Link About It: This Week’s Picks
Inside Japan’s KitKat factory, Hockney’s $90 million painting, hidden continents and more
Tavares Strachan and SpaceX Send Art to Space
On Monday, 19 November, SpaceX will send its Falcon 9 rocket into space. But, this time the launch will be adorned with a Tavares Strachan sculpture of Robert Henry Lawrence Jr, the first African-American NASA-trained astronaut. Sadly, Lawrence Jr never made it to space (he died in a jet crash in 1967) but, thanks to this collaboration, a 24-karat gold bust of his likeness will enter the atmosphere. Read more about the project, titled “Enoch,” at the New York Times.
Land Ark’s Mid-Century Modern-Inspired RV
Referred to as the “Draper,” Land Ark’s latest RV pairs mid-century angles and materials with sophisticated spatial management. From an exterior panel that drops into an elevated outdoor patio to a sleeping loft flooded with natural light, indoor and outdoor frequently engage. There’s a walk-in shower, convertible couch and large kitchen, too—but it’s the white-washed pine and elegant proportions that truly impress. See more photos and learn about the layout at designboom.
Gravity Images Reveal Lost Continents Under Antarctica
For four years, the European Space Agency’s Gravity field and Ocean Circulation Explorer (GOCE) satellite accumulated data on Earth’s gravitational field. Now, scientists are using that information to best understand what lies beneath Antarctica’s ice sheets. Here, they’re learning that East and West Antarctica bear fundamental differences, including lithosphere thickness. Underneath the former, there are actually several similarities to the continent’s closest neighbors. Read more at VICE.
Inside Japan’s KitKat Factory
From the carpark to the chocolate tank room, baking line, moulding queue and beyond, this series of videos takes viewers on a tour of the KitKat factory in Japan’s Ibaraki Prefecture. Beginning with intense hygiene and cleaning rituals, the videos are “weird and wonderful” and entirely enthralling. See them all at Core77.
Ascertaining the Value of David Hockney’s $90 Million Painting
When Christie’s set the $80 million estimate for David Hockney’s masterpiece “Portrait of an Artist (Pool With Two Figures),” which would ultimately pale in comparison to the actual record-setting (for a work by a living artist) hammer cost of $90 million, they took many factors into account. More than arguing that it’s one of the iconic artist’s best compositions, the team at Christie’s made note of the fact that it’s the only time Hockney combined a swimming pool with a double portrait—two of his most frequent fixations. Further, a series of complications disrupted the painting’s production and emphasized Hockney’s mastery. Finally, they noted that the market was there—from the scarcity of work to an onslaught of interested mega-millionaires. Read about the painting’s extensive backstory, and its evaluation, at The Atlantic.
Link About It is our filtered look at the web, shared daily in Link and on social media, and rounded up every Saturday morning.
