a visual collective outlet of inspiration“day by day and night by night we were together,—all else has long been forgotten by me…”
-walt whitman, once I pass’d through a populous city, leaves of grass
taking it back to 1963
if you have not seen casa malaparte before, make sure to check out this previous post about the amazing house. the building is featured in the godard movie le mépris with an equally amazing trailer.by kt
Patrice Chéreau: flesh of the orchid featuring charlotte rampling
charlotte rampling in flesh of the orchid… sorry about the below, it was the only clip i could find of the film online, but it should convince the boys…
night porter with charlotte rampling
everyone knows about night porter, but not everyone knows about the flesh of the orchid. both are great films, featuring charlotte rampling at her best. mark them down for this weekend’s movie night if you can dig them up. flesh of the orchid is a 1975 film by director patrice chéreau based on an adaptation of the 1948 novel of the same name by mystery writer james hadley chase. not bad for a first film, not at all… by dd
morbid anatomy
the morbid anatomy museum is finally complete, happily residing in their new headquarters in gowanus, brooklyn. i have attended two lectures there so far, both by the knowledgeable and charming dr. john troyer of the university of bath. the first lecture focused on the environmental issue of corpses; basically if their organic biomass is hazardous or helpful. the second dealt with the necrophilia laws in the united states, a case in wisconsin in particular, and other death-related errs in our country’s jurisprudence. nearly every night there is a fascinating lecture in the museum’s basement, and of course, the museum is open during the day as well to satisfy your skeletal cravings. the above photo is called homo ex humo (man from the dust) and can be found on the museum’s website. by sv
i want to go to there
it is funny, but i hope it’s true. i might try to go to this ranch/farm this weekend if i can find out where it is. what they say is 200 feet ahead is much needed. by pl
bloody, bloody jeff koons
these days when gallivanting in new york city, the presence of jeff koons is preeminent. his retrospective at the whitney museum is the first for both the artist and the museum; his work fills the entirety of the marcel breuer building. hated and loved by critics alike, one in particular took it upon himself to enter the retrospective yesterday, splatter red paint (in all its fallen angel glory) all over the wall and scribble a somewhat unidentifiable signature below. it is rumored to be monty cantsin (alias of istvan candor, a neoist), or possibly johnny rotten’s evil twin? either way, if you don’t agree with the politicking behind jeff koons, is this the best way to display that? [image and information courtesy of hyperallergic] by sv
the new classic
it is not every day we stumble upon a new and great design. we don’t have anything against contemporary product design, in fact, there’s a lot of good new stuff popping up here and there… but… when we see something new that feels and looks like it should have been there already, we know that we have something really amazing. manufactured by flos, the italian company that have brought to life some of the most iconic lamps in the past 50 years, the ic-lights designed by michael anastassiades are definitely a new classic worthy of the honorable lamp producer. hit the link to purchase one or more of the 8 versions available from the series. by kt
hudson valley goodness
sometime between now and mid autumn, make your way out of the city and spend sometime with nature. get some fresh air and a good natural workout.
head up from grand central on the metro-north to the cold spring stop in the hudson valley and hike breakneck trail. it is both rewarding with it’s views and it’s challenges. the ‘trail’ is not for the weary. not for those who are scared of heights, not for those who are not limber, not for those who will wimp out. this one is serious but fun.
bring plenty of water, a camera or at least your phone, some protein and fruits to snack on (plenty of places to do a beautiful picnic even.) wear good sneakers with traction or hiking footwear with good thick socks. wear sunscreen and bug repellent. sunglasses optional but on a sunny day a good, secure pair will prevent a nice eyeball sunburn ( thats a real thing.) bring a small first aid kit in-case of any scrapes from the rock faces you’re about to beast. bring someone who is going to love it as much as you.
some stats:
the scenery- unreal and picturesque on a clear day
difficulty- 10 out of 10
highlights- insane views, incredibly steep trail, rock scrambling
distance- 3.7 – 4.0 mile loop
approximate roundtrip time- 4 hours
total ascent- 1,442 feet
my personal experience: i came off that trail feeling entirely accomplished, healthy, and clear minded. then i had a beer to reward myself for kicking my ass that hard on a sunday.
good luck and if you get around to discovering this hike, please share your experience in our comments section of this post!
sources ( and thank you to ) hike the hudson valley, new york state parks by pl
quote of the day
“whosoever is delighted in solitude, is either a wild beast or a god.”
–sir francis bacon, of friendship
tarkovsky
but is it the artist’s job to perfect the world, or merely to synthesize themselves with the already existing imperfections? something to ponder today, to sleep on tonight, and to question tomorrow morning. by sv
stingray, baby
the 1963 ‘fuel injected’ corvette stingray: the most perfect corvette design ever.
the introduction of the 1963 corvette stingray was a seismic event in the sports car world. the first all-new corvette since the two-seater’s debut ten years earlier, the 1963 stingray was both an engineering triumph and a design milestone. the car incorporated a boat-tail taper that was common to sporting roadsters of the 1930s.
the back featured a bugatti atlantique and bertone BAT inspired split rear window. this styling was replaced in 1964 with a single piece because of drivers complaining about visibility problems. the headlights were concealed in the front and would ‘pop’ out when in use.
this was the very first time a corvette was available as a hardtop coupe model as well as the traditional convertible. the wheelbase was shortened by four inches to .98 of an inch. this, along with independent rear suspension, improved the handling and maneuverability.
influenced by bill mitchell’s racing stingray and the Q corvette designs from 1957, the new body was an absolute sensation. elements of the Q corvette and the stingray special racer were incorporated into an experimental project called xp-720, which was the design program that led directly to the production of the 1963 corvette stingray.
the new styling was a big hit; its angular body with a minimum of bright work and a distinctive split rear window on the coupe version. this was the first year that corvette offered both convertible and coupe body forms, and nonfunctional vents were featured on both the sides and the hood and it was the only year for the split window.
there are fewer split window models today compared to how many were originally produced, because many owners who found the look controversial removed the split and installed a one-piece, 1964 rear window.
models such as the one seen above have auctioned at over $200,000. by dd
the ipês house
the design of a floating box with well-defined edges and perfect symmetry seems to be popular with designers across the globe as we are seeing homes with similar design take shape in most of europe, latin america and the us. that does not mean that each of them stops adding their own individual touch as the ipês house in sao paulo, brazil showcases. while the home itself looks like a beautiful floating box cast in concrete and wood, there is a lot more to it than meets the eye.
designed by marcio kogan’s StudioMK27, the home is pretty much a perfect template for anyone who wishes to build a contemporary house that is both sophisticated and an absolute dream to live in. the ipês house looks like a giant concrete block floating over a dreamy glass base and this is achieved by the balanced use of concrete, wood and glass on the exterior, while the interiors remain spacious and light.
the wooden folds that can be opened and closed at your will give the bedrooms in the top floor all the privacy that they need and also allow for ample natural ventilation during daytime. neutral shades and the use of grays ensure that the interiors are chic and fashionable, with décor being kept uncomplicated and elegant. the design of the pool also complements the basic structure beautifully, while the ample patio space allows you to kick back and put your feet up after a long day’s work. (source: decoist) by kgb
