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prior listings

 

• ovo3 1/31/02 
  Description: visions of my mind – my personal vision of web art – my dreams, my work, my love, my anger, all find outlet in ovo3 (fullscreen Flash)
  Comments: Like the pick of one week ago today, today's pick will automatically spawn a fullscreen chromeless window (or large popup in NS), but there is a "close" link to conveniently close the window.  Italian designer Andrea Modenese has visions of web art to share that are unique and in the case of the piece called "war", downright intense.  The navigation is cool, too – head shots changing with each selection the user makes on the sliding control.  There's three other Flash experiments on display besides the piece I mentioned – more artistic head shots and creative thoughts like "I am, the sea in a tempest. the deepest abyss."  Great soundtracks, too...
   
• the Digital Outskirts 1/28/02 
  Description: ...we have come for your art
  Comments: "on January 31, 2001 a breed of intergalactic alien androids landed their mothership somewhere in the middle of the Western Deserts.  This new artifical intelligence has been studying our species for quite some time and have come to the conclusion that we humans are good for only one thing – OUR ARTISTIC abilities."  So it says on the cool splash page that introduces you to the site.  "All artists should report immediately... to upload their art to share with these hungry aliens and the rest of the art world!"  This cool community site already has 56 members who have submitted art – pencil/charcoal, photography, painting, mixed media, typography, and sculpture are some of the categories – I found plenty of enjoyable content.  There's also a featured sites archive plus a featured artist bio.  The site's design is excellent.  I love sites like this one – kudos to Joey (who claims to be a space alien) for putting it all together...
   
• clear confusion 1/27/02 
  Description: digital journal with entries going back to 1994, each accompanied by a graphic design piece
  Comments: "Time, love, desire, knowledge, peace" – that's what one's dreams are made of – how about yours?  It's easy to lose track of time – what was 6 years last time you counted is now well over 7 years.  Love, or lack of loneliness, can get you through almost anything – without it, it's easy to get lost.  It's today's pick that left me thinking this way, its power realized in a moment of clarity.  Thinking that what seems vaque and scattered to one can be clear as a bell to another.  Personal expression, honesty unveiled with more than words, imagery tugging at one's memory – purely personal sites like this one are getting harder and harder to find.  Today's pick is a nice design that's not about design with works going back to September, 1994, apparently posted for nothing more than the release that expressing oneself provides – a journal of sorts that will only seem real to some.  Confused?  Perhaps...
   
• totallytom 1/25/02 
  Description: the all Tom, all the time Tom site that promises the whole Tom and nothing but the Tom, so help me, Tom -- so if you've got the time, I've got the Tom (Flash)
  Comments: Critics of coolstop will be lining up shortly to take their best shots at me 'cause today's pick appears to be a commercially motivated site – "damn hypocrite" they'll shout as they start feeling that big ol' knot in their stomach, "he's at it again."  So it goes.  Bear in mind that Tom didn't come 'round looking for something (I doubt he's ever even heard of coolstop) – I went looking for cool, creative diversions and found his site.  Show me another site that includes a "shut up" button to use when it gets a little too deep for you – nice touch, Tom!  Oh, yeah – today's pick is also a resume/portfolio kinda thing – I don't normally pick sites like that either, 'cause this is coolstop, not hotjobs.com, but being the intentionally-not-always-perfectly-consistent-but-tough-bananas kinda guy I am, I went ahead and decided to go with this pick anyway.  Why?  When you check out Tom's "soapbox" and "the pitch" and some of his great illustrations and digital art, you'll find his being "open for business" is really aimed at moguls like Steven Spielberg and George Lucas (good luck with that, Tom), not us little people (hehe) – a great sense of humor is at work here and Tom's tongue is resting firmly in his cheek.  I think his site is quite entertaining and if it is commercial, it's done in a low-key way that's hype-free and light-hearted.  Don't agree?  Sue me, lighten up, whine about me – whatever floats your boat – but do have a great weekend, anyway :)
   
• alpha channel lost frame surfers 1/24/02 
  Description: newmedia, organic flash, visual poetry, atmospherics & visuals (Flash/Quicktime)
  Comments: I'll warn you that today's pick will spawn a large chromeless window in IE upon entering (or large popup in NS) – didn't want you to be surprised or think that yet another desperate advertiser was attacking your desktop (again).  It seems the name of the site is derived from the five words that each define a section, or should I say, path you can follow.  It's all visual with dreamy musical backgrounds – art meeting new media.  "Alpha" leads to a large assortment of static visuals, divided into 6 different themes – for me, it's the heart of the site.  "Channel" will open your eyes up to several of the very best external destinations one could ever ask for – two which I'm real familiar with, plus two more on my list to explore and discover – "we not only create. we also consume."  "Lost" is a dictionary of sorts, shedding new light on old terms – quite profound.  "Frame" is made up of three different Quicktime pieces, though I was only able to get one of them to load, but maybe my impatience was the culprit.  The long list of credits in the "surfer" section (people who were helpful "without their knowledge") tells me that a big supply of inspiration is what makes things like this possible...
   
• misprinted type 1/23/02 
  Description: experimental type site including free fonts and brushes plus a showcase of designs and illustrations
  Comments: "If the page doesnt look ok at your computer dont worry its my fault, I really suck at html."  21-year-old Brazilian graphic designer Recife has been making fonts and producing tasty graphics for 3 to 4 years now – what he may lack in web design skills (like HTML) is certainly offset by his extraordinary skills as as a graphic artist and illustrator.  His "dirty" graphic style is unique and he was doing it before it became trendy.  I've been aware of his site for several years now and have some of his cool fonts in my own collection.  His "design" section has plenty of inpiring designs, drawings and illustrations, but you'll need to use your [back] button to get around – sometimes easy navigability isn't the most important factor. especially when it's real art you're after.  Besides his well-known free fonts, Recife also has other "goodies" for you, like Photoshop® brushes and soon-to-come screensavers.  Version 2.0 is under construction right now, but 1.0 in available in its entirety.  I have great respect for this young designer who freely shares his fine "products" with all of us...
   
• Sidetrack 1/22/02 
  Description: ...and I do digress
  Comments: In the "addendum" to her journal ("closure"), Pei describes herself as "oddly passionate about poetry and words."  "Tear me a page out of my mind" seems an appropriate footnote to the journal's title – really enjoyed reading a number of the entries.  Pei's from Singapore, studying psychology in England, and the journal's actually a separate site from today's pick.  Another side site called "altered" appears to have been closed down, with only one poem on the page, "final destination."  Perhaps it is just a pause... not sure.  Today's pick seems a springboard to Pei's various interests and web projects, a weblog/journal sort of thing that's also written very well.  It's all very personal and full of interesting observations from someone who would probably die without her orange juice.  "Life has been simple" and her ability to share it all through personal expression seems magical...
   
• FlowGaleria 1/21/02 
  Description: this galeria is a new exhibition space for artists and designers from all disciplines (Flash)
  Comments: Today's pick has elegant style and uses Flash without pretense to deliver the content – great look and feel.  "Each exhibit has a specific topic that is selected by the galeria" explained Rita in her note to me.  The site is "a forum for artists and designers from multidisciplinary areas to exhibit their works online."  So – I discovered something called "the spirit of flow" when I visited – it has to do with concentration, rhythm, and emotional involvement.  The "About" section went on to explain that preselection of a concept for each exhibit provides challenge – "one of the key elements that is necessary to experience the state of flow while creating."  The first exhibit ("Homo Ludens") contains pieces from a total of 9 artists and designers – it's rich in great visual content and includes information about the contributors along with brief statements about their works.  If the word "Diabolic" does something to spark your creative juices, you may want to consider submitting something for the second exhibit.  Be sure to read the submission guidelines – regisitration for the second exhibit must be submitted by 2/2/02.  It's a quarterly thing and the next exhibit is scheduled to go live on 3/2/02.  I really appreciate that Rita touched base with me 'cause I think today's pick is a wonderful site... or is that "sight?"
   
• floorpie.net 1/19/02 
  Description: a boy and his stuff
  Comments: I saw the picture of David's "inflated zeppelin" foot – ouch! – hoping it heals quickly.  His "Modrian wanna be" is certainly less painful to look at, and it would be cool if "Kneel" eventually showed up as a sculpture on a city street somewhere.  "The Coliseum" is one of the neatest black and white photos I've seen and the "Junkyard Jive" series is fun to browse.  So – He calls the site "Baby and a Shotgun" and the "teetotaler" expecting his "tan chinos to be arriving any day now" seems a clear picture of a down-to-earth Silicon Valley character who's "enjoying the possibility" of succeeding as an artist.  The blog is really the main content of David's site – it just celebrated its "one-year blogiversary" and the post about that from the "god of sorts of this little land" brought an interesting response from a reader – "You know you're the whole reason I started blogging in the first place!"  There's some interesting stuff (and stuff) in the blog – I found the post about driving (1.13.2002) to be insightful – how true!  Check out the "Plates" project, too – vanity plates are a little like domain names, dontcha think?
   
• urban delicious 1/18/02 
  Description: special people are in love with you
  Comments: "It's a rock-n-roll party that doesn't stop" says a guy named Alex with a pleasant last name (really!) as you enter... "be special to yourself."  It's 7:10am here in Michigan and I'm dyin' for a corndog with mustard.  After all, the corndog is part of the "specialness" for all "the luscious people that are enjoying this glorious amazing new year. 2002."  A positive vibe hits you immediately and if you go for the piece called "robot love" first, you won't be disappointed.  Expect to bump into a corndog or two in your travels.  The guy with an "inner being" named Sherman is at the helm and you're invited to share in his "spiritual awakening."  Great stuff!  I'm hungry...   [linkdup unfiltered]
   
• gloriousday 1/17/02 
  Description: a chronicle of some glorious days done in Quicktime and Flash
  Comments: Just saying "it's going to be a gloriousday" is probably half the battle.  A duo who call themselves "J" and "T" share a "happy" email address and use the site to share some days in their lives through images, motion and sound.  Like that Monday when the "painful alarm" forces one out of bed onto the "cold floor" – the Quicktime movie ("sleep") is outstanding, though I have to wonder if thanking Radiohead for the musical background is enough – does it mean they had permission to use it?  For all I know, they may have permission or Radiohead might not even care if people use their music this way.  I only ask the question because picking this site will bring several emails from coolstop regulars who rightfully have concerns about copyright issues and the intellectual property rights of artists that I'm also sensitive to – but since I'm not the copyright police and they're not using the work commercially, I'll just leave it there.  "Sleep" is a wonderfully creative work and is just one example of the glorious diversions you'll find at today's pick...
   
• shodown.net 1/15/02 
  Description: imagery of Michael Tussey (mature content)
  Comments: You'll wanna set your highest resolution to view today's pick – some of the big visuals are amazing.  Michael was only 17-years-old when he launched the site 2 years ago.  The site is rich in visual content – the "imagery" and "almost daily" sections are full of Micahel's artsy stuff and there's also a "comic" section that's different than the typical.  There's something going on in the "forum" section that I haven't seen anywhere else – visual collaborations (plus sound) around themed threads – montage heaven!  Spend some time at today's pick – you'll like it...
   
• drifter tv 1/14/02 
  Description: animated features (Flash)
  Comments: The "drifters" are "scout-like figures" that appear in many of "movies."  There's a new featured animation every week and Nils says "With these movies I'm trying to enjoy and to surprise myself......and hopefully, learn something about being human."  The site, its movies, and the attitude remind me a little of Modern Living (see the review).  There's already 27 pieces and after looking at (and playing with) 6 or 7 of them, I found this cartoon-like stuff to be thought-provoking and engaging.  I'm thinking today's pick could be a useless waste of time for the brain-dead, though if they're lucky, it might wake 'em up a little.  The most recent movie, "it's mine", shows two drifters fighting over one hat as the real world flashes by in the background – I get a definite meaning in my mind from it but I'm keeping it to myself.  Check it out and see what you think...
   
• 404lounge.net 1/13/02 
  Description: the anteroom of the most beautiful 404 sites of the internet
  Comments: "I noticed that it would be very unfortunate if one would ignore these many creative and wonderful 404 sites" says Desiree – "That's the purpose, nothing more."  Today's pick is a gallery of over 500 custom Error 404 pages – an "art form" unique to the web.  Desiree categorizes each listing, warning that it's "absolutely subjective" – "funky", "freaky", "funny", and "misc" are the categories and I really like the square screenshots she does.  In fact, I think the site design is very tasty, using a color scheme you don't see a lot of and a "dirty" style that's quite artistic.  It's an interesting way to surf, starting at a site's 404 page instead of the home page, especially because most of the listed 404s are really creative.  If you don't know how to customize your 404 page, that's explained here, too.  Cool concept – nice site...
   
• Photographie 1/9/02 
  Description: digital and analog works of photograher Stephan Kirchhoff
  Comments: First things first.  Before you go further, check out this cool image that Stephan Kirchhoff submitted to the Visitors' Gallery.  Besides the beauty of the image itself, I really appreciate that someone I've never heard of took the time to participate in coolstop by sharing their art here.  The other beautiful thing is that Stephan has a website I've never heard of and I loved it immediately – it's today's pick.  So, one thing leads to another and ends up reminding me how much I love what I do.  Discovery.  That's what it's all about.  And did I ever tell you how much I like photography?  Today's pick not only features a cool and clean design, but the photos are great – both digital and analog, some black and white, some color, all good!  I also liked the "reverse" option I found with one of the photos.  Thanks for the image, Stephan, and even more for sharing your site...
   
• synster.com 1/8/02 
  Description: glorified dynamic content. the way it should be.
  Comments: "i update quite frequently and mess with the layout and certain backend characteristics way too much for my own good."  Andrew's site is about 10 days old and is really impressive considering he's an 18-year-old who "started to indulge [himself] in website creation and design about seven months ago."  I like the tight design and I have to admit I just love how using different shades of gray can work when done just right.  Clean and simple designs like this one are always refreshing.  Andrew's a computer science major and I've got a feeling that the backend of things is what really turns him on.  "and no, not that end" he says in parenthesis – nice use of PHP and MySQL, which he also learned recently.  I guess you would call the site a personal journal – he's interested in sports (will definitely take your one-on-one challenge), loves the snow, and is waiting to see before going for the new iMac – nice writing style and pretty upbeat stuff.  I enjoyed Andrew's photos and can just imagine how he'll be tweaking the backend to present them differently – I just love brand new personal sites like today's pick – this one's good from the word go...
   
• MOLUV 1/7/02 
  Description: created as a tool for me to use to access my favorites, and as a way to point my friends to some cool-looking sites
  Comments: It's about Maurice's "love and appreciation for the work created by [his] peers" and it was originally created as a convenience.  Mo works on a number of different computers at different locations and creating this directory of his "favorites" allowed him to access the sites he likes from anywhere.  It was also a convenient way for him to tell his friends where to look for his faves.  The bigger picture is that Mo wants to aspire to being "able to produce work at the same level as those web pages" featured at his site.  It's obviously about inspiration.  I learned more about this "web watcher with a mechanical engineering background" from an essay he wrote for IDo – he seems like a really nice guy who loves the web and likes to recognize good work and inspire others.  "So keep up the good work kids, and keep showing off those skills, before I have to get biblical on your asses."  What a great attitude!  "Nice Web Sites...Ooooh!" is the site's slogan and it definitely delivers in the form of a nicely categorized collection that's frequently updated.  Excellent layout and functionality and the number of listed sites is approaching 2,000 – thanks for watching the web for us, Maurice, and welcome back – hope you had a great vacation...
   
• Spitting Llamas 1/5/02 
  Description: Current events sarcasm and satire. Also combing the web for the ridiculous and esoteric.
  Comments: "If you don't like other viewpoints, don't understand satire, or don't like intelligent debate, then get back under your rock and continue sucking the teat of stupidity."  Alright, guys (which includes the "sexy biotch") – I can swear that's not a llama up there next to your site's name – and am I mistaken, or is that critter wearing a friggin' robe?  "Were they raised by wolves? Did they grow up near powerlines? Unfortunately, they have no valid excuses..."  Taranis found some "effective online hypnosis" and I'm wondering if it's been effective for him... did it make him dizzy?  And I got a kick out the fact that Jetteva asks "Why does it seem like the dumbest [s**t] happens in Florida?" in late October and then goes there for his holiday "R&R" – but he's no dummy – "some Americans are happy when something terrible happens to them because they know they can sue themselves into early retirement."  Ain't it the truth!  Cosbysweater, who claims to be "50% cotton, 50% love machine," wonders about a few things in "Questions."  The team seems to have a sense of humor and a collective eye for the strange – and it all comes out in the form of intelligent log entries and columns from all three.  Amusing links in the log and "Llama Tails" is a gas!  Today's pick has been around a little less than a year and I hope they can keep it up (have fun with that one, guys!) – a fun site that's intelligent, too...
   
• nervousroom 1/3/02 
  Description: fresh! design magazine
  Comments: Brand new year – brand new design magazine.  Okay – so, there's tons of so-called design mags out there, but few stand out.  I've got a feeling that today's pick, launched on New Years day. will stand out pretty quickly – current interviews include Erik Natzke (daily pick on 2/3/01) and the first cover design competition has brought in works from a number of great designers – I love the randomized splash!  The site design is "fresh!" too, though you do need to be set at 1024 res. to view it all (no scrollbars) – but, hey! – it is 2002, after all.  There's cool photos in the "laboratory" which come from the guys behind the site plus a large "sorted link gallery" which welcomes submissions.  Tip of the hat and best wishes to Daniel, Pascal, and Matthias – nice work, guys!
   
• seventy9 1/2/02 
  Description: personal portfolio by anna plus goodies
  Comments: Today's pick is the "personal portfolio thing" of Anna, who was definitely not born in the eighties, as the site's name makes perfectly clear.  What we have here is actually 5 distinct non-commercial projects, each very cool by itself and all very neatly interconnected.  Three of the projects were launched prior to today's pick, which was created at the same time as the other remaining site.  Her first site, a weblog, was launched back in December, 2000, and though it's in German only (unlike the other four which are in English), the design is really nice – Anna loves design links and the log provides plenty of them.  Her second project, launched in March, 2001, invites you to "take a look at the coolest design links on earth."  This is the site that was going to be today's pick, that is until I discovered the portfolio – sweet design and the links live up to Anna's description!  In September, 2001, Anna launched her icon site – it's gotta be the cutest and tiniest site on the planet – I love it, especially the little icon sets.  In October, when Anna launched today's pick, she also created a photography project with photos from a trip to Ibiza – great photos and a knockout presentation.  1979 was a great year, especially for giving us this genuine, creative spirit...
   
• blindlane 1/1/02 
  Description: a narrative-interactive way (Flash)
  Comments: Issue 1 is "the Tolds: recitation about a weird dream through interactive paintings" – it's the product of three Korean designers/artists.  With a little help from friends, it's available in both English and Korean.  The accompanying texts that are quite engaging by themselves, but the colorful, interactive Flash art with its dreamy music enhances the power of the words tenfold.  The experience is entertaining and thought-provoking – very moody.  There's another cool piece called "a void avoid" in this issue – "strange linkages that has been bred in a calm rest."  This is all impressive stuff on an artistic level, as well as in terms of savvy scripting and great design.  Let's hope more issues come in the future 'cause if they're just half as good as Issue 1, we're in for goodies...