Link About It: This Week’s Picks
Crystallized skulls, watercolor maps and Woody Allen’s art references in our look at the web this week
1. Acid Drops
The short film from animator Matt Box combines art and skateboarding with tricks from pro skater Dylan Rieder. The name refers both to both the film’s trippy styling and the introductory skate trick.
2. Skullethyst
This supremely mesmerizing skull is carved from a well-marbled amethyst to intricate detail. Viewed from above, the cavity is exposed to reveal the jagged quartz interior.
3. Cast of Vices Collection No. 5
With tote bags inspired by Chinese take-out and bracelets that nod to hospital bands, the latest collection from Cast of Vices finds the fashion in everyday items.
4. SxSW: Music Meets Tech
The famous 48 hours in Austin that bridge the end of SxSW Interactive and the beginning of SxSW Music have spawned huge developments for crossover companies in the respective industries. An article out of Time humorously imagines the two conferences meeting in a run-of-the-mill rom-com: “She, a waifish mashup DJ from Williamsburg, is walking south on Congress Avenue while he, a penny-loafered angel investor from Mountain View, is walking north.”
5. Watercolor Maps
Apparently Google Maps doesn’t quite cut the mustard for the folks at Stamen. The decade-old cartographic company has replaced the sterile digital look with a pleasant watercolor map, which retains the zoom functionality.
6. Garagisme
Parisian art director Gilles Uzan debuts his new magazine, Garagisme, dedicated to the social life of automobiles. Ignoring performance specs and test drives, Uzan instead focuses on the car’s role in gender constructions, fantasies and alternative lifestyles.
7. Margaret Howell and Yoshida & Co. Backpack
This minimalist backpack comes out of a collaboration between British designer Margaret Howell and Japanese boutique Yoshida & Co. Ideal for April showers, the canvas bag is water repellant with a practical drawstring opening.
8. Subaru EyeSight™ Camera
Debuting next month at the New York International Auto Show, Subaru ups the ante when it comes to in-car video imaging capabilities with new stereo 3D technology in the company’s EyeSight™ camera. The system, which uses algorithms to stream video from two back-mounted cameras, also provides pre-collision braking, pedestrian detection, lane departure and sway warning and adaptive cruise control.
9. Old School Party Flyers
We were delighted to find this collection of charming disco and early hiphop flyers from the 1970s and ’80s. Spread amongst the NYC train system, the flyers were mostly designed by Buddy Esquire and Phase 2, two active artists who utilized rub-on letters, wax machines, X-Acto knives and graph paper to hand-make their designs.
10. Grand Central’s Centennial Logo
With the 100th anniversary of Grand Central Station a year away, Pentagram has designed a new logo for the station based on the iconic clock that sits atop the information center. The time on the Tiffany clock reads 19:13, the year that the station first opened, and the logo will be used in advertisements to spread the word leading up to the 2013 celebrations.
11. Fab Cafe
Bringing architects, fashion designers and java heads together, a newly opened boutique cafe in Tokyo offers a rentable laser cutter alongside specialty coffee. Fab Cafe‘s machine reads 2D drawings and laser etches lines into a designated material, and rents by the hour while you caffeinate.
12. Mr. Bingo
Tweeted from contemporary graphic art fair Pick Me Up, we get a shot of Mr. Bingo penning hate mail for fair goers. The event runs through 1 April 2012 at the Somerset House in London.
13. Proper Attire Condoms
Dress for your date with an Isaac Mizrahi-designed condom from Basic. The designer packaging uses a classic pink and white gingham along with the tagline “Proper Attire: Required for entry”.
14. The Complete History of Art References in Woody Allen Films
The hyper-referential style of Woody Allen’s films relies cultural influences to weave relevant stories. This comprehensive collection of art references draws stills from every moment of art on screen in Allen’s prolific career.
15. Edit.app
New to the iTunes store is Edit.app, a free visual news reader for iPhone that clips images and video from the user’s Google Reader account. Imagined as a “visual magazine”, interesting bits can be saved for reading later or reposted to the user’s blog.
16. Slideluck Bikeshow
Occupying NYC’s Harlem and the Upper West Side, the Slideluck Bikeshow is a celebration of art, food, community and cycling. The event kicks off on Saturday, 19 May at Hosteling International’s flagship location.
