Everything is already invented

El economista y escritor Robert Gordon acaba de publicar este libro titulado “The Rise and Fall of American Growth”, donde plantea que en cuestión de desarrollo económico -y sobre todo industrial-, todas las principales tecnologías de nuestra era ya han sido descubiertas o inventadas, y que la sociedad norteamericana está en una época de estancamiento tecnológico que ha durado prácticamente todo el siglo pasado, y lo que va de este.

El autor advierte que esto amenaza ser una condición de la que difícilmente podremos salir en las próximas décadas, a menos que asumamos un cambio de mentalidad bastante radical, negando por completo los estándares de vida heredados de las generaciones anteriores y -por decirlo de algún modo polite- saliendo de nuestra “zona de comfort social” en la que estamos tan agusto.

¿Esperamos hasta fin de siglo para ver si tenía razón?
Espero que no…

After the publication of the book “The Rise and Fall of American Growth” by economist Robert Gordon our technology-studded society was tread on its toes once more with his, historically repetitive, conviction that all major technologies have already been invented. In his book he quotes PayPal founder Peter Thiel on the disappointing innovations of today: “We wanted flying cars, instead we got 140 characters”. Gordon rejoices the economic growth after the second industrial revolution and the prosperity it brought the average joe, but on the flip side argues that we have arrived at a period of technological stagnation…

http://bit.ly/1oisViO

Washing machine self-destroying

Había faveado esto hace aun par de años y olvidé compartirlo. Lo hago ahora. Un ingeniero industrial, YouTuber y excéntrico de la península de Mornington (Australia) llamado Ed Jones (a.k.a. Aussie50) tiene fama de hacer experimentos con máquinas donde las destruye, las modifica o las lleva hasta sus últimas consecuencias funcionales, creando estos extraños documentos en video que no puedo dejar de ver como una interesante crítica a las industrialización de nuestras sociedades como consecuencias de las revoluciones tecnológicas que hemos atravesado (si, ya son muchas).

Aquí tenemos esta lavadora casera, con un pequeña modificación a sus contrapesos internos (suficiente para romper todo su centro de gravedad hasta auto-despedazarse).

No es arte (y sin embargo me parece hermoso). Acepto que el proyecto apunta más hacia lo destructivo que lo constructivo. Y bueno esta idea de destruir para cerar tampoco es nada nuevo (ni en el arte ni en la vida en general).

Pero igual el video y las reflexiones que se detonan en torno a la acción (como las que acabo de escribir arriba) me parecen una joya.

Gracias Aussie50…

Concrete counter weights were removed from outer drum unit, and a few other mods applied to keep it together long enough.

Machine was a Whirlpool made unit, donated by one of Dad’s friends, who happens to be a fan of the channel and wanted to see it die again, it was a power surge victim with a leaky drum unit, so its not a waste to scrap it. new ones are about $400, so its not big deal…

http://bit.ly/1MkI0ZZ

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)

Anatomical Barbie

Hot on the heels of LEGO anatomy guy comes artist Jason Freeny’s latest work: a hand-sculptured anatomical model of Barbie. Prints available in his shop.

Born 1970, Silver Spring Maryland. The son of hippies and youngest of three siblings.Jason studied Industrial Design at Pratt Institute in Brooklyn NY.

Spending most of the 90’s traveling the globe as a muralist and theatrical designer, Jason joined MTV’s Special Events department in 1997 as a freelance designer. While there, Jason helped design and create stage sets, props, and custom artwork for MTV Networks live events and trade productions worldwide. Jason’s most recognizable contributions were his custom trophies created for MTV’s “Rock-n-Jock” series and “TRL Awards” televised events.

Jason created his first fictional anatomy illustration in 2000 with his depiction of the mythological “Incubus”. His first anatomical digital illustration in 2007  with “Pneumatic Anatomica” balloon animal anatomy and his first anatomical sculpt in 2010 with an anatomical Dunny. 

Armed with a youthful, overactive imagination, Jason creates smart, intricate works that tickle the deviant intellect through a mix of hard graphics, detailed anatomy, pop iconography and wit.

Jason went full time as a working artist in 2010 and can now be found hunched over his work table developing works of candy colored madness.

Around that same time, through a series of hand painted, NSFW “Pin-Up” themed illustrations, Jason’s personal artwork began attaining notoriety, gracing the pages of such magazines as Heavy Metal, Juxtapoz Erotica, Penthouse and Time Out New York…

http://bit.ly/OtlrCq

Princess

Stool, made from a whole lamb, exposing all the details remaining of the former life of the animal. This is evident from the transition in the wool from legs to the back the ‘back" and the details in the inner leg dew claw. The mind goes between the “individual” and “the product” as the item captures an in between stage where both are present…

http://atlason.com/special/princesse

Business cards

Nada como ser original desde el momento de presentarse. Más aun en giros como la publicidad, donde lo que se vende es justamente originalidad.

Va esta galería bastante larga (pero divertida), con algunos de los mejores ejemplos de business cards ‘creativas’ que he visto. Por aquello de: ‘la primera impresión jamás se olvida’…

Ultimate creative business cards collection:
A bit more creativity and a little less die-cut can also demonstrate well what your client does. In this case the dentist removing cavities…

http://bit.ly/n5XTIx

Business cards