Cool Hunting
| 01 June 2006view entries from: this week | this month | view previous day | view next day |
Biotube Bench
by Josh Rubin
Made from recycled cardboard cylinders, embedded seeds in a cellulose liquid grow when they're exposed to water and light on the surface of Brooklyn-based designer Julian Lwin's modular bench. Available as individual tubes or bundled as shown, any plant (as long as its smallish, we assume) can be sprouted and the entire chair will biodegrade over time.
via Inhabitat
Alice Smith: For Lovers, Dreamers & Me
by Ami Kealoha
Alice Smith’s For Lovers, Dreamers and Me, is a strikingly mature debut. Like the best pop music, it's original, genuine, and accessible.
Characterized by soul-searching lyrics, tunes that are catchy without being cheesy, rich and subtle arrangements, and vocal performances that range from captivating to breathtaking, For Lovers journeys with ease through genres—from bluesy soul, to rock, to melodic pop, to country. The album proves (as a select group of artists have done before her, albeit few on their debut release) that good music is good music. And those with comparable first efforts that come to mind—like Fiona Apple, D’Angelo, and Jill Scott—didn’t have the breadth that Alice Smith has here.
From the opening piano stabs of “Dream” to the final glissando of “Love Endeavor”, the album is a rare pleasure that's more enjoyable with every listen. It may only be June, but this is my album of the year, hands down. Due out in stores 5 September 2006, download it now from Dancetracks Digital.
Kenichi Yokono
by Josh Rubin
An invited (and award-winning) participant for the last four years to Takashi Murakami's Gesai art fairs in Japan, Kenichi Yokono's work is only just starting to get attention in the U.S. art market. A standout installation at the recent Pulse art fair in New York, the obsessive detail of the Japanese artist's woodblocks depict fantastical manga-like urban landscapes, people, and collaged images. Like manga, his images share an apocalyptic eeriness—he calls his work "the horror of everyday life" and "horror pop"—and his restricted palette (he often only uses two colors, usually red and white) makes for arresting images. His U.S. gallery debut happens this summer in a group show that features the work of young artists from around the world called "Ultrasonic International I" at Mark Moore gallery in Los Angeles. The show opens with a reception 8 July 2006 and runs through 19 August 2006.
Fisher-Price Active Gear
by Evan Orensten
Fisher-Price's new line of Active Gear includes two strollers and several back packs that provide practical elements for kids on the go: a stool, an air mattress and a portable toilet among them.
The Stand ’n Ride Duo Stroller has four modes to meet the needs of multiple kids and lots of stuff that needs to be moved around. The Sleepover Nap Sack has room for a kid's gear and has an air mattress and pump (pictured Potty On-the-Go providing relief just about anywhere.
The products are well priced, and run from $20 to $150.
