Strange Powers

by Wendy Dembo

A few weeks ago Creative Time curator Peter Eleey explained that we generally look to art for a transformative experience when he was telling me about the concept behind the group show “Strange Powers,” which opens today 19 July 2006 and runs through 17 September 2006. The works that Eleey and co-curator Laura Hoptman chose for "Strange Powers" are imbued with many more forms of spellbinding magical powers than traditional art, hopefully lending a supernatural experience to visiting the show. Including art by James Lee Byars, Sophie Calle and Fabio Balducci, The Center for Tactical Magic, Peter Coffin, Jennifer Cohen, Anne Collier, Trisha Donnelly, Douglas Gordon, Jim Lambie, Euan Macdonald, Jonathan Monk, Senga Nengudi, Paul Pfeiffer, and Eva Rothschild, among others, tonight I will suspend my disbelief and venture into the exhibition—and leave with my free Hex Spell sticker (courtesy of the Center for Tactical Magic) and maybe a bit more faith.

Strange Powers
Opening 19 July 2005, 6-7:30pm
64 East 4th Street
New York, NY 10003 map
tel. 01 212 206 6674

Füri Tech Edge Pro Knife Sharpening System

by Ami Kealoha

Whether you cook once a day or once a month, sharp knives are essential to get the job done right. Even if you haven’t mastered using a “stone and steel,” you can hone your tools to near perfection without going to a professional with Füri's Tech Edge Pro Knife Sharpening System.

Designed for both home users and professionals, the Tech Edge Pro Knife Sharpening System is dummy-proof. It comes with an edge restorer and a two-part system—just a few quick swipes through its “fingers” restores all non-serrated knives. Designed to adjust easily for different cutting edge angles, the Füri eliminates human error and minimizes the removal of metal, unlike other sharpeners. Available through Amazon.

by Amy Sherman

Dabrye: Two/Three

by Ami Kealoha

Hailing from the very heart of hip-hop culture (Ann Arbor, Michigan) Tadd Mullinix aka Dabrye is back on the shelves at your local record store (if you are lucky enough to still have one) with his third full-length release Two/Three. The enigmatic and fractional title is the follow up to his 2001 debut One/Three and 2002 sophomore release Instrmntl.

Mullinix, who is quite the busy beaver, also makes house, techno, and industrial music under other monikers. So it’s not surprising that his brand of hip-hop is a little bit left of center. A Dabrye album is as likely to feature white noise, sawbuzz analog synths, and found sounds, as its title is to include numbers or consonants, it seems.

Inspired by Dabrye’s collabo with hip-hop’s latest fallen hero, and the godfather of the Detroit underground scene, J Dilla, on “Game Over” (the first cut recorded for the album), Two/Three is replete with guest appearances, and Ann Arbor’s sister city represents heavily with Phat Kat, Ta’Raach, and Platinum Pied Pipers’ beatsmith Waajeed, among others. Non-Detroit emcees Wildchild and AG (of Showbiz and AG) round out the crew. And what producer-driven hip-hop album would be complete these days without a cameo from the hardest working MF in show business? Doom. His gritty scowling flow pleases as usual, though—so nobody’s complaining. Get it from Turntable Lab or Amazon.

by DJ Scribe

Marian Bantjes

by Ami Kealoha

The Canadian graphic designer Marian Bantjes is the creator of some of the most startlingly beautiful images that I have seen recently. At first glance I was enchanted by her decorative graphic style which is at once antique and modern. She appears to draw on influences from the organic forms of William Morris to the swirls of medieval manuscripts. Her hand, however, tempers what could be flamboyant or fussy with clean lines and simple colors to create contemporary graphics. Bantjes was trained in typesetting and layouts, but it is clear from her recent work that she is moving towards a freer style that blurs the boundaries between graphic design, illustration and art. I was particularly moved by her ballpoint pen drawing entitled ‘you me no.3’ (pictured above) and the photograph of ‘I want it all’ spelled out in wilting peonies (pictured after the jump). Poetic and striking.

via Design Boom

Kanyon

by Jacob Resneck

"Live, work and play" could be the tagline for Kanyon, one of Europe's most innovative and exciting developments. Newly opened in the heart of Istanbul, a city of 8.8 million that spans two continents, the mixed-use project amalgamates 179 luxury residences, 26 stories of offices and nearly 40,000 square meters of commercial space. The future of urban living is in efficient mixed-use where denizens have all the conveniences and necessities within reach.

Like many ancient centers, Istanbul grew out of many historic towns, villages and cities into a single megapolis over the past three millennia. As a result, it lacks a central urban core than younger cities like New York and Singapore. Through ingenious planning and design, the Jerde Partnership has realized Kanyon as a solution. Residents will be able to live in modern luxury and convenience while surrounded by world-class shopping with a planned brand-new Harvey Nichols shopping destination bringing Knightsbridge to one of the ancient centers of civilization.

While the main site is still in Turkish only, more information can be found via Camron, the London-based firm that is showcasing innovative urban revolutions underway across the globe from Shanghai to Damascus.

More images after the jump.