If It's Hip, It's Here (Archives): April 2013

30 Pics, Inside and Out, Of A Breathtaking 9,000 Sq Foot Modern Home Overlooking The Pacific Ocean.

The Ziering Residence in California's Pacific Palisades is a 9,000 sq foot private residence with a three car garage, a swimming pool, evacuated tube solar collectors, radiant floor heating and IPE wood siding.

Invisible Hieroglyphics is an experimental collaboration Between Andre Woolery (whose wonderful thumbtack art I shared with you here) and Victor AbiJaoudi II.

The two artists studied how people interact with technology while using some of the most popular apps on the iPad (e.g. Angry Birds, e-mail, Facebook, Temple Run, Twitter, Camera and Fruit Ninja). They preserved the fingerprints and strokes left behind by the grease from use by photographing them and turning them into actual artworks.

Andre and Victor describe the project as follows:
"As the world becomes more digital, we pull further away from an analog, handcrafted world. However, the one remaining human component of the digital experience is touch. Our hands have become the communication conduit through devices with a series of taps, swipes, and pushes. Left behind, on our electronic devices like smart phones and tablets, are the oil-stained remains of finger smudges on a screen. We have extracted these marks and transformed them into vibrant, acrylic prints."

Examples of prints from popular apps are shown below.

Fruit Ninja:

Angry Birds:

Temple Run:

Camera:

E-mail:

Twitter:

Paper Toss:

WHY THE TITLE?

Hieroglyphics is a system of writing that serves as a form of communication. They represent an imprint of the world as it was told in the past for the future to decipher and understand. These writings are a window into another world. Today, the touchscreen interface is our window into another world and the writings are smudged onto the screen instead of carved into stone. Its subtle, but if you strip away the hardware and software, what’s left is a finger painting that illustrates the story of how we communicate.

THE ARTWORK
The colors are vibrantly portrayed on satin paper that is placed between a white backing and 1/4” acrylic glass. The acrylic glass gives each piece an incredible luminosity and optical depth that mimics an actual screen.

Also note that the limited edition B/W artwork offers a unique, 3D appearance as the white paint is on top of the acrylic:

THE ARTISTS

Andre Woolery:
“Its very much a representation of who I am. I work in digital media during the day and make art at night. So it is a manifestation of that collision of digital+analog, screen+hands, day+night, … Increasingly there seems to be a divide between the two and this is an interesting way to unify them in a natural way.“

Victor Abijaoudi:
“For me, it's about paying attention. By paying attention, you realize that art is everywhere. And by recognizing art, we recognize humanity. With all that is distracting in today's world, we could all use a little reminder of what matters most - being human. Everyone is creative and everyone creates. Even if just with your fingers as you check your email. ”

THE APPS

They collected a series of apps ranging from daily productivity to social networking and gaming. What they uncovered is a really interesting set of blueprints for interaction. A shout out to all the user experience designers that worked on all these apps… this artwork is as much theirs as it is a showcase of human intuitive pathways.

If you have an app not included that you would like to request a commission, contact them here.

GIVING BACK

As with every new project, there has to be a way to give back to the area of inspiration. In this case, digital technology has done so much for Andre and Victor's lives in various ways that they want to ensure its also inspires the youth. As the world progresses, the ability to understand technology is absolutely critical. Andre and Victor want kids to be able to code, design, prototype because that is at the core of the future's infrastructure. Therefore 10% of proceeds of this project will go to CODE NOW…

Purchase Invisible Hieroglyphics Prints here

Andre Woolery

Kama Sutra Cover Art Inspires Full Typographic Alphabet, Prints and Animated Teaser.

The Kama Sutra Alphabet is a personal project from French born and London based illustrator Malika Favre. In 2011, Malika was commissioned by Paul Buckley at Penguin Books US to illustrate the new Deluxe Classic Cover of the Kama Sutra by Vatsyayana (shown below).

The latest fashion tome from publisher Prestel, “New Fashion Photography,” had a living launch on the walls of Berlin’s CONTRIBUTED Gallery on April 12th. The gallery is displaying the best images as limited edition art works until May 18.

above: An image from Yasunara Kikuma featured in "New Fashion Photography"

The 21st century has brought about seismic changes in photography, technology, fashion, and art. At the nexus of these exciting movements is a group of fashion photographers who are breaking ground in a variety of ways, including cultural referencing, digital imaging, photo manipulation, and the use of new media. The stunningly illustrated book "New Fashion Photography" profiles 28 artists from around the world. New fashion portraiture is challenging conventional ideas of beauty by confronting us with the unexpected. The photographers explore new avenues previously off-limits, opening the art of fashion photography to thrilling possibilities.

The book, which was edited by Paul Sloman and Tim Blanks, includes images from the following photographers:
Nick Knight, Miles Aldridge, Rankin, Markus + Indrani, René Habermacher, Ruven Afanador, Chadwick Tyler, Yelena Yemchuk, Paola Kudacki, Aram Bedrossian, Daniel Sannwald, Sofia Sanchez and Mauro Mongiello, Sean + Seng, LaRoache Brothers, Alice Hawkins, Kourtney Roy, Eugenio Recuenco, Wing Shya, Bruno Dayan, Paco Peregrín, Takahiro Ogawa, Pierre Debusschere, Catherine Servel, Serge Leblon, Daniel Jackson, Sean Ellis, Daniele & Iango, Yasunari Kikuma.

All in all, more than 30 photographers are featured in a selection Sloman calls “hierarchy-free.”

above: Wing Shya is known for his work with filmmaker Wong Kar-Wai.

“The book is an exciting combination of big-name heavy-hitters that many people will recognize and a younger wave of experimental photographers who have been either inspired or nurtured by them,” said Sloman, who wasn’t in Berlin for the event.

above: An image from Takahiro Ogawa that appears in Prestel's "New Fashion Photography" book.

Famous faces include Daphne Guinness, Lady Gaga and Lana Del Rey, and a host of models like Iris Strubegger, Liya Kebede and Carolyn Murphy.

above: A photo from Sanchez and Mongielle that appears in Prestel's "New Fashion Photography" book.

“High-end fashion photography in the 21st century is creating amazing escapist worlds, but at the same time these images go very much to the heart of the way we think about ourselves,” Sloman commented.

above: Lily Cole photographed by the LaRoache Brothers.

above: An image from Kourtney Roy that appears in Prestel's "New Fashion Photography" book.

above: A photo from Spanish photographer Eugenio Recueno that appears in Prestel's "New Fashion Photography" book.

above: Newcomer Aram Bedrossian has only been shooting for a couple of years but has earned inclusion in Prestel's "New Fashion Photography" book.

The 224-page hardcover book sells for 34.95 euros in Germany and will sell for $49.99 in the U.S. But, Amazon has it available to pre-order for only $29.81

Suspended Glass Display Bowls From Mono Can Hold Live Fish or Fruit.

Mono Pendants in Duo, Trio or Quartet offer a unique way to display living things, be them goldfish or succulents. The suspended displays are made in Germany of stainless steel and glass and come in three variations.

above: close up of stainless steel hanging cords and shelf with glass bowl insert bowl

Fill the glass bowls with colorful stones, colored water, sweets, floating candles, cactuses, beta fish or small plants. Or use the glass containers to store of fruit, vegetables or herbs in the kitchen.

The hanging Mono pendants are available in the "trio" with 3 glass inserts (64 centimetres wide), the "duo" with 2 glass inserts (40 centimetres), as or the "quartet" with 4 glass inserts (99 centimeres).

Forget Pitching to Hollywood. Zach Braff Raises $1.9 Million in 2 Days on Kickstarter.

Actor-director Zach Braff is killing it on Kickstarter. He has forgone traditional ways of getting Hollywood backing and has raised $1.9 million (and counting) in two days on the crowdsourcing platform, for "Wish I Was Here," his follow-up to "Garden State." His goal was to reach $2 million in funding in a month.

above: Zach wrote the move with his brother Adam last summer.

His pitch on Kickstarter launched two days ago, April 24th and as of 7:30pm April 26th (Pacific Time) he has raised $1,916,889 from 27,135 backers. He still has 27 days to reach his $2,000,000 goal, which he obviously will surpass.

His earnest and likeable video pitch on Kickstarter has appearances by Jim Parsons, Donald Faison and Chris Hardwick:

Cinematographer Larry Sher, who shot Zach's first film, Garden State, as well as the hangover franchise, has agreed to shoot "Wish I Was Here":

Here is a drawing of the film's characters by Colin Fix (the film in NOT animated):

To get all the details about the film or to become a supporter and see what goodies various pledges will get you, visit Zach's Kickstarter project.

Better Late Than Never. The New 100$ Bill And Its High Tech Security Features Explained.

The Federal Reserve Board announced on Wednesday that the redesigned $100 note will finally begin circulating on October 8, 2013. This note, which incorporates new security features such as a blue, 3-D security ribbon, will be easier for the public to authenticate but more difficult for counterfeiters to replicate.

The new design for the $100 note was unveiled in 2010, but its introduction was postponed following an unexpected production delay. (It was supposed to start circulating in February of 2011).

The new $100 as seen in regular light:

The new $100 as seen when backlit:

The new $100 as seen in UV or Black light:

To ensure a smooth transition to the redesigned note when it begins circulating in October, the U.S. Currency Education Program is reaching out to businesses and consumers around the world to raise awareness about the new design and inform them about how to use its security features.

I had already done that in this post back in 2010, so here it is again for you:

Officials from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the United States Secret Service recently unveiled the new design for the $100 note. Complete with advanced technology to combat counterfeiting, the new design for the $100 note retains the traditional look of U.S. currency.

There are a number of security features in the redesigned $100 note, including two new features, the 3-D Security Ribbon and the Bell in the Inkwell. These security features are easy for consumers and merchants to use to authenticate their currency.

The blue 3-D Security Ribbon on the front of the new $100 note contains images of bells and 100s that move and change from one to the other as you tilt the note. The Bell in the Inkwell on the front of the note is another new security feature. The bell changes color from copper to green when the note is tilted, an effect that makes it seem to appear and disappear within the copper inkwell.

The new $100 note also displays American symbols of freedom, including phrases from the Declaration of Independence and the quill the Founding Fathers used to sign this historic document. Both are located to the right of the portrait on the front of the note.

The back of the note has a new vignette of Independence Hall featuring the rear, rather than the front, of the building. Both the vignette on the back of the note and the portrait on the front have been enlarged, and the oval that previously appeared around both images has been removed.

Although less than 1/100th of one percent of the value of all U.S. currency in circulation is reported counterfeit, the $100 note is the most widely circulated and most often counterfeited denomination outside the U.S.

The New Security Features
Below is a close-up look at the new features to help you learn how to identify the real thing and use the two advanced security features: the 3-D Security Ribbon and the Bell in the Inkwell.

1. Portrait Watermark
Hold the note to light and look for a faint image of Benjamin Franklin in the blank space to the right of the portrait.

3. Color-Shifting 100
Tilt the note to see the numeral 100 in the lower right corner of the front of the note shift from copper to green.

2. Security Thread
Hold the note to light to see an embedded thread running vertically to the left of the portrait. The thread is imprinted with the letters USA and the numeral 100 in an alternating pattern and is visible from both sides of the note. The thread glows pink when illuminated by ultraviolet light.

4. Raised Printing
Move your finger up and down Benjamin Franklin’s shoulder on the left side of the note. It should feel rough to the touch, a result of the enhanced intaglio printing process used to create the image. Traditional raised printing can be felt throughout the $100 note, and gives genuine U.S. currency its distinctive texture.

6. Microprinting
Look carefully to see the small printed words which appear on Benjamin Franklin’s jacket collar, around the blank space containing the portrait watermark, along the golden quill, and in the note borders.

5. Gold 100
Look for a large gold numeral 100 on the back of the note. It helps those with visual impairments distinguish the denomination.

FW Indicator (not shown here)
The redesigned $100 notes printed in Fort Worth, Texas, will have a small FW in the top left corner on the front of the note to the right of the numeral 100. If a note does not have an FW indicator, it was printed in Washington, D.C.

All U.S. currency remains legal tender, regardless of when it was issued. Visit www.newmoney.gov where you can watch an animated video and click through an interactive note.

More information about the new design $100 note, as well as training and educational materials, can be found at www.newmoney.gov. For media inquiries, call 202-452-2955