Driven Green

I have not read this book yet but it is now officially on my must read list, I just watched an interview on Daniel Sperling on Jon Stewart and am impressed that he doesn't believe that corn is a good alternative fuel source, which i agree with, so I'm excited to see what else he has to say about transforming the auto industry to be green.

Cardboard Furniture

Welcome one and all to the recession - its like college only we're kinda older. So just to refresh your memory if you want furniture you best use materials which are readily available instead of begging visa for overpriced nonsense. So welcome back to found materials. The its not what you got its how you use it mentality.

Y'know whats so less creepy than a preowned couch, a cardboard one. I know it sounds unsturdy but trust me if you build them right they're actually quite durable. the trick is to stack the cardboard, and to use a band saw or equivalent to create a consistent edge. You could even use a sander on these to create an almost velvety texture. I suggest covering them in a layer of cotton and fabric. You can make very intriquing shapes. Cheap recyclable materials like these can truly take the edge off the price of moving. And most of these designs you could make yourself.
Glens Miller and Frank Gehry are just a few of the designers shown here.
oh and ps wouldn't your cat just love this!

Breakfast at Tiffany's

Good morning Obama generation, green people who've heard the unfortunate truth, and see in the economy potential for a green revolution, I bring you our future - eco friendly products are our new bling bling. And this guy and his peeps are bring sexy back! They are inventing solar panels which are translucent, they get the energy from a pigment not unlike leaves. And so building glass could be solar panels, and solar panels can be colored glass. I see solar glass usage as the new hot artistic and architectural medium. I see a future of glass rooftops for those who don't want to be grassy, I see the rebirth of buildings with light wells. I see more public spaces mirroring works like the apple cube or the louvre pyramid. They have solar panels shaped like roof tiles for regular houses, I see the hot christmas item being intricately designed stained glass solar panels. The aesthetic of a new emphasis on having quantities of glass, and since eco consciousness is fashionable, I'd say a slightly ostentatious presentation of the glass's usefulness, is a new element which will change the way new buildings look. The times square ticket booth is the first of many ecogreen public uses of glass. From a design perspective its exciting to think of the aesthetic possibilities and what styles may prevail.

Roof Gardening

I have this vision of New York City gone green. There are so many reasons for it. The tar roofs that the majority of buildings are sporting collect and hold heat in the summer, which makes air conditioning a necessity for most apartments to support life, especially the top floors. Covering the roofs instead with green plants would moderate the temperature while cleaning the air. It would also provide better roosting spots for birds of prey so we wouldn't have as bad of a rodent infestation, little birds also eat bugs which would be helpful. There are some roof gardens around town but they are mostly patios for the rich. I feel that a tax rebate for roof gardeners is the only way to get property owners to invest in the quality of air in the city. Not to mention the quality of life which would vastly improve if more buildings were romantically draped in ivy. Hearty low maintanence plants like beach grass or clover are also good options. There is also the idea of actually growing food which would reduce the amount of gasoline used in food delivery. Below is a view of Rome's vast array of roof gardens, the italians being a culture of gardeners have a bit of a headstart on us.

For more information on the benefits of Roof gardens and how to construct them click here Where they'll tell you all about how cool this book is:

Kinetic Sculpture

There is a school of thought which believes art should be interactive, museums where people are encouraged to touch things. I am not into that. I like to get close to art, nose right up to the paintings examining every detail, but i feel like an alarm is gonna or should go off in the case of touching in a museum. I do however love when art interacts with wind. Kinetic sculptures are fascinating. Like wind chimes, but for the eyes instead. They sell some beautiful ones at the psu arts fest every year and i love to gaze at them and think of wind, my invisible friend waving hi.

In searching for examples of this craft i found the art of Theo Jansen of which i can only manage to say Holy Shit!

Avant Garde Architecture

Gaudi taught us more than just the value of mosaic even on large scale, He made dreamtastic brilliant works that defy convention. Who said walls are straight or flat. His undulating organic forms have become the main stop on any touring agenda of barcelona, his churches houses parks and sculptures are celebrated for their creativity. Cookie cutter boxy buildings come and go 5 up today 10 torn down tomorrow.. But the visionaries who heard Gaudy's crazy architecture plans and decided to give him a chance funded greatness. Stone hallways that look like a crashing wave, pillars like forests, ceilings like the plaster has become rippling water, balconies that appear to have grown organically into their form like bone or tree roots. This kindof creation does not happen often not because it is expensive so much as because the artist has been cut out of the loop in most cases. Originality is undervalued in our culture, its even feared. Despite all evidence to the contrary, people feel their investment is safer if what they build doesn't stand out in anyway.
Mcdonalds and Denny's replace charming restaurants, pawn takes queen.

Mosaic's the new Green

With the increasing global garbage problem and resources dwindling I have to take a moment to talk about Watts Tower. Created from found materials, broken mugs and bottles, this monument stands as proof that you don't need tons of cash or high quality materials to create something amazing. Why do we quarry out mountain sides to provide gravel for sidewalk after sidewalk and then bury our used glass in a landfill. More mosaics should be on the national eco friendly agenda.


“You gotta do something they never got’ em in the world.” Simon Rodia (1875-1965,) top right.

I have chills all over every time I look at this picture of Simon Rodia because it is an undeniable testament to the enormity of Rodia’s achievement: the Towers he single-handedly built on his residential lot in Watts over 33 years every evening after working a construction job and every Sunday, without nails, rivets, bolts, gloves, drill, blueprint, diplomas. I also love this close-up because it shows that Simon did it with immense pride and joy.


Read more at http://www.lataco.com/taco/i-build-the-tower-dvd-review

Below is one of the mosaic lamp posts of the east village, these always give me hope somehow

Andy Goldsworthy Rocks

Ephemeral art and work made from nature are seriously special. The buddhist monks who create paintings out of sand spend months perfecting their mandelas and upon completion blow their work away and its gone. The lesson being the everything is temporary and the artifact you create when you are creating is not nearly as important as the act itself, of creating. You can say goldsworthy's work is an amazing example of the temporary beauty of nature and the fragile temporary nature of his arrangements is poetically exemplery of life itself.

Tactile vs Texile

Being a designer/ illustrator in the new millenium means working on a computer. I create art in much the same way they used to in the day, but the majority is drawn directly into the computer. My paints are waiting for me to have free time while i click buttons and draw and paint without ever getting my hands dirty. But the result is my cubical job like any other has me tethered to a machine in a box without sunlight, like veal. There is a tactile experience to traditional media that i love cherish and crave. Having my hands dipped in mud, smelling the oils, the thick wet smooth paint, the squish of the clay, the full body movement of massaging a layerof sky onto the bouncing fabric...
My goal is to create more images using traditional media, either as fine art or as textile design, i know it takes longer to produce, but the quality is higher and the process is how i want to spend my days.
though i will miss command-Z
:)