OnNYTurf Subway Map

by Tim Yu

The most frustrating aspect of most New York City Subway Maps is that they only show the subway lines, neglecting all but major streets. You might know where get off but then you have no idea how to get to your final destination. Alleviating the problem, OnNYTurf simply overlays the subway map on a google-style map (click on image for enlarged view). Google also recently (finally) added Subway stops to their maps so using either you can plot your trip to see what subway stops are closest to your final destination, but only OnNYTurf's overlays the actual lines.

via swismiss.

Portable and Tabletop Grills

by Tim Yu

Following the nine free–standing BBQs we brought you earlier this week, here are a few more suited to the urbanite without expansive yards or bank accounts. Portable and slightly cheaper, these are the grills to take to the beach, park, balcony, fire escape, rooftop or wherever it is you can get outside.

A departure from black or stainless steel grills, this wood barbecue pit, La Caja China still has the chops to roast a 100 lb. pig. An aluminum-lined box, wheels and handles make it easy to transport to the beach or picnic for rager–size barbecues. Including two stainless steel grills, a charcoal pan, drip pan and marinating syringe, it's a no frills unit for serious barbecuing. Available for $320 here.

For flexible and spontaneous grilling, the Pizzoni Lifestyle Grill is designed with easy transport, assembly and functionality in mind. Made of high quality, non-corrosive materials, it's easily assembled in less than a minute (no tools needed) and can be packed up and carried away with a convenient shoulder strap. Clean lines and elegant design make for a low–maintenance unit while also providing a top notch grilling experience. It's available for €298 from Pizzoni. To get a sense of how effortless it is to put together, view an assembly animation here.

Taking BBQ portability to a new level, this Carry and Go Briefcase BBQ (above left) folds out to provide a generous cooking area. Made of pressed steel, it's durable and a high wind break above the cooking area prevents soot and ash from ruining food. With a convenient carry bag, it's available for £25 here.

via Gizmodo

Also see this folding picnic grill for $40 from A+R.

Bruce (above right), a clever solution for high–rise living without enough outdoor space for a free–standing grill, has a shape similar to a flower box designed to be hung on the balustrade. The space-saving grill's better suited to hot dogs than steaks, but we like the idea. Contact designer Henrik Drecker for purchasing details.

Made of porcelain, enamel and steel, the Outtime Fireplate (above left) mimics a small bonfire. It can in fact function as a conveniently–sized charcoal or wood fire; adding the steel grill component turns it into a perfect station for grilling summer vegetables. Available in white, black, red or green, contact Outtime for pricing and availability.

Resembling a weighing scale, this Weber MM Hottower (above right) is a combination fireplace and grill. An arm suspends the stainless steel grill plate over the fire. By changing the length of the cable, you can adjust cooking temperature. Very simple, easy to use and good–looking, it's also not cheap. It's available for €1,099 here.

The Outdoor Artisan Pizza Oven (right) aims to mimic the stone–lined, arched–roof ovens found in Italian pizzerias. Entirely handmade from stainless steel, the stone offers great conduction of heat and the arched lid reflects heat back on the pizza. An integrated wood chip drawer gives the flavor of wood–fired pizza, but the main source of energy is gas. The portable table top pizza oven is available at Kalamazoo for $4000.

Designed for tapas-style eating, Eva Solo's Table Grill (left) is for vegetables, shellfish and other light snacks. Perhaps not the best for for steaks and ribs, use charcoal to fire up your vegetables, shellfish and other light snacks. Made of porcelain with a wood base, its compact size and handle make for easy transport. Watch a video presentation here. Available for $300 at Unicahome.

A similar, more economical ($35) option, Sagaform's Charcoal Bucket Grill will do the trick.

via T magazine

To avoid lighter fluid–kissed food, the Thuros Nevada grill (above right) features a funnel-like top designed for quick and easy lighting without the use of lighter-fluid or blower aids. A chimney-like shape enhances proper airflow for optimal functioning with minimal use of charcoal. Brakes keep the wheeled grill in place while you're cooking. Available here for €320.

Award-winning and much acclaimed, the portable Cobb Grill and Cooking System is a veritable classic. Through its convection oven–like design it can grill, bake, smoke or even fry food while keeping it juicy and tender at the same time. Reaching temperatures of up to 500ºF, the base stays surprisingly cool making it safe for portability even when it's in use. No moving or rust prone parts means low maintenance and it comes with a heavy duty carrying case. Available at Cobb for $140.

Guild

by Tim Yu

Formed around the idea of a group of artists that work together at the intersection of craft and art, "Guild" is an upcoming exhibit at Gallerie Emmanuel Perrotin in Miami opening tomorrow, 12 May 2007.

Two years in the making, artist and curator Daniel Arsham assembled a guild comprised of himself, John Bucklin, Kenneth Andrew Mroczek, Dennis Palazzolo and Friends With You for the show. Exhibiting pieces that have ambiguous function like the Curtain Tapestry (above left), works exhibited include sculptures, blimps from Art Basel Miami Beach 2006(above right), large–scale water colors as well as additional works including a Guild poster created specifically for the exhibit.

Guild
Opening: 12 May 2007, 4-6 PM
Galerie Emmanuel Perrotin
12 May-21 July 2007
194 NW 30th Street
Miami, FL 33127 map
tel. +1 305 573 2130

Lax(ative) Advertising

by Phuong-Cac Nguyen

Call it ingenious marketing or just plain bad taste, but a company promoting its laxatives on a bus stop billboard on busy Avenida Faria Lima in São Paulo has incorporated toilet lids attached to the seats where bus passengers sit and wait to further drive home its message. Those innocently taking a rest while waiting for their rides on public transport unwittingly become part of the ad, which gives off the impression they’re sitting on a toilet actually waiting for, well, something other than the No. 2 bus line. Questions are being raised about this particular advertising method: Is it humiliating? Or funny? As one of the pictures shows and its respective caption says, some prefer to not take part.

An Interview with Lori Nix

by Jonah Samson

Lori Nix makes highly–detailed dioramas that are playful and dark. An exhibition of her latest photographs opened at G. Gibson Gallery in Seattle yesterday and runs through 23 June 2007. (Click image for detail. More images after the jump.)

What made you start making these models in the first place? How did all this come about?
I was doing room–sized installations when I was in grad school. Once I left grad school and lost my studio space, I was living in a small attic apartment so I started working on table–top models. It was something that I could do in my little attic. I kind of wanted to explore my childhood of growing up in Kansas, but didn't necessarily want to travel to Kansas. I'm not the kind of person who likes to drive around and photograph. I'm much more hands on. So I decided to recreate certain aspects of my childhood that I remembered (actually kind of fondly) that were natural disasters—like tornadoes and the insect infestations.

There's a story about you chipping frozen frogs out of a pond in the winter and throwing them at your sister. Did that really happen?

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