Book Art Sculptures

What a cool idea – cut up a book, leaving just the illustrations.  These pieces are by German/British artist Alexander Korzer-Robinson.

From the artist: “The cut book art has been made by working through the books, page by page, cutting around some of the illustrations while removing others. The images seen in the finished work, are left standing in the place where they would appear in the complete book. As a final step the book is sealed around the cut, and can no longer be opened. As we remember the books from our own past, certain fragments remain with us while others fade away over time – phrases and passages, mental images we created, the way the stories made us feel and the thoughts they inspired.”

Makes me wanna get out my scissors.  Bad idea.

[via Ready Made Editors Notes and Wooster Collective]

Shelter Island Retreat

Oh wow, don’t you wish you were here?  I found this vacation home on Shelter Island, New York, on Dwell Magazine’s website.  View the slideshow here.

I love this building, and how the architect owner designed the entire thing around the location.  It doesn’t need air conditioning, due to the smart placement of windows to take advantage of ocean breezes.  Each bedroom was designed to be within earshot of the sound of the waves outside.  And just look at that shower (above).  Even it was designed for optimal natural light.

I’m having a HUGE case of vacation home envy right now.  Sigh.

The Best Modern Architecture?

Vanity Fair Magazine recently “asked the world’s leading architects, critics, and deans of architecture schools two questions: what are the five most important buildings, bridges, or monuments constructed since 1980, and what is the greatest work of architecture thus far in the 21st century?”

Here’s what they came up with.  Frank Gehry’s Bilbao Guggenheim is the clear winner – no surprise there.  I enjoy Peter Zumthor’s Thermal Baths in Switzerland (pictured above).  But there are so many iconic and interesting structures that are missing from this list.  Vanity Fair, I’m disappointed.

Penguin 75

Another design book to covet… Penguin Books’ longtime Art Director Paul Buckley has chosen 75 of the best Penguin book covers over the past 75 years.  Here’s the book.  Here’s an interview with Paul Buckley over at Design:Related.  And if like me, you’re feeling so inspired by rad book cover design that you want to try your own hand at it, Uppercase Mag is doing a call for submissions.  Design a book cover that represents you (are you a mystery?  classic?  romance?) and it might be featured in the Fall edition of the magazine.

Moving Desk

I would love to stand up more each day.  I sit at my desk for hours and hours, chained to my computers.  I sometimes wish I could have a standing desk, but it seems like too much trouble to move my equipment.

That’s why this desk by Herman Miller is some awesome.  It moves.  Its soft surface is supposed to be good for your wrists and mouse activity.  The whole thing slides, tilts, and moves up and down.  Too bad it’s kind of ugly though.  And since it’s Herman Miller, you know it’s going to be expensive.