Shared posts
08 Oct 00:35
The Alternative Limb Project
by Alex Santoso
SukoWow these are wonderful!
Sophie Oliveira Barata worked on special effect prosthetics for the television and movie industries in college, but wondered if she could use her skills to create stylish prosthetics for people who've lost limbs.
Thus The Alternative Limb Project was born.
Check out many more amazing alternative limbs that Sophie had created over at her website and Instagram - via Kottke
Photo: Omkaar Kotedia, model Kelly Knox
Photo: Ryan Seary wearing a detachable leg cover which fits over his C-leg (Photo by Omkaar Kotedia)
03 Oct 07:58
Air-popped, microwaved, stovetop-popped, or Whirley-Popped? We taste-tested all four methods to find the ultimate way to make popcorn at home. Read More
The Best Way to Make Popcorn
by Sohla El-Waylly
SukoDamn, now I want to try out a whirley pop. Though the towel-lid idea sounds great, the risk of catching it on fire with hot oil is wayway too high for this gal. Plus I like that I could potentially use the whirley pop for making spiced nuts which is something that would be nice to make with a more even coating.
Air-popped, microwaved, stovetop-popped, or Whirley-Popped? We taste-tested all four methods to find the ultimate way to make popcorn at home. Read More
02 Oct 05:43
Just Give This Kid Wearing a Hand-Crocheted Full Predator Costume All the Halloween Candy
by Andrew Liszewski
The month of October is always a fun online parade of inventive Halloween costumes, but it’s only October 1st and already we have a top contender for best getup of 2018. The recent sequel might have not been memorable, but this kid-sized, hand-crocheted Predator costume deserves all the candy in your bowl should he…
Sithel likes this
24 Sep 06:36
Henry the VIII and Ann Boleyn Halloween Costumes
by Miss Cellania
When redditor Monkeygruven posted this picture of some family friends ready for trick-or-treat, others bemoaned that the kids didn't pick their own costumes, nor did they know who they were portraying. Maybe it was more like this.
Mom: Do you want to wear a scary costume or a princess costume?
Girl: I don't know!
Mom: You can be both! You can be a queen who got her head cut off!
Girl: Yeah, let's do that!
Boy: I want to have my head cut off!
Mom: How about you be the king that murdered her?
Boy: Well, okay. But how will people know I did it?
Mom: Let me tell you a scary story, a true story...
That said, the costumes are awesome. -via reddit
23 Sep 15:37
Textile Artist Creates Hand-Tufted Wool Rugs Inspired by Argentinian Landscapes
by Emma Taggart
SukoThese rugs look amazing. I would love to touch one in person and see how the different sections/topography feels.
“Santa Cruz River”
Textile artist Alexandra Kehayoglou brings the beauty of the Argentinian landscape indoors with her incredible wool rug designs. Each functional work of art features hand-tufted woolen textures that represent her country’s grasslands and rivers. The artist’s attraction to nature is not only for aesthetics, but part of personal dedication to raise awareness for preserving the natural landscapes of her homeland.
Kehayoglou’s chosen locations are often linked with political controversy and negative human impact on the environment. One piece titled No Longer Creek (2016) is inspired by the Raggio creek near the artist’s home that was recently destroyed by the construction of a shopping mall. Another large-scale piece, titled Santa Cruz River (2016-2017), was made during a time when the city proposed the construction of two major hydroelectricity dams on the river—the last free, wild river in Argentina.
Each handmade tapestry is created using a myriad of leftover materials from her family’s industrial carpet factory, which has been in business for more than six decades. The talented artist then transforms the scraps of wool into one-of-a-kind carpets that immortalize the beauty of the disappearing landscapes. Kehayoglou’s works are often displayed against a wall, with part of the tapestry left to trail along the floor so visitors can immerse themselves among the soft textures.
You can see more of Kehayoglou’s textile creations on her website and keep up to date with her upcoming projects on Instagram.
Textile artist Alexandra Kehayoglou brings the beauty of Argentinian landscapes indoors with her incredible rug designs.
“Santa Cruz River”
Each functional work of art features hand-tufted woolen textures that represent her country’s grasslands and rivers.
“Santa Cruz River”
“Santa Cruz River”
Kehayoglou’s chosen locations are often linked with political controversy and negative human impact on the environment.
“Hope the voyage is a long one”
“Hope the voyage is a long one”
The artist hopes to raise awareness for preserving the natural landscapes of her homeland.
“No Longer Creek”
“Santa Cruz River II”
Alexandra Kehayoglou: Website | Facebook | Instagram
h/t: [Colossal]
All images via Alexandra Kehayoglou.
Related Articles:
Textured Wool Rugs Bring the Natural Pastures of Argentinian Landscapes Indoors
Textile Artist Creates Nature-Inspired Embroidery Art That “Grows” Beyond Its Frame
Embroidery Artist “Paints” Colorful Landscape Scenes With Thread
Artist Crafts Large Beautifully Textured Weavings You Can Hang on Your Wall
The post Textile Artist Creates Hand-Tufted Wool Rugs Inspired by Argentinian Landscapes appeared first on My Modern Met.
20 Sep 09:14
Interview: Artist Brings Inanimate Objects to Life as Funny and Mischievous Characters
by Emma Taggart
SukoI've seen a few of these before but these are great. Zombie peanuts!
“Little Devils”
Self-described “Humorist, Photographer, [and] Earthling” Terry Border brings everyday objects to life with hand-sculpted wiry limbs and household props. Every image from the Indianapolis-based artist’s Bent Objects series tells a story that brilliantly captures Border’s (slightly twisted) sense of humor and childlike imagination. From personified food to humanized books, each hilarious scene is carefully composed and photographed in the artist’s studio.
Border began working with wire back in the early 2000s when he was practicing sculpture. While playing around with the malleable material, he began to realize its potential for transforming mundane objects into comical characters. Combining his love of working with his hands, his experience with photography, and his sense of humor, he began posting his funny wire sculptures on his Bent Objects blog in 2006 and never looked back. Since then, his career erupted into success, leading to worldwide exhibitions and a series of children’s picture books.
From a romantic tale of peanut butter and jelly slices to a bereaved egg on Mother’s Day, each piece is full of expression, personality, and emotion. In one dark-humored setup, a tragic breakfast scene features two corn flakes who are seen mourning over their friend who’s just drowned in a puddle of milk. In another, more recent piece, titled Little Devils, an evil brigade of eggs are seen coaxing a line of “good eggs” to their inevitable death—a boiling pot of water.
We recently had the chance to ask Border about his inspiration and processes. Read on for our exclusive interview.
“Zombie Peanuts”
“Cereal Killer”
How did the Bent Objects project get started?
In the early 2000’s I had washed my hands of photography and was working on kinetic sculptures (which needed a lot of help to move, truth be told). We lived in a small house and the untold pieces were hung around each room reminding me how much wasn’t selling, and how much I was spending on materials (mainly aluminum). Just playing around one day I started bending some wire, and I loved the sense of freedom that I got from making small things that didn’t cost much at all to make. I ended up making a piece with wire for a gallery group show and people connected with it, then I started a blog called Bent Objects in 2006 and it took off like a rocket because most of the pieces were humorous. It actually took me a few months to realize that my final piece wasn’t the sculptures themselves but my photographs of them. Yeah.
How do you decide which items to work with?
Whatever catches my eye. Sometimes an idea pops in my head when I’m in a supermarket, and then other times I simply find some object silly in itself and it takes a few years to come up with something that interests me. It’s much, much more difficult nowadays because I don’t like to repeat myself, and I’ve made a lot of Bent Objects images.
Where do you come up with your ideas? Are you influenced by animation?
I abuse caffeine a fair amount. Walking around a supermarket with a caffeine buzz and then having an idea form when I see something is a helluva feeling. I’m not a runner, but I’ll assume the feeling I get must be a little like a runner’s high when all the pieces come together in my head. I know it’s a really good idea if the pieces seem to snap together in my brain to form an idea. Other people probably get that same feeling, but I’ve never really talked to anyone about it. Maybe I’ll hear from others about this.
As to animation, I’m a big fan, but I’ve been influenced more by Alexander Calder’s circus than stop motion.
Can you describe your process for setting up a scene?
First off, I only add props that are necessary to tell the story. Second, I usually shoot from a low angle to make whatever characters they are seem larger. Third, I want some directional light. I want to give whatever I’m shooting some shape. I was in commercial photography for several years and I use that experience to bring my characters to life. Oh, and fourth, a lot of times I pretend I’m a silent film actor portraying my characters. That seems to help with poses. And no, I’m not joking.
Are you inspired by any other artists?
Alexander Calder is a guy whose work I keep going back to. First I was in love with his mobiles, which influenced me to try kinetic art and my own mobiles. Later, when I started to work with wire, I realized after-the-fact that I was again in a realm that he also was the master of.
Another obvious inspiration to people old enough to have knowledge of him is Gary Larson of Far Side comic fame. I don’t know him, but I know we’d get along because I think we’d be equally weird.
From the “Wiry Limbs, Paper Backs” series.
From the “Wiry Limbs, Paper Backs” series.
From the “Wiry Limbs, Paper Backs” series.
Did you ever expect that your wire characters would turn into a series of books?
After I made a couple of books that were basically collections of Bent Objects photos, I knew the next step was picture books. My agent tried for a year or so to get a publisher to give me a chance, but had no success. Then one day, someone at Philomel books saw a calendar of my photos, purchased it and hung it in her office. The publisher came by and saw the calendar and said, “I wonder if he’d like to try a picture book?” I couldn’t believe it. Sometimes you have to be lucky. The someone who bought the calendar, Jill Santopolo, has been my book editor for 6 books now. Making picture books is the best job in the world I’m telling you! The best compliment you can get is when a kid likes your work and tells you, because there’s no BS there.
Do you have any upcoming projects you’d like to share?
I’m always trying to do some new, strange thing. Not everything is a masterpiece, but it’s not boring, at least not to me. I’m pretty new to Instagram (what can I say, I’m a late adopter), but that’s a good place to keep up with me. My first kid’s book, Peanut Butter & Cupcake! got a big boost when Kim Kardashian posted that it was her daughter’s favorite book, and a sequel to it is coming out later this year called Big Brother Peanut Butter (yes, I just dropped her name! Crucify me already!) I’m now finishing next year’s book where all the characters don’t make it to the end. It’s fun to push the envelope a little bit like that!
Terry Border: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Tumblr | YouTube | Vimeo
My Modern Met granted permission to use photos by Terry Border.
Related Articles:
Terry Border Brings Old Books to Life with Wire
Everyday Objects Looking for Love
Food Artist Creates Edible Worlds Out of Everyday Ingredients
8 Charming Stop Motion Animations That Bring Inanimate Objects to Life
The post Interview: Artist Brings Inanimate Objects to Life as Funny and Mischievous Characters appeared first on My Modern Met.
20 Sep 09:09
One-Armed Violinist Performs Beautiful Solo With Custom-Built Prosthetic Bow Arm
by Kelly Richman-Abdou
In 2004, Japanese nursing student Manami Ito lost her right arm in a traffic accident. While coming to terms with this life-changing event, she decided to put her dreams on hold. However, when she went to pick up her new artificial arm at a facility, she noticed people with similar disabilities playing basketball. This inspiring sight motivated Ito to overcome her obstacles and set new goals for herself.
Now, at 33 years old, Ito boasts an eclectic background. Since the accident, she has become a nurse (the first in Japan to have a prosthetic), and a world-renowned Paralympian swimmer. Additionally, she has started touring the country for yet another talent: playing the violin.
Thanks to a customized prosthetic bow, Ito is able to gracefully play the stringed instrument with amazing precision. In a Facebook post, she describes this unique tool as “lightweight” and notes that she used it for the first time in October of 2016. Now, nearly two years later, she is still employing the bow as a means to share her remarkable talent with the world.
Ito's innovative bow is just one example of the ways in which people have been customizing their artificial limbs. From a tattoo gun to a chalkboard, prosthetic hybrids prove that these challenges are no match for creative thinkers.
Watch Manami Ito use her prosthetic bow in an inspiring performance below.
h/t: [Laughing Squid]
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Injured Loggerhead Turtle Gets New Prosthetic Flippers
The post One-Armed Violinist Performs Beautiful Solo With Custom-Built Prosthetic Bow Arm appeared first on My Modern Met.
20 Sep 09:09
These Artists Are Creating Miniature Paper Birds Every Day for an Entire Year
by Emma Taggart
SukoA very different style of papercut birds than I've seen before. Lovely!
India-based artists Nayan Shrimali and Vaishali Chudasama create tiny bird illustrations out of hand-cut paper. The incredible paper sparrows, doves, owls, and more are all part of an going paper art project titled 365 Days of Miniature. For this self-appointed creative challenge, the creative duo have set themselves the ambitious goal of creating one mini paper bird every day for an entire year.
To create each feathery friend, Shrimali and Chudasama hand-cut various layers from watercolor paper before assembling them into the final “2.5 dimensional look.” Taking around 4-6 hours to finish, each piece is then hand-painted with lifelike colors and intricate details. Their portfolio of miniatures include exotic, vibrant birds such as a parrot and a pink Roseate Spoonbill, as well as common woodland birds such as a Barn Swallow and a Gold Finch. They’ve even created a series of adorable, extra-tiny chicks!
The artists say, “We enjoyed each bird everyday and learned a lot about birds and their nature while making them.” Each paper bird is photographed either perching on a twig, walking in sand, or held up to look as if they’re swooping through the air—just as if they were really living in the wild.
Keep up to date with Shrimali and Chudasama’s daily paper bird creations on Instagram, where the artists post interesting facts about each bird alongside their illustrations.
India-based artists Nayan Shrimali and Vaishali Chudasama create tiny bird illustrations out of hand-cut painted paper.
The incredible paper sparrows, doves, owls, and more are all part of an going paper art project, titled 365 Days of Miniature.
The creative duo set themselves the goal to create one paper bird every day for an entire year.
View this post on Instagram
Suko likes this
12 Sep 08:37
Social Media Announcement
SukoHeh.
Smilingface4ever, Jamesthollowell and 14 others like this
30 Aug 06:16
Begging the Question
SukoBwahahahahaha!
Smilingface4ever, Sithel and 9 others like this
29 Aug 08:46
90-Year-Old Photographer Continues to Delight the World with Amusing Self Portraits
by Sara Barnes
SukoMore Kimiko-san! Love her sense of humor.
You’re never too old to discover your passions—just ask Kimiko Nishimoto. At 72 years young, she picked up a camera, and her life hasn’t been the same since. She’s now 90 years old and still delights people across the globe with her quirky self-portrait photography. Her images turn the ordinary world into a much more whimsical place.
Nishimoto’s growing portfolio features many light-hearted images of herself in fantastical situations. Using a camera and aided by photo manipulation programs, she imagines herself riding a broom like a witch and speaking to a bird as she floats in mid-air, also on a broom. The nonagenarian will often share images of herself being mischevious, too. One of her latest pictures shows her gleefully tying someone to a chair. But the dramatic photos, paired with some over-the-top editing choices, make us sure that Nishimoto means it all in good fun.
Since we last enjoyed Nishimoto’s creative self-portrait photography, she’s joined Instagram. Follow her ever-growing account to see her portfolio and also a peek into her life beyond the lens.
At 90 years old, Kimiko Nishimoto continues to delight the world with her creative self-portrait photography.
Kimiko Nishimoto: Website | Facebook | Instagram
h/t: [Bored Panda]
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The post 90-Year-Old Photographer Continues to Delight the World with Amusing Self Portraits appeared first on My Modern Met.
26 Aug 01:35
pumpernickelandcoal: avatar-dacia: crispy-ghee: juliedillon: T...
This is an illustration I did for the August 2014 issue of Popular Science Magazine. The assignment was to show a scifi take on human aging in the future. I wanted to do something relatively positive, so I drew a lady whose life has been been prolonged through cybernetic enhancements and augmentation, so she gets to spend time with her great-great-great-great grandchildren.
Thanks to AD Michelle Mruk!
this is beautiful
So I keep wanting to reblog Cyborg Matriarch here, but I keep losing track of her.
She’s not getting away this time.
I really want a sci-fi story to go with this.
Suko likes this
14 Aug 15:34
The Metrosexual Knights Who Defended Medieval Korea
by Miss Cellania
SukoFlower Boys!
King Chinhung of Korea's Silla Dynasty conceived of a training program to shape the country's most promising young people into a skilled class to serve the monarchy. The students were drawn from the aristocracy, and originally included girls, until one of the founding members pushed another into a stream and drowned her out of jealousy. After that, the program was called the Hwarang Boys Academy, which produced the the Hwarang Knights, an elite group of warriors who were known for their beauty, from their makeup to their jeweled shoes.
Roughly translated as “flower boys” or “flowering youth,” the Hwarang were male aristocrats who comprised an elite corps founded in the sixth century B.C. “Unfortunately, there’s a lot we don’t know about the Hwarang,” says Courtney Lazore, historian and author of The Hwarang Warriors — Silla’s Flower Boys. “We often liken them to knights, but they were much more than just fighters.” With their focus on religion, education and the military, it was “possible for [them] to become well-rounded leaders.”
They were warriors, but also nobility and cultural ambassadors. Read an overview of what we know about the Hwarang at Ozzy.
(Image credit: Jlsilo)
Sithel likes this
30 Jul 22:42
spoonyruncible: I do feel bad for plants in general.Like, I know they are often as vicious as...
SukoTrue.
I do feel bad for plants in general.
Like, I know they are often as vicious as animals in many ways, just slower.
But, I mean, they just show up and they’re like, “I Think I Will Evolve To Eat The Sun And Also Make Oxygen And How Now Is All This.”
And, like, everything fucking dies at first (totally not plants fault, btw. okay maybe it was but they didn’t mean to) but then new things evolve.
And they’re like, “Fuck it, eating each other suuuucks. Let’s eat the plants which give us life.”
And so we start doing that.
And plants are all, “Oh Dear No, I Do Not Care At All For Being Eaten. I Will Make Myself Into Poison Sometimes.”
But, y'know, stuff kept eating plants anyway so plants, ever the bro, came up with a new idea. “I Have Made A Decision About Being Eaten And You May Eat Me Friends And Here Is An Especially Tasty Bit Packed All Full of Delicious Sugars Which I Have Produced At Great Cost (What They Do Not Know Is That My Seeds Are Within And Shall Be Propagated Near And Far By Their Dung)“
But that’s not good enough for animals, no, not at all.
We love the fuck out of some pomegranates but also alliums which are like, “I Have Not Decided To Go In For This Being Eaten Business. I Shall Be Very Foul Tasting And Also A Poison.”
But no, sorry, onions, you fucked up.
You accidentally wound up with a species that just doesn’t give up or fully comprehend the idea of things tasting “”‘bad’“’ or other concepts like not eating poison. (Sorry, plants, later we turn some of you who are not poison into a poison we consume recreationally. We really enjoy eating poison.)
Legit, alliums are deadly to, like, every other species.
And we call them aromatics and throw them in everything.
Peppers are the best, though.
They completely got on the being eaten train.
BUT ONLY BIRDS
Peppers are like, “You May Eat Me, Fair Avian, For You Are Sure To Spread Me A Great Distance. But, Mammal, Take HEED. Should You Eat Me Then I Will Burn You Most Terribly.”
And we were all about that.
“The FUCK, burning? I love pain,” said humans, presumably.
“You know, peppers, you and evolution have done a good job at burning us but I am pretty sure we could make your chemical agony even more potent. Come hang with us,” humans added to a very confused pepper just before creating the ghost chili.
Suko likes this
12 Jul 07:16
Portraits of People Whose Traditional Māori Tattoos Disappear in Wet Plate Photos
by Jessica Stewart
SukoHow fascinating the difference between the two photographic techniques! Makes you wonder what other details have been lost in time from issues like this.
Gary Shane Te Ruki
Inspired by wet plate portrait photography of the past, photojournalist Michael Bradley‘s Puaki is an examination of the Māori culture. Specifically, Bradley explores tā moko, the permanent markings on the face and body practiced by New Zealand's indigenous culture. With his set of stunning portraits, he visually recalls the near erasure of this important cultural tradition.
Bradley, who has been practicing wet plate photography since 2013, first stumbled upon the concept for Puaki when looking at wet plate images where people's tattoos often didn't appear. This was a spark to investigate the history of tā moko and develop the long-term project.
“In Māori culture, it is believed everyone has a tā moko under the skin, just waiting to be revealed,” writes the Te Kōngahu Museum of Waitangi. “The problem is, when photographs of tā moko were originally taken in the 1850s, the tattoos barely showed up at all. The wet-plate photographic method used by European settlers served to erase this cultural marker—and as the years went by, this proved true in real life, too. The ancient art of tā moko was increasingly suppressed as Māori were assimilated into the colonial world.”
Tā moko has seen a resurgence since the 1990s and the pride each participant takes in their markings is clear in Bradley's photographs. By comparing the digital and wet plate photographs, it's clear that tā isn't only about personal expression, but a cultural marker that is worn with dignity.
Puaki, which means “to come forth, show itself, open out, emerge, reveal, to give testimony,” is Bradley's way to plant a seed with the public. He hopes they will learn more about tā moko and how Māori culture forms an integral part of modern society. Almost erased from the pages of history, the practice is a demonstration of how cultural traditions can continue to flourish in the modern age.
Puaki is on view at the Te Kōngahu Museum of Waitangi in New Zealand until September 2, 2018.
Puaki focuses on the tā moko of the Māori by juxtaposing digital and wet plate portraits.
Paora Rangiaho
Paora Rangiaho
Te Kahautu Maxwell
Te Kahautu Maxwell
Naomi Tracey Robinson
Naomi Tracey Robinson
The 19th-century technique seems to “erase” the subjects' facial tattoos, much as tā moko almost disappeared until a resurgence in the 1990s.
Pouroto Nicholas Hamilton Ngaropo
Pouroto Nicholas Hamilton Ngaropo
Catherie Murupaenga-Ikenn
Catherie Murupaenga-Ikenn
Tunuiarangi Rangi McLean
Tunuiarangi Rangi McLean
Whare Isaac-Sharland
Whare Isaac-Sharland
Photojournalist Michael Bradley also interviewed all the participants, with individual films available on the Puaki website.
Michael Bradley: Website | Facebook
My Modern Met granted permission to use photos by Michael Bradley.
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The post Portraits of People Whose Traditional Māori Tattoos Disappear in Wet Plate Photos appeared first on My Modern Met.
11 Jul 20:04
Interview: Artist Stretches Delicate Strands of Thread to Produce Awe-Inspiring Rainbows Indoors
by Sara Barnes
SukoBeautiful.
Gabriel Dawe Plexus No. 35 at the Toledo Museum of Art. Photo: Andrew Weber
Artist Gabriel Dawe creates awe-inspiring thread art that is seemingly magic. Simply put: he makes rainbows indoors. Known for delicate site-specific installations, the massive pieces span sections of art galleries—but that’s not all! His work also appears in places where anyone can see it, including airports and office buildings. No matter its locale, the stretched thread pieces conjure the same effects: they dazzle with reflected light and send even the most casual passerby into a momentary state of wonder.
Dawe’s textile art is the product of following a creative intuition that began as a way to challenge the constraints of masculinity and the patriarchy. As a child, he remembers his grandmother teaching his sister to embroider, but not him because he was a boy. In his adult years, he realized that, if he wanted, he too could acquire this skill. Learning embroidery and attending graduate school ultimately lead him to the installations that have earned him worldwide acclaim.
A rise in popularity and an enthusiastic audience response to his pieces have naturally caused his work to evolve (and grow) in meaning over the years. But throughout it all, he has not lost sight of the characteristics that are important to him. One of the most important components is color; he uses hues to help subvert the world’s narrow view of gender and identity to allow people to express who they truly are.
“A really important aspect of my work is the color,” he tells My Modern Met. “It took the installations to really give me the permission to explore with the full spectrum. I've always really liked really bright colors. To me, tolerance is the embodiment of joy. So, not just color but the full spectrum. I love the idea that all of these different components come together to form a unity.”
We were honored to speak with Dawe about artistic practice. Scroll down to read our interview with him, which has been edited for clarity and condensed for length.
Plexus No. 35 at the Toledo Museum of Art. Photo: Andrew Weber
Your past has really played into the artwork that you're currently making. Can you briefly describe the influence for the installations?
It developed out my work with textiles. I don't really have training in textiles. I never weaved and never went to school to learn the technique. When I decided to become an artist, I was not the best painter and so I was trying to find my way of not just being another mediocre painter.
I remembered the frustrations from when I was a kid that my grandmother would teach my sister how to embroider but she wouldn't teach me because I was a boy. So when I decided to become an artist, I remembered that frustration and decided, “Well, now I'm a grown man and I can decide for myself to actually do embroidery.” I just taught myself how to embroider and that's sort of what took me to the trajectory that eventually landed me on making the insulation.
Plexus No. 19 at Villa Olmo, Como, Italy
Plexus No. 19 at Villa Olmo, Como, Italy
How long was that time between you teaching yourself and then starting on the installations?
It took years. My background was in graphic design. I was really in this mentality of producing. I was used to having to produce and having deadlines. I think my biggest concern was that I was never going to be able to make a living because it took so long to make one single piece. But, you know, I stuck with it. I went to grad school and then in grad school, things evolved pretty fast. It's when I started doing installations.
Plexus A1 at the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Courtesy Conduit Gallery. Photo: Ron Blunt
Plexus A1 at the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Courtesy Conduit Gallery. Photo: Ron Blunt
Do you do use any software to plan how the thread is going to be installed or is it drawn out?
I have come to an understanding of the geometric principles in play, so I don't use any algorithms or software to help me figure out what's going to happen or how a piece is going to be installed. I sketch on [Adobe] Illustrator; it's really much faster to draw on the computer.
In very few instances, I do rely on 3D software just to make sure that we have high clearances. Especially when working on commissions where you don't want people to be able to touch it because otherwise, it's not going to last.
Plexus No. 24 at the Contemporary Art Museum, Houston, Texas
How has the conceptual basis for these vibrant installations changed over time? Has it shifted or have you learned new things by doing them?
[The installations started off as a big experiment with the material and what the material was. I started doing embroidery because I wanted to challenge the notions of masculinity that I grew up with and challenging the patriarchy in my own small way. I really liked, in the beginning, that how these massive installations were stemming from that idea. I still see that connection [today].
People are not necessarily going to see that when they look at the installations, but I still feel that it's an extension of that embroidery practice [combined with] experimentation with the material and using the material of clothing in an architectural scale.
Plexus C18 at the San Antonio Airport
[continued] So that component started surfacing at the beginning—how buildings and clothing both have the function of sheltering. But then when you use the material of the clothing on an architectural scale, you lose that physical sheltering quality, but it gets transformed into this very childlike quality. It becomes like a sheltering of the soul in that way.
[The sheltering of the soul] started surfacing once I was working with thread for a while and then I realized that these pieces were really material. That's when I decided to use the full spectrum [of color] to reinforce the idea of light because they kind of look like frozen rays of light in space.
And because I see how people really react to these pieces, it almost feels like when people encounter my work, they are having an immediate reaction. You can see their human masks fall and they just go to this childlike wonder space. [The installations] have become a sort of catalyst to have a sensory quality of bringing people to a place of inner joy.
Plexus No. 30 at the Newark Museum
So when you create these pieces is that “inner joy” and what the viewer might feel now at the forefront of your mind?
It is, and the other thing is more formalistic qualities and how they relate to the [specific] space they're going to be in and how the insulation is going to activate a space. There's this sort of unspoken dialogue between me and the building of, like, what is the building asking of me so I can translate it into an installation.
One of the things that I really enjoy is being in a new space and wondering how can I do something here that is going to make me push the work. I think that the work has been evolving very subtly over the years. I revisit things and make a subtle change or striking change. I really try to not just hash out the same thing over and over but really try to figure out how the work will unfold over time.
Plexus No. 31 at the Newark Museum
What are you working on now?
I just did an installation for the launch of a line of carpet that I collaborated on with Mannington Commercial. It's called the Moiré collection and it's inspired by the installations.
Plexus No. 34
Plexus No. 36 at the Denver Art Museum
Gabriel Dawe: Website | Instagram | Facebook
My Modern Met granted permission to use photos by Gabriel Dawe.
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The post Interview: Artist Stretches Delicate Strands of Thread to Produce Awe-Inspiring Rainbows Indoors appeared first on My Modern Met.
11 Jul 18:15
Aerie’s New Lingerie Campaign Is a Beautiful Smorgasbord of Representation & Inclusivity
by Vivian Kane
SukoThis is pretty cool and cute lingerie too.
Aerie, American Eagle’s brand of lingerie and sleepwear, has been promoting messages of inclusion and body positivity for a while now. Back in 2014, they launched their #AerieReal campaign, pledging only to use un-airbrushed, un-photoshopped images of models in their ads. The move turned out to be a great one, and their sales went through the roof. Turns out women don’t need (or even want) images of unrealistic beauty standards to buy bras. Who knew?
This season of #AerieReal ads go even further, and features real women—as in non-professional models—wearing Aerie products. The representation is kind of incredible. There are women of all sizes and body types, ages, and race.
image: Aerie
The website also a features a number of women with disabilities, chronic illness, surgery scars, and other conditions.
images: Aerie
People with visible disabilities and conditions are so severely underrepresented in fashion and other media. These images, then, are having a big impact on people who aren’t used to seeing themselves reflected like this.
OH MY GOD!!! THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I’VE EVER SEEN MYSELF REPRESENTED IN A MODEL!!!!
— ᴇᴠ ᴍᴀᴄ 🐝 (@evquaymac) July 10, 2018
I am about to cry. I NEVER see people with ostomies. pic.twitter.com/7A2UOgBEWz
— peebs1701 (@peebs1701) July 10, 2018
Seeing this from the @Aerie website means so much to me. This model not only is beautiful, but has the same type of disease as me. I love seeing diverse representation pic.twitter.com/jb6dbRr3lQ
— madelynn ♡ ☆ (@_madelynn101) July 11, 2018
a model who looks like me! @Aerie is doing something so special! i have never seen true diversity of age, ethnicity, ability, and size from a company in my life! this is representation! pic.twitter.com/Rzzt5N504s
— the saddest potato (@pillypiIar) July 11, 2018
I literally cried when I saw this today. Thank you @Aerie for making my daughter a little less self conscious about her diabetes #realpeople #tidlookslikeme pic.twitter.com/rPKr4nNFoY
— Jennifer Smith (@Mizz_j_smith) July 11, 2018
THIS 🙌🏼🙌🏼 Aerie is giving me and all other Type One Diabetics the confidence to wear our “robot parts” without ever thinking it makes me any less beautiful #aerieREAL 💗 pic.twitter.com/jmBi000Uf9
— Lyd 🌸 (@lydpottschmidt) July 11, 2018
Aerie is proving that outdated images of “perfection” aren’t representative of true female beauty, and they definitely aren’t needed to sell clothes, not even lingerie and bikinis.
(images: Aerie )
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—The Mary Sue has a strict comment policy that forbids, but is not limited to, personal insults toward anyone, hate speech, and trolling.—
Suko likes this
10 Jul 20:23
50+ Contemporary Artists to Keep an Eye on Featured in One Gallery Show
by Sara Barnes
SukoI'm not usually into art like this but I really like some of these pieces. The gentle almost sweet creepiness is cool.
“Ohana” by Audrey Kawasaki
The Spoke NYC gallery is known for its striking exhibitions of exciting contemporary painting, illustration, and sculpture, and its latest New York City exhibition lives up to its reputation. Called Suggestivism: Resonance, the show features over 50 contemporary artists from around the world that are at different points in their careers; some, like Audrey Kawasaki, are well-established while others are up-and-coming in their creative journeys.
Suggestivism is curated by Nathan Spoor, who selected the title to refer to the conceptual basis for which these works were created and therefore included in the show. “The term ‘suggestivism’ refers to the ability of an individual to pursue their purpose with an amplified understanding and sensitivity,” Spoor states in a press release. The artists involved in the show create vivid narrative art that invites us to imagine who these characters are and the worlds they inhabit. They do this through abstracted portraits, architecturally-inspired sculptures, and macabre paintings loaded with symbolism. While different in their approaches, each has a rich visual language to share.
Suggestivism made its debut at Spoke Art San Francisco in 2016; now, it’s on view at the gallery’s Lower East Side location with a book of the same name. The show is on currently on view through July 28, 2018.
Spoke NYC has a new exhibition on view called Suggestivism: Resonance, which highlights alluring narrative art from artists around the world.
“Parallel Self” by Sarah Joncas
“Bloom” by Kristen Reichert
“Metamorphosis” by Marisa Aragon Ware
“Phantom Rain” by Tanya Shatseva
“Black Hole In The Milky Way” by Tanya Shatseva
“Symbiosis” by Natalie Foss
“Loveloss – Salvation” by Meredith Marsone
“Loveloss – Reach” by Meredith Marsone
“Ave's Nest” by Amy Sol
“Qipao Mermaid” by Lauren YS
“Winter Road” by Dan May
“Nature of Mind” by Peca
“They Hunt at Night” by Wendy Truong
“Premonition” by Nathan Spoor
“Akkorokamui Jr.” by Scott Musgrove
“Rara Avis” by Johnny Rodriguez
“Solace” by Miles Johnston
Spoke Art Gallery: Website | Instagram | Facebook
My Modern Met granted permission to use photos by Spoke Art Gallery.
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The post 50+ Contemporary Artists to Keep an Eye on Featured in One Gallery Show appeared first on My Modern Met.
10 Jul 06:48
hey, i'm seeing hamilton uk in a month and i'm super curious abt how terera's burr is different! could you explain a bit?
SukoI love the idea of a nerdy social-outcast Burr.
Oh goodness! Hm let me see if I can gather my thoughts here.
So far, up until London, all the Burrs I’ve seen have fallen on a spectrum that goes from 1 (I am cool and collected and sleek and prepared and On Purpose and Lying In Wait; this comes naturally to me and until I met goddamn Hamilton I was sure it was the way to success. But he keeps winning so maybe I need to change my game plan??? You want fire, America?? I will BE fire. I will Light The Frickin Sky– oh shit I fucked up) to 10 (there is a FIRE inside my heart, my ambition and my drive BURNS ME ALIVE, and I keep all that passion shoved and contained and shackled deep down inside my soul except when I’m at the height of the song Wait For It, when the audience gets the first glimpse of Me and it puts them on the thudding edges of their seats, because I think control, patience, grit, and determination is the way to success, even if I have to fight with myself to embody those things. I will wait. I will strive. I will survive everything thrown at me and I Will Win, using this inner, burning core of myself to drive me forward– but Hamilton is on fire just like me, he doesn’t hide any of it, he just goes, and he just Wins. How does that work? It’s not fair and I’m angry about it? Well fine let ME finally release all the chains I’ve bound myself with – oh shit I fucked up)
Most Burrs fall somewhere along that spectrum, 1 to 10, either on fire within and finally letting go at Room Where It Happens, or full of a more icy drive and instead lighting themselves on fire at that moment. But Burr is sleek, controlled, purposeful, powerful, suave, ambitious– the question generally is whether that is his nature, or an affect he puts on, something calm and controllable and purposeful in a life that’s had so much random tragic chaos in it.
But Terera? He walked on stage and it was like… Ok so this Burr definitely got stuffed into lockers and had his lunch money stolen at college. Dude, YOU kill a man?
Odom Jr’s voice is like melted butter, and Terera’s has got this whine? Whine isn’t quite the right word, he has a great voice, but I’m blanking on the word I want. His voice has Character. He’s an anxious, slightly frazzled nerd. His Burr is doing his best, he’s fairly content, he’s not burning up on the inside with fire or with ice. He doesn’t fit on the spectrum. /And it works/. I didn’t expect it to.
When he said “Theodosia, she’s mine,” in Wait For It, the audience /laughed/. When Odom does that line you’re like DAMN, DUDE, YOU BOLD, but the audience laughed at Terera’s anxious, twitchy Burr. But then by the end of the song, he’s got you. I went into Wait For It going ‘hmmmm um mr. Burr I am not sure how you are going to pull off the second act, you’ll need to be like mad, and scary, and stuff? uh, I dunno,’ but by the end of the song it was like, 'nope, nvm, I’ll wait for it, yes sir, it’ll come.’
He’s got it, okay, it’s just a different Burr. He doesn’t start from a place of undying ambition and change his methods, the way Odom (and most other Burrs) do. Odom knows what he wants and he Will Get It, and he loses himself because he takes a leaf out of Hamilton’s book and dooms them both. It’s a fall. Odom’s Burr and Hamilton are both tragic heroes.
Terera’s Burr is a tragedy to, but it’s… different. When Burr falls somewhere on the 1-10 where-does-your-chill-live spectrum, he and Hamilton are two opposing poles of the narrative. It’s a story of the unstoppable force meeting the immovable object, and it’s captivating, mythic, breathtaking.
Terera’s Burr isn’t Hamilton’s equal and opposite. He’s his friend. His story isn’t mythic; it’s the coming of age story of a kid Hamilton’s age or so, who grows into the man who can pull the trigger in one bright instant of poor, bitter choice.
He gets corrupted by the narrative, he gets sucked in, and you Feel for him, okay? It’s like… when I hit the end of the story, with Terera’s Burr, it still felt inescapable that /someone/ was gonna shoot Hamilton. It was always going to come to this. But there was nothing preordained or unchangeable about who– Burr feels like the wrong kid in the wrong place. It’s a different sort of heartbreaking.
It makes it a way more human story, sort of? It almost genre shifts, sort of? Like as much as you can when the only change is an actor. It becomes a story about people, normal people, all tossed together in a little country, and all the unkindnesses they wreak upon each other if unchecked.
I really like the unstoppable force/immoveable object throughline of Hamilton, and I missed it not being there in London. But damn if I’m not gonna call Terera astonishing and powerful, and the story he helped make there a damn good one. I just didn’t realize how transformative a different Burr would be nor how well he would fit into the existing words while making them all ring different.
They /laughed/ at “Theodosia, she’s mine.”
I think Room Where it Happens is one of the big turning points– I mean, for Burr, it IS his turning point. But for the spectrum Burrs it’s where they change their METHODS– decide to let lose their inner fire; or to emulate Hamilton, if their inner drive is all ice and determination or whatever. But Terera’s Burr changes his /goal/ there. He realizes what he /wants/ or maybe /that/ he wants. I dunno, it’s just different. It rang really different, all of it. But it’s GOOD.
Oh oh and also, at the beginning of Washington on Your Side, it’s great (the Jefferson for this cast is spot on, Jason Pennycooke), Burr starts singing “wouldn’t it be nice” etc and Jefferson just does this like offended triple take like– 'who are you?? Why are you approaching the cool kids table? Why is this four talking to a ten??? Oh but wait I /do/ really want to vent about Alexander tho let’s harmonize.’
And as you watch, you can see Burr watching Jefferson and Madison carefully, jumping in a word late on lyrics, trying to learn the ropes and Be the Plotter He Wants to See in The World.
I dunno, there was just a lot of stuff like that that really rang true and made sense. He was so much a character. He had so much more of an arc. It felt so much more like he was in a coming of age story, and that just really changes the whole feel.
Let me know what you think, when you see it!
Suko likes this
09 Jul 07:01
xenosaurus: xenosaurus: There are three basic categories of fic writer: type one: fan fiction is a...
SukoI don't even read a lot of fanfic and I feel this is probably pretty accurate.
There are three basic categories of fic writer:
type one: fan fiction is a love letter to canon, only small changes unless it’s an au!!
type two: the source material can bite me, I don’t give a fuck
type three: horny
sorry, I forgot one
type four: canon COULD be so good if it wasn’t so straight/white/horny, so I fixed it while holding unblinking eye contact with the creator and mouthing ‘die’
04 Jul 19:55
I read your Steve and Logan bits and they are amazing. But consider this; Steve learns that Logan, who's older than WW1, has lost his memories. He gives a statement in an interview describing this man, this patriot who always looked after other people in his own gruff way, describes his side-burns, his claws, his cigars. And suddenly, people are calling into the station; "Yeah, think I met this guy a few years ago" "My granddad has this photo..." "So, In this bar one time..."
SukoThis is delightful. I wish it were a comic series.
And all these people call in, sharing their own memories of this mysterious Cryptid named Logan who is apparently an immortal, grumpy, wandering dad-friend who’s also a patriot and he helped punch out Nazi’s and free camps and beats up assholes who don’t respect women. And the whole while Logan is watching this from a TV screen with Kitty or Rogue holding his hand so gently, after they dragged him to the couch in a hurry. “You recording this?” “Don’t worry, we won’t let you miss a single word.”
Okay but if we’re gonna do this we’re gonna do this HARDCORE HISTORIAN STYLE, and it initially comes up while Steve is being interviewed for a book about the Howling Commandos or a bit for the History Channel or something. Because this person is like “Hey, there are a bunch of stories of you showing up somewhere with only one dude for backup, was that Bucky?” And we’ll assume that this is before the whole Winter Soldier thing, so that’s not a hideously loaded question.
And Steve kind of laughs and he’s like, “Oh, wow, God, that was actually this dude on detached duty from the Canadian special forces, he and I got sent on a bunch of missions together. His name was Logan, he was the weirdest guy I ever met, and I knew some pretty weird guys, but he could take a hit even better than I could, so when the Howlies were laid up, they sent us out together.” And he launches into this story about how one time he and Logan stole a plane complete with pilot and stormed a prison camp that was holding German Jews before sending them up to Poland, and the historian he’s talking to is taking frantic notes and trying not to drool because THIS IS A NEW GUY. CAPTAIN AMERICA’S STORY IS METICULOUSLY WELL DOCUMENTED BUT NO ONE’S EVER MENTIONED THIS GUY.
There are no pictures, obviously, so Steve does a sketch for this historian, because he’s helpful like that and also because. Like. Listen. Steve’s been through a lot of weird shit, and to be sure this Logan he used to know could take a bullet and keep coming no problem, but this dude’s probably been dead fifty or sixty years. No harm in giving him a little posthumous glory, right?
So this historian runs back to her university and starts doing research on the Internet. She reaches out to her coworkers first, then to anyone else she knows, then to the premier WWII and Captain America scholars of the world, and asks all of them “Do you happen to know who the fuck this dude is?”
And like, no, they don’t. They’ve got no idea. Steve’s not even totally sure what the guy’s real last name was, because Jameson is common as hell and there’s no Logan Jameson on the books. So they start doing research into this WWII cryptid, and finally they reach an old woman who listens to her grandson’s boyfriend talk passionately about this new project he’s working on and goes “Oh, yeah, I met Cap in Germany one time, there was a guy with him who sounds kind of like what you’re talking about.”
This passionate history major immediately sends an email in all caps to his adviser and it just says “MY BOYFRIEND’S GRANNY KNOWS WHO WE’RE TALKING ABOUT PLEASE COME TO KANSAS ASAP THANKS” or whatever, because, listen, historians are Like That. Speaking as someone who could easily have claimed to be a history major based on my thesis, I would have gone to Kansas in 0.2 seconds if someone had been like “What’s up we found that book you were after but we can’t take it out of the museum.” It does stuff to you. Trust me here.
So this woman tells the story of how Cap and his weird buddy broke her and her mother and father out of a temporary prison camp, and this history professor immediately takes all the tiny bits of information and starts asking around, looking for literally anyone else who knows this Logan dude. He saved your ass one time in Paris? He gave you some rations in Berlin? He beat your grandfather’s ass in Russia? He took three bullets for you? You had a passing conversation? This historian and his extremely pumped undergrad who just changed his senior thesis want to hear about it.
And then someone gets in touch with them and is like “Hey, I know you’re looking for WWII stories, but this guy saved my dad’s entire unit on the Somme and I have pictures?” And someone else is like “Hey, I have a file from a Vietnam MASH unit for a Logan who looks like that guy, do you want it?” And someone else is like “Uh, fuck all of y’all, I think this is him in the Civil War, what do I do about that?”
AND SO BEGINS LOGAN, THE HISTORICAL CRYPTID.
This undergrad is taking an extra year of college and basically getting a Bachelor’s degree in Tracking Weird Mutants Through History, and also his adviser is very lucky to be on tenure, because otherwise he would have been laughed out of the college three times by now. But there is an absolute preponderance of evidence, is the thing, so it just turns into this massive quest to investigate exactly whether or not Logan the Mystery Dude was actually in China for the Boxer Rebellion or whatever.
Forget this being a collaborative effort between colleges, there are multiple continents involved in this by now. Canadian government is under pressure to turn out their WWII special operations files for this guy from five different big name universities in five different countries, including their own. Things are getting a little wild in academia. Steve’s been interviewed nine times and he has a filter set up in his email specifically to catch stuff from the University of Toronto.
It takes a little bit for Kitty’s bubbe to get a phone call. Kitty’s bubbe has been living a quiet-ass life in Illinois and likes it that way, especially because her last name is not Pryde and therefore Kitty and her weird friends can crash at Bubbe’s house whenever they’re in the area without any trouble. It’s fine if her granddaughter wants to run around in spandex and save the world and shit, she’s honestly much more chill about it than Kitty’s parents, but Bubbe does not care for news crews in her neighborhood thank you very much.
But so eventually this nice old Ashkenazi woman gets a phone call from an extremely pumped undergrad who read a very brief statement she gave in a news article forty years ago about Captain America, who she is very grateful to for breaking her, her older sister, and their little brother out of a prison camp during WWII and also helping them get across the border. Did she happen to see anyone else? Why yes, very polite young man, the Captain had another man with him, he was very grumpy but he let my brother ride on his shoulders so I liked him very much. That’s great, would she mind if someone came and talked to her about that? No, very polite young man, not at all, when would work for you?
And she gives Kitty a call that night, because she gives Kitty a weekly call since Kitty and her parents are going through a rough spot to the tune of “please God stop risking your life//listen I’m saving people I’m not going to stop learn to cope”. Bubbe mentions offhand that she’s going to have a talk with this very polite young historian about the Shoah and Kitty’s understandably a little concerned for her bubbe’s mental health, and asks some questions.
So Kitty hears her bubbe out in increasing degrees of shock, hangs up the phone, and immediately goes and does an extensive google.
Then she goes and hammers on Logan’s door until he says to come in, slams her computer down in front of him, and says “Holy shit, Logan, why didn’t you tell us that you knew Captain America?”
“Uh, because I mostly didn’t,” Logan says, wary. “Don’t remember that much.”
“You might want to take a look at this, then,” Kitty says, and Logan looks through her fifteen tabs and thanks her and calls the university that seems best informed.
Which is the story of how an extremely pumped undergrad gets a phone call from the object of his thesis that opens with “This is gonna sound pretty fuckin’ wild, but my name is Logan and I’m pretty sure you can catch me up on the last hundred years better than I can.”
Oh, and then Logan and Steve meet up again and it’s very nice and sweet and that undergrad gets a full ride to the PhD program of his choice. The full ride’s name is actually Tony Stark, who’s doing a favor for Steve, who’s doing a favor for Logan, who’s secretly doing a favor for the undergrad, but no one really knows that.
20 Jun 01:38
mirrorfalls: Fundamentalist fearmongering video: This dungeon “master” is given complete control...
by simply-sithel
SukoOH GOD SO TRUE.
Fundamentalist fearmongering video: This dungeon “master” is given complete control and “players” must do whatever dark things are demanded of them.
Real DM: Please, just cross the river. You’ve all tried to seduce the catfish and it didn’t work. I’m begging you.
Suko likes this
15 Jun 08:22
Modern Samurai Soldiers in Japan Are Using Their Sword Skills to Pick Up Trash
by Kelly Richman-Abdou
SukoI have heard of them before but they are still awesome and I love the hats.
Recently, people in Japan have been coming up with clever new ways to bring age-old customs into the modern age. In addition to products like the ice cream katana and minimalist kimonos, this trend has also inspired Isse Ichidai Jidaigumi (“Once in a lifetime, on a big bet”), a one-of-a-kind club that reimagines samurai sword skills as a theatrical means to pick up trash.
Each member of this unique group is fittingly dressed in an old-meets-new outfit: a traditional Japanese robe and a modern trilby hat. While clad in these eye-catching ensembles, Isse Ichidai Jidaigumi members roam around Tokyo and Hokkaido, stopping only to simultaneously show off their sword skills while collecting garbage.
Employing the arcs, swings, and slashing motions characteristic of traditional samurai techniques, Isse Ichidai Jidaigumi members use tongs to gather the litter. The trash is then placed into a basket, which is usually carried on one person's back.
In addition to these street-based spectacles, club members also showcase their sword skills—as well as their singing talents and dancing abilities—at various events. One branch of the traveling troop of environmentally-conscious Samurais has even reportedly recorded an album, featuring a surefire hit titled “Trash Time.”
Members of the Isse Ichidai Jidaigumi club have found a creative way to clean up Japan's cities.
The theatrical troop of Japanese street cleaners use their sword skills to pick up trash.
See the modern samurai solders in action!
さっき外へ出たら60階通りにいきなりゴミ拾い侍が出現してその太刀さばきが余りにもお見事(´･_･`) pic.twitter.com/2Bxezi8CJh
— ちからや てんちょー (@burao0304) June 5, 2018
渋谷のゴミ拾い凄い😁 pic.twitter.com/uR2X475xZu
— ERA (@ERA1140) February 21, 2016
3月6日(日)15時からのGOMI拾い塵芥の陣。
この世界の道端からGOMIがなくなるまで
モラルの無い心を成敗し続けます。 pic.twitter.com/b18bewOL7N— 【公式】時代組婆沙羅(ゴミ拾い侍) (@jidaigumi_tokyo) March 7, 2016
All photos via Jidaigumi Hokkaido.
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Four of Japan’s Greatest Samurai Swords Reimagined as Sheathed Scissors
The post Modern Samurai Soldiers in Japan Are Using Their Sword Skills to Pick Up Trash appeared first on My Modern Met.
Sithel likes this
10 Jun 07:46
Playful Pots Turn Air Plants Into Adorable Ocean Creatures
by Kelly Richman-Abdou
SukoI love the nautilus and squid ones!
This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase, My Modern Met may earn an affiliate commission. Please read our disclosure for more info.
Recently, the air plant has proven popular among fun-loving flora enthusiasts. On top of living a low maintenance life, the plant is admired for its ability to put a playful twist on the traditional pot, whether doubling a crazy hairdo, sprucing up a chess set, or, as in the case of Cindy Searles‘ ceramics, bringing a sea of adorable ocean animals to life.
Featuring colorful squids, curious octopuses, and even a seemingly startled narwhal, Searles' collection of hanging planters puts an under-the-sea spin on suspended plant pots. In most instances, the plants cascade from the pieces, transforming their curved leaves into floating tentacles or legs. Sometimes, the plants sprout from the backs of the animals, turning them into a whale's waterspout or the spines of a pufferfish.
Each enchanted air plant holder is handcrafted and painted by Searles, who captures the diversity of sea animals through fun patterns, bright colors, and eye-catching textures. Accompanied by a steel cable, each ceramic pieces comes ready-to-hang, requiring only the plant itself and making it a “wonderfully whimsical gift for any occasion.”
You can find these aquatic animal planters and more delightful crafts in Cindy Searles' Etsy shop.
In a colorful collection of hanging planters, Cindy Searles brings a sea of adorable ocean animals to life.
Cindy Searles: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Etsy
h/t: [Brown Paper Bag]
All images via Cindy Searles.
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The post Playful Pots Turn Air Plants Into Adorable Ocean Creatures appeared first on My Modern Met.
08 Jun 09:28
20+ Sticky Note Drawings That Perfectly Capture the Everyday Struggles of Adulthood
by Emma Taggart
SukoHeh, some of these are particularly awesome. Love the venn diagram and the packing one. Spotify one is also amusing.
Cartoonist Chaz Hutton (aka Insta-Chaz) uses humble sticky notes as his canvas to illustrate the relatable highs and lows of daily life. Using a simple stick-man style in black ink, the artist captures the awkward transition into adulthood with witty diagrams, charts, and simple illustrations all condensed into small, square and rectangle-shaped yellow Post-it notes.
Hutton first started drawing on sticky notes while bored at his desk job in an architecture firm. He tells My Modern Met, “They started off as little drawings I'd make for friends and those friends ultimately convinced me to put them onto an Instagram which I assured them was a terrible idea and that nothing would come of it.” Since its debut in August 2015, the @instachaaz Instagram has gained almost 200,000 followers.
From social media addiction to social awkwardness, the hilarious series expresses “one man’s philosophy of life.” Many illustrations feature thought bubbles that reveal the inner anxieties of the characters, such as a group practicing yoga who are all thinking the same thing: “Everyone here is amazing at this and I look like a complete idiot.” Other works feature witty decision tree diagrams for challenging “how to” scenarios. For “how to cook dinner” a mind map details the panic of buying ingredients, which inevitably ends with returning home with a jar of Nutella—an all too real sequence of events for many.
Today, Hutton works full-time creating his sticky note illustrations—a dream situation he never imagined would become a reality. He recalls, “I thought I might get enough followers to maybe trick a brand or two into giving me some free stuff, so to end up accidentally becoming a cartoonist has been a pretty outrageous outcome.”
You can buy prints from Hutton’s portfolio on his website, and scroll through his Instagram for more chuckle-worthy illustrations.
Cartoonist Chaz Hutton (aka Insta-Chaz) uses the humble sticky note as his canvas to illustrate the relatable highs and lows of daily life.
Each Post-It comic captures the awkward transition into adulthood with witty diagrams, charts, and simple illustrations.
From social media addiction to social awkwardness, the hilarious series expresses “One man’s philosophy of life.”
Chaz Hutton / Insta-Chaz: Website | Instagram
My Modern Met granted permission to use photos by Chaz Hutton.
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The post 20+ Sticky Note Drawings That Perfectly Capture the Everyday Struggles of Adulthood appeared first on My Modern Met.