+ all of the above

thanks for the heads-up Neal

This is NSFW, but is utterly hilarious. Or serious?

Just a few photos from my London trip.

My big prediction: Flare Facade Technology coupled with Solar Panels will become a key part of major energy solutions in cities around the world by 2015. Via Gizmodo

I just saw Portishead at the Carling Academy in London. Not only was it worth the money to fly here to see them but it was even worth the wait.

I’m off to see Portishead. Finally, after 10 years. Be back in a couple of weeks hopefully with a few photos. I’ll leave you with one last link:

(yes I know I’m a TED Fanboy)

I like this example of creative problem solving. via today’s catch over at Digg

This hit a few years back, but I’m often surprised by how many people have never seen it. It’s very similar to the Samorost game but much different in style and with a strong street art influence.

Cai Guo-Qiang has a mid-career retrospective currently on display at the Guggenheim in New York City.

Before reading any further, go to the Guggenheim website and watch this video about the installation of ‘Inopportune: Stage One’

This is something that really has to be seen and experienced. So if you can make it to the Guggenheim before the end of May then you really should go, rather than reading about it or watching any of the videos or photos that just will not do it justice. However, if you can’t then here are some pictures and some links, along with a few thoughts of mine.

Cai Guo-Qiang makes incredible use of the very unique space in the Guggenheim. This is quite an achievement considering how intimidating the area must be for an artist to exhibit in. However Cai succeeds in making us believe that it is the most perfect space for his work, and is nothing if not ambitious. I’ve often found that an iconic exhibition space comes at the cost of an ideal place to view the artwork within and I think that the Guggenheim is an example of this (Please don’t kill me Frank Lloyd Wright groupies), the relationship between the artist/architect and the artist/exhibitor is often tenuous at best. Right from the very beginning however, Cai Guo-Qiang melds seamlessly with the space and tells us to expect big things.

some flikr photos from someone who snuck a camera in.

A poor quality video of ‘Inopportune: Stage One’

Photos from the exhibition via the NY Times

Borrowing Your Enemy’s Arrows

Inopportune: Stage Two

Inopportune: Stage Two

The size of Cai Guo-Qiang’s work is incredible, his lack of compromise is very inspiring. You can watch one of his works titled ‘Same Word, Same Seed, Same Root’ (not in the exhibition) being made by following this link and it’s amazing to watch what you think is an audience hurry along and help Cai make sure that the work’s creation isn’t also it’s destruction by putting out all of the tiny lit flames created by the gunpowder explosions. Another of his explosion works:

At the end of the exhibition, at the very top of the museum we are met with the last of Cai’s works on display. ‘Reflection — A Gift from Iwaki’, a shipwrecked boat that was rescued from decay on the shores of Iwaki, Japan. Cai enlisted the help of the local villagers and government to excavate and install this work, and the villagers were invited to install it again in its move to the Guggenheim.

CaiGuoQiang.com
Guggenheim – Exhibitions – Cai Guo-Qiang

So I woke up early one morning in the 90′s to watch Recovery and I found this. I tried waking up early one other time but it didn’t work out nearly as well so I stopped.

That’s right Baby! It’s the Blues Explosion! Right out of New York City!
The Blues is #1!
updated: broken link fixed.

Mid 80′s Australian awesomeness. The blacksmith aprons, animated blood spatters on the camera, the hick men and the short haired women, the constant flashing of the band name, all types of wrong make me love it all the more.

Parskid:

Julien Pacaud:

James Jean:

Watch a family of Owls live, right here.

Well, it’s not a perfect archive by any means, however Seeqpod (pronounced seek-pod… maybe?) is pretty darn cool. Especially when it hooks me up with this blazing Beastie Boys performance on Letterman.

Asimov kicks it with god and wins.
Twice.

Also Sci-Fi is the last bastion of Philosophy, Wired affirms. Finally, my pre-teen years of sneekily reading instead of sleeping are vindicated.

In other geek news, the queen geek thespian herself, Milla Jovovich, has a music career and has recorded with the likes of Maynard Keenan and The Crystal Method. However her early stuff has dated a bit (thanks to Mariya for the tip)

Your moment of zen

Photoshop Express is online and free, right now!

And lastly, an excuse to link to Ashley Wood’s blog and to post one of his illustrations: