Friday Finds 9.11.09

Kathryn: It's Nice That

This week I finally had a moment to surf the Web. One of my favorite stops, It's Nice That is an extremely well edited collection of creative work from all over the world. Spend some time there. Will, Alex, and the team do a great job of promoting interesting and challenging work. And be sure to preorder your copy of their print pub's second issue. I particularly loved rediscovering onedotzero through Will's recent post. onedotzero are a group of digital artists committed to providing a home for visionary moving image experimentation, who've been at the forefront of digital media since the mid 90s. They're behind the BFI's Adventures in Motion festival this week. If you're lucky enough to be in the South Bank area of London this week, do stop in and check it out. If you're extra lucky, sit in on one of their workshops and report back to us! If, like me, you'll be stuck state-side, I highly recommend watching their trailer for the event -- exquisite eye candy -- as well as the other tasty morsels they have waiting for you over at vimeo. 

Sarah: Window Farms

No matter which way you go about it, growing your own food is the essence of DIY. But some home gardeners are particularly resourceful in building infrastructure to support and sustain them. The Window Farms project is an art installation with function, designed by Britta Riley and Rebecca Bray. The duo created suspended hydroponic "farms" in window frames (on the interior) using agricultural tricks from NASA scientists and...other people who grow things using hydroponics. Having successfully grown food in the window of the Eyebeam gallery, they have now created a How-To Manual to help aspiring window farmers string up some sustenance in their own homes. (via art:21)

Miyoko: The Living Planet City

We recently asked you, our readers and fellow design enthusiasts, to re-envision suburbs as spaces for sustainable living, so I was psyched when earlier this week I stumbled across The Living Planet City, an interactive site that re-imagines the entire city as a green ecosphere. The site, created by the World-Wide Fund for Nature (also know as the World Wildlife Fund), offers an interactive map of a Canadian city depicting how much energy is used by different sectors and building types (from ice rinks to supermarkets to hospitals to housing), ways to decrease the negative effects on the Earth, and links to real-life examples of Canadian cities taking action to reduce their energy use and waste. The friendly graphic is fun to click around and though it doesn't look like it from the outset, there's a wealth of information behind the illustrated sewage treatment plant and rec center. (via Spacing Toronto)

Ashley:Collage work of Leslie Mutchler

This week, the artwork of Leslie Mutchler caught my attention as I clicked through the blogosphere, and left me wishing I had a stack of old catalogues lying around (don’t even think about using those back issues of Dwell!). Using images cut from Pottery Barn, Crate and Barrel and West Elm, Mutchler creates images with themes such as "black storage," "red and green decorative objects," and "books stacked."

Jordan: Lisa Brawn Woodcuts

I can't stop scrolling through these awesome woodcuts by artist Lisa Brawn, and envision a wall-bound, Bob-Mick-Johnny supergroup would be pretty much the coolest thing to hang in your home. Lisa's done a series of Canadian celebs, cowboys and girls, and telephone company employees, among others, and they're all equally compelling. Love love love these. (via The Incubator)

Aaron: Mast Brothers Chocolate

Though I'm not the chocolate fiend that some other Dwellers (or even my wife) appear to be, I do like a good bit of packaging design when I come across it. Mast Brothers Chocolate out of Brooklyn have hit the nail on the head with their bars. Wrapped in what appears to be vintage wallpaper--I certainly hope that's not the case--these bars are lovely little objects regardless of the confections within. Though the reports I've seen online suggest that the contents are as toothsome as the wrapper. Further investigations to come. (via well-plaid)

Window farm image: amanda_ma Mast Brothers image: SanFranAnnie