Link About It: This Week’s Picks
Secret lives of tattoos, the underbelly of an iceberg, celebrating women artists and more in our look around the web
1. Celebrating Artists on International Women’s Day
While we shouldn’t only celebrate women artists one day of the year, It’s Nice That is showcasing the work (and thoughts) of an all-star-cast of women artists for IWD 2018. Working with various styles and mediums, articles include “words of wisdom from stage designer and visual artist Es Devlin; a rare interview with The Smiling Sun creator Anne Lund on one of history’s most iconic logos; a look back at the work of Elizabeth Friedlander who was one of the first women to design a typeface,” and more. The umbrella artwork for the series is by Laura Callaghan who created the 2018 International Women’s Day illustration especially for the publication—and which shows that the movement is for all women. See more at It’s Nice That.
2. Glassy and Glorious, an Iceberg Upturned
Rarely do we have an opportunity to see what filmmaker and photographer Alex Cornell captured on his recent excursion to Antarctica: the underbelly of an iceberg, pointing to the sky. Cornell—while exploring the glacial bay Cierva Cove—caught sight of an upturned iceberg. Its surface was glasslike, rather than snow-covered, and water was pouring through it, something he mentions was like observing an ant colony. Head over to Smithsonian Magazine to see more of Cornell’s breathtaking imagery of the jewel-like berg.
3. FKA Twigs Dances the Day Away in Spike Jonze Apple’s HomePod Film
In his most adventurous, imaginative short-form spot since the Kenzo commercial that swept the world, Spike Jonze returns with an advertisement for Apple’s HomePod. Within, FKA Twigs works her way through the monotony of life, only to dance the depression away in her apartment—which grows with her mood. It’s beautiful, well choreographed, a bit mend-bending—and it certainly makes clear what the HomePod’s music functionality is.
4. Cells Continuously Eat and Regurgitate Tattoos
It’s widely understood that tattoos are permanent, but a recent study in the Journal of Experimental Medicine has found they are also ever-changing. French scientists have discovered that ink crystals are in fact “continuously engulfed, regurgitated and gobbled back up” by a body’s cells. These cells, known as macrophages, work as part of the immune system to swallow harmful, foreign junk. Read much more about these “microscopic Pac-Mans” at the New York Times.
5. Levi’s Turns to Lasers for Ethical Jean Production
As denim distressing and various washes wax and wane in attention, hand-finishing and chemicals are used to achieve the look of the moment. Levi’s, however, wants to cut out all hazardous chemicals by 2020. Hailing from their innovation department, known as Eureka Lab, Project FLX (Future-Led Execution) is a brand new technique that substantially reduces harmful chemicals, replacing them with the activity of lasers. An infrared technology allows the lasers to scratch jean surfaces to achieve, among other things, tears and fading. Further, the new process reduces steps in finishing from 18 or 24 (depending) down to three. It’s a big commitment and a welcome one. Learn more at the Verge.
6. Samsung’s New QLED Line of TVs Go Invisible
A new “ambient mode” on Samsung’s latest QLED line of 4K TVs helps the device to disappear, or at least blend in better with its natural surroundings. The process is quite simple: take a picture of the spot the TV will hang on and upload this as the TV’s background. The appearance is that of a black frame floating on the wall. To intensify the sensation, Samsung also incorporated a digital version of the shadow the frame would make it were in fact just hanging on the wall, empty. It’s quite an uncanny experience though it’s bound to cost quite a bit when the five TVs hit the market.
7. KEEGO’s Squeezable Metal Bottle
Quickly, many athletes need to take a sip of water using only one hand. Squeezable, ergonomic bottles are the only type of vessel to deliver in that scenario and, up until now, they’ve all been types of plastic. Thanks to KEEGO, who have pioneered a specific type of elastic titanium, the world’s first squeezable metal bottle now exists. This should come as a relief to all seeking to avoid plastic, be that for its wastefulness or the taste it imparts.
8. Photographer Gives Mountains Halos
Photographer Reuben Wu’s latest project “Lux Noctis” gives mountains halos, thanks to his clever use of tech. Using drones and long exposures, Wu creates these angelic details that are inspired by “19th-century sublime Romantic painting and science and fictional imagery.” The halos are the actual drones’ light paths—not added post-production. See more at PetaPixel.
Link About It is our filtered look at the web, shared daily in Link and on social media, and rounded up every Saturday morning.
