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Berlin Photographer Kerstin zu Pan's Colorful Supervision Series




"SUPERVISION"
by berlin photographer kerstin zu pan


"Beauty in unusual circumstances comes easily to the camera of Kerstin zu Pan, one of Berlin's most original photographers. Her photos are moments amid stories - playful wild stories that leave the reviewer guessing. Her work is expressive, ebulliant, and strange. There is always more here than is apparent at first glance."
--Clayton Maxwell, Eyemazing 3/2007











Thanks so much to Kerstin for her permitting me to reproduce these photos.

Credits:
Concept & photography: Kerstin zu Pan
Wig & Hair: Acacio da Silva
Make-up & Lashes: Karla Neff
Model: Britta Thie / Viva

See her other wonderful works at her website as well as information about editions, 
commercial requests and bookings
 here.

Kerstin zu Pan Photography

Modern Waterproof Wood Sinks And Tubs From UWD




In 1979, UWD (Unique Wood Designs) began by building yachts, boats and canoes. After thirty years they had developed a very high quality boat-building and carpentry workshop, so they began looking ahead.

Their experience and innovative ideas led them to envision a company that today is called Unique Wood Design and is a net of workshops cooperating with young creative designers. They design and craft handmade wooden bathtubs and washbasins,a combination of their carpentry tradition and modern boat-building technologies.

They developed a unique wood coating technique; numerous layers allow deep wood penetration with a coating that is outstandingly durable and fully waterproof. It protects the wood from scratching and UV radiance. It also has antiseptic properties. Apart from the practical part of our coating technology, there is also an aesthetic side. The multi-layered woods they apply bring out the original wood grain give it the effect of incredible depth and variety of textures.

Their wooden bathtubs and washbasins are manufactured utilizing two carpentry technologies: hardwood - the most durable wood form, and veneer technology which allows a wider range of unique colors and effects. They use the best quality woods coming from controlled falling plantations. Their products are made of various European, Asian and African woods.

Here's a look at some of their most unique and beautiful pieces:

Sinks:

above: Nel corner sink in American walnut

above: Kyla sink in Sapele

above: Gilda sink in Sapele

above: Nuriel pedestal sink in Sapele

above: Rhea sink in Ash

above: Lavonne sink in Ash

above: Oriana sink in Padouk

above: Vivena double sink in Maple

above: Maris double sink in American Walnut

Bathtubs:

above: Serena tub in American Walnut

above: Tiara tub in Whitened Oak

above: Nova corner tub in Wengé

above: Sidra tub in Oak

above: Beatrice tub in Sapele

above: Eureka tub in Ash

above: Kassiopeia tub in Wengé

above: Nerfernerfer Tub in Padouk



Contact info:
biuro@uniquewood.pl

Magdalena Szafraniec (english)
0048 794 98 58 70
Tomasz Gospodarek (german, english)
0048 796 47 87 24

Unique Wood Design
Powstańców Śląskich 82
53-333 Wrocław

See their complete collection here.

Dyson Launches Two New 'Blueprint' Edition Vacuums




There are not many utilitarian house cleaning items about which I'd rave, let alone devote a blog post. But as my neighbors know, and some of my Facebook friends, I'm a freak for my Dyson.

As the owner a smooth coated Jack Russell Terrier who is generously allowed on all my furniture when I am often clad in the expected cliché artist's uniform of mostly black clothing, I couldn't live without my trusty Dyson vacuum. I know, I know, you think they are ridiculously expensive. Well, let me tell you, I've put more mileage on my Dyson than on my car in the past few years and it's been worth every cent.

That said, it is with great glee that I announce their two new limited edition all white vacuums! The new BLUEPRINT EDITIONS of the DC24 and DC25 are an homage to past inventors and their inventions.




Both The Dyson DC24 and DC25 BLUEPRINT are limited edition Dyson Ball™ upright vacuum cleaners that celebrates engineers. Theycomes with a Flat Out™ head for cleaning thoroughly under low furniture and appliances and is a limited time offer. The DC24 Blueprint will be sold exclusively at Target for $429 and the DC25 can be bought at the Dyson online store for $529.99

click on image below to enlarge

detail of the Dyson DC25 BLUEPRINT:


Below is the official press release:

JAMES DYSON CELEBRATES INVENTION AND GREAT INVENTORS

Dyson launches two new limited-edition vacuums highlighting the importance of engineering and perseverance

Chicago, IL – (October 2009) - In honor of finding engineering solutions, Dyson launches two Ball vacuums: DC24 and DC25 Blueprint. The limited edition machines offer an insight into the methodical design process used by Dyson engineers. The DC24 and DC25 Blueprint machines symbolize Dyson prototypes through use of white polycarbonate plastic, annotated by original engineering notes, formulas and testing data.

“Once we develop an idea, it goes into prototyping. Testing technology is the only way to make sure it works better. The notes on the machines track the progression of improvement.”

Dyson Blueprint is also a celebration of heroes of modern invention: Thomas Edison, Buckminster Fuller and Charles Goodyear and their ability to embrace failure as a lesson, part of the process and not an obstacle. These design giants exemplified true perseverance – learning from one failure to another, to offer the world technology that changed the way we live.

“They are mostly known for their forward thinking but it was the refusal to give up that showed the world their true brilliance,” said Dyson. “Having an idea is far from invention – actually seeing it through is infinitely harder.”

Engineering heroes and their stories:

Thomas Edison found 10,000 different ways that did not work but refused to give in when most would have. Working through hundreds of materials and thousands of prototypes -using human hair, cedar, horn and even bamboo - Edison finally found the answer to the light bulb – carbonized cotton thread.


above: one of Thomas Edison's patent drawings from 1880

•Methodically teaching himself structural engineering after failing college, Richard Buckminster Fuller believed that getting rid of what didn’t work was the first step forward. Studying networks such as beehives and fishing nets, Fuller created his geodesic dome, an inspiration for many structures around the world including Disney’s Epcot Center.


above: Buckminster Fuller's Geodesic Dome

•Between stints in debtors’ jail, Charles Goodyear spent nine years developing vulcanized rubber in a makeshift laboratory. After years of testing every conceivable concoction, he found his solution by chance after dropping a rubber sample on a hot stove. He was able to transform it into the hard, smooth springy substance now used in almost every walk of life.


above: Charles Goodyear and his vulcanized rubber made what we now know as the tire possible

Like his heroes, James Dyson is no stranger to the laborious design process and back-to-back failures. Out of frustration, Dyson set out to find a solution to the bad performing vacuum. Working through more than 5000 prototypes Dyson successfully created the first vacuum that did not lose suction. Like many inventors, the solution came from an unexpected place, a sawmill. It took more than five years, but in 1993, James Dyson offered the world the first cyclonic vacuum cleaner.

Both limited-edition machines are available in early October 2009 through the end of the year. DC24 Blueprint will be sold exclusively at Target for $429. DC25 Blueprint will be at mass retailers nationwide with a MSRP of $529.

About Dyson:
Research, Design and Development is at the core of Dyson. One third of the people at Dyson are engineers and scientists with expertise in fluid, mechanical, electrical, EMC, thermal, chemical, acoustic and software engineering. They are constantly designing new products as well as challenging and improving existing technologies. Dyson has over 1,200 patents and patent applications for over 250 different inventions (May 2008). Dyson’s RDD investment has quadrupled over the last 5 years. The total number of Dyson vacuum cleaners sold worldwide since 1993 is over 24.5 million (2007) – and still counting. 10 million of these were sold in the last 3 years.

www.dyson.com

As long as we're talking vacuum design, check this one out:

Pia Wallen's Special Edition UltraSilencer Vacuum For Electrolux

FLOWmarket, Next Generation Luxury In A Can.





Just prior to their product launch, I wrote a large post on the selling of consumer awareness via an unusual retail store concept called the FLOWmarket.


above: God in a can? And for only $19.97? That's a deal.

Here we are, over 2 years later and it's time for an update. FLOWmarket is a temporary or pop-up store that travels around the world, selling what they term" new generation luxury".

Previous stores:
Zurich, may 2005
New York, june 2006
Taipei, jan-march 2007
Shanghai, july-sep 2007
Singapore, jan 2008
Seoul, may 2008
Copenhagen, 2005 - 2009

At current there are no brick and mortar stores, but their collection of products can be purchased online. However, the items available are different than when I first wrote about them.




Whereas the items in their pop-up stores are in diverse packaging, like those shown above, they now sell 73 different items online, but each is a single small can costing $19.97 USD.




Here are a few examples:






In their own words:

FLOWmarket is a store that materializes our immaterial needs. FLOWmarket is about next generation luxury. FLOWmarket is designed from the notion that change happens when we as individuals change our mindset. FLOWmarket has due to its simple and universal form been able to succesfully cross cultural boundries between Europe, US and Asia. FLOWmarket is often asked by journalists if they should label it as design, as art, as business or as activism. FLOWmarket have had temporary stores open in Copenhagen, Zurich, New York, Taipei, Shanghai, Singapore and Seoul. FLOWmarket opened its first store in 2004. FLOWmarket is created and designed by Mads Hagstrøm.

Shop FLOWmarket here.

Product photography by Niclas Jessen.




To read about their original project and philosophy, the FLOWinstitute and more, go here.

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