Breville Variable-Temperature Kettle

by Tim Yu

An improvement on how coffee and tea are brewed, the Breville Variable-Temperature Kettle eliminates any guesswork when it comes to water temperature offering a more consistent and exact cup of joe.

Coffee and tea addicts know that water temperature is one of the most important variables in brewing a good cup. Whether it's green tea or french press coffee Breville has preset temperature settings for each ensuring the correct temp for each variety. In all, 5 pre-set brewing temperatures—green is brewed at 175°, white at 185°, oolong at 195°, french press at 200° and black tea at 212°—elicit the perfect drinking profile and there is even a "hold temp" function that keeps water heated at selected temperatures for up to 20 minutes.

Made of stainless steal, it features water level indicators on both sides and a start stop button making it super easy to use. The handle even stays cool—a common problem with some other kettles—and it looks good on the kitchen counter.

Available from Breville, Amazon or Sur La Table for $150.

via NYtimes

David Creedon: Ghosts Of The Faithful Departed

by Karen Day

Ireland's sluggish economy and stifling religious regime during the 1950s left the country with severe emigration issues. Many families abandoned their homes never to return. Irish photographer David Creedon examines these dilapidated houses and forgotten stories of the people who once occupied them with his series of photographs, Ghosts of the Faithful Departed, taken between 2005 and 2007. Shot in color, the wear and tear of time is evident by the deteriorating walls.

In his essay for Creative Lens, Creedon explains the eerie feeling he felt while documenting the deserted homes. He goes on to comment on how the interiors resonate with his roots having grown up in Ireland during the time when the country lost well over 800,000 people to flourishing cities like London and New York.

Revered by the Ireland Independent as "one of the most significant collections of photography in contemporary Ireland and will be amongst the most important works of Irish art in years to come," Ghosts of the Faithful Departed opens today and is on view through 6 March 2009 at London's Photofusion Gallery.

Ghosts of the Faithful Departed - 23 January through 6 March 2009
Photofusion Gallery
17a Electric Lane
London SW9 8LA map
tel. +44 020 7738 5774

The New South Ferry Terminal: See It Split, See It Change

by CH Contributor

by Oliver Schwaner-Albright

Sometime by the end of the month the public will get its first view of See It Split, See It Change. A 250 foot-long curved wall of fused glass panels and mosaics by Doug and Mike Starn, it snakes along the new South Ferry subway station. It’s a stunner, and an unusually engaging piece for a city that already takes public art seriously.

At first See It Split, See It Change seems simply bold and graphic, a striking backdrop for your dash to the 1 train. It features an axonometric view of Manhattan rendered in mosaic tiles—the favorite medium for the MTA’s Arts for Transit—and panels of silhouetted tree branches. But if you linger for a few moments you’ll see how intricate it really is.

Produced in Munich, the glass panels are a meeting of 21st century and medieval technologies. Ceramic powder was printed, ink jet-like, on a panel of glass that was sandwiched with another panel and fired in a kiln for one week. The result is rich with detail and up close you can see flaws in the glass—fissures and bubbles that recall centuries-old stained glass. The panels are so luminescent they seem to be lit from behind.

An intimate piece on a monumental scale, this is the first time that art was conceived as a part of the development of a subway station and Arts for Transit made a great decision in tapping the Starns. South Ferry is more than just the terminus of the 1 line—and will soon connect with the R and W lines. It also stands at the mouth of the Staten Island Ferry Terminal, which handles 20 million passengers every year. Most New Yorkers are resigned to dreary entries—Penn Station, JFK and LaGuardia. Finally, Grand Central Station has company and the approach from Staten Island will be one of the city’s most majestic.

In Rainbows Animated Music Video Contest Winners

by Brian Fichtner

Back in March 2008, aniBoom, the online home of animation, teamed up with Radiohead's TBD Records for a contest inviting fans and animators to create a video for any of the songs from the band's wildly successful album, In Rainbows.

From over 1,000 storyboard submissions, roughly 200 clips were produced and whittled down to 15 semi-finalists. Thom Yorke was quoted on w.a.s.t.e. saying, "... the aniBoom competition. Totally blown me away, it has. How the hell you pick a winner?" Initially, the contest was to culminate in the selection of one grand prize winner, who would receive $10,000. Radiohead, however, was so impressed by the phenomenal outpouring of creativity that they decided to add $30,000 to the pot and award four lucky contestants. Above is a still from Kota & Totori's winning video for 15 Step.

Yesterday, aniBoom released the four full-length videos for public viewing. Check them out above.

Artist Shelby Fischer

by Lost At E Minor

Shelby Fischer is a mixed media artist living in Central Virginia. Her work is beautifully realized, laborious in its detail and subtle in its colorings. "My mixed media collages and assemblages blend surrealism with otherworldly imagery," she says. "Each work is a fragment of an intuitive story—odd and mysterious narratives that are familiar echoes of a long lost, often twisted, fantasy or nightmare."