in
The grass may seem neater on the other side, but Japan's clutter tells a different story. It's one that reveals a far more complex and nuanced relationship with stuff, one that suggests minimalism and clutter aren't opposites, but two sides of the same coin. For the nation of Japan is filled with spaces that are as meticulously cluttered as minimalist ones are meticulously simplified. These packed places, which are every bit as charming as the emptied ones, force us to question our assumptions and worldviews. What if we've all been wrong about clutter?

"invokes the concept of an overgrown ruin"

in

via dezeen:

Informed by "stepped pyramids of the region's ancient history", the building is made of interconnected cubic volumes, pockmarked with terraces, wooden shutters, glazing and exposed open, structure.

"Our approach to breaking down the overall volume of the building involves setting back terraces at irregular intervals and across different levels," said Sordo Madaleno.

"This deliberated design choice enhances the permeability of the essentially rectilinear structure, allowing it to be seamlessly integrated into the surrounding nature. The studied informality of this approach invokes the concept of an overgrown ruin."

Embed Block
Add an embed URL or code. Learn more

David Lynch's "A THINKING ROOM" installation

in

via Dezeen ::

Lynch had a clear vision for the space from the beginning, taking an interest in the materials and colours used and even creating a small decorative sculpture that sits at the top of the picture frames that hang on its walls.

"We sent him twelve samples for the walls, with more texture and less texture and many different blue shades," di Benedetto said. "He was happy like a child when he received all of the samples in LA."

On top of the large chair, seven metal rods connect it to the ceiling, where they branch out. Like the often ambiguous images in his films, the design was left unexplained by Lynch.

"The only thing that we know is that these are the connections between something like the soul and the absolute; a flow of energy from your soul," Monda said.

links/2024w12

in

links/2024w11

in

And we're back to the weekly list: Squarespace changed up their iPad editor and made it impossible to add links, so it's simpler to do it this way and put it together once a week on the Mac.

links/2024w07

in

At around age 60, with her 3 children all grown up and out of her hands, Sugiyama decided to relocate from Saitama up north to Iwate prefecture where she had relatives, and was closer to her birthplace of Aomori. She obtained her chiropractors license and opened a small practice where she served the local community for over 10 years. 

One day, Sugiyama found a pack of discarded colored markers near a dumpster. Noticing that they were still in good shape, she decided to take them home and begin doodling. Soon, images of trees and rivers all inspired by the nature of Aomori began pouring out of her and onto the pages of a sketchbook. After a year or so of sketching with the markers, Sugiyama remembered her mother’s colorful kimonos that had been stored away. There was no use for them in storage so the artist, whose creative juices were now flowing, decided to begin incorporating them into her work, which eventually led to a style she has coined as “Kimono Reborn Art.”

"'I don’t subscribe to the idea that the cover should illustrate the book.’"

in

Beautiful and intriguing design principles here (via Print Mag):

a bunch of pretty books in pretty colors
Looking at an Unbound Edition Press book, all I see are possibilities. Because the covers are about color, you absorb the mood and tone that sparks your imagination without, for example, an image of a screaming eagle hitting you over the head. That doesn’t mean the team at Unbound Edition Press doesn’t respect the work of book designers. “There are brilliant book covers designed by talented designers. But I don’t subscribe to the idea that the cover should illustrate the book,” Davis says. “We prefer a simple approach that conveys the book’s tonality, mood, and spirit through text and color.”

terrarium dresses by Jun Takahashi

in

These are absolutely stunning. Full series of photos at Spoon and Tamago:

After 8 minutes of ethereal and lightweight fabrics breezing through the walkway, the lights dimmed on Takahashi’s show and glowing dresses began to slowly float down the runway like deep-sea jellyfish. 

Filled with roses and butterflies, the terrarium dresses illuminated the concrete catwalk, presenting a breathtaking mix of precarious instability and chaos. Once again, Takahashi lived up to he reputation for one of the most darkly enchanting, rebellious, and often bizarre imaginations in today’s world of fashion.

The Abacusynth

in

Creator Elias Jarzombek on this amazing thing:

Abacuysnth is a synthesizer inspired by an abacus, the ancient counting tool used all around the world. Just like an abacus is used to learn the fundamentals of math, the Abacusynth can be used to explore the building blocks of audio synthesis.

It exists in two forms, one digital and one physical, that are both based on the same primary interaction: placing and manipulating shapes on rods. The visual and tactile control makes it easy and fun to create rich timbres sounds without having to fiddle with lots of knobs and sliders.

Be sure to check out the whole article via Elias’s blog. I’m entranced - and want to hear what EJK and/or Fran would do with it.