For the discerning child — by which we mean, the discerning parent — there is no filmmaker more beloved than Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki, whose Studio Ghibli has spent the past quarter-century making the kind of quality kids’ movies that may be even more popular with adults. The genius behind such classics as My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, and Spirited Away, Miyazaki weaves stories that are equal parts fairy tale, environmentalist fable, and beautiful animation. So, it makes sense that the latter quality has inspired Ramón García of The Art of Animation to create a series of elegant minimalist posters for Studio Ghibli films, which we spotted at The Mary Sue. See some of our favorite images after the jump, and visit The Art of Animation for the entire set.
Conceptual photographer Xavier Delory has created his own Inception-style portfolio of surreally altered architecture. The Belgium-born artist shares that his digital manipulations — sometimes composed of a dozen different pictures — “[explore] the landscape in mutation and the drifts of modern man,” shifting our perception of the world around us. What at first appears to be an average family home is slowly and subtly realized as a grim compound with no doors to escape and no windows to allow air. Using a tilt-shift lens, Delory creates wafer-thin skyscrapers slicing through the air. Towering, ramshackle structures represent urban decay, and historical buildings look more like theatrical set pieces than the robust landmarks we’re used to. Check out Delory’s conceptual photo mind-benders in our gallery.
While birdwatching — er, surfing the web — we spotted these rare and beautiful little LEGO birds assembled by “Tree Surgeon and Lego Monster” DeTomaso Pantera over at Colossal. Part of an ongoing series of LEGO recreations of birds found in Britain, we think they’re rather charming, and they certainly put our LEGO skills to shame. Pantera is also in the running to have his birds become an official LEGO product — if you like what you see and want one of your own, click here to support his cause. Click through to see a mini menagerie of British birdies, guaranteed not to fly away on you, and then head here to check out more of Pantera’s work.
Long before college students started exposing themselves to celebrate sexual liberation and Will Ferrell made a name for himself streaking the silver screen, Herodotus was writing about exposure en masse to help spread the good word about a jubilant pilgrimage to The Festival of Bast, an annual event in ancient Egypt now famous for being home to the world’s largest orgy. In the words of the Father of History, “when in the course of their journey they reach a community — not the city of their destination, but somewhere else — they steer the bareis close to the bank. Some of the women carry on clapping and singing, but others dance or stand and pull up their clothes to expose themselves. Every riverside community receives this treatment.”
Because there’s nothing like starting a week off with a bawdy cultural phenomenon, we thought we’d apply the fun of mooning, flashing and streaking to architecture by posing the question: where would exhibitionists live? Beginning with the two glass houses that started it all, here’s our look at see-thru architecture that will have you frolicking naked in no time. From Philip Johnson’s iconic glass house to an Italian glass cube of a home complete with glass furniture to a glass barn, click through to check out our roundup of transparent homes that are sure to inspire a mooning or two. Let us know in the comments if you could live in such an exposed home!
Here at Flavorpill, we try to live reasonably healthily these days — but we’d happily set aside our teetotalling ambitions for a trip to this deep-sea bar operated by Guinness. This is a bar inside a submarine, since you ask — it was designed by London-based architects Jump Studios. Despite the fact that the space is pretty tiny — only 11 square meters, which is about 118 square feet — the interior somehow looks both inviting and remarkably space-age, like stepping into a spaceship rather than a submarine. The bar is currently somewhere under the Baltic Sea, apparently. We’re not sure how one actually wangles one’s way on board, but we’d be very interested in finding out. A couple more photos after the jump.
A couple of weeks back, we wrote about the American Society of Magazine Editors’ choices for their favorite magazine covers of 2011. While some of the design there was fascinating, we’re pretty sure that we’ve already seen our favorite cover of 2012: the cover of next Monday’s New Yorker, which commemorates Barack Obama’s statement on gay marriage this week with an illustration of the White House adorned with rainbow columns. It’s simple, elegant, eloquent and a fine example of the old adage that a picture is worth 1,000 words. The image is called “Spectrum of Light,” and is by illustrator Bob Staake, from whom there is a brief statement on the magazine’s website: “I am honored to be doing this cover… I wanted to celebrate the bravery of the President’s statement—a statement long overdue—but all the more appreciated in this political year. We are on the right side of history.” Bravo.
Editor’s note: Welcome to The Fug Report! Each week our fashion blogger friends Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan, the sartorial geniuses behind Go Fug Yourself, will feature some of the most memorable looks of the week in this space. We hope you enjoy it!
Philip Johnson, the founder of MoMa’s Architecture and Design Department and the first person to be awarded the profession’s highest honor, the Pritzker Prize, believed that “all architecture is shelter, and all great architecture is the design of space that contains, cuddles, exalts or stimulates the persons in that space.” We thought we’d put the venerable Mr. Johnson’s wisdom to the test to see how the work spaces of the world’s most innovative profession measure up. After all, if the organic food movement’s mantra is “you are what you eat,” then it’s not a far stretch to think that — creatively — you are where you work.
The results are in, and we’re happy to report that the architect’s office is as imaginative and inspiring as they come. From a stunning modern studio nestled in a forest outside of Madrid to the happiest studio cum gallery cum design shop we’ve ever seen to three stories of stacked shipping containers designed to wander, click through to check out our roundup of the best of the best creative work spaces from around the world. Let us know in the comments what studios you’d nominate!
For those of us who will be sweltering in our studio apartments during the long summer months fantasizing about a breezy ocean getaway, owning a beach house feels like an impossible dream. It might be, but we’re here to appeal to your inner daydreamer with a gallery of incredibly designed beach house retreats that impress with their unique architecture and intuitive connection to the sandy oceanscape. We were inspired to hit the shore after spotting an amazing house on Design You Trust. Visit it, and many other luxurious seaside villas, past the break.
Scotland has produced some of the most enduring cultural wonders of the last century including Sir Sean Connery, Annie Lennox, David Byrne, the television and a fictional media darling of a monster that was supposedly seen fourteen years ago. To honor our favorite skirt-wearing nation, we thought we’d shed some light on another fabulous Scottish endowment: the quaint and exceedingly cozy guest house.
Not to be confused with it’s wealthier cousin, the country house, the guest house is to Scotland what the Bed & Breakfast is to New England. Much less awkwardly intimate, Scottish guest houses are often separate and self-sufficient. And, exceptionally charming. After spotting a restored 1956 fire truck turned guest house complete with wood-burning stove and fully equipped kitchen, we couldn’t help but wonder what other unlikely and enchanting guest houses sit nestled in the Scottish Highlands and beyond.
From a modern shipping container retreat to a spare room you can hang from a tree to a canvas yurt with a grand Victorian bed and your very own truck wheel barbecue, click through to check out our offbeat roundup of the most beguiling freestanding abodes perfectly suited to receiving nosy house guests and meddlesome in-laws.
