Thursday, June 23, 2011

stories of dreamy, magical landscapes

Norwegian artist Rune Guneriussen's art installations are not seen by audience, only photographed. Once the photograph is taken, Rune removes the installation, the only proof of it’s existence being these images… like waking up from a fantastical dream.
wow. 








 

Rune Guneriussen's work as been photographed on location all over Norway. The objects are implemented mainly in scenes cast in appropriate landscapes, and here they are subject to a certain character carefully laying out a story. It is an approach to the balance between nature and culture, but also a multiple reading of stories. 

The photographs has been exhibited in House of Photography in Oslo, The National Annual Autumn Exhibition, Bremen in Germany, National Gallery of Bulgaria, Tallinn and more. 

As an artist, he believes strongly that art itself should be questioning and bewildering as opposed to patronizing and restricting. As opposed to the current fashion he does not want to dictate a way to the understanding of his art, but rather indicate a path to understanding a story. 

Love your dreamy art installations, Rune Guneriussen.

Monday, June 20, 2011

Get your bustle on.


Bustle, ca. 1871
British
Cotton, metal
This 1871 bustle is made of metal wire fully encased in cotton fabric. Of the means employed to force the projecting hoops toward the back of the body, the most common were interior fabric tapes or a panel that lay against the back of the body.






Thursday, June 16, 2011

Elizabeth Winslow: Goddess of Cuisine and Culture

Every now and then, the heavens above send down someone who got peppered with a little extra "something special". Someone who seems to have heart, soul, passion, creativity, a great family and most importantly, have it all under control. This would be the case with Elizabeth Winslow.

Who is Elizabeth Winslow, you ask?

Think:


She's the co-founder of Austin's own all-local food delivery service featuring the season's best offerings from local farms and food artisans... all while teaching us how to prepare our bushel of veggie pickings with awesome recipes and cooking tips. (I've been receiving my organic loot straight to my doorstep for months now, and it is awesome!) 

And have you heard of...


Well - Elizabeth, along with Currie Pearson (a la Spartan, my favorite go-to gift spot), started this awesome social kinda club, curating local monthly gatherings and periodic adventures abroad focused on explorations of art, food, and design.

Wow. Step aside, P. Terry's and a six-pack, I need some fabulous
Farmhouse Delivery and Martineau & Bird. Pronto.

Elizabeth is also trained chef, a brilliant entrepreneur, steadfast mover and shaker, loving wife and the proud mama of two beautiful children - Tess and Liam. 

Oh - she's also drop dead gorgeous. 

foto credit: Tess and Liam Productions

Let's be inspired by Elizabeth Winslow, 
the woman who has seemed to have tapped into about 5 to 10 extra hours in the day.


What is your idea of perfect happiness? Big glass of wine and delicious dinner after a long, hard hike.

What is your greatest fear? Being without a purpose.

What or who is the greatest love of your life? Thomas Winslow and Tess & Liam Mcmillan

If you were to do and come back as a person or thing, what do you think it would be? a librarian

What do you value most in your friends? creativity, sense of humor, thoughtfulness

Who inspires you? farmers

What is your favorite item of clothing? jeans that fit perfectly

Who are your real heroes in life? good teachers

Favorite discovery: that there was an alternative to spending my whole life in an office

Necessary extravagance: a really good knife

Favorite color: silver

Favorite gadget: panini grill

Favorite dessert: impossible, never met one I didn't love

Favorite ingredient: fish sauce, garlic, tomatoes and reggiano parmesan

And there you have it, folks! 
I hope I didn't leave you too hungry.
And if I did, check out Elizabeth's recipe goldmine and get creative in the kitchen.

Friday, June 10, 2011

The Sistine Chapel of Crystals

When I was a kid, 
I loved to fantasize about what was in the middle of the earth. 
Dinosaurs? Gems? Maybe a tunnel to China? 
Well, these caves certainly satisfy my every dream of the netherworld.

Nearly 1,000ft(300 meters) below the Naica mountain in the Chihuahua Desert (Mexico)...


 The Cave of Crystals (Cueva de los Cristales) was discovered by two brothers drilling in the Naica lead and silver mine for the Industrias Peñoles company in 2000

 
The cave contains some of the largest natural crystals ever found: translucent gypsum beams measuring up to 36 feet (11 meters) long and weighing up to 55 tons.



 
Modern-day mining operations exposed the natural wonder by pumping water out of the 30-by-90-foot (10-by-30-meter) cave, which was found in 2000 near the town of Delicias.

 

Geologist Juan Manuel García-Ruiz says, 
"There is no other place on the planet where the mineral world reveals itself in such beauty."

It takes 20 minutes to drive to its entrance through a twisting mine-shaft, haven't deterred would-be looters - one of the crystals bears a deep scar where someone has tried, and failed, to cut through it.

But the cave has now been fitted with a heavy steel door, the better to preserve this beautiful wonder for generations to come.

To learn more about these bad-ass caves, check this out.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

With days over 100 degrees in Texas, 
pictures like this that make me really happy.

Friday, June 3, 2011

The Jealous Curator

When you need to get your fine art fix, I highly recommend you check The Jealous Curator. 
Kinda of an intense name... but dang, they got it goin' on!

Here are some of my favorites. 



Beautiful landscapes created out of food and shot with a macro lens. 
Some of them are made of milk and cake.


Transformed the streets of Paris through her visual intervention using braided strips of colorful fabric. Cracks and potholes of the city become the 'canvas' of her project.




"Countless works and installations I have built, mostly straight into their spaces. Through my work I try to search my constantly changing outline. I need an outline to understand myself more clearly - to understand where the internal ends and the external begins."




mixed media.

And there are so many, many more fabulous artists in the collection. 
Orale, The Jealous Curator.
Thanks for sharing your artistic treasures with us.