Friday Finds 1.28.11

Alexis: Photographer of Rinko Kawauchi

Rinko Kawauchi is one of my favorite photographers.  Her images capture quiet moments of life (and death) in and around japanese culture.  There is a subtle beauty and simplicity to them that I have always loved!  Her work has been a bit hard to find in the past, but it looks like it may get easier as she is now represented by an agency here in the US.

Miyoko: All Things Paper

As it is likely painfully obvious, we at Dwell are an artsy crafty kind of bunch. One of my latest interests is in quilling, a paper art my great-grandmother excelled at and which I'm hoping to teach myself soon (or at least when snowboarding season is through). In the meantime, Ann Martin's blog All Things Paper is satisfying my interest in what can be made with thin sheets of rolled paper. Check it out for examples of her work (often custom marriage certificates but also surprising paper items such as hairpieces) and projects by the incredible Yulia Brodskaya. There's also a great video of Martin giving a brief quilling demo. Enjoy!

Aaron: The United States of Shame

I'm a total sucker for subversive maps--what better form to recast our understanding of social geography--so the United States of Shame hits me just right. A couple of these distinctions strike me as a bit odd (North Dakota has the ugliest residents?), but a few of them hit awfully close to home. Like how my green-minded home state of California leads the nation in air pollution. Ouch.

Jaime: Damn You, Auto Correct!

This is, hands-down, one of the funniest websites I've seen: a conglomeration of screen shots from iPhones with epic examples of auto-correct failures. I had to scour about ten pages in the 'best of' archives until I could find an example appropriate to post here (readers be forewarned: they are mostly rather dirty)—and my coworkers will vouch that despite my best efforts to hold it together I was laughing so hard I was practically crying. Embarrassing. Don't read in public, or anywhere you want to maintain your composure...

Brendan: Jens Risom Stop Motion Video

Our pals at Part & Parcel have a great stop motion video of them reweaving my favorite Jens Risom chair with leftover chino from the Unis Spring 2010 Collection. Check out the vid along with a lot of other great new work: sit-read.com.

Dakota: Pixel Prints

I like these 'pixel' prints made by Physical Fiction, a Saturday morning collaboration between Samuel Cox and Justin LaRosa. Each design is printed on a vandercook press using Legos!

Diana: Le Bel Eté by Vanessa Bruno

A very beautiful and fun video by French fashion designer Vanessa Bruno. The locations, soundtrack, and dancing in the film are all so wonderful. I'm not usually one to seek out performances by dancers. Maybe it's a residual effect of Black Swan?

Jordan: Saul Bass on Creativity

If it's been one of those long weeks and your brain is feeling a little bummed out and beat to hell, take a breather and watch these two videos by legendary graphic designer Saul Bass (he did so many of those brilliant film titles and posters from the 50s and 60s: The Man with the Golden Arm, Vertigo, and more...). Here, he takes us on a roundabout "series of explorations, episodes, & comments on creativity." Watch it, let your thoughts wander, and head on into the weekend with a mind less muddled.