Jimena Azpeitia

A massive new composite released earlier this year reveals a confounding number of stars in the Milky Way. An international collaboration gathered from multiple telescopes at Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory in Chile, the stunning work captures a staggering 3.32 billion celestial objects across 130 degrees of the night sky—for context, the NSF’s NOIRLab team, which is responsible for the 21,400-image composite, shares that this stretch “equates to 13,000 times the angular area of the full moon.”

Requiring about 260 hours of observation, this new release follows data shared in 2017, although its breadth is far greater and allows for a complete 360-degree panoramic view. The full image shown below highlights the Milky Way’s vibrant band containing most of the stellar objects, while the detailed crop above captures an extraordinarily concentrated area. Researchers said about the density in a statement:

While this profusion of stars and dust makes for beautiful images, it also makes the galactic plane challenging to observe. The dark tendrils of dust seen threading through this image absorb starlight and blot out fainter stars entirely, and the light from diffuse nebulae interferes with any attempts to measure the brightness of individual objects. Another challenge arises from the sheer number of stars, which can overlap in the image and make it difficult to disentangle individual stars from their neighbors.

In addition to the standalone images, astronomers also released an interactive version for those interested in exploring specific locations and details within the celestial expanse. (via Kottke)

 

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article A Staggering 3.32 Billion Celestial Objects Dot an Enormous New Image of the Milky Way appeared first on Colossal.

Suspended from an undulating metal rod, two translucent patchwork curtains of prescription eyeglasses evoke the gleaming shimmer of a waterfall. The disorienting installation is the second in a series of optical works by Canadian artists Caitlind r.c. Brown and Wayne Garrett (previously), who created a smaller kinetic piece centered around the concept of collective vision back in 2015.

Larger in scale and greater in material than the first, “And Between Us, An Ocean” utilizes 30,000 recycled polycarbonate plastic lenses sourced from a Beijing factory and Calgary recycling center. The dual installation bisects a gallery at Times Art Museum and distorts the space as visitors move amongst the glimmering curtains. A pixelated, contorted view emerges through the various prescriptions in each lens, skewing perspectives and proposing questions about the relationship between single and shared vision. Brown and Garrett write in a statement:

What faint ghosts are carried by such intimate objects—windows on the world for the audience of one? How is our shared reality shaped by so many perspectives of the same place and time? Removed from their original purpose, the eyeglass lenses implicate something specific about the mass and scale of our human experience, and the power of our desire to see the world (and each other) more clearly.

“And Between Us, An Ocean” is on view at the Beijing museum through September 12 before it travels to its next location. See the process behind the construction, which happened between Canada and China, and find more of the pair’s ocular works on their site.

 

Conveying the “texture of a threshold,” the mixed-media drawings that comprise Tanya P. Johnson’s ongoing Wisdom Engines series invoke passing between wakefulness and sleep or life and death. Mirrored renderings entwine gears, levers, pulleys, and audio equipment with flowers and geometric motifs in elongated columns, referencing the shape of the human spine. The bisected works reflect both a connection between entities and finding balance through somatic experiences and symmetries.

Drawn on vintage ledger paper, the pieces are “tools for consciousness hacking,” Johnson says, instruments for confronting the systems we’re accustomed to. Each work “generates subtle awareness, cultivates wisdom, and wicks fear. They symbolize the ways movement and breath can be used to interrupt patterns, to strengthen electromagnetism, and to stabilize energy.”

Living between British Columbia and her native Cape Town, Johnson works across media, and you can find more of her projects on her site and Instagram.

 

I want this sweater. For myself. Is this weird?

Barcelona-based artist Raya Sader Bujana (previously) defines her work as something between sculpture and illustration, creating impossibly tiny replicas of houseplants that rest atop a finger. From leaves to blooms and thorns to branches, even the delicate woven baskets that contain the plants are constructed from paper with the aid of tweezers and scalpels in a process more akin to surgery than origami. Her background in architecture translates to an exacting quality of “composition, use of color, texture, volume, light and sometimes subject matter,” she shares. In addition to selling original works and prints on Etsy and Society6, Bujana also has a wide range of corporate clients like Coca Cola, Swarovski, and HP. You can follow more of her process and updates to her online shops on Instagram.

 

One of New York City’s most discerning and essential documentarians, photographer Jamel Shabazz has built a career around capturing the unique visual lexicon of the outer boroughs. His images are deeply empathetic and resolute in the value of all life regardless of race, class, and social status. With a self-described goal of preserving “the world history and culture,” Shabazz continually finds the joy and vibrancy emanating from communities like Brownsville, Red Hook, and Harlem.

His first institutional survey, an expansive exhibition of Shabazz’s photos is on view through September 4 at The Bronx Museum. Eyes on the Streets contains more than 150 images from his extensive archive, some of which are shown for the first time. Distinctly rooted in place, the collection transcends neighborhood and time period, creating a rich, photographic mosaic of New Yorkers through the last four decades. The exhibition also speaks to current conversations around policing and alternatives by showing how tight-knit communities and street activity have long bolstered public safety.

Often recognized for capturing hip-hop culture and the fashions of the 1980s, Shabazz’s photos range from the stylishly posed to the candid and serendipitous. He frames a pitbull mid-air as it grips a strap, children flipping onto a frayed mattress, and a beaming, rush-hour crowd grinning through an open window. Having recorded poverty, the widespread effects of racism, and those housed at Rikers Island during his time working for the Department of Corrections, Shabazz continually chooses humanity and happiness. “Some of the people in the community might see themselves when they were at a really bad point in their lives,” he told The New York Times in reference to the images he chose to leave out of Eyes on the Streets. “I wanted to focus more on the joy.”

Shabazz has published multiple monographs throughout his career, and his new A Time Before Crack is available for pre-order. The forthcoming Jamel Shabazz: Albums, which won the Gordon Parks Foundation/Steidl Book Prize, is also slated for release next fall. You can find more of his photos on his site.

 

Pattern recognition, Lee Wagstaff

Coming to the V&A in London this summer is Africa Fashion, a groundbreaking exhibition featuring 45 designers from over 20 countries who will together celebrate the creativity and culture from the world's second-largest continent.

Over 250 objects will be on display for the exhibition, launching in July, with approximately half of these drawn from the museum's collection, including 70 new acquisitions. Many of the garments on display are from the personal archives of a selection of iconic mid-twentieth century African designers – Shade Thomas-Fahm, Chris Seydou, Kofi Ansah and Alphadi, marking the first time their work will be shown in a London museum.

The exhibition will also celebrate influential contemporary African fashion creatives, including Imane Ayissi, IAMISIGO, Moshions, Thebe Magugu and Sindiso Khumalo. Africa Fashion will showcase these objects and the stories behind them alongside personal insights from the designers, together with sketches, editorial spreads, photographs, film and catwalk footage.

Of the new acquisitions, they will highlight fashion trends of the day from across the continent, paired with personal testimonies, textiles and photographs. Highlight objects include photography from 10 families answering the public call-out, an Alphadi dress of cotton and brass gifted to the museum by the designer and a new piece designed specifically for the exhibition by Maison ArtC.

"Our guiding principle for Africa Fashion is the foregrounding of individual African voices and perspectives," says Dr Christine Checinska, senior curator. "The exhibition will present African fashions as a self-defining art form that reveals the richness and diversity of African histories and cultures." She goes on to say that showcasing all fashions across such a vast region would be impossible, which is why the show will instead "celebrate the vitality and innovation of a selection of fashion creatives, exploring the work of the vanguard in the twentieth century and the creatives at the heart of this eclectic and cosmopolitan scene today." She adds: "We hope this exhibition will spark a renegotiation of the geography of fashion and become a game-changer for the field."

Starting with the African independence and the liberation years that sparked a radical political and social reordering across the continent, Africa Fashion will explore how fashion, alongside music and the visual arts, formed a key part of Africa's cultural renaissance, laying the foundation for today's fashion revolution.

We'll get to see everything from contemporary couture and ready-to-wear to bespoke made-to-order and adornment, offering us a close-up look at the new generation of ground-breaking designers, collectives, stylists and fashion photographers working in Africa today. The show will also explore how the digital world accelerated the expansion of the industry, irreversibly transforming global fashions as we know them. From global fashion weeks to celebrity wearers and the role of social media, Africa Fashion will celebrate and champion the diversity and ingenuity of the continent's fashion scene.

"African fashion is something that has existed forever, something that has been a part of us," says Omoyemi Akerele, founder and director of Lagos Fashion Week and Style House Files. "African fashion is the future. African fashion is now. It's not just designers; there's a whole ecosystem of models, make-up artists, photographers, illustrators – imagine bringing everybody's work to life season in season out. Fashion that's created by our people for our people and for the benefit of growing and developing our economy. This exhibition is important because, for the very first time, fashion from the continent will be viewed from a diverse perspective that spans centuries."

Womenswear designer, Thebe Magugu, adds: "I feel like there are so many facets of what we've been through as a continent that people don't actually understand. Now more than ever, African designers are taking charge of their own narrative and telling people authentic stories, not the imagined utopias."

Artsi, a fashion designer at Maison ArtC, agrees: "Africa Fashion means the past, the future and the present at the same time. The joy of life and the joy of colour is completely different and very particular to the continent. It's a language of heritage. It's a language of DNA. It's a language of memories."

So what can we expect? The exhibition begins with a contemporary ensemble that combines shimmering silk with exuberant layers of raffia by Imane Ayissi. Born in Cameroon, the couturier sits at the crossroads between fashion systems, bridging historical and contemporary periods, continental and Global Africa, artisanal craft making and haute couture. "This ensemble introduces the idea that African fashions are beyond definition and that creatives can and do choose their own paths," says the museum.

The ground floor of the exhibition will continue with an African Cultural Renaissance section that will focus on the African liberation years from the mid-late 1950s to 1994. "The political and social reordering that took place galvanised a long period of unbounded creativity across fashion, music, and the visual arts," the V&A adds. We can expect to see protest posters, publications and records embodying this era of radical change.

In Politics and Poetics of Cloth, we'll learn of the importance of cloth in many African countries and the way in which the making and wearing of indigenous cloths in the moment of independence became a strategic political act. Wax prints, commemorative cloth, àdìrẹ kente and bògòlanfini will be shown – fragments of a rich textile history that includes thousands of techniques from across the continent. Highlight objects include a strip of printed seersucker cotton from the V&A collection featuring the image of an open palm and the words' Freedom in my hand I bring' incorporating the newly independent Ghana insignia – a visible expression of community concerns as well as national and individual identities. Also on display will be a commemorative cloth made in the early 1990s following the release of Nelson Mandela, featuring a portrait of the soon to be first Black President of South Africa and the words' A better life for all – working together for jobs, peace and freedom'.

Shade Thomas-Fahm, Chris Seydou, Kofi Ansah, Alphadi, Naïma Bennis and their peers represent the first generation of African designers to gain attention throughout the continent and globally. Marking the first moment in which their work will be shown in a London museum, the next section, The Vanguard, will trace their rise and impact, their creative process, and inspirations, brought to life by real stories from those who loved and wore their distinctive designs. Highlights include a re-imaging of the traditional Nigerian ìró by Shade Thomas-Fahm – known as Nigeria's first fashion designer. There'll also be a dress of silk and lurex from 1983 by Chris Seydou, known for promoting indigenous African textiles like bògòlanfini on the global stage. Ghanaian fashion designer Kofi Ansah's iconic fusion of African and European aesthetics will be represented in a blue robe with traces of the Japanese kimono, the European judge's robe and the West African agbádá robe. The innovation of Alphadi described as the 'Magician of the Desert' will be shown with a dress of cotton and brass from 1988, gifted to the museum by the designer.

Moving along, a section titled Capturing Change will focus on photographic portraits of the mid-late 20th century, capturing the mood of nations on the brink of self-rule – each shot "documenting the modernity, cosmopolitanism and fashion consciousness of individuals with agency and a desire to use it," explains the museum. Highlights include studio photography from Sanlé Sory, Michel Papami Kameni and Rachidi Bissiriou. The stylish colour portraits of James Barnor will also sit alongside domestic photography of 10 families gleaned from the V&A's public call-out last January.

Finally, on the mezzanine level of the exhibition, a new generation of ground-breaking designers, collectives, stylists and fashion photographers working in Africa today will be celebrated. It all culminates to form part of a broader and ongoing V&A commitment to grow the museum's permanent collection of work by African and African Diaspora designers. It's a collaborative effort to bring new "layered stories about the richness and diversity of African creativity, cultures, and histories, using fashion as a catalyst".

Africa Fashion at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London runs from 2 July 2022 until 16 April 2023. It will be accompanied by a wider public programme focused on Africa Fashion, including in-conversations and talks, learning events, music performances and free to attend live events. You can discover more and book tickets at www.vam.ac.uk.

More than 70 artists feature cats as their muse for a feline-centric group exhibition that scratches well beyond the tropes associated with the frisky creatures. Now in its fourth iteration, the Cat Art Show includes sculptures, paintings, collages, and a variety of other works by artists from 16 countries—Ravi Zupa (previously), Lola Dupré (previously), and Aniela Sobieski (previously) are among them—that capture the feisty antics, adorable wide-eyed stares, and stealthy adventures of both domestic and wild breeds. The exhibition is the project of curator and journalist Susan Michals, who also wrote the 2019 book compiling hundreds of photos by cat-enthusiast and photographer Walter Chandoha.

If you’re in Los Angeles, stop by The Golden Pagoda between October 14 and 24 to see the quirky, spirited works in person, and check out the available pieces on Instagram. As with previous shows, 10 percent of all sales will be donated to cat care, with this year’s funds going to Kitt Crusaders, Faces of Castelar, and Milo’s Sanctuary.

 

Working as Miguel Marquez Outside, artist Michael Pederson (previously) installs signage around urban areas that at first glance, might appear as an average city-issued nameplate or placard. His clever interventions mimic official warnings and notices in design and placement, disguising their witty messages and unusual purposes. In some of his more recent pieces, Pederson dubs a sagging bench the “Endless Waiting Area,” marks a grassy runway as a pigeon terminal, and installs a miniature wonderland down a drainage tube. Although the artist primarily works in Australia, you can find his unexpected projects in cities around the world, which you can see more of on Instagram.

 

Walking your dog twice a day, every day might seem like a chore when you don’t have the time for it or are scrambling around last minute for the leash. Setting up a routine and having all the pet essentials right at the door is key to making sure you and your furry family members are getting your steps in. Today we round up six pet essentials you should always have on hand for your next walk, whether it’s a trail hike or just a stroll around the neighborhood!

A quality leash and collar set is one of those items you should splurge on if you’re going to be using it every day. You’ll definitely feel the difference with this Terracotta Leash and Terracotta Collar from Herzog, made with 100% cotton canvas and weatherproof silicone. Plus, your pup will look so good – our #dogintern Koda is proof of that!

If your dog is especially excited for your walks and tends to pull a lot, a harness is better suited for them because it discourages the pulling more effectively than collars. This harness kit from JUST FRED comes with a leash, harness and pouch for holding keys or poop bags.

Something about a nice poop bag holder just elevates the act of picking up doo doo. It’s just a part of the dog walking duty (haha). This one by maxbone is made from genuine leather in a fun elephant shape for a whimsical touch.

With summer just around the corner, you want to make sure your dog’s paws are protected from hot pavements which can burn their paw pads. These boots from WagWellies are made exactly for this reason. Open slits in the design help to easily slide on and off and perforated holes allow for lots of ventilation.

On the flip side, if it’s raining, having a raincoat makes getting back into the house that much easier and less messy, especially when your dog does the inevitable wet body shake when you get inside. Inspired by fishermen raincoats of the Spanish Atlantic coast, this raincoat from The Painter’s Wife is made using recycled polyester that comes from the reeking and purification press of plastic waste collected from oceans, fishing nets and textile fiber waste.

>>> For more pet accessories for your furriest family members, check out our Pet collection! <<<

Everyone loves their dog, and then there are those that L-O-V-E them, and both are acceptable in my book. There are those that feel like their dog’s furry coat is the perfect outfit and others that acquire an entire wardrobe for them that rivals their own. If you happen to fall into the latter category, take it up a notch and try matching with your bestie when it rains. If you’re up for twinning, AAPETPEOPLE has you covered…literally and figuratively. In January 2020, the brand launched and now sells the Weather Proof Collection, which includes a poncho for people and a coat for dogs. The hand-sewn coats are made in NYC out of an iridescent, waterproof and wind-resistant material. They’re reflective making it easier for cars and buses to see you when you’re out walking your pup at night or on rainy days!

And if the fashionable gear wasn’t magical enough, AAPETPEOPLE is committed to eco-friendly and sustainable production practices, and they donate a portion of every purchase to help with the 70+ million homeless cats and dogs in the United States. They not only talk the talk, they walk the walk (with dogs in tow).

The Weather Proof Pet Coat comes in four sizes – S, M, L and XL – so you can outfit your dog whether they’re a pug or a golden retriever. The relaxed-fit coat features six snaps down the front to help keep their belly nice and dry, while front sleeves protect their legs from getting wet and muddy.

The unisex Weather Proof Pullover Poncho features a drawstring hood with Japanese hand-twisted rope, a chest zipper for easy on and off, and double pockets – one for each hand and one to hold your phone or keys while out.

>>> Shop the Weather Proof Collection here, and for more pet gear, click here! <<<

A Livre Ouvert — Paper Art for Hermès AoiroStudio07.27.21

Whispers: I love that he won two trophies, not just one.

Turn that Root Down into a meltdown with the first-ever candle replica of the boombox so iconic it’s simply referred to as “The King.” Cent LDN just released a retro design modeled after the legendary JVC RC M90 boombox—you might recognize this iconic device from LL Cool J’s Radio album cover and multiple photoshoots for the Beastie Boys. The hand-poured candle weighs more than four pounds, which is just a fraction of the actual electronic’s 22, burns for 100 hours, and is molded in cream-colored soy wax that’s both biodegradable and vegan.

Pick up one of the hip hop classics in the Cent LDN shop, where you’ll also find a Spalding basketball, and follow the London-based company on Instagram to watch for new releases. (via Plain Magazine)

 

A couple years ago, Alex and I went out to dinner, and both of us couldn’t help but notice that the tiny restroom smelled ridiculously good.… Read more

The post The Best Smelling Candles We’ve Found appeared first on A Cup of Jo.

Known for his dreamlike style, a focus on light and colour, and carefully crafted compositions, Franck Bohbot is a photographer and filmmaker we've long admired at Creative Boom. So it was great to see what he's been up to since the pandemic turned our world upside down.

In his latest series, Dear Winter, Franck wandered the streets of New York City in December (he's based in Brooklyn himself, as well as LA), seeing what impact a major cold spell of ice and snow coupled with the ongoing social restrictions had on one of the world's greatest cities. His resulting images are atmospheric, misty and devoid of the usual city crowds, as we see Manhattan buried under a blanket of snow.

Looking at the empty scenes, it's as though the whole of New York is asleep. It's not surprising when we learn of the ongoing number of cases of Covid-19. There were nearly 13,000 new cases in New York yesterday alone, although the stats do appear to be dropping. Vaccine doses are being rolled out and there seems to be light at the end of the tunnel for a city that became the worst-affected area in the United States back in March. Even so, the mood is rightly cautious.

Discover more of Franck's work at franckbohbot.com. Or you can order one of these cinematic images as a print via his online shop.

It’s dessert season!! Just kidding … it’s always dessert season in my brain. Today, I’m rounding up our favorite cookie and bar recipes from our blog archives. This is a good post to sip your morning coffee to while deciding which recipe to bake today. Maybe I should have made “recipe” plural, because there are some pretty good ones on this list. 😀

First on the list? Banana bread muffin cookies. Everything you know and love about banana bread in a soft, chewy cookie.

If you If you haven’t made flourless chocolate chip cookies before, give this recipe a try. Don’t be freaked out about the flourless option. I make these alllll the time when I’m craving a cookie and need one ASAP. We also have recipes for whole wheat chocolate chip cookies and cherry chocolate chip cookies … so now it’s decision time!

These red velvet cookies are thin and crispy with lots of white chocolate chips in them, but you could use regular chocolate chips instead if you’re feeling extra that day.

Cosmic brownie COOKIES.

Emma made pumpkin swirl slab pie for Friendsgiving last year, and this has been Elsie’s go-to fall dessert ever sense. Pumpkin recipes foreverrrrr.

Confession time. I absolutely love peanut butter (the natural kind, OK?). So much that I had to stop buying it because I was going through a jar a week. That said, I will 100% take the risk and buy some to make these peanut butter and jelly cookies.

These These are similar to magic cookie bars except they have toffee and toasted coconut in them. Hello, and yes, please.

Laura’s chocolate chip pumpkin cookies are gluten-free and vegan. Oh, and they taste incredible! If you don’t have any dietary restrictions, you have to try this version made with pumpkin, tahini, and chocolate chunks. Trust me.

These no-bake cherry cheesecake bars have a secret ingredient in the crust. Can you guess what it is?

The ultimate peanut butter-lovers cookie. Adding sea salt flakes to the tops of these is strongly encouraged for maximum effect. 🙂

The best vegan sugar cookie recipe.

I had to include a Halloween treat since spooky season is upon us—spider web chocolate bars (the bars are homemade!).

Emma’s peanut butter bars are both indulgent and addictive. You’ve been warned!

These lemon burst crinkle cookies are a game changer. SO good. I made batches of these to give to friends a few months ago and saved plenty for myself. Haha.

It was hard work, but someone had to do it. Emma tried and tested brownie recipe after brownie recipe to find the best ones on the internet.

What’s not to love about thumbprint cookies? They’re super easy to make and you can add so many different fillings like jelly, preserves, and even a chocolate version with homemade red wine raspberry jam.

You You can make your own Kit Kat bars—and they taste better than the store bought version!

Classic shortbread cookies (#classic). I love how Emma made these extra cute using cookie cutters and little fork marks.

Another Friendsgiving dessert we won’t forget? Cranberry and vanilla bean pie bars. The buttery crumble top mixed with the tart cranberry is heavenly.Remember those chocolate “oranges” you could buy that had segments of chocolatey goodness? These madeleine cookies are similar to those.

I’ve included a couple bonus posts that aren’t technically recipes, but I love these baking tips. The first post is three ways to add lettering to sugar cookies.

Did you know you can add fresh herbs and edible flowers to cookies and other desserts? This is especially fun for a party or special birthday dessert.

Now, wake and bake some cookies! xo, Jacki

À l’heure où les mouvements Black Lives Matter montrent l’urgence de faire valoir les droits de tous les noirs à travers le monde, une collection privée unique a été découverte et dévoilée. Composée d’un portfolio de carte-de-visites du XIXe siècle, elle rassemble les portraits rarement présentés dans l’histoire de l’art des victoriens et victoriennes noirs de l’époque. À la tête de cette collection d’images uniques, l’historienne, écrivaine et photographe Valerie Wilmer qui souhaitait construire une anthologie de la Grande Bretagne noire du XIXe siècle. 

 

In cities across Sweden, France, and the Isle of Man lies a parallel universe fit only for a mouse. Miniature restaurants, record shops, and apothecaries squeeze into ground-level windows on the street next to their human-sized equivalents. The adorable universe is a project from a collective aptly named AnonyMouse, which started crafting the charming scenes in the spring of 2016.

Suggesting that the mice have a symbiotic relationship with the pedestrians on the street, the team repurposes items people throw away, turning a champagne topper into a stool or a matchbox into a table. Twenty-five installments currently exist across Europe, which largely are inspired by Astrid Lindgren’s and Beatrix Potter’s whimsical tales and movies from Don Bluth and Disney. “We thought it would bring a bit of joy to pedestrians passing by, but it grew into something slightly bigger, and as such we’ve probably dedicated more time on each project than we originally envisioned. But that’s just part of the fun,” they say. The team crafts each scene with incredible detail, from recreating iconic record covers to plastering up posters advertising mouse- and rat-based happenings.

As its name suggests, the group’s individual identities are unknown. “We like to think that part of the allure of our installations is that they could be done by anyone,” they say. “And since we do not have a specific agenda with them our identities are unimportant.” AnonyMouse won’t divulge plans for upcoming installations, but you can follow all of its adventures on Instagram.

 

Compiling more than 500 cards, a new book sequences an incredibly diverse array of metaphysical decks from medieval to modern times. Tarot is arranged in order from the Major to the Minor Arcana and examines the meaning behind the varied illustrations, considering who created them and when. From a whimsical, black-and-white rendering of The Lovers by Madison Ross to French occultist Jean-Baptise Alliette’s pastel series, the compendium explores the collaborations between mystics and artists that have been happening for centuries. Many of the pieces included in the 520-page book are being shown outside their respective decks for the first time.

Tarot, which you can purchase on Tashcen’s site, is the debut tome in the publisher’s ongoing Library of Esoterica series. You also might enjoy paging through Salvador Dalí’s surreal deck.

 

20 Black dancers performing an impressive choreography by Tomeography to Chloe x Halle’s “Baby Girl” on Zoom.

(via Popsugar)

One way we’re committed to supporting the Black community is to shop at Black-owned businesses, now and into the future. To that end, here are 14 wonderful brands and shops (and please share your favorites below)…

SKINCARE

Beneath Your Mask
This brand, which seems to be taking the world by storm, started when founder Dana Jackson was diagnosed with lupus and had to switch to an all-natural approach.… Read more

The post 14 Great Black-Owned Businesses appeared first on A Cup of Jo.

I think we’re all looking for fresh produce that can stretch for days in between grocery shops, which explains why cabbage seems to be having a moment right now.… Read more

The post Cabbage: A Love Story appeared first on A Cup of Jo.

Ukrainian artist Alexey Kondakov (previously) lifts figures out of classical paintings and drops them into modern-day photographs. Elegantly posed in dynamic lighting, his figures commute on public transit, dance in nightclubs, and peek around corners in otherwise mundane digital collages. The juxtaposition of the two worlds is humorous and at times seamless in its execution.

Through placement and shadows, Kondakov’s images sell the idea that the classical figures are three-dimensional objects photographed in a three-dimensional world. An image from an upcoming nightlife series depicts a mostly nude woman in a unique pose that, in context, can be read as dancing. Other images from his ongoing “Daily Life of Gods” use architecture and landscapes to ground the painted figures in an alternate reality.

To see more of his period-blending collages, give Alexey Kondakov a follow on Instagram.

Museo del Prado (Prado Museum) recently collaborated on a project with the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) designed to coincide with the 2019 UN Climate Change Conference in Madrid. Paintings from the museum’s collection were digitally modified to reflect a future world destroyed by inaction. Rising sea levels, barren rivers, and refugee camps transform works by European painters into a campaign to save the environment.

The project is titled “+ 1,5ºC Lo Cambia Todo,” which translates from Spanish to mean “+ 1.5ºC Changes Everything.” Paintings by three Spanish artists (Francisco de Goya, Diego Velázquez, and Joaquín Sorolla) and one Flemish Renaissance painter (Joachim Patinir) were chosen for the project by WWF and museum experts. The altered works were installed on billboards in Madrid and shared online using the hashtag #LoCambiaTodo as a way to expand and continue political and social conversations through art.

“For the Museum, this project represents an opportunity to continue placing art and its values at the service of society,” Javier Solana, Prado’s Royal Board of Trustees President, said in a statement. “The symbolic value of the masterpieces and the impressive artistic recreation that we present with WWF is an excellent way to transmit to everyone and especially to the young generations what is really at stake in this fight against climate change.” [via Artnet]

Barcelona-based artist Raya Sader Bujana (previously) painstakingly cuts and scores tiny paper monsteras, ficuses, and philodendron that stand just a few inches tall. The life-like plants feature wrapped brown stalks and green leaves that are no bigger than a finger. Often sitting in miraculous hand-woven baskets, each plant takes between five and six weeks to complete. The artist tells Colossal that each project starts with a vague idea and evolves along the way.  “I like applying techniques from other artistic disciplines or crafts, such as weaving or basketry and translating them to paper,” Bujana writes. These pieces are part of Tiny Big Paper House Plants, a series she began in 2017. Many of Bujana’s miniature creations can be found on Instagram and are available for purchase on Etsy.

“Your breath is horrendous.” Pink and red packaging by Zoe Schneider resembles a mouth and taunts users each time they yank out a tooth-shaped piece of gum. With flavors like Black and Blueberry, Citrus Smash, and Pummelmint, the antagonistic product is aptly titled “Bite Me.” Schneider is a recent graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design. You can follow her humorous designs on Instagram and Behance.

I’m the podcast person in the group… any group. (Is it possible to be podcast-ish, like a person is bookish?) Whatever the equivalent, I am that.… Read more

The post My Top Five Podcasts — and a Reader Wildcard appeared first on A Cup of Jo.

The Siren Hotel was conceptualized with two images in mind: the Greek mythological creature, the siren, who lured sailors to her; and the siren call, drawing people back to the city of Detroit.

In a neighborhood of old world hotels in the Motor City, design development firm ASH NYC have turned the iconic 1926 Italian Renaissance-style Wurlitzer building into a full flaunt of modern nostalgia. While original travertine floors, terra cotta signs, and plaster details on historic ceilings remain as reminders of the building’s past lives, the hotel’s 18th and 19th century Italian antiques in the lobby and the pink, white, and navy accents display the ASH NYC’s contemporary sensibilities as well.

On the 29th of August, the hotel debuted their in-house restaurant, Karl’s, helmed by Detroit native Kate Williams. The space looks like a proud practice in curating modern nostalgia: ASH NYC combined vinyl banquettes, linoleum walls, mint tiles, with chrome and neon accents. Karl’s moves smoothly between day and night, becoming a bakery, a diner, and a dive bar, and boasts an original Wurlitzer jukebox for a final touch.

What: The Siren Hotel
Where:1509 Broadway St, Detroit, Michigan 48226

How much? Rooms from $179 a night
Design draw: While original travertine floors, terra cotta signs, and plaster details on historic ceilings remain as reminders of the building’s past lives, the hotel’s 18th and 19th century Italian antiques in the lobby and the pink, white, and navy accents display the ASH NYC’s contemporary sensibilities as well.
Book it: Visit The Siren Hotel