Self Portrait by May Ray Atlantic Little Brown, 1963. Buy: First Edition | Penguin Classic "To create is divine, to reproduce is human" - Man Ray Today is the birthday of the seminal photographer / artist Emmanuel Radnitszky who we all know and love as Man Ray. Though born in Philadelphia Man Ray spent most of his career in Paris. He was an integral part of both the Surrealist and DADA movements. In 1999, ARTnews magazine named Ray one of the 25 most influential artists of the 20th century. Here is our 5 book book birthday salute to Man Ray. Alphabet for Adults. Copley Galleries. Beverely Hills, 1948. One of...
Reading Room for One
For the 2013 Lisbon Architecture Triennale artist Marta Wengorovius teamed with architect Francisco Aires Mateus to produce this little slice of paradise; a reading cabin for one. The simple wood structure is fit for one person, holds one bookshelf and has a raised seating area and that's it. It is light by a skylight. The artist populated the bookshelf by asking 20 guests to choose three books each for the library. "Sharing this itinerant project creates a community between people who read the books, the guests who chose the books and the people who will read the books wherever the cabin shall...
Protest Design: Disobedient Objects at the V&A
The act of protest has blossomed into also being an opportunity for tremendous creativity. In the first exhibit of its kind, the Victoria and Albert Museum has gathered a healthy sampling of items designed and produced by grassroots social movements since the mid-1970's. "From Suffragette teapots to protest robots" the Disobedient Objects exhibit "will demonstrate how political activism drives a wealth of design ingenuity and collective creativity that defy standard definitions of art and design." Inflatable cobblestones first used during the General Strike in Barcelona in February 2012 Everyday objects have become part and parcel of protest. From homemade gas masks...
Of Interest: Inside Charlie’s Chocolate Factory, Cascadia, Poems from the Typewriter, Virility Rituals…
Inside Charlie's Chocolate Factory: The Complete Story of Willy Wonka, the Golden Ticket, and Roald Dahl's Most Famous Creation by Lucy Mangan. Foreword by Sophie Dahl. Puffin Books, 2014. Looking for a nice way to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Roald Dahl's classic, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory? Inside Charlies's Chocolate Factory provides a in-depth look at the life of this classic. From its publishing history to the history of its illustrators to the movie adaptations to the overall impact the book has had on our culture the book will surely add a sprinkle to Dahl cannon. Who knew that the book was originally published in...
Minnesota: Land of 10,000 lakes and 1 floating library
There are lakes everywhere in Minnesota and now one of them has a floating library. Thanks to Sarah Peters the contraption above is open for business on Cedar Lake in Minneapolis. Designed by Molly Reichert the 8 foot structure will hold upwards of 80 books for water travelers to peruse and check out. Canoes, kayaks, paddle boards, skiffs, rowboats, or even inner tubes are invited to paddle up to the Library and browse the shelves from inside their watercraft. The library has both circulating and reference collections of artists’ books contributed by artists nationwide. A staff of friendly floating librarians facilitate the check out process...