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The Oakbourne Water Tower

The magic of water towers.

A story about stunning architecture and an adventurous trip.

Read more at tikaro.com ...

BibliOdyssey

Let me introduce an extraordinary website to you, which is called BibliOdyssey. If you like illustrations and science set in a historical background, you will love it.
Beware, you will spend hours on viewing those fascinating creations.

Drawing is important for science, even today. It helps to understand nature. In those days, however, drawing was obviously on a higher level.

The Best Of BibliOdyssey
via Nerdcore

Car-Design

thank you very much, Maserati

Update: Foto: EyOne

Your life on film: Marina

There are moments in your life when you simply need a photograph. The first face you fall in love with, the ultimate moment of beauty you'd like to keep to yourself forever, because you know it will drip away like the dewdrop on a morning-washed treebranch in the grip of time... or the yearbook with your graduation photo, prom portrait, wedding day. I didn't think I'd have fun shooting wedding photography, but it happened naturally as two friends decided they would love each other for life and the bride invited me to shoot her portraits. Marina is 27 years old, loves to dance and smiles the entire time, showing no signs of worry on her own wedding day. She is sure that this will be one of the best days in her life, and with this feeling she forgets about the camera's presence and stays herself. Out of ca. 500 photos, it's quite the tedious task chosing which to post.



My next wedding shoot is set for October, when Krassy and Zori will take us to the wild wild west... :))

FWA site of the day

If you're an artist, designer, writer, film-lover or simply anything close to a visual-art appreciator, you're bound to be hit by lightning. Take a look at Sergej Minaev's incredible Website, and you'll need serious rehabilitation afterwards. Especially if you decide to read his books!

Aniboom Video Winners are Announced

So, I mentioned somewhere in my personal blog that I'm waiting for Radiohead to finally announce the winner of the Aniboom competition. Now it turns out, that instead of one video, to win the price of $10,000 to complete their projects FOUR winners have been annonced. You can check out the current status of the clips here:

Videotape 2.0
Reckoner v2
Transmutation
15 Step v2.0

As soon as the videos are completed, they will premiere on the band's myspace page. Why there - who knows, perhaps they're just really into their fans and want to encourage them in any way they can. I've always been amazed by their up-to-date trends and high-end cutting schematics...

Textile workz II

Just a quick update on what I've been working on this weekend.
The first is commission art for a vest, I call it "The Surprised Airheads" :)
The latter is my first experiment with mixing textile colors, this one was more complicated to draw (as you can see it's far from perfect, but with more practice I hope to improve). Based on Tori Amos' new Comic Book Tattoo, it's the most time-consuming textile work I've done so far.

"Can you hear me, Major Tom...?"

The Parkhotel

So, this is the Parkhotel in Bremen, Germany. Some already know. It was built step by step in the years 1958, 1963, 1966/68 and 2004.
There is one certain thing I am confused with, and that is why I felt like it needed a discussion.

As you can see, there is no perfect symmetry. So the question is: why? You have to know, that the park around that building IS perfectly symmetrical (you can see it here: http://www.park-hotel-bremen.de), only the building is not.


This photo shows the former "Parkhaus" from 1890. Unfortunetaly it burned down in 1907. Well, as you can see, it was perfectly symmetrical.

Don't get me wrong, I am no opponent of asymmetrical buildings.

For me personally the present Parkhotel, as we know it today, feels like a lame compromise. It is not really asymmetrical and it is not really symmetrical. Are we afraid of perfect symmetry today?

A day in the life: how to ruin your favorite shirt

For those of you who've seen my T-shirt designs, worn by some very special people, or those who are simply interested in the materials needed to make your own clothing branding... welcome back to our little blogspot. First of all, you've always got options, options, options. You can either make your own design on PSD or AI file and send it over to the nearest textile printers, or you're the creative do-it-yourself type and would rather risk it with a brush and some suitable paints. Here's how you start up: choose textile colors and make sure you know how they react in the washing machine. Pick your brushes carefully - a thin one for contours and a thick one for coloring in. I use only thin brushes on clothing.




For inspiration, there should be tons of music available in the player at all times. Remember Paul Gogain, another supporter of my theory that art and music go hand in hand - both create atmosphere and illustrate feeling in a subconscious kind of way. I usually have a song playing in my head while drawing or designing, and that's the way it'll always be. Preferably, get headphones (but not if you're afraid the music will complete take over what you do :P). In this case, the initial inspiration was Muse, however later we moved on to...




Then you'll notice strange thoughts and memories passing through your head while you draw. You won't even feel your mind wandering, and your hand, somehow mechanically, as though it's part of some foreign instrument operated by a mysterious force, goes on on its own. Depending on your task, you can chose to concentrate or (like me) give in to the trains of thought and jump on one, tripping away...



Then you might suddenly return to your work, just for a quick check-up on what you're really doing. You've probably travelled through one entire Tea Party album by now. I had no idea those swirls would come out like they did. Seems my concentration level is a bit, um, low, tee hee. Good thing lil' Isis was there to check on my progress.




And there you have it. Remember your options. They can save your life. Thank God for choices. If you're happy with the result, your T will make a great present. Just don't throw it away. Never throw your work away, it's bad luck. Your final step is to fixate the paint. You need a hairdryer, or, preferrably an iron to make the colors stick and keep them from washing off in places. And... voila.



I definitely think the next T will be a psychedellic traverse through the steppes of the surreal. Don't envy the person who ends up wearing it! Pair-o-eyes out.

Grapevine

So here I am listening to my favorite Radiohead tunes, when suddenly I decide to open youtube and marvel at the band's amazing videos once again. I type in 2+2=5 simply out of curiosity, and I stumble upon the videoclip of an artist, calling himself Grapevine. His name is really Gaston Viñas, an artist quite fond of Radiohead, but not only that is why I decided to introduce him to the readers of this blog. See for yourself:


You can find his other video on youtube as well, a visualisation of the song "Wolf at the Door". If there were another contest organized by Radiohead for animated video, I would surely vote for this guy. Sometimes, it's simplicity with a strong idea that does the job. Not even too much artistry necessary. To convince yourselves, visit this guy's website. It's worth it. I've already placed a permanent connection to him on my personal blog. Many thanks to Pinky for the info. Pair-o-Eyes out.

A New Born Production

I'm singing happy birthday tunes as I gladly reminisce this weekend's tip-top happening: the birth of New Born Productions. The logo was created for the short student films of pair-o-eyes. Thank you to all friends and relatives, who believed in the idea. Thank you to the actresses and dancers, who expressed motivation to be a part of the short films and thank you to Boris Bello for his support from across the big wide ocean towards the short animation projects and providing the corresponding audio and music. Pair-o-eyes out.

Shadow / Highlight

Take me by the hand
And show me the shadow that casts a truthful moment of significance amongst all light

Cosmopolitan Circus (Urban Depression)

Inside out

Upside down

All false thoughts

Down to the ground

Up goes the Sun

The clock starts ticking

Stressed out kamikazes

Running nonsensely

Busy busy bees

Automated diabetics

Busy little ants

Thought controlled carnivores

Through the air

They fly away

Below the ground

They hide from rain

This frantic cesspool

Grows bigger every day

Let’s call it evolution

And watch them as they play

Brain in the box

Trying to pay attention his thoughts
Didn't realize time passing by...
He got lost in his own thoughts.
The flesh withered
but the mind prevailed.

Decaf

Do you ever know what you're drinking?
Do you ever pay attention to what you're really thinking...

Afloat between four walls and then back out into the sunshine

Here some snapshots from the roadtrip through the country this weekend.

here and there

Okay here we go. I've proven already that I'm incapable of storing up gold nuggets for black days, so sue me. Nothing piled up under the mattrace for a new camera, merda! But creativity in its essence never had much to do with money, so this is the best we shall offer you, dear reader, who must have either lost your path among the tubes of the matrix or have nothing better to do.

Visit the photo forum or better, go have a drink somewhere else. Cheerz!

Eat me, Drink me (bipolar square root)

02.25am

I leave Johnny’s, it’s time to go home. I close the front door and I start walking, having as company parked cars, street lights and trees.

There’s nothing new around, and as I’m walking, my eyes tend to look down, the sidewalk’s pattern began to absorb all my attention. Thousands of stone cubes beneath my feet, they will also walk me home tonight. White squares reflecting the dim light and black squares holding the shade that balance this rectilineous journey. I can only hear my footsteps, like a clock ticking, hypnotizing me.

I notice some cubes are missing here and there, like if it was some kind of passage to this cubic underworld. But it’s too dark and I cannot see beyond the entrance, I guess I’ll have to go in…

Millions of cubes form this underworld, where each and every one of them plays a different sound, every single sound in the universe can be played, and all you have to do is think it and they’ll play it. All the cubes were the same size, but now they expand and contract as they move around, in harmony with my thoughts.

One tiny cube I’m holding starts growing until it gets bigger than planet Earth, and I’m watching it, like if I was looking from outer space but still having it in my hand, and as I’m looking at my distorted reflection in the cube, it reminded me of Escher holding the sphere, in the reflection I could see a countless number of silvered cubes, and I could hear them play sounds I’ve never heard before, all in a perfect harmony.

If only I had brought my camera…

My left hand instinctively goes into my pocket, I take out my keys and place the blue key in the keyhole.

02.35am

I'm home.

Аронофски по темата за вечния живот

До болка познатo, нали? Да имаш, тук и сега, и да знаеш, че ще изгубиш. Скоро. Може-би след ден. Може-би след година. Но щастието ще си отиде. Ще свърши. И ти си безсилен.



Какво правиш, за да се пребориш с това знание? Не само, че хората, които обичаш, ще си отидат, но и ти самия. Започваш да задаваш въпроси. Да премерваш вероятности и относителности, да слагаш възможности и невъзможности на везната. Невропрограмата ти не може да се примири с мисълта за "внезапен креш." Няма начин съзнанието ти с всичките му джаджи вътре да остави нещата "просто ей така." Започва да те човърка, ровичка, задаваш въпроси, изнервяш се, реагираш, ядосваш се, слаб си, страх те е, ужасен си, обичаш, притискаш, обожествяваш, идеализираш, ридаеш, живееш. Търсиш. Дали всичко свършва внезапно, един път, щом душата ти напусне тялото? Разбира се, че никой няма да ти отговори на тази въпросителна. Толкоз поколения човешки същества с техните цивилизации и религии не успяха да се докопат до логично обяснение, та ти ли, в рамките на твоя приблизително 70-годишен мизансцен (здраве и живот)?

Изворът на живота е послание от един съвременен буден човек, който разбира добре днешния младеж и начина, по който предизвикателни теми занимават разсъдъка му (както показа ясно в "Реквием на една мечта"). Посланието му е нежна провокация на чувствата, подплатена с майсторската му селекция на изразни средства, която буди макар и нетраен размисъл върху въпроса какво, ако е възможно смъртта да не слага край на всичко познато... Визуално блестящ, екранният продукт е шедьовър за изтънчения вкус на трансцеденталния фен - този, които просто се кефи на психиделията и всичко около нея, и този, който се гмурка под повърхността, за да открие в дълбочините нещо още-по-така.



Филмът обнадеждава, въпреки, че не дава отговори, което си е както трябва да бъде. В героите виждаме не само sci-fi вариантите на Адам и Ева, търсещи рая, от който са били прогонени заради любопитството да различават и познават доброто от злото. В тях виждаме двама влюбени, единият от които вярва, че "Death is a disease, and I will find a cure for it," а другия шепне непрестанно "Finish It." Виждаме също как времето им е ограничено, съдбата ги е заключила в един времепространствен континуум още с тяхното раждане, и те остават тук-и-сега, въртейки се в неговата спирала, докато...

Още интереснотийки: Случайно разбрах, че има графичен роман по сценария, излязъл още преди Аронофски да заснеме The Fountain. Комиксът вероятно цели да задоволи фенското нетърпение от началото на 2006 г. относно това как ще изглежда историята, или просто под формата на отделен и самостоятелен продукт, да разпространява идеята в книжните среди. Корицата обаче ми нюха на епично фентъзи, което може-би няма да се хареса на цялата публика на режисьора, който сам е побъркан комиксджия.

Препоръчителен саундтрак след "облъчването":
Tool - Lateralus