An installation for poking, a Tokidoki Barbie and a connect the dot transformation of Michael Jackson are all part of this week’s roundup from NOTCOT.org. To find out more about each post, click on its individual image.
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).
TO PAGE 2 of "Lilitu by Tara McPherson for Kidrobot Black"! ----->
This monday morning i’m obsessed with a design icon. Found myself scouring the net for pics of the classic Eames La Chaise ~ “Charles and Ray Eames designed La Chaise in 1948 for a competition at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, inspired by “Floating Figure”, a sculpture by Gaston Lachaise. It is the unbelievable elegance of this assertive seating sculpture that enables any number of sitting and reclining positions, which is so very appealing. It has long since established itself as an icon of Organic Design.” La Chaise by Vitra is made with two fused fiberglass shells with a chrome base and natural oak feet. It’s just so beautifully sculptural, fascinating, AND comfortable to lounge in… see more pics i found on the next page.
Fresh in from our London editor Justine Aw.
Following on from their successful book on jelly, jellymongering duo Bompas & Parr have launched a new book on cocktails, available for pre-order here.
The launch was celebrated with a party at their studio/lab near Borough. With ‘Cocktails, Snakes and Ether’ on the invite, I couldn’t resist checking things out and taking a peek inside the studio where all the magic happens! As Sam promised, there was indeed a medieval castle (complete with separate tower for the saxophonist, an abundance of cocktails from the new book served in an assortment of glasses, teacups and jam jars as well as a wide range of curiosities from Hendrick’s (penny farthings, scrimshaw and more!). It was also great to see some props from previous events we’ve attended and a glimpse into future projects (delectable elderflower/chili candy pills!). As always with Bompas & Parr, there were surprises everywhere, even in the bathroom, which was transformed a glitter snake pit/privy! More photos on the next page!
A secret river under London, touring JPL and islands to visit before they disappear are all a part of this week’s roundup NotVentures. To find out more about each post, click on its individual image.
When this came into my inbox, my heart lept a little. I have a soft spot for pool tables, particularly clean, sleek ones that can disappear as your dining/conference table. Also the look and style of this is so similar to my Aramith Fusion Table. This new James Perse limited edition pool table is constructed from environmentally farmed solid teak and matches their furniture line. The table is solid teak, regulation 4’x 8’ size, matte black Simonis Combed Worsted Wool Playing Surface, matching wood triangle and diamond racks, leather custom pockets, stainless steel sights, heavy duty vibration leveling feet, is hand made in the USA, and includes a full set of accessories. It also has an optional dining/conference table top. See more images and the tear sheet on the next page!
I couldn’t resist buying German toys at the Munich airport on the way home. Even if they are for toddlers and up… i was fascinated by the way the connectors work on the Mic-O-Mic building systems and when i couldn’t decide which to get to try it out, i bought four - a little boat, car, helicopter, and seaplane. And they are awesome! Solid plastic. Ok to toss in the water. They are connected by little plastic pegs that perfectly fit and rubbery eye mask like pieces that allow a nice flexibility to connections. They even come with a tweezer like tool made of the pieces themselves to pinch-remove or push-hammer in the pegs with. Nice simple graphical pictures to diagram how to assemble each as well, and for the more creative ones, they have extra pieces and are all modular enough to mix and match. Take a peek at the sets on the next page!
p.s. yes, i built these on the bed in my jetlaggedness…
Our London-based editor Justine Aw catches up with the latest action from the London Design Festival!
Stunning. It really is all about the details in this beautiful wooden steamer trunk. Method furniture created ‘The Journeyman’, a modern portmanteau steamer trunk for a jeanmaker. The trunk was created in collaboration with Denham and is a modern take on a classic design to be used for both display and transportation of stock. The framework of the piece is constructed of solid ash and gently curved rather than straight, almost canoe-like, creating greater rib-strength and allowing the trunk to rest comfortably on its side. The design is thoughtful and elegant throughout as well as lovingly constructed by hand with over 200 interconnected traditional joins and over 150 hand-Japanned custom engineered fixings. See pictures of it from London Design Week as well as the making-of video, pics, and sketches on the next page…
Going through the many pics from the last month of euro-madness ~ i couldn’t stop staring at these pics from the Wiesmann booth at IAA. If i were a Batman: the Animated Series character, i’d totally drive a matte metallic GT MF5. It’s so cute. I couldn’t stop staring at the show ~ and looped by the booth a few times for unknown reasons… it just pulled me in over and over. And now i can’t stop staring at the pics, so clearly they needed to be shared! And the jeweled lizard logo is just stunning and brings out the little kid in me too… take a peek at them on the next page…
On my adventure to see where my AMG C63 Coupé (like the one we tried on the track!) will come from, Shawn Sims joined me with his automotive and engineering expertise on the adventure to the factories to learn about the whole process. He rounded up our story in Bremen below for you!
As we raced to the Mercedes-Benz factory along the Autobahn from Hamburg to Bremen, I couldn’t help but wonder what crazy German engineering mega-center we were about to stumble into. We arrive at the campus (more like small town) of the 15,000,000 sqft factory that has over 12,000 people inside. Starting at from the customer welcome center (where the GT5 set up greeted us and where you can pick up your new car directly), we first watch a video overview of how Mercedes’ are produced and get a peek at the people and machines behind them. Then we headed into Building 9; a pristine, lively, mechanical wonderland responsible for the production of the C-class (as well as a few others simultaneously). There are over 8.5 kilometers of assembly lines in Building 9 alone, and the majority are stations for assembly by hand. Each employee on the line is trained in multiple positions so that day to day work changes. Supply trucks are whizzing by, car bodies flying on overhead tracks, robots twisting and turning, all while the seemingly endless hall is filled with the sounds of motors, robots, drills, and presses. We have entered an engineering mecca!
Photos wouldn’t even do the mesmerizing process justice, so check out the great introduction video we saw (the robots really are quite incredible), as well as our pics and videos of the adventure on the next page.
TO PAGE 2 of "Mercedes-Benz Bremen Factory Building #9"! ----->
Apple cider floats, marshmallow fondant flowers, mini butterfinger cheesecakes are all part of this week’s roundup from Tasteologie and Liqurious. To find out more about each post, click on its individual image.
Our London-based editor Justine Aw catches up with the latest action from the London Design Festival!
Another fun architectural piece I adored this year was this beautiful, delicacy filled indoor glasshouse by VONSUNG for Tramshed 2011. The Glasshouse was designed by Joseph Sung, Michiko Ito, Jing Chen, Gernando Cavalli and Grace Hsu and served as a pop-up cafe. Sung describes the Glasshouse as design nurturing the relationship between construction and innovation, forming an ‘incubator’ for the food within. From outside, the polycarbonate structure looks like a hybrid between a polytunnel and a glasshouse, with soft lighting permeating its translucent walls. It somehow manages to be simultaneously eerie and inviting. Great touches follow within as well, like the playful Peter Pan rabbits from Ligne Roset, and of course plenty of tasty treats as well (Vietnamese delicacies from Viet Hoa). More photos on the next page!
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!
This post is brought to you by Lowe’s, and is the brainchild of NOTCOT. Find inspiration and encouragement as you plan, begin and complete do-it-yourself projects at Lowe’s Home 101.
Nothing screams fall quite like watching the leaves change… then drop. Then get mounded up, composted, crushed, collected, and jumped into! (You have to see the monster leaf pile vid on the next page!) So we’ve rounded up some of the awesome and fun contraptions and more we’ve found on the next page!
Real-time face substitutions, etch-a-sketch with lasers and a view of the earth from space are all part of this week’s roundup from NOTCOT.org. To find out more about each post, click on its individual image.
