It’s hard to miss Los Angeles’ massive art celebration right now… Pacific Standard Time Performance and Public Art Festival is happening all over the city January 19-29, and is apparently ” the largest cultural collaboration ever undertaken in the region.” Amongst the art and experiences popping up… one of the most surprising and amazing videos to surface is the one of rapper Ice Cube celebrating his passion for the Eames. Did you know he studied architectural drafting in his pre-NWA days? Got to love the way he ends it - saying “Who are these people who got a problem with LA? Maybe they mad cuz they don’t live here.” Yay! For LA!
Ok ~ so the awesome folks at TBWA\Chiat\Day have given us limited edition (of 250) Pacific Standard Time/Ice Cube/Eames posters to giveaway to you guys! For a chance to win ~ leave a comment OR tweet us (@NOTCOT) with YOUR unexpected passion (you know ~ the one besides your obvious dayjob/primary passion.) And we will email or D tweet the winners on Weds Jan 25th, 2012. (Please follow @NOTCOT so i can D you if you win!)
… and for now see more pics of the poster as well as the video of Ice Cube on Eames on the next page!
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On interesting interactive installations at CES, Intel had an interactive lifeform generator called the Connect to Life Experience, which was a 168-foot-wide interactive 3D virtual life simulation designed by Stimulant and Foghorn Creative.
Stimulant explains it as follows: “Conference attendees can use any of six stations around the perimeter of the booth to create a shape using their hands, phone, keys — pretty much anything — and the silhouette of that object will be used to generate a unique bioluminescent lifeform on the massive projection surface overhead. The animated lifeforms interact with one another in playful ways, dancing with one another or chasing other lifeforms around the ecosystem.
The system renders approximately 30 billion triangles per second to deliver a 17.6 megapixel image at 60 frames per second, all powered by Intel Core i7 technology. This image is displayed over a 2200 square foot, non-uniform projection-mapped surface using 24 projectors.”
Take a peek at more of my pictures from the experience on the next page ~ there was something very Flow like about the digital ecosystem created ~ and my favorite part ended up being the structure they built where you input the shape/handprint…
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So much art tonight ~ parking was lacking ~ food trucks were out ~ and the mysterious galleries of S. La Cienega had people flowing and drinking between them all evening. While i have tons of pics and quite a few posts to come ~ wanted to share some of the randomer pictures of inspiration and amusement with you before i fell asleep! Take a peek on the next page…
p.s.
not certain which pics/galleries some of these were in as we randomly bounced in and out… favorites to come with more info soon!
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Animals. Cars. Amazing illustrations. Ok i’m pretty much swooning already. Just in the inbox, Zoom Zoo from Mike Yamada, a designer/illustrator, artist at Dreamworks Animation, and an Art Center Graduate. These flashcards are his take on the classic Richard Scarry’s animals piloting retro 60’s type vehicles. (Anyone else picturing that worm driving an apple?) While sure these could be for kids to learn the alphabet, what adult wouldn’t have fun dreaming up the stories and worlds behind these creatures in their fantastic automobiles while teaching kids the alphabet? As adorable little works of art ~ they are playfully inspiring! I can’t wait to see the full alphabet… You can buy the Zoom Zoo Flashcards here. Take a peek at more details on the next page!
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Catch up with the latest from London with our UK-based editor Justine.
I was intrigued when I got an email about Hendrick’s Most Unusual 13th day of Christmas. The window promised to house “ten sleazy ‘Lords a Leaping’, twelve ‘Wild haggis drumming’ to, three ‘Giant snails’ pretending to be French hens to a lone partridge in a cucumber plant”. So we popped down to Jerboams Belgravia to see what it was all about!
Sure enough, the display was a proper cabinet of curiosities featuring work from a number of artists all curated by Matthew Killick and including plenty of twists on James Halliwell’s 1842 classic Christmas carol. I especially loved the haggis drummers from the Little Theatre of Dolls and what’s not to love about giant African land snails posing as French hens?
You can catch the window at Jerboams for the next two weeks, or catch it in Peckham’s, Edinburgh in December and be sure to see more photos on the next page.
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Here’s the latest from our London-based editor Justine
Naturalists and art lovers are in for a treat with the stunning exhibition Ghosts of Gone Birds. Ghosts is the brainchild of filmmaker Ceri Levy and Chris Aldhouse of Goodpilot and an exhibition which captures and celebrates extinct bird species and raises awareness and funds for conservation. The show includes over 300 pieces created by an army of 120 artists, writers and musicians (see the full list here and all proceeds from the show will aid conservation through Bird Life International.
Those who can’t catch the show in London can still purchase some of the gorgeous prints through the online shop, but I would strongly recommend heading down to see this amazing show in person if you can. The exhibition runs until November 23rd at the Rochelle School in Shoreditch, full details here. In the meantime, take a look at the show through our eyes with our photo gallery of personal highlights and Ghost’s facebook page.
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This post is part of NOTCOT Having Fun In The Dark series sponsored by Canon Powershot’s Your Second Shot! While taking pictures in the dark means standing super still, you may still end up with more graininess than usual …armed with Canon’s low-light HS SYSTEM, you can trust the tech to help you capture the perfect shot the first time! 
While exploring Las Vegas for SEMA, I love to escape into the least vegas feeling Vdara in City Center. Of course this means being surrounded by the stunning mix of modern architecture and large scale modern sculptures galore. One can’t help but stare at Nancy Rubins’ Big Edge in the center of the huge roundabout ~ with boats somehow forming a huge tree light structure… with more than 200 aluminum boats — canoes, rowboats and flat-bottomed boats strung together with steel wire into a colorful cluster held together with cantilevers, they manage to look nearly in motion, as if exploding apart! Nancy Rubins has been making these large boat structures for some time now and Big Edge is a larger version of her “Big Pleasure Point” in the Lincoln Center in New York, with similar pieces around the country. Perhaps one of the best parts of being placed in the center of City Center in Las Vegas is the ability for everyone to enjoy it in so many different lighting situations, so Shawn Sims had a little late night photoshoot last night wandering up close to it to share some of its amazing looks at night! Take a peek at all of the pics on the next page!
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There’s something fun about when art and function come together. Take a look at these DEMONBELLS i found on Uncrate! Will these sculptural alternatives to your standard (pretty ugly) kettlebells make your work out better? Probably not. Will it make me more likely to be amused while working out? Possibly. But it will definitely make it less of something that begs to be hidden, and instead will become an intriguing conversation piece… even as a doorstop. Created by former Navy SEAL, Ryan Williams, these DemonBells were commissioned art pieces brought to life by a local San Diego Master Sculptor. They are made in China from 100% recycled steel, not iron, and injection molded for a smooth finish which is then black powder coated. From their site, “Each piece in the DemonBell line started individually with an ornamental design inspired from various global and cultural influences. Through extensive testing and evaluation of working prototypes, we have finally produced the fully functional works of art you see here. Each directional weight carries its own unique modifications, from anatomically designed handle grips and specific weight distribution for balance, to specially angled backs to match forearm angles during snatch movements. We designed each DemonBell while paying as much attention to function as we did form.” Take a peek at the whole collection of 4 on the next page!
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Another highlight from Superdesign was David Roux-Fouillet’s Diamond Shot, a fun and unique way to set a diamond. That’s right, specially made bullets are quite literally shot into jewellery to create the setting. Roux-Fouillet’s bullets are composed of 24ct gold, diamond, tool steel, and ivory, turtle shell, bull horn or silk (depending on the model). Bullets can be fired into rings, earrings or pendant structures made of platinum or 9ct gold. More photos of the setup and a video of the setting in action on the next page!
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Tara McPherson’s Lilitu (2010) painting is going 3D ~ here’s a sneak peek at the new Kidrobot Black piece by Tara McPherson… rising up out of a pool of black with fiery red hair… This 8” vinyl will have a limited run of 200 pieces.
Who is she? “This painting is based on the Sumerian myth of the demon Lilitu. Representing chaos, seduction and ungodliness. She is a sexually charged yet infertile succubus who behaves aggressively toward men and children killing them at her every whim, her breasts are filled with poison not milk. In her every guise, Lilitu has cast an evil spell on humankind.” See a full spin around of the new vinyl on the next page… (perhaps slightly nsfw).
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Our London-based editor Justine catches up with the latest action from the London Design Festival!
One of my highlights of this year’s 100% Design event would have to be finally seeing the amazing animal chairs from
Maximo Riera in person! You may remember his octopus chair which we
previously featured here and more recent rhino and walrus additions. These beautiful throne-like pieces of furniture are even more amazing to behold in person. The detailing on the animals is exquisite and incredibly realistic. Another feature that is evident upon seeing the chairs is their enormous size! Like the animals they are designed to reflect, these pieces are truly colossal. More photos of the beautiful walrus, rhino and octopus chairs on the next page!
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While Nalden and I were cruising to the Monaco helipad to catch our ride back to Nice airport this morning, there was a loop of an intersection that confused me far too much, and this bizarre concrete truck/cow thing on a building nearby… so, luckily the quick snapshots came out so i can show you what i’m talking about! I only found two other pics online. Any one know what the story is?
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I tweeted yesterday that i was in Black & White heaven with AMG in Affalterbach, Germany. Have you ever just walked into a space and felt ~ just right in it? The black an white, the beautifully versatile lighting, and so many iconic designer furniture pieces put together so nicely ~ while pulling together car accoutrements, the ducati from transformers, a wall of design inspiration books and toys, and the focal point being a stunning mural made by the AMG designers out of TAPE. You’d barely realize it is layer upon layer of sketches on velum with tape until you get extremely close to it (and check out the making of pics as well). This new lounge only opened a few months ago in early summer 2011 ~ and apparently “The new AMG Private Lounge in Affalterbach is an exclusively and unusually designed meeting-point in which to spend time. We see it as a second living-room for our customers. We want the AMG Private Lounge in Affalterbach to provide the perfect setting for the most exciting day of the year - for example when our customers take possession of their new AMG-Mercedes here in Affalterbach,” said Ola Kallenius, Chairman of Mercedes-AMG GmbH. So, while my car is apparently on a boat headed to LA already, it was still magical to wander into the world of AMG and see where these clean modern designs met the heart of the racing company in what was once a farm house and corn fields. More to come on the engines and factory and the world of AMG, but first, take a peek at the new lounge design and the surprising mural!
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Our London-based editor Justine catches up with the latest action from the London Design Festival!
I’m a huge fan of the work of Noma Bar, who does wonders with negative space and always achieves so much with clean lined minimalism. So I was very excited to hear about his project ‘Cut-it-Out’ at Outline Editions as part of this year’s London Design Festival, especially when I heard we would have the chance to take part and make our own cut outs with his incredible dog (and cat and rat) shaped cutting machine!
The image making machine is a a 2 m high die cutter that weighs over 750 kg and applies 4 tonnes of pressure when the joysticks (located in the dog’s mouth) and depressed. Visitors during workshops can create their own Noma Bar patterns by selecting an A3 sheet of paper (in any of 36 colors) and their favorite of 8 designs. The paper is then careful set between the die and board and swivels the dog’s head into cutting position. Then, a quick and steady push of the joysticks applies the pressure and cuts the image. Great fun and a beautiful way to create a stunning piece of art. More pics of Noma’s screenprints and cut outs, the stunning machine, and our own die cut experience on the next page!
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Remember 
Hard to miss on La Cienega last night was 
Amazing what one can do with thread and ribbon… particularly Brian Wills in his show “Unwound” over at 
Catch up with the latest from London with our UK-based editor 
What do you get when you combine a robot arm, turntable, scans and 3D prints of a dancer, music and a light? A modern day zoetrope of sorts! This is 
Just discovered a series of 
Last night, popped by the latest show of 
Our London-based editor 
Flew 
Our London-based editor 
