Mierle Laderman Ukeles at the 2011 Creative Time Summit
As the artist-in-residence at New York City’s Department of Sanitation since 1977, Mierle Laderman Ukeles orchestrates public projects that raise awareness about urban maintenance systems and the workers who sustain the urban environment.—Creative Time
Anicka Yi, Fins
I am interested in connections between materials and materialism, states of perishability and their relationship to meaning and value, consumerist digestion and cultural metabolism, smuggling, stomachs as biological metaphor, molecular gastronomy, scent, the fragrance industry as memory machine, commodification of creativity, public relations as medium, and post-humanist theory with it’s sociopolitical implications for the body, [...]
Paul Sharits, Shutter Interface
For Shutter Interface I wanted a sound rhythm and a visual rhythm that would have something to do with high-amplitude alpha waves. I think that’s why it’s such a pleasant film. I did some biofeedback to listen to the sound of my alpha rhythm and I tried to approximate it in the piece. I wanted that sound [...]
VOWEL HOUSE
In 1955, the letter A was used as the form for a structure by the architect Andrew Geller for the Reese House, a beach residence in Long Island, New York. The New York Times published the house on May 5, 1957. Following the publication of the house, the form went viral across the globe. Today, [...]
Materials for the Arts
Materials for the Arts (MFTA) is an incredible collaboration between the Department of Cultural Affairs and the Department of Sanitation in NYC. It was founded in 1978 to gather materials from companies and individuals who no longer need them and makes them available for free to NYC’s arts and cultural organizations, public schools and community [...]
Biking Down Broadway!
Many of you visiting or living in NY may have noticed a huge increase in bike lanes throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn. The move to make biking a viable alternative method of transport is going to get even better with the addition of a bicycle share program. The program, modeled after similar systems in Europe and other [...]
Reverend Billy at the Highline Ballroom
If Black Friday has got you down, consider an antidote with entertaining evangelist Reverend Billy & the Stop Shopping Gospel Choir’s Occupy Christmas Show at the Highline Ballroom in NYC on Sunday, November 27.
Building it Better
As a set designer in the film and photo industry I am concerned with the amount of waste generated in these industries. I applaud the efforts of the BIG!NYC, otherwise known as “Build It Green-NYC” a not-for-profit organization that salvages materials from a variety of buildings about to be demolished or remodeled in New York [...]
Antarctica in NYC
An invitation for an event in NYC tonight from Harmonizer DJ Spooky: Hey you all – as you may know, I have a new book out about Antarctica, The Book of Ice. You are invited to an exclusive pop-up event with pre-production Antarctica prints and 3D maps at a special price. Celebrate the 100-year anniversary [...]
Romance downtown
Last week I mentioned an exciting project I was going to participate it in. It was simple effort but made a huge impact on the intended party as well as many passersby. My neighbors are an Australian couple named Craig and Greg. They moved to NY in June of last year and I took the [...]
MAKING
World AIDS Day, is December 1, 2011 and this year, it will be 20 years since the start of the red ribbon campaign. In the next two weeks at homes, cafes, subway cars, offices and institutions people will be coming together to MAKE the red ribbons with the updated version that includes a button. The [...]
Something exciting!
Hello. I am very excited to share a story. I can’t let the details out until tonight but it is probably the most romantic thing I will ever be involved in and I am not even involved in the romance. I will try to take some decent pics of what I am now vaguely describing. [...]
NYC Trash Talk
A few weeks ago there was an interesting article about the amount of trash we create in NYC and the ways in which our recycling program lags behind other cities. “Environmental advocates call recycling the weak link in the city’s green agenda, even after legislation was passed last year to overhaul the 1989 recycling law [...]
Buenos Dias
Sometimes surf shops come with a certain cliqueish ‘tude that can feel unwelcoming for non-tribe members. When I visited Buenos Dias—a new surf, art and vintage clothing store—in Montauk this summer, I was ready for some Ditch Plains ‘tude but instead met the sweetest people. Yaan Pessino, the surfer, photographer and vintage clothing collector who [...]
Waiting for Waves
EndlessBummerNyDotCom from Todd Stewart on Vimeo. I love this moody short by the NYC crew at Endless Bummer.
Design for The Other 90%
Of the world’s total population of 6.5 billion, 5.8 billion people, or 90%, have little or no access to most of the products and services many of us take for granted; in fact, nearly half do not have regular access to food, clean water, or shelter. Design for the Other 90% explores a growing movement [...]
Let There Be Light
After a week of gray skies in this season where the days are getting shorter, the light lovers among us won’t want to miss this weekend’s festival, Bring to Light, in Greenpoint, Brooklyn and other cities around the world on Saturday, October 1st. This free nighttime public festival of art in New York City takes [...]
Mollusk Surf Shop
Here’s a cool profile on a nice little surf shop in Williamsburg, Brooklyn—a window into the work of artist/owner, Chris Gentile, as well as his perspective on the NYC surf scene.
DUMBO Arts Festival
Our very own Hope Dector, printmaker and designer of the Harmony Blog, has a project at this weekend’s Dumbo Arts Festival. Don’t miss her collaboration, “Coppercussion/Papercussion,” with sound artist Nick Yulman. For their project they use materials of printmaking, electronics and sound to create a network of automated musical devices.
“Goodbye to Summer”?
Big ups to my friend Eva who made it into The Sartorialist last week in a post titled “Goodbye to Summer.” Of course, Scott Schuman has no idea that the surf season has only just begun in New York. Eva and I caught a few good ones in Rockaway this morning! Welcome to the Endless Summer.
Tomorrows Tulips
Just saw a show by Tomorrows Tulips at Piano’s. The band’s lead singer turns out to be pro surfer Alex Knost.
Quiksilver Pro Hits Long Beach
Surfers from all over the world descend on Long Beach, LI for the Quiksilver Pro New York tournament starting today (September 1-15). The Big Apple’s surfing community has mixed feelings about the event. Check out one surfer’s opinion, Urban Aloha, that appeared in the NYT last month.
The Roar
“I have been graced with occasions when creation out of destruction has been palpably evoked before my astonished eyes.”—Isamu Noguchi
BirdScraper
Zhong Huang recently took third place in the Animal Architecture awards with plans for a BirdScraper in New York City. The massive structure designed to house birds should address the problems faced by our feathered friends. “Over 90,000 birds die every year by crashing into skyscrapers because lights inside the buildings attract birds flying right [...]
