images from the City of Salt

City of Salt is the second book —following Scotlandfuturebog (2002)—
in an extraordinary trilogy by the artist duo, Nicholas Kahn and Richard
Selesnick.

The two have been collaborating for over a decade to create mysterious,
uniquely bizarre and largely impossible - multi layered fictions.

They start by inventing an alternative reality, (like their City of Salt)
then construct finely detailed three-dimensional miniatures and dioramas
(preliminary 3-D hand constructed models) to give their fantasy worlds
physical expression.

Using digital photography, they position elaborately costumed actors
within this imaginary , invented world.

In City of Salt, their stunning panoramic photographs are juxtaposed
with strange stories inspired by traditional Sufi tales, the writings
of Italo Calvino, and the artists’ own existentialist parables.

Divided into five chapters — Book of Sand, Book of Fur, Book of Musk,
Book of Tea, and Book of Salt— the book and it's exhibit - explores an
illusory desert land and chronicles the experiences of its diverse and
perverse (tee-hee) inhabitants.

Poetic and perplexing, the staged scenes conjure up a mythical Middle
Eastern civilization, set in an indeterminate past somewhere between
pre-urban and postcolonial. Originally conceived in the late 1990s, the
project took on darker hues following the events of September 11.

There has long been a tradition in portrait photography to invent amusing
or moving fictions. Early French studio photography, routinely utilized
elaborate costumes and theatrical sets in the gilded portraits of the
Dagurreian Age ( 1830's to 1870's - I'll explain in class)

enjoy the masterful wit, and extraordinary invention of these two gifted artists.
visit their site, for more of their rather beautiful work.

in fantasy, as in nature - click to enlargo

digital 1, per our discussion yesterday, regarding form following function.











Here is a deceptively simple yet comfortable and truly functional design, the
Heller poof chair, designed for both inside and outside use, it utilizes a self healing
polymer. imagine ...

and here is one of Jasper Morrison's most famous designs

digital 2, do your illustrator exercises or I will _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ your _ _ _ _ _ _ _ !

design 1 and 2, please visit the linked site.
It's an interesting and fun way to learn, and to observe designers working and
playing together on shared interactive design events and projects.





" We're hosting a series of live design events on Friday afternoons
called Layer Tennis.

We originally called the game "Photoshop Tennis" but these days there
are a ton more tools that can be used alone and in combination to create
hings and we wanted to open these games up to millions of new possibilities.

The season wouldn't have happened without the support of Adobe® Creative Suite® 3, the weapon of choice for creatives everywhere and Layer Tennis players alike."

the image is linked. the linked page has some great Flash work, check it out!

Design 2, please read the linked NY Times article. It incidentally refers to
some of the work we were discussing, in particular the Vienna Secessionists,
Klimt and Schiele. click the picture to read the article.

Clearly influenced by aviation design, the fenders disappeared into the smooth and rounded Art Deco “beetle” body of the Scarab and its airy interior featured movable chairs and a varnished wicker headliner. At the time, there was nothing else like the Scarab, and it was sold by invitation to people of means. Only six to nine were made.















" The Stout Scarab was conceived by one William Stout, the man who gave us
the first all-metal plane and devised the first regularly scheduled passenger air
service which, in 1929, became United Air Lines. The Scarab was his idea of what
a car should be: a sort of aircraft fuselage on wheels. It was powered by a rear-
mounted Ford V8 engine placed above the rear axle and feeding its power to the
clutch and then down via a chain to the gearbox and differential. For suspension
it used something that looked very much like an early form of MacPherson strut
(not used on a production car until the '50s).
















Essentially the Scarab was the first people-carrier, its spaceframe construction body offering double the interior space of a Ford V8 in a shell that was only marginally longer. You could throw a party inside one of these cars. The long wheelbase gave a superb ride and, despite the extreme rearward position of the engine, the handling was undramatic. It was light, too, so the big Ford V8 was understressed. Nine were built including the original prototype, plus a single final glassfibre example - not only the world's first glassfibre car but a monocoque, too, built up out of only eight separate pieces and featuring air suspension."

AMNESTY ART










Not all graphic design serves corporate masters or artistic vanities - some, like
the young Dutch designers which made these bus stop posters for Amnesty
International - seek to heal what is broken. (please check the links and click to enlarge)


















Amnesty International (AI) is a worldwide movement of people who campaign
for internationally recognized human rights. AI’svision is of a world in which
every person enjoys all of the human rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration
of Human Rights and other international human rights standards.

In pursuit of this vision, AI’s mission is to undertake research and action focused
on preventing and ending grave abuses of the rights to physical and mental
integrity, freedom of conscience and expression,and freedom from discrimination,
within the context of its work to promote all human rights. AI is independent
of any government, political ideology, economic interest or religion.

It does not support or oppose any government or political system,nor does it
support or oppose the views of the victims whose rightsit seeks to protect. It
is concerned solely with the impartial protection of human rights. AI has a
varied network of members and supporters around the world. At the latest
count, there were more than 2.2 million members, supporters and subscribers
in over 150 countries and territories in every region of the world.

Although they come from many different backgrounds and have widely
different political and religious beliefs, they are united by a determination
to work for a world where everyone enjoys human rights.

AI is a democratic, self-governing movement. Major policy decisions are
taken by an International Council made up of representatives from all
national sections.

AI's national sections, members and supporters are primarily responsible for
funding the movement. No funds are sought or accepted from governments
for AI’s work investigating and campaigning against human rights violations.

Digital One - dont forget this Tuesday is a Monday, and that we're going to see this exhibit at the MMFA. please be on time, meet in front, and it's free !

digital one, don't forget to review the video tutorials. Select the getting started section, and get started. the link is here http://www.adobe.com/designcenter/video_workshop/

a Wired magazine Q&A:

Ridley Scott Has Finally
Created the Blade Runner
He Always Imagined

digital 2 students please read the article linked to the photograph, all of it.

Marcus Levison-Hays’ Electrobike Pi (2007) combines the lightweight portability of a bicycle with speed and self-propulsion more akin to a motorcycle. A breakthrough in environmentally sound transportation, Pi may be the ideal for commuting transport. Considered a “human-electric hybrid,” Pi charges from any standard household outlet in 2.5–3 hours and can run on a single charge for 25–30 miles.

Me want, and I think my potentially graduating students should get together and buy me one.