I saw this video, by “Florence and the Machine,” a while ago and immediately fell in love. Recently, a friend shared it with me over email and I was reminded how aesthetically great it is. It’s videos like this that bring me back to when I used to watch music videos on TV. Remember “Pop Up Video?” It seems that with the way the internet has taken media, creativity has been lost when it comes to the overall package of an artist. Of course, this also includes the ever disappearing cover art that used to make a CD worth buying.
While I’ve been watching summer slowly pass, two friends of mine have been bicycling across the United States for the American Lung Association and posting pictures on Facebook of their travels. The ride spans the country from Seattle to Washington D.C. and takes 48 days to complete. As they slowly progress on their journey, it makes me realize how time passes. Also, the pictures have put into light how the “middle of nowhere” has a lot of things that just seem out of place.
The above “structure” is a blown-up version of a 6-pack can of beer. It makes one question who is responsible for such an eyesore. While it seems to have held up nicely through the years and seems to serve a function, I can’t help but wonder what other “discoveries” are being made during the bike ride. The United States, as a whole, comes off looking very fragmented from these images.
Although this image is depicting something equally as imposing on the landscape, it is interesting from a historical viewpoint. At one point in our history, we must have considered these buildings as things of promise and hope. They give off a feeling that there is something happening in the town ahead. However, with current knowledge of such towns, they come off looking dismal and archaic. Roadside U.S.A is certainly a place of tracing our industrial history, but is it one that we want to remember?
Three years ago, while undergoing architectural studies at Wentworth Institute of Technology, I was introduced to the infamous Rietveld “Red Blue Chair.” The chair is based off the concept of infinite lines, and parallels the design of the Schroder House. I’ve always found the chair to be a striking design piece, and get a sense of awe whenever I see a replica of it in real life.
[Shroder House - Dwell]
I was invited to check out an event at Droog in SoHo, NYC. While browsing the designed collection, I found a playful version of the “Red Blue Chair.” The outside structure is made entirely of Lego’s. I was informed that there are internal elements making it sound to sit on. However, this is not a piece meant to be sat on. While staring at it, I couldn’t help but think how it suddenly made something as innocent as Lego’s become serious.
[Red Blue Chair - Droog]
Of course this is not the only quirky product that is found in Droog. There’s soap shaped like landmines, a bench made of a tree trunk, a chair of rags, and the best part is – it’s all for sale. In fact, even the fixtures inside the store are available for purchase. It’s a wonderful sensory exploration that should not be missed.
