If It's Hip, It's Here (Archives)

Funky Find Of The Week:
Paper AK-47 Assault Rifle Kit

The AK-47, also called the Kalashnikov after its inventor, is one of the most successful industrial products of all time. Since its introduction in 1947, an estimated 80 million AK-47s have been built. Its success is based not only on its resourceful construction, but also its affordable production, dependability, functionality and high demand. The AK-47 is one of the icons of the twentieth century, but it is also a deadly weapon.

However with this one, the worst wound you can inflict is a paper cut. For a new art project, designer Martin Postler investigated the history, aesthetics and lethal seductiveness of the Kalashnikov. He has freed the AK-47 from its terrible capacity to injure and kill by deconstructing it into a paper model construction set. When you're done building it, you can decide if they would like to hang it on the wall, paint it, customize it with stickers or simply burn it.

Some words of advice: Not recommended for people under age 18. Recommended for experienced crafters only. Construction time depends on handcrafting abilities, it takes a while, that much is clear. Does not contain glue and cutter.

Buy it here.

The Ultimate Book For Contemporary Art Lovers: The History Of The Saatchi Gallery from Opus

Elegantly designed, with many unique features, the Saatchi Opus is a compendium of the history of the Saatchi Gallery. Although it won't be published until next February, I'm telling you about it now so you can start saving up for the $3,650.00 price tag.

The gigantic tome which comes packed in an inlaid art wood crate includes a tipped in poster (1.5m x 1.5m) of a specially commissioned photograph of the head of Damien Hirst's shark from The Physical Impossibility of Death in the Mind of Someone Living (1991) which is shown below:

Other gatefolds include Rabbit (1986) by Jeff Koons, 1m x 50cm, shown below:

The Saatchi Opus is an exclusive limited edition of 950 copies, each signed by Charles Saatchi.

above: the exterior of the new Saatchi Gallery

The purchasers of the first 100 copies will have the opportunity to take an exclusive tour of the new Saatchi Gallery at the Duke of York's Headquarters.

The book includes essays from Richard Cork, Brian Sewell, Steve Martin and Sir Norman Rosenthal that accompany the artwork of 150 international contemporary artists such as Frank Auerbach, George Baselitz, Jake and Dinos Chapman, Eric Fischl, Lucian Freud, Andreas Gursky, Damien Hirst, Donald Judd, R. B. Kitaj, Sarah Lucas, Brice Marden, Robert Morris, Ron Mueck, Bruce Nauman, Paula Rego, Jenny Saville, Frank Stella, Andy Warhol, Rachel Whiteread, Zhang Xiaoghang and many more.

A limited edition of 950, each signed by Charles Saatchi
Publication Date: February 2009
Editor: Edward Booth-Clibborn
Size: 850 pages, each measuring half a metre square
Case: Inlaid wooden art crate (Weight 40kg)

Price Pre-publication price: £1,950 / US$3,650 / €2,500, normal price: £2,250 / US$4,200 / €2,900. Prices include worldwide delivery. If you are interested in reserving one, please call +44 (0)20 7213 9587.

About the The Saatchi Gallery

Charles Saatchi opened his gallery at Boundary Road, north London, in a disused paint factory in 1985. Since then the gallery has moved twice,first to London's County Hall on the South Bank in 2003, and then to the Duke of York's Headquarters in the Kings Road Chelsea in October 2008.

"Since 1985 The Saatchi Gallery has presented an ever-changing view of contemporary art from all over the world. It has had a profound influence on how contemporary art is perceived and has raised its profile " Edward Booth-Clibborn, Editor

Over the years, The Saatchi Gallery has launched the careers of many young artists who have since become household names. For the first time one book, the Saatchi Opus, chronicles the breadth of work exhibited at The Saatchi Gallery over the past two decades from Lucian Freud to Damien Hirst and Andy Warhol to Zhang Xiaoghang. The Opus is divided into seven sections, each reflecting different aspects of the work which has been exhibited over the last twenty years, including the infamous Sensation and controversial Young British Artists, as well as The Triumph of Painting and New Chinese Art. The text includes essays by leading art critics Richard Cork and Brian Sewell, Sir Norman Rosenthal, former Secretary of Exhibitions at The Royal Academy of Art, and actor Steve Martin.

The Saatchi Gallery
Kraken Opus

An International Holiday For Dogs? Well, It's About Time.

My regular readers and personal friends all know how I feel about dogs: I'm crazy for them. I share my life with Indie, my second jack russell terrier, a rescue who likes eating paper and chasing her tail. My first dog, a jack russell terrier named Abbey, passed away at age 14 a year and a half ago, and I found that having dogs in my life truly enhances all aspects of it.

Pedigree feels the same way (their great ad campaign from the talented people at TBWA/Chiat Day is proof of that) and with their Dogs Rule Day is celebrating that very fact.

They have organized an actual International Holiday for Dogs to be celebrated on October 11th of this year- and hopefully each year in the future.

And why not? We have father's, mother's and grandparents day. Hell we even have arbor day (yep, a day for trees). Don't our furry friends deserve to have one day a year set aside to lay around and do nothing? Oh, wait.. that's what they do every day. Nevertheless, I love the concept of a Dogs Rule Day.

To celebrate, Dogs Rule Day has a site where people can upload images of their four legged companions complete with sweet (or not-so-sweet) stories about them.

The site also contains posters you can print out and post up, wallpaper for your computer and even an avatar you can download.

For those of you who have no idea how to revel in this canine celebration, never fear. Their list of 101 ways to celebrate the day is hilarious. For example, my personal favorite: Tip #13. If you have a Border Collie, pretend to be a sheep.

Of course, a holiday isn't official until you wear it emblazoned on a T-shirt:

Buy yours here.

Like Pedigree, I do believe that dogs make the world a better place. So join in the celebration, share your story, buy a t-shirt, download a poster, or rub a random dog's belly.