Art and design studio CTRLZAK in Milan created a series of ceramics that are a mash-up, both humorous and thought-provoking, of traditional European and Chinese ceramic design and, as they say on their website, "its centuries of cross-fertilisation between Western and Eastern aesthetics."
On November 12th, 2011, they will be holding a special showing at Troutbeck House in London and pieces from the collection will be on sale. (Link at bottom.)
Visit CTRLZAK's website to see more imaginative, fresh work, especially "remediate," their collection of furniture and interior lighting based on medical objects and hospital design!
Heinz Maier is new to photography and has started his artistic journey by focusing on macro photographic images of insects and, more spectacularly, water droplets. We've all seen high-speed photographs of water droplets hitting a still water surface, but the beautiful colors, textures, and shapes of these images make the concept seem new and mysterious.
A glass artist needs to copy these frozen moments in time and turn them into some breathtaking, delicate glass sculptures (the fourth one down entitled Can I have More would make a gorgeous goblet)! Any takers? If you, Glass Blower, transform any of these images into solid form, please let Heinz Maier (link at bottom) and me know! Send us pictures!
Top to bottom: Yellow Drill; Column On Bubble; The New Way; Can I Have More; Crown
Visiondivision, an architecture firm founded in Stockholm, Sweden by Anders Berensson and Ulf Mejergren in 2005, last week unveiled plans for--and broke ground on--a new organic structure in Milan made from cherry trees.
From their website: "Visiondivision was invited as guest professors by Politecnico di Milano for their week-long workshop MIAW2. The workshop, playing with the metaphor of forests, aimed to generate new visions to explain the contemporary and immediate future ways of being in the spirit of green design, resilience, recycling, and ethical consciousness. Our intention with our project was to construct a study retreat at the campus with patience as the main key for the design. If we can be patient with the building time we can reduce the need for transportation, waste of material and different manufacturing processes, simply by helping nature grow in a more architectonic and useful way. The final result can be enjoyed at Politecnico di Milano in about 60 years from now.
During the workshop we gave nature all the guidance and directions to help it grow into useful structures and objects. There are different methods and tools to guide and control the growth of trees and plants; bending, twisting, pruning, grafting, braiding, weaving and to control the amount of water and light the trees get are just some examples of these. We used almost all of these techniques in our creation, which involved creating a structural system for the building and also stairs and furnitures, all made out of trees, plants or grass."
The only disappointing part is that it will take so long to grow... I guess I am not a very patient gardener but the issue is that I probably won't be around to see it completed. But I like knowing that it is growing and will exist someday...
One cannot survey the Masterpieces of Pop Music without looking at the catalog of the Masters of Pop. I refer of course to The Beatles, one of the most influential musical acts in pop music history. Their contributions to the evolution of pop music cannot be exaggerated. The only difficult part is, for the purpose of this series, trying to pick one Masterpiece of Pop from a catalog full of masterpieces.
The Beatles’ catalog can be divided into three phases: Early, Mid-period, and Late. Although many might argue that the early Beatles songs are some of their most influential in terms of the evolution of pop music at that time (the band were the first wave of the “British Invasion” which was the next step in the history of rock and roll after the likes of Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis), the songs lack substance. Yes, they were important in the growth of the pop form, but they were a product of the period. Pop songs were in their infancy and the early Beatles sound shows it: quick, catchy, jangly tunes without—or with a very sketchy—narrative. It was only the beat that was important: in fact, the musical movement in Liverpool from which The Beatles emerged was called “Merseybeat,” so named for the River Mersey that runs through the city.
But of course as the group grew, as the individual members grew as people, and as contemporary culture grew, pop music evolved simultaneously. The Beatles found themselves torn between the commercial success of cute but vapid pop ditties and artistic expression, and fortunately for the world, artistic expression won out. They entered into an experimental phase, willing to explore sonically and lyrically, and were influenced by the cultural and psychological revolutions happening at the time. They transitioned from the “live Beatles” to the “studio Beatles” and began creating very sophisticated songs that simply could not be duplicated by a four-piece rock and roll band on a stage. They became mythical and created music that defied genres and expectations. For example, because of their association with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, sitars entered their music. Experiments with LSD led to mind-altering tracks that were expansive, liberating, and gloriously transcendent.
The late period Beatles is composed of some equally astounding music, but the output was slowed due to the dissolving relationships within the band. The stress and strain between the members can be felt in the music, however brilliant it may be. The songs created during this final phase can be seen as refinements of and variations on what was created during their mid-period.
In looking at these phases, I had to pass over the awesome psychedelic rock of “Tomorrow Never Knows” and “Love You To;” I had to pass over the chilling, mind-boggling, sonic wonders of “A Day In The Life,” “I Am The Walrus,” and “Strawberry Fields Forever;” and I had to pass over just plain ol’ kick-ass songs like “Come Together” and “Hey Jude.” I had to pass them all over in favor of a two-minute and six second masterpiece called “Eleanor Rigby.” On their 1966 album “Revolver” (the first product of their rich, fertile mid-period), The Beatles pushed the boundaries of what a pop song could be by using classical arrangements, and by using traditional rock and roll instruments as well as ethnic and classical instruments. And “Eleanor Rigby” sparkles among the other spectacular songs from “Revolver.”
One of the few songs to be written by all four members of the band, Eleanor Rigby started life in Paul McCartney’s imagination as Daisy Hawkins, who sounds of course, too much like “Sadie Hawkins”… with a comic sense to it. Thankfully, Daisy turned into Eleanor Rigby, who sounds serious, tight, and repressed. The structure of the song is brilliant. We alternately follow two characters, Eleanor and Father McKenzie, both “lonely people” who never meet in their lives. Paul McCartney sings of “all the lonely people”, indicating that there are many more people like Ms. Rigby and Father McKenzie. One can imagine all of these lonely people living in a town where no one speaks to one another, at least not on a real, authentic level; they are separate, emotionally removed from one another in this shell-shocked, post-war British landscape. In this agonizing lament, Eleanor picks up the rice from the floor of an empty church after a wedding, invoking images of Miss Havisham, then waits at a window in her home, presumably doing nothing but staring out, while wearing a “face that she keeps in a jar by the door.” She waits for someone who is obviously never going to arrive. The priest is equally as disconnected, writing sermons that he will give to an empty church (our second glimpse of this empty church), and darning his socks, alone, by what I have always imagined to be candle light. These forlorn characters finally do meet but only because Eleanor has died. Father McKenzie officiates at her funeral, which again, is devoid of people. These images of the pair and their lost, desolate lives are heartbreaking. The narrative is amazingly full, not only because of what is sung, but because of what isn’t. Much like the song with which I started the Masterpieces of Pop series, “Ode To Billie Joe” by Bobby Gentry, it feels as if the contents of an entire novel have been expertly and delicately placed within the confines of this perfect two-minute gem, as if Joyce’s ULYSSES or Proust had been distilled down to their essence and poured into a small vial. That is really one of the hallmarks of a Masterpiece of Pop: the issue of brevity vs. content. It is possible to have an entire world of content, a narrative that evokes far more than what is presented, in a two or three minute pop song.
Another quality of a Masterpiece of Pop is that the music supports the lyrical ideas presented in the song. In this respect, “Eleanor Rigby” is truly perfect. Without any musical prelude or introduction, we are thrust into a tense, stark world right at the start of the song, as Paul, John, and George suddenly and shockingly sing—no, they practically keen and wail the chilling refrain, “Ah, look at all the lonely people.” The safety and familiarity of a four-piece rock and roll outfit is nowhere to be found. Instead of a slow, funereal sound that one would expect with such lyrical content, an urgently cadenced string octet, immediate and visceral, brilliantly arranged by Beatles producer George Martin (and, as legend has it, based on the film music of composer Bernard Hermann), relentlessly saws away at our emotions, with violins and cellos weeping and mourning the loneliness of life from which no one can be saved. This tragic elegy is all the more remarkable for a contrasting lack of sentiment in the presentation of its existential expression—there is simply no room for it. In the end, we are all, indeed, buried along with our name. We have no choice.
"Ah, look at all the lonely people Ah, look at all the lonely people Eleanor Rigby, picks up the rice In the church where a wedding has been Lives in a dream Waits at the window, wearing a face That she keeps in a jar by the door Who is it for? All the lonely people Where do they all come from? All the lonely people Where do they all belong? Father McKenzie, writing the words of a sermon that no one will hear No one comes near Look at him working, darning his socks In the night when there's nobody there What does he care? All the lonely people Where do they all come from? All the lonely people Where do they all belong? Ah, look at all the lonely people Ah, look at all the lonely people Eleanor Rigby, died in the church And was buried along with her name Nobody came Father McKenzie, wiping the dirt From his hands as he walks from the grave No one was saved All the lonely people (Ah, look at all the lonely people) Where do they all come from? All the lonely people (Ah, look at all the lonely people) Where do they all belong?"
...the warped, gauzy "Asleep At A Party" by Memory Cassette. The brainchild of Dayve Hawk, Memory Cassette has also recorded under the names Weird Tapes and Memory Tapes.
In its current incarnation as Memory Tapes, Hawk has recorded a new release, "Player Piano" which features the hypnotizing song "Yes I Know." Take a look at the startling accompanying video.
Last month's Paris Fashion Week was reserved for women's wear but designer Gareth Pugh sent out some male models amongst the women during his Spring-Summer '12 runway show. Pugh is known for his angular, science-fiction-inspired clothing and this collection fit the bill.
I understand he has a new store in Hong Kong and recently launched a line of cosmetics in partnership with MAC.
The School of Fish, a non-profit organization based in Vancouver, BC dedicated to persuading culinary schools throughout the world to include a comprehensive sustainable seafood course as a requirement prior to graduation, have built a charming, floating dining room.
From their website: "With the assistance of our marine engineer and with all safety regulations taken into account, we have designed and built a luxurious dining room which is staying afloat with the use of 1,675 plastic 2-litre bottles built into its frame. Within this floating dining room will be a table for twelve guests. Tickets are $195 per person plus tax (when booking prior to July 31 and will be $215 thereafter). You are invited to dine with us in the warm summer air while floating on your own private dining room with an up-close view of the sailboats passing by throughout the night. All materials going into and coming out of this floating dining room will be renewable, recycled, reclaimed and/or repurposed. Intimate lighting, soft music, designer furnishings, bone china dishes, elegant silverware and crystal glassware will all be included to add to this unique experience.The floating plastic represents the issue of our oceans becoming a collecting ground for discarded plastic; one of the many threats to our seafood supplies."
After spending this past summer in San Diego, the floating Plastic Dining Room will be partnering with restaurants around the world for next summer. It may be floating into a port near you! (I am hoping it gets to SF since we are in a foodie paradise here!)
This is an absolutely fantastic example of a complete renovation in the Adelaide Hills of South Australia. I love how the homeowners kept the original stone fireplace breast along with the copper hood in the living room. Any other renovators would have gotten rid of those elements, but what looked dreadful and dated before now adds character and style to a modern space. The new copper globe pendant lights pick up the copper hood, making a nice statement; every room needs a bit of shine. And the reading nook off to the side is a wonderful moment.
And the transformation of the exterior is amazing as well.
"Oh, By The Way" is my digital scrap book of things I like, things I would share with a close friend and say: “Oh, by the way, do you know of this artist/ clothing or interior designer/ model/ singer/ actor/ gorgeous man… or, have you seen this video/ photo/ film... or heard (or do you remember) this song/ band... or, read this book/ poem/ inspiring quote... or, visited this place/ museum/ restaurant/ famous building... or, have you heard of this amazing new scientific discovery?”
I am dedicated to posting the positive, the fascinating, the beautiful, the interesting, the moving, and the inspiring and uplifting. Sometimes I post cultural as well as personal observations, milestones, and remembrances. And just like life, all of these things may often have a bit of melancholy or even sadness in them, which is what makes our time here so lovely and bittersweet and precious.
Some of the photos, art, poetry, and prose are my own original work, credited with my initials, JEF. When it isn't, I always try to post links to the original source material, but often I find photos on the web that are not linked or other material that is not sourced. In these instances, I post them without malice since it is assumed that such things, by being globally posted on something as uncontrollable as the internet to begin with, are in the public domain. If you identify the source of an image that is not linked, please politely let me know (without accusing me of theft) and I will be happy to provide a link. If you are the owner of an image and would prefer it be removed, I am happy to do that as well.
I hope to inspire and entertain my readers with things that inspire and entertain me. There is a startling amount of beauty and creativity in the world and it enriches us all to participate in it.
All-time Favorite Films
2001: A Space Odyssey (Kubrick)
After Hours (Hysterical, hair-raising ride through NYC at night)
Amelie
American Beauty (Alan Ball)
Baraka (Stunning, transcending—the "spiritus mundi" on film)
Belle et Bete (Cocteau)
Big Sleep, The (The epitome of film noir)
Bringing Up Baby (Hepburn & Grant—the epitome of screwball comedy)
Cook, The Thief, His Wife, and Her Lover, The (Greenaway)
Crash (Cronenberg—DIFFICULT subject, not for everyone)
Don’t Look Now (Nicolas Roeg—ultimate modern gothic horror)
Drowning By Numbers (Greenaway)
Easy Rider
Edward II (Derek Jarman)
Erendira (From magic realist Marquez’ brilliant short story)
Eyes Wide Shut (Kubrick's last film)
Fearless (Jeff Bridges—life and death)
Funny Bones (Leslie Caron, Jerry Lewis, and the brilliant Lee Evans)
Holiday (Hepburn & Grant)
Howard’s End (The ultimate statement of the unfairness of class systems)
The only disappointing part is that it will take so long to grow... I guess I am not a very patient gardener but the issue is that I probably won't be around to see it completed. But I like knowing that it is growing and will exist someday...
The Beatles’ catalog can be divided into three phases: Early, Mid-period, and Late. Although many might argue that the early Beatles songs are some of their most influential in terms of the evolution of pop music at that time (the band were the first wave of the “British Invasion” which was the next step in the history of rock and roll after the likes of Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis), the songs lack substance. Yes, they were important in the growth of the pop form, but they were a product of the period. Pop songs were in their infancy and the early Beatles sound shows it: quick, catchy, jangly tunes without—or with a very sketchy—narrative. It was only the beat that was important: in fact, the musical movement in Liverpool from which The Beatles emerged was called “Merseybeat,” so named for the River Mersey that runs through the city.
The School of Fish, a non-profit organization based in Vancouver, BC dedicated to persuading culinary schools throughout the world to include a comprehensive sustainable seafood course as a requirement prior to graduation, have built a charming, floating dining room.
