I just spent a while letting my eyes wander in Gerard Trignac’s galleries.
Much of his work is centered around architectural structures.
They are shadowy mixes of classic form and industrial grit, often devoid of human inhabitants; abandoned, yet complex and teeming with life.
Such beauty mingling with decay…
See more here.
The moment I laid eyes on these transparent bubble tents, my mind filled with dreams of spending evenings in the wilderness happily curled up in one of them.
Above all else, I would love to put a bed and tons of comfy pillows and blankets in this tent and stay in there through fierce thunderstorms.
I have a tendency to wish that sculptures, installations and other fictional artistic creations were real. Case in point: this cabin.
Using a nineteenth-century architectural style and vintage building materials, the structure is both homage to the romantic spirit of the Western Myth and a commentary on the arrogance of Westward expansion.
Although this is just an installation, I think it’s a fantastic guest house idea. I do understand the commentary imbedded in such a structure, but I happen to like it aesthetically in its own right.
See more pictures at the Source.
Daniele Del Nero’s After Effects is a series of architectural scale models covered with black paper and flour…left to mold.
I always find it interesting when an artist purposely lets nature take its toll on pieces of work. Objects find themselves splashed with new life, new colors, as the process of decay takes over.
Del Nero states:
My purpose is to talk about the sense of time and destiny of the planet after the human species, through the sense of restlessness which abandoned buildings are able to communicate.
See more from this series here.
Here’s a new destination for David Lynch fans: Silencio, the Parisian nightclub inspired by the film Mulholland Drive.
The club is buried within a elegant, respectable Parisian block supposedly the burial place of Molière and once home to two influential leftist newspapers–one must descend the six flights of stairs to Silencio before they realize a transformation is afoot. Inside, the visitor will encounter weirdly wonderful spatial sequences, from browsing in the art library and smoking in the “dream forest” to standing at the “Buddhist cocktail bars with their own bijoux cinemas” and passing through a “golden tunnel of mini-mandalas” with gold leaf applied by gilders who decorate the dome over Napoleon’s tomb. All this disorientation and sensory overload are, of course, heightened by copious amounts of alcohol.
You think you’re tough? You’re not. You know who’s tough? THIS GUY:
Richard Proenneke lived alone until he was 82 years old, in the high mountains of Alaska…in a log cabin he built by hand.
I recently caught a PBS special about his process and was blown away.
The first part (and it looks like the second part) is on youtube, but it wasn’t until a little later that things got mind-blowing.
Alone in the Wilderness documents the entire building process. Proenneke builds every part of the cabin with natural materials (save for a sheet of plastic on the roof), and no power tools of any kind. Even hinges are made of wooden fittings. He whittles his own utensils and bowls, puts together a stone fireplace…eats what he catches and gathers (with the very occasional simple grocery shipment).
This man is so intensely efficient that it’s almost comical to the modern day technology-saturated member of society. I found myself laughing in astonishment as he built a wall by noon, then went off to clear two acres of moss for the roof. He carried almost everything on his back, too.
Proenneke’s work and life are a true testament to unadorned human capabilities. I highly encourage you to watch this intriguing look at one natural, self-sufficient life.
My friend Jim sent me the link to this House of Shelves, knowing that it is indeed the “perfect house for me.”
See? I don’t have too many books, collections, craft supplies, etc. I simply don’t live in a house that optimizes space properly.
My personal clutter is nothing that a few thousands shelves couldn’t cure (and my meticulous nature would ensure expert organization and presentation).
This project has been everywhere lately, but I can’t help making a quick reference to it because it is a stellar fusion of science and creativity.
A National Geographic team created a working replica of the house in Pixar’s animated film Up.
More info and many pictures at the source.
Perhaps it’s all the more intriguing because of how little information is available…but if anyone knows more about the origin of these magnificent buildings than the source, please share!
I haven’t picked up Legos in decades, which is probably because I never thought of making something this amazing. But Mike Doyle has taken care of that.
Check out that expert Lego rot effect!
A Lego house in my favorite architectural style! The closest thing I’ve seen is the laser cut Victorian doll house I raved about not long ago.
SheWalksSoftly 