Collaborating Unknown Moments
Ever wonder what your neighbor down the street is doing right now? Or how about what a busy mother in Iowa was doing 30 minutes ago? Maybe even what a lazy teenager in Florida will be doing in the evening? Every one of us has some sort of story to tell.
Photographer Kyle Cassidy decide to capture “the quite, unknown moments that make up our lives” in a unique way. He recruited 23 strangers from across the country to keep cameras with them at all times for 2 full days. Over the course of those 48 hours, Cassidy sent 11 text messages sporadically requesting the participants to photograph whatever it was they were doing at that particular moment.
As Kyle Cassidy explains:
“We worked together like bees — each doing our little bit, apart from the others, but producing something greater and, ultimately, understood by none of us individually.
This is what it looks like in the hive….”
The point of The Hive Photography Project? Even Kyle Cassidy isn’t sure, but he theorizes that it reiterates the idea that we all innately have a human desire to be a part of something. More concretely, Cassidy points to the seemingly obvious: technology enables personal collaboration that would otherwise be impossible.
Some may interpret the idea as mundane, but as a paparazzi to my own life, The Hive Project intrigues me. I would’ve loved to be a part of an effort like this! But to see who actually was a part of the project, you can learn more about the faces behind the cameras.
Kyle Cassidy has been photographing American Culture since the 1980’s. His best selling documentary photography book Armed America: Portraits of Gun Owners in Their Homes was awarded Amazon.com’s “Best 100 books of 2007” and “10 Best Art Books of 2007” listings. He lives in Philadelphia and likes writing about himself in the third person.
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Beauty from Within
Beauty is skin deep, right?
If you believe in the adage, it may be time to bring your inner beauty outward; specifically, as art for everyone to admire on the walls of your home or office. After simply swabbing the inside of your cheek (and waiting for 4-6 weeks), you’ll have your own personal DNA Portrait, an original piece of artwork.
Samples of DNA 11 artwork:
So what exactly does DNA 11 do with a ‘cheek-swab?’ In their labs, DNA 11 first extracts your DNA and runs it on a gel. Next, they capture a unique and raw digital image from the gel. Lastly, for privacy assurance, your DNA sample is destroyed.
Since the personalization craze, from embroidered monogrammed initials to unique license plates, doesn’t seem to be disappearing anytime soon, DNA 11 seems to have found an absolutely unique, arguably absurd, business niche: the marriage of biotechnology and design.
If you want to take the craze even a little further, you can even get a DNA Portrait for your furry friends: DNA Pet Portraits.
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Where do Babies come from?
“When a boy had to go to the bathroom, if he kissed a girl as he ran past her, she would have a baby.” Kids let their imaginations run wild and really do say the darnest things.
But, what ‘Kinda Sutra’ do you believe in? Maybe you too thought the “…stomach[is] like an oven. It opens like a little compartment for the baby.” Oh the great joys of being young and naive.
Kinda Sutra, a three-minute story by Oscar winner Jessica Yu mixes humorous animation and interviews to the popular questions ‘Where do babies come from?’ and ‘How are babies made?’
*Warning: straight to the point content, no beating around the bush.
More about the Kinda Sutra short film/clips:
Where exactly do babies come from? And how are they really made?
Mixing humorous animation and interviews, Oscar winner Jessica Yu poses these questions to a variety of adults and youngsters who explore their earliest understanding of sex, conception and how the two, uh, intersect.
With humor, affection and nostalgia for youth’s lost naivete, Yu’s subjects recall some of their earliest experiences with – and misconceptions of – sex and babies and all things thereof. The stork, of course, makes an appearance, as do other less conventional elements, including floating airborne seeds, a tree, pollywogs and an unexpected bathroom fixture. This very personal, Indian-themed riff on the Kama Sutra provides a glimpse into how we think about sex and what we learn along the way.
“That’s all you need to know,” says the cute little girl at the end.
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Just Hanging Out
Brazilian brothers and artists Gabriel Primo and Tiago Primo certainly are not afraid of heights. In an inventive attempt to call attention to their work, the duo is literally living on the edge, the edge of a building 33 feet up.
The Primo’s spend 12 hours each day sleeping, working and eating on the side of the building which is a part of their art installation exhibit in Rio De Janiero.
The brothers are equipped with mountain climbing gear, and if nature calls, can scramble over to the verandah of a neighboring art gallery, where an indoor bathroom awaits.
The project started in the end of May and is planned to last through August 2009. What a crazy, colorful and amazing way to spend a summer!
(Via ChicagoTribune)
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A Tangled Waterfall of Text
140 character messages can inspire. But they can also be extremely mundane. For Christopher Baker though, all tweets are interesting enough to generate into an art form.
Baker created his piece, Murmur Study, a live Twitter visualization and archive, using 30 thermal printers to monitor Twitter messages.
About the installation:
Murmur Study is an installation that examines the rise of micro-messaging technologies such as Twitter and Facebook’s status update. One might describe these messages as a kind of digital small talk. But unlike water-cooler conversations, these fleeting thoughts are accumulated, archived and digitally-indexed by corporations. While the future of these archives remains to be seen, the sheer volume of publicly accessible personal — often emotional — expression should give us pause.
To see the installation in action, watch:
Vodpod videos no longer available.
Despite being in awe of how randomly enthralling the piece is, I can’t help but wonder questions like how often do they have to install new ink and paper? and what kind of algorithms are they using to pick their ‘trending topics’ for the piece?
Regardless, conquering the circumstances, Christopher Baker shows an artist of any medium can and should be inspired by absolutely everything. Take a second to look around and see the usual as unusual or maybe even vice versa.
Follow the new media artist himself on Twitter.
(Via NotCot & Wesley Yendrys)
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A Chance Encounter
Every girl wishes she could meet a stranger in a foreign country and automatically fall in love. Too bad it’s beyond rare in real life. But Notte Sento, a stop-motion short film, captures a glimpse into this fantasy world.
The short film was made with 4500+ still photographs, shot with a Canon EOS 30D camera, but it’s the twist in the heartwarming story which makes it worth watching.
Synopsis of Notte Sento:
“A girl misses her train to Milan and is set to wait overnight in Rome until dawn. However, a chance encounter with a guy changes her plans and the night lights of the capital turn into the background to a tender love story. An extraordinary chemistry made of knowing glances and small gestures fills the few instants that separate them both from the sunrise.”
Notte Sento is currently competing in short film festivals around the world.
(Via Iheartluxe)
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Spectrum of Color
With summer in Texas still blistering hot, I’m starting to look forward to fall fashion and staples like blazers, scarves and boots. However, this year’s fall color palette doesn’t consist of typical autumn hues. Each season, Pantone surveys the designers of New York Fashion Week to identify the 10 most directional colors.
Fall 2009’s spectrum of color mixes feel-good colors (American Beauty), a twist on the classic black basic’ (Iron), and mysterious vibrancy (Majolica Blue):
In the Pantone Fashion Color Report Fall 2009, designers describe their inspiration for the birth of each specific color. Just like people, every color has a story and meaning behind it.
As an avid fan of Project Runway, I always trust Tim Gunn. When asked “What color advice would you give to consumers trying to stay fashionable on a budget?” he responded:
“Don’t shy away from color. Color is not only a great and budget conscious way to update your wardrobe, its a wonderful pick-me-up. [But] be mindful when choosing color. You can’t just admire the color of a garment on a hanger or on your friend, the color must be right on you. your skin-tone and hair color both come into play.”
Download PDF: Pantone Fashion Color Report Fall 2009.
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Free Anonymous Hugs
Following in the footsteps of the Free Hugs movement, Keetra Dean Dixon created “The Anonymous Hugging Wall”. The piece is part of the her ongoing series Methods & Apparati for Social Facilitation and Mood Elevation.
Creative: Check.
Slightly uncomfortable: Check.
Nonetheless, the concept is an intriguing social experiment. However, in light of the Swine Flu epidemic, many Americans (who already are less affectionate in a touching manner) have decided to forgo handshakes, hugs and kisses. I wonder if the behavior change has had any effect on Free Hugs.
On a lighter note, check out this prank video competition between Free Hugs vs. Deluxe Hugs for $2.00:
(via LaughingSquid)
Would you hug a complete stranger?
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1 Dress, 365 Days
Ever get bored with your clothes?
I admit, like most, I’ve definitely complained more than once “I have nothing to wear!” But what if you had to, or in Sheena Matheiken’s case, chose to wear one dress all year long? Then it would have to be the ‘perfect dress’ with lots and lots of accessories obviously! And thus started the The Uniform Project.
Sheena Matheiken’s Idea:
“Starting May 2009, I have pledged to wear one dress for one year as an exercise in sustainable fashion. Here’s how it works: There are 7 identical dresses, one for each day of the week. Every day I will reinvent the dress with layers, accessories and all kinds of accouterments, the majority of which will be vintage, hand-made, or hand-me-down goodies. Think of it as wearing a daily uniform with enough creative license to make it look like I just crawled out of the Marquis de Sade’s boudoir.
The Uniform Project is also a year-long fundraiser for the Akanksha Foundation, a grassroots movement that is revolutionizing education in India. At the end of the year, all contributions will go toward Akanksha’s School Project to fund uniforms and other educational expenses for slum children in India.”
The dress itself is fit for all NYC seasons and is versatile; it’s made to be worn both front and back. To help with layering in colder weather, the one side with buttons can open up to be worn as a tunic/sweater.
Keep up with the progress of the project at www.theuniformproject.com. Sheena posts pictures of her daily outfit with descriptions of her accessories (many of them are donated from Etsy shops). You can even rate her outfits by giving her feedback.
Some of my favorites (click on images to make larger and learn more about the accessories):
Day 01. Wearing the dress basic.
Day 02. Life on the flip side of the dress.
Day 31. Channeling a bumblebee vibe.
Day 38. A tad bit Blair Waldorf goes to church.
Day 45. Vintage wedding time.
Day 47. Open dress as tunic.
With The Uniform Project as inspiration, I’m going to try to minimize my complaints of having nothing to wear. Heck, that should even help make my wallet and forgotten accessories a little happier too. It’s all in the details.
Would you be able to wear 1 dress for 365 days?
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What’s your Secret?
It’s Sunday so it means it’s Sunday Secret time. Every Sunday, the PostSecret blog updates with 10-15 new postcards containing deep, meaningful, funny or random secrets.
So what is PostSecret exactly?
“PostSecret is an ongoing community mail art project, created by Frank Warren, in which people mail their secrets anonymously on one side of a homemade postcard. Select secrets are then posted on the PostSecret website, or used for PostSecret’s books or museum exhibits.”
The 2 reasons I look forward to reading PostSecret postcards:
- The secrets feel real. Each secret has a certain universal truth and personal truth to it.
- As a co-worker from an internship last summer pointed out, the design (i.e. imagery, font, color, size, location) of each postcard is original and insightful. The postcards reveal more than just the secret itself; each secret’s author, most likely just an average somebody, has his/her own artistic eye.
A sampling of my favorite secrets/postcards from Sunday July 5, 2009:
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Simply Funky 