A. Kinney Court is the newest addition to the always changing and intriguing environments and experiences on  Abbot Kinney Blvd. In keeping with the avant-garde nature of its surroundings,  A. Kinney Court is described as a “concept fashion boutique and eyewear gallery” it serves not only as a shoppe for fine apparel and eyewear, but also as a museum of vintage Oliver Peoples spectacles.  The interior was designed and constructed by Ilan Dei Studio (project team: Ilan Dei, Peter Turba, and Scott Chamberlain) with the intention of dynamically displaying the range of products, and providing an intriguing attraction for passersby. The design intention takes cues from a variety of inspirations, ranging from the Eames bent plywood processes and skateboard construction to the sand dune formations and ocean waves seen along the neighboring coast.

The main wooden display walls were conceived from the desire to build a double-bent plywood surface. In the areas where the material wouldn’t support the most extreme combination of bends, holes were cut out and utilized as the product display shelves. The wooden structure was created using parametric modeling techniques and the entire installation was digitally fabricated using only 3/4” and 3/8” plywood as finished surface and structure. Other elements of the store include vacuum-formed polycarbonate panels for the cash wrap, and re-used Redwood stumps for tables and chairs, both accented by smoky black mirrors for work surfaces.

Conceived by Garrett Leight, son of Oliver Peoples founder Larry Leight, A. Kinney Court offers rare vintage eyewear rediscovered in storage by Garrett and his father, complete with original lens colors from the 1980’s. The store also features clothing by local brand LnA, shoes from Gourmet, boots by Becca Moon, and additional eyewear from Mykita, Thierry Lasry and KBL Eyewear.

(photos courtesy of Ron Moon and Peter Turba)

Babel is not a group, an organization, nor a social order that simply build; but a manifestation of the single belief that we as humans should strive for the very best, achieve the yet to be imagined. This young collaborative of designers, which includes Sergio Ramirez, Brandin Roat, and Timothy Leung, are the pioneers that are not afraid to push and test the limit by transcending boundaries created by men. Their obsession with questions like, “Why not…” and “What if….” led them to be deliberate and conscious designers, craftsmen and visionaries who treasure and appreciate how things come together and continuously invent new ways to do so.

Their works embody the desire to make a functional, rational and versatile product which whole purpose is to better serve its users and their creations are bare, stripped to the core essentiality while embracing complexity in simplicity. Babel – in its purest pursuit of perfection – achieves greatness.

The tower is engineered to withstand structurally in difficult condition. Hexagon geometry was introduced to improve stability from wind forces and horizontal movement. The shape makes efficient use of space and building materials, similar to the cells of a beehive honeycomb. Strategically, by juxtaposing each level, vertical and horizontal loads can be evenly distributed. The tension rods act in favor to its tensile strength to further secure the structure. Shipping pallet is readily available yet is built with the most efficiency. It is tough and able to withstand great deal of compression while light enough to be transported by one person. 2X4 fill-in wood blocks strengthen the pallets while providing more area for connection.

The nature of the tower performs like an air chamber encouraging vertical ventilation throughout as cross ventilation run through the adjacent window openings. Modular geometry of each pallet creates opportunity for stepping. The tower functions as a single entity while each floor or each unit is divided and differentiated by windows constructed with various recycled materials. Slitter of sunlight scans along as one climbs up the structure until one reaches to the deck level and experience the majestic view of the Black Rock Desert, more than 30 feet above ground. At night, the tower turns into a lounge dramatized by illuminating red lights and glowing stars.

The tower is constructed on the premise of necessity, the need to experiment. It is an exploration set out to challenge the general conception. Constructability continues to be the undismissible factor throughout the process. It is our intention to reveal the temporality of structure and acceptance of time as countdown to inevitable demise. The design of its destruction is just as important as its creation.

Think music festival for urban design junkies. The Public Design Festival, hosted by esterni, is happening in the streets of Milan April 18 – 26, and hopefully it will live up to the festival part of its name.

Taking place at the exact time and city as the Salone Internazionale del Mobile (International Furniture Fair) the Public Design Festival is intended to steer people’s attention away from private spaces, showcased in the furniture fair, and attract ideas and discussion about the public spaces we all occupy and interact with from day to day. Along with workshops, discussions, and displaying esterni’s own public enhancing ideas, the festival will host the 10 winners of an open competition for anyone to take back public space by designing an urban intervention in a conventional parking spot (2x5m). From the videos of last year, the hype material, and the overall atmosphere that esterni is trying to create, it looks like this festival is going to be one fun party for any footloose design kids that can make it to Milan in April.

From director Spike Jonze (read: Directors Label and Girl Skateboards video “Yeah Right!”) is the highly anticipated film version of the children’s book Where the Wild Things Are. As I’m sure anyone born during the early 80′s knows how amazing and inspiring this book was to us as young kids, it remains just the same with the release of this beautiful trailer. Perfectly set to Arcade Fire’s “Wake Up,” Spike Jonze builds a sense of curiosity as the boy and his Wild Things are running through surreal forests and lands while juxtaposing back to the kid’s parents house in a city.  The words Hope and Fear are inserted throughout the trailer making viewers question their own lives and evoking creative imagination to get lost beyond everyday lives. The film is set to be released in October and will be accompanied by a musical score from Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

If anyone knows where these Things are please let us know. We need an adventure.

High Definition Trailer :: Sortie Cine
Where the Wild Things Are Official Site :: http://www.wherethewildthingsare.com

In this advertisement for Puma Lift, CCW (Clube de Criação) successfully incorporates dancers in a seemingly responsive environment of video projections. C’est hyper cool!

CCW Website :: http://www.ccw.com.br/

These book cover redesigns take current best-selling children’s literature back to the days of the Penguin Classics. I love a good minimalist 2 color book cover.

See complete flickr set here.

San Diego-born, now LA-based quartet The Soft Pack have a big year ahead of them including new dates, new songs, and a new label (and eventually a new approved wikipedia entry).  Residents of the UK, Spain, and Canada will get a chance to see just how rock ‘n’ roll swagger and preppy Southern California cool converge into a pulse pumping hip dysplastic affair.

The hardworking four-piece have signed to Kemado Records and are currently writing new material in between shows.  Their self-released debut is currently being repressed with additional tracks including “Parasites” and set to be released later this year.

The Soft Pack will finish off the month with their first UK dates supporting the likes of party-rockin’ rabblerousers The Black Lips, immediately followed by a tour supporting snazzy Scots Franz Ferdinand.  After a two week break they’ll take on a series of North American gigs supporting the British Invasion NME Tour with newer-wave rockers White Lies and disco-punkers Friendly Fires.  The Soft Pack also still have slots lined up for the Breeders curated ATP Festival in Minehead (including Throwing Muses, Bon Iver, Deerhunter, CSS, Yann Tiersen, and more) and the Primavera Sound Festival in Barcelona (including My Bloody Valentine, Sonic Youth, Aphex Twin, The Vaselines, Spiritualized, Gang Gang Dance, and much more).  Dates listed below.

2009.02.15 – London, England – ‘Shockwaves NME Awards Show’ at Carling Academy Islington *
2009.02.17 – London, England – ‘White Heat’ at Madame JoJo’s #
2009.02.18 – Manchester, England – The Deaf Institute *
2009.02.19 – London, England – ‘Vice Presents’ at Old Blue Last
2009.02.20 – London, England - ’Whitelight vs Rockfeedback’ at The Lexington $
2009.02.26 – London, England – ‘Moshi Moshi’ at Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen
2009.03.04 – Glasgow, Scotland – The Glasgow Barrowland Ballroom %
2009.03.05 – Glasgow, Scotland – The Glasgow Barrowland Ballroom %
2009.03.06 – Manchester, England – Manchester Academy %
2009.03.08 – Birmingham, England – O2 Academy Birmingham %
2009.03.09 – London, England – Hammersmith Apollo %
2009.03.10 – Southampton, England – Southampton Guildhall %
2009.03.24 – Washington, DC – Black Cat ~
2009.03.25 – Philadelphia, PA – First Unitarian Church ~
2009.03.26 – New York, NY – The Bowery Ballroom ~
2009.03.27 – New York, NY – The Bowery Ballroom ~
2009.03.28 – Boston, MA – The Paradise Rock Club ~
2009.03.30 – Montreal, Canada – Les Saints ~
2009.03.31 – Toronto, Canada – Lee’s Palace ~
2009.04.01 – Ann Arbor, MI – The Blind Pig ~
2009.04.02 – Indianapolis, IN – Radio Radio ~
2009.04.03 – Chicago, IL – Double Door ~
2009.04.04 – Minneapolis, MN – The Triple Rock Social Club ~
2009.04.07 – Seattle, WA – Neumos ~
2009.04.08 – Vancouver, Canada – Richard’s on Richards ~
2009.04.09 – Portland, OR – Doug Fir Lounge ~
2009.04.11 – San Francisco, CA – Slim’s ~
2009.05.17 – Minehead, England – Butlins Ω
2009.05.28-30 – Barcelona, Spain - Parc Del Fòrum ^

* with The Black Lips
# with Women
$ with Stricken City, The Invisible
% with Franz Ferdinad
~ ‘NME Tour’ with White Lies, Friendly Fires
Ω ‘ATP Festival curated by The Breeders’
^ ‘Primavera Sound Festival’

MySpace :: http://www.myspace.com/thesoftpack

Amid the slew of designers that try to propose how nature can fit into THEIR design, few allow Tierra Madre to do what she does best – visually manifest her OWN design.  Thomas Traxler‘s thesis project for the Design Academy Eindhoven (Netherlands) is one of those few, as he has built an apparatus that acts as a canvas for the earth’s right side of the brain.  Powered by solar cells, it spins multiple cotton threads through a mixture of dye, glue and epoxy resin, ultimately winding these threads around a pre-constructed cast of choice.  The variation of designs are based upon the intensity of the sun.  When our infamous star shines brighter, the threads spin faster and spend less time in the dye – producing a paler hue.  The opposite occurs on a cloudy day, which produces a stronger, deeper hue for the color of choice.  The effect mirrors the rings in a cross-section of a tree trunk, where biologists can confirm a rainy or dry season.  Depending on the cast, smaller projects can elapse in a day, whereas larger ones may take up to a few weeks.

I immediately begin to think about how this concept can be utilized in design across all mediums.  On the immediate, individual scale it gives a sense of further connection with your product, i.e. how it was made, how the design is translated and the satisfaction of using a renewable energy source.  For the future, this concept of localization can be choreographed into other realms of production and design based upon the area’s natural features.  Just like the localization of fashion according to a region’s climate, every city across the world can have its own unique design of products according to the weather.

In today’s world it’s not the most efficient means of production, but it is exciting to think that you can own something designed by the Sun.  Imagine in the near future you are browsing the aisles of a furniture store, say the one-way maze of an IKEA, and instead of lamp shades being categorized for sale as ‘FANSTA red’ or ‘SKIMRA orange’, you simply see ’2/08/2013′ or ’8/17/2011′…

Mischer’Traxler Website :: http://www.mischertraxler.com

Chicago’s N.A.I.L.S. is about to present its first art exhibition featuring 25 unique member-artists and mediums ranging from print and ink, to acrylic, encaustic, oil, and gouache (rhymes with squash).  Inspired by cyan, magenta, yellow, and black, these visual melodies will be sure to brighten up the winter season.  So if you find yourself in the Logan Square area, be sure to visit New Wave Coffee and support the local talent.  Details follow.

What is N.A.I.L.S.?
N.A.I.L.S. = Neighborhood Artists In Logan Square.  They are an eclectic collective of artists with one thing in common—they all reside in Logan Square.  N.A.I.L.S. provides a forum for neighborhood artists to exchange ideas, constructive critique, techniques, exhibition opportunities and announcements through their monthly meetings, website and listserv.  As the N.A.I.L.S. network of member-artists grows, they seek to engage Logan Square and the surrounding communities with art through N.A.I.L.S.-organized activities, exhibitions and events.  Any artist living in Logan Square is already a member and they need only to contact N.A.I.L.S. and let them know!

The CMYK Show:
February 16 – March 15, 2009

At New Wave Cafe:
3103 W Logan Blvd. / 2557 N Milwaukee Ave.
Chicago, IL
Mon–Fri 7am–11pm
Sat–Sun 8am–11pm

Meet-the-Artists-After-Work Viewing:
Mon, February 16 from 5:30pm–8:30pm

Closing Artists’ Reception:
Sun, March 15, 6–9pm

Black Demons by Megan Connelly

N.A.I.L.S. Website :: http://www.nailslogansquare.com

Oculart Images: nake brunch, absinthe, trembling cup, and funeral garden

A perverted mix between Dr. Suess, Tim Burton and that recurring circus nightmare, Oculart is a beastfully guilty piece of Media Art that cuts your senses through the means of electronic artwork, sound and poetry. A series of animations and visualizations the website serves strictly as an art piece, or number of art pieces to think about, or look at but not think about and just trip out to. Oculart is created and kept alive by Amsterdam based artist Geoff Lillemon.

In addition to his own site Geoff Lillemon is also the founder of Champagne Valentine, along with likeminded artist Anita Fontaine, which is a more commercial side of the artists’ minds. Champagne Valentine creates websites, animations, interactive environments and films that rape the line between fine and commercial art. They have done work for Diesel, VH1, Napster, and Fosters to name a few, a video for Bell Orchestra and a pitch for the ultimate in music video fame, “a Bjork video”.

Official Website :: http://www.oculart.com
Champagne Valentine Website :: http://www.champagnevalentine.com