Here’s a link to the snappy independence day celebration video by creative UTuber PES. Watch his other videos there, too.
July 5, 2009
July 2, 2009
Fashionistas, Balloons!
Though not pop-ups or paper art, this Chinese runway show of balloon couture is just so good we had to post it! Who ever thought balloon art could move beyond those cute little weiner dogs and ducks to become such a glamorous fashion statement! These images were shot by Myspace member “Shane.” For the full slide show, visit his Myspace page. And thanks to Esther Smith for bringing these fabulous frocks to our attention….
June 8, 2009
Surveillance as a Pop-Up
These days, book artists are designing pop-up books on a whole range of subjects that have nothing to do with kids. Shana Agid has a new book out called “Snitch” in which he explores the positive and negative aspects of “being watched” within our society. What should we fear about surveillance systems? What will make us safer? How much privacy should we give up for safety? These are subjects that needs to be examined rigorously as technologies for keeping track of everything in our lives become ever more sophisticated and pervasive. Check out Shana’s web site at http://www.shanaagid.com/projects/snitch/snitch.html
April 21, 2009
Science, Sex, and Sculptural Paper
What could be more fascinating than Isabella Rossalini working with paper costuming and sculptures to explain reproductive processes of sea creatures and insects? In her “Green Porno” series of short video productions, Rossalini acts and directs in these funny, informative, and beautifully produced little science segments. Season One covers the reproduction of flies, bees, spiders, fireflies and earthworms. Season Two expands to examine how sea creatures mate, featuring whales, limpets, and starfish, among others. Working with production designer Andy Byers and a team of theater pros, Rossalini has succeeded in making science education a lot more fun with these little video gems!
March 20, 2009
Kinetic Animal Sculptures by Theo Jansen
In keeping with the movable aspects of our artistic pursuits at Popular Kinetics, we love the intriguing large-scale sculptures of Dutch artist Theo Jansen. Jansen refers to his works as “animals” and bases their movements on those of insects, sea forms and other living creatures. His sculptures walk on their own along beaches in The Neatherlands, using a traditional Dutch source of energy: the wind.
Jansen’s work crosses borders between art, engineering, and bio-engineering. His artificial life forms “evolve” as he evaluates and improves the characteristics and movements which allow these “beach beasts” to survive outdoors in the elements.
Watch the video of the sculptures here: http://www.wimp.com/theojansen/
March 3, 2009
Paper-Based Visualization Competition
For all of us who love working with paper, the entries in this year’s Paper-Based Visualization Competition are aethetically diverse and inspiring. To see photos, visit http://infosthetics.com/archives/2009/02/paper-based_visualization_competition_the_winner_and_more.html
January 10, 2009
It’s a Wonderful Internet Video
Happy New Year! To begin the year, we’ve found this wonderful animation of a pop-up book based on the movie It’s a Wonderful Life. We think it’s a great example of pop-up iconography. Click here to view it.
December 11, 2008
Thomas Allen’s Pulp Fiction
Photographer Thomas Allen has an interesting take on the pulp fiction genre. He cuts various characters from a book’s cover, theatrically positions and lights them (often with a tongue-in-cheek response to the work’s title), then photographs the results to create an eerily staged diorama with surprising dramatic impact. To see more of Allen’s work, visit the 1dak.com site.
November 18, 2008
Bim Music Video with Pop-Up Book Theme
Another imaginative music video using a pop-up book format for the theme of the animation, Bim Skala Bim’s “Stay in My Memory” combines real footage of a book viewer with creative animated characters that play in and out of 3D pop-up pages. I especially like the tight narrative circle created by the opening and closing night sky sequences!
October 31, 2008
Scott Wade’s Dirty Car Art
They’re not a pop-up books, but they’re movable and can “pop-up” anywhere. They’re Scott Wade’s dirty car artworks. Drawn into the dust and grime on car windows, these classic art images evolve with the weather, the elements, and the passage of time. See more of Scott’s ephemeral creations at his web site, www.dirtycarart.com.
