I had a very full and fun day today making a diorama at the Machine Project space in Echo Park (coincidentally next to the Fretted Frog where I take ukulele lessons). There's nothing like having people around working on their stuff and a clock ticking to stir ideas you never knew you might have. I came in with only a vague idea of doing something inspired by Murakami's Wind Up Bird Chronicle and walked out with a complete diorama, I'm amazed. Normally I would have probably dragged it over a few days. Artist Amy Jo Diaz and architect Casey Hughes were super helpful both with inspiring suggestions and hands on assistance. Thanks!

Here's another ahem, not-so-weekly mini: a project I made last summer which I'm only now getting around to sharing, but speaking of crazy little characters made with wire, it felt to me like the perfect time to slip it in. These guys are not drinking coffee like the running man in my last post, but mixing their own drinks from self-serving pods, which I imagined would be the way to go if you were in a bar functioning like the internet.

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This is Where We Live by 4th Estate on Vimeo This short film is so beautiful I couldn't resist posting it here, even though it's been out for a while already. The other reason is that it resonates nicely with my current state of mind: enjoying the leisure activities of summer (at the expense of my blog). The music, warm tones, and fun little characters all contribute to the summery feeling of this unique miniature world made of books. To me it's a wink to those many summers of my childhood spent devouring as many stories as I could. A clever idea produced by Apt Studio and Asylum Films to celebrate the 4th Estate publishers' 25th anniversary. Check also the film's site for production stills and time-lapse videos.

This is Where We Live by 4th Estate on Vimeo

 

A conversation with friends around Sunday brunch inspired this week's weekly-mini. We were talking about the biggest story in the news right now, the disastrous BP oil spill. When I got home I decided to take a closer look at the personal reaction of marine life coming face to face with the spill.

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The Small House exhibit by Czech architects A1Architects, 1:1 installation for one concept Isn't there a maxim that says "the best things come in small packages ?" I think it's true most of the time. Small things are more manageable, we can manipulate them, we can observe every sides and corners, it brings out the kid inside. Imagine if the mini cooper was the size of an SUV, would it be this much fun, huh? Since mini things are so great, I've decided to make a weekly post about something mini. This week, I want to share a cool article I saw in this month's issue of dwell, big ideas for... small spaces, about an exhibit called The Small House by Czech architects A1Architects.

Exhibit The Small House by A1Architects, installation 1:1 for one of the  concepts

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I made a few of these miniature bars inside emptied out TVs and radio. I like how creative you can be with this type of decor, especially at this small scale. The shell is a starting point for my design and I use all sorts of found materials to get further inspiration.

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When the first TV I ever owned gave its last breath I could not bring myself to just throw it out. How could I put such a big piece of trash on the street, how long would it sit in the landfill? So I decided to give it a second life. I had seen an installation in the window of a café that had TVs turned into aquariums, which I thought was a pretty cool idea. But I didn’t really want to deal with the water, so I had to think of something else.

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