Hasta La Ideas The Adventures of Star Wars Figurines in Nature Archives

Nov 17

Jewelry by Eric Saeter

Handcrafted rings inspired by surreal structures and existential themes

Influenced by existential Nouvelle Vague films and the dark Northwest wilderness, Eric Saeter‘s eponymous jewelry line is marked by rich detail and surreal structures. The Seattle native was initially driven to the trade in 2008 by what he felt was a lack of inspiring jewelry on the market. Since then his work has continued to grow in its level of craftsmanship and unique, unisex style.

Saeter uses only solid sterling silver, 22k and 24k gold vermeil—rather than finger-staining bronze, nickel or pewter—throughout the collection for a weighty effect, casting each piece in a series of molds and finishing it by hand. The holistic, hand-crafted approach ensures no two rings are alike, each earning its own naturalistic character in singular imperfections and blemishes. The Earthworm ring pays proper homage to the mother of mulch with deep ridges on a substantial band, showcasing the designer’s knack for detail and texture.

The geometric Salt riffs on the jagged natural crystal of the ocean in gold vermeil with smooth surfaces and softer edges. My personal favorite, this statement piece bears tiny witness marks that help create an organic aesthetic reminiscent of something one might find deep in the mountains of Mordor.

Playing on themes of mortality, Snakes is a “textural serpent” devouring itself in a coil of intricately detailed scaled bands. The Oyster hides two small pearls deep inside the ring’s structure, kept safely close to the hand and away from the prying eye.

Jewelry by Eric Saeter is available in select boutiques and directly through his online shop where rings range between $355 and $515.

Oct 21

One Pig

Posted in: musicians

Matthew Herbert’s latest creation tracks the sonic life of a pig from birth to butcher

You can always count on Matthew Herbert. The counter-cultural electronic music icon has done a lot with his talent, uncompromising ear, and dedication to using found sounds in his music. Composed entirely of sounds sourced from the life and death of a British pig, One Pig is the artist’s most recent (and most controversial) album. Most of the buzz surrounding the release came from outraged animal rights activists who saw the album as an affront to their cause, but considering Herbert’s no-nonsense approach to social responsibility the criticism may be unwarranted. Rather than exploiting the gruesome process with the album Herbert’s music gives voice to something we don’t hear enough from: Our food.

The album starts in August 2009 with the birth of the pig and follows its life until slaughter 24 weeks later. One Pig doesn’t feature sounds from the slaughter—a stipulation in the country’s food laws prevented Herbert from recording the event—but it does include noises from the butchering and the subsequent meal. Unique to the album is a host of instruments made from pig parts, including a drum made of the flesh, bones used as percussion instruments, and a one-of-a-kind creation that makes notes by forcing pig’s blood through tuned reeds.

Concept art like One Pig is often misguided, sacrificing art for shock and intrigue. One Pig doesn’t. It’s a great album, and Herbert’s vision is able to morph isolated grunts into blissful swine song. It may not be fit for the club scene—particularly August 2010—a track that includes digestive sounds of the final feast, but it’s true art and the kind you should sit down to listen to. To learn more about the artist’s uncompromising approach, check out his manifesto and listen to the album at the Guardian. The above video shows Herbert talking about the project, with footage from the recording, and in case you missed it, here is our video of Herbert from 2007.

Oct 19

Backpack-O-Pet

Posted in: publictransit

The first bag specifically designed for porting your big dog on the subway and beyond

Celltei addresses the problem of riding public transportation with a large dog with its subway pet carrier, the Backpack-o-Pet. Reportedly the first such accessory for bigger K9s, this bag fits dogs up to 50 pounds—twice that of a typical pet carrier. The difference lies in the sturdier level of support from the bag’s durable nylon body.

The recently-released carrier can be wheeled, carried or worn like a backpack, and its Manhattan-based designer makes sure to point out that it meets all MTA regulations and restrictions for traveling with animals. Order a Backpack-o-Pet from Celltei online for $595.

Aug 22

Animal Series

Posted in: elephant, lion, Morten Koldby, tiger

Découverte de cet artiste danois Morten Koldby qui arrive à capter le regard intense d’animaux. Une série de photographies immortalisant toute une galerie de la faune avec des clichés de grande qualité. Plus d’images sur son portfolio et dans la suite de l’article.

Previously on Fubiz

Aug 18

Air Heads by Héctor Serrano

Posted in: Uncategorized

Air Heads by Héctor Serrano

London designer Héctor Serrano presents a series of paper accessories for turning balloons into animal heads at the New York Gift Fair this week.

Air Heads by Héctor Serrano

Called Air Heads, the set includes stick-on paper features for a rhinoceros, koala, chicken, pig, bear and tiger.

Air Heads by Héctor Serrano

Serrano previously designed a set of temporary tattoos that turn children’s hands into monsters and robot building blocks. See all our stories about Héctor Serrano here and all our stories about toys here.

Air Heads by Héctor Serrano

New York Gift Fair takes place 13-18 August.

Critteroos: Mix. Match. Print.

Posted in: iphoneapps

Animals roar to life in an educational app designed for kids

A new app for iPads or iPhones, Critteroos brings stock images of animals to life in an interactive game for kids (aged three-eight). The brainchild of renowned designer Clement Mok, Critteroos is the first in an imaginative series of iPad education software for children that draws on the CMCD Visual Symbols library.

Backed by a consistent beat of insect hums, the app erupts in an attention-grabbing cacophony of real animal sounds, including the occasional whinny of a horse, snort of a pig and bird’s chirp. While the sounds entertain, children delight over the app’s vibrant animal imagery. In “Flashcard” mode, each image is paired with the animal’s name, which is recited aloud for vocabulary building.

As memory develops, users can switch from the primarily educational “Flashcard” mode to test their skills in “Mix and Match.” Flipping through animals’ top and bottom halves, kids can rack up points by finding the corresponding half, tapping twice on the screen to confirm a match. An encouraging ding sound accompanies each correct pair.

For pure fun, kids can let their imaginations run free by creating their own “Critteroos” (mismatched animals). These humorous and dazzling animals can be given fun names (like the Rooztera) and saved to the iPhoto library for printing.

Critteroos sells for $2 on iTunes, as well as other related education applications and add-ons (like Critteroos II for additional animal sets) by CMCD.

Aug 04

Bora Bora Ocean Activities

Posted in: adventure, sharks, vacation

The ultimate to-do list when visiting a tropical heaven on earth

While Bora Bora might be the obvious choice for honeymooners seeking a romantic getaway, adventure-seekers the world over flock to the island for year-round activities. Beyond offering a wealth of deepwater sight-seeing for any seasoned scuba diver and an ocean pass that offers daredevil surfers the waves of their life, Bora Bora has a range of activities to please any skill level.

The plane ride from Tahiti to Bora Bora is a quick 40 minute trip. Le Méredien Bora Bora, which hosted my stay, is centrally located on the island and took care of organizing every last detail of my venture-filled stay. I woke up every morning and dove off the deck of my over-water bungalow, the only way I would recommend staying in Bora Bora, straight into the ocean for a morning of snorkeling. Beyond the enjoyment right outside my door, here are the activities I explored while on the island.

Bora Bora Aquabiking

Imagine driving around on a cross between a Vespa and a submarine, and you’ll have an idea of the aquabike experience. To get to the right spot, you need to take a boat to another part of the island where you get on a van, drive around the island, and then get on another boat and ride out to the middle of the ocean. Next, you sit down on the electric-powered bike with a friend in tow. A bowl filled with oxygen covers your head allowing you to breathe normally when fully submerged. Here’s where all the effort becomes worth it as an expert diver leads you along the ocean floor to navigate around schools of fish, coral reefs and a few hidden surprises along the way. It’s an entirely surreal experience, and a great way to sea the ocean floor if you’re a deepsea novice. Other than one place in Mauritius, there’s no where else in the world that offers the aquabike experience.

The Marine Turtle’s Protection Center

Of the many treasures in French Polynesia, few mean more to local culture than the turtle. At Le Méredien, The Marine Turtle’s Protection Center has partnered with the Ministry of the Environment to serve as a rehabilitation center for injured green turtles and imbricated turtles. The expansive visiting center in the resort’s private lagoon allow guests to view turtle feedings, learn about their environment and swim and snorkel among the over 100 turtles in resort waters and local channel. The opportunity to swim among these endangered species at Le Méredien is unique to French Polynesia.

Kainalu XT Paddle Boarding

To up your island workout, schedule an afternoon of paddle boarding. Led by fitness experts Kainalu XT, who come out to your hotel with full equipment in hand, they’ll guide you through a workout that focuses on deep core strengthening as well as overall conditioning. Skipping the general challenge of surfing by learning to get up on a board, paddle boarding is an entertaining exercise for anyone with even a smidgen of balance. It’s a rhythmic yet challenging workout, paddling in and around the bay and through bungalow bridges. The workout ends with a sunset cruise around the island, powered by your ever-energetic Kainalu XT instructors.

Shark and Stingray Feeding

Another must-do afternoon of ocean sight-seeing: feeding a large mix of sharks and man rays in shallow ocean water. First, choose a great tour guide. We were led out to sea by Cilly (aka the Tahitian Keith Richards), who was armed with a ukulele and a do-anything attitude. Cilly is part of Tahiti tourism favorite Fanfan Excursions. After a round of snorkeling looking for the elusive Manta Rays, we threw anchor in another well-trafficked ocean spot.

Throw some fresh French bread into the ocean and watch as you’re instantly surrounded by scores of attractive fish. Then upgrade your bait to a bucket of scrum and witness a herd of black fin sharks and friendly stingrays circling in on you. Stingrays here are used to human visits and not shy to get close. You’ll soon discover that one of the softest textures in all of Polynesia is the padding on a stingray’s nose. A daring visitor can even ride one like a jetski. After the feeding, Cilly will sail you an islet for a traditional motu picnic of fried bread and raw fish tossed with coconut milk.

Email fanfantaxiboat [at] mail [dot] pf for more information.

Aug 02

Carli Davidson Photography

Posted in: Uncategorized

Artful portraits capturing the personality of man’s best friend and other animals

National Geographic-style exotic animals poised in their natural habitat these are not. Carli Davidson aims her lens at domesticated pets and zoo animals, capturing personalities rather than wild, untamed animal behavior. Based in Portland, Oregon, she’s internationally recognized for her work as a fine art pet photographer with her often humorous and consistently honest portraits.

Davidson’s portfolio is every animal-lover’s dream with both editorial and studio series ranging from the colorful “Dogs and Cats” collection to charming photos from the “Oregon Zoo.” These include a triumphant pic of Conrad the polar bear licking a cream cheese cake off a window on his 25th birthday and a recently-hatched tiny turtle posed on top of a hundred dollar bill for scale.

Another “aw”-inducing series, the “Handicapped Pet project” proves with levity that “your pet is beautiful no matter how many limbs it has”—like Ramen Noodle, an adorable pup who lost both his arms in two separate accidents. In his case, Davidson demonstrates Ramen Noodle’s resilience with images of him standing tall on his remaining hind legs, as well as carefree action shots of him running around in his wheelchair. (Also on Cool Hunting: I Heart Tripods)

Apart from capturing humorous quirks in the off-moments when pets’ eyes go cross or tongues flop lazily from snouts, Davidson depicts their owners in “People & Pets.” Through artful posing, Davidson’s photographs—like a yawning puppy cupped in gentle, tattooed hands and a white-feathered parrot perched so it’s profile blends with its owner’s bright blue eyes —reflect the character of both individuals, as well as the bond between them.

While Davidson’s work is generally lighthearted, she shows the dark side of animal life too. Her graphic series, “Bison Butchering,” follows the process of meat trading from pasture to slaughterhouse. She also sheds light on veterinary work with her visual photos of “Animal Surgery.” This includes the philanthropic work performed by the Oregon Zoo veterinarians who invite blind students for a hands-on experience of their operating rooms.

Visit Davidson’s website to peruse her various photographic studies—including the irresistible series “Shake,” which features stills of various wide-eyed pooches shaking it out with flappy cheeks, windblown tufts of fur and airborne wads of drool. Contact her directly to snag exclusive prints.

via Zeutch.

All photography by Carli Davidson