Art / Theo Jansen
Theo Jansen has been called a modern-day Da Vinci, and refers to himself as a ‘kinetic sculptor’. The Dutch artist uses everyday materials like cardboard and balsa wood to make enormous, wind-powered creatures that evoke prehistoric insects and primordial crustaceans that move with eerie and beautiful elegance.


Also by GERRY MAK
Culture-jammer StSanders strikes again with his re-interpretation of Kiss. This is perhaps his best ’shred’ video yet, and honestly, I’d probably like Gene Simmons and crew more if they actually sounded like this.
Back in the ’90s, just as the gangsta rap phenomenon was winding down and hip-hop was fragmenting into its own subgenres, Prince Paul and RZA kicked off the short-lived horrorcore fad with their group Gravediggaz. At the time, the melding of dark, gothic themes with hardboiled rap seemed gimmicky and awkward, a strange extension of the early and awful attempts to bridge hip-hop and metal, but on closer listen, the now defunct supergroup was way more innovative than they were given credit for. Using horror imagery, crazed and off-kilter rapping styles, and genuinely creepy beats to describe life on the streets, Gravediggaz created innovative, complex, expressive music that was macabre yet socially conscious.
As Internet-savvy as President-Elect Obama is, I wonder if he’s played the hilarious flash game, Super Obama World, a Super Mario-esque spoof in which Obama must defeat lipstick-sporting pigs and money-hungry lobbyists roaming around the icy tundras of Alaska while collecting flag pins.
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Perhaps the reason men are not known for their shoe fetishes is because when it comes to mens shoes in general, there are really only two must have varieties: vintage street wear and sartorialist leather. Read more
London-based indie-prog group Klaxons take their name from the Greek word ‘to shriek’. We interviewed vocalist and keyboardist, Jamie Righton, and asked him why, unlike many of their contemporaries, none of them grew up to become great footballers: ‘Me and Simon are from Stratford-upon-Avon and the only famous footballer to ever come from there is Gary Barnett! Jamie’s from Bournemouth and there are even less from there. I was asked to play for the Tottenham Hotspur Legends and Celebrities team in a new Sky TV programme but it clashes with our US tour. Gutted’. Read more
Obsessive, impossibly intricate art can sometimes veer off into self-congratulatory messes, overwhelming viewers while not having any real substance. Vasco Morao’s Escher-esque line drawings are rather simple, however, and have a gorgeous, meandering, and meditative quality about them. Read more
DJ Spooky — That Subliminal Kid — is just about the deepest crate digger around, trawling the barrels of long-lost record stores for choice vinyl to spin in his wickedly dubby sets. He gave us the inside word last week on his eight favourite songs right now via our sister website, My Secret Playlist. This is what he had to say about Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry’s Panic in Babylon: ‘If there’s anything that the twenty-first century has told us, it’s that dub is the real original hip-hop. Lee Scratch even had to make it clear in 1965 by adding “Scratch” to his middle name. Take that, Grandmaster Flash!’ Read the rest of DJ Spooky’s Secret Playlist.
There was a time, many moons ago, when I would only listen to bands off New Zealand’s Flying Nun label. Yup, I would strap myself into a comfy chair, put my headphones on and, armed with a chunk of chocolate coated Peanut Slab and a can of L&P, soak up album after album of wonderfully self-indulgent low-fi melancholy. Read more
The sound New Zealand band The Brunettes make is Hallmark card pop — naïve sincerity mixed with low-fi, casual kitsch. Says chief songwriter, Jonathan Bree: ‘You’ll find us somewhere between US punk and just before classic 60s romps’. And so we will.
When you first see The Gershwin Hotel, you might think it’s an art gallery or a public art installation. The white, bird-like shapes sticking out of its red facade is certainly unique, without being too loud. The rooms are rather small but the location and accessible price range makes it all worth it.
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James Jean on the work of Rob Sato
We asked Californian artist, James Jean, to tell us about an emerging illustrator whose work he loves right now. This is what he had to say: ‘Rob Sato offends me. Read more
Barack sweats it out on Election Night
While the rest of the world spent election night biting fingernails whilst glued to the TV set, it’s kinda nice to know that President Elect, Barack Obama, was doing exactly the same thing, as these wonderfully low-key insider snaps from David Katz reveals. Read more
National Geographic Best Wild Animal Photos of 2008
National Geographic just announced the Best Wild Animal Photos of 2008. They’re all stunning, but I’m particularly fond of the one of a frog refusing to become lunch for a snake. It looks like they’re eating each other. My number two is the black-crested macaque hanging out on a beach. Read more
Alison Malone on her Daughters of Job photos
A couple of weeks back we featured the work of New York-based photographer Alison Malone, who went into the secretive environment of the Job’s Daughters to photograph the girls who are direct blood relatives of the Master Masons. This is the second part of that interview. Read more
Kristin Baker’s paintings strike the eye like massive Hollywood blockbusters, but have the elegance of delicate watercolors. Read more
These Prosperity earrings by Australian designer Karina Jean are cast in sterling silver, finished by hand and swing on hand-formed silver ear hooks. They are available for purchase through the Lost At E Minor store. Read more
Woohoo! We have five copies of the new Faint album, Fascination [Inertia], to give away to randomly selected Australian-based Lost At E Minor subscribers who leave a message under this post telling us about the last time they, ummm, Fainted.
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Jenn Porreca said | 8 March, 2008
Gerry,
I’m sorry that i didn’t see this earlier. I am forever a fan of theo’s work.
I troll his website often for new images, glimpses of ideas. Hoping to visit him some day.