Link About It: This Week’s Picks
A Bruce Lee fountain pen, the anatomy of Owen Wright, tiny pencil sculptures and more in our weekly look at the web
1. The Anatomy of Owen Wright
Bucking the biological odds, surfer Owen Wright stands out in his sport for his statuesque, 6’3″ frame. Indoek examines his anatomy in an original video, pointing out his stature against shorter surfing peers and more comparable NBA stars and explaining how his 6′ 7.25″ wingspan—a quarter of an inch longer than Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps’—helps him propel himself through the waves at astonishing speed, and balance his inordinately tall frame. To get a sense of just how big Wright is, Indoek also provides an informative (and enjoyable) infographic depicting his entire body in 1:1 scale to put him right inside your computer.
2. In Residence: Marc Newson
After recently visiting Rolf Sachs’ Olympic digs for their second video in a series exploring the intimate side of a designer’s life, Nowness and Matthew Donaldson check in with acclaimed designer Marc Newson at his home in London. Newson talks about its chalet-inspired design and his fascination with scale as he helps his daughter climb its space-age rock walls.
3. Tiny Pencil Sculptures
Artist Diem Chau brings pencil tips to life with intricate sculptures made entirely from the graphite tip of a carpenter’s pencil. Currently on view at Packer Schopf Gallery in Chicago, the series stems from Chau’s observations of Hobo Art, which is typified by carvings of found objects.
4. Leonard Lauder’s Cubist Gift to the Met
With one promise, venerable New York City arts patron Leonard Lauder puts the Met at the forefront of the modern art game with a gift of 78 Cubist paintings, drawings and sculptures valued at more than $1 billion. The collection, comprised of 33 Picassos, 17 Braques, 14 Legers and 14 works by Gris and built steadily and quietly based on taste and cohesion over the course of 40 years, is said to rival those of the MoMA, the Hermitage and Centre Pompidou, and fills a void in the Met’s early 20th-century department.
5. Bruce Lee Fountain Pen
Bonhams is holding a blowout auction of fountain pens on 10 June 2013, featuring a lot of eccentric writing instruments that are valued up to $50,000. Leading the collection is a Montegrappa pen that features an 18 karat gold dragon motif and a nib engraved with the silhouette of Bruce Lee.
6. PETA’s Hunter-Hunting Drones
In order to curb illegal activities by hunters and fishers, PETA has announced plans to launch drones armed with cameras. Originally developed to give cinematographers an eye in the sky, these UAVs will be used to give real time feedback on acts of animal cruelty, drinking while in possession of a firearm and illicit hunting methods.
7. NinjaJamm
NinjaTune’s long awaited iOS app NinjaJamm is here, and it’s awesome. You can remix tracks from artists on their label, like Bonobo, Mr. Scruff and Coldcut, by downloading one of the available Jamm Packs to your iPhone or iPad. The simplified interface packs a major production punch, allowing any DJ to easily create some highly involved tracks or a novice to have a little fun. Pick it up from iTunes for free.
8. Amo Legomandala
Inspired by Tibetan sand mandalas, artist Kylin O’Brien created Amo Legomandala, a floor installation at 131 Allen Street Gallery made entirely of LEGOs. The process took three days to install and—like a sand mandala—was eradicated shortly thereafter. Luckily, the piece and its process live on in a time-lapse video from the artist.
