Cool Hunting
| 29 September 2005view entries from: this week | this month | view previous day | view next day |
Brian Jungen at the New Museum of Contemporary Art
by Evan Orensten
This is the Vancouver based artist's first show in North America, and it brings together much of his work over the last ten years. Brian's work is probably familiar to many of you, especially his recently completed Prototypes for New Understanding 1998-2005, a series of 23 Northwest Coast Aboroginal masks made from Nike Air Jordans. Another compelling series is the three large hanging whale skeletons, which are made from white plastic patio chairs. His newest works are carved baseball bats that provoke you by their "socially charged" inscriptions.
There are several themes that run through all of his work: Nature and how it is impacted by consumerism and consumption; a strong sense of place—both geographically and politically—of how we all fit into the ecosystem; and transformation, both literal and figurative. Catch it if you can. Brian Jungen opens today at the New Museum of Contemporary Art/Chelsea in New York City and runs through December 31st, 2005. The catalog is available here.
More pics after the jump
Box Mag
by Josh Rubin
Box is the latest in a new breed of mindful soft porn. It offers a post-ironic combination of fine art photography and illustration, literature, documentary and editorial reviews. What's best is that it's neither gay nor straight, male or female focused-- it has something for everyone without making anyone uncomfortable. But it's still very erotic.
The first issue, appropriately themed The First Time, has just launched and is available as a downloadable pdf.
DetourDVD's Op Art
by Ami Kealoha
Pretty up your flat screen with the latest release of moving graphics from DetourDVD. Black, grey, and white Op Art imagery slowly morphs from cube patterns to concentric circles to checkerboards to spirals and so on, recalling Victor Vasarely, Bridget Riley, and the like. Founded and created by husband and wife team Gretchen and Nick van der Grinten, the Op Art DVD (as well as the previous floral and mod versions) bless what otherwise is often the glaring eyesore in a room with eye-catching design. The Op Art version especially looks equally at home with everything from 50s modernism to neo-baroque furnishings.
You can program the sequence to loop or shuffle and by setting DVD players to widescreen playback it will work on normal TVs. All three versions are available for $25 from their site and keep an eye out for them in retail locations next year.
Sneaker Pimps NYC
by Josh Rubin
If you're in NYC next Thursday, don't miss Sneaker Pimps, the world touring sneaker show. Making its third lap, this year's tour will feature a live customization collaboration between Methamphibian and SBTG, plus Dave White. Public Enemy will be performing
THURSDAY, 6th of October from 8pm till late
Avalon NYC
20th St @ 6th Ave
47 West 20th St, NYC, NY, 10011
$5 @ the door – 18+ (please bring ID)
Fast Company: Cool Runnings
by Josh Rubin
Cool hunters are more than just streetwise fad spotters. Here are three blogs from arbiters of cool that offer insights and inspiration for innovation.
BLOG: Cool Hunting
WHO WRITES IT: Josh Rubin, a former user-interface designer for Motorola, and his band of 10 contributors
WHY YOU SHOULD READ IT: Because drinking Pabst with hipsters at after-hours Brooklyn bars is exhausting. Instead, tap into the cool-kid consciousness by reading Rubin and his cohorts--classic cool hunters obsessed with gadgets, T-shirts, and of course, Puma and Nike. Although perhaps best suited for those in the fashion biz, Rubin's blog helps anyone tap into maven culture.
--Jena McGregor
Terence Koh at Peres Projects Berlin
by Ami Kealoha
Whether you hate him or don't care, Terence Koh (formerly asianpunkboy) has a knack for reinvention and hype. His first solo German show, opening tonight at Peres Project's Berlin space, features a full-size white coffin cake placed under a hole in the ceiling and, according to the inscription, signals the death of Koh. At 9pm a ceremony complete with priests and choir boys will culminate in a seven-course meal to celebrate. We can only imagine the resurrection.
