aestheticism

Powers of Ten

"As a single proton fills our screen, we reach the edge of present understanding..." Written and directed by the dynamic duo, Ray Eames and her husband, Charles, for IBM in 1968. Not altogether unlike Hubble 3D, which I saw at IMAX recently. A humbling reminder that my theological grid is perhaps too small. http://www.powersof10.com/

MoMA in Minutes

"You bring light in..."

Classic Underworld and this morning's hymn.

Master @ Work

First Spring

Prada enlisted Yang Fudong to direct a short film for the Spring/Summer 2010 Campaign.  I think the result is stunning.

Hoping Against Hope

 

I haven't seen this film since it screened at the now defunct ResFest some years ago.  It's as meaningful for me as ever, albeit in a different way.  Directed by Michael Dudok de Wit.  Info can be found here. 

Tutorial to the Tenth Dimension

A quick tutorial to understanding ten dimensions produced in conjunction with Rob Bryanton's new book, Imagining the Tenth Dimension.  For a visual learner such as myself, illustrations like this often help me conceptualize ideas in a way that simply reading about them do not.  Anyway, additional videos and info can be found here.

Of Heaven and Hell...

Civilization by Marco Brambilla from CRUSH on Vimeo.

"Civilization depicts a journey from hell to heaven interpreted through modern film language using computer-enhanced found footage. This epic video mural contains over 300 individual channels of looped video blended into a multi-layered seamless tableau of interconnecting images that illustrate a contemporary, satirical take on the concepts of Heaven and Hell."

I think this piece speaks for itself so I haven't anything to add beyond sharing it.  Obviously, I think it's amazing.  It was commissioned for permanent exhibition in the elevators of The Standard Hotel, New York.  View it fullscreen or find a higher res version on the artist's website...  

http://marcobrambilla.com/civilization.html

Fun with Scopitone!

"Scopitone films are 1960s music shorts, which were distributed on color 16mm film with a magnetic soundtrack. An extinct technology, the Scopitone film jukebox, was the medium for public presentation. The first Scopitones were produced in France in 1960, triggering a Scopitone craze throughout Europe - particularly in West Germany and England - before crossing the Atlantic to the United States in mid-1964. By the end of the 1960s, they were gone." - www.scopitones.com

"Web of Love" is a classic but, creatively, I really think the director could have gone more literal.

Casual observers would be remiss in dismissing Scopitones as having simply been showcases for gratuitous T&A.  To do so is to deprive oneself of the richness of experience and complexity of the form.  Scopitones also explored deeper themes, such as the human condition, existential crisis, mortality and ethics.  Occasionally, in the same song...  

And at its very, very best, a Scopitone could embody high art...

Life Inc.

Not unrelated to the Adbusters Hipster post, I'm looking forward to Douglas Rushkoff's latest offering.  I've been pondering for sometime now how capitalism has affected our understanding of what it means to be human.  I anticipate Life Inc. may provide additional pieces to the puzzle.  How am I, as a spiritual being, to navigate the contours of our present day corporatocracy, wherein the primary measure of my value is my FICO score and my ability to spend?  Is it just me, or does anyone else feel like consumerism is undermining our humanity and our ability to be humane?