Link About It: This Week’s Picks
People as paintings, graphic design challenges, chatty improv, decadent hotels, futuristic sunglasses, and more
1. Slideshow: 2010 Winter Paralympics
The Boston Globe‘s photo site The Big Picture offers an inside view on the Paralympic Games. The powerful images capture it all, from the opening ceremonies to hockey, slalom and more.
2. Bedrooms of War
Photographer Ashley Gilbertson captured a unique and heartbreaking side of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan for this week’s T Magazine photo narrative. The Shrine Down the Hall shows the untouched bedrooms of fallen soldiers, with their beds still made and personal items kept in place.
3. Acrylic on Flesh
Washington D.C.-based artist Alexa Meade plays with perception using people as her canvas. Today and Tomorrow highlights her surprising works in which she uses acrylics on flesh for an art imitating life “on top of life” effect.
via @natearcher
4. Ryan McGinley Studio Visit
Format Magazine provides a brief glimpse into the studio life of photographer Ryan McGinley, where he prepped for his “Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere” show currently up at NYC’s Team Gallery.
5. Havaianas x Threadless
The ultimate summer challenge, Havaianas and Threadless are asking designers to create a new graphic for a pair of flip flops and a t-shirt. The worldwide contest runs through 4 April 2010, with two winners taking home $4500 and more. Check out the details at Threadless.
6. Chatroulette Improv Guy
Showing the sillier side of the webcam-based online chatting service Chatroulette, piano man Merton engages his audience with a round of real-time improv comedy.
7. The 1948 Buick Streamliner by Norman E. Timbs
The Coolist shows us the unparalleled beauty of this carefully crafted Cruella Deville-esque 1948 Buick Streamliner, which has the kind of curves and elegance only found in classic automobiles.
8. Super Sunglasses Spring/Summer 2010
Italian sunglasses brand Super recently announced their impressive new collection of their signature retro-inspired sunglasses. Angular “three lens” glasses summon the spirit of the Italian Futurist movement while providing a fresh, seemingly Rihanna-approved aesthetic.
9. Secret Dubai
A thriving underground arts scene and an emerging design culture isn’t something you’d expect to see coming from a city like Dubai, but Nowness uncovers the hidden cultural gems of this urban metropolis by pointing us to cutting-edge galleries, shops and food that are setting the city apart from other megalopolises on the map—just in time for Art Dubai.
10. WtfJeans
The self-proclaimed geek and gadget friendly jeans have pockets specifically designed to hold electronic gadgets along with a hidden memory stick pocket. The 1,000 limited edition pairs are currently all sold out, but stay tuned for version 2.0.
11. Public Bikes
Design Within Reach founder Rob Forbes started the new bay area bike-maker Public. The company aims to produce stylish, functional and affordable commuter bikes.
12. Maison Couturier Hotel
We Heart highlights the Veracruz, Mexico-based Maison Couturier Hotel. Containing everything you’d expect from an exceptional design hotel, the eight bungalows on the property show a classic design with restored wood floors and brick walls.
