Archive | September, 2008
These Breasts Have a Message For Us!
*UPDATE – we had originally hosted these images on a free image host. They were subsequently removed for being pornographic. Obviously people can’t tell the difference between art and sculpture and vulgarity*
Image (c) of Chris Jordan
When looking at this sculpture from a distance, one may be forgiven for thinking that Environmental Graffiti had gone down the route of becoming a soft porn site. On closer inspection however, you’d notice that the breasts above were painstakingly created using 32,000 Barbie dolls by photographer Chris Jordan. Why? Because that’s the number of females in the US who have cosmetic surgery to enlarge their breasts every month.
The picture is oddly beautiful, mind-boggling and poignant. It poses such questions as: to whom did the Barbies belong to? Why were they thrown away? What is the story behind them? The poignancy about the piece perhaps lies in the fact that the sculpture creates a sense of lost innocence; a symbol of our fake throwaway society – one which is plastic and lies in entropy.
Image (c) of Chris Jordan
The picture is part of a larger series in his “Running The Numbers Project,” which aims to highlight the sheer vastness of consumerism in the US.
On his website, Jordan states that:
“The pervasiveness of our consumerism holds a seductive kind of mob mentality. Collectively we are committing a vast and unsustainable act of taking, but we each are anonymous and no one is in charge or accountable for the consequences. I fear that in this process we are doing irreparable harm to our planet and to our individual spirits.”
Is there beauty in destruction?
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The Cardboard Café
22. September 2008
Remember when, as a child, you’d get presents on birthdays or at Christmas and often preferred to play with the box they came in more than the toy? Yeah, most people can probably relate to that, but the interior architects who brought us chic bar Babel in London, B3 Designers, obviously learnt more from their days mucking around in cardboard boxes than others – for this year’s London Design Festival they have converted their east end studio into a Cardboard Café using a total of 8,000 cardboard boxes.
Tucked away in a typical narrow London mews street, the creative design looks incredibly cool and demonstrates just what you can do with a bit of card and sticky tape. But it didn’t win everybody over; Brit, from design website Core77 visited the kooky café and was less than impressed:
“One would have expected to be treated in a slightly more hospitable manner and at least be offered a coffee. But that seemed to be reserved only for the staff of the studio.
Therefore, this great structure suffered a bit from the quite unwelcoming atmosphere and snottiness of the people involved – which probably reflects the current attitude problem of so much interior design: it all looks great but often doesn’t quite feel right due to being too cool & arrogant to engage with people.”
Ooops. And what’s worse (and almost completely unforgiveable) is that they intend to dump all 8,000 cardboard boxes once Design Week is over!
UPDATE: September 23, 2008
Don’t Panic! All cardboard boxes have been saved from certain death.
We have it on good authority that the cardboard will in fact be recycled, and was always meant to be. B3 Designers have got in touch and said:
“The left over boxes we donated to Goldsmiths students who were building an installation in a 24-hour Design and Make in Deptford. Someone unfortunately drove through our arches, destroying them, and these boxes we have recycled. We have had some people interested in exhibiting the installation at other venues, but if this does not work out then the rest will all also be recycled. When thinking about the materials we could use for our café, recyclability was one of the major factors in the deciding process, as we are all too aware of the current environmental concerns.
I would also like to let you know that the staff working at the cafe were not members of the studio, but people hired for the duration of the pop up café and so should not be felt to project our attitude. I find it a shame they portrayed an impression of arrogance as we are a young, unpretentious studio and are very much the opposite of that. Our Cardboard Café should have been an example of this.”
Source Core 77
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Wave Vs. Man
19. September 2008
Anyone who lives on the waves, or for them, has a healthy respect for the unbridled power of the seas. They know the destruction and devastation crashing walls of water can cause for they have observed Neptune’s wrath in the open ocean first-hand or they have ridden with him as one on the white-crested waves to shore. Those of us who rarely venture into undulating oceans or freak waves can never really understand their intensive pull, nor may want to.
To get some idea of the beauty and the beast living within our oceans we’ve compiled a list of some of the most amazing images of rogue and death-defying waves that would leave most people rigid with fear. Surf and enjoy!
1. Imagine being at the helm of this ship as the 75ft high rogue wave threatens to smash anything that gets in its way. Its enough to make grown men cry, and no doubt there must have been a few tears on this day.
photographer unknown
2. Gives the question “How was your day at work, dear?” a whole new meaning, doesn’t it?
photographer unknown
3. At first glance this looks like any old wave crashing on the rocks until you take a closer look at the figure in red standing at the edge of the cliff. That’s one mother of a wave. And how mental would you have to be to get that close. Two words – death wish.
carlospics
4. A sunday morning stroll on the promenade almost turned into an afternoon swim when 70mph winds whipped up this 33ft wave. Curious onlookers that gathered to watch the storm, in San Sebastian, Spain, scrambled over each other to escape its wrath.
photographer unknown
5. A huge wave smashes over the harbour wall at Portreath in Cornwall, UK. The door of the fort gives some indication as to the height of the wave.
The Hidaway
6. A combination of high winds and strong tidal surges off the east coast of England result in giant waves tearing over the lighthouse pier at Seaham, County Durham.
freefoto
7. Here’s a bonus pic for all you ’shoppers out there. This image was inspired by the tsunami of 2004 to help people understand the sheer scale of the wave that engulfed much of the coast on the Indian Ocean.
8. In January 2004, champion surfer Pete Cabrinha rode this 70ft monster wave over the infamous Jaws reef in Maui, Hawaii, to win the Billabong XXL Award – an annual prize given to the rider of the biggest wave in the world.
9. We couldn’t possibly leave out the original ‘Big Wave’ – Waimea. Before people took to jetskis to get their kicks Waimea was the biggest surfable wave in Hawaii. It still looks pretty awesome.
10. A surfer rides a huge tube off the north shore of Maui. Waves up to 40-70ft are generated only a few times a year when open ocean swells travel from Alaska and the Arctic uninterrupted to hit the Maui coast at almost 30 miles per hour.
Patrick McFeeley
11. Mike Parsons rides an 85ft wave at Cortes Bank, a 17 mile stretch of underwater mountain range located 105 miles off the Californian Coast. Some of the underwater summits are only 3 ft from the surface of the water.
Robert Brown
12. Wipeout!
photographer unknown
13. This picture perfect image of a surfer hurtling down the face of a wave makes surfing look easy – just another lazy Sunday afternoon at the beach.
jose rouse
14. That’s gonna hurt. Pro surfer, Bruce Irons limbers up before the Billabong tournament in Teahupo’o, Tahiti. Teahupo’o is well known among surfers for its deadly reef break, which has resulted in a good few war wounds. It doesn’t stop them coming back for more, though.
photographer unknown
15. There are probably easier, and much less painful, ways of learning the art of the mightly belly flop. Ouch!
cinnamon rainbows
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Incredible Rock Art of El Paso
19. September 2008
Scattered over 860 acres of Hueco Tanks State Historic Site near El Paso, Texas, are about 2000 rock paintings thought to have been created about 800 years ago.
Rust, cream and white figures dance on the rock faces, depicting life of man and beast from centuries ago. To get a glimpse of the figures visitors to the site have to crawl, wriggle and squeeze their way into narrow crevices where the original artists had the foresight to record their musings in a space protected from the elements. Little did they know that, not only did their artwork last longer than they would have ever imagined, but that it provides a wonderful story of how people once lived in that area.
Check out the clarity of color still visible in the paintings, it’s hard to believe they weren’t painted last week or that someone didn’t just nip in before the hoards of visitors arrived on site for the day.
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Happy Dragonfly
19. September 2008
No, it’s not photoshopped – while out for a stroll in the UK’s Peak District, Mark Manders discovered this happy-looking dragonfly and quickly snapped some shots on his camera phone (good advert for the phone, eh – and no, we don’t know what make it was).
“It looks like a Pixar character,” said the 34-year-old. “It let me put my phone right against it. I didn’t notice the smiley face at the time – it wasn’t until afterwards when I saw the pictures.” Steve Prentice, of the British Dragonfly Society, has said that the female Southern Hawker’s smiley face comes from the ‘frons’ – the frontal area of the insect’s head, above the mouth parts.
Nature is freakin’ cool.
Source Metro
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Introducing the Smallest Car in the World
18. September 2008
What to get the man who has everything – the world’s smallest car. That is if he’s not one of those blokes who associates the size of his car to the size of his precious jewels.
Measuring a titchy 4 x 3 nanometers, one nanometer being equal to one billionth of a meter or one millionth, the world’s smallest car yet invented is the size of a single strand of DNA and creatively named, the Nanocar. To give you an idea of its size, an average human hair is 80,000 nanometers thick, so that is one itsy bitsy teeny weeny wheeler. And it really works, surprisingly.
Via Ridelust.
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20 Most Incredible Desert Oases [pics]
17. September 2008
The yellow sand dunes stretch to infinity, whilst the scorching sun of the Sahel beats down on your head. You’re tired and you’re thirsty – you’ve been travelling for miles, searching for water. Yet nonetheless you are cautious: nothing is as it seems in this land of smokescreens and mirrors. “Water! Water!” you begin to scream. No… even imagination is playing tricks on you. But what if in the distance, past the undulating sand dunes, lay the waters of sand-locked lagoons and waterfalls surrounded by palm trees?
It is this vision of utopia, surrounded by barren wasteland that inspired us to catalogue some of the most incredible desert oases before they are devoured by the desert sands and become mirages themselves.
1. Ubari Lakes are part of Erg Awbari Oasis in the Sahara. Located near Fezzan and 30kms north of Germa in Libya, these salt water lakes are a central trading point for many locals, who gather at the edges of the lake selling souvenirs and other goods.
Umm Al-Maa, meaning Mother of Water, is one of the largest lakes in the oasis but unfortunately, like all the lakes, the water table in the area is so low that the lakes are drying up.
As well as the waters being extremely dirty, the saline levels are now similar to the Dead Sea (which is great news if you like floating in crud). The abandoned city of Gebraoun is also relatively nearby with its impressive ruins, the settlement is testament to the life-sustaining qualities that the lakes once had.
unknown
2. Huacachina is a small oasis town in the Ica region of southwest Peru. This oasis, named ‘Oasis of Americas’, is a popular resort with local families and tourists. A legend says the lagoon was created when an inquisitive young hunter disturbed a beautiful princess bathing. She fled, leaving the pool of water behind which became the lagoon.
3. Turpan, or Tulufan as it’s also known, is an oasis city in the Xinjiang Uygur Region in China. It is just 8km west of the ruined city of Jiaohe, a border garrison town destroyed by Genghis Khan during the Han dynasty.
4. We’re not entirely sure where this desert oasis is but we had to include it because, surely, this is what most people perceive as the typical oasis mirage? If anyone has been there, shoot us the location.
5. This wonderful desert lake is set within Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Maranhao, Brasil. It forms part of a system of fresh water lagoons which fill up with rainwater during the first six months of the year and then gradually evaporate over time to be topped up again the following year. Some of the lakes within the park are dotted with palm trees. This lonely lake, however, has one solitary dry branch decorating its banks.
6. Crescent Lake in China’s Gobi Desert sits on the edge of an ancient city that once saw traders embark on their journey along the Silk Road to the West. Today it is drying up and has dropped more than 25 feet in the last 30 years, in part due to water being redirected for local farmers and a doubling of population, resulting in the slow disappearance of a lake that has existed for thousands of years.
7. The beautiful oasis of Chebika in Tunisia is probably one that most people know about without realizing it. It is where Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope was filmed. The story goes that the oasis was actually named after one of the characters, Chewbacca.
8. This stunning image shows three men quenching their thirst at a small waterfall in the Saharan oasis of Timia, in Niger. It’s a picture perfect portrait of everyday oasis life for local desert dwellers.
9. There are always small enclaves or villages dispersed near bodies of water, no matter how small, and this image shows why. Even in desert areas wholes farms can exist with the life giving powers of water.
wikimedia commons
10. This remote desert lake, fringed by sand dunes is located in Khar Nuur, Mongolia. It’s a refreshing swimming spot for travelers who manage to venture into one of the world’s vast desert plains.
unknown
11. Nahal David is a quiet oasis found near Bethlehem, Israel’s Palestinian West Bank. It’s certainly a far cry from the war-torn images often associated with that part of the world.
unknown
12. This sprawling oasis is the village of Tinerhir, located at the foothills of Morocco’s Atlas Mountains. Todra Gorge and oasis are about 14km away so travellers normally visit both oases on the one trip.
13. Ghardaia is the main town in M’zab oasis in northern Algeria. Founded in the 11th century, the city was built around a cave which was reputedly inhabited by the female saint Daïa, and is still revered by M’zabite women today. The oasis offers some wonderful examples of original Arabic medieval architecture and is now a protected UNESCO World Heritage site.
14. This castle is part of an oasis on the western shore of the Persian Gulf in Saudi Arabia, called Qatif. The city dates back to 3,500 BC and was for many years the main town and port in the western Gulf, which meant it was a popular spot for invasion and take over by ruling powers through the ages. This resulted in an eclectic mix of architecture and the area now boasts some of the best archeological sites in the kingdom.
15. This oasis is hidden in the depths of the Oman desert, where a number of green oases dot the landscape. A few oases in the tiny Sultanate, on the corner of the Arabian Peninsula, are hotspots for botanical studies into agro-biodiversity where many of the ancient oasis are in rapid decline; researchers want to figure out why.
16. Nakhl Fort sits overlooking a lush, green date-palm oasis in Oman. These impressive forts were strategically placed across much of the Oman desert, like many places, to protect villagers from invasion.
17. This beautiful unnamed oasis is situated in Niger. If you have any further info, we’d love to hear about it in the comments section. Considering the recent unrest in the country it’s amazing to find places like this still.
18. The lush green carpet of shrubland and fields sit in stark contrast to the barren hills in the background of this typical oasis village. Any clues to where it is?
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These Guys Catch Pythons With Their Bare Hands
17. September 2008
Written by New Contributor Ryan Curtis
What at first might seem like a remarkably bad idea is actually a well-planned assault. In southern Africa, traditional python hunters display their technique for capturing and killing the enormous reptiles. African rock pythons (python sabae) are among some of the largest snakes in the world, reaching over 6 m in length. While their relatives the Burmese pythons are known for their docility, African pythons are much more vicious, as this hunter finds out first-hand.
But although the snakes are armed with razor-sharp teeth and muscular coils that can squeeze the breath out of a full-grown antelope, they are no match for the most dangerous weapon in the natural world: human ingenuity.
The technique is simple, and yet terrifying. The hunter ties a piece of hide onto his forearm and armed only with a small torch to light up the dark he dives headfirst into the python lair. He encounters a large snake guarding a clutch of eggs. At this point, a sensible person would get out as quickly as possible but this hunter has other plans.
He waves his shielded forearm about to distract the snake from biting his face. The python lunges, grabs his hand and begins to swallow. With his free hand, the hunter then chokes the snake and his partner pulls him back out of the hole, which seems like his favorite part, and I don’t blame him.
Though not endangered, restrictions have been placed on python exportation around the world as their skin is used frequently in the leather industry. Despite their aggressive behavior, attacks on humans are rare (but they still make lousy pets compared to Burmese pythons). Smaller, younger pythons eat mainly rodents and are tolerated in farming communities because they help reduce the pest population. However, as they get older and larger, they begin attacking livestock and sometimes children. This is when the snakes become unwanted, and provides the major source of conflict with humans.
They are found all over central and southern Africa, mostly in grassland and savannah habitats. Where these particular snake hunters are from is unclear but they seem to have quite a bit of experience dealing with large snakes. If I had to wrestle enormous pythons like these often enough to become good at it, I would probably just move away. Far away.
Ryan was born in Virginia, and attended James Madison University, where he earned a BA in English Literature. His love of the outdoors and skiing drew him out to the Rocky Mountain West, where he is currently back in school at the University of Montana seeking a degree in Natural History.
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Incredible Street Barbers of India
17. September 2008
In a country where jobs are scare and barber’s shops even scarcer, a few budding entrepreneurs prove that you can make a living anywhere, with the right attitude. These Indian street barbers know that if you want to pull in the customers, you’ve got to let people know you’re there, and what better way to advertise your business than set up shop in the middle of a busy sidewalk.
Check out this guy; he’s sitting quite happily at the side of a busy freeway, the barber snipping away as if there are invisible walls between them and their surroundings. You can just hear them now… “So, you going anywhere nice tonight to show off your new do?”
The hand-made seats are great, too. Like over-sized Goldilocks chairs, they’re even kitted out with an adjustable head rest. Pure luxury.
Source Dark Roasted Blend
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Kooky Buildings Created from Kitchen Utensils
17. September 2008
Ever wondered what to do with all the kitchen accoutrements you no longer use? Well, you need wonder no longer as artist David Trautrimas has come up with the perfect solution – turn them into buildings. OK, so they may not be a reality but you’d have great fun devising your own ideas creations.
Trautrimas’ architectural compositions are showcasing in Le Gallery in Toronto, Canada as of next week. Entitled Habitat Machines, the show runs from 25 September to 19 October 2008.
Source Dezeen
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23. September 2008
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