Swinging in the City – My Night at a Swinger’s Club
What do you wear to a swingers’ club?
No, not a ’40s-inspired dance club. My wardrobe is well set up for such an establishment. I mean a down-and-dirty, no-holds-barred (whatever that means) sex club.
I stand in my closet, a space rather devoid of PVC and latex. And other than an ill-advised pleather skirt, I possess very few clothing items made from oil by-products, with the exception of a few lycra workout tops. Which even I don’t think are de rigueur at swingers’ clubs. Read More….Click on Headline.
A Beautiful Mind – The Colorful World of Chor Boogie
Sprawled out like Jesus on the neatly manicured lawn of someone’s suburban dream home he lay, pushed from a moving car, abandoned and left for dead. He’d been high for three days smoking meth in a dirty motel room in an even dirtier part of San Diego. First the pipe, then the needle. After that anything goes. More crank? Sure, if ya got it. Wanna try heroin? Fuck it, why not? “I died that night” he says. “All I saw was black.”
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The Freaky Sculptures of Ron Mueck
There’s not a whole lot to say once you lay eyes on the incredibly realistic sculptures of Ron Mueck. I was lucky enough to see his show once in London and silence was pretty much the name of the game, followed by the need to get up close and personal. Despite the very strict “look but don’t touch” policy, I think most people got in a jab or two. You had to. His work is so incredibly precise, so intricate the pieces beg to be touched. A quick glance below and you can see why he’s known as one of the pioneers of hyper-realism. (Via Life Magazine)
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The Most Powerful Logo Colors on the Web
Color and design forecasting site, COLOURlovers recently looked at the web’s most successful 100 companies to see which colors were dominating our internet lives. And the winner is…..blue! Blue? Yes, despite what we’ve thought for ages about red and orange rocking our graphic world, blue, in it’s various shades, has become the most popular color used for company branding on the web. For the complete breakdown visit their site. (via Your Digital Space)
Vicodin Ring – Just Lick and Relax
I spied this jewelry on the web awhile ago and have been chomping at the bit to have a piece of my very own. A clever take on American pill-popping excess, Canadian designers Stern Lab can’t seem to keep these little devils in stock. Hmmm….
Vicodin Ring Directions:
1. Stick finger in mouth.
2. Suck.
3. Ahhhhhh.
Finally, instructions we can all get on board with.
Floor Drugs – Fuck Yeah or Just Fucked?
By Jane Parton
Last night I had a few separate conversations involving the phenomenon known as “floor drugs” – you know, the lucky moment where you spot a lost bag of some unfortunate soul’s drugs lying unclaimed on the floor. One of my friends recently dared to try his found drugs and this morning told me he was feeling pretty shitty as a result. I, on the other hand, have had a few floor drug experiences in my day, all of which were actually pretty decent.
So this is the conundrum – you’re in a bar and you’ve found some drugs. How do you decide if the obvious sketchiness outweighs the potential fun? And, if moments like these make you all warm inside, are you willing to risk experiencing the major shame attack sure to follow a night of doing what will most likely be shitty drugs in an even shittier setting? From my experience, a lot of it has to do with where you are. From this you can make educated guesses as to the source of the lost drugs, which give insight into the quality and potential shady factors. To help you answer these all-important questions here is my personal cost vs. benefit commentary.
COST VS. BENEFIT ANALYSIS
18 and Over Clubs – It depends on the night, but I’d say for the most part that floor drugs found here either belong to over-privileged suburban 18-year-olds or to weird, yuppie sex predators planning to offer them to said suburban 18-year-olds. Either way, cut as a motherfucker, but probably not with anything too shady.
Dudebro/Dirty Hipster Bars – You get the satisfaction of knowing that these drugs belonged to one of those lame dudebros who you hate for “ruining the Mission” on weekends. This dudebro is (or will be in 20 minutes when he goes to do a bump and can’t find his drugs) hella bummed, and you helped make that happen! But let’s be honest, this shit will be total garbage and if you’re over 21 you will hate yourself for doing anything you picked up off the floor at a one of these places.
Trendy Hipster Bars – Keep the following in mind – the nights one is likely to find floor drugs at trendy hipster bars are weekends, the same nights bridge & tunnel douche-bags are drawn to these spots like R. Kelly to pre-teens. As you’re considering floor drugs, evaluate your fellow patrons. See that pudgy Middle Eastern computer programmer guy in the sand-washed True Religion jeans and bejeweled Bret Michaels-esque cowboy hat? Yeah, that guy over there with his Bluetooth still in his ear. Those drugs could be HIS DRUGS. Do you really want to get high off of what that guy gets high off of? I think I’ve made my point.
Hole-in-the-Wall Bars – Most of these are so mellow and cozy I find it hard to believe that people would even do drugs in them … until I started doing drugs in them. If I actually paid for my own stuff, I’d save it and do it somewhere the setting would be more enjoyable, ie. do you really want to be high on stimulants listening to songs off of Neil Young’s “Prairie Wind” album? But if it’s free, why not? I will say though, that overall, I think finding floor drugs in these spots is pretty unlikely.
Music Venues – I would imagine that the floor drugs you find in clubs like these will typically be pretty speedy. People want $40 grams but are unwilling to sacrifice on potency, so shitty amphetamines are substituted to close the gap. If you just want to get fucked up and are on board with it regardless, I’m not judging you for it. Just take it slow …and be prepared to spend the next day or two feeling dehydrated and inconsolably depressed.
College Bars – If you find floor drugs here I’d say you kind of came up. They probably belong to someone you “kind of” know. 15 minutes after you’ve found a baggie, you’ll bump into this person in the smoking room. You’ll ask how their night’s going, they’ll say, “Good, except I just lost a big bag of drugs!” (sad face) at which point you’ll get to hug them and be like, “Bummer! Well, hey, want to come do a bump with me?” and now you’re the hero and everyone’s happy.
Bike Messenger Bars – The fact that there even are floor drugs to be found at places where people exercise for a living is kind of ridiculous, but I can vouch because last summer I definitely found some. I didn’t do them because it was like 6pm, still light outside, and even I have to draw the line somewhere. As far as sketchiness goes, they’re probably fine. Anyone who brings stimulants to a bar that only serves fancy beer and sausages is kind of winning at life.
Everyone I Have Ever Slept With
I’ve known and been a fan of artist Tracey Emin for quite some time as, in my opinion, she’s one of the most prolific and brave artists working within the modern-day, societal constraints of sexuality. Her prolific work Everyone I Have Ever Slept With goes beyond just the physical by lovingly displaying hand-stitched names of those Emin felt had nurtured and loved her. Among the 102 sweetly, patch-worked names are former lovers, her grandmother, mother and numbers representing her two aborted children.
“Some I’d had a shag with in bed or against a wall, some I had just slept with, like my grandma. I used to lay in her bed and hold her hand. We used to listen to the radio together and nod off to sleep. You don’t do that with someone you don’t love and don’t care about,” said Ermin.
This logic got me thinking about my own tent and who I’d include; lovers, family members, friends and how ephemeral most of those moments were. Like time itself, the tent was lost forever in a 2004 warehouse fire. Emin has decided not to recreate it.
Let’s Get Busy Here – Teeny Tiny Hotels
Traveling is awesome. Traveling to the world’s destination cities is even better. Traveling to awesome cities and having to dip into your child’s college fund for a hotel room you only sleep in, not so much. In an effort to save our cash and provide us with the oh-so-photographic novelty of touching all four sides of our hotel room at once, The Arch Group has designed Sleep Box. A mobile cube (2m (l) x 1.4m (w) x 2.3m (h)) made of wood and MDF, SleepBox was designed to “allow very efficient use of available space and, if necessary, a quick change of layout”, making it perfect for places where demand dictates need. The hostel-specific SleepBox features bunk beds, flip-out tables and sockets for computers or phone chargers and not much else.
These tiny cubicles are already gracing the airports and train stations of Europe allowing for a safe and cheap alternative to the big city hotels. They’ve become such a hit that Japanese government officials are in talks to provide all public train stations in Tokyo with a few – proving once again that size doesn’t matter.
Paralyzed Graffiti Artist Draws with His Eyes
(via Kickstarter)
Tony TEMPT1 is an artist, publisher and social-activist based in Los Angeles, California. He was a pioneering artist in the California graffiti scene in the 1980′s and 90′s and influenced a younger generation of graffiti writers with his vision to build community through art.
Sadly, in 2003, TEMPT1 was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ( also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s Disease), a degenerative neuromuscular disorder that causes paralysis and ultimately death. Over the course of 5 years, he lost the ability to move his arms and legs, speak, eat and even breathe without life-support systems. But, the disease has left his mind alert, and his creative spirit and drive to make art completely intact.
One year ago, TEMPT1 teamed up with a group of artists and hackers from the Graffiti Research Lab, OpenFrameworks and Free Art and Technology communities to develop free and open source eye tracking and drawing software that has helped him make art again for the first time since being hospitalized.
Not only is he drawing again, but he’s creating new and complex letter forms, designing font libraries and evolving a brand new style using new and old technology in ways no one could have imagined. After seven years of paralysis, TEMPT1 has again become a pioneer in a new community of creative individuals who refuse to let neuromuscular diseases stop them from expressing themselves through art.
This Kickstarter campaign is an attempt to raise the money TEMPT1 needs to create a new collection of original TEMPT1 
artwork and merchandise using the EyeWriter 2.0 software, robotic technology, traditional print-making techniques, as well as his community of friends, fans and peers. Supporting this campaign will not only allow TEMPT1 to continue to make art and express his ideas, but it will give him a chance to again become a professional artist, independently support himself and his family, pay for his medical bills, and make a contribution to the contemporary art world.
If you’d like to donate or get more information about the TEMPTONE ALS FOUNDATION, go to: temptone.wordpress.com
To peep Tempt’s graffiti art, go to: temptone.com or: myspace.com/temptone
For more information about the software Tempt draws with, go to: fffff.at/eyewriter
To learn more about Graffiti Research Labs, go to: graffitiresearchlab.com
One Pose Per Second – Miranda July + Blonde Redhead
Miranda July and Mike Mills’ work could be considered avant garde, though it occasionally ventures into the “weirdo art project” category. Case in point: their collaboration for Blonde Redhead’s video “Top Ranking”. Over 300, one-second frames of July looking cute, if somewhat angsty, in her hipster get up, could bore you after a minute but her interesting poses and occasional soul-searching eye contact compel us to keep watching.
The World’s Most Expensive Hotel
Brought to you by people who have more money that Scrooge McDuck comes Singapore’s latest $8 billion dollar tourist attraction, The Marina Bay Sands hotel. Three towers standing 55 stories tall and connected at the top by a huge cruise-ship shaped “Sky Park”, the new hotel aims to put Las Vegas excess to shame. Designed by architect Moshe Safdie, the hotel has 2,560 rooms starting at $500 a night, an infinity pool three times the size of an Olympic pool with death-defying views and art comissioned by some of the world’s most well-known artists. The hotel charges $75 a person just for the pleasure of walking around inside and expects to attract an astonishing 70,000 visitors a day.
Chloe Sevigny Bares All in Beautiful Nude Series
The dynamic husband and wife duo of Inez Van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin photograph actress Chloe Sevigny in a beautiful collaboration, the elegant and striking nude series, Chloë nue. With only the free-flowing locks of her trademark blonde hair, beaded headband and the occasional kick-you-in-the-ass boot, Sevigny exudes style, innocence and grace without depending on her usual quirky, indie-fashion. Bravo.
When Ideas Have Sex (+Design)
At TEDGlobal 2010, author Matt Ridley shows how, throughout history, the engine of human progress has been the meeting and mating of ideas to make new ideas. It’s not important how clever individuals are, he says; what really matters is how smart the collective brain is. (via TED)
For the Love of the CAN: Recycled Graffiti Art
Their colors warm your heart and the art they create soothes your soul. However, the landfill ridden mess they leave behind leaves you a tad concerned? Yup, I’m calling out spray paint, the medium most street artist have adopted and then were sadly forced to leave behind during their somewhat (ahem) quick exits.
This duality of feeling was the foundation behind the art collective CANlove and their attempt to collect and reuse the discarded paint cans. Their clever creations, like the spray bouquets above or the artwork below, can be purchased through their site or custom fabricated to fit your needs, essentially turning the art medium into art itself. Genius. Spray on.
In Case of an Emergency – Super Sexy C.P.R. Video
A public service announcement from Sex+Design. Enjoy.
FLAWK You Like a Hurricane
By Veronica Christina and Nico Johanna
One look at Lauren Rassel and Dexter Simmons and you know they’re in fashion. Well, fashion or some fabulously underground creative circuit of taste-makers influencing the styles most of us won’t see for years. Yet the dynamic duo behind the uber-clever fashion and accessory house FLAWK isn’t all glam and feathers. This team works. In just a year they’ve debuted numerous, well-received collections, styled and modeled in countless photo shoots as well as designed an entire accessories line. Prolific and voracious, FLAWK is the future of fashion and have already set trends inspiring the heavy-hitting design powerhouses they are one day sure to become.
How did Flawk form? Where did you two meet and how did you decide to collaborate?
Dexter and I met as buyers for the Wasteland on Haight in 2004. We became neighbors, best friends and business partners in 2007. We decided to do a show together for fun/ exposure and ended up making a fashion label.
What unique ability to each of you bring to the table that makes FLAWK fly?
Dexter has amazing model magnetism…Amateurs and pros alike trust him… He also has an endless addiction to mixing sexy and bizarre when designing…
Lauren is a negotiator and FLAWK pusher. She has a tendency to blur the line between clothing and accessories.
Define FLAWK in 5 words or less….
Fashion scavengers
If you weren’t designing clothes/accessories-you’d be?
Making paintings, installations and sculptures – the things I do to take a break from wearable art. – Lauren
Working backstage making people look good -dex
Tell us about your new collection, how is it different from the others?
It’s extremely cohesive and marketable. The focus was on the magazine launch so the look is young and sexy. All
dresses are the same silhouette made from pants and fabric remnants. Each one also has a detachable necklace.
Is this your first collection of shades? What other accessories will we see from you?
Not our first time with sunglasses just the first time doing a large scale cohesive bunch.
Where can we find your stuff in the city?
Wonderland SF
What other projects if any are you working on to gain more exposure?
That’s top secret.
If you had all the money in the world, where would your ideal shoot be?
Lauren – In a circus for a week
Dexter – Costa Rican rain forest
Biggest vices for each of you?
independence *Lauren
gold * dexter
Best party you’ve ever been to? Details?
Hard to say but recently the Jeremy Scott after party for fashion week in Feb. At a club 2 stories underground in Manahattan…Santogold and a wild crew of street dancers busted out and performed throughout the night.
Why was Brooklyn fashion week so much better than NY fashion week- details?
There isn’t an official fashion week in Brooklyn. We showed at Williamsburg Fashion Weekend which was an indie more party oriented show environment. It was cool for us because of our subversive independent approach.