Thursday, May 20, 2010

The Glass House... in Play form...?

Architecture Play!

The Glass House  By June Finfer Directed By Evan Bergman

The design and building of Mies van der Rohe’s Farnsworth House and Philip Johnson's Glass House is the background for the penetrating dramatic plot that entwines the epic co
nflict between artist and patron.The Glass House explores the classic struggle of ambition, love and betrayal.


Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Juan Francisco Casas Ruiz- Pen Illustration

Slightly obscene, slightly goofy, very beautiful, facebookesque, pen point pen drawings from Juan Francisco Casas Ruiz.

Drawing inspiration from his friends, Ruiz has found his niche in super large format hand drawn blue ball point pen illustrations.  A master of cross hatching, Ruiz captures a range of emotions from images that would seem only suitable for facebook pages (even if slightly riske).  











Tuesday, May 18, 2010

Janelle Monae- Tightrope

I am predicting this to be one of the biggest albums of the summer. Dig it.

Thursday, May 13, 2010

French Super Models A la Mode

I am not sure how I feel about the lifestyle portrayed in the video below.  In some ways it is beautiful.  It reminds me of events in my life that I will never forget.  Nightclubs in Europe, all night adventures (Nuit Blanche, if you will), sunny European days, and a frivolousness I have rarely enjoyed, but have had the chance to on some special occasions.  I do wonder though if this is a truthful representation of the life of its characters.  I choose to post this video because it was not like many of the portrayals of other such types.  I would like to think that this one might be more accurate, because it shows a life that is full of beauty and fun.  Could this be a reality?  Through our lives we are trained to find shallowness in the fashion world.  In fact as I watched I waited and waited for a shallowness that never came.  

Models and Fashion Designers may live shallow lifestyles.  I don't know.  On the other hand many of them could be much like many of the people that read this blog.  Just creatives that are in search of beauty or meaning in what they do.  Is it not possible that they are Artist like any other?  Most would not argue the point of Fashion Designers, but what about the models?  I don't know the answers to any of this, but I think that it is interesting to think about the perception of the fashion world.  In any case this video is beautiful.  

sorry that was a bit of a rant... 

Short film by Karl Lagerfeld "Remember Now"  in support of his recent collection: Chanel Cruise 2011 Saint-Tropez.




Saturday, May 8, 2010

Chrome Fast

It is not secret that Google is actually in control.  They just seem to everything a little faster and a little better.  If you are not using Chrome yet as a browser watch this and then try not to download it immediately.


Stalin's Dreams of Moscow



























I recently found this image and several others on a site called "English Russia". This particular page illustrates some early to mid 20th century idealist images of Russia and although they are semi-low res, I still think that they come off as quite beautiful.

The site as a whole doesn.t seem to come off as being too scientific, and there are many frivolous things to be found for sure. With a little searching though, this website can reveal the stories of amazing people and places [with a bias toward Russia] as told through the lens of exceptional photography. Take a look.

Friday, May 7, 2010

Easter Sunday In Gary Indiana


Tonight in Chicago at Elegant Mr.Gallery in Wicker Park.

On Easter Sunday, 2010, Matt Messner and Tom Harris photographed the interiors of two abandoned churches in Gary Indiana.  In the morning, while Easter sermons were given across the country, these two photographers captured the scene in two of Gary Indiana's abandoned churches.  Two places in which memories were made, children were baptized, and many were married, now stand quiet and alone, forgotten in Indiana.

The two churches differ greatly in size and architecture. Gary Methodist Cathedral, with its stone arches and massive columns, also contains dozens of classrooms, a basketball court, and a full auditorium with balcony.  Its sanctuary stands five stories tall with a bell tower that reaches four additional floors to the sky.  Trees grow from its roof, and large slate tiles from fifty feet above lay smashed on the sanctuary floor.  The church was abandoned in the mid nineteen eighties and was badly damaged in a fire in 1997.  Much of the stonework remains, but the much of the roof has disappeared.


Life With Hope Ministry is a church with broad wooden beams and a brick facade pierced by stained glass.  This church has only recently been abandoned and has thus far been spared by vandals and the elements.  Only time and gravity have had a chance to start pulling at the interior of this church since it went derelict in 2008.  Pianos still stand, blackboards still covered in Sunday school bible verse lessons, and the blue gowns of the choir still hang neatly in their closets.