Cesar Lopez’s Escopetarra
Colombian peace activist, Cesar Lopez, may well be the trophy-holder when it comes to ‘making good of a bad situation’. For the past several years, he has been working with a collective of artists and musicians in Colombia called the Battalion of Immediate Artistic Reaction. One of their projects, spearheaded by Lopez, is the transformation of decommissioned guns from the Colombian war — including AK47′s — into guitars, called escopetarras (a combination of escopeta and guitarra, Spanish for rifle and guitar). Perhaps the most potent symbol of raw power and abuse in Colombia, the presence of guns and weaponry permeates many aspects of Colombian life. According to Lopez, he was playing guitar in front of a Bogota country club destroyed by a car bomb when he realised the soldier patrolling the area was carrying his rifle the same way he carries his guitar. ‘I saw that our body movements were the same. He had his gun, I had my guitar. And BOF! It hit me’. So far only a dozen have been produced, and presented to artists such as Shakira, Santana, and even the Dalai Lama.
Also by FRANCIS ANDREWS
Irina Werning’s Back to the Future photo series
Argentine photographer Irina Werning has complied this beautiful and poignant collection of portraits of adults re-enacting images of themselves as kids. From what I gather, she has asked people to submit photographs of themselves and then returned with them to these same spots at the same times in their lives. She’ll take this project round the world, from Baghdad to Eurodisney, and is looking for willing participants. Read more
Bug fighting in South East Asia
Of all the little idiosyncratic activities I’ve come across since living in Southeast Asia, this nears the favourite. The bug fights are held in a cemetery about half an hour outside of Chiang Mai late in the year when the stags are at their randiest. It pulls an impressive crowd who bet some hefty dollars on the winner, claimed by the beetle who throws its opponent off the revolving log and struts (or crawls) to victory. Read more
What The Fuck Should I Make For Dinner
All hail the magic 8-ball of cooking; the answer to those painful moments of indecision that plague every shopper at around 6pm on a hectic Monday evening. It’s not the nagging voice that questions every decision you make, but the blunt, obnoxious hollering of an online Gordon Ramsay. The kitchen abides.
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Illustrator Ralph Cosentino has a great series of illustrations mashing up Disney characters with Godzilla-related characters. Me like. Read more
A shark fin tracks slowly toward you, staining the water behind it a deep reddish brown. No, this isn’t the latest Jaws remake; it’s just your morning cup of tea, as brought to you by Argentinean designer Pablo Matteodo. Read more
I remember the first time I saw a Mark Rothko piece at the Art Institute in Chicago. I’d only seen reproductions until that point, and I never understood why people considered the late painter so important. Read more
The graduate exhibition of third year graphic design students at Sydney’s Design Centre is called 342 Seconds and relates to the estimated time required to view the show. The exhibition takes place on December 3 and looks to be well worth checking out, if these works by Jenny Lee [above] and Sean Batchelor [below] are anything to go by. You can check into their blog and stay up to date with events leading up to the opening. Read more
Karol Grygoruk, acting as the Pepper Pirate, takes pictures of hipsters and strangers amidst the coolest spots in Warszawa. He catches the dark side of the city and the colorful people who sin there. Read more
There are two kinds of metalheads: those that are drawn by the hyper masculine, angry, aggressive aspect of metal, and those that are drawn by its Wagnerian drama, themes of pagan nature worship, and disdain towards modern civilization. The line between the latter and hippies is quite thin. I am one of these sorts of metal fans, which is why I also really love bands like The Lickets, an empyrean, luminously beautiful, experimental folk collective. They make music that makes you feel like a tiny speck floating in the vast oceans of existence, perfect for a night of star gazing, just like Burzum’s fourth album, Filosifem.
Yes, indeed they’re real horse and goat hooves! German artist Iris Schieferstein specialises in creating very flamboyant boots and shoes made from a combination of deceased animal parts and other materials. Read more
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Mathematics? Leave me out. Fashematics? Now you’re talking! This gem of a site is a runway equation that adds up to a whole lot of wonderful.
Pitched as ‘Ulterior Motives in Contemporary Art’, Disorder Disorder is running until November 14 at Penrith Regional Gallery. It’ll be well worth the trip out west of Sydney: the Australian, Japanese, American and European cast reads like a warriors of street art roundup and includes Mike Giant, Ed Templeton, Anthony Lister [artwork above], Ozzie Wright, and Jonathan Zawada. Read more
Here are a couple awesome pieces by Matt Leines that were recently on display in the Doubting Thomases exhibit at Nudashank gallery in Baltimore. Gives me ideas for Halloween. Read more
Nerd-attack! Man, this TARDIS zipper robe is so much cooler than any Star Wars crap people are hawking this days. This is for the true gangsta nerd.
Get lost in a daydream or a craving for something sweet while gazing at these cool sculptures by Brooklyn-based WiNK WiNK PONY. Made using clay, tree bark, wood, and mossy moss.
In the Little Companions Rebelling Against the Magician t-shirt, label The Balletcats capture everything that we love about the holiday season: rebellion, flames, and striped pants. Nothing short of a classic family gathering! While everything that The Balletcats do is genius, this shirt has an extra bit of zip: it’s an exclusive for Lost At E Minor, and available to buy at our online store.
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Huna said | 31 January, 2008
I saw this when I went to the UN. Its so damn awesome.