Amidst the Crazy: Seen and Admired

I can always tell how busy I am, by how little I blog. And if that's the case, then judging by my neglect of the blog, 2017 has been crazy! 

To make up for it, here are quick hits of a few things I've seen in the past few months that I thought were cool, but never had a chance to share.

WiFi Signals Captured
Designer Luis Hernan captures invisible WiFi Signals usinga creative combination of long exposure photography and an Android app in Digital Ethereal

Shel Silverstein's Adult-Only Primer
Originally partially published in Playboy Magazine, Silverstein's first book was actually a primer for adults. Published in 1968, Uncle Shelby's ABZ Book is full of thinly veiled adult humor and is a little known literary cult classic.

A house that was 3D Printed in 24 Hours
A 400-square-foot home in Russia was "built" in just a day, for just over $10,000. Watch a video of the process here.

This 1955 video on the History of Globe Making
A fascinating look at the painstaking process of molding traditional globes. 


These Villains that Just Need a Hug
From artist Nacho Diaz, a series of "bad guys" being loved by their antagonists.

So even within the hectic day-to-day, there's still time to admire the things happening around us!

The Timeless Tradition of Knitting

Think about how easy it is to pop into Target when you need (or simply want) a new scarf. Think about how we simply toss two socks away when one gets a hole. Years ago these items weren't so easy to come by, and acquiring a new hat, a scarf or a pair of socks, meant making them. 

This was a time when idle hands were seen as sinful, and women spent every spare minute sewing and mending and stitching and knitting. Barbara Levine has compiled a lovely tribute to the virtue of knitting throughout the early 19th century through the '50s and '60s. People Knitting: A Century of Photographs recognizes a time when every minute was precious.


Whether it was their duty during wartime, or simply a matter of supplying their own goods, knitting was (/is) a virtuous skill. And people managed to continue knitting, regardless of what their day entailed—they knitted as a form of socializing, they knitted at the hair salon, they knitted in prison, they even knitted while they walked...

See more captivating photos and read more about Barbara Levine's book on atlasobscura.com.

The Memory of a Skeleton

October has arrived. And with it, all things macabre.

Check out these delicately, creepy creations by Caitlin McCormack. I'd love to dub this macabre macramé, but alas, it is actually crocheted.

The artist from South Philadelphia works with thin string and glue to give the impression of bone tissue. McCormack crochets skeletal remains which are bizarrely beautiful, like grotesquely fascinating doilies or lace. She began crocheting these forms after her grandparents passed away. You can read her interview with Make here. 

When she puts the specimens on display, they are remarkably striking—intricate details set against a black background. 

See more of McComack's work at Paradigm Gallery and Studio or follow her on Instagram. 

Dressed with a Hint of Salt

ArtPrize 8 starts up in Grand Rapids next month, and honestly, I'm finding that each year is really just more of the same... large sculpture, even larger paintings, enormous recycled "piles" and even more enormous crowds. Which is why I'd love to see something like the "Salt Bride" show up in GR.

For this project, Israeli artist Sigalit Landau submerged a black gown in the salt-rich waters of the Dead Sea for two months. 
The artist checked in on the dress at various times to document the gradual crystallization process. After two months, the "Salt Bride" emerged, a glittering, magical masterpiece. 

The dress will be on display at London's Marlborough Contemporary for one more week. Which means, we'll have just missed it when we land in London in a couple weeks!

Burning Art

Danny Shervin from Jackson Hole, Wyoming is lighting the art scene on fire. Literally. 

He calls it Painting with Gunpowder, and basically designs pictures with gunpowder, and then lights it on fire. When the powder burns away you're left with a beautiful etched effect.

It's a process he stumbled upon while a student at the University of Montana. He "paints" primarily wildlife subjects, which he meticulously lays in powder before setting the scene ablaze. Check it out:

I'm curious as to what the paintings sounds like while it's burning. Does it Crackle? Does it Pop? (is it reminiscent to eating a bowl of Rice Krispies??) 

Since I know all you pyros out there are having post-July4th withdrawal, here's another one. 
You can see (and purchase) more of Shervin's work on his website, paintingwithgunpowder.com.

Put a Tail on It

In honor of Discovery Channel's Shark Week kicking off today, I can't help but 'oooo' and 'aaaaa' over this adorable baby snuggler.

Too big for BabyBites but still feel like a fish out of water? Take a snuggly swim in these made order mermaid tails from KnittinMamaG on Etsy.

Seems perfect for flippin' ashore and enjoying some shark tales all week long!

Playing with Wind

These are some pretty crazy looking sculptures. They look pretty neat, like elaborate wind turbines — which I've always found so graceful and intriguing. 

Now take another look at these sculptures....

Talk about "neat"... They're down right amazing.

These kinetic sculptures are from Washington artist Anthony Howe. They are fabricated from metal and designed to move in 1 mph winds, while also withstanding up to 90 mph winds.

I absolutely love the feeling of rolling waves that these ornate "windmills" imply. I can only imagine the mathematics and timing that go into creating these undulating shapes. The incorporation and importance of nature (and natural power) into these very distinctly man-made structures has a magical effect.  

See many more samples of kinetic art on Howe's website, www.howeart.net.

Recognizing The Typewriter Artist

For 40 years, Paul Smith sat at his typewriter in Rose Haven nursing home in Oregon, creating masterful works of art.

These masterpieces were images, not novels, all created using the 10 top row of keys of: ! @ # $ % ^ & * ( ) _

Smith suffered from severe spastic cerebral palsy at an early age, and the loss of fine motor control meant he had extremely limited movements.

Born in 1921, Smith's opportunities were limited—he wasn't given a mainstream education, or taught to read or write. It was 16 years before he learned to talk, and 32 before he learned to walk.

And yet, Smith grew up to be an inspiration—using a manual typewriter, he told his own stories.

By age 15, he'd discovered the typewriter and started making Typewriter ArtUsing his left hand to steady his right hand, he combined the various symbols to add texture—often making thousands of keystrokes on a single page. 

With this method, he was able to create shading so that his images actually gave off the impression they were charcoal drawing. Pieces often took weeks to month to complete.The advancement of technology introduced colored ribbons, allowing Smith to add color to his images.

At the time, using a typewriter meant positioning rollers and paper, and erasing mistakes was not an option. Recreating existing and recognizable work takes patience and painstaking skill, and Smith did so with extreme mastery.

Later in Life, Paul befriended a squirrel, who often was recreated in his work.

In 1967, Smith moved into the assisted living facility in 1967. He was able to continue making art until 2004 when his cataracts made it too difficult. Smith died in 2007 at the age of 85, leaving behind a legacy of determination and admirable work.

Watch journalist John Stofflet's time spent with Smith above.You can read more of Smith's story here.

Showing Respect and Changing Perceptions

New Zealand photography Cally Whitham wants us to know animals as individuals not products, and has created a series of dramatic photographs to reconnect us with the beings that become the food on our plates. 

Whitham believes that, as a society, we've lost the connection with the livestock that sustains us. Meat comes from cellophane trays at the grocery store—faceless pieces of protein. Instead of being animals we've raised in fields, they've become a product.

It's easier to accept factory farming when the animals themselves are an abstraction, so in order to reconnect with the animals themselves, Whitham began making portraits in a stunning Rembrandt-like fashion. 

The photographs are made to look like paintings with post-processing and effects. By presenting these animals with a reverence for their beauty and the uniqueness of their breeds, Whitham is giving them their dignity back.

“I wanted to portray the animals as dignified individuals, photographed in a way that lent them a value, an importance, that was of the same weight as paintings of aristocracy or our ancestors,” says Whitham. “Our perceptions have changed but their importance has not. I wanted to give back to them a light they had lost.”

Being so disconnected from the animals we consume negatively effects our health, as well as the health of the animals.Whitman is not a vegetarian herself, but she does shop carefully, "If we're going to continue to eat animals, we must give them the best lives and deaths possible."

When we see a portrait hanging in a museum, we believe that they were important. She hopes that by photographing animals in a similar manner, we will be reminded of their importance, and that they deserve our respect. 

To read more about Whitman's philosophy and process for capturing these images, visit nationalgeographic.com.

If you are haunted by these images of a cow peering right into you, you may also be moved by her Captive series.

And if you're interested in seeing the New Rembrandt, which was created by analysts, computers and over 160,000 Rembrandt paint fragments, visit The Guardian.

Artist Frances Goodman Nails It

This is a lovely sculpture by artist Frances Goodman from Johannesburg, South Africa.
But take a closer look those shiny little bits are actually artificial nails.

Goodman focuses primarily on women, contemporary notions of beauty and desire, and the anxieties caused by social expectations. She considers false nails, the ultimate feminine accessory.
A symbol of excess, she has layered the nails to create organic shapes and body-like forms. The layers give the sculptures a sense of movement, while maintaining their fragility.

Building Colorful Patchwork

I've seen some pretty amazing Lego creations, but I'll be honest, this is one of my all-time favorites. 
Artist Jan Vormann is sneaking around Berlin, patching up buildings with colorful Lego blocks. 

I love this for its honest simplicity—Vormann is actually using Legos in their purest form—as bricks. Tiny, playful, colorful bricks, that add a contemporary element to an historic or old structure. 
Called Dispatchwork, organizations have started sponsoring Lego patchwork around the world.

Patchwork in Brazil

Perhaps we'll see more of this type of building repair as city budgets continue to suffer. Maybe they'll even start hiring children as building advisors!

Tiny Worlds Trapped in Tubes

What is it about miniature things that is so fascinating? Tiny dogs that fit in purses, baby shoes, and these meticulously crafted buildings and immaculate landscapes living inside of test tubes.

From artist Rosa De Jong out of Amsterdam, Micro Matter is a triumph of skill – (seemingly) massive human hands, creating intricate, narrow structures.

Besides the marvel of the complex, miniature compositions, these are beautiful juxtapositions of human structures and nature—all preserved in a tiny glass tube.

The whimsy and impossibility of these scenes make them enchanting—a towering human world, teetering on a tiny bit of earth.

Follow Micro Matter and more of Rosa's work on instagram.