The indefatigable stencil graffiti artist Peat Wollaeger has painted a room in the Hotel des Arts in San Francisco. Called Casa Del Luchador, Wollaeger’s room has 7-foot tall stencils of masked Mexican wrestlers and boxing ring ropes for the footboard. Check out the video of the painting action, and more photos. And see more of the rooms at Hotel des Arts, including rooms painted by Sam Flores, Jeremy Fish, Kelly Tunstall and others.
Dutch artist Theo Jansen uses yellow plastic tubes to make mechanical skeletons which walk on the wind. Watch the videos where he lets them loose to ramble on the beach. Check out Animaris Currens Ventosa.
Here’s a business plan for you: A billion customers in the world, entrepreneur and philanthropist Dr. Paul Polakis was quoted in this New York Times article as saying, are waiting for a $2 pair of eyeglasses, a $10 solar lantern and a $100 house. Take a look at the great, cheap ideas at the Cooper Hewitt show, Design for the other 90%.
Google added a great feature to Google Maps today. It lets you see street level images in a few cities. So far it only looks like it works in San Francisco, NYC, Miami, Las Vegas and Denver. Let this nerd explain it. Or check it out yerself. A9.com had something like this a few years ago, but without Google’s muscle, it flopped I guess.
Irish photographer Pete Jackson has taken some amazing panoramic infrared photos of Los Angeles. His photos are at the L.A. Center for Digital Art until June 2.
London designer Jamie Wieck hands out Growing Business Cards which sprout alfalfa or cress when dipped in water.
Check these photos from British sculpture Antony Gornley’s Blind Light installation at the Southbank Centre in London. Humidifiers create a dense fog reducing the visibility inside an 8m x 10m glass enclosure so that you can’t see your hand in front of your face. Read more on Gormley.
Here’s a nice video explaining how to apologize in Japan. Let’s all put our hearts into expressing remorse!
Japanese artist Minchi’s work is pretty cool. Using oil paint and then photoshop, the works look like manga, but fantastically painterly. One piece, tooth, is a vivid representation of what I remember of my 13th year.
Download the fonts used in British road signs.
Annie Leibovitz’s portrait of Queen Elizabeth has been made public. It’s my favorite Leibovitz photo.
In the series Imagine Remembering Danish photographer Johan Rosenmunthe makes compelling remixes of photos left behind by his grandfather.
For a few days this year, a group of 8 Australian artists were give permission to do whatever they wanted to a soon-to-be demolished house. See result at Merricks Beach. Great results from all the artists, but my favorites are from Susan Jacobs and Robbie Rowlands.
Some amazing photos in the New York Times of the Griffith Park fire. Especially this one from inside a house.
Check out the new work from Japanese artist Takashi Murakami at Gagosian Gallery in New York. There’s a new element worked into his usually smooth and bright paintings: wrinkly old men. View some of the work on the walls.
Allen Ginsburg explains YouTube and it’s false universe of pure imagery in 1967.
Staggering variety of weird footwear in the Virtual Shoe Museum.
During the month of May Bank of America is giving free admission to museums in California and the East Coast. All you need is a BofA ATM or credit card.
Plant zones are changing across the U.S. and the traditional climate zone definitions have changed so quickly over the past few years that according to the National Arbor Day Foundation Hardiness Zone Map, Atlanta, which was in Zone 7 in 1990, is now in Zone 8, along with most of northern Georgia. By the end of the century, the climate will no longer be favorable for the official state tree or flower in 28 states.