OK Computer was released 16 years ago today.
“When I heard the news that the Freedom Tower will be now be the highest building in Manhattan, I thought: ‘Kids!’” Ana Juan, the artist behind this week’s cover “Defiance,” says. “When you are a kid, you’re with your friends, and you say, ‘My ice cream is bigger than yours!’” she adds laughingly. “It’s a kind of a race, even if it makes for a great skyline. Still, I can’t help wondering: ‘Why do humans need to build higher and higher?’ It’s a show of power—something that doesn’t necessarily hold much interest for me. We need better schools, or a better health-care system, or to take care of the cities we have… but I guess building ever higher is our way to show how great we are.”
Cover of the May 27, 2013 issue. For more on Ana Juan’s cover, “Defiance,” as well as a slide show of images of the downtown skyline after 9/11 and some of her many children’s books illustrations: http://nyr.kr/10IKny1
Check Out These Psychedelic Architectural Collages by Hugo Barros!
Evocative of that heady post-1968 period of architectural exploration, the collages of Lisbon-based artist Hugo Barros recharge the legacy of psychedelic graphics in the representation of built form. Some of these collages feature floating surfaces of a giant scale, recalling Superstudio’s Earth-devouring Continuous Monument. Others superbly juxtapose disaster and architectural stability, challenging structural equilibrium and suggesting kinetic buildings. Read More!
Wings
Movement and interactive relationship with the body has been the most important element throughout my body of work. However through these works, I also started to explore the mechanical structure as a form. Mechanical structure becomes the most enjoyable form to me as it becomes complex yet remains simple and coherent. The contrast between metal structural form and natural feather, together with the repetitive and whimsical movements of fragile wings, provokes the imagination and evolves the intimate relationship between work and viewer/wearer. Although the recent series, segmented wings have been focused on the formal challenge to engineer an intricate movement that simulates bird wings, these works are intended to be a series of poems in which I develope my own formal language, interpret the nature of wings, create various structural forms with movements, and share the metaphor, imagination, humor, with viewer/wearer.
(via andreaaaaaa6)
Rare Nacreous Clouds
Also called polar stratospheric clouds or mother of pearl clouds, nacreous clouds are mostly visible within two hours after sunset or before dawn. They blaze unbelievably bright with vivid, iridescent colors. These clouds are rare and occur in the polar stratosphere at altitudes of 15,000–25,000 meters. They are so bright because at those heights, they are still sunlit.
Although incredibly beautiful, they have a negative impact on our atmosphere. They create ozone holes by supporting chemical reactions that produce active chlorine which catalyzes ozone destruction.
(via scinerds)
Why did humans start farming? New scientific research concludes we just like owning stuff.
Read more about the new theory of farming over at NPR’s The Salt blog and check out CNN’s photo blog for more of Alex MacLean’s aerial images of farms across America.
(via nprradiopictures)
