#20
August 28, 2009
Sorry I couldn’t update my blog for a while because I was busy turning 20. yayy!
So to make it up to you i’ll post a birthday gathering photo taken with my fisheye.
muchos bises!
Good News for all the Polanoid People!
August 17, 2009
After Polaroid, Keeping Instant Photography Alive -by Henning Hoff
(Time.com, Tuesday, July 21, 2009)
To read the original post, clicky-clicky!
first polaroid camera ever made. Model 95.
When the Polaroid film factory in the Dutch town of Enschede shut down in June 2008, it seemed to signal the end for one of the most ingenious and iconic innovations of the 20th century. Almost 60 years after American inventor Edwin H. Land sold the first Model 95 of his new instant-picture camera in Boston in November 1948, the troubled Polaroid Corp. halted its cassette-film production for good. Demand was still relatively high — the plant churned out 30 million cassettes in 2007 and 24 million in the first half of 2008 — but the plant had run out of its allocated amount of the chemical components needed to make its famous instant film, and Polaroid’s decision to move to digital meant there was no point in ordering more. The film stocks will last a little while longer. When they run out, though, the Polaroid camera — once the world’s most popular, with about 1 billion sold — could be history.
But two men attending the factory’s closing ceremony had other ideas. Florian Kaps, an Austrian entrepreneur and Polaroid enthusiast, and André Bosman, until then the engineering manager of the Enschede plant, met by chance on that fateful day. Together they decided to find a way to bring instant photography back to life. (See “Who We Were: America in Snapshots.”)
“We quickly agreed that there was a great market opportunity for a new instant film,” remembers Kaps, who switched tracks after getting a biology Ph.D. to enter the retro-photography business. First he worked as an executive with the Lomographical Society, founded in Vienna in 1992 to celebrate the Russian Lomo camera, a very basic snapper that conquered some bohemian corners of the West after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Then, four years ago, Kaps fell in love with Polaroid and founded a company specializing in selling equipment for analog instant photography. An official partner of Polaroid, the company still operates via the website Polapremium.com, where enthusiasts can buy the camera, related equipment and some of the remaining film stock. (See pictures of historical photos on Google Earth.)
In October 2008, Kaps, 39, and Bosman, 55, took $2.6 million in private capital and started what they endearingly called the Impossible Project, with a view to reinventing the traditional Polaroid film. They founded a company named Impossible, leased a small building on the site of the closed Enschede plant, secured some key production machinery and hired nine former Polaroid employees to come up with new formulas for both a monochrome and a color version of the instant film. The new films would have unique characteristics but still maintain some of the best bits of Polaroid, like the square shape, the white frame and that familiar warm chemical smell. Since then, the impossible has become the highly likely. “Two weeks ago, we cleared the last of about five major road blocks,” Kaps tells TIME. “We have now proven that it is possible.”
Still in the experimental stage, Impossible’s instant pictures have a look that’s reminiscent of the early days of photography, “but this will be part of their charm,” says Kaps. While the company is still in negotiations with Polaroid over the use of the Polaroid name, it has been given permission to make film that will work in Polaroid cameras. The trial monochrome version of the film will go into production at the end of October and, if all goes according to plan, should be available to the masses in time for Christmas, “before people start to throw away their old Polaroid cameras,” says Kaps. In 2010, when the color version should hit the shelves, Impossible hopes to sell 1 million new films, with prices likely to range from $23 to $28 for a 10-shot cassette. The company predicts worldwide demand will eventually reach up to 10 million films a year. (See pictures by the acclaimed Richard Avedon.)
Building on his growing empire — Kaps also runs Polanoid.net, the Web’s biggest Polaroid community, and the Polanoir gallery Polanoir.com in Vienna — Kaps is hoping a new instant camera will go on the market in 2010, to be built by a partner company (he won’t reveal which just yet). “It will be high quality rather than a mass product, with a good lens and manual focusing,” he says.
Despite the dominance of digital, Kaps sees a bright future for old-fashioned photography. “More and more people are rediscovering the fascination of Polaroid,” he says. “They are seeking the analog adventure. Just opening a film packet — the smell alone has something sensual to it. And the pictures have a certain worth, unlike digital images, where one takes 10,000 pictures of the same event.”
And it seems there’s still a market for instant pictures. “Polaroid cameras and film were becoming more and more popular with our customers, and we were disappointed when we found out last year that Polaroid was to cease manufacturing film,” says John Buckle, bookshop manager at the Photographers’ Gallery in London. “People like the look and feel of Polaroid analog photography. They have a retro look with lovely colors compared with the often bland look of digital photography. [Instant pictures are] also sociable, allowing for the sharing of a real photograph rather than just a small image on a screen.” (See pictures of Barack Obama on Flickr.)
So far, the Impossible Project has been greeted with enthusiasm from Polaroid fans, art photographers and the international media. “It has been unbelievable,” Kaps says of the response. “If we are successful, then this has wider implications. We are no art project, not a venture of some madmen — we want to be a thriving business for at least 10 years.” Which should give instant-photography lovers plenty to smile about.
ABC3D
August 16, 2009
ABC3D is a 3D typography book by Marion Bataille. I don’t know if it’s just me, but I’ve never seen anything quite like it before. So, this post is for those like me. Hold on to your jaws, ladies and gentlemen!
A 3D presentation of each letter is presented in the most creative way possible.
p.s: i like the music as well. : )
Nooka
August 16, 2009
Nooka Story
“Nooka is the brainchild of artist and designer, Matthew Waldman. In 1997, Matthew had a flash-back to a first grade math class while staring at a large wall clock in a London hotel and was struck by how few options there were for time display. He then sketched his ideas for potential designs on a napkin and brought them back to New York. After working on the designs, he submitted them to his legal team, and indeed, they were unique enough to patent!
The linear and graphic representation of time with Nooka timepieces presents a more intuitive way to view time. The visual mass increases as time passes, giving weight to an ephemeral and abstract concept – creating a universal visual language.
Rather than just style the appearance of an object, Nooka’s reconceptualization is based on analytic and artistic underpinnings that incorporate trends in fashion and science. The approach is beyond any material product – it is a concept, a method, a mindstyleTM.
Beyond international style, the search for a universal language is the common theme that all nooka products are conceptually based, whether a timepiece, fashion, or something unexpected. look for more from Nooka in 2009!
Nooka Inc. is based in New York City with an office in Tokyo Japan.”
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Layer Tennis
August 16, 2009
I’ve heard of Layer Tennis recently and I am extremely excited about the idea! This is just the kind of tournament I’d like to watch.
What is Layer Tennis?
” We’re hosting a series of live design events called Layer Tennis. The season wouldn’t have happened without the support of Adobe® Creative Suite® 4, the weapon of choice for Layer Tennis players and creative professionals everywhere.
We’ll be playing matches using video, animation, sound, photos, type and lots more, but the basic idea is the same no matter what tools are in use. Two competitors will swap a file back and forth in real-time, adding to and embellishing the work. Each artist gets fifteen minutes to complete a “volley” and then we post it to the site live. A third participant, a writer, provides play-by-play commentary on the action, as it happens. A match lasts for ten volleys and when it’s complete, Season Ticket Holders tell us what they think and we’ll declare a winner, so sign up today.”
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VICE Fashion – Bendy
August 15, 2009
PHOTOGRAPHS BY JASON NOCITO
STYLIST: JACLYN HODES
Makeup: Tracy Alfajora for Make Up Forever
Hair: Albert Vasquez for Bumble and bumble
Model: Natasha; casting by ImpossibleNYC
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Christopher Gilbert
August 15, 2009
exotica
August 15, 2009
iartistlondon!
August 2, 2009
About iartistlondon
IARTISTLONDON is the cool new brand that enables you to make real contemporary pieces of art from the comfort of your home. All those pieces that you always wanted to have but couldn´t afford. We believe art should be for everyone. Our boxes contain all the necessary elements so you only have to concentrate on creating. In no time you will have a masterpiece created by yourself. It couldn’t be easier!
IARTISTLONDON presents the world’s first affordable DIY high art sets.Free the artist within you.
I link like a good girl.
Damien Hirst – Love of God
“For the Love of God is an amazing piece by Damien Hirst that consists of a platinum cast of a human skull encrusted with 8.601 diamonds including a massive pear- shaped one on the forehead. It cost 14 million pounds to produce. This is the ultimate contemporary piece of art that everyone wants to display in their home.
Now, with IHIRST you will be able to create your very own replica. We have included a real size plastic skull and and all the crystals you need to create your copy (Yes! Each one of the 8.601 crystals at an incredible price!). Even the glue and the tweezers are included; patience is the only thing you need. It´s a challenge!! You can even customize your design by adding crystals with different colours if you prefer. Choose your tools. With IHIRST you can create an entirely new design or stick to the original one. Enjoy a piece of art that´s as entirely individual as you are yourself.”
Marc Quinn – Self
“Marc Quinn´s Self (1991) is a sculpture made out of the artist´s own blood that had been collected over a year. It is a truly original piece of art. With IQUINN you will get the directions to make your own sculpture using your own blood and a cast of your head (our your loved ones’!!!*) No other work of art can be more personal than this one. This is the work that the National Portrait Gallery is fighting to acquire. The original one is worth more than a million pounds but why pay for it when you can use your own blood for free?”
Tracy Emin – Everyone I Have Ever Slept With 1963-1995
“Tracy Emin´s Everyone I have Ever slept with 1963-1995 (also known as the tent) is an unmissable piece of contemporary British art created in 1995. The work consists of a blue tent with the names of everyone the artist had slept with during that period of time, sewed in colourful fabrics. Emin has described the work as seminal, fantastic and amazing.
IEMIN is a complete package of all the elements to create your own cosy version. Just cut letters out from the colourful fabrics provided and sew them onto the blue tent. The original one got destroyed in the fire in 2004 so why are you waiting to recreate it? Be brave. Be brilliant Be yourself. It´s all about being creative with colour, textures and patterns. Textiles are easy to coordinate and change. Highly versatile. Go wild with fabrics.”
Rachel Whiteread – Pink Torso
“Pink Torso is a sculpture made using simply a hot water bottle and alginate created by Turner Prize winner Rachel Whiteread. This piece is a great example of her work about negative spaces. Now you can do it yourself: fill the empty space and create a new and interesting sculpture. It’s simple, it’s contemporary, it’s art and also our most affordable option. It’s been proved that kids love it. Give your children a steer in the right direction. IWHITEREAD is designed to stimulate their creativity and development and has been tested and approved to cope with the tough love of children. It’s completely safe for them so why not make ART a family experience? Be proud to display your kid´s work in your living room!! Grow your own Young British Artist!”
Banksy Graffiti
“IARTISTLONDON brings you the ultimate experience in street art. Now you can create your own Banksy graffiti for just £9.99 thanks to our IBANKSY boxes and machines located in the key areas of London*. Each box contains one spray can and a A4 stencil with one of the famous Banksy designs. Choose between one of our 6 designs and collect them all. The stencils are totally reusable. Don´t be satisfied with just a picture of his graffiti, make your own cool stuff.”
iphotographer
“IPHOTOGRAPHER is a new development in photographic equipment. Get personalised versions of master photographs in photographic paper using a traditional enlarger. No knowledge is required. Enjoy the real experience.
Make your own design. Send us the image of your choice, choose between our 3 levels of difficulty: amateur, photographer or master (the more difficult, the more layers, colours and detail); and you will get in your home a package containing the stencils and a diagram with the instructions. Simply put the stencils on top of the paper and choose the corresponding numbers and time in the enlarger.
It’s painting by numbers only in that you will be painting with light, like a true professional! Traditional photography made simple, made affordable. You are guaranteed to create a cool image to put on your wall and impress your friends. The stencils are totally reusable so you can explore, choose your colours and try the endless options. You can make something new and unexpected every time.
This is the perfect gift. Send us your favourite images. Our 3 different sizes are perfectly adapted to suit the standard paper sizes. At only £9.99 and free delivery this is the most affordable and innovative quality art product you can buy.”
Illustrator: Sadi Güran
August 2, 2009
Sadi Güran is born on 12-05-1978, in Istanbul, Erenköy. He started drawing at a very early age and with the encouragement of his parents he studied fine arts as his major. During his university years, he discovered that he was mostly interested in illustration. He started to work as a freelance illustrator and illustrated books for children. Along with some of his close friends, he founded the magazine Bant. With musician Deniz Cuylan and writer Senem Akçay, he published the musical graphic novel Netame. He attended exhibitions in Istanbul, Paris, Berlin and Stockholm.
I link like a good girl.
