other than designers Charles and Ray Eames. [Read more...]
Beirut is a vibrant place with a storied past… one which has left the city covered in scars that are still being repaired. Lebanese artist Marwan Rechmaoui often works with themes of urban development and social history revolving around his home country – in this case a large, floor based map of the current city layout. Titled Beirut Caoutchouc, the coastal Mediterranean city is recreated with heavy pieces of rubber embossed with roads, byways and segmented into 60 individual pieces that demarcate neighborhoods. [Read more...]
Although it was chosen as the No.1 Destination in Lonely Planet’s list of ten top countries to visit for 2011, Albania is still a country unexplored and unknown to most. The small coastal nation, wedged between Montenegro, Kosovo, Macedonia and Greece, was once home to a long-running government overseen by Stalinist dictator Enver Hoxha. When Dutch photographer David Galjaard recently visited the country, he created Concresco, a series based on one of the lasting reminders of that regime – over 750,000 cement bunkers. [Read more...]
During the German bombing raids of WWII city dwellers in Britain were subjected to long nights of complete darkness to protect them from being spotted from above. Called the Blackout, it was a dark foreign world for people accustomed to the brightly lit city, and one which posed new challenges many weren’t aware of. These road safety posters from the period (1939 – 1946) point out some of the hazards people needed to watch out for as they tried their best to “keep calm and carry on.” [Read more...]
Spoiler Alert… for anyone who wants to be surprised by natural wonders like the Grand Canyon, don’t look at this! Google announced today that it has gotten into the hiking game… and they’re making it a lot easier for those who would rather go there by armchair. Today they released an extensive trail based tour the majestic Grand Canyon. Just like Google Street View, you can now cruise down over 75 miles of trails including the famous Bright Angel and Kaibab Trail. It’s a far sight easier than pulling on those old hiking boots. [Read more...]
Ok, confession time. The last time I visited the Tate Modern there were a number of exhibits which people just didn’t seen to “get.” Richard Sarra’s Trip Hammer, Martin Boyce’s Gate (We don’t meet here. We are always together first.) and anything made by Charlotte Posenenske had people with puzzled looks surrounding them and muttering sentences like “I just don’t get how this is art…” To most observers – modern or not – these industrially-styled artworks are hard to understand. So, when I found a room filled only with a ladder, some plastic, an electric lift and a sign reading something like “This space undergoing renovation,” I couldn’t help turning the sign around and seeing what happened. Surprisingly, people almost immediately showed up in the room, stood looking past the rope surrounding the equipment and started analyzing the fine art they were observing. It happened… over, and over, and over… and no one once said they thought it wasn’t art. So when I found this museum hijacking video by a duo going by the names of Doug and Mikael, I couldn’t help but love it. [Read more...]
The Kassena people of Burkina Faso build some of the most beautiful homes you’ll see, out of the most unusual of materials. The small, landlocked country is sandwiched between Ghana to the south and Mali to the north, yet the country still holds many diverse cultures. The Kassena village featured here – Tiébélé – is a small circular place covering just 3 acres and is the home of their most stunning architecture – decorated top to bottom with gorgeous black geometric patterns and images of local culture. [Read more...]
It’s hard to imagine a blog published more remotely than Colonel Chris Hadfield’s… and yet he’s only about 200 miles away from many of us. That’s because he’s blogging from perhaps the most exclusive place around: the International Space Station (ISS). This Canadian astronaut is on his second trip to the massive station circling the earth, where he’s soon scheduled to take his and a Canadian’s first command of the ISS. Life is good. [Read more...]
Little known to most visiters of “The Happiest Place on Earth”, Walt Disney actually had an apartment not far from the entrance to the park on Main Street, USA. Perched above the tiny firehouse, Walt’s apartment was his part time residence during the busy period while the park was being built and the classic film Lady and the Tramp was on the drawing board. [Read more...]
Los Angeles is perhaps most famous for two things: its prolific creation of movies, and its massive urban sprawl. The city is unique for having almost no geographic center, instead being spread between districts like Hollywood and the San Fernando Valley (which are city sized in their own right). Now Los Angeles’s A+D Architecture and Design Museum is asking the question “What if?” What if the area’s many proposed architectural projects from the past had been realized? Never Built explores ideas that were never to be, looking at futuristic projects ranging from ideas for massive public institutions, to cantilevered outdoor recreation spaces and extensive rail-based public transportation. It’s an exciting look at the future that could have been… one that is daring the City of Angels to dream big again. [Read more...]
