Ok, you’ll never guess what I saw on TV last night. Wait for it … a documentary on the 2004 World Whistling Convention. Seriously! It was as if the gods were smiling down from above, these big cheesy smirks, saying ‘You want to see what you’re in for? Well, take a peek, sucker’. It was the most engrossing thing to watch. And it’s certainly stoked the embers for my protege’s journey to North Carolina in a few months time. Contestants came from all over the world to take part in the championships. One guy whistled as though he was playing guitar through a wah wah pedal. Another added a second layer to the notes, so he was practically whistling in harmony with himself. And then there was the eventual winner – a Dutch guy who did the Star Bangled Banner as his final piece, at which point everyone in the room stood up and put their hand across their heart. Ah, yes, there’s nothing like a spontaneous show of patriotism. I was wiping a small tear from my eye as he hit that last triumphant note. There’s much work to be done between now and the 2007 Championships. But I have faith that the whistler will blow them all away. Literally! [paintings by Stephan Doutschinoff]
Also by ZOLTON
Maths explains the origin of superhero characters
I love the colours and simple reasoning in this clever series by Scottish illustrator Matt Cowen, which uses basic maths equations to explain how certain pop culture icons came to be. Read more
Star Wars Uncut: a fully crowdsourced version of Episode IV
The project of creative technologist, Casey Pugh, this full length version of the George Lucas masterpiece was created from multiple 15 second segments recreated from the original movie and submitted by thousands of Star Wars fans, which were then spliced together by editor Aaron Valdez to form the final product. Genius, as both a commentary on contemporary pop culture trends (there are references to LEGO, stop motion, memes and the like) and on the power of tapping your audience for quality material.
Filmmaker creates LEGO stop motion to propose to girlfriend
Now, this is one for the ages: back in 2010, Atlanta film-maker Walter Thompson created a jaw-dropping LEGO stop motion to propose to Nealey Dozier, his girlfriend of four years. The video took 22 hours of shooting and some 2,600 pictures to splice together, a small sacrifice to pay for years of happiness together. Right? Right! Oh, and she said yes. Bonus.
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Italian artist Nicola Samori recreates classical Renaissance and Baroque paintings but with the faces torn off (the actual layers of paint) and obscured, creating rather horrifying images. Read more
Hahahahahaha! Cursebird is a ‘real–time feed of swearing on Twitter’. Perfect for idling away the hours when the work day just seems too damn sanitized.
Oh man, my eyeballs feel like they’re dropping out of my head. This clip is pyschedelic in a way that platform shoes and polyester shoes could never be. The Faint are the shizz, and that’s the truth.
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This is the greatest invention. Ever. Commuters in South Korea can now do their grocery shopping whilst waiting for the train to arrive using their mobile phone to scan the QR codes of the virtual goodies they want. The order is then delivered direct to their doorstep the next day. Amazing! Sure beats moaning about the crowds, delays, smells, noises … Read more
Some might argue that the team behind People of Walmart are elitist snobs poking fun at the working masses, but is there really an economic rationale behind an ‘I Hate Queers’ t-shirt? Read more
Grinning Cat is a beautiful electronic album from prodigious Japanese producer, Susumu Yokota. It borrows liberally from the melodic melancholy of classical music and features subtle drum loops throughout. We interviewed him about the artwork that he creates for each release. Read more
Macabre and inventive, these devices dreamt up by costume designer Katarzyna Konieczka, when worn, will force a smile, a grimace or a sneer. Take your pick. Read more
WE'RE POSTING / SOME OF THE BEST
Pencils made from recycled newspaper
The problem with awesome things like these pencils made out of recycled newspaper is that you almost don’t want to use them.
Michelle Blade’s psychedelic artwork
Michelle Blade’s washed out paintings are deceptively simple, her washy acrylics creating psychedelic textures and conjuring ghostly figures from the past. Read more
The return of the Brionvega rr226
Italian brand Brionvega has resurrected the classy Radiofonografio piece first created in 1965. The updated version is just like the original turntable/radio unit, but also has a CD/DVD player.
It’s refreshing to see artists like Joe Kievitt who are contented to explore the beauty in simple forms and asymmetrical patterns. Read more
Francoise Nielly’s Yellow series
Parisian visual artist Francoise Nielly brings technicolour to the forefront in her latest series, Yellow. Featuring thick impasto palette knife strokes and trippy neon hues, Nielly captures the vulnerable expressions of her muses to a tee. Read more
Illustrating the playful side of sexy, Donna Wilson uses burlesque and 60s pop art as inspiration for her original art cards. Read more
If you have a Twitter feed that focuses on cool pop cultural things and you’d like to swap Tweets with Lost At E Minor and other like-minded Twitterers, drop us a note (with Tweet Swap in the title). We have a system in place and we’d like to have you in on it! [illustration by Brad Fitzpatrick]
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