Please note: Our format changed as of 10/18/07 – see the front page and full archives for more recent listings. Thanks.
xoz.net 11/30/03 Description:
a collection of works by marius hartmann, danish net art
Comments:
Just got done listening to a few tunes, so the volume was cranked up a bit. I start at a Flash piece called "blitzkrieg" and the woofer started blowing a breeze at me. "NO WAR thank you" delivered through incoming messages most effectively. That was Marius' side of the battle. Unfortunately, KennMunk's side wouldn't load for me. Next battle: "the meaning of life." Marius does it with Flash while KennMunk's is a Quicktime movie. Both spectacular. While Marius works towards his PhD in Copenhagen ('the visualization of dynamic information'), the site showcases his painting, drawing, photo, and movie works, along with the versus project mentioned above. Super... [SHIFT|Japan]
oh-da.com 11/26/03 Description:
Eiji Ohda's photo diary plus gallery (Flash)
Comments:
Today's pick features the work of Japanese photographer Eiji Ohda. The "Photo Diary" includes a big assortment of shots, while the "Gallery" is divided into series based on locale or theme. In both cases, content is presented in a fullscreen window (the blank button will close the window). The landscapes and people (in some cases, combined masterfully) found in the "Okinawa2000" series impressed me in a special way, as did a simple shot of sunny-side-up eggs in the diary. This is great stuff (in my opinion) and today's pick also comes with a big bonus, in the form of a very cool online photo magazine where more of Ohda's work is featured in both Issue 10 (Osaka) and Issue 12 (Tokio2). Hope you're reading today Julius, 'cause I'm sure you're gonna like this one... ;~))
Satan's Laundromat 11/24/03 Description:
a Brooklyn-based photolog with an emphasis on strange signage, urban decay, and general weirdness
Comments:
Mike actually lives above the laundromat at the odd street address that led to the site's name. Today's pick adds yet another site based in Brooklyn, this one a photoblog focused on "strange signage" and other things uniquely urban, like wall sculptures, murals, and subways. Brooklyn and the Bronx are heavily represented, but I encountered some pics from California, Indiana, and New Jersey too. I love this stuff – amazing how much art is out there on the streets... [Outwardly Normal 2]
mike shane 11/21/03 Description:
nature photography
Comments:
I go fishing everyday but sometimes come up dreadfully short. So when Anne wasn't looking, I swiped a tasty one from her fishbucket. Today's pick comes from Dutch photographer Steef Hanemaaijer a/k/a Mike Shane, who's been taking pictures for over twenty years, since he was 14-years-old, and is now a professional. The site is not at all commercial (thank you) and features extraordinary nature photography (both landscape and macro). Mike offers some good advice, not only as to technique, but also regarding creativity in general. "If you're not feeling that well or if you have the idea that your stuck in your job, your relationship or another part of your personal life, try to do something creative. Like drawing or painting or photography. Anything you wish." It works for me. Thanks Anne...
drugnation 11/20/03 Description:
interact and give the web new points of view (Flash)
Comments:
Just another additive sound loop behind building photos symmetrically blending, almost kaleidoscopic, but different. That's the first of the "drugs, done for optical reasons." It grabbed me and I needed more (and got it). Don't let the monotone main page fool you – it's not as minimal as it appears at first and it's not far to colorful visuals. "Searching for new influences" with the goal of creating artwork beyond average, today's pick is hardly "just another designstation" – a collaboration of "addicts" delivers the goods – don't miss the playroom. Time for your injection now, kiddies... ;~)) [linkdup]
Bruno Coulais 11/19/03 Description:
a site about French movie music composer Bruno Coulais (Flash)
Comments:
At first, I thought it was Bruno Coulais' own site about his work as a movie music composer. As it turns out, it appears instead to be tribute to the composer, done by French web creative and freelance art director Frank Borsato. I found the site at k10k, where just-turned-29 baldy Michael called it "an absolutely luscious French site with a superb mix of audio & motion graphics." All I can possibly add is that the photographs are spectacular and the interface, sweet...
PublicRadioFan.com 11/15/03 Description:
database of program schedule listings for hundreds of public radio stations around the world, with online audio links
Comments:
"It's the only resource of its kind on the Internet," says Kevin A. Kelly who teaches mathematics and computer science. Kevin's also the public radio enthusiast behind today's pick, which he "created as a hobby and a learning exercise." The site not only provides a comprehensive listing of public radio stations on the web worldwide (with links, of course), but also ongoing, up-to-date program schedules. Excellent choice of sorting and viewing options – clean, straightforward design with easy-to-find useful information, thank you (as in, thank you Kevin for sharing)...
mark gervais illustration 11/14/03 Description:
illustration and animation (Flash)
Comments:
When you hit the main page, you might want to pause a few seconds to allow the rotation of strange-headed characters to play. I got a kick outta the onionhead and another I'll just call drumstickman. Today's pick is a showcase of Mark Gervais' illustrations and animations. There's some impressive works including one killer Flash piece done for NASA...
Yeah, but is it art? 11/13/03 Description:
a blog of entertaining or interesting things
Comments:
The big meeting with the guy from the BBC was a bit of a letdown. No limo. No "cozy high-tech studio." No screaming girls. Just Ian and a guy with a recorder "standing in the middle of Glasgow Central Station." But you can hear his "dulcit tones" on Radio Scotland on December 5th if you're interested. Just another day in the bigtime, baby. The blog appears to be only a few months old, but I learned after writing the original review that it's been around longer and the archive links pertain only to the current version. Weird dreams, a move from the city, monkeys, and work – a humorous journal of sorts plus "splurges" of odd links. Then there's this little list of diversions, useless but fun for sure, including "Graffiti the web," "Life's Difficult Decisions," and the dreadful "Michael Jackson Challenge" game. Yeah, but is it art? Dunno, but it is terribly entertaining (in a good way)...
Japanetica35mm 11/12/03 Description:
photography of a designer in Tokyo (Flash)
Comments:
"This website is optimized for high bandwidth, resolution and fidelity." A shot of an old pitchfork in an industrial backdrop of cracked concrete; a marquee in the sky; a beautiful locked door; a dimly sunlit locker room. Amazing compositions – 35mm photography from Tokyo designer Kenjiro Nakano... [recircle.net < linkdup]
esthet 11/10/03 Description:
a Tokyo perspective on photography
Comments:
The "photography, travel, film, new media, visual culture, and fashion enthusiast" behind today's pick obviously puts in a lot of time gathering the content for her weblog. Living in Tokyo and focusing somewhat on Japan photography, she's got her eye on the world as well. Her most recent post on 10/30, done as she was preparing for a ten-day trip to the US, highlights 6 major exhibitions taking place in November. The archives for October are rich in "photography discoveries" and one could spend hours just exploring the great sites on the sidebar. The site's about a year old, an "evolving work in progress." The promise that the author "will eventually begin posting photos regularly" is certainly something to look forward to. An extraordinary photography-related resource, thank you...
2 Walls Webzine 11/7/03 Description:
commentary for the socially misguided
Comments:
"Our staff writers, unsupervised and unmedicated, are free to express their inner demons, in any form they deem necessary, without the restrictive editorial boundaries of an advertisement-laced forum." There's an enormous collection of music reviews, thanks to a certain hostile takeover where even the Foosball table got axed. Other sections include "politically incoherent," "socially inept," and "anti-pop culture." 13 writers, each doing their thing for the socially misguided, "guarantee you won't be bored." I wasn't...
bwoup.com 11/4/03 Description:
the art of Morgan aka. "Splif" Thomas
Comments:
Splif's "very own homepage and portfolio" has an odd name. The word for "the language of the clouds" is also the name of the red airship that greets you on the splash and main pages. Not surprising that the navigation rests on the belly of Splif's big orange balloon. The "artwork" section includes the "junkyard" of sketches and fast drawings, "inkings," both rough and monocromatic, and colorful hand-drawn illustrations – dozens of each. There's 7 other sub-sections/pages including 3D work and cool doodles. If you're a designer or graphic artist, you'll probably enjoy the "themas" section. The nav-balloon leads to other stuff too. Impressive site design and works... (renders best in IE) [finelayout.com < Newstoday®]
Gathering the Jewels 11/01/03 Description:
the website for Welsh cultural history
Comments:
It's "a unique coming together of libraries, museums and archives from all over Wales" and houses thousands of "images of Welsh life through the ages." Launched just over a year ago, today's pick is part of a digitisation project meant for people to "learn from and enjoy" while preserving the jewels of Wales' cultural history for future generations. Nicely organized and comprehensive in scope... [newthings]