A (Not) Boring World

I have spent a great deal of my life travelling partly due to my own obsession with the whole ordeal and due to my own parents' professions. I have noticed that over the years cafés, restaurants and many other establishments have expanded in rather unique ways in order to attract more customers.

London

In London for example I have seen restaurants partially turn themselves into temporary bakeries once a week (like Franco Manca in Chiswick) selling their own produce with the hopes that the same customers who buy their bread will also venture into the restaurant for a bite. Another example in London that I have seen is the way some restaurants will sell a variety of their dishes in various markets spread across London - the farmer's market in Lyric Square, Hammersmith every Thursday; the market in St. James square every Monday; Borough Market.

Japan

But the real game players are the Japanese. There they have really gone into attracting people in quite unique and novel ways.

Would you like a snake with that coffee of yours? 

In Japan it has become famously known and quite widespread that they have a multitude of 'cat cafés' where people are surrounded by a myriad of gracious felines as they drink their green tea. But now they even have establishments such as the one shown in the picture above where you can enjoy your afternoon surrounded by snakes, lizards, and all kinds of reptiles [I'm guessing that if you have herpetophobia (fear of reptiles) this place isn't for you]...

Spain

In Spain they have redefined ambience by simulating an earthquake at the Disaster Café...imagine it, you're drinking your lovely cocktail and all of a sudden you're interrupted by an array of flashing lights and shaking tables. 

Sort of makes the casual dinner at Signor Sassi's or wherever you look to go rather mellow compared to these eccentric eateries...

We are but a pale blue dot

It has been a while since I have last written a piece for my blog, but it has also felt so extremely long since I last really put things into a perspective. During the months of September through to June, times moves at a pace that is so inconceivably fast or slow that one like myself finds it hard to really ever stop and absorb everything. I am told to do write this essay, do this research, create this poster and talk to this person but I am never told to simply enjoy what I am enrolled in neither am I ever willing to slow the pace of everything simply to take a relaxing joy ride.

As the summer slowly progresses, and I prepare to fly to Bali this Saturday, not only do I order copious amounts of books, movies, and tv shows to entertain myself with but I also take this time to explore the Internet and all the trash and intellectual articles/videos that are thrown at me. Recently I came across a site called upworthy.com which is a domain where people/journalists/bloggers whatever you prefer to call them create articles that individually have their own unique videos attached to them. And as my inclination to not simply ever watch one video and stop there, and rather continue to immerse myself into this hour long project of mine to watch as many videos as I possibly can.

This is where I found an article written by Rollie Williams -->

How Carl Sagan Used His NASA Connections To Get A Picture Of The Earth From 3.7 Billion Miles Away

Now if you are like myself and thought the article/video would simply be a 10 minute lecture of "how Carl Sagan used his NASA connections to get a picture of the earth from 3.7 billion miles away" then you are wrong (like I was so nicely mistaken). The video transcended simple scientific talk, and entered the realms of philosophical questions and the debatable matters of morals and ethics in society. I could easily explain what Carl Sagan found and how he used the tiny dot of an Earth pictured at precisely the perfect moment (a moment earlier or later would have failed to show any sort of a beaming dot) to explain the human/individual's importance or place in a universe that is simply too vast to ever comprehend.

The video is one of the rare ones that actually left me rather enlightened...when we go to history class and condemn evil men such as Adolf Hitler - such individuals are not even grains of sand in a vast universe that is so incontrovertibly profound and continues to expand and make us even smaller. It leaves me to wonder if my responsibilities, worries or pretty much anything that concerns me having to do something has any significance in the true light of things. If the people who concern me matter at all, if the individuals who have disappointed or betrayed me in the past have any importance in my world and are thus not even worthy (yes I am saying worthy) of my attention. 

I mean seriously, where am I in that planet reminiscent of a miniature golf ball? Such things leave me unable to bring any such comparisons at all really...

Sources:

http://www.upworthy.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9TIeuBF9Ss#t=561

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/2URsvF/1H9HeY_1p:l1BvcOD8/www.upworthy.com/a-french-film-showing-men-what-being-a-woman-feels-like-kinda?c=reccon1

What does it mean to define?

I shall approach this blog entry with a slightly more informal (i.e. more personal) tone today. One of the reasons being that today has been one of the most hectic and peculiar days that I have experienced thus far. Not only do I know why I feel this way, but I also do not know why. As if I was there but not really there. As if time passed without my knowledge, and the very essence of motion and energy simultaneously sped up and slowed down. As peculiar a feeling it may have been (or still is), it led me to ponder, and think about a multitude of things that had not previously crossed my mind.

What are definitions? For some reason, and today only, I came to think how on earth the English language or any language for the matter, could develop a word that defines itself? It is like a lexical form of inception to me. Define chocolate: noun [mass noun] a food in the form of a paste or solid block made from roasted and ground cacao seeds, typically sweetened and eaten as confectionery - but is that the definition? My definition of chocolate is different to that, same with the millions of others who would conjure up some other sort of definition should they be told to 'define' the word. So what is definition?

The exact meaning of a word.

Really? The exact meaning of a word. Is there such a thing as the 'exact meaning of a word.' I do not think so. I feel that there is art to be found in the defining of terms, actions, events, and any other phenomena that exist in the world today. To define something exactly is impossible, therefore it requires great skill and precision.

The way we define things, it results in the way we treat, react, and respond to terms...because of what they mean. Dull means unimaginative, boring, monotonous, dry etc. that is why when someone calls you 'dull,' you react in the way you do. It is the literary connotation that dull has with these negative expressions that determines the way we respond to it. 

Now I just realised that this whole blog entry may seem totally confusing or disconnected or appear as something like that of a rant by someone who feels as if they just made a revelation of some sort. But I do hope that what I tried to convey in this whatever-you-want-to-call-it has been slightly understood and its meaning possibly appearing through the text.

L. 

Image source: http://melissadileonardo.tumblr.com/post/65127182175/two-things-that-define-you-patience-and-attitude

Our Food In Half

I live in London, therefore there is always a myriad of restaurants and cafés to choose from when stuck in a moment of hunger. Be it Chinese, Thai, French, Italian, Pan-Asian or whatever, such an extensive array of cuisines in one city means that it is incontrovertible to say that you can not find a place to eat.

Stemming off of that intro, I found a photographer who takes pictures of the food we eat,  but with a twist. The twist being that all the food is cut in half. Some of it I don't quite understand how she does, like with the cup of coffee that sits in a styrofoam cup with its swirls of caffeine still evident to the human eye. Therefore I deduced from this interesting find that I should present it to you,

Cut Food by Beth Galton

I have had my fair share of experience with photography and found myself many a time in a quandary over something that looked so cryptic and convoluted at the same time. But I must say that these photos do leave me feeling extremely hungry. With the second photograph not appearing to aid in my obsession with caffeine and preventing me from going to the kitchen right now and turning on my Nespresso machine for yet another vanilio and caramelito coffee.

Rest assured, there is nothing disingenuous about my intentions in showing you these five meticulously taken photographs of cut food. It is also not another effort of mine to appear overly pedantic in teaching 'oh this and that' about the wonders of art in photography. It is simple, lucid and mouthwatering. 

I came across these photographs upon my efforts to procrastinate in times of exams, projects, research papers etc. But I don't think it was an overly effective procrastination for I ended up doing something related to work. Nevertheless, this is to foster both my and any other individual's efforts in seeing the creative side to the Internet. For I believe that increasingly so, the Internet is being projected into a light of social networking, newspaper websites, trash feeds, and thought of in a solely negative manner. But it isn't any of those things (well it is but...) it is so much more. 

Source: http://colt-rane.com/cut-food-by-beth-galton/

We Like To Pass (not waste) Time

As I have said so many a time before, art does not only involve a paintbrush and canvas. It is so much more. To me, I have come to think of the word 'art' as an extremely convoluted term that can branch off into a myriad of other terms/genres/groups etc.

Would you say the creation of a website is art? Well, why not? I think it is.

This is where my procrastination comes in...countless times I have found myself sitting on a dark cloud of dull, opaque and frustrating matters that are endlessly time consuming. And in such protracted moments, my inclination to procrastinate is almost inevitable.

What is procrastination? Is it you sitting there, looking at one website then finding yourself clicking on another website followed by another and boom you have a multitude of tabs open and you find yourself thinking, 'wait it's 8:30PM...and my dissertation is due first thing in the morning of which I have barely finished...hmmm...oh well let's continue procrastinating.'

This is exactly what I am doing at this very moment in time. Procrastinating.

I read an article on www.mashable.com that displayed a list of other websites to aid in my efforts to procrastinate.

1) http://hackertyper.com/

Want to sit at work and appear as if you are toiling over some tediously laborious project? 

Well this may be the site for you (or your secret enjoyment of simply going awol on your keyboard for the joy of it).

2) http://www.theuselessweb.com/

This site takes you to other websites. It's almost like the inception of the Internet. Here is my blog, one website, where I recommend visiting a variety of other websites to check out, that in turn, take you to even more websites. 

Yes, please do take me to another useless website and further distract me from what I should really be doing. Thankss.....

3) http://www.sleepyti.me/

Having trouble over when exactly you should wake up? Want a calculator that identifies a restful night?

This website is the place to be for you. (Haha, I sound like a real estate agent...)

4) http://www.onreadz.com/

This site provides free e-books, may be useful for the studious individual...

5) http://www.ineedaprompt.com/index.php

For the very unimaginative man that simply cannot come up with an idea on his own.

6) http://www.thisissand.com/

Reminds me of weavesilk.com (another interactive website that I wrote a blog about a really long time ago)...this may be interesting for the crafty person who likes procrastinating by drawing/painting or other such artsy activities. 

I could go on but I simply thought that if I was procrastinating (as I am now) that I should try to be productive and/or helpful to myself and others and suggest ideas to other individuals who may be procrastinating too as they read this blog. 

L. ;) 

Source: http://mashable.com/2014/05/02/websites-to-waste-time/

Ridiculous Wearable Technology

I have always been one to never judge a person's creation, simply out of respect. However that does not go without saying that I am not left feeling confused, bewildered, or creeped out by the numerous creations that have been invented by tech-savvy individuals. There is a place and time for everything, but when it concerns an object, or piece of clothing that I must wear then all the circumstances change.

1) http://www.drumpants.com/

I have gathered a variety of interesting yet quite ridiculous inventions intended for the woman or man like myself to wear.

This may seem extremely useful and/or intriguing to the individual who is simply crazy about music or involved in some sort of band or what not.


What do you think? Would you like to walk around the park and tap on your skinny jeans simultaneously creating music as you do?

2) Sproutling - the fitness tracker for babies

Think of it, the baby is just born, barely able to walk yet but you are worried about the chubbiness of your baby's legs...(I know it's natural but for this case let's assume you are worried).

He or she may now go and order a Sproutling for their newborn to track their baby's everyday fitness regime. Imagine all that time and effort trying to teach your baby various yoga or pilates exercises is now wasted for Sproutling can obviously do the job? Right?

But apparently it is to detect the newborn's breathing patterns, movements throughout the house, and so on...


For more information on Sproutling go to -->

http://techcrunch.com/2013/09/16/wearable-baby-monitor-developer-sproutling-raises-2-6m-from-first-round-and-others-to-raise-parenting-iq/

Nevertheless, what is the meaning of 'wearable technology?' Should it be renamed to 'sensible wearable technology?' What renders something successful in its ability to be helpful to the individual? Many questions posed for much expected unanswered replies.

It is not hard to find hundreds of sites talking about the 'marvellousness, ridiculousness, recklessness' of so many different types of wearable technology. Same with how there are so many different discussions and debates circling around the topic that people are just not interested in wearable technology right now.

I, if I am to be totally honest, feel quite indifferent about the concept but if something out there is released that I feel may genuinely aid me in whatever I am doing then I will gladly pay for it. Otherwise, keep the inventions coming.

The Evolution of the Home

Let's meet Stan. Stan wakes up in the morning, takes a shower, turns on the television that automatically presents him with his favorite news channel, and then heads into the kitchen. He makes his toast, his coffee, but wait where is the milk? So Stan walks over to the fridge and realises that his beloved skimmed milk is nowhere to be seen. Neither is his beloved butter for the toast nor is his much needed box of organic eggs for his daily quiche. He didn't know that all these ingredients were missing when he went out to the store yesterday and currently he feels to lazy to make the trip.

But what if yesterday, prior to going out to the store, Stan had a remote or some sort of device that told him exactly what ingredients were in refrigerator, and upon typing out a recipe, that same device told him what ingredients he needed. Wouldn't that be convenient?

"Take a washing machine, for example. A 20-year-old model will function fairly similarly to its modern counterpart: It gets clothes clean. Compare that to, say, the cellphone, a crowded technological landscape obsessed with making the Next Big Thing,

"Legacy home appliance companies are the old guards of the technology world: respectable businesses with reliable products everybody needs."

The question that stands now is do we want these new, convenient, technological advancements? Or, do we want to stay as we are with our safe, reliable, legacy companies that have provided our families with what we need for decades?

Are we willing to consider trade-offs? Would we be afraid of the general population gaining weight as a result of the increased laziness that would arise as a result of this new technology? I don't know. 

Personally, I would love it if before I got out of bed every morning, I could lean over to my phone and have it send some sort of message to my coffee machine that said, "make me a vanilla and caramel coffee with no milk and no sugar." 

L.

Sources: 

http://mashable.com/2014/04/26/smart-home-appliances/

http://freeallsoftwares.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Home-Automation-for-iPhone.jpg

Movies with BAD CGI effects

I feel like I have continuously focused on the more generic, and obvious aspects of art but what just occurred to me was that there is so much more. Why have I not been talking about films or radio or music? Aren't those all part of the term 'art.' My point being that I feel as if I have delved into the inescapable route of looking at something in one perspective.
I know and this new perspective of mine is just making you go all:

Ha ha ha...funny right? This is my fatigue speaking. Nonetheless, I assume that a majority of the population has watched a movie, and one with special effects. Some movies have excellent CGI whereas others make you want to slowly walk out of the room whilst slowly shaking your head. Movies are movies, we pay ridiculous amounts of money for them (like the other day I went with a friend to a movie at Westfield and we wanted to sit in the VIP seats. Well, we ended up spending £35 on the chairs.) So isn't it fair enough to say that we expect to be intrigued, impressed, emotionally touched by what we are paying to see. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. 

This little Youtube clip by WatchMojo.com's channel displays in a consecutive sequence the worst CGI used in movies. Surprisingly (or I was surprised) even high budget movies, screen pictures that we always assume to have the best of everything (the best actors, the best scenery, the best camera shots/directing) can have the most dire and diabolical movie effects. 

But there is a reason why some movies may have cheap looking effects:

THE MONEY :)))

What does CGI cost?

Some companies charge $5,000 per second for their work on a movie etc. This is why cartoons, movies like Pirates of the Caribbean, Spider Man 3 etc. are so expensive to make. These films run into the $100,000,000+ range in their budgets! So it really is no wonder why some films simply can't afford the full cost of good movie effects.

Sadly it is an expensive world we are living in, and mostly everything today that is good quality, worth seeing, or worth our time is the most expensive thing. 

Time is Money and Money gives Results.

Sources:

http://gif-my-emotions.tumblr.com/page/5

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZlOn9V_MmE

http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/money-gif

Has technology changes us as a people?

If someone were to ask you if technology has changed you as a person from the moment you began to use it to the current day, what would you say? That it has, or has not?

Now we all know about the site called debate.org where people can add in their say on various forums, and debates that they may find interesting.

Well...has technology changed us as a people? Has it made us more narcissistic? More conscious? More anxious as we are so easily notified about the horrors that continue to occur in the world every single day?

90% said YES. 10% said NO.

http://www.debate.org/opinions/has-technology-changed-us-as-a-people

Note: all below quotes are submitted anonymously. 

YES:

"It has made us rely on off-storage memory. For older folks -- remember how you'd memorize phone numbers before cell phones? Now it's the same thing with everything, Google being the cell-phone analogy. We're offloading memory storage and memory filtering off the cloud, be it Google, Bing or whatever. Doesn't make us dumber, but reliable on instant internet access. Kind of scary."

NO:

"No I think we have just become more of what we are and have always been and generally will always be. Humans are inquisitive by nature and our inquisitiveness has led us to the brink of destruction. We want to know absolutely everything but unfortunately we don't want to use our knowledge to create a better world, life, or existence first. Mankind's imaginations are continually evil. Technology is great when it is used to promote unity, goodness, health and safety." 

(I must say I am left slightly confused by the person who argued NO's argument)

We use technology in schools now, we use it in our art, science, math and history classrooms. Where do we not use it now? In the shower? I mean seriously...

Sources: http://a.fastcompany.net/multisite_files/fastcompany/imagecache/inline-large/inline/2013/03/3007034-inline-inline-facebook-nbc-what-difference-8-years-makes-st-peters-square-2005-and-yesterday.jpg

Personalised Questionnaire For You

1. What first springs to mind when someone mentions the word, "art"?  
A. Paintings, that sort of thing...
B. Sculptures
C. Amateur artists standing around a fruit bowl and discussing its various qualities
D. Money
E. None of the above

2. What first springs to mind when someone mentions the word, "technology"?
A. Computers, cameras, gadgets, the lot.
B. Bill Gates, Steve Jobs and other considered 'tech' billionaires
C. Impossibly hard to figure out software that you recently installed into your computer
D. Apple, Google...
E. None of the above

3. Cost of the most expensive painting ever sold?
A. $258,000,000
B. $300,527,000
C. $140,000,000
D. $136,000,000
E. $98,456,907

4. Cost of the most expensive computer? (note: don't think only of the thin laptops you use)
A. $15,000,000
B. $9,000,000
C. $890,580
D. $250,000
E. $103,222

5. Why am I asking you these questions?
A. To avoid writing yet another blog in the bog standard format
B. Make you think?
C. I just like putting this all together when suffering from a bad cold
D. Both A and B
E. None of the above, I'm just being random

Answers (not incl. 1 & 2): 3A (The Card Players by Paul Cézanne) , 4A (NASA Quantum computer), 5D.

A 3D Chocolate You

I was passing through Harvey Nichols on my way home today and saw a group of people standing around this rather peculiar stand that seemed to emit quite a strong blue light. I walked over, bearing the pain from my heavy bag, and saw several creepy looking figurines made out of chocolate. I asked the girl who was standing by the "MiNi-YOU" presentation, "what on earth is this?" and she said, "you can create a 3D miniature of yourself...and you can even get it done in chocolate." Unfortunately I neither love myself that much nor adore chocolate enough to actually order one. Nonetheless it seemed like quite the unique idea.

http://mini-you.co.uk/

This guy looks incredibly creepy and I can't imagine having the creation sitting there on my dining room table, staring at me, and thus making me feel undoubtedly uncomfortable. He reminds me of those chillingly porcelain dolls that you see in most psychological horror films. 

Now begs the question, how does it work? 

3D Printing went from being a major yet hardly talked about idea to a product that an increasing amount of schools, companies, and households have begun to endorse. Now when I first saw these 'things' or 'creepy looking 3D miniatures' I looked at it in a rather comical way:

One could possibly order one (remembering the 1 week waiting period): should you be infatuated with someone, or possibly be some sort of stalker and get that persons 3D miniature.

Or: should you love yourself to the degree that you must get a 3D miniature out of chocolate, signifying that you are simply good enough to eat.

Or...: that you get an either serious/funny gift for your friend/loved one for a certain holiday, be it whatever it is.

BUT, it is not cheap.

You obviously want the 10 inch one right? Also I never understood why designers, or stores price products at £159.99 or in this case, £399/£499. Why not just say £160...£400....£500. I remember someone saying that £399 looks cheaper than £400 but honestly to me it does not. What a £0.01 difference? Or, £1 difference. You may think differently, yet this is just my opinion.

Yumm....right? 

This is essentially art, yes it is. For it involves thought, stress, ideas, work, physical/tech involvement and a product that is down to a single (or multiple) persons effort. 

Coming to your local Waitrose soon...;) (not really I don't know) but it is at Harvey Nichols in Knightsbridge right now as I write (19 March).

http://mini-you.co.uk/

L.

I Love the Serpentine

The (new) Serpentine Sackler Gallery (along with the old/original one) in Hyde Park has to be one of the most eclectic, and unique galleries that I have ever seen. Almost hidden away inside one of my most favorite parks in London, Hyde Park, the gallery never ceases to amaze me every single year. It is one of those galleries that deserves the attention it receives, it deserves the patrons and donors that contribute their time and effort into the gallery being what it is today. I remember attending a viewing of their very 'earthy' exhibition by the artist Adrián Villar Rojas, smelling the earth, the soil, the mould that encompassed the overall feeling that one felt as he or she stood in that one red brick room. One must also not forget the absolutely astonishing parties they throw annually during the summer, I mean if you want to know what a real 'London Summer Party' is - then the Serpentine Gallery provides exactly that. It is most memorable in my mind when 2 summers ago, I first heard about the singer Iggy Azalea when she performed during that one night.

Fun.

To the left of the bridge is the older, original Serpentine Gallery that holds so many memories thus far and to the right is the new Serpentine Sackler Gallery (designed by Zaha Hadid) that is as equally beautiful.

When you have time and if you are in London and if you also happen to be around Knightsbridge, Kensington or be it wherever you are just walk by and take a look. It's worth it.

Every year, the Serpentine does these amazing exhibitions that aren't simply those, "oh look a massive painting with a black dot in the middle...oh my god...that is...that is amazing..." or those, "I can really see what the artist was trying to do when he decided to place the chair upside down and balance an apple [a Fiji apple to be specific] on top of it all...wow..." No. That is not what the Serpentine does.

The Observer said it was, "The most beautiful gallery in London" and that says something given it isn't one of those mediocre papers that finds delight in writing about people who like to spend the majority of their day getting hair extensions.

(this was last years statement) - every year they introduce a new foreign architect who builds a 'statement' as I like to call them, of which needs to be finished by the time of the Summer Party.

I get it if you're not even remotely interested in the arts or the art world but simply the look of it all is amusing to say the least. 

L.

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/multimedia/archive/00419/129571339_01_419497b.jpg

http://www.serpentinegalleries.org/

A Woman Finds Her Voice

I can see. I can speak. I can walk and run. 

Think of one essential habit that you are able to control, to experience, or to understand. Then think of what it may be like should you be rid of that essential part of your life. Say you are an artist, and you use your fingers as a way to paint your artwork or a songwriter yet are unable sing your own songs. How would you react in that initial moment of shock? Would you regret not having dashed to the easel and painted that magnificent image you saw in your head yet kept postponing the idea simply because you were either too preoccupied or were concerned about more significant tasks at the time? 

Branching off of this thought is my discovery of a nonverbal 28 year old woman who has finally figured out a way to get her voice back. But how, one might ask. The iPad. 

Dixon, 28, has struggled with a multitude of health issues throughout her life and had no way to express her feelings or needs until her parents and therapists endlessly strived to teach her to read and eventually type one letter at a time when she was six years old. Now, Dixon has published a book of poems and paintings entitled, "Under the Silence is Me - How It Feels to be Nonverbal."

Dixon can now communicate, and write her poetry freely through the use of her iPad, something she was unable to do so beforehand. I thought this was amazing for imagine loving something so much, and finally being given the ability to fulfil that love of yours. To me it is Dixon's strength and perseverance that has brought her to where she is today. I take stories like these for I hold such a great respect for really young individuals who are able to surprise others through their achievements. And like I said in one of my previous posts...Give Respect where it is due.

:) L.

Sources: http://www.statesman.com/news/news/local/nonverbal-poet-artist-gains-voice-through-technolo/nd7hq/

http://www.weighthacker.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/ipad.jpg

Color Blind

Are you color blind? Ever thought of what it may be like to be color blind? I, for one, am not but I have always been intrigued by what makes us color blind.

Color blindness affects 1 in 12 men (8%) and 1 in 200 women worldwide.

For more: http://www.colourblindawareness.org/colour-blindness/causes-of-colour-blindness/

How does it happen? Causes?
It is usually a hereditary condition, which means that you are most often born with it. It is not a disease, it is does not halt anyone's abilities from doing most daily activities. But it is an interesting condition.

Branching off of this topic...apparently a high schooler's research may aid color blind users online.

This is a legitimate video that tests to see if you are color blind.
People say only the experts, those with the experience, know how to research a debated topic or find the cure to something, or even create anything worthwhile. I do not believe this.

This bright Indian high school student researched methods and ways of making visual content more accessible to color blind users.

Did you know people with normal color vision are called trichromats? (I didn't)


Want to know the different types of color blindness?
1) Anomalous Trichromacy (color blind to some extent/"faulty" vision)
2) Dichromacy (the way people see red, green or blue mixtures - confusing different shades)
3) Monochromacy (example in the image below)

I am always interested by the things in the world that have the potential to disable a small (or big) fraction of us from going about the same lives.

"Now...how does this relate to art?"

I don't know about you but unless I am sketching, my art usually involves color (and lots of it). I do not want to come across as all-knowing or arrogant but I don't think I would be able to do the same type of art as I do if I had for example monochromacy...

This is why I took interest in this 17 year old girl named Animesh Tripathi as she has been investigating algorithms and on how to effectively adjust the color schemes we see online. This is where I feel it is necessary to pay respect where it is due. :)

http://mashable.com/2014/03/01/color-blind-computer-users/

Babies and Technology

I've decided that maybe once a week I shall write a post that does not entirely concern art but still involves technology.

Should people shield their children from using iPhones, iPads, basically anything that involves a touch screen? What would this lead to? How would the parents that allow their kids to use the family tablets/gadgets whatever you call them, react? Dun dun...I don't have any children so I couldn't really give my own expert opinion on what 'I think is best for my child' but I do have an opinion.

When I was really young I used to watch my favorite kids shows on the television (albeit they don't exist anymore) and this was a way my parents could keep my busy. Taking care of a little one is a very time consuming task, I experienced this when I was left to take care of my baby cousin, Vladimir. Pulling at my t-shirt, asking countless questions, claiming he was hungry every 5 minutes and then deciding to go on a rampage around the house for absolutely no reason. But then I decided to pull out my iPad, play a few games and then what happened? Vladimir stopped running around the house, came over to me, and asked, "what's that?" with this look of deep intrigue/amazement in his eyes. And what did I do? I gave him the iPad, and taught him how to use it (even though Vladik as I like to call him, is quite the smart little boy and pretty much figured it out for himself). 

10 minutes later, I waited for the call of my name, for the demand of something or someone, for a complaint, a question, a random noise - but nothing. I walked over to the bedroom to find Vladik sitting there playing Plants v. Zombies. Is this for real? 

This is where I understand the argument for when parents say, "it keeps the children busy," but when I go into restaurants, cafés, or other public domains and see no interaction b/w the kid and the outside world, that is when I begin to question things. 

Maybe I should buy Vladik this for his next birthday? Haha, only joking...

This little chair/portable iPad set is actually called an iPotty. Ridiculous name I know. This caused controversy when it was released, but it is still on the market, which means that some people are actually buying it...

Small inventions like these just simply continue to astound me - was I hiding in a hole in the ground when the world of baby technology burst onto the scene? One minute they're not using our phones + iPods, and the next they all are!

I know that my kids have a technology-filled life ahead of them, and tech will continue to have a plethora of benefits. But for young kids, my hope is that they'll benefit from simple pleasures in the real world first. 

That is what Jeana Lee Tahnk said when she expressed her opinion about this whole fiasco. What is your opinion? Is it good? Bad? No opinion? Or developing one? Think about it.

http://www.rossdelantar.com/the-danger-with-kids-and-micro-transactions/

http://mashable.com/2014/03/01/baby-tech-protection/

Don't always believe your eyes

We look at everything in our lives and (most of the time) expect those things to be real. But what if people began to create images/objects and even buildings that weren't actually there or even real. When I looked at the following images, for many I thought, "I would think that was a real place" with only a few crossing the line into the surreal world for me.

Now I don't know about you but these images look pretty realistic to me and I have a tendency of being overly critical about certain topics and matters. I'm always saying, "No I don't believe that," or, "That. Is. Fake." It's not that I lack a creative imagination, or have an overly analytical brain...no...it simply means that I pay attention to detail (even though sometimes to my disadvantage).

I have been teaching myself how to further my skills in Photoshop so I can create illusions or surreal images but I find myself struggling at the 3D imaging stage. How on earth am I supposed to create a 3D image from scratch?! I have so much respect for these people who can create such beautiful pictures of places and people that don't even exist. But it also makes me sad for sometimes you are presented with such a beautiful looking beach or resort, and you think, 'I want to go there next for holiday' - so you go to travel agents such as Kuoni or whatever you happen to use, search various parts of the world and then...you find that there is no such place in the world. It's what happened to me once I saw a picture of a resort in Bali that looked so blissful and idyllic yet the only problem was that the person who created the picture had taken an image of a mediocre resort, photoshopped it into what he believed to be the perfect resort. 

These ones bordered on surreal/fake for me though,

                                   

This type of work is apparently called '3D Rendering' where people used 3D software to create architectural designs of places around the world. Now all I need is someone to very slowly explain how they do this to me for it would probably take me a decade to learn myself. 

Also, apparently every single picture takes around 2 WEEKS to create. The site I took this from, www.mashable.com, had 29 of these images so that is around 58 weeks of work, or 406 days or 1.1 years. A very long time when you look at it that way, and to think that when you're simply scrolling down the page, you can so easily skip past an image that took so long to create. 

There are more images on the mashable site but that would probably be saved for another post, also some of those images include surreal figures within very realistic surroundings - so they are only slightly different to these. 

Sources:

Photo 1 - Marc Gruber-Laux

Photo 2 - Tolgahan Gungor

Photo 3 - Gilvan Isbiro 

Photo 4 - Juan Altieri 

Photo 5 - Studio Aiko

(Talking about Studio Aiko, if I were to design a house or apartment from scratch I would definitely get them to do it for me - go to their site http://www.studio-aiko.com/ and to the portfolio tab and click 'architecture' and you will know why I like them so much)

Let's Go Very Very Slow (cue the Chariots of Fire song)

I would not want to be the boxer in the first photo...Anyways, recently I found myself looking through the Internet, searching for some article or nonsense that would simply keep me busy. Every now and then I would notice these remarkable photos that depicted these extremely high definition slow motion shots. This made me think...people are turning these ridiculous, funny, intriguing, and/or creative images into art and then begged the though, would I go into a gallery and pay for one? Yes, yes I would.

I love so many things, so many different types and forms of art, film and literature - I could simply go on forever (but we would get bored of that, wouldn't we?). This is a new addition to my extending list of loves and adorations - high speed imagery.

Since we are talking about it, I thought it appropriate to include a nice little video (or two...:D).

It's funny when you click play on the video, all of a sudden this incredibly intense music comes up called 'Delerium by Silence' so if you were really wondering what the music was, well there you go. Onwards, it's 5 minute 11 second video of what I believe to be a compilation of some really interesting stuff (stuff because I can't think of the right word for now...). It's an art form - actually call it whatever you like, whatever flows through the head more easily, what matters is simply giving it a slice of your attention (I just realised I wrote 'slice' instead of 'piece' because I just ate a slice of courgette quiche and mixed it into my wording - I do that all the time...)

Because we all love looking at images (at least I do for I'm both a very visual and literary person) let's look at a few others that caught my eye.

The animal slow motion photographs are actually taken by a photographer called Carli Davidson who is a pet photographer. I must give her credit for as I much as I love her, my cat Lolita, somehow knows when you want to take a picture of her and makes a point of not only 1) not looking at the camera but also, 2) deciding that she's hungry again and must walk away. 

The great thing about slow-motion (and I'll elaborate more on slow-motion in another post) is that it is not a single 2D/3D shot that after a single glance you know what is there. In a slow-motion shot, I at least have to look 1, 2, maybe even 3 times just to see that I haven't missed anything. The way the skin moves when we shake our heads, something that none of us see because it is an occurrence that just happens too quickly. It's a shame really that our eyes can't go into a super-fast or super-slow mode so that we can see what we're missing. But that is another one of the joys of life that we simply have to thank cameras and technology for then, don't we?

Well before you go onto the next blog or switch off for the day pleasee look at this video: (pay attention to 4:30 for that is when the balloon actually bursts)...

Photos:
http://dpshots.com/images/high_speed/high_speed_photography_3.jpg
http://creativepool.com/marketing/images/high-speed-shaking-dog-4.jpg
http://www.myicore.com/post_pics/high_speed_photos/high_speed_photo_4.jpg
http://www.wherecoolthingshappen.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/shake-dog-photography-carli-davidson-2-640x570.jpg
Gif:
http://img7.joyreactor.com/pics/post/gif-cat-water-slow-motion-664177.gif
Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rU7iYYpSrlo 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_OyHUqIIOU 

Loving the Art in Cuba

Hard to believe it's been 2 days since I came back, for it seems to me to have been so much longer. We all love art don't we? Well I do and that is why I have come to computer at 10% battery to discuss what I have just thought of.

Semi-isolated, and thought of as 'that' communist country, Cuba is immensely underrated and deserving of so much more.

So much of the graffiti is similar to the multi-million dollar artworks that are sold within Europe and beyond.

This photograph was taken by myself whilst riding on a carriage that was being driven by a donkey surprisingly enough. I don't believe that it is quite as visible here but I have used Adobe Photoshop CC to add a mosaic effect to the sky, along with enhancing the colors in the picture. Alsoo I have changed the color of the car from a dull blue to a luminescent green.

This is not my photograph but it looks very similar to some pictures that I have taken myself - I mean, I have seen that exact car. Anyways, in Old Havana which is beyond gorgeous you see so much of this art either spray painted or painted onto the houses, walls, fences, streets and so on. 

No it is not really a communist anymore, more so into the 'special' period or perestroika - however you look at it. But you must go there. It is beautiful, inspiring and for me, one big surprise. 

Before I log off here are some more pictures...

Sneaky note: I actually saw this factory and it is where they roll all the BEST cigars including 

#1 Cohiba 

#2 Montecristo

#3 Romeo y Julieta

...

http://www.mypixel.se/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/tumblr_mcenv6RW5u1ry5yz0o1_1280.jpg

http://images.fineartamerica.com/images-medium-large/partagas-cigar-factory-havana-cuba-mike-grainger.jpg

http://www.welists.com/itemimages/cuba-1.jpg

Lets Get Interactive :)

As tired as I may be, suffering from a serious bout of jet-lag with the 5 hour time difference that I happen to be left with following an intense trip to Cuba, I have come across something interesting.

This is a video by dandypunk, with 114,718 views, I am clearly not the only person to have come across this video. He calls it 'projection mapping [through] live performance art.' Watch the video now. Every single part of the video that is not the actual performer does not exist (besides the room he is in), the rest are artificial additions created through (I think) a complicated type of technology.

Now look at this next video that is, too, a use of projection mapping in order to promote The Tourist movie that starred Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp on the Joule Hotel in Dallas, Texas.

Projected at 1530 Main St Dallas, you know...the famous hotel that has the pool sticking out of the building? Look...

Recognise it? Anyways, the purpose of the projection was to show the actual trailer of the movie along with a series of animation sequences and interactive applications. It was a free event which meant that everybody was able to see the spectacle, and it also served to be an excellent advertisement of the movie that must have drove the PR machine crazy. It apparently set off on November 30, 2010 and attracted a large number of viewers. I remember watching that movie...but I don't actually remember what it was about? Can anyone tell me? Ha...

Never before have I seen this done in order to promote a movie (and I'm surprised more hotels haven't followed suit?!) and I looove the Joule Hotel as well (for its endorsement in art) as I have never actually been to Dallas let alone Texas. However if one is planning on booking a trip to the States and happens to be looking for a hotel to stay at and is now thinking of staying at the Joule, well, here is its website:

http://www.thejouledallas.com/

Sources: http://www.examiner.com/article/3d-projection-at-the-joule-hotel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSR0Xady02o

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MXwJpKToEY