Landfill Harmonic film teaser from Landfill Harmonic on Vimeo.
What an inspirational video! Landfill Harmonic is an upcoming feature-length documentary about a remarkable musical orchestra in Paraguay, where young musicians play instruments made from trash. For more information about the film, visit facebook.com/landfillharmonicmovie.
On Monday, December 10, Patagonia announced the creation of a Portable Self-Inflation vest.
According to Jason McCaffrey, Patagonia’s Director of Surf, “Inflation vests are pretty much mandatory if guys are going to go out and push it in big-wave conditions the way they want to.”
During developmental stages the team turned to Patagonia’s ambassador and big-wave surfer Kohl Christenson for insight. After months of experimenting, each new vest would be taken to the pool and tested. The result is a vest that can support four inflations, be worn under a variety of wetsuits, features an air release valve Online Pokies, and allows the surfer to paddle and swim while inflated. In short, the vest is designed to bring an injured or unconscious surfer to surface in rescue position.
According to their site: On November 30th, Patagonia presented a prototype of the Portable Self-Inflation vest to big-wave surfers at the Big Wave Risk Assessment Summit at the Turtle Bay resort in Hawaii. The response from surfers was resoundingly positive and optimistic.
The vest is still in its test phase and and not available for sale at the consumer level yet.
Portable Self-Inflation Vest from Patagonia on Vimeo.
Photo Courtesy New York Times
One of New York’s newest institutions is not housed in an grand space envisioned by teams of architects and designers. It’s in a cramped Tribeca elevator, easily overlooked by unassuming passersby.
Not yet a year old, the plainly titled Museum (mmuseumm.com) was opened in June by the collective filmmaking trio behind Red Bucket Films. Within the confines of the freight elevator, one can find assorted collections from around the world, of typically-discarded objects, removed from their native environment.
The idea behind the presentation is that “the context of each item can give it its value.” Currently, one can view such exhibitions as diverse as the “Global Toothpaste Collection,” “Mis-spelled Food Labels,” and “Personal Possessions Found in the Pacific,” among many others. Each object is accompanied by an explanation of its origin or its discovery. The experience is a logical extension of the filmmakers’ “Buttons” series, which aims to capture brief snippets of everyday life in a charming and interesting way.
Though some could easily read the entire endeavor as a joke, the time and care put into the presentation of these objects makes clear that there is a very true concept of finding gems among the trash of others. Underneath it all lies the very human instinct to share the odd discoveries we come across on our journies. As a fellow human interested in collecting the small curiosities of life, I have found a strong kinship with this project, appropriately located in the place I’d least expect to find it.
The collection is viewable through viewing windows 24/7, and open to the public on weekends. One can even schedule appointments for special events at a price, such as a custom-Swiss-Army-knife-making session with Van Neistat. Museum rotates its collection every few months, and they welcome submissions from the public.
Location:
Cortlandt Alley
Btwn Franklin St & White St
New York City, NY 10013
Hours:
Saturday & Sunday
11am – 7pm
This week sees the release of two new books on beach and surf culture. One, titled Slide Your Brains Out, compiles fifteen years of photographs taken by Thomas Campbell. From the book’s publicity description: “Campbell’s surfing photography has long been admired by fellow surfers for its lack of gloss finish; unlike most, he eschews the familiar fish-eye shots or tightly cropped land angles.” It is the first of a projected series of ten surf photobooks to be released by Um Yeah Press. For more, here is an interview with Campbell.
The other book is a limited-edition compilation of renowned photographer Martin Parr’s work made on beaches across the world. Titlted, appropriately enough, Life’s a Beach, the book includes “close-ups of sun bathers, rambunctious swimmers caught mid-plunge, and the eternal sandy picnic.”
Above: A spread from Martin Parr’s Life’s a Beach.
Jill Sigman's Hut #8, currently on exhibition at New School University. Photo by Kathleen Kyllo
Over the summer I was fortunate enough to meet multimedia artist Jill Sigman, just as her exhibition at Arts@Renaissance was closing. She was in the process of dismantling the seventh part of her Hut Project, an ongoing series of site-based activities that explore ideas about sustainability, home, responsibility and questions what actually becomes of the waste we create. Huts have been made in Troy, NY; Bushwick, Brooklyn; and upcoming in Oslo, Norway. Hut #7, which had been built from found trash around the gallery site, was at once a sculpture, a conversation piece, a habitat and a venue for any number of possibilities. We’ve been keeping an eye on her ever since.
This month Jill Sigman is building Hut #8 from discarded plastic bottles sourced on the New School campus. I dropped in on her online pokie games today to check out the progress and take some photos. As before, her skills and care in using discarded materials to build structures impress. She encouraged me to spend some time inside the hut where she’ll be having tea with visitors next Tuesday. Looking up, the light filtering through the plastic walls has an oddly beautiful effect. Having graduated from New School, the space feels completely transformed by her work. (She is still collecting recyclable plastic for building.)
The view from inside Jill Sigman's Hut #8. Photo by Kathleen Kyllo
Join her next week for two exciting free events as part of the New School’s Art, Environment, Action! show at the Sheila C. Johnson Design Center. RSVP to reserve tickets for Tea in Hut #8, from 3:00-6:00PM on December 11th, or Movement Ritual for Hut #8, at 7:30PM on Thursday, December 13th.
Images by Shelli Bankier
Bluesphere, “a unique photographic bookâ??a collection of wave forms and ocean moments that beautifully illustrate the essence of the sea”â??by Gold Coast-based photographer Shelli Bankier, is out today. Just in time for the holidays.
Beautiful images of surfing and the ocean. More here.
Click to open slideshow. Photos courtesy of Christopher Totman and Pernille Pederson.
It was 2008, and Christopher Totman was asking himself the harder questions. â??Where are you the happiest?â? And: â??Why is it so difficult to do what makes you the happiest?â? At the time, Totman lived in New York City, where he was known by many as the designer responsible for two eco-friendly boutiques just off the narrow streets of Nolita, Manhattan. But even while his sweaters and print dresses were increasingly gaining a cult following, he found himself growing disillusioned with the fashion industry.
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These days, Totmanâ??s a farmer in Conway, Massachusetts. (As we spoke, he was taking a break from what he laughingly called a very â??unglamorous job,â? cleaning out the barn to make room for storage.) His job change was less surprising than one might think. Totman comes from an â??old-schoolâ? family of farmers. Growing up, he and his peers were taught that â??farming was not a viable option.â? Mass-production models run from the midwest had brought about the demise of small family-run farms in Western Massachusetts, the Totmansâ?? farm included. Most of Christopherâ??s relatives moved on to other jobs; one of his cousins stayed on, converting the land so that it could produce hay. (more…)
Dark Rye is an online magazine from Whole Foods that focuses in on local, handcrafted, and sustainable food, design, technology, and community. In addition to boasting a wonderfully-designed site bursting with vibrant images, how-to guides, and profiles, they now have a channel on Vimeo, with well-crafted videos to supplement each story. The videos follow individuals and groups of creative artisans who are using their talent, the benefits of new technology, and the virtue of good old-fashioned physical labor to create products that are good for people, and good for the environment. Six issues in, they’ve covered chef collectives, whiskey distillers, jewelry crafters, butter proponents, along with growers and producers of all kinds. Instructional guides and recipes serve to make it feel more accessible, encouraging everyone to get involved and get their hands dirty. The entire magazine is built with a great eye for the visual, and an encouraging emphasis on using our resources to live a life that is rich, full, and sustainable for the future.
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