FIX IT!

Over a month later, millions of gallons of oil are still gushing into The Gulf of Mexico. There is a distinct possibility that this will be the single worst human-evoked disaster in our history on this planet. One can only hope that this is not a sign of things to come.

Those pesky NYC artists are making us think again. This sculptural expression created by Jeremy Dean very literally juxtaposes the old and the new. In the spirit of eco-statements, I would have preferred that a totalled Hummer went into the project rather than a perfectly functional (albeit gas guzzling) automobile. Waste not, want not applies to artists too.

Check out the show in NY: JEREMY DEAN : FUTURAMA @ Pulse New York

This is a great combination of information and graphics.

The Story of Bottled Water, released on March 22, 2010 (World Water Day) employs the Story of Stuff style to tell the story of manufactured demand—how you get Americans to buy more than half a billion bottles of water every week when it already flows from the tap. Over five minutes, the film explores the bottled water industrys attacks on tap water and its use of seductive, environmental-themed advertising to cover up the mountains of plastic waste it produces. The film concludes with a call to take back the tap, not only by making a personal commitment to avoid bottled water, but by supporting investments in clean, available tap water for all.

Learn more at: http://storyofbottledwater.org

"Stress Relief" - ink on paper

Inspiration is a fickle thing. Sometimes you search for it, but can’t find it. Sometimes it finds you, when you’re not even looking. For the first time in a long time, things have slowed down enough for me to let inspiration tap me on the shoulder and say hello. I’m looking forward to seeing how this affects my professional work.

With the looming housing crisis in Haiti, the SEED project provides a feasable solution to quickly provide shelter to those in need. The project , called SEED, was conceived last year by Clemson University Architecture as a solution for the aftermath hurricanes in less fortunate countries. The project is referred to as follows on Clemson’s SEED site:

Utilizing an existing surplus of shipping containers and working with industry partners including Container -it, Intermodal Steel Building Units Association, Sargent Metals, and Tri-County Technical, Clemson University designers from the Department of Architecture and the Department of Landscape Architecture are researching and developing an affordable housing solution for the Caribbean Region.  Caribbean nations inherently import more goods than they export generating a steady surplus of shipping containers.  Shipping containers are designed to carry massive amounts of cargo and withstand extreme weather conditions making them a logical housing component.  Completely constructed of steel and reinforced with eight corner post moment connections and corrugated steel walls a 40? shipping container can carry 67,200 pounds and resist overturn when exposed to winds up to 140 mph.  Without modification a 40? shipping container has 304 square feet of floor space and eliminates problems associated with insects, fire, and hurricanes.  With modification a 40? shipping container can be a safe, comfortable, and environmentally friendly home for numerous local inhabitants who would otherwise have less.

- http://www.cusa-dds.net/seed/

Visit the official SEED site for additional information and more video >

NuFormer Digital Media has created some  very cool 3D video mapping projections. The projections are custom-made to fit any building and are created by a “battery of powerful projectors”. With this technology at hand advertisers will be frothing to convert cities, towns and even villages to something reminiscent of Times Square .

Check out more work from NuFormer on Vimeo

It’s been a while since this new form of street art by Joshua Allen Harris made it’s debut on the streets of New York City. But the allure hasn’t faded. Harris continues to produce extremely interesting work that shows up serendipitously around the city that never sleeps. I am still hoping for a King Kong tribute that harnesses one of the massive AC/Ventilation units atop so many of New Yorks skyscrapers.

The Solar Decathalon 2009 is wrapping up tomorrow. This is a pretty cool event that pushes the boundaries of household energy use and perception of homes in general.

The Solar Decathalon 2009 Official Site

Volkswagen’s new campaign “The Fun Theory” is out to show that a little fun can change behavior for the better. According to Volkswagen’s before and afer audit 66% more people used the stairs after they received their piano makeover. The best part, fun was had by all. Tom would be proud.