Nebulæ
The digital diary of a Venezuelan/Lebanese arts, culture and tech enthusiast currently based in Kuwait.
Burning Bridges
Because a lot of times it's the moral thing to do.
Limited edition print by designer Mike Monteiro, available for purchase in the 11"x14" format | $50 here and more awesomeness here
Out & About K-Town: The Art Of Can
I was actually surprised to see the large amount of submissions (65, give or take) that made it to the Red Bull Art of Can exhibit in the 360Mall. The challenge of this competition was to create something innovative out of Red Bull cans. Compared to some of the artwork I’ve seen from similar competitions in other countries, I will honestly say there wasn’t anything that blew my mind. In fact, I felt some of the submitted pieces were out of place beside the pieces where more thought and/or more craftsmanship was put to use. That is not to say I didn’t enjoy the exhibition, on the contrary, any kind of event where creativity abounds is welcome in my schedule. On the other hand, I wish the organizers had not overlooked the presentation of the artists' names so they could be properly credited. While each piece was accompanied by a crystal block with the artist’s name and the artwork’s title carved in, the information was so small it was illegible most of the times.
[ UPDATE ]
Food for Thought: The Tyranny of Positive Thinking
Smile! You've got cancer
"...The first thing I discovered as I waded out into the relevant sites is that not everyone views the disease with horror and dread. Instead, the appropriate attitude is upbeat and even eagerly acquisitive. There is, I found, a significant market for all things breast cancer-related. You can dress in pink-beribboned sweatshirts, denim shirts, pyjamas, lingerie, aprons, shoelaces and socks; accessorise with pink rhinestone brooches, scarves, caps, earrings and bracelets; and brighten up your home with breast cancer candles, coffee mugs, wind chimes and night-lights. "Awareness" beats secrecy and stigma, of course, but I couldn't help noticing that the existential space in which a friend had earnestly advised me to "confront [my] mortality" bore a striking resemblance to a shopping centre.
This is not entirely a case of cynical merchants exploiting the sick. Some of the breast cancer accessories are made by breast cancer survivors themselves, and in most cases a portion of the sales goes to breast cancer research. It is also clear that the ultrafeminine theme of the breast cancer marketplace – the prominence, for example, of cosmetics and jewellery – could be understood as a response to the treatments' disastrous effects on one's looks. There is no doubt, though, that all the prettiness and pinkness is meant to inspire a positive outlook."
"...The effect of all this positive thinking is to transform breast cancer into a rite of passage – not an injustice or a tragedy to rail against but a normal marker in the life cycle, like menopause or grandmotherhood."
"...In fact, there is no kind of problem or obstacle for which positive thinking or a positive attitude has not been proposed as a cure. Having trouble finding a mate? Nothing is more attractive to potential suitors than a positive attitude, or more repellent than a negative one. Need money? Wealth is one of the principal goals of positive thinking. There are hundreds of self-help books expounding on how positive thinking can "attract" money – a method supposedly so reliable that you are encouraged to begin spending it now. Practical problems such as low wages and unemployment are mentioned only as potential "excuses". The real obstacle lies in your mind."
"…First, the idea of a link between subjective feelings and the disease gave the breast cancer patient something to do. Instead of waiting passively for the treatments to kick in, she had her own work to do – on herself. At the same time, it created expanded opportunities in the cancer research and treatment industry: not only surgeons and oncologists were needed, but behavioral scientists, therapists, motivational counsellors and people willing to write exhortatory self-help books."
"..But rather than providing emotional sustenance, the sugar-coating of cancer can exact a dreadful cost. First, it requires the denial of understandable feelings of anger and fear, all of which must be buried under a cosmetic layer of cheer."
"…Whether repressed feelings are themselves harmful, as many psychologists claim, I'm not so sure, but without question there is a problem when positive thinking "fails" and the cancer spreads or eludes treatment. Then the patient can only blame herself: she is not being positive enough; possibly it was her negative attitude that brought on the disease in the first place."
____________________________________________________________
All excerpts from the Guardian article (Jan. 2, 2010) "Smile! You've got cancer" penned by Barbara Ehrenreich author of “Bright-sided: How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America”. You can read the full article here (highly recommended) and you can buy the book here $15.64.
For further reading: The Human Side of Cancer: Living with Hope, Coping with Uncertainty excerpts | buy book
Lights.Camera.Action: Blue Velvet 1986
Snuggling up with a cup of hot choco and watching movies is one of the most entertaining activities to do without stepping out of the house, especially as the weather cools down. There are definitely activities besides shopping and eating out to do in Kuwait, but the list pales in comparison to other countries. The weather doesn't help either, summers are too hot for outdoor activities and the short winters are harsh. I personally take this as a chance for more reading , watching more movies and revisiting some oldies.
David Lynch’s 1986 mystery film, Blue Velvet , exhibits elements of both film noir and surrealism. It has been ranked in many list as one of the greatest films in American history and has consequently gained a cult status.
Director: David Lynch
Writer: David Lynch
Cast: Isabella Rossellini, Kyle MacLachlan and Dennis Hopper
Storyline via : "A man returns to his home town after being away and discovers a severed human ear in a field. Not satisfied with the police's pace, he and the police detective's daughter carry out their own investigation. The object of his investigation turns out to be a beautiful and mysterious woman involved with a violent and perversely evil man."
Note: contains mature content
Interiors Inspiration: 19.10.2011
Celeste and Nicolai Iuul's LA Loft | Images and more info here
Stephen Honeyball's Apartment | Images and more info here
Donny Deutsch’s NYC Townhouse | Advertising Exec | Images and more info here
Canada Apartment | Images and more info here
Tenka Gammelgaard Studio | Danish Artist | Images and more info here
Devon Radziwill's SoHo Loft | Images and more info here
Kameha Grand Bonn Hotel by Marcel Wanders| Bonn, Germany |Images and more info here
Malena Georgieva's 200 sq ft Studio| Images and more info here
Concrete House 2 by A-Cero Architects | Images and more info here
Melanie & Devin Duncan's NYC Apartment | Images and more info here
Lexington Avenue Agency by Masque Spacio | Images and more info here
Freebie: Amulet against trolling, hating and jealousy
You cannot disagree with anyone in cyberspace nowadays without risking being labeled a troll, hater, bully and best of all: jealous. While I'm all for the rule "It's not what you say, but how you say it" some people refuse to accept anything that doesn't read like unconditional adoration. Talk about adult behavior, victimization and word dilution. Oh well.
Lights.Camera.Action: Me and You and Everyone We Know 2005
Me and You and Everyone We Know is the directorial debut of filmmaker, performing artist and writer Miranda July. The film won the Caméra d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival in addition to other awards. Like almost any film, opinion is divided on this one. It has been called both, a vanity project and a utterly unique movie. Have you watched it? And what’s your take?
Stars: John Hawkes, Miranda July and Miles Thompson
Storyline via: “'Me and You and Everyone We Know' is a poetic and penetrating observation of how people struggle to connect with one another in an isolating and contemporary world. Christine Jesperson is a lonely artist and "Eldercab" driver who uses her fantastical artistic visions to draw her aspirations and objects of desire closer to her. Richard Swersey, a newly single shoe salesman and father of two boys, is prepared for amazing things to happen. But when he meets the captivating Christine, he panics. Life is not so oblique for Richard's six-year-old Robby, who is having a risqué Internet romance with a stranger, and his fourteen-year-old brother Peter who becomes the guinea pig for neighborhood girls -- practicing for their future of romance and marriage.”
Interestingness: Iconatomy by George Chamoun
Came across this fantastic, 5 image collage series via by Swedish designer George Chamoun where he merges two movie icons from different eras into one seamless image. The effort to find the right images and noticing the resemblance in unlikely pairings deserves appreciation.
Elizabeth Taylor | Angelina Jolie
Audrey Hepburn | Natalie Portman
James Dean | Robert Pattinson
George Clooney | Cary Grant
Marylin Monroe | Scarlett Johansson
In The Limelight: Zhang Lin Hai
I came across the work of this contemporary Chinese artist via and was totally mesmerized. That always leads me to saving a couple of images for reference so I can research when time permits. And research I did. To my disappointment, I did not find much information on Lin Hai, but what I did find came mostly via.
His work is described as follows | via: "Zhang’s oeuvres are easily recognized by his signature depiction of bald young boys wandering through, or flying over, an arid wasteland or countryside village. The scenes explicitly articulate feelings such as sadness, fear, a need for escape, stark shock or even bemusement. Zhang Lin Hai’s repeated arrangement of his motif displays a touch of sadness on top of nostalgia. In fact, these works are shaped by the artist’s past struggles and sufferings in life; the pain experienced after lifting up the veil of humanity and the desire of dreams within each growing person. The startling imageries within his canvases appear as if the episodes of Zhang’s past are constantly haunting the present."
What made up for lack of written info was the large archive of his work, aptly named "Stunned Speechless", which you can find here. It’s quite interesting how cohesive his body of work is, yet each image has its own twists and tells its own story. Enough at least to keep me clicking on next and guessing how else could he present his characters and their settings. To the spectator, his work is unmistakably a direct depiction of the socio-political Chinese zeitgeist, a cry of despair. Direct references to the Great Wall of China, the more recent and infamous Great Firewall of China and their symbolism, and the birth control laws among others, come to mind.
Make my logo bigger
My friend @catherinezahm just shared this with me on fb. It's hilarious bordering on sad. Products for clients unsatisfied with the design work they've paid for.
Interestingness: Alexis Bittar Resort 2012 Lookbook
Loving the colorful, surreal and sometimes thought-provoking collages in the lookbook of award winning, jewelry designer Alexis Bittar. He cites the following as his sources of inspiration| via:
"1. A touch of the movie “Gilda” from 1946 with Rita Hayworth.
2. Memories of Danceteria, my favorite club in the 80s where I spent 3 nights a week as a hooligan.
3. Abstract visions of the Italian director Federico Fellini."
Below are some of my favorites. You can see the full set here, originally found via.
You can also check and buy his current jewelry collections here.
Interestingness: 8-bit Fashionary
I love these high fashion prints inspired by the retro 8-bit graphic. The prints are available for purchase on heavy weight, matte paper, A0|$60 & A1 | $45. Email: penter@fashionary.org to purchase.
Below are my favorites, check the whole set here, found via
Interestingness: Warphabet
Viktor Koen is the Greek designer behind the Warphabet series of alphabet prints. He uses mixed media, photography, and digital montage to create his illustrations. I found his work via imprint and have been checking the rest of his equally interesting portfolio here. His statement on his armed-conflict inspired alphabet set|full text: these are not images about the beauty of weaponry, "but a commentary on its uses, results, sale, and distribution. The use of arms and armor throughout covers a wide but random chronology of man killing man. Random, because it made no sense adhering to any kind of order when it comes to something so senseless." ..."Reporting, describing, and discussing conflict related death is a casual part of our routine," he says, "even if we are physically so distant from it."
Warphabet is not his first illustrated alphabet, Toyphabet uses a similar concept and aesthetic|full text: "...objects are transformed into letters and letters into toys. When the series of prints titled "Dark Peculiar Toys - the Mechanics of Joy" was finished and editioned, a toy related "typeface" made perfect sense not only because of the abundance of materials in my disposal (I collected and photographed hundres of vintage toy parts), but because I was also interested in exploring the combination of these otherwise unrelated shapes while braiding them into something as structured and functional as type. The letters don't represent an existing toy molded into a letter form but the welding of fragments, connected to each other only by their common theme and the aesthetics that characterize my work in general."
For more of his work click here
Interestingness: Yorkshire Sculpture Park
While on the explore section on flickr, I came across a couple of pictures of the sculptures that have been making the rounds on many blogs by renowned Spanish artist Jaume Plensa. It turned out that they are currently on display in the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, an open-air art organisation located in West Bretton, Wakefield (UK) with 500 acres of outdoor space in addition to 5 indoor galleries. They claim to have at least 60 sculptures on display in the landscape all year round. The work on display this season belongs to artists Jaume Plensa, Emily Speed, Martin Creed, Henry Moore, Aeneas Wilder and Igor Mitoraj. While Plensa's poetry inspired, large typographic installations are sure to captivate, it's the concept of a sculpture park and its implementation in the ME that interest me.
All photos of Plensa's work on display in the YSP via his website
Interiors Inspiration: 25.08.2011
Eric Ceputi’s Chicago Apartment | Interior Designer | Images via
Drew Aaron & Hana Soukupova's NYC Apartment | President/CEO of The Aaron Group of Companies & Czech Model | Images via
Lauren Santo Domingo’s Manhattan Apartment | Socialite/Contributing Editor at Vogue | Images via
Ozone | Highest Rooftop Bar in the World at the Carlton-Ritz Hong Kong | Images via
Jeffrey Kerns’s Palm Springs Home | Graphic Designer | Images via
Jimmie Martin & Rick Schultz’s London Pad | Designer & Photographer | Images via
Kelly Framel “The Glamourai” | Jewelry Designer/Blogger | Images via 1,2
Johnson Hartig’s LA Home| Fashion Designer | Images via 1,2
The Guy-Friendly Guide to Decorating from Lonny Magazine | Images via
A Dime in the Jukebox: All Is Not Lost
I haven't watched a music video this good in such a long time. This one is a must watch collaboration by the band OK Go and the dance company Pilobolus. If you click through the original link http://www.allisnotlo.st you'll be able to have a personal message embedded in the video in addition to seeing the cooler (but CPU intensive) interactive, HTML5 version.
Directed by OK Go, Pilobolus and Trish Sie
Produced by Shirley Moyers
Director of Photography: Yon Thomas
Edited by Paula Salhany
Coffee Table Worthy: Arabesque II
I was recently checking out one of my favorite publishers and couldn't help but notice one of the new books lined up in their coming soon releases, namely Arabesque Volume II. If you liked the first volume, maybe you'd like to have a look at this one too. Volume 2 promises to be a window through the eyes of some of the region's best designers to the unrest we are currently witnessing in a number of Arab countries. It's set for release on September 26.
Arabesque II: Graphic design from the Arab world and Persia
Edited by Ben Wittner, Sascha Thoma
via: “The wave of protests that started this year in Tunisia, Egypt, Yemen, Libya, and other countries have made it clear just how much the Middle East is searching for a new identity. Young designers in the region are playing a part in this movement by increasingly emancipating themselves creatively. In their work, they are charting their own compelling course between local visual convention and a modern international style.
Arabesque 2 documents the potential of this current creative emancipation in the Arab world and Iran. The book features examples of recent innovative and groundbreaking design work that is inspired by the richness of the region’s visual culture.
Given the important role of calligraphy in the Middle East, Arabesque 2 focuses on typography…also features graphic design, logos, editorial design, and illustration by young designers and activists from Egypt, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lebanon, and the United Arab Emirates.“
Read more here | Preorder Arabesque V.2 here $42.84
Buy Arabesque V. 1 $29.40 here
All preview images via:
Filling In
While searching for information on Maurizio Anzeri’s work, photo embroidery and string art I came across this collaboration between Lithuanians, photographer Ausra Osipaviciute and designer Gintare Pasakarnyte who worked on the embroidery. The results are different from Anzeri’s work yet equally beautiful.
Osipaviciute has other interesting sets here (I can't stop looking at this image) and another embroidery collab between Pasakarnyte and photographer Karolis Kaminskas here (NSFW)
In The Limelight: Maurizio Anzeri
Italian born, UK based Maurizio Anzeri collects vintage photographs from flea markets, uses tracing paper to draw “photo-sculptures”, pierces through the photograph once the drawing is completed and then stitches in the colorful threads. He has worked with the likes of Alexander McQueen and Isabella Blow, has exhibited in the Saatchi Gallery and more recently collaborated on an editorial for Dazed and Confused magazine. His work is on display at the BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art (UK) until October 2. (all info via ). The outcomes of his work blending two mediums, namely embroidery and photography, are fascinating. He gives new life to both an old art and long forgotten photos that once united become contemporary.
The Saatchi Gallery describes his work |via: "Maurizio Anzeri makes his portraits by sewing directly into found vintage photographs. His embroidered patterns garnish the figures like elaborate costumes, but also suggest a psychological aura, as if revealing the person’s thoughts or feelings. The antique appearance of the photographs is often at odds with the sharp lines and silky shimmer of the threads. The combined media gives the effect of a dimension where history and future converge."
He shares the following in his interview for yatzer | via: “When confronted with his portraits it’s as if Maurizio wanted to create a passage for the character to escape from their present form. You can see that a part of them is still there and the other part has become something else. “I think that what makes them work is that the image and the embroidery at the top feed each other, “ he explains. He has no intention to cover or to erase. “It’s about feeding another dimension” he says. For Maurizio, the physicality of puncturing a needle in the actual image “is an action of penetration”. “I have been told many times that one of the characteristics of my work is to cover when there is nothing to cover. And I like that and it’s not even hidden the fact that there is nothing to cover” he explains” "It Came from the Sky" for Dazed and Confused magazine
