There is a beauty that lies underneath the icy Tianuksa River in Leningradskaya Oblast, Russia. An otherworldly cavern of layered ice and glistening crystalline forming under the surface of the river. This phenomenon of a place was discovered by 55-year-old Russian photographer Yuri Ovchinnikov and his son completely by accident. Air gaps create a two foot gap allowing the brave explorers to carefully crawl into the cave in hopes that the ice would not crack beneath them. [Read more...]
The innovative and revolutionary duo, brothers Vladimir and Georgii Stenberg, left an undeniable mark on design history. Growing up in Moscow during a time of huge upheaval, their talented hands kept busy working in graphic design, sculpture and theater… quickly establishing them as members of the avant-garde during the 1920s and early 1930s. [Read more...]
Until 1989, the USSR was a dominant world superpower, however their communist system kept tight reigns on what could go in and out of the country. Starting in 1957, the space race between the USA and Russia had the two countries competing for supremacy in space exploration. This competition led both countries to push innovation and science in education. [Read more...]
Eastern Europe adopted modern design in the 50′s and 60′s like no other area of the world. From architecture to propaganda posters, the modern and minimalist aesthetic was everywhere. One of the common places these designs found a home was on the matchbox covers of the general public. In communist countries, propaganda for the space race was popular, but so were public health announcements about alcohol abuse, hygiene and safety on the roads… in the case of the labels displayed here, the simple message was to enjoy the beautiful outdoor colors of autumn [Read more...]
These incredible posters produced by the Soviet Union’s Moscow based news agency, TASS, during the Second World War, show the history of the conflict from a particularly vibrant and often gruesome Soviet perspective. The large prints, reaching between 5 and 10 feet tall, were displayed in shop windows throughout the war, with nearly a poster produced for every day of Russian involvement (1941-1945). Like an artistic journal, the posters (displayed here in chronological order) are especially interesting in the way the they track the progress of the war and the attitudes of their creators as the conflict progressed. [Read more...]
When you see Tatiana Plakhava’s designs, they seem to capture the energy of tiny particles colliding in the Large Hadron Collider, revealing an explosive and colorful beauty. Her highly complex designs combine science, illustration, photography, and music, which makes her one well rounded individual. She graduated from Moscow State University with a Master in Social Psychology and then studied at the High Academic School of Graphic Design. Her clientel has ranged from Procter & Gamble Russia and HP, to Playboy USA and Wired Magazine, UK. You can find her on facebook and her personal site or an excellent interview about her by Russel Shaw, here. [Read more...]
“The end of the 1950s and the beginning of 1960s was a time of significant achievements in the sphere of scientific experiments worldwide and in the USSR. During those years, Soviet scientist started bold experiments on animals. A whole series of pioneering experiments was carried out at the University of Moscow and the Academy of Science. And as early as 1950 a Russian scientist Vladimir Demihov surprised the whole world when he transplanted the head of one dog onto another one. The two headed dog lived for a whole month.”
It would be easy to say that Moscow based artist, Aske, is a man of many facets… his artwork reflects that. With new geometric works that look almost as if they jumped off a computer screen from 1992, he is adding one more style to his already diverse catalog of visual themes.
Aske is the founder of SickSystems, originally concieved as a graffiti troupe consisting of three members. In recent years, being the most active member, he has converted the company into a personal project and expanded it’s scope to include projects in graphic design, illustration, typography and more. His clients have included such big name brands as Nike and Stussy.
Always looking to the next project and creating in the most diverse ways he can imagine, his motto is to “move forward and enjoy what he does.”
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You know those shots from That 70′s Show where the kids are all sitting around the table in the basement philosophizing about life? This music video starts out like that, with a camera circling on a table… then explodes into dizzy arts and crafts mayhem! A cardboard world appears, buildings burn down, water-skiers do jumps… and all in a tiny cafe.
Featuring Moscow-based hip-hop and rap group Cops on Fire. For more of their catchy beats check out their official website or myspace page.
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Here’s just one example of why the Russians may be secretly far more advanced than the west. Three years before Photoshop 1.0 was released, computer engineers in the USSR were already retouching photographs using some surprisingly advanced technology. This video shows how the Soviets went about retouching damaged images through the use of rotary scanners, magnetic tape, and trackballs. Superb music, comrade!
