Sarah Pickering: Fire Scene

by Jonah Samson

Sarah Pickering's photographs belong to the magical space that exists between reality and illusions. Capturing the unique bursts of smoke and light that resulted from detonating certain types of bombs including land mines, artillery, air fuel and even napalm, I was completely dazzled by her earlier photos of explosions taken during military training exercises. Her most recent body of work called "Fire Scene," now on view at Daniel Cooney Fine Art in New York, continues to explore the fiery threat of destruction.

The images in the show (see more after the jump) were created while working as artist in residence at the U.K. Fire Training College, and document spaces called "burn units" that are used to simulate household fires. These units are assembled with a high-level of detail and then strategically burned to train forensic teams and crime scene investigators.

"My work explores the idea of imagined threat and response, and looks at fear and planning for the unexpected, merging fact and fiction, fantasy and reality. The images are a representation of society's coping mechanisms, which are often happening out of the public arena."

Each photograph is created at a moment when the flames begin to take hold of the contents of the room and, like her previous images of explosions, these photographs suspend a moment as it unfolds.

Fire Scene
Through 15 March 2007
Daniel Cooney Fine Art
511 West 25th Street, Suite 506
New York City, New York 10001 map
tel. +1 212 255 8158

Jason Munn x Patagonia Spring 2008 Tees

by Mike Giles

Oakland, CA's Jason Munn is the one-man machine behind The Small Stakes independent design studio. Along with some beautifully designed and silkscreen posters for such bands as Nada Surf, Death Cab for Cutie, Wilco and Blonde Redhead (to name but a few), he keeps busy with a range of visual designs including book covers and album packaging. Most recently, he's behind a few t-shirt designs for Patagonia that will be out this spring and fall, all centered around environmental issues and supporting the grassroots foundations that are fighting for them.

This season's tees include the timely "Vote the Environment" (which helps out the worthy (i.e. they go way further than recycling) League of Conservation Voters), the sinister Pollution Plant (below center) and the Future of the Earth (below right). (Click images for detail.) They'll all retail for $30 a pop (with a portion of each sale going to a related NGO) and will be available from Patagonia come spring.

Also on Cool Hunting: Patagonia's T-Shirt Campaign: Arctic National Wildlife Refuge

AirMail

by Ami Kealoha

Sometimes the obvious choice is the best choice, which is why we love the new manila envelope-based AirMail sleeve designed for the new MacBook Air by our favorite quick thinkers, Jona Bechtolt and Claire L. Evans. Yep, someone already did it.

We were hoping that the Airs would ship in an actual manila envelope, but the AirMail lends functionality by handmaking the case out of upholstery grade vinyl and lining it with fleece. The result is a super slim profile that protects the little marvel and is the same dimensions as a manila envelope serving "to remind you—and everyone around you—that your new MacBook Air really is the thinnest laptop in the world!"

Jump on the hype-wagon and pre-order the AirMail for $30 from the AirMail site to get it when your Air arrives.

Also on Cool Hunting: YACHT, FlickrBlockrs

Lumas Editions Gallery, Melbourne

by Fiona Killackey

Melbourne may well be miles from most of the world's cultural epicenters, but when it comes to appreciation of quality photographic art, Melbournians know their stuff. Perhaps that's why Lumas Editions decided to expand their global galleries by opening a Melbourne tangent just over a month ago. Located in the hip Little Collins Street precinct, Melbourne's Lumas Gallery continues the company's global reputation for providing stunning affordable photographic art for people wanting a more modern art-buying experience.

Created in Berlin in 2004, Lumas Editions Gallery aims to democratize the art market allowing new and established art collectors the opportunity to buy museum-quality photographic and digital art for a fraction of standard art gallery prices. In addition to granting photographers from across the globe international exposure, Lumas Editions Galleries also allow the modern consumer a chance to enter and browse an art gallery without feeling intimidated.

Working with around 120 established artists and opening their doors to new photographers, Lumas offers 940 works in limited edition runs of 75 to 150, signed by the artist. The higher editions created, the lower the price. Best of all, those not in Melbourne (or any of the other global cities Lumas has a gallery in) can purchase art online. It seems the new genre in art collecting has finally arrived.

Lumas Editions Gallery
362 Little Collins Street
Melbourne VIC 300 map
tel. +61 (0)3 9642 8750

Above right: Florian de Lassee, "Nightviews #50, Shanghai" (Click image for detail.)

Above left: Michel Comte, "Rizzoli Nudes" (Click image for detail and see another Comte after the jump.)

Mike Perry

by Lost At E Minor

One of the hardest working typographers we know, Mike Perry is currently working on his second book. Check out the Brooklyn-based designer's first book, "Hand Job: A Catalog of Type," which is a great collection of hand-drawn type out out by Princeton Architectural press. It's hard to look at this site and not be motivated to get working too!