Drzach & Suchy: shadow cloud A shadow cloud is a three-dimensional object, consisting of multiple shadow-casting elements semi-randomly arranged in three dimensions in such a way, that depending on the direction of illumination the overall shadow of the cloud displays various images encoded in it. A shadow cloud can be viewed as a generalization of shadow casting panels, but of course the basic idea of multiple shadows from one three-dimensional structure is already present in well-known GEB-triples. However, in contrast to GEB-triplets, a shadow cloud can encode up to four arbitrary images and display them under appropriate illumination without any distortions. The idea of shadow clouds can be summarized as follows: the shadow cast by flat, thin elements depends on their relation to the direction of illumination: elements perpendicular to illumination cast clear shadows, while the shadows of elements parallel to illumination are practically invisible. Figure 1. Figure 2. Figure 3. Figure 4.
Mind-Blowing Installation Makes You Feel Like You’re Walking On A Cloud I waited in line for two hours Saturday to slip on a pair of hospital booties and spend a few minutes, maybe 5 minutes tops, milling around a white room. And you know what? It was totally worth the wait. That’s because Doug Wheeler’s new installation at the David Zwirner gallery in New York is the closest I’ll ever get to satisfying a desire I’ve had since childhood: to float on a puffy white cloud. The installation is called rather unromantically SA MI 75 DZ NY, and it’s precisely what I’ve described--a white room and little else. The effect dies after a moment (turn around and you’ll notice a bunch of mood-killing lights and--eek! SA MI 75 DZ NY is Wheeler’s fourth so-called “infinity environment”--expansive, all-white rooms that evoke the sensation of entering an infinite void. I suspect that what drew people to Irwin’s artwork decades ago is the same thing that inspired legions to wait two hours (or more) at the David Zwirner gallery on Saturday.
la casita de wendy 12 Fun and Creative Umbrellas Collection of unusual and creative umbrella designs that will protect you from bad weather in style. LED Umbrella Blade Runner inspired umbrella available in black with white LED’s, and red with red LED’s from ThinkGeek. Standing Umbrella The Stand umbrella is a creative umbrella that stands up by itself. SENZ Umbrella Due to its smart design, the SENZ umbrella effortlessly slices through the wind, from a summer breeze to a heavy storm. Shoulder Umbrella Shoulderbrella is a flexible accessory that wraps around your body to hold your umbrella for you while leaving your hands free to do other things. Umbrella Stool Cool umbrella designed to be used as a stool when there is no rain. Nubrella Nubrella protects you against rain, wind, sleet, snow and extreme cold. Golf Club Umbrella Hybrid of a golf club and an umbrella by Sebastian Errazuriz. Pet Umbrella Keeps your pet dry and comfortable in rain, sleet or snow. Handbag Umbrella Inside Out umbrella by Seung Hee Son folds into a small handbag.
The 11 Best Art and Design Books of 2011 by Maria Popova From the Periodic Table to Craigslist, or what the greatest graphic designer of all time has to do with Moby-Dick. After last week’s look at the 11 best illustrated books for (eternal) kids of 2011, this year’s best-of series continues with a look at the finest art, design, and creativity books of 2011 — tomes that capture your imagination and encapsulate the richest spectrum of what it means to be a thoughtful, eloquent visual creator. Marie Curie is one of the most extraordinary figures in the history of science. A pioneer in researching radioactivity, a field the very name for which she coined, she was not only the first woman to win a Nobel Prize but also the first person to win two Nobel Prizes, and in two different sciences at that, chemistry and physics. It’s also a remarkable feat of thoughtful design and creative vision. Full review, with more images and Redniss’s TEDxEast talk, here. I want everything we do to be beautiful. From his iconic title sequences…
Sculptures Popping Out of Paintings Oh, to have been in Tokyo in June! Shintaro Ohata just finished up a solo exhibition at the Yukari Art Contemprary in Tokyo, Japan. This Hiroshima, Japan-born artist is known for his ability to show us everyday life in a cinematic way. He captures light in his paintings, showering the world, as we know it, with carefully placed strokes of it. "Every ordinary scenery in our daily lives, such as the rising sun, the beauty of a sunset or a glittering road paved with asphalt on a rainy night, becomes something irreplaceable if we think we wouldn’t be able to see them anymore," he told Yukari gallery. More than that, this artist has a unique style. Straight from the Yukari gallery, here's a sample of his stellar work. ' Photos courtesy of Yukari Art Contemporary.
10 Cool Modern Cutting Boards Collection of modern cutting boards designed to make food preparation more efficient and enjoyable. Cut and Store Cutting Board Available in many colors, new cutting board by Joseph Joseph is equipped with a special niche on the side for your knife. [link] Bamboo Appetito Cutting Board The cutting surface easily slides open to give quick access to the tray and slides closed to conceal food waste during use. Space Invaders Cutting Board Cool way to remember this classic video game while making dinner. Encanal Carving Board Cutting board designed by Ernest Perera. Ventiquattro Cutting Board Stylish knife and cutting board which doubles as a food container. Corner Cutting Board Large oval cutting board design by Peter Meier gives you more space for food preparation. ReVital Cutting Board Weird cutting board design by Antje Gerwien, from the University of Weimar, created for a company named ReVital. LCD Cutting Board ES Cutting Board Cutting Board Scale
Salvador Dalí Illustrates Alice in Wonderland, 1969 By Maria Popova UPDATE: At long last, a restored modern edition of this lost treasure. Also: the best illustrations from 150 years of Alice in Wonderland Last week, we marveled at Leonard Weisgard’s stunning illustrations for the first color edition of Alice in Wonderland, circa 1949. Published by New York’s Maecenas Press-Random House in 1969 and distributed as their book of the month, the volume went on to become one of the most sought-after Dalí suites of all time. As you might expect, the book isn’t exactly easy to acquire — Amazon currently spots just a single copy, handsomely priced at $12,900, and there’s even a video tutorial on what to look for when you hunt for this treasure: But the collaboration brought together two of the most exceptional creators of Western culture, both ticklers or curiosity and architects of the imagination, and who can really put a price tag on that?