Andrew Zuckerman’s Birds. A book of stunning photos, and a website that has sounds and information on each different species. Nature is pretty amazing.
Monthly Archive for November, 2009
forwarding dallas
Via Urban Re:Vision: Urban Re:Vision and the Central Dallas Community Development Corporation announced that “Forwarding Dallas” has been selected as the winning design from Re:Vision Dallas, an international design competition. The challenge, to transform a vacant inner-city block behind City Hall into a carbon-neutral community, drew hundreds of entries from top architecture firms and city planners in 14 countries worldwide. “Forwarding Dallas” is the product of a collaboration between Portuguese-based architectural firms Atelier Data and Moov, and will run “off the grid,” acting as a working model of sustainability for cities around the globe. Ground breaking is scheduled for early 2011.
In response to shiny, bigger, better American consumerism comes Cold Souls, a surreal comedy in which souls can be extracted and traded as commodities. Balancing on a tightrope between deadpan humor and pathos, and reality and fantasy, the film presents Paul Giamatti playing an actor named Paul Giamatti who agonises over his interpretation of Uncle Vanya. Paralyzed by anxiety, he stumbles upon a solution via a New Yorker article about a high-tech company promising to alleviate suffering by extracting souls. Paul enlists their service only to discover that his soul is the shape and size of a chickpea. His intention is to reinstate it once he survives the performance but complications ensue when a mysterious, soul-trafficking ‘mule’ borrows Paul’s stored soul for an ambitious, but unfortunately talentless, Russian soap-opera actress. For your chance to win a double pass to a special screening of Cold Souls this Wednesday night (November 25) at Palace Barracks at 6:30 pm, email your name to mikki@mapmagazine.com.au.
centre for urban pedagogy
While the effects of public policies can be widespread, the discussion and understanding of policies are usually not. The Center for Urban Pedagogy (CUP) is a New York non-profit that works to publicize and educate on important social and city issues and making them accessible to everyone. To do this they have successfully used the power of art and design to partner with schools and communities. One of their ongoing programs is “Making Policy Public” which aims to make information on policy truly public (accessible, meaningful, and shared) by partnering advocates with designers to create pamphlets on a particular issue. The current collaborations explores policy issues such as parks, rights of workers, and affordable housing.
Does the book you’re reading or the guy you’re dating excite you? Do you find the weather effects your mood? Does wearing lipstick make you feel sexy or does it really give you hope? And do you go to the gym for personal fitness or to impress your partner? Exploratory book We Feel Fine is an exploration of human emotion and how often our real emotions are masked by simply saying “I feel fine.” To create this book, digital whiz kids Sep Kamvar and Jonathan Harris used their computer programs to peer into the inner lives of millions and to construct a vast and deep portrait of emotional landscape. More than 12-million feelings have been collected since 2005, with 10,000 new feelings added everyday. Packed with personal photos, scientific observations, statistical graphics, and countless candid vignettes from ordinary people, We Feel Fine is a visual, fiercely intelligent, endlessly engrossing crash course in the secrets of human emotion. Equal parts pop culture and psychology, computer science and conceptual art, sociology and storytelling, this emotional rollercoaster is no ordinary book. It’s comprised of thousands of authors from all over the world revealing their raw and honest emotions. The book is also an interesting experiment in mass authorship and the emergence of bloggers getting book deals.
Before the Andre Rieu concerts, aches and pains, flatulence and orthopaedic shoes, your parents were once fashion-forward, adventurous and really awesome people. Have you ever wanted to go back into time and see what your parents were doing when they were in their free-wheeling twenties? Blog ‘My Parents Were Awesome’ stands up for parents and provides them with the respect they deserve. From the 1970s hippie era to the birth of rock ‘n’ roll, the parents of Generation X and Y were exposed to some incredible times.
Discovering old photos, slides and Super 8 film belonging to your parents introduces you to people that you thought you knew very well. Realising that your parents once went to concerts, travelled overseas, owned cool cars and partied is a reality check and makes you question whether your parents were/are cooler than you? If you think your parents were pretty awesome people, feel free to send a photo with your name and the names of those in the photo to myparentswereawesome@gmail.com.
chuckel chair
Cerebral palsy is the most common physical disability in childhood and it is estimated that two to three people out of every 1000 will have this incurable condition. Three-year-old Teddy Willoughby has cerebral palsy and will face a lifetime of challenges. His brave personality and endearing smile is the inspiration for Brisbane furniture designer and architect, Brian Steendyk and the creation of his Chuckel chair. To help raise awareness of cerebral palsy, Brian has donated the funds raised from the sales of his Chuckel chair to the Cerebral Palsy League of Queensland from October to December. The Chuckel chair combines function and comfort in a unique stool available in two sizes, which is stackable and well suited for both indoor and outdoor use. Using a combination of function, beauty and spirit, these 100% Australian-made, recyclable, UV-resistant plastic chairs are available in black, red and white for the adults, and in three fun colours, such as fairyfloss pink, Kermit green and hope blue, for the little ones. The Chuckel chairs retail at $195 for the adult version and $125 for the Chuckel Jr. Until December 15, the proceeds will go directly to CPL, which will bring a smile to your face and also those with cerebral palsy.
The way an orange is eaten is a very personal choice. Do you peel it and then cut it into segments, or leave it whole and pleasurably bite into it like an apple? Or do you leave the skin on and cut it into quarters? The Apostrophe orange peeler by Alessi definitely has a new designer take on orange eating. The Apostrophe works like an agile plough and cuts through the peel creating decorative marks. The ergonomic peeler, which sits comfortably in your hand, allows you to easily make the squiggly lines on an orange. Apostrophe is made of two parts welded together, a solid hemisphere and the other part hollow. This gives it the right balance when in use, and this also allows you to rest it in an erect position when placed on a table. The oranges would look great in a bowl of fruit and the orange peels can be used as cocktail garnishes.
Whether it’s buying your daily coffee, a piece of furniture for your home or a Diet Coke, there is an overwhelming choice surrounding the decisions you make. American psychologist Barry Schwartz looks at the notion of ‘choice’ and why in this day and age, where individuals are offered more freedom and choice than ever before, there is a near epidemic of depression. His book The Costs of Living delves into the impact of the Western world’s free-market thinking and the consequent explosion of consumerism. His book also breaks down the effect of capitalism on social and cultural institutions that once operated outside of the market, such as medicine, sports and the law. These areas are now highly vulnerable to market expansion and depletion. Barry’s philosophies, which are emphasised in his books, seriously criticise the consumerist culture of the West and how this has a subliminal effect on the psyche of everyone caught in its path, which Barry describes as an evidently destructive one. From buying a pair of jeans to choosing a health-insurance plan, Barry describes how our brains are bombarded with choice, which doesn’t free us, but instead restricts us. He makes you question – is less really more?
Many young actors aspire to be famous and to indulge in the spoils of celebrity life. But 68-year-old Australian actress Penny Everingham never wanted to be famous – she simply wanted to act in the theatre. As a graduate of NIDA, accomplished puppeteer, board member for the Queensland Theatre Company (QTC), and currently starring in QTC’s rendition of Arthur Miller’s iconic work The Crucible, Penny’s versatility and stamina throughout her career have been astounding. As is the case with many arts-related professions, sticking with what you feel so passionately about is hindered by the lack of employment opportunities and the inability to remain creatively inspired. It takes persistence, courage and wisdom to keep auditioning and perfecting your craft. From part-time jobs, temporary contracts and motherhood, Penny has faced many challenges that could have easily made her abandon, or simply never start, her acting career. But had she let these challenges get in her way, or had she listened to those around her when she embarked on her nonconforming journey, she might never have become the revered leader in Queensland’s acting community that she is today. Continue reading ‘live dreamer – penny everingham’
“The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.” The wise words of Albert Einstein have never been more pertinent than in today’s world, as we face climate change’s tipping point. But one person heeding the call is young Sydney-raised, Singapore-based entrepreneur, Dorjee Sun. Upon learning the plight of Indonesia’s orangutans as a result of the country’s dire forest clearing, Dorjee used his skills learned from the Dot Com boom to set up a carbon-trading company, Carbon Conservation, and developed a scheme based on ‘avoided deforestation’. His plan is that farmers and companies should be paid to protect the forests instead of clearing them to plant cash crops. The funding comes from trading the carbon stored in the forests on an international exchange, like stocks or shares. But the challenge Dorjee faces is a great scepticism from those in the position to invest. Undeterred, the young entrepreneur will not rest until he reaches his goal of a $100 million forest protection fund supported by respected businesses, institutions and politicians across the globe. Continue reading ‘international dreamer – dorjee sun’
There are many elements to Konstantina Mittas that make her remarkable. For a start, the intrepid Sydney clothing designer comes across as supremely down-to-earth and self-effacing yet her garments take on a distinctly more dramatic and unpredictable edge. From the Winged Dress to the Distressed Tank and the Helena Corset, each Konstantina Mittas piece boldly redirects the body’s contours – hips, shoulders and derrieres (think crow wings, voluminous sleeves and draped bustles). The result is a strangely intoxicating mix of femininity, strength and, always, beauty. With just four years in the game and as many collections to her name (the fifth is in the wings), Konstantina says she feels blessed that industry bigwigs understand her vision, and like what they see. Continue reading ‘national dreamer – konstantina mittas’
The smouldering gaze of James Dean. The athleticism of Muhammad Ali. The daring of Evil Knievel. The gravity-defying dexterity of Bruce Lee. The musical prowess of Jimi Hendrix. The irrevocable cool of Clint Eastwood. Just about any man would give anything to possess a single one of these traits. But these iconic men all hold two particular things in common. First, there’s that quiet confidence; a seemingly unattainable sense of cool. Second, they have all been immortalised in technicolour glory on the awe-inspiring mural that forms the back wall of men’s grooming mecca, Pureman. For every man who strides into this Rat Pack-meets-rock-and-roll barbershop, that mural acts as a beacon of manliness – a yardstick of what they, too, can strive to be. At the helm of this locale is a sharply dressed yet softly spoken Scotsman who exudes that same quiet confidence behind his laconic smile, moving about his work with a certain ease and chewing gum with the nonchalance of a rockstar. It is this attitude, as well as an innate talent to fuse the traditional and the contemporary with a sharp attention to the finer details, that has gained Al McDonald a devoted following amongst the well-groomed gents of Brisbane. Continue reading ‘local dreamer – al mcdonald’
I stumbled across this un-dated photo of Adelaide St and City Hall, and it makes me marvel at how cities change over time. This week, at a Brisbane Institute panel discussion on building successful cities, I watched as James Tuma from Urbis had to defend their new King George Square design to a rather unimpressed gentleman. Love it or hate it - I certainly do like that it is enticing some public debate about the quality, use and function of our public spaces. Even critics would have to agree it’s better than it’s former state as a car park.
faces from the frontline
Meet Hamish Cairns. Hamish is a photographer. He recently returned to Brisbane from Pakistan and what he describes as World War III happening there right now. “This is worse than Vietnam, but there’s no information,” he says. As someone who witnessed the situation first-hand, he believes it should be headlining the news every day. “What’s happening there is going to change the world we live in,” he says. His photographic exhibition PAKISTAN - Faces From the Frontline will display shots of actual refugees who have fled the warzone.
Continue reading ‘faces from the frontline’
Designing Obama: the book
The Obama presidential campaign was innovative. For the first time in American politics, a candidate used art and design to bring together the American people—capturing their voices in a visual way. The Design Director of the Obama campaign, Scott Thomas, has collaborated with artists and designers to create Designing Obama, a chronicle of the professional and grassroots art from the historic campaign. In the same ‘power to the people’ spirit, they are self-publishing the book and are only printing as many books ordered to avoid wasted paper. They have been using the campaign model of small pledge donations from supporters, and partnered with KickStarter to help fund the first run of books. You have until November 4th to get in on this deal.
Stormwater systems in cities are typically designed to get rid of rain water, but with increasingly violent rainstorms and aging infrastructure systems, low lying cities are more vulnerable to flooding. This has lead the Dutch office ‘DE URBANISTEN’ to came up with a new solution for this growing worldwide problem. Created for the City of Rotterdam, Waterpleinen (Watersquare) seeks to catch the rain and create playful public features while preserving the water quality in the canals. Continue reading ‘Waterpleinen’
