Month: July 2009

Miscellaneous Mysteries FTW!

July 25th, 2009

It looks like the overwhelming majority of readers who took the poll would like to see me post miscellaneous images, even if I can’t give proper credit. However, I’m going with Ghoul Friday’s suggestions and my own gut feeling. I will:

1) Will not take credit for the image (of course!).
2) Always include a disclaimer about the unknown source, and ask for any information readers may have about it.
3) Make it clear that I do not intend to sell or reproduce the images for profit (and they’re not to be used by others for this purpose).

Thanks for the input! I’m excited to share some of this fun stuff.
Tibetan Anatomical Charts

July 25th, 2009

These Tibetan anatomical prints bring a kind of…for lack of a better word…FUN to medical illustration. Look at how happy these human diagrams appear to be!

This reminds me of eggs and bacon for some reason. With a side of joy.

If these are anatomically correct, our culture is entirely populated with miserable bastards. That skull alone has more charisma than 90% of humans.

One word: DANCE.

I’m in a good mood now.

More at Ephemera Assemblyman.
Jill Haefele

July 24th, 2009

One of the most bizarre (and amazing) ITP Spring Show creations had to be the Circadian Squirrel by Jill Haefele. Here we have a taxidermy squirrel who removes and replaces his own head to the rhythm of the 24 hour biological cycle.

Watch it in action here!
Traveling Sound Museum

July 24th, 2009

I’ve been meaning to post a few projects from ITP grad students since the ITP Spring Show in May.

What a fantastic concept by Mike Rosenthal:

“Imagine that you could listen to any sound, from any place, from any TIME, in the history of the world. That the sonic history of our planet did not start with the wax cylinder in the 1870’s, but that man has been able to capture sounds in jars as though they were fireflies since the 7th century?”

This is the premise of Rosenthal’s Traveling Sound Museum. He gives life to the concept by recounting a rich history and describing the origin of each sound captured in his collection of jars (carried on a vintage cart).

Each jar is a beautifully convincing “antique” that indeed transports the listener to a different time and place.

In a time when people are rushing to make every gadget smaller, more streamlined, sleek and shiny, it’s heartwarming to see a dose of good old fashioned magic in a multimedia project.

See more on the website.
HRP-4C Bridal Droid

July 23rd, 2009

You all know I love robots. But this bridal droid unnerves me.

It’s easy to create a 2-D fantasy nowadays, even edit film or produce 3-D moving images of perfection. But when we get our hands on tactile materials and attempt to construct an interactive fantasy…something goes terribly wrong.

I’m disturbed by the look on this robot bride’s face. If anything could prove that robot sentience exists, it’s THIS expression (which I interpret as “assaulted”). I dare say it’s a grim foreshadowing for this poor bot, if she ends up in the hands of a feisty fetishist.

Solidifying the creepiness is this runway clip, complete with Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” (hardly a traditional selection for either fashion OR matrimony).

Source
Pulp Sci-Fi Treats

July 23rd, 2009

As much as I love io9, I must admit that I went through this post like a child skipping text to look at pretty pictures in a book. The post itself may be helpful for those looking to write an epic space novel. The rest of us can just sit back and enjoy this spectacular sci-fi pulp art:

As a connoisseur of retro sci-fi pulp images, these are among my favorites that I’ve come across in a while.
Indoor Camping

July 22nd, 2009

When I was a child, I used to build elaborate forts and tents in my house. I’d use anything; furniture, boxes, blankets, household objects, intricate string setups for hanging cloth. Then those beloved ephemeral worlds would be destroyed.

Here’s a favorite indoor camping photo (sadly, not my own). I can’t tell what I love more: the library itself, the setup, or the particular combination of the two.

Over the last few years, I’ve had an odd urge to “camp out” in the large open space of my window-filled living room during a thunderstorm.

Brian, thanks for reminding me of yet another absurd goal!

Source
Cassette Tape Lamps

July 22nd, 2009

Uh oh, I feel a craft project coming on! I’m sure my wonderful housemate will be on board for this one since we are both media freaks (who probably have thousands of old tapes collectively).

Ooo My Design featured these fantastic cassette lamps:

Not only do I love the idea of recycling old media that had meaning for me, but the lighting effect is gorgeous. I definitely have to make one…or many.

Source
Blogger’s Ethical Dilemma

July 21st, 2009

I need public opinion on an issue I’ve been toying with for a while. Over the years I’ve collected thousands of wonderfully entertaining images I’d love to share. The problem? I can’t cite sources, and often can’t credit an artist (though I’d be thrilled if anyone recognized the images so I could add proper credit).

I was thinking of having one post a week where I compile a few of these random images. Is this “wrong?” Would you guys be opposed to it for ethical reasons? Please click one…

Thanks!
Slice O’ Lenin

July 21st, 2009

What better way to commemorate leaders of the past than turning a likeness of their corpse into a giant cake?

To mark the 136th anniversary of V.I. Lenin’s birth (odd number to celebrate, no?), artist Yuri Shabelnikov created this life-sized cake in the late nineties.

I love the expressions on the children. The head section was saved for VIPs, naturally.

Source (of course)